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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

xANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended September 29, 2018October 3, 2020
or
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Commission File Number: 001-38603

SONOS, INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware03-0479476
(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
614 Chapala Street
Santa Barbara CACA93101
(Address of principal executive offices)(Zip code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (805) 965-3001


805-965-3001
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each classTrading SymbolName of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.0001$0.001 par valueSONOThe Nasdaq Global Select Market


Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes No x


Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes No x


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 x 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 x No

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.


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 (Check one):
Large accelerated filerxAccelerated Filerfiler
Non-accelerated filerxSmaller 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 has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes No x








The aggregate market value of the shares of SONO common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was not a public company as of March 27, 2020, the last business day of itsthe registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter, and therefore, cannot calculatewas$880.9 million based on the aggregate market valueclosing price of its voting and non-voting common equity held$8.62 as reported by non-affiliates as of such date.The Nasdaq Global Select Market System.


As of November 16, 2018,9, 2020, the registrant had 100,947,974112,848,052 shares of common stock outstanding, $0.0001 par value per share.


DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE


Part III incorporates by reference certain information from the registrant’s definitive proxy statement (the "2018"2021 Proxy Statement") relating to its 20182021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The 20182021 Proxy Statement will be filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this report relates.





Table of contents




TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Part I
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Forward-Looking Statements


This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical factsfact contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including statements regarding future operations, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "could," "would," "expect," "objective," "plan," "potential," "seek," "grow," "target," "if," and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives and financial needs. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described in the section titled "Risk Factors" set forth in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the future events and trends discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K may not occur, and actual results may differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K include, but are not limited to, statements about:


our expectations regarding our results of operations, including gross margin, financial condition and cash flows;


our expectations regarding the development and expansion of our business;


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


competitors and competition in our markets;

our ability to maintain and promote our brand and expand brand awareness;

our ability to successfully develop and introduce new products at an increased pace;products;


our ability to manage our international expansion;operations;


the effects of tariffs, trade barriers and retaliatory trade measures;


our ability to expand our customer base and expand sales to existing customers;


our expectations regarding development of our direct-to-consumer sales channels;


expansion of our partner network;


the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and our response to it;

our ability to retain and hire necessary employees and staff our operations appropriately;


the timing and amount of certain expenses and our ability to achieve operating leverage over time; and


our ability to maintain, protect and enhance our intellectual property.


We caution you that the foregoing list may not contain all of the forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.


You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Except as required by law, we do not intend to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or to conform these statements to actual results or revised expectations.


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You should read this Annual Report on Form 10-K with the understanding that our actual future results, levels of activity, performance and events and circumstances may be materially different from what we expect.





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PART I
Item 1: Business


Overview


Sonos was founded withis one of the world's leading sound experience brands. As the inventor of multi-room wireless audio products, Sonos' innovation helps the world listen better by giving people access to the content they love and allowing them to control it however they choose. Known for delivering an unparalleled sound experience, thoughtful design aesthetic, simplicity of use and an open platform, Sonos makes a clear mission—breadth of audio content available to fill every home with music. This mission led us to invent wireless multi-room home audio. Sonos transforms the way people live and interact by restoring the shared experience of music throughout the home. anyone.

Our sound system provides an immersive listening experience created by our thoughtfully designed speakers and components, our proprietary software platform and the ability to wirelessly stream the content our customers love from the services they prefer. We manage the complexity of delivering a seamless customer experience in a multi-user and open-platform environment. The Sonos sound system is easy to set up, use, and expand to bring audio to any room in the home. Through our software platform, we frequently enhance features and services on our products, improving functionality and customer experience.


Sonos sits at the intersection of emerging trends driving the future of home entertainment.consumer technology and entertainment trends. The proliferation of streaming services and the rapid adoption of voice assistants are significantly changing audio consumption habits and how consumers interact with the internet. As thea leading sound system for consumers, content partners and developers, Sonos is poised to capitalizecapitalizing on the large market opportunity created by these dynamics.


We debuted the world’s first multi-room wireless multi-room sound system in 2005 and have since been a leading innovator in wireless home audio. Today, our products include wireless speakers,and home theater speakers, components, and componentsaccessories to address consumers’ evolving home audio needs. We launched our first voice-enabled wireless speaker, Sonos One, in October 2017, and our first voice-enabled home theater speaker, Sonos Beam, in July 2018. In addition to new product launches, we frequently introduce new features through software upgrades,across our platform, providing our customers with enhanced functionality, andservices, improved sound, in the home. and an enriched user experience.

We are committed to continuous technological innovation as evidenced by our growing global patent portfolio of over 775 issued patents and 595 applications.portfolio. We believe our patents comprise the foundational intellectual property for wireless multi-room and other audio technology.technologies.


Our network of partners provides our customers with access to voice control, streaming music, internet radio, podcasts and audiobook content, enabling them to control and listen to an expansive range of homeaudio entertainment. Our platform has attracted a broad range of approximately 100 streaming content providers, such as Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify, and TuneIn. These partners find value in our independent platform and access to our millions of desirable and engaged customers.


As of September 29, 2018,October 3, 2020, we had a total of nearly 31.6 million products registered in approximately 10.9 million households globally, including the addition of over 1.8 million new households during fiscal 2020. Our customers have typically purchased additional Sonos products over time. As of October 3, 2020, 61% of our customers10.9 million households had registered nearly 21 million products in approximately 7.4 million households globally.more than one Sonos product. We also estimate that our customers listened to 5.910.2 billion hours of audio content using our products in fiscal 2018,2020, which represents 34%32.8% growth from fiscal 2017.2019.


Our innovative products, seamless customer experience, and expanding global footprint have driven 1315 consecutive years of sustained revenue growth since our first product launch. We generate revenue from the sale of our Sonos speaker products, including wireless speakers and home theater speakers, andfrom our Sonos system products, which largely comprises our component products, asand from partner products and other revenue, including partnerships with IKEA and Sonance, Sonos and third-party accessories, licensing, and advertising revenue.

Our growth is driven by both new customers buybuying our products andas well as existing customers continuecontinuing to add products to their Sonos sound systems. In fiscal 2018,2020, existing customers accounted for approximately 37%41.2% of new product registrations. We sell our products primarily through over 10,000 third-party physical retail stores, including custom installers of home audio systems. We also sell through select e-commerce retailers and our website sonos.com. Our products are distributed in over 50 countries, with 51%47.4% of our revenue in fiscal 20182020 generated outside the United States.

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Since our founding, we have focused on creating and enhancing a reliable, wireless multi-room sound system that simply works. The Sonos sound system integrates our speakers, proprietary software platform and a robust partner ecosystem to enable an immersive sound experience throughout the home. We manage the complexity of delivering a seamless customer experience in a multi-user and open-platform environment. The Sonos sound system is easy to set up, use and expand to bring the Sonic Internet to any room in the home. Through our software platform, we frequently upgrade features and services on our products, improving functionality and customer experience.




Our productsProducts


Our portfolio of products encourages customers to uniquely tailor their Sonos sound systems to best meet their sound and design preferences.


WirelessSonos speakers. OurSonos speakers comprises our wireless speakers include Play:1, Play:3 and Play:5, as well as Sonos One, which includes native voice control.

Home theater speakers. Our home theater products, include speakersincluding:

ProductLaunch DateDescription
ArcJune 2020Our premium smart soundbar for TV, movies, music, gaming, and more. Replaced Playbar, our first smart soundbar released in April 2013 and Playbase, our powerful sound base for TVs released in 2017.
FiveJune 2020Our high fidelity speaker for superior sound. Originally launched as Play:5 (Gen 1) in November 2009 and completely redesigned in November 2015 as Play:5 (Gen 2).
Sub (Gen 3)June 2020Our wireless subwoofer for deep bass. Originally introduced as Sub (Gen 1) in June 2012.
MoveSeptember 2019Our durable, battery-powered smart speaker for outdoor and indoor listening.
One SLSeptember 2019Our powerful microphone-free speaker for music and more. Replaced Play:1 which was introduced in October 2013.
BeamJune 2018Our smart, compact soundbar for TV, music, and more.
OneOctober 2017Our powerful smart speaker with voice control built in.

Sonos System Products. Sonos system products comprises our component and a subwoofer designed to play audio content from TV/video. Our home theaterother products include Playbar, Playbase and Sub, as well as the recently released Sonos Beam, which includes native voice control.

Components. Our Connect, Connect:Amp and Sonos Amp allow customers to convert third-party wired speakers,systems, stereo systems orand home theater setupsset-ups into our easy-to-use, wirelessly controlled streaming music system.system, including:

ProductLaunch DateDescription
PortSeptember 2019Our versatile streaming component for stereos or receivers. Replaced Connect which launched in January 2007.
AmpFebruary 2019Our versatile amplifier powering all our customers’ entertainment. Replaced Connect:Amp which launched in September 2012.
BoostAugust 2014Our simple WiFi extension for uninterrupted listening.

Partner Products and Other Revenue. Partner products and other revenue category comprises products sold in connection with our partnerships, accessories, professional services, licensing, and advertising revenue. Products in this category are comprised of accessories that allow our customers to integrate our products seamlessly into their homes as well as products manufactured by and/or sold by our partners, including:


ProductDescription
IKEA module unitsHardware and embedded software integrated into final products manufactured and sold by IKEA. Current IKEA products include SYMFONISK bookshelf speaker and lamp.
Sonos Architectural by SonanceIntroduced in February 2019, a collection of installed passive speakers for indoor and outdoor use designed and optimized for Amp in partnership with Sonance, including in-ceiling, in-wall, and outdoor speakers.
AccessoriesStands, mounts, shelves, cables, chargers, and more.
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Our softwareSoftware


Our proprietary software is the foundation of the Sonos sound system and further differentiates our products and services from those of our competitors.

In April 2020, we introduced Sonos Radio, a free, ad-supported streaming radio experience bringing together more than 60,000 stations from multiple streaming partners alongside original programming from Sonos.

In June 2020, we introduced Sonos S2, a powerful new app and operating system to enable a new generation of Sonos products and experiences, which includes new features, usability updates, and more personalization while also enabling higher resolution audio technologies for music and home theater.

Our software provides the following key benefits:


Multi-room experience. Our system enables our speakers to work individually or together in synchronized playback groups, powered by wireless mesh network capabilities to route and play audio optimally.


Enhanced functionality through software upgrades. Open platform for content partners. Our platform enables uscustomers to understandeasily search and enhancebrowse for content from a list of more than 100 content partners from around the world including stations, artists, albums, podcasts, audio books, and more. Content partners can connect to Sonos via our customers’ listeningplatform and control experience, delivering feature updatesfind a new and intelligent customization through remote software upgrades and cloud-based services.
growing audience for their catalogs.


Intuitive and flexible control. Our customers can control their experiences through the Sonos app, voice control, from Sonos devices directly, or an expanding number of third-party apps and smart devices. As our customers navigate across different controllers, our technology synchronizes the control experience across the Sonos platform to deliver the music and entertainment experience they desire.


Advanced acoustics. Smart audio. We have made significant investments in our engineering team and audio technology, which have enabled us to create speakers that produce high-fidelity sound.technology. For example, we invented technology to allow two or more of our speakers to pair wirelessly and create multi-channel sound, thereby enabling a much broader sound field. In addition, our Trueplay technology utilizes the microphones on an iOS device to analyze room attributes, speaker placement and other acoustic factors in order to improve sound quality.
We also developed Automatic TruePlay to deliver the same audio tuning experience, directly using the microphones integrated to our speakers and make this available to iOS and Android users.


Home theater. Our platform enables flexible, wireless home theater configurations supporting a variety of formats.

Continuous Improvement. Our software platform and cloud service enables feature enhancements and delivery of new experiences on an ongoing basis, so the Sonos experience improves for customers over time.

Our partner ecosystemPartner Ecosystem


We have built a platform that attracts partners to enable our customers to play the content they love from the services they prefer.their preferred services. Our partners span across content, control, and third-party applications:


Content. We partner with a broad range of content providers, such as streaming music services, internet radio stations, and podcast services, allowing our customers to enjoy their audio content from whichever source they desire.

Control. We provide our customers with multiple options to control their home audio experiences, including voice control and direct control from within selected streaming music service apps.
Our voice-enabled speaker products have Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant functionality, making our platform the first to offer consumers the ability to buy a single smart speaker with more than one voice assistant choice.
Third-party applicationspartnerships. We partner with third-party developers including home automation integrators such as Crestron. These partners are buildingto build new applications and services on top of the Sonos platform, increasing customer engagement and creating new experiences for our customers.customers, such as architectural in-ceiling, in-wall and outdoor speakers in partnership with Sonance, as well as a bookshelf speaker and table lamp speaker in partnership with IKEA.
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Table of contents


Our competitive strengthsCompetitive Strengths


We believe the following combination of capabilities and features of our business model distinguish us from our competitors and position us well to capitalize on the opportunities created by the Sonic Internet:our opportunities:


Leading sound system. We have developed and refined our sound system with a singular focus for over 15the last 17 years. Our effort has resulted in significant consumer awareness and market share among home audio professionals. For example, a 20182020 product study by a leading home audio publication of the top 100 custom integrator professionalsCE Pro ranked Sonos as the leading brand in the wireless audio,speakers, soundbar, and subwoofer categories. Our 84%92% share in the wireless audiospeakers category among these industry professionals significantly outpaces our competitors.

Proprietary Sonos app and software platform.We offer our customers a mobile app that controls the Sonos sound system and the entire listening experience. Customers can stream different audio content to speakers in different rooms or the same audio content synchronized throughout the entire home. Additionally, the Sonos app enables universal search, the ability to search for audio content across streaming services and owned content to easily find, play or curate music.
Platform enables freedom of choice for consumers. Our broad and growing network of partners provides our customers with access to voice control, streaming music, internet radio, podcasts and audiobook content, enabling them to listen to the content they love from the services they prefer. Our platform attracts a broad set of content providers, including leading streaming music services and third-party developers.
Differentiated consumer experience creates engaged households who often repeat purchase. We deliver a differentiated customer experience to millions of households every day, cultivating a passionate and engaged customer base. Long-term engagement with our products and our ability to continuously improve the functionality of our existing products through software updates leads to attractive economics as customers add products to their Sonos sound systems.
Commitment to innovation drives continuous improvement. We have made significant investments in research and development since our inception and believe that we own the foundational intellectual property of wireless multi-room and other audio technologies. We have significantly expanded the size of our patent portfolio in recent years. In 2019, the strength of our patent portfolio placed us 3rd in Electronics in the 1790 Analytics Patent Scorecards study.
Commitment to innovation drives continuous improvement. We have made significant investments in research and development for over 15 years and believe that we own the foundational intellectual property of wireless multi-room audio. We have significantly expanded the size of our patent portfolio in recent years. In 2017, the strength of our patent portfolio placed us 2ndin Electronics and 19thoverall in IEEE’s Patent Power Report.

Sound system expansion drives attractive financial model. We generate significant revenue and profits from customers purchasing additional products to expand their Sonos sound systems, which has contributed to 13 consecutive years of sustained revenue growth.systems. Existing households represented approximately 37%41% of new product registrations in fiscal 2018.2020. We have proven our ability to profitably add new homes, and develop new experiences that drive existing customers to add additional products to their home. We believe that we have yet to fully realize the lifetime value of our customer base. We believe this aspect of our financial model will continue to be critical in sustainingcontribute to our revenueability to achieve sustainable, profitable growth over the long term.
Our growth strategiesGrowth Strategies


Key elements of our growth strategy include:


Consistently introduceContinued introduction of innovative products. products and services. To address our market opportunity, we have developed a long-term roadmap to deliver innovative products, services and software enhancements, andenhancements. We intend to increase the pace of product introductionscontinue to introduce products and services across multiple categories including products designed for enjoyment in all the places and spaces that our customers listen to audio content, including outside of the home. Executing on our roadmap will position us to acquire new customers, increase sales to existing customers and improve the customer experience.
Invest in geographic expansion. Geographic expansion represents a significant growth opportunity in currently unserved countries. We intend to expand into new countries by employing country-specific marketing campaignsExpansion of direct-to-consumer efforts and distribution channels.
Build directbuilding relationships with existing and prospective customers. In fiscal 2020, we generated 21.4% of total revenue through our direct-to-consumer channel, primarily sonos.com, compared to 12% in fiscal 2019. We expect that our direct-to-consumer channel will continue to contribute to our growth. We intend to continue to build direct relationships with current and prospective customers through sonos.com and the Sonos app to drive direct sales.
Expand partner ecosystem to enhance platform. We intend to deepen our relationships with our current partners and expand our partner ecosystem to provide our customers access to streaming music services, voice assistants, internet radio, podcasts and audiobook content. For example, we introduced voice control with Amazon’s Alexa technology in 2017 and Apple’s Siri via Airplay 2 in 2018, and plan to introduce Google Assistant in 2019.

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Increase brand awareness in existing geographic markets. We intend to increase our household penetration rates in our existing geographic markets by investing inincreasing brand awareness, expanding our product offerings and growing our partner ecosystem.

Expansion into new geographic markets. Geographic expansion represents a growth opportunity in currently underserved countries. We intend to expand into new countries over time by employing country-specific marketing campaigns and distribution channels.

Research and Development
Sonos app

We offerOur research and development team develops new software and hardware products as well as improves and enhances our customers a single mobile app that controlsexisting software and hardware products to address customer demands and emerging trends. Our team has worked on features and enhancements to the Sonos sound system including development and the entire listening experience. Customers can stream different audio contentimprovements to speakers in different rooms or the same audio content synchronized throughout the entire home. Additionally, the Sonos app, enables universal search,product setup, Trueplay tuning and the ability to search foruse Alexa or Google voice services. Our audio contentteam has developed a series of acoustic technologies which enabled us to create speakers that produce high-fidelity sound. Our wireless and radio team set a world-class wireless performance that enabled multi-room experience, wireless surround sound, and many more applications. Our industrial design and mechanical engineering teams developed a cohesive, unique family of products across their streaming servicesmultiple categories and owned contentuse-cases such as home theater, all-in-one, and portable. These products demonstrate a range of proprietary manufacturing and design details, logo application techniques, and assembly architecture. The products and software we develop require significant technological knowledge and expertise to easily find, play or curate their favorite music.develop at a competitive pace. We believe our research and development capabilities and our intellectual property differentiates us from our competitors. We intend to continue to significantly invest in research and development to bring new products and software to market and expand our platform and capabilities.


Sales and marketingMarketing


We sell our products primarily through over 10,000 third-party physical retail stores, including custom installers of home audio systems, and our products are distributed in overmore than 50 countries. The majority of our sales are transacted through traditional physical retailers, including on their websites. We also sell through online retailers, such as Amazon, to custom installers who bundle our products with services that they sell to their customers, and directly through our website sonos.com. We sell products internationally through distributors and tothrough retailers. These retailers also sell products offered by our competitors. In fiscal 2018, Best Buy accounted for 17% of our revenue and the ALSO Group, our distributor in Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Norway, accounted for 10% of our revenue.


Our marketing investments are focused on driving profitable growth through advertising, public relations and brand promotion activities, including digital, out-of-home, print, sponsorships, brand activations and channel marketing. We invest in customer experience and customer relationship management to drive loyalty, word-of-mouth marketing and growth of our direct channels. Our marketing investments are focused on driving profitable growth through advertising, public relations and brand promotion activities, including digital, sponsorships, brand activations and collaborations, and channel marketing. We intend to continue to invest significant resources in our marketing and brand development efforts, including investing in capital expenditures on product displays to support our retail channel partners.

Research and development

Our research and development team develops new products and improves and enhances our existing products. We leverage the data that we gather from our products in the development of new features and enhancements to the Sonos sound system.

We intend to continue to significantly invest in research and development to bring new products to market and expand our platform and capabilities.


Manufacturing, logisticsLogistics and fulfillmentFulfillment


We outsource the manufacturing of our speakers and components to contract manufacturers, using our design specifications. Our products are manufactured by Inventec Appliances Corporation ("Inventec")contract manufacturers in China and otherduring fiscal 2020, we began to diversify our supply chain through the addition of contract manufacturers.manufacturing in Malaysia.


Our contracts with Inventec and our other contract manufacturers do not obligate them to supply products to us in any specific quantity, except as specified in our purchase orders that are aligned with forecasts based on terms and conditions of the contract. Our contract manufacturers assemble our products to demand forecasts we establish based upon historical trends and analysis from our sales and product management functions. The vast majority of our products are shipped to our third-party warehouses andwhich we then ship to our distributors, retailers and directly to our customers. Our third partythird-party warehouses are located in the United States in California and Pennsylvania, as well as internationally in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, China, and the Netherlands.Japan.


We use a small number of logistics providers for substantially all of our product delivery to both distributors and retailers. This approach allows us to reduce order fulfillment time, reduce shipping costs and improve inventory flexibility.


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Competition


We compete against established, well-knownaudio-focused sellers of speakers and sound systems such as Bang & Olufsen, Bose, Samsung (and its subsidiaries Harman International and JBL), Sony and Sound United (and its subsidiaries Denon and Polk), and against developers of voice-enabled speakers and other voice-enabled products such as Amazon, Apple and Google. In some cases, our competitors are also our partners in our product development and resale and distribution channels. Many of our competitors have significant market share, diversified product lines, well-established supply and distribution systems, strong worldwide brand recognition, loyal customer bases and significant financial, marketing, research, development and other resources.




The principal competitive factors in our market include:


brand awareness and reputation;

breadth of product offering;

price;
price;

sound quality;

multi-room and wireless capabilities;

customer support;

product quality and design;

ease of setup and use; and

network of technology and content partners.


We believe we compete favorably with our competitors on the basis of the factors described above.

Government regulation

Our business and products are subject to numerous U.S. federal and state and foreign laws and regulations covering a wide variety of subject matters. These laws and regulations include general business regulations and laws, as well as regulations and laws specific to providers of internet-delivered streaming services and devices.

In particular, our business is subject to foreign and U.S. federal and state laws and regulations applicable to companies conducting business using the internet. Both domestic and international jurisdictions vary widely as to how or whether existing laws governing areas such as personal privacy and data security, consumer protection, payment processing or sales and other taxes and intellectual property apply to the internet and e-commerce. These laws, as well as those governing electronics contracts, and internet content and access restrictions, are continually evolving.

Additionally, we are subject to both general and e-commerce-specific privacy laws and regulations that may require us to provide users with our policies on sharing information with third parties and advance notice of any changes to these policies. Related laws may govern the manner in which we store or transfer sensitive information or impose obligations on us in the event of a security breach or inadvertent disclosure of such information. International jurisdictions impose different, and sometimes more stringent, consumer and privacy protections.

Tax regulations in domestic and international jurisdictions where we do not currently collect state or local taxes may subject us to the obligation to collect and remit such taxes, to additional taxes or to requirements intended to assist jurisdictions with their tax collection efforts. New legislation or regulation, the application of laws from jurisdictions whose laws do not currently apply to our business or the application of existing laws and regulations to the internet and e-commerce generally could result in significant additional taxes on our business.

In addition, the internet is a vital component of our business and also is subject to a variety of laws and regulations in jurisdictions throughout the world. We expect to rely on the historical openness and accessibility of the internet and the current balanced approach of network operators to conduct our business, and government regulations that impede or fail to preserve the open internet could harm our business.

The laws in each of these areas are continually changing and evolving in unpredictable ways. New laws and regulations in any of these areas, as well as compliance with these laws (and their derivatives) may have an adverse effect on our business. If we fail to comply with these laws we may be subject to significant liabilities and other penalties

Our content partners also are subject to a wide range of government regulations that may vary by jurisdiction. Because our business depends in part on the availability of third-party content delivered over the internet, increased regulation of our content


partners or changes in laws or regulations governing internet retransmission of third-party content could increase our expenses and adversely affect our business and the attractiveness of our platform.


Intellectual propertyProperty


Intellectual property is an important aspect of our business, and we seek protection for our intellectual property as appropriate. To establish and protect our proprietary rights, we rely upon a combination of patent, copyright, trade secret and trademark laws and contractual restrictions such as confidentiality agreements, licenses and intellectual property assignment agreements. We maintain a policy requiring our employees, contractors, consultants and other third parties to enter into confidentiality and proprietary rights agreements to control access to our proprietary information. These laws, procedures and restrictions provide only limited protection, and any of our intellectual property rights may be challenged, invalidated, circumvented, infringed or misappropriated. There is no guarantee that we will prevail on any patent infringement claims against third parties. Furthermore, the laws of certain countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States, and we therefore may be unable to protect our proprietary technology in certain jurisdictions.


As of September 29, 2018, we had been granted more than 775We currently hold over one thousand issued patents, including design and utility patents, and had over 595are pursuing hundreds of patent applications pending.throughout the world. Our patents expire between 2024 and 2037.at various times. Our patents and patent applications focus oninclude technology for the ability to stream content wirelessly to multiple rooms in the home.home, as well as other experiences and audio technologies that are important to the Sonos platform. We continually review our development efforts to assess the existence and patentability of new intellectual property. We pursue the registration of our domain names, trademarks and service marks in the United States and in certain locations outside the United States. To protect our brand, we file trademark registrations in some jurisdictions.

In 2019, the strength of our patent portfolio placed us 3rdin Electronics in the 1790 Analytics Patent Scorecards study. We also enter into licensing agreements with our third-party content partners to provide access to a broad range of content for our customers.


EmployeesIn January 2020, we filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission ("ITC") against Alphabet Inc. ("Alphabet") and Google LLC ("Google") and a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Google. The complaint and lawsuit each allege infringement of certain Sonos patents related to its smart speakers and related technology. In September 2020, we filed a lawsuit against Google in the U.S. District Court for Western District of Texas, alleging infringement of five Sonos wireless audio patents. Google has responded by filing a patent infringement lawsuit and a declaratory judgement of non-infringement against us during fiscal 2020 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and in Canada, Germany, France and the Netherlands, and patent infringement lawsuits against our subsidiary Sonos Europe B.V. in Germany, France and the Netherlands. See Note 13. Commitments and Contingencies of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details.


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While we believe that our active patents and patent applications are an important aspect of our business, we also rely heavily on the innovative skills, technical competence and marketing abilities of our personnel.

Human Capital

Sonos is dedicated to creating the ultimate listening experience for our customers, and our employees are critical to achieving this mission. In order to continue to design innovative experiences and products, and compete and succeed in our highly competitive and rapidly evolving market, it is crucial that we continue to attract and retain experienced employees. As part of these efforts, we strive to offer a competitive compensation and benefits program, foster a community where everyone feels included and empowered to do to their best work, and give employees the opportunity to give back to their communities and make a social impact.

As of September 29, 2018,October 3, 2020, we had 1,3521,427 full-time employees. Of our full-time employees, 928999 were in the United States and 424428 were in our international locations. Other than our employees in France and the Netherlands, none of our employees are represented by a labor union or covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

Compensation and Benefits Program. Our compensation program is designed to attract and reward talented individuals who possess the skills necessary to support our business objectives, assist in the achievement of our strategic goals and create long-term value for our stockholders. We provide employees with compensation packages that include base salary, annual incentive bonuses, and long-term equity awards ("RSUs") tied to the value of our stock price. We believe that a compensation program with both short-term and long-term awards provides fair and competitive compensation and aligns employee and stockholder interests, including by incentivizing business and individual performance (pay for performance), motivating based on long-term company performance and integrating compensation with our business plans. In addition to cash and equity compensation, we also offer employees benefits such as life and health (medical, dental & vision) insurance, paid time off, paid parental leave, and a 401(k) plan.

Diversity and Inclusion. We believe that an equitable and inclusive environment with diverse teams produces more creative solutions, results in better, more innovative products and services and is crucial to our efforts to attract and retain key talent. We have not experienced anyset a goal of 50% of new U.S. hires coming from underrepresented groups. We are focused on this goal and on building an inclusive culture through a variety of diversity and inclusion initiatives, including related to internal promotions and hiring practices. Our employee resource groups ("ERGs") also help to build an inclusive culture through company events, participation in our recruitment efforts, and input into our hiring strategies.

Community Involvement. We aim to give back to the communities where we live and work, stoppages.and believe that this commitment helps in our efforts to attract and retain employees. We consideroffer employees the opportunity to give back both through our relationshipSonos Soundwaves program, which partners with leading non-profits, and our Sonos Cares program, which offers employees to be good.paid volunteer time each year.


For more information on our diversity and inclusion and community involvement initiatives, please see our Corporate Responsibility report which is available at www.sonos.com.
Corporate informationInformation


We incorporated in Delaware in August 2002 as Rincon Audio, Inc. and we changed our name to Sonos, Inc. in May 2004. We completed the initial public offering ("IPO") of our common stock in August 2018 and our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol of "SONO." Our principal executive offices are located at 614 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara, California 93101, and our telephone number is (805) 965-3001.


Our website address is www.sonos.com. The information on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Investors should not rely on any such information in deciding whether to purchase our common stock.


Sonos, the Sonos logo, Sonos One, Sonos One SL, Sonos Five, Sonos Beam, Play:1, Play:3, Play:5, Playbase, Playbar, Connect, Connect:Amp, Sonos Arc, Amp, Sub, Sonos Move, Port, Boost, and our other registered or common law trademarks, tradenames or service marks appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are our property. Solely for convenience, our trademarks, tradenames, and service marks referred to in this Annual Report on Form 10-K appear without the ®, ™ and SM symbols, but those references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our
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rights to these trademarks, tradenames and service marks. This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains additional trademarks, tradenames and service marks of other companies that are the property of their respective owners.

Available Information
Available information


We make available, free of charge through our website, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports, filed or furnished pursuant to Sections 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as soon as reasonably practicable after they have been electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC.




The SEC maintains an internet site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
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Item 1A. Risk factorsFactors


Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, as well as the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes, and the section titled "Management’s discussion“Management’s Discussion and analysisAnalysis of financial conditionFinancial Condition and resultsResults of operations,"Operations,” before making an investment decision. The occurrence of any of the events or developments described below could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. In such an event, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently believe are not material may also impair our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.



Economic and Strategic Risk

Risks related to ourOur business

We have a recent history of losses has been and expect to incur increased operating costs in the future, and we may not achieve or sustain profitability.

We have experienced net losses in our recent annual periods. In the fiscal years ended September 29, 2018, September 30, 2017 and October 1, 2016, we had net losses of $15.6 million, $14.2 million and $38.2 million, respectively. We had an accumulated deficit of $203.6 million as of September 29, 2018. We expect our operating expenses to increase in the future as we expand our operations and execute on our product roadmap. We plan to make significant future expenditures related to the expansion of our business and our product offerings, including investments in:

research and developmentis expected to continue to introduce innovative new products, enhance existing productsbe materially and improve our customers’ listening experience;adversely affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.


salesTo date, COVID-19 and marketing to expand ourrelated preventative and mitigation measures have negatively impacted the global brand awareness, promote new products, increase our customer baseeconomy, disrupted consumer spending and expand sales within our existing customer base;global supply chains, and

legal, accounting, information technology created significant volatility and other administrative expenses to sustain our operationsdisruption of financial markets. Our fiscal 2020 business and operating results were affected as a public company.

We need to increaseresult of, among other things, challenges we and our revenue to achieveretail partners faced and maintain profitability in the future. We cannot assure you that our revenue will continue to grow or that it will not decline. In addition, we anticipate that new product introductions will adversely impactface in anticipating the global demand for our gross marginproducts given uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the temporary closure of some of the retail stores in the nearour end-markets. Although retail stores began to intermediate term due to the increasing frequency of these product introductions and their anticipated increased share of our overall product volume. In the past, we have taken cost savings initiatives, including our reorganization effortreopen in the third quarter of fiscal 2018. However,2020 in some of our cost savings initiatives do not assure our profitability. Additional reorganizationsend-markets, many remain subject to operational restrictions which may be implementedimpact customer purchasing behavior and, in the event of a COVID-19 resurgence in such end-markets, some such stores have and others may in the future close again.

COVID-related mitigation measures and cost savings may be offset by future hiring or other costsshutdowns have also delayed our efforts to pursue strategic objectives. Our revenue may decline orfully diversify our supply chain into Malaysia until the middle of 2021. In addition, during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, we may incur significant losses for a number of reasons, includingsaw certain constraints on the other risks and uncertainties described in these Risk Factors.

The paceability of our revenue growth has been volatile,component suppliers and we cannot assure you that we will continuelogistics providers to achieve consistent revenue growth.

We have experienced volatile revenue growth andtimely meet commitments in an environment of increased demand for ourconsumer electronics products since launching our first product in 2005. Our revenue grew 14.6% in fiscal 2018 over fiscal 2017, 10.1% in fiscal 2017 over fiscal 2016, 6.8% in fiscal 2016 over fiscal 2015 and 8.9% in fiscal 2015 over fiscal 2014. Our historical revenue growth rates therefore should not be considered indicative of our future performance. Additionally, because our ability to achieve continued growth will depend on our ability to execute on our product roadmap, we cannot guarantee that our revenue will continue to grow. In order for our revenue growth to continue, and forduring the volatility of our growth to stabilize, we will need to be successful in determining the market opportunity for new products and developing and delivering products that appeal to consumers and stimulate demand. If we are unable to do so, our revenue may not grow as anticipated or at all, and the trading price of our common stock may decline.

The volatility of our revenue growth could cause our operating expenses to exceed our revenue in some periods. The unpredictable nature of the growth and expansion of our business and product offerings also places a continuous and significant


strain on our management, operational and financial resources. In future periods, we could experience a decline in revenue, or revenue could grow more slowly than we expect,COVID-19 pandemic, which could have a material negative effect on our operating results and our stock price could be harmed.

Our operating results depend on a number of factors and are likely to fluctuate from quarter to quarter, which makes them difficult to predict and which could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline.

Our operating results and other key metrics have fluctuated in the pasthas, and may continue to, fluctuate from quarteradversely impact our ability to quarter. We expectmeet our product demand, result in additional costs, or may otherwise adversely impact our business and results of operations.

COVID-19 has negatively impacted the global economy to date and is likely to cause further global economic disruption. While the duration and severity of the economic impacts of COVID-19 are unknown, it is possible that this trend will continue as a result of a number of factors, many of which are outside of our control andsuch economic impacts may be difficult to predict, including:

fluctuations in demand for our products, including seasonal variations;

prolonged and continue beyond the timing and successdevelopment of new product introductions, which products initially tend to have a lower gross margin;

the timing and success of new product introductions by our competitors;

pricing pressure as a result of competitionany vaccines or otherwise;

shifts in product, geographic or channel mix;

the imposition of tariffs and other trade barriers, and the effects of retaliatory trade measures;

delays or disruptions in our supply, manufacturing or distribution chain;

fluctuations in costs and availability of raw materials and components, and in other manufacturing costs;

fluctuations in levels of channel inventory;

amount and timing of sales and marketing and other operating expenses related to maintenance and expansion of our business;

negative publicity about our products;

adverse litigation judgments, settlementstherapeutics. In particular, any recession, depression or other litigation-related costs, especiallysustained adverse market event resulting from litigation involving alleged patent infringement or defense of our patents;

fluctuations in foreign exchange rates;

changes in tax rates or adverse changes in tax laws that expose us to additional income tax liabilities;

natural disasters, geopolitical unrest, war, terrorism and other catastrophes outside of our control; and

general economic conditions in domestic or international markets.

Any one of the factors above or the cumulative effect of some of the factors aboveCOVID-19 may result in significant fluctuations in our operating results. As a result, period-to-period comparisonshigh levels of our operating results may not be meaningful,unemployment and you should not rely on them as an indicationassociated loss of our future performance. The variabilitypersonal income, decreased consumer confidence, and unpredictability of our quarterly operating results or other operating metrics could result in our failure to meet our expectations or those of investors or any analysts that cover us with respect to revenue or other operating results for a particular period. If we fail to meet or exceed such expectations for these or any other reasons, the market price of our common stock could fall substantially.

The success of our business depends on the continued growth of the voice-enabled speaker market, and our ability to establish and maintain market share.


We have increasingly focused our product roadmap on voice-enabled speakers, and we recently introduced our first voice-enabled speaker, Sonos One, in October 2017, and our first voice-enabled home theater speaker, Sonos Beam, in July 2018. The voice-enabled speaker market and the voice-enabled smart home systems market are still in the early stages of development. If


these markets do not continue to grow, or grow in unpredictable ways, our revenue may fall short of expectations and our operating results may be harmed, particularly since we incur substantial costs to introduce new products in advance of anticipated sales. Additionally, even if the market for voice-enabled speakers does expand, we may not be successful in developing and selling speakers that appeal to consumers or gain sufficient market acceptance. To succeed in this market, we will need to design, produce and sell innovative and compelling products and partner with other businesses that enable us to capitalize on new technologies. We also face intense competition in our markets, and we are dependent on a number of technology partners for the development of our products, some oflower discretionary spending, which have developed or may develop and sell voice-enabled speaker products of their own. For example, Sonos One and Sonos Beam feature voice-control enablement powered by Amazon’s Alexa technology while Amazon currently competes by offering speaker products of their own. As we continue to execute on our product roadmap, our success in introducing voice-enabled speakers enabled with third-party technology, especially voice control, will increasingly depend on the willingness of our technology partners, many of which sell or may develop products that compete with ours, to continue to promote and enhance our products. These technology partners may cease doing business with us or disable the technology they provide our products for a variety of reasons, including to promote their products over our own. If these partners disable the integration of their technology into our products, demand for our products may decrease and our sales may be harmed. We cannot assure you that the resources we invest in research and development, existing or alternative technology partnerships, marketing and sales will be adequate for us to be successful in establishing and maintaining a large share of the voice-enabled speaker market. If we are not able to capture and sustain market share, our future revenue growth will be negatively impacted.

To remain competitive and stimulate consumer demand, we must successfully manage frequent new product introductions and transitions.

Due to the highly volatile and competitive nature of the home audio and broader consumer electronics industry, we must frequently introduce new products, enhance existing products and effectively stimulate customer demand for new and upgraded products in both mature and developing markets. The successful introduction of our new products depends on a number of factors, such as the timely completion of development efforts to correspond with limited windows for market introduction. In recent years, we have experienced delays in bringing new products to market, along with higher-than-expected costs in doing so. We face significant challenges in managing the risks associated with new product introductions and production ramp-up issues, including accurately forecasting initial consumer demand, as well as the risk that new products may have quality or other defects in the early stages of introduction. In addition, new and upgraded products can affect the sales and profitability of existing products. Accordingly, if we cannot properly manage the introduction of our new products, our operating results and financial condition may be adversely impacted, particularly if the cadence of new product introductions increases as we expect.

We are highly dependent on a key contract manufacturer to manufacture our products, and while we recently began using additional manufacturers, we may be unable to operate our business if our manufacturer is unable to manufacture our products or ends its relationship with us.

We have historically depended on a single manufacturer, Inventec, to manufacture our products. Recently, we began using additional manufacturers to manufacture certain of our products, though Inventec remains our key manufacturer for the vast majority of our production. Our reliance on Inventec increases the risk that, in the event of an interruption in Inventec’s operations, whether due to a natural catastrophe, labor dispute or otherwise, we would not be able to maintain our production capacity without incurring material additional costs and substantial delays. Additionally, Inventec can terminate its agreement with us for any reason with 180 days’ advance notice. If Inventec breaches or terminates its agreement with us or otherwise fails to perform its obligations in a timely manner, we may be severely delayed or fully prevented from selling our products. If Inventec were unable to perform its obligations or were to end its relationship with us, it would take up a significant amount of time to increase our production with other manufacturers or to identify and onboard a new manufacturer that has the capability and resources to build our products to our specifications in sufficient volume. A violation of labor, environmental, intellectual property or other laws by our manufacturers, or a failure of our manufacturers to follow generally accepted ethical business practices, could create negative publicity, harm our reputation and require us to contract with a new manufacturer. Identifying additional manufacturers would require us to evaluate and approve their quality control systems, technical capabilities, responsiveness, service, financial stability, regulatory compliance and labor and other ethical practices. Any material disruption in our relationship with our manufacturers would harm our ability to compete effectively and satisfy demand for our products, and could adversely impact our revenue, gross margin and operating results.


We depend on a limited number of third-party components suppliers and logistics providers. Our business may be harmed if these parties do not perform their obligations or if they suffer interruptions to their own operations, or if alternative component sources are unavailable or if there is an increase in the costs of these components.

We are dependent on a limited number of suppliers for various key components used in our products, and the cost, quality and availability of these components are essential to the successful production and sale of our products. We have sole-source


suppliers, particularly for product-specific mechanical enclosures, and single- source suppliers, particularly for processor components. We are subject to the risk of shortages and long lead times in the supply of these components and other materials, and the risk that our suppliers discontinue or modify, or increase the price of, the components used in our products. If the supply of these components were to be delayed or constrained, or if one or more of our main suppliers were to go out of business, alternative sources or suppliers may not be available on acceptable terms or at all. Further, if there were a shortage of supply, the cost of these components may increase and harm our ability to sell our products on a cost-effective basis. For example, similar to other companies in the electronics industries, we have from time to time experienced shortages of random-access memory that is integral to manufacturing our products. More recently, the global supply of multilayer ceramic capacitors, which are components used across the consumer electronics industry as well as in all of our products, is experiencing shortages due to an imbalance of global demand and supply capacity, resulting in related price increases that we expect will negatively impact our gross margin through calendar year 2019. In connection with any supply shortages in the future, reliable and cost-effective replacement sources may not be available on short notice or at all, and this may result in decreased sales or force us to increase prices and face a corresponding decrease in demand for our products. In the event that any of our suppliers were to discontinue production of our key product components, developing alternate sources of supply for these components would be time consuming, difficult and costly. This would harm our ability to sell our products in order to meet market demand and could materially and adversely affect our brand, image, business, prospectsresults of operations, financial position and cash flows.

The extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and operating results.

We use a small number of logistics providers for substantially all of our product deliveryresults is uncertain and difficult to both distributors and retailers. If one of these providers were to experience financial difficulties or disruptions in its business, our own operations could be adversely affected. Because substantially all of our products are distributed from a small number of locations and by a small number of companies, we are susceptible to both isolated and system-wide interruptions caused by events out of our control. Our distribution facilities employ computer-controlled and automated equipment, and thus may be vulnerable to computer viruses or other security risks,predict, as well as to electronic or power interruptions or other system failures. Any disruptioninformation is rapidly evolving with respect to the operationsduration and severity of our distributions facilities could delay product delivery, harm our reputation among our customersthe pandemic and adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.the response to contain it.

We have limited control over these parties on which our business depends. If any of these parties fails to perform its obligations on schedule, or breaches or ends its relationship with us, we may be unable to satisfy demand for our products. Delays, product shortages and other problems could impair our retail distribution and brand image and make it difficult for us to attract new customers. If we experience significantly increased demand, or if we need to replace an existing supplier or logistics provider, we may be unable to supplement or replace such supply or logistics capacity on terms that are acceptable to us, which may undermine our ability to deliver our products to customers in a timely manner. Further, we do not have long-term contracts with all of these parties, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to renew our contracts with them on favorable terms or at all. Accordingly, a loss or interruption in the service of any key party could adversely impact our revenue, gross margin and operating results.

Our investments in marketing may not yield the results we expect.

We have made significant investments in marketing our products. Such efforts include direct marketing to consumers to promote awareness of our products, and of our brand in general. These efforts may not yield the results we anticipate and may prove more expensive than we currently anticipate, and revenue may not increase sufficiently to offset these higher expenses. Failures in our marketing efforts could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.


The home audio and consumer electronics industries are highly competitive. Competition presents an ongoing threat to the success of our business.


The markets in which we operate are extremely competitive and rapidly evolving, and we expect that competition will intensify in the future. Our competition includes established, well-known sellers of speakers and sound systems such as Bang & Olufsen, Bose, Samsung (and its subsidiaries Harman International and JBL), Sony and Sound United (and its subsidiaries Denon and Polk), and developers of voice-enabled speakers and systems such as Amazon, Apple and Google. We could also face competition from new market entrants, some of whom might be current partners of ours.

In order to deliver products that appeal to changing and increasingly diverse consumer preferences and to overcome the fact that a relatively high percentage of consumers may already own or use products that they perceive to be similar to those that we offer, we must develop superior technology, anticipate increasingly diverse consumer tastes and rapidly develop attractive products with competitive selling prices. In addition, many of our current and potential partners have business objectives that may drive them to sell their speaker products at a significant discount compared to ours. Amazon and Google, for example, both currently offer their speaker products at significantly lower prices than Sonos One, Sonos Beam, Sonos Arc and Sonos Move. Many of these partners may subsidize these prices and seek to monetize their customers through the sale of additional services rather than the speakers themselves. Even if we are able to efficiently develop and offer innovative products at competitive selling prices, our operating results and financial condition may be adversely impacted if we are unable to
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effectively anticipate and counter the ongoing price erosion that frequently affects consumer products or if the average selling prices of our products decrease faster than we are able to reduce our manufacturing costs.




Most of our competitors have greater financial, technical and marketing resources available to them than those available to us, and, as a result, they may develop competing products that cause the demand for our products to decline. Our current and potential competitors have established, or may establish, cooperative relationships among themselves or with third parties in order to increase the abilities of their products to address the needs of our prospective customers, and other companies may enter our markets by acquiring or entering into strategic relationships with our competitors. To remain competitive, we may also need to increase our selling and marketing expenses. We may not have the financial resources, technical expertise or marketing and sales capabilities to continue to compete successfully. A failure to efficientlyeffectively anticipate and respond to these established and new competitors may adversely impact our business and operating results.


Further, our current and prospective competitors may consolidate with each other or acquire companies that will allow them to develop products that better compete with our products. Such consolidationproducts, which would intensify the competition that we face and may also disrupt or lead to termination of our distribution, technology and content partnerships. For example, if one of our content partnerscompetitors were to acquire a home audio hardwareone of our content partners, the consolidated company that partner may decide to disable the streaming functionality of its service with our products.

If we are unable to compete with these consolidated companies or if consolidation in the market disrupts our partnerships or reduces the number of companies we partner with, our business would be adversely affected.


ConflictsTo remain competitive and stimulate consumer demand, we must successfully manage frequent new product introductions and transitions.

Due to the quickly evolving and highly competitive nature of the home audio and broader consumer electronics industry, we must frequently introduce new products, enhance existing products and effectively stimulate customer demand for new and upgraded products in both mature and developing markets. For example, in June 2020, we introduced Arc, our premium smart soundbar, Sonos Five and the next generation of our Sub. The successful introduction of these products and any new products depends on a number of factors, such as the timely completion of development efforts to correspond with limited windows for market introduction. We face significant challenges in managing the risks associated with new product introductions and production ramp-up issues, including accurately forecasting initial consumer demand, effectively managing any third-party strategic alliances or collaborative partnerships related to new product development or commercialization, as well as the risk that new products may have quality or other defects in the early stages of introduction or may not achieve the market acceptance necessary to generate sufficient revenue. New and upgraded products can also affect the sales and profitability of existing products. Accordingly, if we cannot properly manage the introduction of new products, our distributionoperating results and technology partners could harmfinancial condition may be adversely impacted, particularly if the cadence of new product introductions increases as we expect.

We have a recent history of losses and expect to incur increased operating costs in the future, and we may not achieve or sustain profitability or consistent revenue growth.

We have experienced net losses in our recent annual periods. In the fiscal years ended October 3, 2020, September 28, 2019 and September 29, 2018, we had net losses of $20.1 million, $4.8 million and $15.6 million, respectively. We had an accumulated deficit of $228.5 million as of October 3, 2020. We expect our operating expenses to increase in the future as we expand our operations and execute on our product roadmap and strategy. We plan to make significant future expenditures related to the expansion of our business and operating results.our product offerings, including investments in:

research and development to continue to introduce innovative new products, enhance existing products and improve our customers’ listening experience;
Several ofsales and marketing to expand our global brand awareness, promote new products, increase our customer base and expand sales within our existing products compete,customer base; and products that we may offer
legal, accounting, information technology and other administrative expenses to sustain our operations as a public company.

We need to increase our revenue to achieve and maintain profitability in the future could compete, with the product offerings of some of our significant channel and distribution partners, which partners have greater financial resources than we do. Amazon and Apple, for example, already offer products that compete with ours. To the extent products offered by our partners compete with our products, they may choose to promote their own products over ours, or could end our partnerships and cease selling or promoting our products entirely. If our distribution partners, such as Amazon and Apple, continue to compete with us more directly in the future, they would be able to market and promote their products more prominently than they market and promote our products, and could refuse to promote or offer our products for sale alongside their own, or at all, in distribution channels. Any reduction in our ability to place and promote our products, or increased competition for available shelf or website placement, especially during peak retail periods, such as the holiday shopping season, would require us to increase our marketing expenditures and to seek other distribution channels in order to promote our products. If we are unable to effectively sell our products due to conflicts with our distribution partners, our business would be harmed.

We are currently manufacturing and developing voice-enabled speaker systems that are enhanced with the technology of our partners, including those who sell competing products. We introduced Sonos One in October 2017 and Sonos Beam in July 2018, which are both voice- enabled speakers that feature voice-control enablement powered by Amazon’s Alexa technology. Our current agreement with Amazon allows Amazon to disable the Alexa integration in our Sonos One or Sonos Beam products with limited notice. As such, it is possible that Amazon, which sells products that compete with ours, may on limited notice disable the integration, which would cause our Sonos One or Sonos Beam products to lose their voice-enabled functionality. Amazon could also begin charging us for this integration which would harm our operating results. We are working to establish partnerships with other companies that have developed voice-control enablement technology, but we cannot assure you that we will be successful in doing so. If Amazon does not maintain the Alexa integration, if Amazon seeks to charge us for this integration, if we have not developed alternative partnerships for similar voice-enabled products or if we have not developed such products on our own, our sales may decline, our reputation may be harmed and our business and operating results may suffer.

Competition from our partners who are able to sell speaker products at lower prices could force us to lower our prices, which would harm our operating results.

Many of our current and potential partners have business objectives that may drive them to sell their speaker products at a significant discount to ours. Amazon and Google, for example, both currently offer their speaker products at significantly lower prices than Sonos One and Sonos Beam. Many of these partners may subsidize these prices and seek to monetize their customers through the sale of additional services rather than the speakers themselves. Our business model, by contrast, is dependent on the sale of our speakers. Should we be forced to lower the price of our products in order to compete on a price basis, our operating results could be harmed.

Competition with our content partners could cause these partners to cease to allow their content to be streamed on our products, which could lower product demand.

Demand for our products depends in large part on the availability of streaming third-party content that appeals to our existing and prospective customers. Compatibility with streaming music services, podcast platforms and other content provided by our content partners is a key feature of our products. To date, all of our arrangements have been entered into on a royalty-free basis. Some of these content partners compete with us already, and others may in the future produce and sell speakers along with their streaming services. Additionally, other content partners may form stronger alliances with our competitors in the home audio


market. Any of our content partners may cease to allow their content to be streamed on our products for a variety of reasons, including to promote other partnerships or their products over our own, or seek to charge us for this streaming. If this were to happen, demand for our products could decrease and our operating results could be harmed.

If we are unable to accurately anticipate market demand for our products, we may have difficulty managing our production and inventory and our operating results could be harmed.

We must forecast production and inventory needs in advance with our suppliers and manufacturer, and our ability to do so accurately could be affected by many factors, including an increase or decrease in customer demand for our products or those of our competitors, the success of new products in the market, sales promotions by us or our competitors, channel inventory levels and unanticipated shifts in general economic conditions or consumer confidence levels. Such a rapid increase in production could also cause a decline in manufacturing quality and customer satisfaction. If demand does not meet our forecast, excess product inventory could force us to write-down or write-off inventory, or to sell the excess inventory at discounted prices, which could cause our gross margin to suffer and could impair the strength of our brand. In addition, if we were to have excess inventory, we may have reduced working capital, which could adversely affect our ability to invest in other important areas of our business such as marketing and product development. If our channel partners have excess inventory of our products, they may decrease purchase of our products in subsequent periods. If demand exceeds our forecast and we do not have sufficient inventory to meet this demand, we would have to rapidly increase production and suffer higher supply and manufacturing costs that would lower our gross margin. Any of these scenarios could adversely impact our operating results and financial condition.

We experience seasonal demand for our products, and if our sales in high-demand periods are below our forecasts, our overall financial condition and operating results could be adversely affected.

Given the seasonal nature of our sales, accurate forecasting is critical to our business. Our fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to September 30, the holiday shopping season occurs in the first quarter of our fiscal year and the typically slower summer months occur in our fourth fiscal quarter. Historically, our revenue has been significantly higher in our first fiscal quarter due to increased consumer spending patterns during the holiday season. We attempt to time our new product releases to coincide with relatively higher consumer spending in the first fiscal quarter, which contributes to this seasonal variation. Any shortfalls in expected first quarter revenue, due to macroeconomic conditions, product release patterns, a decline in the effectiveness of our promotional activities, supply chain disruptions or for any other reason, could cause our annual operating results to suffer significantly. In addition, if we fail to accurately forecast customer demand for the holiday season, we may experience excess inventory levels or a shortage of products available for sale, which could further harm our financial condition and operating results.

If market demand for streaming music does not grow as anticipated or the availability and quality of streaming services does not continue to increase our business could be adversely affected.

A large proportionrevenue, particularly in a global recession or depression. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic and related disruptions and uncertainties in the global economy and in consumer spending have had certain adverse impacts on our revenue in the second, third, and fourth quarters of our customer base uses our productsfiscal 2020. Our ability to listen to content via subscription-based streaming music services. Accordingly, we believe our futureachieve revenue growth will depend in significant part on the continued expansion of the market for streaming music. We cannot assure you that this market will continue to grow. The success of the streaming music market depends on the quality, reliability and adoption of streaming technology, and on the continued success of streaming music services such as Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify and TuneIn. In order to attract and retain customers, these services must continue to attract record labels, artists, other content providers and advertisers and all parties must be able to successfully monetize their streaming-based businesses over the long term. If the development of the streaming music market fails to keep pace with consumer demand expectations, the market for streaming music could decline and our business may be harmed. Additionally, we cannot assure you that the streaming music business model or the streaming music services we partner with will be successful over the long term. If the streaming music market in general declines or if the streaming services we partner with are not successful, demand for our products may suffer and our operating results may be adversely affected.

If we are not successful in expanding our direct-to-consumer sales channel by driving consumer traffic and consumer purchases through our website, our business and results of operations could be harmed.

We are currently investing in our direct-to-consumer sales channel, primarily through our website, and our future growth relies in part on our ability to attract consumers to this channel. We plan to invest in driving sales through this channel. The level of consumer traffic and volume of consumer purchases through our website depends in large partexecute on our abilityproduct roadmap and our strategy and to provide a user-friendlydetermine the market opportunity for new products. New product introductions may adversely impact our gross margin in the near to intermediate term due to the frequency of these product introductions and visually appealing interface, a seamless consumer experience, sufficient inventory and reliable, timely deliverytheir anticipated increased share of our products. Building this channel and improvingoverall product volume. The expansion of our websitebusiness and product delivery services will continue to requireofferings also places a continuous and significant expenditures in marketing, software developmentstrain on our management, operational and infrastructure. Iffinancial resources. In the
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event that we are unable to drive traffic to, and increase sales through,grow our website,revenue, or in the event that revenue grows more slowly than we expect, our business andoperating results of operations could be harmed. The success of direct-to-consumer sales throughadversely affected and our website is subject to risks associated with e-commerce, including implementing and maintaining appropriate


technology and systems, reliance on third-party service providers, data breaches and disruption of internet service. Our inability to adequately respond to these risks and uncertainties or to successfully maintain and expand our direct-to-consumer business via our website may have an adverse impact on our results of operations.

Additionally, the expansion of our direct-to-consumer channel may alienate some of our channel partners and could cause a reduction in product sales from these partners. Channel partners may perceive themselves to be at a disadvantage based on the direct-to-consumer sales offered through our website. Due to these and other factors, conflicts in our sales channels could arise and cause channel partners to divert resources away from the promotion and sale of our products or to offer competitive products. Further, to the extent we use our mobile app to increase traffic to our website and increase direct-to-consumer sales, we will rely on application marketplaces such as the Apple App Store and Google Play to drive downloads of our mobile app. Apple and Google, both of which sell products that compete with ours, may choose to use their marketplaces to promote their competing products over ours or may make access to our app more difficult. Any of these situations could adversely impact our business and results of operations.

We sell our products through a limited number of key channel partners, and the loss of any such channel partner would adversely impact our business.

We are dependent on our channel partners for a vast majority of our product sales. Some of our key channel partners include Best Buy, which accounted for 17% of our revenue in fiscal 2018, and the ALSO Group, our distributor in Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Norway, which accounted for 10% of our revenue in fiscal 2018. We do not enter into long-term volume commitments with our major channel partners. If one or several of our channel partners were to discontinue selling our products, increase their promotion of competing products or choose to promote competing products over ours, the volume of our products sold to customers could decrease, which could in turn harm our business. In addition, the loss of a key channel partner for distribution would require us to identify and contract with alternative channel partners, or to rely more heavily on direct-to-consumer sales, which we may be unable to do successfully or which could prove time-consuming and expensive. In addition, revenue from our channel partners depends on a number of factors outside our control and may vary from period to period. If one or more of our channel partners were to experience serious financial difficulty as a result of weak economic conditions or otherwise, and were to reduce its inventory of our products or limit or cease operations, our business and results of operations would be significantly harmed. Consolidation of our channel partners in the future or additional concentration of market share among our channel partners may also exacerbate this risk.

Because we compete with many other providers of consumer products for placement and promotion of products in the stores of our channel partners, our success depends on our channel partners and their willingness to promote our products successfully. In general, our contracts with these third parties allow them to exercise significant discretion over the placement and promotion of our products in their stores, and they could give higher priority to other products. Our channel partners may also give their own products or those of our competitors better placement over our products in stores or online. If our channel partners do not effectively market and sell our products, or if they choose to use greater efforts to market and sell their own or our competitors’ products, our business, operating results and prospects may be adversely affected.

A significant disruption in our websites, servers or information technology systems, or those of our third-party partners, or flaws or other vulnerabilities in our products, could impair our customers’ listening experience or otherwise adversely affect our customers, damage our reputation or harm our business.

As a consumer electronics company, our website and mobile app are important presentations of our business, identity and brand, and an important means of interacting with, and providing information to, consumers of our products. We depend on our servers and centralized information technology systems, and those of third parties, for product functionality and to store intellectual property, forecast our business, maintain financial records, manage operations and inventory and operate other critical functions. Accordingly, we rely heavily on the accuracy, capacity and security of both our information technology systems and those of third parties. We allocate significant resources to maintaining our information technology systems and deploying network security, data encryption, training and other measures to protect against unauthorized access or misuse. Nevertheless, our websites and information technology systems, and those of the third parties we rely on, are susceptible to damage, disruptions or shutdowns due to power outages, hardware failures, structural or operational failures, computer viruses, hacking attacks, telecommunication failures, user error, malfeasance, system upgrades, integration or migration, and other foreseeable and unforeseeable events. All of our products are connected to the internet and receive periodic software updates from our servers and it is possible that such serversstock price could be compromised, resulting in the delivery of malicious code, severely hampering product functionality. System failures and disruptions could impede the manufacturing and shipping of products, delivery of online services, functionality of our products, transactions processing and financial reporting, and could result in the loss of intellectual property or data, require substantial repair costs and damage our reputation and business relationships. Such failures and disruptions could therefore adversely affect our reputation, competitive position, financial condition and results of operations.harmed.



For example, we use Amazon Web Services ("AWS") to maintain the interconnectivity of our mobile app to our servers and those of the streaming services that our customers access to enjoy our products. Our brand, reputation and ability to retain and attract new customers depend on the reliable performance of our technology and cloud-based content delivery. Because AWS runs its own platform that we access, we are vulnerable to both system-wide and Sonos-specific service outages at AWS. Our access to AWS’ infrastructure could be limited by a number of potential causes, including technical failures, natural disasters, fraud or security attacks that we cannot predict or prevent. If we were to experience an AWS service interruption, or if the security of the AWS infrastructure were compromised or believed to have been compromised, our ability to serve our customers and our reputation with current and potential customers would be negatively impacted.

Additionally, our products may contain flaws that make them susceptible to unauthorized access or use. For example, we previously discovered a vulnerability in our products that could be exploited when a customer visited a website with malicious content, allowing the customer’s local network to be accessed by third parties who could then gain unauthorized access to the customer’s playlists and other data and limited control of the customer’s devices. While we devote significant resources to address and eliminate flaws and other vulnerabilities in our products, there can be no assurance that our products will not be compromised in the future. Any such flaws or vulnerabilities, whether actual or merely potential, could harm our reputation, competitive position, financial condition and results of operations.

Changes in how network operators manage data that travel across their networks or in net neutrality rules could harm our business.

Our business relies in part upon the ability of consumers to access high-quality streaming content through the internet. As a result, the growth of our business depends partially on our customers’ ability to obtain low-cost, high-speed internet access, which relies in part on network operators’ continued willingness to upgrade and maintain their equipment as needed to sustain a robust internet infrastructure, as well as their continued willingness to preserve the open and interconnected nature of the internet. We exercise no control over network operators, which makes us vulnerable to any errors, interruptions or delays in their operations. Any material disruption in internet services could harm our business.

To the extent that the number of internet users continues to increase, network congestion could adversely affect the reliability of our platform. We may also face increased costs of doing business if network operators engage in discriminatory practices with respect to streamed audio content in an effort to monetize access to their networks by content providers. In the past, internet service providers ("ISPs") have attempted to implement usage-based pricing, bandwidth caps and traffic shaping or throttling. To the extent network operators create tiers of internet access service and charge our customers in direct relation to their consumption of audio content, our ability to attract and retain customers could be impaired, which would harm our business. Net neutrality rules, which were designed to ensure that all online content is treated the same by ISPs and other companies that provide broadband services, were repealed by the Federal Communications Commission effective June 2018. The repeal of the net neutrality rules could force us to incur greater operating expenses, cause our streaming partners to seek to shift costs to us or result in a decrease in the streaming-based usage of our platform by our customers, any of which would harm our results of operations.


Our investments in research and development may not yield the results expected.


Our business operates in intensely competitive markets characterized by changing consumer preferences and rapid technological innovation. Due to advanced technological innovation and the relative ease of technology imitation, new products tend to become standardized more rapidly, leading to more intense competition and ongoing price erosion. In order to strengthen the competitiveness of our products in this environment, we continue to invest heavily in research and development. However, these investments may not yield the innovation or the results expected on a timely basis, or our competitors may surpass us in technological innovation, hindering our ability to timely commercialize new and competitive products that meet the needs and demands of the market, which consequently may adversely impact our operating results as well as our reputation.


If we are not ablesuccessful in continuing to maintainexpand our direct-to-consumer sales channel by driving consumer traffic and enhance the value and reputation ofconsumer purchases through our brand, or if our reputation is otherwise harmed,website, our business and operating results of operations could be adversely affected.harmed.


OurWe have invested significant resources in our direct-to-consumer sales channel, primarily through our website, and our future growth relies, in part, on our continued ability to attract consumers to this channel, which has and will require significant expenditures in marketing, software development and infrastructure. If we are unable to continue to drive traffic to, and increase sales through, our website, our business and results of operations could be harmed, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic during which physical retail stores may be closed or significantly modify their retail experience. The continued success depends onof direct-to-consumer sales through our reputation for providing high-quality products and consumer experiences, and the "Sonos" namewebsite is criticalsubject to preserving and expanding our business. Maintaining, promoting and positioning our brand depends largely on the successrisks associated with e-commerce, many of which are outside of our marketing efforts, the consistency of the quality of our productscontrol. Our inability to adequately respond to these risks and our ability to successfully secure, maintain and defend the trademarks that are key to our brand. Each of these objectives requires significant expenditures, and there is no guarantee that we will be able to achieve these objectives successfully. If we failuncertainties or to successfully maintain promote and positionexpand our brand and protectdirect-to-consumer business via our reputation, or ifwebsite may have an adverse impact on our results of operations.

If we incur significant expenses in this effort, our business, financial condition and operating results may be adversely affected. The value of our brand could also be severely damaged by isolated incidents, particularly if these incidents receive considerable negative publicity or result in litigation, and by events outside of


our control. Additionally, in the United States, we rely on custom installers of home audio systems for a significant portion of our sales but maintain no control over the quality of their work and thus could suffer damageare unable to our brand or business to the extent such installations are unsatisfactory or defective. Theaccurately anticipate market demand for our products, we may have difficulty managing our production and inventory and our operating results could be harmed.

We must forecast production and inventory needs in advance with our suppliers and manufacturers; our ability to do so accurately could be affected by many factors, including changes in customer demand, new product introductions, sales promotions, channel inventory levels, uncertainty related to the valueduration and impact of COVID-19, and general economic conditions. If demand does not meet our forecast, excess product inventory could force us to write-down or write-off inventory or to sell the excess inventory at discounted prices, which could cause our gross margin to suffer and impair the strength of our brand and our reputation generally could be harmed if any such incidents or other matters erode consumer confidencebrand. In addition, excess inventory may result in us or our products. Any negative effect on our brand, regardless of whether it is within our control,reduced working capital, which could adversely affect our reputation,ability to invest in other important areas of our business such as marketing and product development. If our channel partners have excess inventory of our products, they may decrease their purchases of our products in subsequent periods. If demand exceeds our forecast, as it did in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal year 2020, and we do not have sufficient inventory to meet this demand, we may experience decreased revenue or customer dissatisfaction as a result of any continued inventory shortages or we may have to rapidly increase production which may result in reduced manufacturing quality and customer satisfaction as well as higher supply and manufacturing costs that would lower our gross margin. Any of these scenarios could adversely impact our operating results of operations.and financial condition.


Our efforts to expand beyond our core product offerings and offer products with applications outside the home may not succeed and could adversely impact our business.


We may seek to expand beyond our core sound systems and develop products that have wider applications outside the home, such as commercial or office. Developing these products would require us to devote substantial additional resources, and our ability to succeed in developing such products to address such markets is unproven. It is likely that we would need to hire additional personnel, partner with new third parties and incur considerable research and development expenses in order to pursue such an expansion successfully. We may have less familiarity with consumer preferences for these products and less product or category knowledge, and we could encounter difficulties in attracting new customers due to lower levels of consumer familiarity with our brand. As a result, we may not be successful in future efforts to achieve profitability from new markets, services or new types of products, and our ability to generate revenue from our existing products may suffer. If any such expansion does not enhance our ability to maintain or grow our revenue or recover any associated development costs, our operating results could be adversely affected.


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We experience seasonal demand for our products, and if our sales in high-demand periods are below our forecasts, our overall financial condition and operating results could be adversely affected.

Given the seasonal nature of our sales, accurate forecasting is critical to our business. Our fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to September 30, the holiday shopping season occurs in the first quarter of our fiscal year and the typically slower summer months occur in the fourth quarter of our fiscal year. Historically, our revenue has been significantly higher in our first fiscal quarter due to increased consumer spending patterns during the holiday season. Any shortfalls in expected first fiscal quarter revenue, due to macroeconomic conditions, product release patterns, a decline in the effectiveness of our promotional activities, supply chain disruptions or for any other reason, could cause our annual operating results to suffer significantly. In addition, if we fail to accurately forecast customer demand for the holiday season, we may experience excess inventory levels or a shortage of products available for sale, which could further harm our financial condition and operating results.

The success of our business depends in part on the continued growth of the voice-enabled speaker market and our ability to establish and maintain market share.

We have increasingly focused our product roadmap on voice-enabled speakers. We introduced our first voice-enabled speaker, Sonos One, in October 2017, our first voice-enabled home theater speaker, Sonos Beam, in July 2018, and our first Bluetooth-enabled portable speaker with voice control, Sonos Move, in September 2019. In June 2020, we introduced Arc, our voice-enabled premium home theater speaker. If the voice-enabled speaker markets do not continue to grow or grow in unpredictable ways, our revenue may fall short of expectations and our operating results may be harmed, particularly since we incur substantial costs to introduce new products in advance of anticipated sales. Additionally, even if the market for voice-enabled speakers does continue to grow, we may not be successful in developing and selling speakers that appeal to consumers or gain sufficient market acceptance. To succeed in this market, we will need to design, produce and sell innovative and compelling products and partner with other businesses that enable us to capitalize on new technologies, some of which have developed or may develop and sell voice-enabled speaker products of their own as further described herein.

If market demand for streaming music does not grow as anticipated or the availability and quality of streaming services does not continue to increase, our business could be adversely affected.

A large proportion of our customer base uses our products to listen to content via subscription-based streaming music services. Accordingly, we believe our future revenue growth will depend in significant part on the continued expansion of the market for streaming music. The success of the streaming music market depends on the quality, reliability and adoption of streaming technology and on the continued success of streaming music services such as Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify and TuneIn. If the streaming music market in general fails to expand or if the streaming services that we partner with are not successful, demand for our products may suffer and our operating results may be adversely affected.

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, the value of our brand and other intangible assets may be diminished, and our business may be adversely affected.

We rely and expect to continue to rely on a combination of confidentiality and license agreements with our employees, consultants and third parties with whom we have relationships, as well as patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret protection laws, to protect our proprietary rights. In the United States and certain other countries, we have filed various applications for certain aspects of our intellectual property, most notably patents. However, third parties may knowingly or unknowingly infringe our proprietary rights or challenge our proprietary rights, pending and future patent and trademark applications may not be approved, and we may not be able to prevent infringement without incurring substantial expense. Such infringement could have a material adverse effect on our brand, business, financial condition and results of operations. We have initiated legal proceedings to protect our intellectual property rights, and we may file additional actions in the future. For example, on January 7, 2020, we filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission against Alphabet and Google and a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Google, alleging patent infringement of certain Sonos patents related to our smart speakers and related technology. In addition, on September 29, 2020, we filed a lawsuit against Google in the U.S. District Court for Western District of Texas, alleging infringement of five Sonos wireless audio patents. The cost of defending our intellectual property has been and may in the future be substantial, and there is no assurance we will be successful. Our business could be adversely affected as a result of any such actions, or a finding that any patents-in-suit are invalid or unenforceable. These actions have led and may in the future lead to additional counterclaims or actions against us, which are expensive to defend against and for which there can be no assurance of a favorable outcome. Further, parties we bring legal action against could retaliate through non-litigious means, which could harm our ability to compete against such parties or to enter new markets.

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In addition, the regulations of certain foreign countries do not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. As our brand grows, we may discover unauthorized products in the marketplace that are counterfeit reproductions of our products. If we are unsuccessful in pursuing producers or sellers of counterfeit products, continued sales of these products could adversely impact our brand, business, financial condition and results of operations.

We currently are, and may continue to be, subject to intellectual property rights claims and other litigation which are expensive to support, and if resolved adversely, could have a significant impact on us and our stockholders.

Companies in the consumer electronics industries own large numbers of patents, copyrights, trademarks, domain names and trade secrets, and frequently enter into litigation based on allegations of infringement, misappropriation or other violations of intellectual property or other rights. As we gain an increasingly high profile and face more intense competition in our markets, and as we introduce more products and services, including through acquisitions and through partners, the possibility of intellectual property rights claims against us grows. Our technologies may not be able to withstand any third-party claims or rights against their use, and we may be subject to litigation and disputes. The costs of supporting such litigation and disputes is considerable, and there can be no assurance that a favorable outcome would be obtained. We may be required to settle such litigation and disputes, or we may be subject to an unfavorable judgment in a trial, and the terms of a settlement or judgment against us may be unfavorable and require us to cease some or all our operations, limit our ability to use certain technologies, pay substantial amounts to the other party or issue additional shares of our capital stock to the other party, which would dilute our existing stockholders. Further, if we are found to have engaged in practices that are in violation of a third party’s rights, we may have to negotiate a license to continue such practices, which may not be available on reasonable or favorable terms, or may have to develop alternative, non-infringing technology or discontinue the practices altogether. In the event that these practices relate to an acquisition or a partner, we may not be successful in exercising any indemnification rights available to us under our agreements or in recovering damages in the event that we are successful. Each of these efforts could require significant effort and expense and ultimately may not be successful.

If we are not able to maintain and enhance the value and reputation of our brand, or if our reputation is otherwise harmed, our business and operating results could be adversely affected.

Our continued success depends on our reputation for providing high-quality products and consumer experiences, and the “Sonos” name is critical to preserving and expanding our business. Our brand and reputation are dependent on a number of factors, including our marketing efforts, product quality, and trademark protection efforts, each of which requires significant expenditures.

The value of our brand could also be severely damaged by isolated incidents, which may be outside of our control. For example, in the United States, we rely on custom installers of home audio systems for a significant portion of our sales but maintain no control over the quality of their work and thus could suffer damage to our brand or business to the extent such installations are unsatisfactory or defective. Any damage to our brand or reputation may adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.

Conflicts with our channel and distribution partners could harm our business and operating results.

Several of our existing products compete, and products that we may offer in the future could compete, with the product offerings of some of our significant channel and distribution partners who have greater financial and technical resources than we do. To the extent products offered by our partners compete with our products, they may choose to market and promote their own products over ours or could end our partnerships and cease selling or promoting our products entirely. Any reduction in our ability to place and promote our products, or increased competition for available shelf or website placement, especially during peak retail periods, such as the holiday shopping season, would require us to increase our marketing expenditures and to seek other distribution channels to promote our products. If we are unable to effectively sell our products due to conflicts with our distribution partners, our business would be harmed.

The expansion of our direct-to-consumer channel could alienate some of our channel partners and cause a reduction in product sales from these partners. Channel partners may perceive themselves to be at a disadvantage based on the direct-to-consumer sales offered through our website. Due to these and other factors, conflicts in our sales channels could arise and cause channel partners to divert resources away from the promotion and sale of our products. Further, to the extent we use our mobile app to increase traffic to our website and increase direct-to-consumer sales, we will rely on application marketplaces such as the Apple App Store and Google Play to drive downloads of our mobile app. Apple and Google, both of which sell products that compete with ours, may choose to use their marketplaces to promote their competing products over our products or may make access to our mobile app more difficult. Any of these situations could adversely impact our business and results of operations.

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Competition with our technology partners could harm our business and operating results.

We are dependent on a number of technology partners for the development of our products, some of which have developed or may develop and sell products that compete with our products. These technology partners may cease doing business with us or disable the technology they provide our products for a variety of reasons, including to promote their products over our own. For example, we are currently manufacturing and developing voice-enabled speaker systems that are enhanced with the technology of our partners, including those who sell competing products. We introduced Sonos One, Sonos Beam, Sonos Move and Sonos Arc, which feature built in voice-enabled speakers powered by Amazon’s Alexa or Google’s Google Assistant technology. One or more of our partners could disable their integration, terminate or not renew their distribution agreement with us, or begin charging us for their integration with our voice-enabled products. For example, our current agreement with Amazon allows Amazon to disable the Alexa integration in our voice-enabled products with limited notice. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in establishing partnerships with other companies that have developed voice-control enablement technology or in developing such technology on our own.

If one or more of our technology partners do not maintain their integration with our products or seek to charge us for this integration, or if we have not developed alternative partnerships for similar technology or developed such technology on our own, our sales may decline, our reputation may be harmed and our business and operating results may suffer.

Competition with our content partners could cause these partners to cease to allow their content to be streamed on our products, which could lower product demand.

Demand for our products depends in large part on the availability of streaming third-party content that appeals to our existing and prospective customers. Compatibility with streaming music services, podcast platforms and other content provided by our content partners is a key feature of our products. To date, all our arrangements have been entered into on a royalty-free basis. Some of these content partners compete with us already, and others may in the future produce and sell speakers along with their streaming services. Additionally, other content partners may form stronger alliances with our competitors in the home audio market. Any of our content partners may cease to allow their content to be streamed on our products for a variety of reasons, including as a result of our offering competing services, to promote other partnerships or their products over our products, or to seek to charge us for this streaming. If this were to happen, demand for our products could decrease, our costs could increase and our operating results could be harmed.

Operational Risks

We are dependent on a limited number of contract manufacturers to manufacture our products and our efforts to diversify manufacturers may not be successful.

We depend on a limited number of contract manufacturers to manufacture our products, with our key manufacturer, Inventec Appliances Corporation (“Inventec”) manufacturing a majority of our products. We have also historically manufactured our products in China and inearly fiscal 2020 began to diversify our supply chain through the addition of contract manufacturing in Malaysia. Our reliance on a limited number of contract manufacturers increases the risk that, in the event that any or all of such manufacturers experience an interruption in their operations, fail to perform their obligation in a timely manner or terminate agreements with us, we would not be able to maintain our production capacity without incurring material additional costs and substantial delays or we may be fully prevented from selling our products. Any material disruption in our relationship with our manufacturers would harm our ability to compete effectively and satisfy demand for our products and could adversely impact our revenue, gross margin and operating results.

In addition, there is no guarantee that our efforts to diversify manufacturers will be successful. Identifying and onboarding a new manufacturer takes a significant amount of time and resources. If we do not successfully coordinate the timely manufacturing and distribution of our products by such manufacturers, if such manufacturers are unable to successfully and timely process our orders or if we do not receive timely and accurate information from such manufacturers, we may have an insufficient supply of products to meet customer demand, we may lose sales, we may experience a build-up in inventory, we may incur additional costs, and our financial performance and reporting may be adversely affected. By adding manufacturers in other countries, we may experience increased transportation costs, fuel costs, labor unrest, impact of natural disasters and other adverse effects on our ability, timing and cost of delivering products, which may increase our inventory, decrease our margins, adversely affect our relationships with distributors and other customers and otherwise adversely affect our operating results and financial condition. In addition, any partial or full government-mandated shutdown resulting from COVID-19 may further delay our efforts to diversify our supply chain or cause supply chain disruptions notwithstanding any supply chain diversification efforts.

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We depend on a limited number of third-party components suppliers and logistics providers.

We are dependent on a limited number of suppliers for various key components used in our products, and we may from time to time have sole source suppliers. The cost, quality and availability of these components are essential to the successful production and sale of our products. We are subject to the risk of industry-wide shortages, price fluctuations and long lead times in the supply of these components and other materials, which risk may be increased by the impact of COVID-19. If the supply of these components were to be delayed or constrained, or if one or more of our main suppliers were to go out of business, alternative sources or suppliers may not be available on acceptable terms or at all. In the event that any of our suppliers were to discontinue production of our key product components, developing alternate sources of supply for these components would be time consuming, difficult and costly. In the event we are unable to obtain components in sufficient quantities on a timely basis and on commercially reasonable terms, our ability to sell our products in order to meet market demand would be affected and could materially and adversely affect our brand, image, business prospects and operating results.

We also use a small number of logistics providers for substantially all our product delivery to both distributors and retailers. If one of these providers were to experience financial difficulties or disruptions in its business, or be subject to closures or other disruptions as a result of COVID-19, our own operations could be adversely affected. Because substantially all of our products are distributed from a small number of locations and by a small number of companies, we are susceptible to both isolated and system-wide interruptions caused by events out of our control. Any disruption to the operations of our distribution facilities could delay product delivery, harm our reputation among our customers and adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, we saw certain constraints on the ability of our component suppliers and logistics providers to timely meet commitments in an environment of increased demand for consumer electronics products during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has, and may continue to, adversely impact our ability to meet our product demand, result in additional costs, or may otherwise adversely impact our business and results of operations.

We have limited control over the third-party suppliers and logistics providers on which our business depends. If any of these parties fails to perform its obligations to us, we may be unable to deliver our products to customers in a timely manner. Further, we do not have long-term contracts with all of these parties, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to renew our contracts with them on favorable terms or at all. We may be unable to replace an existing supplier or logistics provider or supplement a provider in the event we experience significantly increased demand. Accordingly, a loss or interruption in the service of any key party could adversely impact our revenue, gross margin and operating results.

We sell our products through a limited number of key channel partners, and the loss of any such channel partner would adversely impact our business.

We are dependent on our channel partners for a vast majority of our product sales. Best Buy, one of our key channel partners, accounted for 12% of our revenue in fiscal 2020. We compete with other consumer products for placement and promotion of our products in the stores of our channel partners, including in some cases products of our channel partners. Our contracts with our channel partners allow them to exercise significant discretion in the placement and promotion of our products, and such contracts do not contain any long-term volume commitments. If one or several of our channel partners do not effectively market and sell our products, discontinue or reduce the inventory of our products, increase the promotions of or choose to promote competing products over ours, the volume of our products sold to customers could decrease, and our business and results of operations would therefore be significantly harmed. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our key channel partners have temporarily closed or reduced operations in their retail stores during fiscal 2020 and may continue to do so in the future, which has had, and may continue to have, a material effect on our business and results of operations.

Revenue from our channel partners also depends on a number of factors outside our control and may vary from period to period. One or more of our channel partners may experience serious financial difficulty, particularly in light of store closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, may consolidate with other channel partners or may have limited or ceased operations. Our business and results of operations have been, and may continue to be, significantly harmed by retail store closures by many of our key channel partners. Loss of a key channel partner would require us to identify alternative channel partners or increase our reliance on our direct-to-consumer channel, which may be time-consuming and expensive or we may be unsuccessful in our efforts to do so.

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We have and may in the future continue to discontinue support for older versions of our products, resulting in customer dissatisfaction that could negatively affect our business and operating results.


We have historically maintained, and we believe our customers have grown tomay expect, extensive backward compatibility for our older products and the software that supports them, allowing older products to continue to benefit from new software updates. We expect that in the nearas we continue to intermediate term,improve and enhance our software platform, this backward compatibility will no longer be practical or cost-effective, and we may decrease or discontinue service for our older products. Therefore, ifWe previously announced that certain legacy products will continue to work but will no longer receive software updates (other than bug fixes and patches) beginning in May 2020. To the extent we no longer provide extensive backward capability for our products, we may damage our relationship with our customers, and the value proposition of our products with existing and prospective customers may decline. We may lose existing customers, if their older products cannot integrate with newer versions ofas well as our software, and this may also result in negative publicity that could adversely affect our reputation, and brand loyalty and impact our ability to attract new customers or sell new products to existing customers.

For these reasons, any decision to decrease or discontinue backward capability may decrease sales, generate legal claims and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.


Product quality issues and a higher-than-expected number of warranty claims or returns could harm our business and operating results.


The products that we sell could contain defects in design or manufacture. Defects could also occur in the products or components that are supplied to us. There can be no assurance we will be able to detect and remedy all defects in the hardware and software we sell, which could result in product recalls, product redesign efforts, loss of revenue, reputational damage and significant warranty and other remediation expenses. Similar to other consumer electronics, our products have a risk of overheating and fire in the course of usage or upon malfunction. Any such defect could result in harm to property or in personal injury. If we determine that a product does not meet product quality standards or may contain a defect, the launch of such product could be delayed until we remedy the quality issue or defect. The costs associated with any protracted delay necessary to remedy a quality issue or defect in a new product could be substantial.


We generally provide a one-year warranty on all of our products, except in the European Union (the "EU")EU and select other countries where we provide a two-year warranty on all of our products. The occurrence of any material defects in our products could expose us to liability for damages and warranty claims in excess of our current reserves, and we could incur significant costs to correct any defects, warranty claims or other problems. In addition, if any of our product designs are defective or are alleged to be defective, we may be required to participate in a recall campaign. In part due to the terms of our warranty policy, any failure rate of our products that exceeds our expectations may result in unanticipated losses. Any negative publicity related to the perceived quality of our products could affect our brand image and decrease retailer, distributor and consumer confidence and demand, which could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition. Further, accidental damage coverage and extended warranties are regulated in the United States at the state level and are treated differently within each state. Additionally, outside the United States, regulations for extended warranties and accidental damage vary from country to country. Changes in interpretation of the regulations concerning extended warranties and accidental damage coverage on a federal, state, local or international level may cause us to incur costs or have additional regulatory requirements to meet in the future in order


to continue to offer our support services. Our failure to comply with past, present and future similar laws regulating extended warranties and accidental damage coverage could result in reduced sales of our products, reputational damage, penalties and other sanctions, which could harm our business and financial condition.


The loss of one or moreOur international operations are subject to increased business and economic risks that could impact our financial results.

We have operations outside the United States, and we expect to continue to expand our international presence, especially in Asia. In fiscal 2020, 47.4% of our key personnel, revenue was generated outside the United States. This subjects us to a variety of risks inherent in doing business internationally, including:

fluctuations in currency exchange rates and costs of imposing currency exchange controls;
political, social and/or our failureeconomic instability, including related to attract, assimilatethe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and retain other highly qualified personnelthe United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU, commonly known as "Brexit";
tariffs, trade barriers and duties;
protectionist laws and business practices that favor local businesses in some countries;
higher levels of credit risk and payment fraud and longer payment cycles associated with, and increased difficulty of payment collections from certain international customers;
burdens and risks of complying with a number and variety of foreign laws and regulations, including the future, could harm our business.Foreign Corrupt Practices Act;

laws and regulations may change from time to time unexpectedly and may be unpredictably enforced;
We depend on potential negative consequences from changes in or interpretations of U.S. and foreign tax laws;
the continued servicescost of developing connected products for countries where Wi-Fi technology has been passed over in favor of more advanced cellular data networks;
reduced protection for intellectual property rights in some countries;
difficulties and performanceassociated costs in managing multiple international locations; and
delays from customs brokers or government agencies.
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If we are unable to manage the complexity of our key personnel. The loss of key personnel, including key members of management as well asglobal operations successfully, or if the risks above become substantial for us, our product development, marketing, salesfinancial performance and technology personnel,operating results could disrupt our operations and have an adverse effect on our ability to grow our business. In addition, the loss of key personnel in our finance and accounting departments could harm our internal controls, financial reporting capability and capacity to forecast and plan for future growth.

As we become a more mature company,suffer. Further, any measures that we may findimplement to reduce risks of our recruiting efforts more challenging. In particular, we have experienced difficulties in recruiting qualified software engineers. The equity incentives we currently use to attract, retain and motivate employeesinternational operations may not be as effective, as in the past. In particular, we rely heavily on equity incentives to attractmay increase our expenses and retain employees, and if the value of the underlying common stock does not grow commensurate with expectations, we may not be able to effectively recruit new employees and we may risk losing existing employees. If we do not succeed in attracting, hiring and integrating high-quality personnel, or in retaining and motivating existing personnel, we may be unable to grow effectively and our financial condition may be harmed.

We may be subject to intellectual property rights claims and other litigation which are expensive to support, and if resolved adversely, could have a significant impact on us and our stockholders.

Companies in the consumer electronics industries own large numbers of patents, copyrights, trademarks, domain names and trade secrets, and frequently enter into litigation based on allegations of infringement, misappropriation or other violations of intellectual property or other rights. As we gain an increasingly high profile and face more intense competition in our markets, the possibility of intellectual property rights claims against us grows, including the threat of lawsuits from non-practicing entities. Our technologies may not be able to withstand any third-party claims or rights against their use, and we may be subject to litigation and disputes. The costs of supporting such litigation and disputes is considerable, and there can be no assurance that a favorable outcome would be obtained. We may be required to settle such litigations and disputes on terms that are unfavorable to us. Similarly, if any litigation to which we may be party fails to settle and we go to trial, we may be subject to an unfavorable judgment that may not be reversible upon appeal. The terms of such a settlement or judgment may require ussignificant management time and effort. Entry into new international markets requires considerable management time and financial resources related to cease some or all of our operations, limit our ability to use certain technologies, pay substantial amounts to the other party or issue additional shares of our capital stock to the other party, which would dilute our existing stockholders.

With respect to intellectual property rights claims, we may have to negotiate a license in order to continue practices found to be in violation of a third party’s rights. Any such license may not be available on reasonable termsmarket, personnel and may significantly increase our operating expenses, or may not be available to us at all.facilities development before any significant revenue is generated. As a result, initial operations in a new market may operate at low margins or may be unprofitable.

We have significant operations in China, where many of the risks listed above are particularly acute. China experiences high turnover of direct labor due to the intensely competitive and fluid market for labor, and if our labor turnover rates are higher than we may also be requiredexpect, or we otherwise fail to develop alternative, non-infringing technology or practices or to discontinue the practices altogether. The development of alternative non-infringing technology or practices could require significant effort and expense and ultimately may not be successful, andadequately manage our labor needs, then our business and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.


If we are unableWe will need to protectimprove our intellectual property, the value offinancial and operational systems to manage our brandgrowth effectively and other intangible assets may be diminished,support our increasingly complex business arrangements, and an inability to do so could harm our business may be adversely affected.

We rely and expect to continue to rely on a combination of confidentiality and license agreements with our employees, consultants and third parties with whom we have relationships, as well as patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret protection laws, to protect our proprietary rights. In the United States and certain other countries, we have filed various applications for certain aspects of our intellectual property, most notably patents. However, third parties may knowingly or unknowingly infringe our proprietary rights, third parties may challenge our proprietary rights, pending and future patent and trademark applications may not be approved and we may not be able to prevent infringement without incurring substantial expense. Such infringement could have a material adverse effect on our brand, business, financial condition and results of operations. We have initiated legal proceedings

To manage our growth and our increasingly complex business operations, especially as we move into new markets internationally, we will need to protectupgrade our intellectual property rights,operational and financial systems and procedures, which requires management time and may result in significant additional expense. In particular, we may file additional actionsanticipate that our legacy enterprise resource management system will need to be replaced in the future. For example,near to intermediate term in December 2017,order to accommodate our expanding operations. We cannot be certain that we will institute, in a jury found that D&M Holdings Inc. d/b/a The D+M Group, D&M Holdings U.S. Inc.timely or efficient manner or at all, the improvements to our managerial, operational and Denon Electronics (USA), LLC (collectively, "Denon") had infringedfinancial systems and was infringing certainprocedures necessary to support our anticipated increased levels of operations. Delays or problems associated with any improvement or expansion of our patents,operational and financial systems could adversely affect our relationships with our suppliers, manufacturers, resellers and customers, inhibit our ability to expand or take advantage of market opportunities, cause harm to our reputation and result in May 2018, we settled the remaining claimserrors in exchange for royalty payments from Denon. The costour financial and other reporting, any of defending our intellectual property has been and may be substantial, and there is no assurance we will be successful. Additionally, our business could be adversely affected as a result of any such actions, or a finding that any patents-in-suit are invalid or unenforceable. These actions have led and may also lead to additional counterclaims against us, which are expensive to defend against and for which there can be no assurance of a


favorable outcome. Further, parties we bring legal action against could retaliate through non-litigious means, which could harm our abilitybusiness and operating results.

A significant disruption in our websites, servers or information technology systems, or those of our third-party partners, could impair our customers’ listening experience or otherwise adversely affect our customers, damage our reputation or harm our business.

As a consumer electronics company, our website and mobile app are important presentations of our business, identity and brand and an important means of interacting with, and providing information to, compete against such parties or to enter new markets.

The regulations of certain foreign countries do not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. As our brand grows, we will likely discover unauthorized products in the marketplace that are counterfeit reproductionsconsumers of our products. AlthoughWe depend on our servers and centralized information technology systems, and those of third parties, for product functionality, to manage operations and to store critical information and intellectual property. Accordingly, we may expend effortsallocate significant resources to pursue counterfeiters, it is not practicalmaintaining our information technology systems and deploying network security, data encryption, training and other measures to pursue all counterfeiters. Ifprotect against unauthorized access or misuse. Nevertheless, our website and information technology systems, and those of the third parties we rely on, are unsuccessfulsusceptible to damage, viruses, disruptions or shutdowns due to foreseeable and unforeseeable events. System failures and disruptions could impede the manufacturing and shipping of products, functionality of our products, transactions processing and financial reporting, and result in pursuing producersthe loss of intellectual property or sellers of counterfeit products, continued sales of these products could adversely impactdata, require substantial repair costs and damage our brand, business,reputation, competitive position, financial condition and results of operations.


For example, we use Amazon Web Services (“AWS”) to maintain the interconnectivity of our mobile app to our servers and those of the streaming services that our customers access to enjoy our products. Because AWS runs its own platform that we access, we are vulnerable to both system-wide and Sonos-specific service outages at AWS. Our access to AWS’ infrastructure could be limited by a number of potential causes, including technical failures, natural disasters, fraud or security attacks that we cannot predict or prevent.

Additionally, our products may contain flaws that make them susceptible to unauthorized access or use. For example, we previously discovered a vulnerability in our products that could be exploited when a customer visited a website with malicious content, allowing the customer’s local network to be accessed by third parties who could then gain unauthorized access to the customer’s playlists and other data and limited control of the customer’s devices. While we devote significant resources to address and eliminate flaws and other vulnerabilities in our products, there can be no assurance that our products will not be compromised in the future. Any such flaws or vulnerabilities, whether actual or merely potential, could harm our reputation, competitive position, financial condition and results of operations.

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Any cybersecurity breaches or our actual or perceived failure to comply with such legal obligations by us, or by our third-party service providers or partners, could harm our business.

We collect, store, process and use our customers’ personally identifiable information and other data, and we rely on third parties that are not directly under our control to do so as well. While we take measures intended to protect the security, integrity and confidentiality of the personal information and other sensitive information we collect, store or transmit, we cannot guarantee that inadvertent or unauthorized use or disclosure will not occur, or that third parties will not, gain unauthorized access to this information. There have been a number of recent reported incidents where third parties have used software to access the personal data of their partners’ customers for marketing and other purposes.

If we or our third-party service providers were to experience a breach, disruption or failure of systems compromising our customers’ data, or if one of our third-party service providers or partners were to access our customers’ personal data without our authorization, our brand and reputation could be adversely affected, use of our products could decrease and we could be exposed to a risk of loss, litigation and regulatory proceedings. In addition, a breach could require expending significant additional resources related to the security of information systems and disrupt our operations.

The use of data by our business and our business associates is highly regulated in all our operating countries. Privacy and information-security laws and regulations change, and compliance with them may result in cost increases due to, among other things, systems changes and the development of new processes. If we or those with whom we share information fail to comply with laws and regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), our reputation could be damaged, possibly resulting in lost business, and we could be subjected to additional legal risk or financial losses as a result of non-compliance. Complying with such laws may also require us to modify our data processing practices and policies and incur substantial expenditures.

Changes in how network operators manage data that travels across their networks or in net neutrality rules could harm our business.

We rely upon the ability of consumers to access our service through the internet. If network operators block, restrict or otherwise impair access to our service over their networks, our service and business could be negatively affected. To the extent that network operators implement usage-based pricing, including meaningful bandwidth caps, or otherwise try to monetize access to their networks by data providers, we could incur greater operating expenses. Furthermore, to the extent network operators create tiers of internet access service and either charge us for or prohibit us from being available through these tiers, our business could be negatively impacted.

Further, in the past, internet service providers (“ISPs”) have attempted to implement usage-based pricing, bandwidth caps and traffic shaping or throttling. To the extent network operators create tiers of internet access service and charge our customers in direct relation to their consumption of audio content, our ability to attract and retain customers could be impaired, which would harm our business. Net neutrality rules, which were designed to ensure that all online content is treated the same by ISPs and other companies that provide broadband services, were repealed by the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") effective June 2018. Although the FCC has preempted state jurisdiction on net neutrality, some states have taken executive action directed at reinstating aspects of the FCC’s 2015 order. Further, while many countries, including across the European Union (the "EU"), have implemented net neutrality rules, in others, the laws may be nascent or non-existent. The absence or repeal of the net neutrality rules could force us to incur greater operating expenses, cause our streaming partners to seek to shift costs to us or result in a decrease in the streaming-based usage of our platform by our customers, any of which would harm our results of operations. In addition, given uncertainty around these rules, including changing interpretations, amendments or repeal, coupled with potentially significant political and economic power of local network operators, we could experience discriminatory or anti-competitive practices that could impede our growth, cause us to incur additional expense or otherwise negatively affect our business.

Our use of open source software could negatively affect our ability to sell our products and could subject us to possible litigation.


We incorporate open source software into our products, and we may continue to incorporate open source software into our products in the future. Open source software is generally licensed by its authors or other third parties under open source licenses. Some of these licenses contain requirements that we make available source code for modifications or derivative works we create based upon the open source software and that we license such modifications or derivative works under the terms of a particular open source license or other license granting third parties certain rights of further use. Additionally, if a third-party software provider has incorporated open source software into software that we license from such provider, we could be required to disclose any of our source code that incorporates or is a modification of our licensed software. If an author or other third
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party that distributes open source software that we use or license were to allege that we had not complied with the conditions of the applicable license, we could be required to incur significant legal expenses defending against those allegations and could be subject to significant damages, enjoined from offering or selling our products that contained the open source software and required to comply with the foregoingabove conditions. Any of the foregoing could disrupt and harm our business and financial condition.


We collect, store, processLegal and use our customers’ personally identifiable informationRegulatory Risks

Changes in international trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs. have had, and other data, which subjects us to governmental regulation and other legal obligations related to privacy, information security and data protection. Any cybersecurity breaches or our actual or perceived failure to comply with such legal obligations by us, or by our third-party service providers or partners, could harm our business.

We collect, store, process and use our customers’ personally identifiable information and other data, and we rely on third parties that are not directly under our control to do so as well. While we take measures intended to protect the security, integrity and confidentiality of the personal information and other sensitive information we collect, store or transmit, we cannot guarantee that inadvertent or unauthorized use or disclosure will not occur, or that third parties will not gain unauthorized access to this information. There have been a number of recent reported incidents where third parties have used software to access the personal data of their partners’ customers for marketing and other purposes. While our privacy policies currently prohibit such activities, our third-party service providers or partners may engage in such activity without our knowledge or consent. If we or our third- party service providers were to experience a breach, disruption or failure of systems compromising our customers’ data, or if one of our third-party service providers or partners were to access our customers’ personal data without our authorization, our brand and reputation could be adversely affected, use of our products could decrease and we could be exposed to a risk of loss, litigation and regulatory proceedings. Depending on the nature of the information compromised in a data breach, disruption or other unauthorized access to our customers’ data, we may also have obligations to notify customers about the incident and we may need to provide some form of remedy for the individuals affected. Such breach notification laws continue to develop and may be inconsistent across jurisdictions. Complying with these obligations could cause us to incur substantial costs and negative publicity. While we maintain insurance coverage that is designed to address certain aspects of cyber risks, such insurance coverage may be insufficient to cover all losses or all types of claims that may arise in the event we experience a security breach.

Data protection laws may be interpreted and applied inconsistently from country to country, and often impose requirements that are inconsistent with one another. In addition, because various jurisdictions have, different laws and regulations concerning the use, storage and transmission of such information, we may face complex and varied compliance requirements in existing markets as well as in new international markets that we seek to enter. Such laws and regulations, and the variation between jurisdictions, could subject us to elevated costs of security measures, liabilities or negative publicity that could adversely affect our business.

Regulatory scrutiny of privacy, data collection, use of data and data protection is intensifying globally, and the personal information and other data we collect, store, process and use is increasingly subject to legislation and regulations in numerous jurisdictions around the world, especially in Europe. These laws often develop in ways we cannot predict and may materially increase our cost of doing business, particularly as we expand the nature and types of products we offer. For example, the General Data Protection Regulation (the "GDPR"), which came into effect in the EU in May 2018 and superseded prior EU data protection legislation, imposes more stringent data protection requirements and provides for greater penalties for noncompliance. Further,


the United Kingdom has initiated the formal process to leave the EU, creating uncertainty with regard to the regulation of data protection in the United Kingdom. In particular, it is unclear whether the United Kingdom will enact data protection laws or regulations designed to be consistent with the GDPR and how data transfers to and from the United Kingdom will be regulated. Additionally, although we are making use of the EU Standard Contractual Clauses with regard to the transfer of certain personal data to countries outside the European Economic Area (the "EEA"), some regulatory uncertainty remains surrounding the future of data transfers from the EEA to the United States. Although we are closely monitoring regulatory developments in this area, any actual or perceived failure by us to comply with any regulatory requirements or orders or other domestic or international privacy or consumer protection-related laws and regulations could result in proceedings or actions against us by governmental entities or others (e.g., class action litigation), subject us to significant penalties and negative publicity, require us to change our business practices, increase our costs and adversely affect our business.

Data protection legislation is also becoming increasingly common in the United States at both the federal and state level. For example, in June 2018, the State of California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (the "CCPA"), which will come intoan adverse effect on January 1, 2020. The CCPA requires companies that process information on Californiaresidents to make new disclosures to consumers about their data collection, use and sharing practices, allows consumers to opt out of certain data sharing with third parties and provides a new cause of action for data breaches. However, legislators have stated that they intend to propose amendments to the CCPA, and it remains unclear what, if any, modifications will be made to the CCPA or how it will be interpreted. Additionally, the Federal Trade Commission and many state attorneys general are interpreting federal and state consumer protection laws to impose standards for the online collection, use, dissemination and security of data. The burdens imposed by the CCPA and other similar laws that may be enacted at the federal and state level may require us to modify our data processing practices and policies and to incur substantial expenditure in order to comply.

Further, we may be or become subject to data localization laws mandating that data collected in a foreign country be processed and stored only within that country. Russia adopted such a law in 2014, and it is expected that China will do so as well. If China or another country in which we have customers were to adopt a data localization law, we could be required to expand our data storage facilities there or build new ones in order to comply. The expenditure this would require, as well as costs of compliance generally, could harm our financial condition.

Our international operations are subject to increased business and economic risks that could impact our financial results.

We have operations outside the United States, and we expect to continue to expand our international presence, especially in Asia. In fiscal 2018, 51% of our revenue was generated outside the United States. This subjects us to a variety of risks inherent in doing business internationally, including:

fluctuations in currency exchange rates;

political, social and/or economic instability;

risks related to governmental regulations in foreign jurisdictions and unexpected changes in regulatory requirements and enforcement;

higher levels of credit risk and payment fraud;

burdens of complying with a variety of foreign laws;

the cost of developing connected products for countries where Wi-Fi technology has been passed over in favor of more advanced cellular data networks;

tariffs, trade barriers and duties;

reduced protection for intellectual property rights in some countries;

difficulties in staffing and managing global operations and the increased travel, infrastructure and legal compliance costs associated due to having multiple international locations;

compliance with statutory equity requirements;

management of tax consequences;



protectionist laws and business practices that favor local businesses in some countries;

imposition of currency exchange controls;

greater fluctuations in sales to customers in developing countries, including longer payment cycles and greater difficulty collecting accounts receivable; and

delays from customs brokers or government agencies.

If we are unable to manage the complexity of our global operations successfully, or if the risks above become substantial for us, our financial performance and operating results could suffer. These factors may harm our results of operations. Also, any measures that we may implement to reduce risks of our international operations may not be effective, may increase our expenses and may require significant management time and effort. Entry into new international markets requires considerable management time and financial resources related to market, personnel and facilities development before any significant revenue is generated. As a result, initial operations in a new market may operate at low margins or may be unprofitable.

In particular, we have significant operations in China, where many of the risks listed above are particularly acute. Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materiallyoperations.

The U.S. government has imposed significant new tariffs on China related to the importation of certain product categories, including under the August 2019 Section 301 Tariff Action (List 4A) ("Section 301 tariffs"), which Section 301 tariffs have increased our cost of revenue and adversely affected by economic, political, legal, regulatory, competitiveimpacted our results of operations. The Section 301 tariffs were imposed on our products effective September 2019 and other factors in China. The Chinese economy differswere imposed at a rate of 15% which was reduced to a rate of 7.5% effective February 2020 as part of a “Phase One” agreement between the U.S. and China on trade matters. On May 13, 2020, we were granted a temporary exclusion from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, includingSection 301 tariffs for our components products and, on July 23, 2020, we were granted a temporary exclusion from the level of government involvement and control over economic growth. In addition,Section 301 tariffs for our operations in China are governed by Chinese laws, rules and regulations, some of which are relatively new. The Chinese legal system continues to rapidly evolve, which may result in uncertainties with respect tocore speaker products. These exclusions eliminated the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws, rules and regulations that could have a material adverse effectSection 301 tariffs on our business. China also experiences high turnovercore speaker and component products until August 31, 2020 and entitled us to an estimated refund of direct labor due toapproximately $30 million in Section 301 tariffs we have paid since September 2019. On August 28, 2020, the intensely competitive and fluid market for labor, andU.S. Trade Representative granted an extension through December 31, 2020 of the retention of adequate labor may be a challengeexclusion for our operationscore products. The exclusion for our component products was not extended past August 31, 2020, with the Section 301 tariffs for our component products automatically reinstating on September 1, 2020. We will need to seek an extension of the exemption request for our core products to extend such exclusions past December 31, 2020 and, in China. If our labor turnover ratesthe event that we are higher than we expect, or we otherwise fail to adequately manage our labor needs, then our business and results of operations could be adversely affected.

If significant tariffs or other restrictions are placed on Chinese imports or any related counter-measures are taken by China, our revenue and results of operations may be materially harmed.

If significant tariffs or other restrictions are placed on Chinese imports or any related counter-measures are taken by China, our revenue and results of operations may be materially harmed. In July 2018,unsuccessful, the Trump Administration announced a list of thousands of categories of goods that currently face tariffs of 10% and will face tariffs of 25% beginning in January 2019. These tariffs currently affect our accessories products and we may be required to raise our prices on those products due to the tariffs, which may result in a loss of customers and harm our operating performance. If the existing tariffs are expanded or interpreted by a court or governmental agency to apply to any of our other products, we may be required to raise our prices on those products, which may further result in a loss of customers and harm our operating performance. Additionally, the Trump Administration continues to signal that it may further alter trade agreements and terms between China and the United States, including limiting trade with China, and may impose additionalSection 301 tariffs on imports from China. It is possible furtherour core products will automatically re-instate.

In the event that future tariffs will beare imposed on imports of our products, or thatwe do not successfully obtain the refund to which we are currently entitled, we are not successful in our business will be impacted by retaliatory trade measures taken byexemption extension requests, the amounts of existing tariffs are increased, or China or other countries take retaliatory trade measures in response to existing or future tariffs, causing usour business may be impacted and we may be required to raise prices or make changes to our operations, any of which could materially harm our revenue or operating results. WeIn response to the Section 301 tariffs (among other factors), in early fiscal 2020 we began to diversify our supply chain through the addition of contract manufacturing in Malaysia. In response to future new tariffs, we may seek tofurther shift production outside of China, resulting in significant costs and disruption to our operations as we would need to pursue the time-consuming processes of recreating a new supply chain,chains, identifying substitute components and establishing new manufacturing locations.

We are susceptible to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, which could result in declines in our reported revenue and operating results.

Our exposure to the effects of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates has grown with the continued expansion of our overseas operations, and primarily relates to non-U.S. dollar denominated sales and operating expenses worldwide. Unfavorable movement in currency exchange rates will adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. While a significant percentage of our revenue is denominated in foreign currencies, the majority of our costs are denominated in U.S. dollars. This means that a strengthening of the U.S. dollar would adversely impact our reported financial results. The strengthening of foreign currencies may also increase our cost of product components denominated in those currencies, thus adversely affecting gross margin. Fluctuations in currency exchange rates may also make it more difficult to detect underlying trends in our business and results of operations. We may in the future engage in some hedging activities, such as the use of foreign currency forward and option contracts, to limit the risk of fluctuations in currency exchange rates. However, the use of such hedging activities may not offset any, or more than a portion, of the adverse financial effects of unfavorable movements in foreign exchange rates over the limited time the hedges are in place. Moreover, the use of hedging instruments may introduce additional risks if we are


unable to structure effective hedges with such instruments. In addition, a strengthening of the U.S. dollar may increase the cost of our products to our customers outside of the United States, which may also adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Natural disasters, geopolitical unrest, war, terrorism, public health issues or other catastrophic events could disrupt the supply, delivery or demand of products, which could negatively affect our operations and performance.

We are subject to the risk of disruption by earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters, fire, power shortages, geopolitical unrest, war, terrorist attacks and other hostile acts, public health issues, epidemics or pandemics and other events beyond our control and the control of the third parties on which we depend. Any of these catastrophic events, whether in the United States or abroad, may have a strong negative impact on the global economy, us, our contract manufacturers or our suppliers or customers, and could decrease demand for our products, create delays and inefficiencies in our supply chain and make it difficult or impossible for us to deliver products to our customers. Further, our headquarters are located in Santa Barbara, California, in a seismically active region that is also prone to forest fires. Any catastrophic event that occurred near our headquarters, or near our manufacturing facilities in China, could impose significant damage to our ability to conduct our business and could require substantial recovery time, which could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.


We must comply with extensive regulatory requirements, and the cost of such compliance, and any failure to comply, may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.


In our current business and as we expand into new markets and product categories, we must comply with a wide variety of laws, regulations, standards and other requirements governing, among other things, electrical safety, wireless emissions, health and safety, e-commerce, consumer protection, export and import requirements, hazardous materials usage, product-related energy consumption, packaging, recycling and environmental matters. Compliance with these laws, regulations, standards and other requirements may be onerous and expensive, and they may be inconsistent from jurisdiction to jurisdiction or change from time to time, further increasing the cost of compliance and doing business. Our products may require regulatory approvals or satisfaction of other regulatory concerns in the various jurisdictions in which they are manufactured, sold or both. These requirements create procurement and design challenges that require us to incur additional costs identifying suppliers and manufacturers who can obtain and produce compliant materials, parts and products. Failure to comply with such requirements can subject us to liability, additional costs and reputational harm and, in extreme cases, force us to recall products or prevent us from selling our products in certain jurisdictions. If there is a new regulation, or change to an existing regulation, that significantly increases our costs of manufacturing or causes us to significantly alter the way that we manufacture our products, this would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, while we have implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that our employees, contractors and agents will not violate such laws and regulations or our policies and procedures.


We are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the "FCPA"), and our failure to comply with the laws and regulations there under could result in penalties which could harm our reputation, business and financial condition.

Due to our international operations, we are subject to the FCPA, which generally prohibits companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or keeping business. The FCPA also requires companies to maintain adequate recordkeeping and internal accounting practices to accurately reflect our transactions. Under the FCPA, U.S. companies may be held liable for actions taken by their strategic or local partners or representatives. The FCPA and similar laws in other countries can impose civil and criminal penalties for violations. If we do not properly implement practices and controls with respect to compliance with the FCPA and similar laws, or if we fail to enforce those practices and controls properly, we may be subject to regulatory sanctions, including administrative costs related to governmental and internal investigations, civil and criminal penalties, injunctions and restrictions on our business activities, all of which could harm our reputation, business and financial condition.

Our corporate tax rate may increase, we may incur additional income tax liabilities and we may incur costs in complying with changing tax laws in the United States and abroad, which could adversely impact our cash flow, financial condition and results of operations.


We are a U.S.-based company subject to taxes in multiple U.S. and foreign tax jurisdictions. Our profits, cash flow and effective tax rate could be adversely affected by changes in the tax rules and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we do business, unanticipated changes in statutory tax rates and changes to our global mix of earnings. As we expand our operations, any changes in the U.S. or foreign taxation of such operations may increase our worldwide effective tax rate. In 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Tax Act") implemented a wide variety

23



clarification and guidance from the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") and the Treasury Department. These or other changes in U.S. tax law could impact our profits, cash flow and effective tax rate.

We are also subject to examination by the IRSInternal Revenue Service ("IRS") and other tax authorities, including state revenue agencies and foreign governments. If any tax authority disagrees with any position we have taken, our tax liabilities and operating results may be adversely affected. While we regularly assess the likelihood of favorable or unfavorable outcomes resulting from examinations by the IRS and other tax authorities to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes, there can be no assurance that the actual outcome resulting from these examinations will not materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the distribution of our products subjects us to numerous complex and often-changing customs regulations. Failure to comply with these systems and regulations could result in the assessment of additional taxes, duties, interest and penalties. While we believe we are in compliance with local laws, thereThere is no assurance that tax and customs authorities agree with our reporting positions and upon audit may assess us additional taxes, duties, interest and penalties. If this occurs and we cannot successfully defend our position, our profitability will be reduced.


Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.


As of September 29, 2018,October 3, 2020, we had gross U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards of $74.7$30.8 million, which expire beginning in 2033,2035, and gross state net operating loss carryforwards of $45.9$26.9 million, which expire beginning in 2020,2027, as well as $21.9$52.2 million in foreign net operating loss carryforwards, of which $2.7$37.6 million have an indefinite life and $19.2$14.6 million that will expire in 2027. Also, asAs of September 29, 2018,October 3, 2020, we also had U.S. federal research and development tax credit carryforwards of $41.8 million, and state research and development tax credit carryforwards of $25.4$31.8 million, and $19.1 million. The federal research creditswhich will begin to expire beginning in the year 2025 and 2024, respectively. Because of the state research credits will begin to expire in 2024. It is possible that we will not generate taxable income in time to use our net operating loss carryforwards before their expiration or at all. Underchange of ownership provisions of Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code, use of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), if a corporation undergoes an "ownership change,"portion of 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. As a result, ourCompany's domestic net operating losses generated through July 18, 2012and tax credit carryforwards may be subject to limitation under Section 382limited in future periods depending upon future changes in ownership. Further, a portion of the Code. The amount of pre-change loss carryforward whichcarryforwards may be subject to this limitation is $46.8 million. Our ability to use net operating loss carry forwards and other tax attributesexpire before being applied to reduce future income tax liabilities if sufficient taxable income and liabilities may be subject to limitations based on the ownership change of 2012. We have substantially completed an updated Section 382 study through August 31, 2018, and the preliminary results of this study show no ownership change within the meaning of Section 382 of the Code had occurred from the previously identified ownership change on July 18, 2012 through August 31, 2018.

We may need additional capital, and we cannot be certain that additional financing will be available.

Our operations have been financed primarily through cash flow from operating activities, borrowings under our credit facilities and net proceeds from the sale of our equity securities. We may require additional equity or debt financing to fund our operations and capital expenditures. Our ability to obtain financing will depend, among other things, on our development efforts, business plans, operating performance and 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 if and when required, or at all.

We may acquire other businesses or receive offers to be acquired, which could require significant management attention, disrupt our business, dilute stockholder value and adversely affect our operating results.

As part of our business strategy, we may make investments in complementary businesses, products, services or technologies. We have not made any material acquisitions to date and, as a result, our ability as an organization to successfully acquire and integrate other companies, products, services or technologies is unproven. 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 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 or investors. In addition, if we fail to integrate successfully such acquisitions, or the technologies associated with such acquisitions, into our company, the revenue and operating results of the combined company could be adversely affected. Any integration process will require significant time and resources, and we may not be able to manage the process successfully. We may not successfully evaluate or utilize the acquired technology and accurately forecast the financial impact of an acquisition transaction, including accounting charges. We may have to pay cash, incur debt or issue equity securities to pay for any such acquisition, each of which could affect our financial condition or the value of our capital stock. The sale of equity or issuance of debt to finance any such acquisitions could result in dilution to our stockholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased fixed obligations and could also include covenants or other restrictions that would impede our ability to manage our operations. Additionally, we may receive indications of interest from other parties interested in acquiring


some or all of our business. The time required to evaluate such indications of interest could require significant attention from management, disrupt the ordinary functioning of our business and adversely affect our operating results.

We will need to improve our financial and operational systems in order to manage our growth effectively and support our increasingly complex business arrangements, and an inability to do so could harm our business and results of operations.

To manage our growth and our increasingly complex business operations, especially as we move into new markets internationally, we will need to upgrade our operational and financial systems and procedures, improve the coordination between our various corporate functions and expand, train and manage our workforce adequately. Our efforts to manage the expansion of our operations may place a significant strain on our management personnel, systems and resources, particularly given the limited amount of financial resources and skilled employees that may be available at the time. When implementing new or changing existing processes, we may encounter transitional issues and incur substantial additional expenses. We cannot be certain that we will institute, in a timely manner or at all, the improvements to our managerial, operational and financial systems and procedures necessary to support our anticipated increased levels of operations. Delays or problems associated with any improvement or expansion of our operational and financial systems could adversely affect our relationships with our suppliers, manufacturers, resellers and customers, harm to our reputation and result in errors in our financial and other reporting, any of which could harm our business and operating results. We may not be able to manage our growth effectively, and as a result may not be able to take advantage of market opportunities, execute on expansion strategies or meet the demands of our customers. In particular, we anticipate that our legacy enterprise resource management system will need to be replaced in the near to intermediate term in order to accommodate our expanding operations. Such transitions can prove difficult and time consuming which can adversely impact our business and ability to timely prepare our external financial reports.

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and, if our remediation of these material weaknesses is not effective, or if we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reportinggenerated in the future we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect investor confidence and the price of our common stock.periods.

As a public company, we will be required to maintain internal control over financial reporting and to evaluate and determine the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Beginning with our second annual report on Form 10-K following our IPO, we will be required to provide a management report on internal control over financial reporting, as well as an attestation on our internal control over financial reporting from our independent registered public accounting firm.

During 2017, we identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. We identified a material weakness related to an insufficient complement of experienced personnel with the requisite technical knowledge of financial statement disclosures and accounting for non-routine, unusual or complex events and transactions. This material weakness in our control environment contributed to an additional material weakness in that we did not maintain effective internal controls to address the accounting of non-routine, unusual or complex events and transactions and the related financial statement presentation of such transactions.

We are taking steps to address these control issues, including the following:

hiring of experienced additional accounting and financial reporting personnel; and

creation of additional controls including those designed to strengthen our review processes around financial statement disclosures and accounting for non-routine, unusual or complex transactions.

While we believe that these efforts will improve our internal control over financial reporting, the implementation of these measures is ongoing and will require validation and testing of the design and operating effectiveness of internal controls over a sustained period of financial reporting cycles.

We cannot assure you that the measures we have taken to date, and that we are continuing to implement, will be sufficient to remediate the material weaknesses we have identified or avoid the identification of additional material weaknesses in the future. If the steps we take do not remediate the material weaknesses in a timely manner, there could continue to be a reasonable possibility that these control deficiencies or others could result in a material misstatement of our annual or interim consolidated financial statements that would not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

The process of designing and implementing internal control over financial reporting required to comply with the disclosure and attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 ("Section 404") will be time consuming and


costly. If during the evaluation and testing process, we identify additional material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting or determine that existing material weaknesses have not been remediated, our management will be unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective. Even if our management concludes that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, our independent registered public accounting firm may conclude that there are material weaknesses with respect to our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or when required in the future, if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an unqualified opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our common stock could be adversely affected and we could become subject to litigation or investigations by the stock exchange on which our securities are listed, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources.

Our reported financial results may be adversely affected by changes in accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

Generally accepted accounting principles in the United States are subject to interpretation by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the SEC and various bodies formed to promulgate and interpret appropriate accounting principles. A change in these principles or interpretations could have a significant effect on our reported financial results, and could affect the reporting of transactions completed before the announcement of a change.



Risks related to ownership of our common stock


The stock price of our common stock has been and may continue to be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance.


The marketstock price of our common stock has been and may continue to be volatile. Since shares of our common stock were sold in our IPO in August 2018 at a price of $15.00 per share, the closing price of our common stock has ranged from $11.61$6.97 to $21.69 through November 26, 2018. In addition to factors discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the marketOctober 03, 2020. The stock price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors in addition to the ones described in the preceding Risk Factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:


overall performance of the equity markets and the economy as a whole;

changes in the financial projections we or third parties may provide to the public or our failure to meet these projections;

actual or anticipated changes in our growth rate relative to that of our competitors;

announcements of new products, or of acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital- raisingcapital-raising activities or commitments, by us or by our competitors;

additions or departures of key personnel;

failure of securities analysts to initiate or maintain coverage of us, changes in financial estimates by any securities analysts who follow our company or our failure to meet these estimates or the expectations of investors;

rumors and market speculation involving us or other companies in our industry;

the expiration of contractual lock-up or market standoff agreements; and

sales of shares of our common stock by us or our stockholders.stockholders particularly sales by our directors, executive officers and significant stockholders, or the perception that these sales could occur; and

additional stock issuances that result in significant dilution to shareholders.

In addition, the stock market with respect to newly public companies, particularly companies in the technology industry, havehas experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market prices of stock prices of these companies. In the past, stockholders have instituted securities class action litigation following periods of market volatility. If we were to become involved in securities litigation, it could subject us to substantial costs, divert resources and the attention of management from our business and adversely affect our business.



Our business and financial performance may differ from any projections that we disclose or any information that may be attributed to us by third parties.

From time to time, we may provide guidance via public disclosures regarding our projected business or financial performance. However, any such projections involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties and our actual results could differ materially from such projections. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those identified in these Risk Factors, some or all of which are not predictable or within our control. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could adversely impact our performance, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any projections, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In addition, various news sources, bloggers and other publishers often make statements regarding our historical or projected business or financial performance, and you should not rely on any such information even if it is attributed directly or indirectly to us.

Our stock price and trading volume could decline if securities or industry analysts do not publish about our business, or if they publish unfavorable research.

Equity research analysts do not currently provide coverage of our common stock, and we cannot assure that any equity research analysts will adequately provide research coverage of our common stock. A lack of adequate research coverage may harm the liquidity and market price of our common stock. To the extent equity research analysts do provide research coverage of our common stock, we will not have any control over the content and opinions included in their reports. The price of our common stock could decline if one or more equity research analysts downgrade our stock or publish other unfavorable commentary or research. If one or more equity research analysts cease coverage of our company, or fail to regularly publish reports on us, the demand for our common stock could decrease, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.

Sales of a substantial amount of our common stock in the public market, particularly sales by our directors, executive officers and significant stockholders, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market, particularly sales by our directors, executive officers and principal stockholders, or the perception that these sales might occur, could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. The 15,972,221 shares of our common stock sold in our IPO are freely tradable in the public market without restrictions or further registration except for any shares held by our affiliates, as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). With respect to the remaining shares, our directors, executive officers and the holders of substantially all of our common stock outstanding prior to our IPO have entered into lock-up agreements or market standoff provisions in agreements with us that, for a period of at least 180 days from the date of our IPO and subject to certain exceptions, prohibit them from offering for sale, selling, contracting to sell, granting any option for the sale of, transferring or otherwise disposing of any shares of our common stock and of any securities convertible into or exercisable for our common stock, without the prior written consent of the underwriters in our IPO or us, as the case may be. Shares held by directors, executive officers, and other affiliates will also be subject to volume limitations under Rule 144 under the Securities Act and various vesting agreements. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the lock-up agreements, a total of 182,000 shares of our common stock, including shares held by one of our executive officers, became available for sale in the public market beginning on October 31, 2018 upon the exercise of stock options that would have otherwise expired pursuant to their terms prior to 181 days after the date of our IPO.

When the applicable lock-up and market standoff periods described above expire, we and our securityholders subject to a lock-up agreement or market standoff agreement will be able to sell shares of our common stock in the public market. In addition, the underwriters may, in their discretion, permit our securityholders to sell shares prior to the expiration of the restrictive provisions contained in the lock-up agreements. Sales of a substantial number of such shares upon expiration of the lock-up and market standoff agreements, the perception that such sales may occur or early release of these agreements could cause our market price to fall or make it more difficult for you to sell your common stock at a time and price that you deem appropriate.

In addition, we have filed a registration statement to register shares reserved for future issuance under our equity compensation plans. Subject to the satisfaction of applicable vesting requirements and expiration of the market standoff agreements and lock-up agreements referred to above, the shares issued upon exercise of outstanding stock options will be available for immediate resale in the United States in the open market.

Moreover, certain holders of our common stock have rights, subject to some conditions, to require us to file registration statements for the public resale of such shares or to include such shares in registration statements that we may file for us or other stockholders.


We may also issue our shares of common stock or securities convertible into shares of our common stock from time to time in connection with a financing, acquisition, investments or otherwise. We also grant equity awards to employees, directors and consultants under our 2018 Equity Incentive Plan and rights to purchase our common stock under our 2018 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, the latter of which will become effective at a future date upon determination by the compensation committee of our board of directors (the "Board"). Any such issuances could result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders and cause the market price of our common stock to decline.


We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.


We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock, and we do not intend to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. We anticipate that we will retain all of our future earnings for use in the development of our business and for general corporate purposes. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of the Board. Accordingly, investors must rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only
24

way to realize any future gains on their investments. In addition, the terms of our credit facilities contain restrictions on our ability to declare and pay cash dividends on our capital stock.

Additional stock issuances could result in significant dilution to our stockholders.

Additional issuances of our capital stock will result in dilution to our existing stockholders. Also, to the extent outstanding options to purchase our capital stock are exercised, there will be further dilution. The amount of dilution could be substantial depending upon the size of the issuance or exercise.


Certain provisions in our corporate charter documents and under Delaware law may prevent or hinder attempts by our stockholders to change our management or to acquire a controlling interest in us, and the market price of our common stock may be lower as a result.us.


There are provisions in our restated certificate of incorporation and restated bylaws that may make it difficult for a third party to acquire, or attempt to acquire, control of our company, even if a change in control were considered favorable by our stockholders. These anti-takeover provisions include:

a classified Board so that not all members of the Board are elected at one time;

the ability of the Board to determine the number of directors and to fill any vacancies and newly created directorships;

a requirement that our directors may only be removed for cause;

a prohibition on cumulative voting for directors;

the requirement of a super-majority to amend some provisions in our restated certificate of incorporation and restated bylaws;

authorization of the issuance of "blank check"“blank check” preferred stock that the Board could use to implement a stockholder rights plan;

an inability of our stockholders to call special meetings of stockholders; and

a prohibition on stockholder actions by written consent, thereby requiring that all stockholder actions be taken at a meeting of our stockholders.


Moreover, because we are incorporated inIn addition, our restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Delaware we areCourt of Chancery is the exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; any action asserting a breach of fiduciary duty; any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”), our restated certificate of incorporation or our restated bylaws; or any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the provisionsinternal affairs doctrine. Our restated certificate of incorporation also provides that the federal district courts of the United States will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Further, Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law which prohibitmay discourage, delay or prevent a person who ownschange in control of our company. Section 203 imposes certain restrictions on mergers, business combinations, and other transactions between us and holders of 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock from mergingcommon stock.

General Risk Factors

The loss of one or combining with us for a three-year period beginningmore of our key personnel, or our failure to attract, assimilate and retain other highly qualified personnel in the future, could harm our business.

We depend on the datecontinued services and performance of our key personnel. The loss of key personnel, including key members of management as well as our product development, marketing, sales and technology personnel, could disrupt our operations and have an adverse effect on our ability to grow our business. In addition, the loss of key personnel in our finance and accounting departments could harm our internal controls, financial reporting capability and capacity to forecast and plan for future growth. Further, the market for highly skilled workers and leaders in our industry is extremely competitive. If we do not succeed in attracting, hiring and integrating high-quality personnel or in retaining and motivating existing personnel, we may be unable to grow effectively, and our financial condition may be harmed.

Natural disasters, geopolitical unrest, war, terrorism, pandemics, public health issues or other catastrophic events could disrupt the supply, delivery or demand of products, which could negatively affect our operations and performance.

We are subject to the risk of disruption by earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters, fire, power shortages, geopolitical unrest, war, terrorist attacks and other hostile acts, public health issues, epidemics or pandemics, including COVID-19, and other events beyond our control and the control of the transactionthird parties on which we depend. Any of these catastrophic events, whether in the United States or abroad, may have a strong negative impact on the global economy, us, our contract manufacturers, our suppliers or customers, and could decrease demand for our products, create delays and inefficiencies in our supply chain and make it difficult or impossible for us to deliver products to our customers. Further, our headquarters are located in Santa Barbara, California, in a seismically active region that is also prone to forest fires. Any catastrophic event that occurred near our headquarters, or near our manufacturing facilities in China or Malaysia, could impose significant damage to our ability to conduct our business and could require substantial recovery time, which could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

25

We may need additional capital, and we cannot be certain that additional financing will be available.

Our operations have been financed primarily through cash flow from operating activities, borrowings under our J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. Secured Term Loan (the "Term Loan") and the person acquired in excess of 15%Secured Credit Facility with J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (the "Credit Facility") and net proceeds from the sale of our outstanding votingequity securities. We may require additional equity or debt financing to fund our operations and capital expenditures. Our ability to obtain financing will depend, among other things, on our development efforts, business plans, 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 if and when required, or at all.

We may acquire other businesses or receive offers to be acquired, which could require significant management attention, disrupt our business, dilute stockholder value and adversely affect our operating results.

As part of our business strategy, we have and may in the future make investments in complementary businesses, products, services or technologies. These acquisitions and other transactions and arrangements involve significant challenges and risks, including not advancing our business strategy, receiving an unsatisfactory return on our investment, difficulty integrating and retaining new employees, business systems, and technology, or distracting management from our other business initiatives. If an arrangement fails to adequately anticipate changing circumstances and interests of a party, it may result in early termination or renegotiation of the arrangement. The success of these transactions and arrangements will depend in part on our ability to leverage them to enhance our existing products or develop compelling new ones. It may take longer than expected to realize the full benefits from these transactions and arrangements such as increased revenue or enhanced efficiencies, or the benefits may ultimately be smaller than we expected. These events could adversely affect our consolidated financial statements.

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls in the future, we may experience a loss of investor confidence and an adverse impact to our stock unlessprice.

Pursuant to the mergerSarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, we are required to document and test our internal control procedures and to provide a report by management on internal control over financial reporting, including management’s assessment of the effectiveness of such control. We previously reported and remediated material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting. Completion of remediation does not provide assurance that our remediation or combination is approved in a prescribed manner. Any provisionother controls will continue to operate properly. If we are unable to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures, our ability to record, process and report financial information accurately, and to prepare consolidated financial statements within required time periods could be adversely affected, which could subject us to litigation or investigations requiring management resources and payment of legal and other expenses, negatively affect investor confidence in our restated certificateconsolidated financial statements and adversely impact our stock price.
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Item 1B. Unresolved staff comments


Staff Comments
None.
Item 2. Properties

We currently lease 33,280 square feet of office space forare a global company with our current corporate headquarters located in Santa Barbara, California under aCalifornia. We lease agreement that expires in 2019, and we have the option to renew this lease for an additional five years. We have 98,555 square feet of additional office space in Santa Barbara, under leases that expire at varying times through 2025. We also lease 169,465 square feet of office spaceas well as Boston and offices in Boston, Massachusetts. We lease additional U.S. offices and facilities in New York City and Seattle. We also have international offices and facilities in Australia, China, Denmark, France, Germany,various locations around the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom under leases that expire at varying times through 2025.
world. We believe that our existing facilities are sufficient foradequate to meet our current needs. We intend to add new facilities or expand existing facilities in certain locations as we add staff or expand our geographic markets, and we believe that suitable additional space will be available as needed to accommodate any such expansion of our organization.requirements.
Item 3. Legal proceedingsProceedings
From time to time, we may become involved in legal proceedings or be subject to claims arising in the ordinary course of our business. We areOther than the matters described in Note 13. Commitments and Contingencies of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II. Item 8 of this Annual Report, we were not presently a party to any legal proceedings that in the opinion of our management, if determined adversely to us, would individually or taken together have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition or cash flows. 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.
Further information with respect to this item may be found in Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 4. Mine safety disclosuresSafety Disclosures
None.

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PART II
Item 5. Market for registrant’s common equity, related stockholder mattersRegistrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and issuer purchasesIssuer Purchases of equity securitiesEquity Securities


Holders of recordRecord
As of November 16, 2018,9, 2020, there were 5211,533 holders of record of our common stock. This figure does not include a substantially greater number of beneficial holders of our common stock whose shares are held of record by banks, brokers and other financial institutions. 
Dividend policyPolicy
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock, and we do not currently intend to pay any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. We expect to retain future earnings, if any, to fund the development and growth of our business. Any future determination to pay dividends on our common stock will be made at the discretion of the Board and will depend upon, among other factors, our financial condition, operating results, current and anticipated cash needs, plans for expansion and other factors that the Board may deem relevant. In addition, the terms of our credit facilities contain restrictions on our ability to declare and pay cash dividends on our capital stock.
Sale of unregistered securities and use of proceeds


Recent salesSales of unregistered securitiesUnregistered Securities
    
None.


UseIssuer Purchases of proceeds from registered securitiesEquity Securities


The following table presents information with respect to our repurchase of common stock during the quarter ended October 3, 2020.
PeriodTotal Number of Shares Purchased (1)Average Price Paid per ShareTotal Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or ProgramsApproximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs
Jun 28 - Jul 25— $— — $16,785 
Jul 26 - Aug 29723,937 $13.79 723,937 $6,785 
Aug 30- Oct 3527,001 $12.88 527,001 $— 
Total1,250,938 1,250,938 


(1)In August 2018, we closedSeptember 2019, our IPO,Board of Directors authorized a common stock repurchase program of up to $50.0 million. See Note 8. Stockholder' Equity of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in which we sold 6,388,888this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information. The Company withholds shares of common stock in connection with the vesting of restricted stock unit awards issued to such employees to satisfy applicable tax withholding requirements. Although these withheld shares are not issued or considered common stock repurchases under our stock repurchase program and therefore are not included in the preceding table, they are treated as common stock repurchases in our consolidated financial statements as they reduce the number of shares that would have been issued upon vesting. As of October 3, 2020, we have fully utilized the amount available under our common stock at our IPO pricerepurchase program.


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Table of $15.00 per share, including 833,333 shares pursuant to the underwriters' over-allotment option, and selling stockholders sold 9,583,333 shares of our common stock, including 1,250,000 shares pursuant to the underwriters' over-allotment option. The offer and sale of all of the shares in our IPO were registered under the Securities Act pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-226076), which was declared effective by the SEC on August 1, 2018. We raised aggregate net proceeds of $90.6 million from our IPO, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $5.3 million. Additionally, offering costs incurred by us totaled $4.6 million. There has been no material change in the planned use of proceeds from our IPO as described in the prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act with the SEC on August 2, 2018. The managing underwriters of our IPO were Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC. No payments were made by us to directors, officers or persons owning 10% or more of our common stock or to their associates, or to our affiliates, other than payments in the ordinary course of business to officers for salaries and to non-employee directors pursuant to our director compensation policy.contents


Stock performance graphPerformance Graph

sono-20201003_g1.jpg
 
chart-e235c50cc24b6bf1837a27.jpg
August 2,
2018
September 28,
2018
September 27,
2019
October 2,
2020
Sonos, Inc.$100.00 $80.56 $67.86 $77.85 
Nasdaq composite index$100.00 $103.34 $103.11 $141.94 
S&P 500$100.00 $103.43 $107.29 $118.44 



29
 August 2,
2018
 September 28,
2018
Sonos, Inc.$100.00
 $80.56
Nasdaq composite index$100.00
 $103.34
S&P 500$100.00
 $103.43





Item 6. Selected consolidated financialConsolidated Financial and other dataOther Data
The selected consolidated financial data below should be read in conjunction with the Item 7, "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," and our consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The consolidated statements of operations data for the years ended October 3, 2020, September 28, 2019 and September 29, 2018, September 30, 2017 and October 1, 2016, and the consolidated balance sheet data as of September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 and September 30, 201728, 2019 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements appearing in Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The consolidated statementstatements of operations data for the yearyears ended September 30, 2017 and October 3, 20151, 2016 and the consolidated balance sheet data as of October 1, 2016September 29, 2018, and September 30, 2017 are derived from audited consolidated financial statements not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The consolidated statement of operations data for the year ended September 27, 2014 and the consolidated balance sheet data as of September 27, 2014 and October 3, 2015 are1, 2016 is derived from unaudited consolidated financial statements not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our unaudited consolidated annual financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP on the same basis as our audited consolidated financial statements and include, in the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, that are necessary for the fair statement of the financial information set forth in those consolidated financial statements. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in any future period.
Fiscal Year Ended
October 3
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
 2018 (4)
September 30,
2017 (4)
October 1,
2016 (4)
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts and percentages)
Revenue$1,326,328 $1,260,823 $1,137,008 $992,526 $901,284 
Cost of revenue (1)
754,372 733,480 647,700 536,461 497,885 
Gross profit571,956 527,343 489,308 456,065 403,399 
Operating expenses  
Research and development (1)
214,672 171,174 142,109 124,394 107,729 
Sales and marketing (1)
263,539 247,599 270,869 270,162 258,012 
General and administrative (1)
120,978 102,871 85,205 77,118 68,531 
Total operating expenses599,189 521,644 498,183 471,674 434,272 
Operating income (loss)(27,233)5,699 (8,875)(15,609)(30,873)
Other income (expense), net
Interest income1,998 4,349 731 120 14 
Interest expense(1,487)(2,499)(5,242)(4,380)(2,503)
Other income (expense), net6,639 (8,625)(1,162)3,361 (2,208)
Total other income (expense), net7,150 (6,775)(5,673)(899)(4,697)
Loss before provision for (benefit from) income taxes(20,083)(1,076)(14,548)(16,508)(35,570)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes32 3,690 1,056 (2,291)2,644 
Net loss$(20,115)$(4,766)$(15,604)$(14,217)$(38,214)
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted:⁽²⁾$(0.18)$(0.05)$(0.24)$(0.25)$(0.71)
Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted:⁽²⁾109,807,154 103,783,006 65,706,215 56,314,546 53,873,051 
Other Data:
Products sold(5)
5,806 6,204 5,165 4,034 3,651 
Adjusted EBITDA (3)
$108,543 $88,689 $69,128 $55,955 $29,413 
Adjusted EBITDA margin (3)
8.2 %7.0 %6.1 %5.6 %3.3 %

30

 Fiscal Year Ended
 September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 October 1,
2016
 October 3,
2015
 September 27,
2014
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts and percentages)
Revenue$1,137,008
 $992,526
 $901,284
 $843,524
 $774,512
Cost of revenue (1)
647,700
 536,461
 497,885
 461,387
 425,191
Gross profit489,308
 456,065
 403,399
 382,137
 349,321
Operating expenses 
  
      
Research and development (1)
142,109
 124,394
 107,729
 100,653
 70,623
Sales and marketing (1)
270,869
 270,162
 258,012
 272,427
 204,847
General and administrative (1)
85,205
 77,118
 68,531
 64,805
 46,911
Total operating expenses498,183
 471,674
 434,272
 437,885
 322,381
Operating income (loss)(8,875) (15,609) (30,873) (55,748) 26,940
Other income (expense), net         
Interest expense, net(4,511) (4,260) (2,489) (156) (75)
Other income (expense), net(1,162) 3,361
 (2,208) (9,631) (3,556)
Total other expense, net(5,673) (899) (4,697) (9,787) (3,631)
Income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes(14,548) (16,508) (35,570) (65,535) 23,309
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes1,056
 (2,291) 2,644
 3,242
 1,448
Net income (loss)$(15,604) $(14,217) $(38,214) $(68,777) $21,861
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders (2)
         
Basic$(0.24) $(0.25) $(0.71) $(1.34) $0.19
Diluted$(0.24) $(0.25) $(0.71) $(1.34) $0.15
Weighted-average shares used in computing net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders, basic (2)
65,706,215
 56,314,546
 53,873,051
 51,253,161
 44,456,427
Weighted-average shares used in computing net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders, diluted (2)
65,706,215
 56,314,546
 53,873,051
 51,253,161
 62,996,130
Other Data:         
Products sold5,078
 3,935
 3,514
 3,401
 2,938
Adjusted EBITDA (3)
$69,128
 $55,955
 $29,413
 $(4,613) $56,818
Adjusted EBITDA margin (3)
6.1% 5.6% 3.3% (0.5)% 7.3%
(1)Stock-based compensation was allocated as follows:



(1)Stock-based compensation was allocated as follows:
Fiscal Year Ended Fiscal Year Ended
September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 October 1,
2016
 October 3,
2015
 September 27,
2014
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
September 30,
2017
October 1,
2016
(In thousands)(In thousands)(In thousands)
Cost of revenue$198
 $240
 $211
 $236
 $143
Cost of revenue$1,106 $985 $198 $240 $211 
Research and development13,960
 13,605
 8,260
 8,186
 5,984
Research and development23,439 17,643 13,960 13,605 8,260 
Sales and marketing15,885
 15,086
 11,742
 9,791
 5,180
Sales and marketing14,359 12,965 15,885 15,086 11,742 
General and administrative8,602
 7,619
 5,750
 5,064
 3,471
General and administrative18,706 14,982 8,602 7,619 5,750 
Total stock-based compensation expense$38,645
 $36,550
 $25,963
 $23,277
 $14,778
Total stock-based compensation expense$57,610 $46,575 $38,645 $36,550 $25,963 
 
(2)See Note 10 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for an explanation of the calculations of our net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted.

(3)Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin are financial measures that are not calculated in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP"). See the section titled "—Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for information regarding our use of these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of net income (loss) to adjusted EBITDA.

(2)See Note 11. Net Loss Per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for an explanation of the calculations of our net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted.

 As of
 September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 October 1,
2016
 October 3,
2015
 September 27,
2014
(In thousands)
Consolidated balance sheet data:         
Cash and cash equivalents$220,930
 $130,595
 $74,913
 $76,352
 $70,613
Working capital201,243
 78,203
 31,866
 27,057
 69,839
Total assets587,498
 400,020
 278,879
 278,970
 210,967
Total long-term debt33,097
 39,600
 24,501
 20,000
 
Total liabilities379,140
 309,652
 217,326
 210,192
 114,475
Redeemable convertible preferred stock
 90,341
 90,341
 88,637
 88,682
Accumulated deficit(203,611) (188,007) (173,790) (135,576) (66,799)
Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)208,358
 27
 (28,788) (19,859) 7,810
(3)Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin are financial measures that are not calculated in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP"). See the section titled "—Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for information regarding our use of these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of net loss to adjusted EBITDA.


(4)Reflects the impact of the adoption of new accounting standard in fiscal year 2018 related to revenue recognition.

(5)Products sold for the fiscal years 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016 have been recast to reflect the change in product revenue categorization.

 As of
 October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
September 30,
2017
October 1,
2016
(In thousands)
Consolidated balance sheet data:   
Cash and cash equivalents$407,100 $338,641 $220,930 $130,595 $74,913 
Working capital267,362 276,635 201,243 78,203 31,866 
Total assets816,051 761,605 587,498 400,020 278,879 
Total long-term debt18,251 24,840 33,097 39,600 24,501 
Total liabilities518,212 480,677 379,140 309,652 217,326 
Redeemable convertible preferred stock— — — 90,341 90,341 
Accumulated deficit(228,492)(208,377)(203,611)(188,007)(173,790)
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)297,839 280,928 208,358 27 (28,788)

Non-GAAP financial measuresFinancial Measures


To supplement our consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, we monitor and consider adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin, which are non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures are not based on any standardized methodology prescribed by U.S. GAAP and are not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies.


We define adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) adjusted to exclude the impact of depreciation, stock-based compensation expense, interest income, interest expense, net, other income (expense), netincome taxes and provision for (benefit from) income taxes.other items that we do not consider representative of underlying operating performance. We define adjusted EBITDA margin as adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue.
31

We use these non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate our operating performance and trends and make planning decisions. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures help identify underlying trends in our business that could otherwise be masked by the effect of the expenses and other items that we exclude in these non-GAAP financial measures. Accordingly, we believe that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors and others in understanding and


evaluating our operating results, enhancing the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects, and allowing for greater transparency with respect to a key financial metric used by our management in its financial and operational decision-making.
Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin are non-GAAP financial measures, and should not be considered in isolation of, or as an alternative to, measures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. There are a number of limitations related to the use of adjusted EBITDA rather than net income (loss), which is the nearest U.S. GAAP equivalent of adjusted EBITDA, and the use of adjusted EBITDA margin rather than operating margin, which is the nearest U.S. GAAP equivalent of adjusted EBITDA margin. Some of theseThese limitations are:
theseinclude that the non-GAAP financial measures measures:
exclude depreciation and amortization, and although these are non-cash expenses, the assets being depreciated may be replaced in the future;
these non-GAAP financial measures exclude stock-based compensation expense, which has been, and will continue to be, a significant recurring expense for our business and an important part of our compensation strategy;
these non-GAAP financial measures do not reflect interest income, primarily resulting from interest income earned on our cash and cash equivalent balances;
do not reflect interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments on our debt, which reduces cash available to us;
these non-GAAP financial measures do not reflect the effect of foreign currency exchange gains or losses, which is included in other income (expense), net;
these non-GAAP financial measures do not reflect the provision for or benefit from income tax that may result in payments that reduce cash available to us;
do not reflect non-recurring expenses and other items that are not considered representative of our underlying operating performance which reduce cash available to us; and
may not be comparable to similar non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies, because the expenses and other items that we exclude in our calculation of these non-GAAP financial measures may differ from the expenses and other items, if any, that other companies may exclude from these non-GAAP financial measures when they report their operating results.

Because of these limitations, these non-GAAP financial measures should be considered along with other operating and financial performance measures presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.


The following table presents a reconciliation of net income (loss)loss to adjusted EBITDA:
32

Fiscal Year EndedFiscal Year Ended
September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 October 1,
2016
 October 3,
2015
 September 27,
2014
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
September 30,
2017
October 1,
2016
(In thousands, except percentages)(In thousands, except percentages)(In thousands, except percentages)
Net income (loss)$(15,604) $(14,217) $(38,214) $(68,777) $21,861
Depreciation39,358
 35,014
 34,323
 27,858
 15,100
Net lossNet loss$(20,115)$(4,766)$(15,604)$(14,217)$(38,214)
Depreciation and amortizationDepreciation and amortization36,426 36,415 39,358 35,014 34,323 
Stock-based compensation expense38,645
 36,550
 25,963
 23,277
 14,778
Stock-based compensation expense57,610 46,575 38,645 36,550 25,963 
Interest expense, net4,511
 4,260
 2,489
 156
 75
Interest incomeInterest income(1,998)(4,349)(731)(120)(14)
Interest expenseInterest expense1,487 2,499 5,242 4,380 2,503 
Other (income) expense, net1,162
 (3,361) 2,208
 9,631
 3,556
Other (income) expense, net(6,639)8,625 1,162 (3,361)2,208 
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes1,056
 (2,291) 2,644
 3,242
 1,448
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes32 3,690 1,056 (2,291)2,644 
Restructuring and related expenses (1)
Restructuring and related expenses (1)
26,285 — — — — 
Legal and transaction related costs (2)
Legal and transaction related costs (2)
15,455 — — — — 
Adjusted EBITDA$69,128
 $55,955
 $29,413
 $(4,613) $56,818
Adjusted EBITDA$108,543 $88,689 $69,128 $55,955 $29,413 
Revenue$1,137,008
 $992,526
 $901,284
 $843,524
 $774,512
Revenue$1,326,328 $1,260,823 $1,137,008 $992,526 $901,284 
Adjusted EBITDA margin6.1% 5.6% 3.3% (0.5)% 7.3%Adjusted EBITDA margin8.2 %7.0 %6.1 %5.6 %3.3 %




(1) See Note 15. Restructuring Plan of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion related to our restructuring plan.


(2) Legal and transaction-related costs consist of expenses related to our intellectual property ("IP") litigation against Alphabet and Google as well as legal and transaction costs associated with our acquisition activity in the first quarter of fiscal 2020, which we consider non-recurring expenses and do not consider representative of our underlying operating performance.
33

Item 7. Management’s discussionDiscussion and analysisAnalysis of financial conditionFinancial Condition and resultsResults of operationsOperations


You should read the following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include those discussed below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, particularly in the section titled "Risk Factors."

We haveoperate on a 4-4-552-week or 53-week fiscal year ending on the Saturday nearest September 30 each year. Our fiscal year is divided into four quarters of 13 weeks, each beginning on a Sunday and containing two 4-week monthsperiods followed by a 5-week "month."period. An additional week is included in the fourth fiscal quarter approximately every five years to realign fiscal quarters with calendar quarters. References to fiscal 2020 are to our 53-week fiscal year ended October 3, 2020, references to fiscal 2019 are to our 52-week fiscal year ended September 28, 2019 and references to fiscal 2018 are to our 52-week fiscal year ended September 29, 2018, references to fiscal 2017 are to our fiscal year ended September 30, 2017 and references to fiscal 2016 are to our fiscal year ended October 1, 2016.2018.
Overview


Sonos was founded withis one of the world's leading sound experience brands. As the inventor of multi-room wireless audio products, Sonos' innovation helps the world listen better by giving people access to the content they love and allowing them to control it however they choose. Known for delivering an unparalleled sound experience, thoughtful design aesthetic, simplicity of use and an open platform, Sonos makes a clear mission—breadth of audio content available to fill every home with music. This mission led us to invent wireless multi-room home audio. Sonos transforms the way people live and interact by restoring the shared experience of music throughout the home. anyone.

Our sound system provides an immersive listening experience created by our thoughtfully designed speakers and components, our proprietary software platform and the ability to wirelessly stream the content our customers love from the services they prefer. We manage the complexity of delivering a seamless customer experience in a multi-user and open-platform environment. The Sonos sound system is easy to set up, use and expand to bring audio to any room in the home. Through our software platform, we frequently enhance features and services on our products, improving functionality and customer experience.


Our innovative products, seamless customer experience and expanding global footprint have driven 1315 consecutive years of sustained revenue growth since our first product launch. We generate revenue from the sale of our Sonos speaker products, including wireless speakers and home theater speakers, andfrom our Sonos system products, which is largely comprised of our component products, as new customers buy ourand from partner products and existing customers continue to add products to theirother revenue, including partnerships with IKEA and Sonance, Sonos sound systems.and third-party accessories, licensing, and advertising revenue.


We have developed a robust product and software roadmap that we believe will help us capture the expanding addressable market for our products. We believe executing on our roadmap will position us to acquire new customers, offer a continuously improving experience to our existing customers, and grow follow-on purchases.


Our most recent stepsCOVID-19 Impacts

In December 2019, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was reported in China and subsequently was declared a global pandemic in March 2020 by the World Health Organization. The impact of the pandemic has led to significant challenges to our global economy. Starting in March 2020, we implemented global travel restrictions and work-from-home policies for employees who have the ability to work remotely. As of the date of this direction occurredreport, these policies have not materially adversely affected our operations, financial reporting or internal controls.

Customer demand. We saw weakening retail demand and closures of physical retail stores in October 2017, with the introductionmajority of our first voice-enabled wireless speaker, Sonos One, and in July 2018, withend markets. Our retail partners made significant modifications to the introduction of our first voice-enabled home theater speaker, Sonos Beam.

As of September 29, 2018, our customers had registered nearly 21 million products in over 7.4 million households worldwide. Acquiring new households is an important driver of our revenue, both in terms of initial purchasesretail experience, such as well as creating the foundation for follow-on purchases. As our customers add Sonos to their homes and listen to more music, they typically increasestore closures, placing limits on the number of customers permitted in stores, and shifting from in-store shopping to curbside pickup. Our retail partners reduced orders to adjust inventory levels in response to lower consumer sales resulting from decreased store traffic. This impact was offset by strong performance in our products in their homes. direct-to-consumer sales channel, primarily through our website. Revenue from our direct-to-consumer channel increased 84.3% for the year ended October 03, 2020 compared to the year ended September 28, 2019.

34

Supply chain. In fiscal 2018, follow-on registrations represented approximately 37%2020, we implemented supply chain expansion initiatives to better meet our customer demand. Due to government mandated shutdowns resulting from COVID-19, our efforts to fully diversify our supply chain into Malaysia have been delayed until the middle of new product registrations. As2021. In addition, during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, we executesaw certain constraints on the ability of our product roadmapcomponent suppliers and logistics providers to address evolvingtimely meet commitments in an environment of increased demand for consumer preferences,electronics products during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, refer to Part I, Item 1A. Risk factors.

Liquidity and capital resources. In response to the uncertainty and challenges stemming from COVID-19, in the second and third quarters of fiscal 2020 we believe we can expand theimplemented a number of products ininitiatives to maintain our customers’ homes.




revenuejpeg.jpg
householdsjpeg.jpg

As of September 29, 2018, 62% of our 7.4 million households had registered more than one Sonos product,liquidity and our customers have typically purchased additional Sonos products over time.

Our annual gross margin declined to 43% in fiscal 2018, compared to a relatively consistent annual gross margin of approximately 45% over the previous two fiscal years. As we increase the pace of our product introductions, we expect our gross margin to decline in the near to intermediate term as new products gain a larger share of our overall product mix. In fiscal 2018, we saw this dynamic as we launched our Sonos One product in October 2017 and Sonos Beam in July 2018, both of which drove revenue and gross profit growth, but negatively impacted gross margins. We have historically seen that the gross margin for our newly released products is lowest at launch and has tended to increase over time as we realize cost efficiencies.

Accordingly, our future financial performance will be affected by our ability to drive additional savings as we scale production over time. In addition, we believerationalize our operating expenses, as a percentage of revenue will decline as we grow, enabling us to expand our adjusted EBITDA margin over time.including initiating the 2020 restructuring plan (as defined below), among other initiatives.


We sellbelieve our products primarily through over 10,000 third-party physical retail stores, including custom installersexisting cash and cash equivalent balances, cash flow from operations, and committed credit lines are sufficient to meet our long-term working capital and capital expenditure needs. As of home audio systems. We also sell through select e-commerce retailersOctober 3, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents of $407.1 million, long-term debt of $18.3 million, and an undrawn revolving credit facility of $80.0 million.

Restructuring plan. On June 23, 2020, we initiated the 2020 restructuring plan (the “2020 restructuring plan”) in connection with our website sonos.com. Our products are distributedefforts to reduce operating expenses and preserve liquidity in over 50 countries, with 51%the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and to more efficiently position our business for our long-term strategy. As a result of these efforts we eliminated approximately 12% of our revenueglobal headcount and closed our New York retail store and six satellite offices. To the extent that disruption to the business continues, we will evaluate additional cost management initiatives which will be dependent on the severity and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. See Note 15. Restructuring Plan of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in fiscal 2018 generated outsidethis Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion of the United States. We operate offices2020 restructuring plan.

While the situation caused by COVID-19 is unprecedented and development labs worldwide, with a significant presence in the United States, the Netherlandsdynamic, we have considered its impact when developing our estimates and China.assumptions. Actual results and outcomes may differ from our estimates and assumptions. For additional information of risks related to COVID-19, refer to Part I, Item 1A. Risk factors.




Key metricsMetrics


In addition to the measures presented in our consolidated financial statements, we use the following additional key metrics to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business and assist us in making strategic decisions. Our key metrics are total revenue, products sold, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin.
Net income (loss) is the The most directly comparable financial measure calculated under U.S. GAAP for adjusted EBITDA.EBITDA is net income (loss). In the fiscal years ended October 3, 2020, September 28, 2019 and September 29, 2018, September 30, 2017 and October 1, 2016, we had a net lossesloss of $15.6$20.1 million, $14.2$4.8 million and $38.2$15.6 million, respectively.
Fiscal Year Ended
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
(In thousands, except percentages)
Revenue$1,326,328 $1,260,823 $1,137,008 
Products sold5,806 6,204 5,165 
Adjusted EBITDA(1)
$108,543 $88,689 $69,128 
Adjusted EBITDA margin(1)
8.2 %7.0 %6.1 %

(1)For additional information regarding adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin (which are non-GAAP financial measures), including reconciliations of net income (loss), to adjusted EBITDA, see the sections titled "Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin" below and "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" above.

35

 Fiscal Year Ended
 September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 October 1,
2016
(In thousands, except percentages)     
Products sold5,078
 3,935
 3,514
Adjusted EBITDA$69,128
 $55,955
 $29,413
Adjusted EBITDA margin6.1% 5.6% 3.3%
Revenue

We generate substantially all of our revenue from the sale of Sonos speakers and Sonos system products. We also generate a portion of revenue from Partner products and other revenue sources, such as module revenue from our IKEA partnership, architectural speakers from our Sonance partnership, accessories such as speaker stands and wall mounts, professional services, licensing, and advertising revenue.
For a description of our revenue recognition policies, see the section titled "Critical accounting policies and estimates."
Products soldSold


Products sold represents the number of products that are sold during a period, net of returns. Products sold has been redefined to align with our new product revenue categories and includes the sale of wireless speakers, home theaterproducts in the Sonos speakers and components.Sonos system products categories, as well as module units sold through our partners, such as IKEA and Sonance. Except where noted otherwise, our historical products sold metric has been recast to reflect the change in product revenue categorization and now includes Sonos Boost and module units. Products sold excludes the sale of other products, such as Sonos and third-party accessories. Historically, the sale of these accessories, haswhich have not materially contributed to our revenue and we expect this trend to continue.historically. Growth rates between products sold and revenue are not perfectly correlated because our revenue is affected by other variables, such as the mix of products sold during the period, promotional discount activity and the introduction of new products that may have higher or lower than average selling prices.


Adjusted EBITDA and adjustedAdjusted EBITDA marginMargin


We define adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) adjusted to exclude the impact of stock-based compensation expense, depreciation, interest, expense, net, other income (expense), nettaxes, and provision for (benefit from) income taxes. other items that we do not consider representative of our underlying operating performance.

We define adjusted EBITDA margin as adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue.
See the section titled "Selected Consolidated Financial and Other Data—Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for information regarding our use of adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin, and a reconciliation of net income (loss)loss to adjusted EBITDA.


Factors affecting our performanceAffecting Our Performance


New product introductionsProduct Introductions. Since 2005, we have released a number of products in multiple home audio categories including Play:1, Play:3, Play:5 and Sonos One in the wireless speaker category, Playbase, Playbar, Sub and Sonos Beam in the home theater speaker category and Connect:Amp, Connect and Sonos Amp in the components category.categories. We intend to introduce new products that appeal to a broad set of consumers, as well as to bring our differentiated listening platform and experience to all the places and spaces where our customers listen to the breadth of audio content available, on demand today, including inside and outside of the home. We also intend to increase the cadence of new product launches. As we increase the pace of our product introductions, we expect our gross margin to decline in the near to intermediate term as new products gain a larger share of our overall product mix. Accordingly, our future financial performance will be affected by our ability to drive cost of revenue savings as we scale production over time.their homes.


Voice control. We believe voice control technology is disrupting the home audio market and changing what consumers expect from a home speaker. Therefore, our product roadmap is focused on delivering products with native voice control. For example, we released Sonos One in the first quarter of fiscal 2018, our entry into the voice-enabled speaker category. Our ability to develop, manufacture and sell voice-enabled speakers that deliver differentiated consumer experiences will be a critical driver of our future performance, particularly as we compete in a larger market with an expanding number of competitors. We currently compete with, and will continue to compete with, companies that have greater resources than we do, some of which have already brought voice-enabled speakers to market. We are also partnering with certain of these companies in the development of our own voice-enabled products. Our competitiveness in the voice-enabled speaker market will depend on successful investment


in research and development, market acceptance of our products and our ability to maintain and benefit from these technology partnerships.

Seasonality. Historically, we have experienced the highest levels of revenue in the first fiscal quarter of the year coinciding with the holiday shopping season.season and our promotional activities. For example, revenue in the first quarter of fiscal 20182020 accounted for 41%42.4% of our revenue for fiscal 2018.2020. Our promotional discounting activity is higher in the first fiscal quarter as well, which negatively impacts gross margin during this period. For example, gross margin in the first quarter of fiscal 20182020 was 42%40.5%, compared to gross margin of 43%43.1% for all of fiscal 2018.2020. However, our higher sales volume in the holiday shopping season has historically resulted in a higher operating margin in the first fiscal quarter due to positive operating leverage. Given this significant seasonality, accurate forecasting for the first fiscal quarter is critical to our inventory management, as well as to our full-year financial planning and performance.


Ability to sell additional productsSell Additional Products to existing customersExisting Customers. As our customers add Sonos to their homes and listen to more music,audio content, they typically increase the number of our products in their homes. In fiscal 2018,2020, follow-on purchases represented approximately 37%41.2% of new product registrations. As we execute on our product roadmap to address evolving consumer preferences, we believe we can expand the number of products in our customers’ homes. Our ability to sell additional products to existing customers is a key part of our business model, as follow-on purchases indicate high customer engagement and satisfaction, decrease the likelihood of competitive substitution and result in higher customer lifetime value. We will continue to innovate and invest in product development in order to enhance customer experience and drive sales of additional products to existing customers.


Expansion of partner ecosystemPartner Ecosystem. Expanding and maintaining strong relationships with our partners will remain important to our success. Our ability to develop, manufacture and sell voice-enabled speakers that deliver differentiated consumer experiences will be a critical driver of our future performance, particularly as we compete in a larger market with an expanding number of competitors. We currently compete with, and will continue to compete with, companies that have greater resources than we do, many of which have already brought voice-enabled speakers to market. To date, our agreements
36

with these partners have all been on a royalty-free basis. We believe our partner ecosystem improves our customer experience, attracting more customers to Sonos, which in turn attracts more partners to the platform further enhancing our customer experience. We believe partners choose to be part of the Sonos platform because it provides access to a large, engaged customer base on a global scale. We look to partner with a wide variety of streaming music services, voice assistants, connected home integrators, content creators and podcast providers. To date,We are also partnering with certain companies in the development of our agreements withown voice-enabled products. Our competitiveness in the voice-enabled speaker market will depend on successful investment in research and development, market acceptance of our products and our ability to maintain and benefit from these partners have all been on a royalty-free basis. technology partnerships.

As competition increases, we believe our ability to give users the freedom to choose across the broadest set of streaming services and voice control partners will be a key differentiating factor.


Channel strategyStrategy. We are focused on reaching and converting prospective customers through third-party retail stores, e-commerce retailers, custom installers of home audio systems, and our website sonos.com. We are investing in our e-commerce capabilities and in-app experience to drive direct sales. Although salesSales through sonos.com increased 84.3% and represented 11.5%21.4% of our revenue in fiscal 2018 and 10%2020 compared to 12.2% in fiscal 2017, we2019. We believe the growth of our own e-commerce channel will continue to be important to supporting our overall growth and profitability as consumers continue the shift from physical to online sales channels. Our physical retail distribution relies on third-party retailers, as our company-owned stores do not materially contribute to our revenue.retailers. While we seek to increase sales through our direct-to-consumer sales channel, we expect that our future sales will continue to be substantially dependent on our third-party retailers. We will continue to seek retail partners that can deliver differentiated in-store experiences to support customer demand for product demonstrations. We anticipate that the total number of our third-party retail stores will decrease in the near term as we increase our focus on a smaller set of retailers that can deliver a superior experience for prospective customers.


International expansion.Expansion. Our products are sold in over 50 countries and we have experienced growth in our international brand awareness and revenue in recent periods. In fiscal 2018, 51%2020, 47.4% of our revenue was generated outside the United States. Our international growth will depend on our ability to generate sales from the global population of consumers, to develop international distribution channels and diversify our partner ecosystem to appeal to a more global audience. We are committed to strengthening our brand in global markets and our future success will depend in significant part on our growth in international markets. In fiscal 2018, we launched in Japan, the world's second largest music market, presenting a significant opportunity to bring the Sonos experience to consumers who value design and fidelity of sound.


Investing in product development.Product and Software Development. Our investments in product and software development consist primarily of expenses in personnel who support our research and development efforts and capital expenditures for new tooling and production line equipment to manufacture and test our products. We believe that our financial performance will significantly depend on the effectiveness of our investments to design and introduce innovative new products and services and enhance existing products.products and software. If we fail to innovate and expand our product and software offerings or fail to maintain high standards of quality in our products, our brand, market position and revenue will be adversely affected. Further, if our product development efforts are not successful, we will not recover the investments made.




Investing in salesSales and marketingMarketing. We intend to invest resources in our marketing and brand development efforts. Our marketing investments are focused on increasing brand awareness through advertising, public relations and brand promotion activities. While we maintain a base level of investment throughout the year, significant increases in spending are highly correlated with the holiday shopping season, new product launches and software introductions. We also invest in capital expenditures on product displays to support our retail channel partners. Sales and marketing investments are typically incurred in advance of any revenue benefits from these activities.
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Components of resultsResults of operationsOperations


Revenue
In the first quarter of fiscal 2020, we began reporting our product revenue under the following new categories: Sonos speakers, Sonos system products and Partner products and other revenue. This change further aligned revenue reporting with the evolving nature of our products, how customers purchase across multiple categories, and how we evaluate our business. We generate substantially all of our revenue from the sale of wireless speakers, home theaterSonos speakers and components.Sonos system products. We also generate a small portion of our revenue from the sale of SonosPartner products and third-partyother revenue sources, such as module revenue from our IKEA partnership, architectural speakers from our Sonance partnership, and accessories such as speaker stands and wall mounts, as well as professional services, licensing and advertising revenue. We attribute revenue from our IKEA partnership to our Asia Pacific ("APAC") region, as our regional revenue is defined by the shipment location. Our revenue is recognized net of allowances for returns, discounts, sales incentives, and any taxes collected from customers. We also defer a portion of our revenue that is allocated to unspecified software upgrades and cloud-based services. Our revenue is subject to fluctuation based on the foreign currency in which our products are sold, principally for sales denominated in the euro and the British pound. The introduction of new products may result in an increase in revenue but may also impact revenue generated from existing products as consumers shift purchases to new products.
For a description of our revenue recognition policies, see the section titled "—Critical"Critical accounting policies and estimates."


Cost of revenueRevenue
Cost of revenue consists of product costs, including costs of our contract manufacturers for production, component product costs, shipping and handling costs, tariffs, duty costs, warranty replacement costs, packaging, fulfillment costs, manufacturing and tooling equipment depreciation, warehousing costs, hosting costs, and excess and obsolete inventory write-downs. In addition, we allocate certain costs related to management and facilities, personnel-related expenses, and other expenses associated with supply chain logistics. Personnel-related expenses consist of salaries, bonuses, benefits, and stock-based compensation expense.expenses.


Gross profitProfit and gross margin

Gross Margin
Our gross margin has fluctuated and may, in the future, fluctuate from period to period based on a number of factors, including the mix of products we sell, the channel mix through which we sell our products, fluctuations of the impacts of our product and material cost saving initiatives, the foreign currency in which our products are sold. As we increase the pace of our product introductions, we expect our gross margin to decline in the near to intermediate term as new products gain a larger share of our overall product mix. We have historically seen that the gross margin for our newly released products are lowest at launchsold, and have tended to increase over time as we realize cost efficiencies. In addition, our ability to reduce the cost of our products is critical to increasing our gross margin over the long term.tariffs and duty costs implemented by governmental authorities.


Operating expenses
Expenses
Operating expenses consist of research and development, sales and marketing, and general and administrative expenses.

Research and development. Research and development expenses consist primarily of personnel-related expenses, consulting and contractor expenses, tooling, test equipment, and prototype materials, and related overhead costs. To date, software development costs have been expensed as incurred because the period between achieving technological feasibility and the release of the software has been short and development costs qualifying for capitalization have been insignificant. We expect our research and development expenses to increase in absolute dollars as we continue to make significant investments in developing new products and enhancing existing products. We also anticipate that these expenses will decline as a percentage of our revenue over the long term, but that they may fluctuate with our investments in product development in a given quarter.


Sales and marketing. Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of advertising and marketing promotions ofactivity for our products and personnel-related expenses, as well as trade show and event costs, sponsorship costs, consulting and contractor expenses, travel costs, product display expenses and related depreciation, customer care costsexperience and technology support tool expenses, revenue related sales fees from our direct-to-consumer business, and overhead costs. We anticipate that these expenses will decrease overall as a percentage of our revenue as we work to increase our operating leverage in Sales & Marketing, but expenses may fluctuate as we introduce new products.


General and administrative. General and administrative expenses consist of personnel-related expenses for our finance, legal, human resources and administrative personnel, as well as the costs of professional services, any overhead, information technology, litigation, expenses, patent costspatents, related overhead, and other administrative expenses. We expect our general and administrative


expenses to increase in absolute dollars due to the growth of our business and related infrastructure as well as legal, accounting, insurance, investor relations and other costs associated with becoming a public company. However, we expect our general and administrative expenses to decrease as a percentage of our revenue as we scale our business.


Other Income (Expense), Net
Interest income. Interest income (expense), netconsists primarily of interest income earned on our cash and cash equivalents balances.


Interest expense, net. expense. Interest expense consists primarily of interest expense associated with our debt financing arrangements and amortization of debt issuance costs. Interest income consists primarily

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Other income (expense), net.Other income (expense), net consists primarily of our foreign currency exchange gains and losses relating to transactions and remeasurement of asset and liability balances denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. We expect our foreign currency gains and losses to continue to fluctuate in the future due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates.


Provision for (benefit from) income taxes

(Benefit From) Income Taxes
We are subject to income taxes in the United StatesU.S. and foreign jurisdictions in which we operate. Our provision for (benefit from) income taxes results principally from our foreign operations. Foreign jurisdictions have statutory tax rates different from those in the United States.U.S. Accordingly, our effective tax ratesrate will vary depending on the relative proportionjurisdictional mix of foreign to U.S. income, the utilization of foreign tax creditsearnings, and changes in tax laws. In addition, certain U.S. tax regulations subject the earnings of our non-U.S. subsidiaries to current taxation in the U.S. Our effective tax rate will be impacted by our ability to claim deductions and foreign tax credits to offset the taxation of foreign earnings in the U.S.


Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than notmore-likely-than-not that the deferred tax assets will not be realized. We have established a full valuation allowance to offset our U.S. and certain foreign net deferred tax assets due to the uncertainty of realizing future tax benefits from our net operating loss carryforwards and other deferred tax assets.

As of September 29, 2018, we had gross U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards of $74.7 million, which expire beginning in 2033, and gross state net operating loss carryforwards of $45.9 million, which expire beginning in 2020, as well as $21.9 million in foreign net operating loss carryforwards, of which $2.7 million have an indefinite life and $19.2 million It is possible that will expire in 2027. As of September 29, 2018, we had U.S. federal and state research and development tax credit carryforwards of $25.4 million and $19.1 million. The federal research credits will beginwithin the next 12 months there may be sufficient positive evidence to expire in the year 2025, and the state research credits will begin to expire in 2024. In 2015 we completedrelease a Section 382 study to determine whether an ownership change had occurred under Section 382portion or 383all of the Code, and we determined at that time that an ownership change may have occurred in 2012. As a result, our net operating losses generated through July 18, 2012 may be subject to limitation under Section 382U.S. valuation allowance. Release of the Code. The amount of pre-change loss carryforward which may be subjectU.S. valuation allowance would result in a benefit to this limitation is $46.8million. Our ability to use net operating loss carry forwards and other tax attributes to reduce future taxable income and liabilities may be subject to limitations based on the ownership change of 2012. We have substantially completed an updated Section 382 study through August 31, 2018, and the preliminary results of this study showed that no ownership change within the meaning of Section 382 of the Code had occurred from the previously identified ownership change on July 18, 2012 through August 31, 2018.

On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed the Tax Act into law, implementing a wide variety of changes to the U.S. tax system. Among other changes at the corporate level, the Tax Act includes (i) a reduction in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, (ii) further limitations on the deductibility of interest expense and certain executive compensation, (iii) the repeal of the corporate alternative minimum tax, (iv) the imposition of a territorial tax system with a one-time repatriation tax on deemed repatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries and (v) a subjecting of certain foreign earnings to U.S. taxation through a base erosion anti-abuse tax ("BEAT")and a new tax related to global intangible low taxed income ("GILTI"). Additionally, certain foreign derived intangible income ("FDII") may prospectively be subject to a reduced rate of income tax from the statutorily enacted rate of 21%. Some of these changes, including the BEAT, FDII and GILTI provisions, will not come into effect until our 2019 fiscal year, but because the decrease in the corporate income tax rate was effective January 1, 2018, we have reduced the future tax benefits of our existing U.S. deferred tax assets. However, since we maintain a full valuation allowance against these assets, for the fiscal year ended September 29, 2018 this did notperiod the release is recorded which could have a material impact on our results of operations or financial condition. We have not recorded a provision related to the one-time transition tax under Section 965operating results. The timing and amount of the Code as we have estimated thatpotential valuation allowance release are subject to significant management judgment and our foreign subsidiaries have a consolidated deficitprospective earnings in accumulated and current earnings and profits.the U.S.



Our accounting for the elements of the Tax Act is incomplete. We have made reasonable estimates of the effects to the consolidated statements of income and consolidated balance sheets and have preliminarily determined that a provision is not required. The ultimate impact of the Tax Act may differ from the above estimates due to potential future legislative action to address questions that have arisen because of the Tax Act, issuance of additional guidance by the IRS to provide clarity on certain provisions of the Tax Act and any changes in accounting standards for income taxes or related interpretations in response to the Tax Act. The SEC has issued rules that would allow for a measurement period of up to one year after the enactment date of the Tax Act to finalize the recording of the related tax impacts. We currently anticipate finalizing and recording any resulting adjustments by the end of our fiscal quarter ending December 29, 2018.

Results of operationsOperations


The following table sets forth our consolidated results of operations and data as a percentage of revenue for the periods indicated.indicated (percentages in the table may not foot due to rounding). The period-to-period comparison of financial results is not necessarily indicative of financial results to be achieved in future periods.
Fiscal Year Ended
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
(Dollars in thousands)$%$%
Revenue$1,326,328 100.0 %$1,260,823 100.0 %
Cost of revenue (1)
754,372 56.9 733,480 58.2 
Gross profit571,956 43.1 527,343 41.8 
Operating expenses
Research and development (1)
214,672 16.2 171,174 13.6 
Sales and marketing (1)
263,539 19.9 247,599 19.6 
General and administrative (1)
120,978 9.1 102,871 8.2 
Total operating expenses599,189 45.2 521,644 41.4 
Operating income (loss)(27,233)(2.1)5,699 0.5 
Other income (expense),net
Interest income1,998 0.2 4,349 0.3 
Interest expense(1,487)(0.1)(2,499)(0.2)
Other income (expense), net6,639 0.5 (8,625)(0.7)
Total other income (expense), net7,150 0.5 (6,775)(0.5)
Loss before provision for income taxes(20,083)(1.5)(1,076)(0.1)
Provision for income taxes32 — 3,690 0.3 
Net loss$(20,115)(1.5)%$(4,766)(0.4)%
 Fiscal Year Ended
 September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 October 1,
2016
(In thousands)
Revenue$1,137,008
 $992,526
 $901,284
Cost of revenue (1)
647,700
 536,461
 497,885
Gross profit489,308
 456,065
 403,399
Operating expenses
 
 
Research and development (1)
142,109
 124,394
 107,729
Sales and marketing (1)
270,869
 270,162
 258,012
General and administrative (1)
85,205
 77,118
 68,531
Total operating expenses498,183
 471,674
 434,272
Operating loss(8,875) (15,609) (30,873)
Other income (expense), net
 
 
Interest expense, net(4,511) (4,260) (2,489)
Other income (expense), net(1,162) 3,361
 (2,208)
Total other expense, net(5,673) (899) (4,697)
 
 
 
Loss before provision for (benefit from) income taxes(14,548) (16,508) (35,570)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes1,056
 (2,291) 2,644
Net loss$(15,604) $(14,217) $(38,214)
Adjusted EBITDA (2)
$69,128
 $55,955
 $29,413
(1)Amounts include stock-based compensation expense as follows:
 Fiscal Year Ended
 September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 October 1,
2016
(In thousands)
Cost of revenue$198
 $240
 $211
Research and development13,960
 13,605
 8,260
Sales and marketing15,885
 15,086
 11,742
General and administrative8,602
 7,619
 5,750
Total stock-based compensation expense$38,645
 $36,550
 $25,963

(2) Adjusted EBITDA is a financial measure that is not calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. See the section titled "Selected Consolidated Financial and Other Data—Non-GAAP Financial Measures."



The following table sets forth selected historical consolidated financial data for the periods indicated, expressed as a percentage of revenue (the table may not foot due to rounding):

 Fiscal Year Ended
 September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 October 1,
2016
Revenue100 % 100 % 100 %
Cost of revenue (1)
57.0
 54.1
 55.2
Gross profit43.0
 45.9
 44.8
Operating expenses     
Research and development (1)
12.5
 12.5
 12.0
Sales and marketing (1)
23.8
 27.2
 28.6
General and administrative (1)
7.5
 7.8
 7.6
Total operating expenses43.8
 47.5
 48.2
Operating loss(0.8) (1.6) (3.4)
Other income (expense), net     
Interest expense, net(0.4) (0.4) (0.3)
Other income (expense), net(0.1) 0.3
 (0.2)
Total other expense, net(0.5) (0.1) (0.5)
Loss before provision for (benefit from) income taxes(1.3) (1.7) (3.9)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes0.1
 (0.2) 0.3
Net loss(1.4)% (1.4)% (4.2)%
Adjusted EBITDA (2)
6.1 % 5.6 % 3.3 %

(1)Amounts include stock-based compensation expense as a percentagefollows:
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Fiscal Year Ended
Fiscal Year EndedOctober 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 October 1,
2016
(Dollars in thousands)(Dollars in thousands)$%$%
Cost of revenue% % %Cost of revenue$1,106 0.1 %$985 0.1 %
Research and development1.2
 1.4
 0.9
Research and development23,439 1.8 17,643 1.4 
Sales and marketing1.4
 1.5
 1.3
Sales and marketing14,359 1.1 12,965 1.0 
General and administrative0.8
 0.8
 0.6
General and administrative18,706 1.4 14,982 1.2 
Total stock-based compensation expense3.4% 3.7% 2.9%Total stock-based compensation expense$57,610 4.3 %$46,575 3.7 %


(2) Adjusted EBITDA margin is a financial measure that is not calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. See the section titled "Selected Consolidated Financial and Other Data—Non-GAAP Financial Measures."



Comparison of Fiscal Years 2020 and 2019
Revenue

Fiscal Year EndedChange from Prior Fiscal Year
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
$%
(Dollars in thousands)
Sonos speakers$1,034,813 $1,008,422 $26,391 2.6 %
Sonos system products218,788 187,172 31,616 16.9 
Partner products and other revenue72,727 65,229 7,498 11.5 
Total revenue$1,326,328 $1,260,823 $65,505 5.2 %
Volume data (products sold in thousands)Units%
Total products sold5,806 6,204 (398)(6.4)

Total revenue increased $65.5 million, or 5.2%, for fiscal years 2018, 20172020 compared to fiscal 2019. The 53rd week in fiscal 2020 added approximately $25.0 million in revenue. Excluding the 53rd week, revenue increased approximately 3.2% for fiscal 2020 compared to fiscal 2019. The increase was driven by strong overall demand, the success of new product launches and 2016partnerships, partially offset by reduced retail partner orders resulting from the effects of COVID-19 and constrained product availability as demand exceeded our expectations. We experienced significant global growth in our direct-to-consumer sales channel, primarily through sonos.com, which grew by 84.3% and represented 21.4% of our total revenue for the fiscal 2020.
Revenue

 Fiscal Year Ended Change from Prior Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Ended Change from Prior Fiscal Year
 September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 $ % October 1,
2016
 $ %
(Dollars in thousands)
Revenue by geographical region:
Americas$603,450
 $496,668
 $106,782
 21.5% $443,314
 $53,354
 12.0%
Europe, Middle East and Africa ("EMEA")478,518
 442,081
 36,437
 8.2
 415,689
 26,392
 6.3
Asia Pacific ("APAC")55,040
 53,777
 1,263
 2.3
 42,281
 11,496
 27.2
Total revenue$1,137,008
 $992,526
 $144,482
 14.6% $901,284
 $91,242
 10.1%
Other data:
Total products sold5,078
 3,935
 1,143
 29.0% 3,514
 421
 12.0%

Fiscal 2018 Compared to Fiscal 2017

RevenueSonos speakers revenue represented 78.0% of total revenue for fiscal 2020 and increased by $144.5 million, or 14.6%, from $992.5 million2.6% for fiscal 20172020 compared to $1,137.0 millionfiscal 2019 as we launched Arc, Five, and Sub (Gen 3); however, this category was more significantly impacted by reduced orders from our retail partners affected by COVID-19. Sonos system products revenue represented 16.5% of total revenue for fiscal 2018,2020 and increased 16.9% for fiscal 2020 compared to fiscal 2019, driven by the continued success of Amp and the launch of Port in late fiscal 2019. Partner products and other revenue increased 11.5% for fiscal 2020 compared to fiscal 2019 driven by our partnerships.

Volume of products sold decreased while revenue increased primarily due to the launchproduct mix as there was a shift to higher-priced products in fiscal 2020 compared to fiscal 2019. The decrease in volume of Sonos One and Sonos Beam.

Productsproducts sold increased by 1.1 million, or 29.0%, from 3.9 million for fiscal 20172020 compared to 5.1 million for fiscal 2018. The volume growth2019 was primarily driven by sales of our newest wireless speaker product, Sonos One, which launched in October 2017, as well as by sales of our newest home theater product, Sonos Beam, which launched in July 2018. Volume growth was partially offset by a decrease in wireless speakers from sales of Play:1, Play:3 and Play:5 as well as by a decrease in home theater from sales of our Playbar. Revenue growth from the sale of our wirelessselect Sonos speakers was primarily driven by salesproducts and the decline in IKEA module units orders. The decline in IKEA module units orders resulted from the retailer's store closures, smaller online presence, and lapping the anniversary of the launch of our new Sonos One product launched in October 2017, while growth from the sale of our home theater speakers was driven by sales of our new Sonos Beam product launched in July 2018.IKEA partnership.


Revenue from the Americas increased $106.8 million, or 21.5%, from $496.7 million for fiscal 2017 to $603.5 million for fiscal 2018. The increase in Americas revenue was driven by strong growth in wireless speakers and home theater speakers. Revenue from EMEA and from APAC increased $37.7 million, or 7.6%, from $495.9 million for fiscal 2017 to $533.6 million for fiscal 2018. The increase in EMEA and APAC revenue was driven by growth in wireless speakers and home theater speakers and partially offset by a decline in components. In constant U.S. dollars, total revenue increased by 10.9% for fiscal 20182020 compared to fiscal 2017, which excludes the impact of foreign currency fluctuations against the U.S. dollar. We calculate constant currency growth percentages by translating our prior-period financial results using the current period average currency exchange rates and comparing these amounts to our current period reported results.


Fiscal 2017 Compared to Fiscal 2016

Revenue2019 increased by $91.2 million, or 10.1%, from $901.3 million for fiscal 2016 to $992.5 million for fiscal 2017 due to an increase11.4% in the numberAmericas, decreased 2.9% in Europe, Middle East and Africa ("EMEA"), and increased 1.8% in APAC.
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Revenue from the Americas increased $53.4 million, or 12.0%, from $443.3 million for fiscal 2016 to $496.7 million for fiscal 2017. Revenue from EMEA and from APAC increased $37.9 million, or 8.3%, from $458.0 million for fiscal 2016 to $495.9 million for fiscal 2017. In constant U.S. dollars, consolidated revenue grew by 12% for the full fiscal year, which excludes the negative impact of foreign currency as the U.S. dollar strengthened against the euro and the British pound. We calculate constant currency growth percentages by translating our prior-period financial results using the current period average currency exchange rates and comparing these amounts to our current period reported results.



Cost of revenueRevenue and gross profitGross Profit


Fiscal Year EndedChange from Prior Fiscal Year
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
$%
(Dollars in thousands)
Cost of revenue$754,372 $733,480 $20,892 2.8 %
Gross profit$571,956 $527,343 $44,613 8.5 %
Gross margin43.1 %41.8 %
 Fiscal Year Ended Change from Prior Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Ended Change from Prior Fiscal Year
 September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 $ % October 1,
2016
 $ %
(Dollars in thousands)
Cost of revenue$647,700
 $536,461
 $111,239
 20.7% $497,885
 $38,576
 7.7%
Gross profit$489,308
 $456,065
 $33,243
 7.3% $403,399
 $52,666
 13.1%
Gross margin43.0% 45.9% 
 
 44.8% 
 

Fiscal 2018 Compared to Fiscal 2017


Cost of revenue increased $111.2$20.9 million, or 20.7%2.8%, from $536.5$733.5 million for fiscal 20172019 to $647.7$754.4 million for fiscal 2018.2020. The increase was primarily due to an additional $31.0 million of tariffs on products imported from China to the increase in number of products sold, which increased 29.0%.

Gross margin decreased to 43.0% for fiscal 2018 from 45.9% for fiscal 2017. The decrease was primarily due toU.S. Excluding the impact of lower margins in connection withtariffs, the launchcost of our new Sonos One product in October 2017 and our launch of Sonos Beam in July 2018, as well asrevenue would have declined $10.1 million compared to the prior year due to lower retail prices on our older wireless speakers. These gross margin decreases were partially offset byproduct and materials cost reductions of our Play:5, Connect and Play:1 products.reduction.


Fiscal 2017 Compared to Fiscal 2016

Cost of revenue increased $38.6 million, or 7.7%, from $497.9 million for fiscal 2016 to $536.5 million for fiscal 2017. The increase was primarily due to the increase in number of products sold, partially offset by a decrease of per unit production costs resulting from supply chain improvement initiatives.


Gross margin increased to 45.9%130 basis points for fiscal 2017 from 44.8% for2020 compared to fiscal 2016.2019. The increase was primarily due todriven by a shift in product mix into higher margin products and channels as well as product and material cost reductions associated with the reductionconsolidation of per unit production costs,our supplier base and successful cost negotiations. This increase was partially offset by the negative impactintroduction of foreign currency astariffs in September 2019. Excluding the U.S. dollar strengthened against the euro and the British pound.effects of tariffs, gross margin would have been 45.6% or 370 basis points greater than fiscal 2019.


Research and developmentDevelopment

Fiscal Year Ended Change from Prior Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Ended Change from Prior Fiscal YearFiscal Year EndedChange from Prior Fiscal Year
September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 $ % October 1,
2016
 $ %October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
$%
(Dollars in thousands)(Dollars in thousands)(Dollars in thousands)
Research and development$142,109
 $124,394
 $17,715
 14.2% $107,729
 $16,665
 15.5%Research and development$214,672 $171,174 $43,498 25.4 %
Percentage of revenue12.5% 12.5%     12.0%    Percentage of revenue16.2 %13.6 %

Fiscal 2018 Compared to Fiscal 2017


Research and development expenses increased $17.7$43.5 million, or 14.2%25.4%, from $124.4 million for fiscal 20172020 compared to $142.1fiscal 2019. Excluding the impact of $5.1 million for fiscal 2018. The increase was primarily duerelated to higher personnel-related expenses of $13.9 million as our headcount, particularly in software personnel, increased during the period, $2.4 million higher overhead costs and $1.5 million higher information technology costs.

Fiscal 2017 Compared to Fiscal 2016

Research2020 restructuring plan, research and development expenses increased $16.7by $38.4 million, or 15.5%22.4%, from $107.7 million for fiscal 20162020 compared to $124.4 million for fiscal 2017. The increase was primarily due to higher personnel-related expenses of $8.6 million as our headcount


increased during the period, an increase in new product development expenses of $4.1 million related to prototypes, pre-production tooling and consulting and an increase of $4.2 million in overhead costs.

Sales and marketing

 Fiscal Year Ended Change from Prior Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Ended Change from Prior Fiscal Year
 September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 $ % October 1,
2016
 $ %
(Dollars in thousands)
Sales and marketing$270,869
 $270,162
 $707
 0.3% $258,012
 $12,150
 4.7%
Percentage of revenue23.8% 27.2%     28.6%    

Fiscal 2018 Compared to Fiscal 2017

Sales and marketing expenses increased by $0.7 million, or 0.3%, from $270.2 million for fiscal 2017 to $270.9 million in fiscal 2018 as we demonstrated improved operating leverage. The increase was primarily due to increases in personnel-related costs, which were partially offset by decreases in marketing and advertising costs as we transitioned away from traditional paid media and we adopted more efficient direct-to-consumer and digital marketing tools.

Fiscal 2017 Compared to Fiscal 2016

Sales and marketing expenses increased $12.2 million, or 4.7%, from $258.0 million for fiscal 2016 to $270.2 million in fiscal 2017. The increase was primarily due to increases of $18.4 million in advertising and other marketing costs focused on brand awareness and the launch of our new Playbase product in April 2017 and an increase of $3.9 million in personnel-related costs. These increases were offset by a decrease of $6.1 million in overhead costs and a decrease of $4.1 million of product display depreciation.

General and administrative

 Fiscal Year Ended Change from Prior Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Ended Change from Prior Fiscal Year
 September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 $ % October 1,
2016
 $ %
(Dollars in thousands)
General and administrative$85,205
 $77,118
 $8,087
 10.5% $68,531
 $8,587
 12.5%
Percentage of revenue7.5% 7.8% 
 
 7.6% 
 

Fiscal 2018 Compared to Fiscal 2017

General and administrative expenses increased $8.1 million, or 10.5% from $77.1 million for fiscal 2017 to $85.2 million for fiscal 2018. The2019. This increase was primarily due to an increase of $33.4 million in personnel-related costs due to increased headcount and higher stock-based compensation, higher bonus achievement, and an increase of $4.5 million in product development costs related to our continued investment in new products and features as well as expenses related to an additional week in our fiscal year ending October 3, 2020.


    Sales and Marketing

Fiscal Year EndedChange from Prior Fiscal Year
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
$%
(Dollars in thousands)
Sales and marketing$263,539 $247,599 $15,940 6.4 %
Percentage of revenue19.9 %19.6 %

Sales and marketing expenses increased $15.9 million, or 6.4%, for fiscal 2020 compared to fiscal 2019. Excluding the impact of $19.8 million related to the 2020 restructuring plan, sales and marketing expenses decreased $3.8 million, or 1.6%,
41

for fiscal 2020 compared to fiscal 2019. This decrease was primarily due to $10.7 million in lower marketing and advertising expenses, offset by an increase of $3.1 million in revenue-related sales fees from higher sales in our direct-to-consumer business as well as an increase in personnel-related costs of $6.0$2.3 million predominantly driven by growthdue to higher stock-based compensation and an increase in average headcountbonus achievement, as we investedwell as expenses related to an additional week in personnelfiscal year ending October 3, 2020.


    General and programs to create the infrastructure necessary to support our operations as a public company. This increase was partially offset by a decrease in depreciation expense and other administrative costs.Administrative



Fiscal Year EndedChange from Prior Fiscal Year
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
$%
(Dollars in thousands)
General and administrative$120,978 $102,871 $18,107 17.6 %
Percentage of revenue9.1 %8.2 %
Fiscal 2017 Compared to Fiscal 2016


General and administrative expenses increased $8.6$18.1 million, or 12.5%17.6%, from $68.5 million for fiscal 20162020 compared to $77.1fiscal 2019. Excluding the impact of $1.4 million related to the 2020 restructuring plan and $15.5 million related to legal and transaction related costs, general and administrative expenses increased $1.2 million, or 1.2%, for fiscal 2017. The2020 compared to fiscal 2019. This increase was driven by an increase of $3.7 million in personnel-related expenses primarily due to increasesan increase in personnel-related costs of $7.2 million, predominantly driven by growth in headcount. In addition, external legal fees increased by $2.4 million, primarilybonus achievement, headcount, and stock-based compensation, as well as expenses related to an additional week in our patent infringement case against Denon. These increasesfiscal year ending October 3, 2020, which were partially offset by a reductiondecreases in other facilities-related expenses.general and administrative costs.





Interest expense, net and other income (expense)    Other Income (Expense), netNet


Fiscal Year Ended Change from Prior Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Ended Change from Prior Fiscal YearFiscal Year EndedChange from Prior Fiscal Year
September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 $ % October 1,
2016
 $ %October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
$%
(Dollars in thousands)(Dollars in thousands)(Dollars in thousands)
Interest expense, net$(4,511) $(4,260) $(251) 5.9 % $(2,489) $(1,771) 71.2%
Interest incomeInterest income$1,998 $4,349 $(2,351)(54.1)%
Interest expenseInterest expense$1,487 $2,499 $(1,012)(40.5)%
Other income (expense), net$(1,162) $3,361
 $(4,523) (134.6)% $(2,208) $5,569
 *
Other income (expense), net$6,639 $(8,625)$15,264 *
* not meaningful

Fiscal 2018 Compared to Fiscal 2017


Interest expense, net increasedincome decreased by $0.3$2.4 million, or 5.9%, from $4.3 million for fiscal 20172019 to $4.5$2.0 million for fiscal 2018. 2020, due to lower balances and yields in our cash and cash equivalents during fiscal 2020.

Interest expense decreased by $1.0 million, from $2.5 million in fiscal 2020 to $1.5 million in fiscal 2020, primarily driven by a lower balance on our outstanding debt.

Other income (expense), net decreased $4.5 million,changed from $3.4 million in income in fiscal 2017 to $1.2 million inan expense in fiscal 2018, due to foreign currency exchange losses.

Fiscal 2017 Compared to Fiscal 2016

Interest expense, net increased $1.8 million, from $2.5of $8.6 million for fiscal 20162019 to $4.3income of $6.6 million for fiscal 2017. The increase in interest expense was driven by a $15.0 million increase in the principal balance of our term loan. Other expense, net decreased $5.6 million, from expense of $2.2 million in fiscal 2016 to income of $3.4 million in fiscal 2017. The decrease in net expense was2020, due to foreign currency exchange gains.



Provision for (benefit from) income taxes(Benefit From) Income Taxes


Fiscal Year EndedChange from Prior Fiscal Year
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
$%
(Dollars in thousands)
Provision for income taxes$32 $3,690 $(3,658)(99.1)%
42

 Fiscal Year Ended Change from Prior Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Ended Change from Prior Fiscal Year
 September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 $ % October 1,
2016
 $ %
(Dollars in thousands)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes$1,056
 $(2,291) $3,347
 (146.1)% $2,644
 $(4,935) *

* not meaningful

Fiscal 2018 Compared to Fiscal 2017

Provision for income taxes increased $3.3 million, from a $2.3 million benefit for fiscal 2017 to a provision from income taxesTable of $1.1 million for fiscal 2018.contents

Provision for income taxes increased $3.3 million, from a $2.3 million benefit from income taxes for fiscal 2017 to a provision from income taxes of $1.1 million for fiscal 2018. In fiscal 2017, we amended our settlement agreement with the Dutch Tax Administration, which resulted in a net tax benefit of $4.9 million in fiscal 2017.

Fiscal 2017 Compared to Fiscal 2016

Provision for income taxes decreased $4.9$3.7 million, from $2.6$3.7 million for fiscal 2019 to less than $0.1 million for fiscal 2020. For fiscal 2020, we recorded a provision of $0.7 million for foreign entities and a benefit of $0.7 million in the U.S., resulting in a total tax provision of less than $0.1 million. For fiscal 2019, we recorded a provision for fiscal 2016 to $2.3income taxes of $1.2 million benefitfor certain profitable foreign entities, and $2.5 million for U.S. federal and state income tax for a total provision of $3.7 million. The decrease in provision for income taxes for fiscal 2017.2020 compared to fiscal 2019 was primarily due to changes in our jurisdictional mix of earnings and the impact of recently enacted U.S. tax regulations.





Comparison of Fiscal Years 2019 and 2018
For the comparison of fiscal years 2019 and 2018, refer to Part II, Item 7 "Management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations" on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended September 28, 2019, filed with the SEC on November 26, 2019 under the subheading "Comparison of fiscal years 2019 and 2018."

Liquidity and capital resourcesCapital Resources


Prior to our IPO, ourOur operations wereare financed primarily through cash flowflows from operating activities, borrowings under our credit facilities and net proceeds from the sale of our equity securities.

Upon the closing ofsecurities and borrowings under our IPO, we received net proceeds of $90.6 million, after deducting underwriting discountsTerm Loan and commissions of $5.3 million. Additionally, offering costs incurred by us totaled approximately $4.6 million.

Credit Facility. As of September 29, 2018,October 3, 2020, our principal sources of liquidity consisted of cash flowflows from operating activities, cash and cash equivalents of $220.9$407.1 million, including $22.3$66.9 million held by our foreign subsidiaries, proceeds from the exercise of stock options and borrowing capacity under our credit facility.the Credit Facility. In accordance with our policy, the undistributed earnings of our non-U.S. subsidiaries remain indefinitely reinvested outside of the United States as of September 29, 2018,October 3, 2020, as they are required to fund needs outside of the United States. In the event funds from foreign operations are needed to fund operations in the United States and if U.S. tax has not already been previously provided, we may be required to accrue and pay additional U.S. taxes in order to repatriate these funds.


In response to the impacts of COVID-19, in March 2020 we implemented a number of initiatives to maintain our liquidity and rationalize our operating expenses, including reducing the pace of investment in inventory, as well as suspending travel, new hiring, employee promotions and merit-based payroll increases. In the second half of fiscal 2020, we sustained these operating reduction initiatives, except for reinvesting in inventory to meet demand, and initiated the 2020 restructuring plan.

In connection with our efforts to reduce operating expenses and preserve liquidity, on June 23, 2020 we initiated the 2020 restructuring plan in connection with our efforts to reduce operating expenses and preserve liquidity in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to more efficiently position our business for our long-term strategy. As a result of these efforts we eliminated approximately 12% of our global headcount and closed our New York retail store and six satellite offices.

We believe our existing cash and cash equivalent balances, cash flowflows from operations and committed credit lines will be sufficient to meet our long-term working capital and capital expenditure needs for at least the next 12 months. Our future capital requirements may vary materially from those currently planned and will depend on many factors, including our rate of revenue growth, the timing and extent of spending on research and development efforts and other business initiatives, the expansion ofour planned sales and marketing activities, the timing of new product introductions, market acceptance of our products and overall economic conditions. To the extent that current and anticipated future sources of liquidity are insufficient to fund our future business activities and requirements, we may be required to seek additional equity or debt financing. The sale of additional equity would result in additionalincreased dilution to our stockholders. The incurrence of additional debt financing would result in increased debt service obligations and the instruments governing such debt could provide for operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations.

43

Credit facilities

Debt Obligations
Our credit facilitiesdebt obligations consist of the Credit Facility, the Term Loan, and debt acquired in our acquisition of Snips. Our short- and long-term debt obligations are as follows:
As of
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
RateBalanceRateBalance
(In thousands, except percentages)
Term Loan (1)
2.4 %$25,000 4.6 %$33,333 
Unamortized debt issuance costs (2)
(82)(160)
Total indebtedness24,918 33,173 
Less short term portion(6,667)(8,333)
Long-term debt$18,251 $24,840 
 As of
 September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 Rate Balance Rate Balance
(In thousands)       
J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A Secured Term Loan (the "New Term Loan") (1)
4.8% $40,000
 % $
J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A Secured Credit Facility (the "Credit Facility") (2)
% 
 % 
Gordon Brothers Finance Company Secured Term Loan (the "Prior Term Loan") (3)
% 
 10.7% 40,000
Unamortized debt issuance costs (4)
  (236)   (400)
Total indebtedness  $39,764
   $39,600
Less short term portion  (6,667)   
Long term debt  $33,097
   $39,600


(1)Bears interest at a variable rate equal to an adjusted LIBOR plus 2.25% and is payable quarterly. Due in October 2021, with quarterly principal payments beginning in July 2019.
(2)Allows us to borrow up to $80.0 million restricted to the value of the borrowing base which is based on the value of inventory and accounts receivable and is subject to monthly redeterminations. Also includes up to $10.0 million for the issuance of letters of credit and up to $8.0 million for swing line loans. The Credit Facility matures in October 2021 and may be drawn as Commercial Bank Floating Rate Loans (at the higher of prime rate or adjusted LIBOR plus 2.50%) or Eurocurrency Loans (at LIBOR plus an applicable margin). The unused portion is subject to an annual commitment fee of 0.2%.
(3)In July 2018, all outstanding principal, accrued interest and fees were paid in full and the Prior Term Loan was terminated. While outstanding, it bore interest at LIBOR plus 9.5%.
(4)Debt issuance costs are recorded as a debt discount and charged to interest expense over the term of the agreement.

(1)Due in October 2021, bears interest at a variable rate equal to an adjusted LIBOR plus 2.25%, payable quarterly.

(2)Debt issuance costs are recorded as a debt discount and recorded as interest expense over the term of the agreement.


The Credit Facility allows us to borrow up to $80.0 million restricted to the value of the borrowing base which is based on the value of our inventory and Newaccounts receivable and is subject to quarterly redetermination. The Credit Facility matures in October 2021 and may be drawn as Commercial Bank Floating Rate Loans (at the higher of the prime rate or adjusted LIBOR plus 2.50%) or Eurocurrency Loans (at LIBOR plus an applicable margin). As of October 3, 2020 and September 28, 2019, we did not have any outstanding borrowings and had $0.5 million and $4.5 million, respectively, in undrawn letters of credit that reduce the availability under the Credit Facility.

Debt obligations under the Credit Facility and the Term Loan require us tothat we maintain a consolidated fixed charge ratio of at least 1.0, restrict distribution of dividends unless certain conditions are met, such as having a fixed charge ratio of at least 1.15, and require financial statement reporting and delivery of borrowing base certificates. As of September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 and September 30, 2017,28, 2019, we were in compliance with all financial covenants.
Obligations under The Credit Facility and the credit facilitiesTerm Loan are collateralized by our eligible inventory and accounts receivable as well as our intellectual property including patents and trademarks. As of September 29, 2018 and September 30, 2017, we did not have any outstanding borrowings and $4.5 million and $4.4 million, respectively, in undrawn letters of credit that reduce the availability under the Credit Facility. As of September 29, 2018, we had $39.8 million outstanding under the New Term Loan.


Cash flowsFlows


Fiscal 2020 Changes in Cash Flows

The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods indicated:


Fiscal Year Ended
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
(In thousands)
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities$161,986 $120,636 
Investing activities(69,324)(23,222)
Financing activities(27,091)21,896 
Effect of exchange rate changes2,900 (1,610)
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash$68,471 $117,700 

44

  Fiscal Year Ended
  Sep 29,
2018
 Sep 30,
2017
 Oct 1,
2016
(In thousands)
Net cash provided by (used in):      
Operating activities $30,570
 $63,960
 $43,294
Investing activities (35,747) (33,553) (52,520)
Financing activities 94,374
 23,955
 7,969
Effect of exchange rate changes 1,138
 1,320
 (182)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents $90,335
 $55,682
 $(1,439)

Cash flowsFlows from operating activitiesOperating Activities

Fiscal 2018 compared to fiscal 2017


Net cash provided by operating activities of $30.6$162.0 million for fiscal 2018 was primarily due to2020 consisted of net loss of $20.1 million, non-cash adjustments of $80.8$109.2 million offset byand a decreasenet increase in net changecash related to changes in operating assets and liabilities of $34.6 million and a net loss of $15.6$72.9 million. Non-cash adjustments primarily consisted of stock-based compensation expense of $38.6$57.6 million, depreciation and amortization of $36.4 million, and depreciation of $39.4 million.$14.2 million primarily for impairment and abandonment charges related to our 2020 restructuring plan. The decrease in the net change in operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to an $80.1 million increase in inventory as we prepared for the holiday shopping season, which will occur in our first quarter of fiscal 2019, and a $28.6 million increase in accounts receivable driven by our fourth quarter fiscal 2018 revenue growth and other assets. The decrease in net change in operating assets and liabilities was offset by a $68.1 million increase in accounts payable and accrued expensescash related to amounts owed to one of our contract manufacturers and various other vendors, and a $5.6 million increase in deferred revenue.

Fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016

Net cash provided by operating activities of $64.0 million for fiscal 2017 was primarily due to net loss of $14.2 million, non-cash adjustments of $70.2 million and an increase in net change in operating assets and liabilities of $8.0 million. Non-cash adjustments primarily consisted of stock-based compensation expense of $36.6 million and depreciation of $35.0 million. The increase in net change in operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to a $60.0decrease in inventory of $38.0 million which was driven by constrained product availability as demand exceeded our expectations, a decrease in accounts receivable of $49.6 million due to the shift in our channel mix to higher direct-to-consumer sales, as well as seasonality, an increase in accounts payableother liabilities of $9.6 million, and accrued expenses related to amounts owed to one of our contract manufacturers and various other vendors, and a $9.4 millionan increase in deferred revenue.revenue of $4.8 million. The increase in net change in operating assets and liabilities was partially offset by a $60.3 million increase in inventory as we prepared for the holiday shopping season, which occurred in our first quarter of fiscal 2018. This inventory also includes the initial production of our new wireless speaker, Sonos One, as we prepared for product launch in October 2017. An increase of $2.7 million in accounts receivable also offsets the increase in net change in operating assets and liabilities.



Fiscal 2016compared to fiscal 2015

Net cash provided by operating activities of $43.3 million for fiscal 2016 was primarily due to net loss of $38.2 million, non-cash adjustments of $64.3 million and an increase in net change in operating assets and liabilities of $17.2 million. Non-cash adjustments primarily consisted of depreciation of $34.3 million and stock-based compensation expense of $26.0 million. The increase in net change in operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to an increase in deferred revenue of $8.6 million, an increase in other liabilities of $8.1 million primarily related to tenant improvement allowances received for our office and lab facilities, a $5.9 million decrease in inventory and a decrease of other assets of $2.9 million. The increase in net change in operating assets and liabilities was offset by increases in accounts receivable of $4.6 million, as well as a decrease in accounts payable and accrued expenses of $3.6$24.4 million primarily due to the decrease in inventory, as well as an increase in other assets of $5.7 million.


Cash flowsFlows from investing activitiesInvesting Activities

Fiscal 2018 compared to fiscal 2017


Cash used in investing activities for fiscal 20182020 of $35.7$69.3 million was primarily due to net cash paid for acquisition activity of $36.3 million, as well as payments for property, equipment and intangible assets of $33.0 million. Payments for property, equipment, whichand intangible assets were primarily comprised of marketing-related product displays, manufacturing-related tooling and test equipment used at our contract manufacturers to support the launch of new products, as well as investments in officeleasehold improvements, marketing-related product displays, and lab facilities, lab equipment and related information technology tools.acquired intellectual property.
Fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016Cash Flows from Financing Activities


Cash used in investing activities for fiscal 2017 of $33.6 million was due to payments for property and equipment, which primarily comprised of marketing-related product displays, manufacturing-related tooling and test equipment used at our contract manufacturers to support the launch of new products as well as investments in office and lab facilities, lab equipment and related information technology tools.

Fiscal 2016compared to fiscal 2015

Cash used in investing activities for fiscal 2016 of $52.5 million was due to payments for property and equipment which primarily comprised of marketing-related product displays and our concept store in New York City, and manufacturing-related tooling and test equipment used at our contract manufacturers to support the launch of new products. In addition, we invested in upgrading and expanding our office and lab facilities, lab equipment and related information technology tools.

Cash flows from financing activities

Cash provided by financing activities for fiscal 20182020 of $94.4$27.1 million was primarily consistedfor $50.0 million for payments for repurchases of a $90.6common stock, $11.0 million from the net proceeds from our IPO, net proceedsfor payments for repurchases of $30.0common stock related to shares withheld for taxes associated with vesting of RSUs, as well as repayments for borrowings of $8.3 million, from our revolving credit facility, net proceeds of $39.7 million from the New Term Loan and $9.3 million inpartially offset by proceeds from the exercise of stock options. These increases were offset by paymentoptions of outstanding borrowings$42.3 million.

Fiscal 2019 Changes in Cash Flows

For the comparison of fiscal 2019 to fiscal 2018, refer to Part II, Item 7 "Management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations" of our Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended September 28, 2019, filed with the SEC on November 26, 2019 under the Amended Term Loan of $40.0 million, paydown of our revolving credit facilities of $30.0 million, $4.0 million in payments for offering costs, $0.9 million to repurchase common stock to provide liquidity for existing stockholderssubheading "Liquidity and $0.4 million in debt extinguishment costs.capital resources."


Cash provided by financing activities for fiscal 2017 of $24.0 million primarily consisted of a $15.0 million increase in the principal amount of our existing term loan, $10.1 million in proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs, and proceeds from the exercise of common stock options of $8.9 million. These increases were offset by $10.0 million to repurchase common stock to provide liquidity for existing stockholders.

Cash provided by financing activities for fiscal 2016 of $8.0 million primarily related to the net proceeds from the issuance of a new term loan debt of $24.4 million and proceeds from the exercise of common stock options of $3.7 million. This increase was offset by a net paydown of our revolving credit facilities of $20.0 million.Contractual obligations



Commitments and contingencies


The following table summarizes our contractual commitmentspresents certain payments due by the Company as of September 29, 2018:October 3, 2020 and includes amounts already recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheet, except for manufacturing purchase obligations, and other purchase obligations.


Payments due by period
Total< 1 year1-3
years
3-5
years
More than 5 years
(In thousands)
Debt principal and interest (1)
$25,835 $7,454 $18,381 $— $— 
Operating leases (2)
69,233 14,515 29,928 23,015 1,775 
Inventory-related purchase obligations (3)
69,404 67,687 1,717 — — 
Other purchase obligations (4)
25,793 13,378 10,919 1,496 — 
Total$190,265 $103,034 $60,945 $24,511 $1,775 

(1)Interest payments were calculated using the applicable interest rate as of October 3, 2020.
(2)We have lease arrangements for certain offices and facilities as well as auto leases. The above contractual obligations table includes future payments under leases that had commenced as of October 3, 2020 and were therefore recorded on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets. See Note 6. Leases of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
45

    Payments due by fiscal year
  Total 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Beyond
(In thousands) 

            
Debt principal and interest (1) (2)
 $45,482
 $8,863
 $8,433
 $8,080
 $20,106
 $
 $
Operating leases (3)
 85,546
 16,830
 14,120
 12,391
 11,654
 11,870
 18,681
Inventory (4)
 70,900
 70,900
 
 
 
 
 
Other noncancelable agreements 8,696
 3,279
 3,574
 1,843
 
 
 
Total contractual commitments $210,624
 $99,872
 $26,127
 $22,314
 $31,760
 $11,870
 $18,681
(3)Includes estimated obligations under purchase orders related to inventory. Excludes agreements that can be cancelled without penalty.

(4)Our other purchase obligations consist of non-cancelable obligations related to advertising, software and telecommunication services, and other activities.

(1)Interest payments were calculated using the applicable interest rate as of September 29, 2018.
(2)In July 2018, we amended the 2015 Credit Facility with J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. In connection with the amendment, we borrowed $40.0 million under the New Term Loan, which we used to pay off all outstanding borrowings, accrued interest and fees under our then-outstanding term loan, as described below. The New Term Loan has a maturity date of October 2021 and bears interest at a variable rate equal to an adjusted LIBOR plus 2.25%. We will make our first principal payment under the New Term Loan in July 2019 and will make quarterly principal payments thereafter. We pay interest on the New Term Loan quarterly.
(3)We lease our facilities under long-term operating leases, which expire at various dates through 2025. The lease agreements frequently include provisions which require us to pay taxes, insurance or maintenance costs.
(4)We enter into various inventory-related purchase agreements with suppliers. Under these agreements, 100% of orders are cancelable by giving sufficient notice prior to the expected shipment date.

Off-balance sheet arrangementsOff-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have not entered into any off-balance sheet arrangements, except as described above, and do not have any holdings in variable interest entities.


Critical accounting policiesAccounting Policies and estimatesEstimates


Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses and related disclosures. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our estimates are based on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
Our critical accounting policies requiring estimates, assumptions and judgments that we believe have the most significant impact on our consolidated financial statements are described below.


Revenue recognitionRecognition

Adoption of ASC 606
Effective October 1, 2017, we elected to early adopt Accounting Standards Codification 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("ASC"), using the full retrospective transition method, which required us to adjust each prior reporting period presented as if ASC 606 had been effective for those periods. The revenue recognition accounting policies and estimates described below reflect the adoption of ASC 606. For further information on our adoption of ASC 606, see Note 2 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.


Revenue is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for those products or services. We generally enter into contracts that include


a combination of products and services. Revenue is allocated to distinct performance obligations and is recognized net of allowances for returns, discounts, sales incentives and any taxes collected from customers, which are subsequently remitted to governmental authorities. Shipping and handling costs associated with outbound freight after control over a product has transferred to a customer are accounted for as a fulfillment cost and are included in cost of revenue. We do not have material assets related to incremental costs to obtain or fulfill customer contracts.


Nature of productsProducts and servicesServices


Our product revenue primarily includes sales of wireless speakers, home theaterSonos speakers and components,Sonos system products, which include software that enables our products to operate over a customer’s wireless network, as well as connect to various third-party services, including music and voice. We also generate a small portion of revenue from partner products and other revenue sources, such as module revenue from our IKEA partnership, architectural speakers from our Sonance partnership, and accessories such as speaker stands and wall mounts, as well as professional services, licensing and advertising revenue. Module revenue is comprised of hardware and embedded software that is integrated into final products that are manufactured and sold by our partners. Our software primarily consists of firmware embedded in the products and the Sonos app, which is software that can be downloaded to consumer devices at no charge, with or without the purchase of one of our products. Products and related software are accounted for as a single performance obligation and all intended functionality is available to the customer upon purchase. The revenue allocated to the products and related software is the substantial portion of the total sale price. Revenue is recognized at the point in time when control is transferred, which is either upon shipment or upon delivery to the customer, depending on delivery terms.


Our service revenue includes revenue allocated to (i) unspecified software upgrades and (ii) cloudcloud-based services that enable products to access third-party music and voice assistant platforms, which are each distinct performance obligations and are provided to customers at no additional charge. Unspecified software upgrades are provided on a when-and-if-available basis and have historically included updates and enhancements such as bug fixes, feature enhancements and updates to the ability to connect to third-party music or voice assistant platforms. Service revenue is recognized ratably over the estimated service period.


Significant judgmentsJudgments

Our contracts with customers generally contain promises to transfer products and services as described above. Determining whether products and services are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately may require significant judgment.


Judgment is required to determine
46

Determining the standalone selling price ("SSP") for each distinct performance obligation.obligation requires judgment. We estimate SSP for items that are not sold separately, which include the products and related software, unspecified software upgrades and cloud services, using information that may include competitive pricing information, where available, as well as analysesanalysis of the cost of providing the products or services plus a reasonable margin. In developing SSP estimates, we also consider the nature of the products and services and the expected level of future services.


Determining the revenue recognition period for unspecified software upgrades and cloud services also requires judgment. We recognize revenue attributable to these performance obligations ratably over the best estimate of the period that the customer is expected to receive the services. In developing the estimated period of providing future services, we consider our past history, our plans to continue to provide services, including plans to continue to support updates and enhancements to prior versions of our products, expected technological developments, obsolescence, competition and other factors. The estimated service period may change in the future in response to competition, technology developments and our business strategy.


Estimating variable consideration such as sales incentives and product returns requires judgment. We offer sales incentives through various programs, consisting primarily of discounts, cooperative advertising and market development fund programs. We record transactions related to cooperative advertising and market development fund programs with customers as a reduction to revenue unless it receiveswe receive a distinct benefit in exchange for credits claimed by the customer and can reasonably estimate the fair value of the benefit received, in which case we record itthem as an expense.expenses. We recognize a liability, or a reduction to accounts receivable, and reduce revenue for sales incentives based on the estimated amount of sales incentives that will be claimed by customers. Estimates for sales incentives are developed using the most likely amount and are included in the transaction price to the extent that a significant reversal of revenue would not result once the uncertainty is resolved. In developing its estimate,our estimates, we also consider the susceptibility of the incentive to outside influences, the length of time until the uncertainty is resolved, our experience with similar contracts, and the range of possible outcomes. Reductions in revenue related to discounts are allocated to products and services on a relative basis based on their respective SSP. Judgment is required to determine the timing and amount of recognition of marketing funds, which we estimate based on past practice of providing similar funds.


We accept returns from direct customers and from certain resellers. To establish an estimate for returns, we use the expected value method by considering a portfolio of contracts with similar characteristics to calculate the historical returns rate. When determining the expected value of returns, we consider future business initiatives and relevant anticipated future events.



Inventories

Inventories


Inventories consist of finished goods and component parts, which are purchased from contract manufacturers and component suppliers. Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market and net realizable value on a first-in, first-out basis. We assess the valuation of inventory balances including an assessment to determine potential excess and/or obsolete inventory. We may be required to write down the value of inventory if estimates of future demand and market conditions indicate estimated excess and/or obsolete inventory.


Product warrantiesWarranties


Our products are covered by warranty to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of one year, except for products sold in the EU and select other countries where we provide a two-year warranty. At the time of sale, an estimate of future warranty costs is recorded as a component of the cost of revenue. Our estimate of costs to fulfill our warranty obligations is based on historical experience and expectations of future costs to repair or replace.


Income taxesTaxes


Our income tax expense, deferred tax assets and liabilities, and liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits reflect our best estimate of current and future taxes to be paid. Significant judgments and estimates are required in the determination of the consolidated income tax expense.
We prepare and file income tax returns based on our interpretation of each jurisdiction’s tax laws and regulations. In preparing our consolidated financial statements, we estimate our income tax liability in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate by estimating our actual current tax expense together with assessing temporary differences resulting from differing treatment of items for tax and financial reporting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are included in our consolidated balance sheets. Significant management judgment is required in assessing the
47

realizability of our deferred tax assets. In performing this assessment, we consider whether it is more likely than not"more-likely-than-not" that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. In making this determination, we consider the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and the effects of tax planning strategies. We recorded a valuation allowance against all of our U.S. deferred tax assets and certain of our foreign deferred tax assets as of September 29, 2018.October 3, 2020. We intend to continue maintaining a full valuation allowance on our U.S. and certain foreign deferred tax assets until there is sufficient evidence to support the reversal of all or some portion of these allowances.


We account for uncertain tax positions using a "more-likely-than-not" threshold for recognizing and resolving uncertain tax positions. We evaluate uncertain tax positions on a quarterly basis and consider various factors, that include, but are not limited to, changes in tax law, the measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in tax returns, the effective settlement of matters subject to audit, information obtained during in process audit activities and changes in facts or circumstances related to a tax position. We accrue for potential interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense.
Our policy with respect to the undistributed earnings of our non-U.S. subsidiaries is to maintain an indefinite reinvestment assertion as they are required to fund needs outside of the United States and cannot be repatriated in a manner that is substantially tax-free. This assertion is made on a jurisdiction by jurisdiction basis and takes into account the liquidity requirements in both the United States and of our foreign subsidiaries. If we decide to repatriate funds to the United States in the future to execute our growth initiatives or to fund any other liquidity needs, the resulting tax consequences could negatively impact our results of operations through a higher effective tax rate and dilution of our earnings.


Stock-based compensationStock-Based Compensation


We measure stock-based compensation cost at fair value on the date of grant. We estimate the fair value of stock option awards using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Compensation cost for stock optionsshare-based awards is recognized, on a straight-line basis, as expense over the period of vesting as the employee performs the related services, net of estimated forfeitures.

forfeitures, over the remaining requisite service period. The fair value of RSUs is based on the Company's closing stock price on the trading day immediately preceding the date of grant. We estimate the fair value of stock option awards using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to determine the fair value of stock options. Determining the fair value of stock-based awards at the grant date requires judgment. Our use of the Black-Scholes model requires the input of assumptions including the fair valueregarding a number of the underlying common stock, the expected common stock price volatility over the expected life of the options, the expected term of the stock option, risk-free interest rates and expected dividends.variables.

Prior to our IPO, the fair value of the common stock underlying our stock options was determined by the Board. The valuations of our common stock were determined in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the American Institute of Certified


Public Accountants Practice Aid, Valuation of Privately-Held-Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation. The Board, with input from management, exercised significant judgment and considered numerous objective and subjective factors to determine the fair value of our common stock at each grant date, including but not limited to the prices, rights, preferences and privileges of our preferred stock relative to the common stock, our operating and financial performance, current business conditions and projections, our stage of development, likelihood of achieving a liquidity event for the shares of common stock underlying these stock options, such as an IPO or sale of our company, given prevailing market conditions, any adjustment necessary to recognize a lack of marketability of the common stock underlying the granted options, the market performance of comparable publicly traded companies and U.S. and global capital market conditions.
Subsequent to our IPO, we use the market closing price for our common stock as reported on The Nasdaq Global Select Market on the date of grant.

We estimate the expected volatility of the common stock underlying our stock options at the grant date by taking the average historical volatility of a group of comparable publicly traded companies over a period equal to the expected life of the options.

We do not have sufficient historical exercise data to provide a reasonable basis upon which to estimate expected term. As a result, we use the simplified method, which is the average of the options’ vesting and contractual terms.

The risk-free interest rate is the estimated average interest rate based on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon notes with terms consistent with the expected term of the awards.

The expected dividend yield is zero as we do not presently plan to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
The assumptions used in calculating the fair value of stock-based awards represent our best estimates, but these estimates involve inherent uncertainties and the application of judgment. As a result, if factors change or we use different assumptions, stock-based compensation expense could be materially different in the future.

The following table summarizes the weighted-average assumptions used in estimating the grant date fair value of our stock options:

  Fiscal Year Ended
  September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 October 1,
2016
       
Expected term (years) 6.25
 6.25
 6.25
Risk-free interest rate 2.73% 1.95% 1.29%
Expected volatility 30.19% 32.40% 36.64%
Expected dividend yield % % %



In addition, we estimate at the time of grant the expected forfeiture rate and only recognize expense for those stock-based awards expected to vest. We estimate the forfeiture rate of our stock-based awards based on an analysis of our actual and historical forfeitures and other factors such as employee turnover. The impact from a forfeiture rate adjustment would be recognized in the period in which the forfeiture rate changes and, if the actual number of future forfeitures differs from our prior estimates, we may be required to record adjustments to stock-based compensation.

48



Item 7A. Quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market riskQualitative Disclosures About Market Risk


We are exposed to market risks in the ordinary course of our business. These risks primarily include interest rate and foreign currency risks as follows:


Interest rate riskRate Risk


As of September 29, 2018,October 3, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents of $220.9$407.1 million, which consisted primarily of cash on hand, money market funds and bank deposits. Such interest-earning instruments carry a degree of interest rate risk due to floating interest rates. However, historical fluctuations of interest income have not been significant.


As of September 29, 2018,October 3, 2020, we had indebtedness of $39.8$24.9 million. The borrowings bore interest at a rate of 4.8%2.4% as of September 29, 2018.October 3, 2020.


To date, we have not been exposed, nor do we anticipate being exposed, to material risks due to changes in interest rates. A hypothetical 10% change in interest rates during any of the periods presented would not have had a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.


Foreign currency riskCurrency Risk


To date, all of ourOur inventory purchases have beenare primarily denominated in U.S. dollars. Our international sales are primarily denominated in foreign currencies and any unfavorable movement in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the currencies in which we conduct sales in foreign countries could have an adverse impact on our revenue, principally for sales denominated in the euro and the British pound. A portion of our operating expenses are incurred outside the United States and are denominated in foreign currencies, which are also subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates.rate fluctuations. In addition,certain countries where we may invoice customers in the local currency our suppliers incur manyrevenues benefit from a weaker dollar and are adversely affected by a stronger dollar. The opposite impact occurs in countries where we record expenses in local currencies. In those cases, our costs including labor costs, in other currencies. To the extent thatand expenses benefit from a stronger dollar and are adversely affected by a weaker dollar.

We do not currently use foreign exchange contracts or derivatives to hedge any foreign currency exposures. The volatility of exchange rates move unfavorably fordepends on many factors that we cannot forecast with reliable accuracy. Our continued international expansion increases our suppliers, they may seekexposure to pass these additional costs on to us, whichexchange rate fluctuations and, as a result, such fluctuations could have a materialsignificant impact on our gross margin. In addition,future results of operations.

We recognized a strengthening of the U.S. dollar may increase the cost of our products to our customers outside of the United States. Our operating results and cash flows are, therefore, subject to fluctuations due to changes innet gain from foreign currency exchange rates. However, we believe that the exposure toof $6.6 million in fiscal 2020, a net loss from foreign currency fluctuation from operating expenses is relatively small at this time as the related costs do not constitute a significant portion of our total expenses.

We recognized$8.6 million in fiscal 2019 and a net loss from foreign currency of $1.2 million in fiscal 2018, a net gain from foreign currency of $3.2 million in fiscal 2017 and a net loss from foreign currency of $2.2 million in fiscal 2016.2018. Based on transactions denominated in currencies other than respective functional currencies as of September 29, 2018,October 3, 2020, a hypothetical adverse change of 10% would have resulted in an adverse impact on incomeloss before income taxes of approximately $10.8$11.1 million for the fiscal year ended September 29, 2018.2020.


At this time we do not, but we may in the future, enter into derivatives or other financial instruments in an attempt to hedge our foreign currency exchange risk. It is difficult to predict the impact hedging activities could have on our results of operations.

Recent accounting pronouncementsAccounting Pronouncements


See Note 22. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements.

49


Item 8. Financial statementsStatements and supplementary dataSupplementary Data




INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 




50

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm


To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Sonos, Inc.


OpinionOpinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting


We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Sonos, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 and September 30, 2017,28, 2019, and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, of redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ equity (deficit) and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended September 29, 2018,October 3, 2020, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of October 3, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 and September 30, 2017,28, 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of October 3, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.


Change in Accounting Principle


As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for revenues from contracts with customersleases in fiscal year 2018.2020.


Basis for OpinionOpinions


TheseThe Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, are the responsibilityfor maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the Company’s management.effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express an opinionopinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.


We conducted our audits of these consolidatedfinancial statements in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the auditaudits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.


Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.opinions.



Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed 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. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that
51

controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Revenue Recognition - Estimates of Standalone Selling Price and Service Period for Unspecified Software Upgrades and Cloud-Based Services

As described in Notes 2 and 5 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company’s contracts with customers generally contain promises to transfer products and services which are not sold separately. Service revenue includes revenue allocated to (i) unspecified software upgrades and (ii) cloud-based services, which are each distinct performance obligations, based on relative standalone selling price. Management’s estimation of standalone selling price requires judgment. Management has disclosed that there are factors considered including competitive pricing information, where available, analyses of the cost of providing the products or services plus a reasonable gross margin, the nature of the products and services and the expected level of future services. Determining the revenue recognition period for unspecified software upgrades and cloud-based services also requires judgment. Management recognizes revenue attributable to these performance obligations ratably over the estimated service period. In developing the estimated service period over which to recognize service revenue, management considers past history, plans to continue to provide services, including plans to continue to support updates and enhancements to prior versions of the Company’s products, expected technological developments, obsolescence, competition and other factors. Deferred revenue primarily relates to revenue allocated to unspecified software upgrades and cloud-based services and was $62.4 million as of October 3, 2020.

The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to revenue recognition – specifically estimation of standalone selling prices and service period attributable to unspecified software upgrades and cloud-based services – is a critical audit matter are the significant judgment by management in estimating the standalone selling price and the service period. This in turn led to significant auditor judgment, subjectivity, and audit effort in performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence relating to (i) estimates of standalone selling price made by management, including estimates of the cost of providing the services plus a reasonable gross margin, and (ii) management’s assumptions in estimating the service period, including management’s plans to continue to support updates and enhancements to prior versions of the Company’s products.

Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to the revenue recognition process, including over the estimation of the standalone selling prices and service period for unspecified software upgrades and cloud-based services. The procedures also included, among others, testing management’s process for estimating the standalone selling price and service period. Procedures performed for the estimates of standalone selling price included (i) evaluating the appropriateness of management’s cost plus gross margin method of estimating standalone selling price; (ii) comparing the estimate of standalone selling price to competitive pricing information for comparable services using publicly disclosed information; (iii) evaluating the reasonableness of estimates of the cost of providing the services; and (iv) evaluating the gross margin assumption. Evaluating the estimates of cost of providing the services involved (i) testing the allocation of engineering costs, which is driven by time spent on software upgrades and cloud-based services; and (ii) testing the completeness, accuracy, relevance, and classification of the engineering costs. Evaluating the reasonableness of the gross margin assumption involved comparing management’s gross margin to the gross margin earned for similar services by third party peer companies within the same industry. Procedures were also performed to test management’s process for estimating the service period for these services, including the data on which the estimate is based. This included evaluating the reasonableness of management’s plans to continue to support updates and enhancements to prior versions of the Company’s products through a look-back analysis performed using data obtained independently as well as considering currently active products receiving software updates.


/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Los Angeles, California
November 28, 201823, 2020


We have served as the Company's auditor since 2011,which includes periods before the Company became subject to SEC reporting requirements.




52

SONOS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETSConsolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except share and par values)

As ofAs of
September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
Assets   Assets
Current assets:   Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents$220,930
 $130,595
Cash and cash equivalents$407,100 $338,641 
Restricted cash190
 193
Restricted cash191 179 
Accounts receivable, net73,214
 47,363
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $18,822 and $21,306 as of October 3, 2020 and September 28, 2019Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $18,822 and $21,306 as of October 3, 2020 and September 28, 201954,935 102,743 
Inventories193,193
 113,856
Inventories180,830 219,784 
Prepaid and other current assets10,073
 9,462
Prepaid and other current assets17,321 17,762 
Total current assets497,600
 301,469
Total current assets660,377 679,109 
Property and equipment, net85,371
 95,130
Property and equipment, net60,784 78,139 
Operating lease right-of-use assetsOperating lease right-of-use assets42,342 
GoodwillGoodwill15,545 1,005 
Intangible assets, netIntangible assets, net26,394 13 
Deferred tax assets941
 1,107
Deferred tax assets1,800 1,154 
Other noncurrent assets3,586
 2,314
Other noncurrent assets8,809 2,185 
Total assets$587,498
 $400,020
Total assets$816,051 $761,605 
   
Liabilities, redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders’
equity
   
Liabilities and stockholders’ equityLiabilities and stockholders’ equity
Current liabilities:   Current liabilities:
Accounts payable$195,159
 $114,494
Accounts payable$250,328 $251,941 
Accrued expenses38,687
 57,348
Accrued expenses45,049 69,856 
Accrued compensation33,371
 32,007
Accrued compensation44,517 41,142 
Short-term debt6,667
 
Short-term debt6,667 8,333 
Deferred revenue11,615
 10,920
Deferred revenue, currentDeferred revenue, current15,304 13,654 
Other current liabilities10,858
 8,497
Other current liabilities31,150 17,548 
Total current liabilities296,357
 223,266
Total current liabilities393,015 402,474 
Operating lease liabilities, noncurrentOperating lease liabilities, noncurrent50,360 
Long-term debt33,097
 39,600
Long-term debt18,251 24,840 
Deferred revenue39,352
 34,647
Deferred revenue, noncurrentDeferred revenue, noncurrent47,085 42,795 
Deferred tax liabilitiesDeferred tax liabilities2,434 
Other noncurrent liabilities10,334
 12,139
Other noncurrent liabilities7,067 10,568 
Total liabilities379,140
 309,652
Total liabilities518,212 480,677 
Commitments and contingencies (Note 11)
 
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.001 par value; liquidation preference of
$90,976 as of September 30, 2017; 0 and 32,675,074 shares authorized; 0 and
32,482,590 shares issued and outstanding as of September 29, 2018 and
September 30, 2017, respectively

 90,341
Commitments and contingencies (Note 13)Commitments and contingencies (Note 13)
Stockholders’ equity:   Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 500,000,000 and 151,458,824 shares authorized
100,868,250 and 59,339,336 shares issued; 100,061,210 and 58,592,874 shares
outstanding, as of September 29, 2018 and September 30, 2017, respectively

101
 59
Treasury stock, 807,040 and 746,462 shares at cost as of September 29, 2018
and September 30, 2017, respectively
(11,072) (10,161)
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 500,000,000 and 500,000,000 shares authorized, 113,915,233 and 109,623,417 shares issued, 112,344,095 and 108,602,642 shares outstanding as of October 3, 2020 and September 28, 2019, respectivelyCommon stock, $0.001 par value; 500,000,000 and 500,000,000 shares authorized, 113,915,233 and 109,623,417 shares issued, 112,344,095 and 108,602,642 shares outstanding as of October 3, 2020 and September 28, 2019, respectively114 110 
Treasury stock, 1,571,138 and 1,020,775 shares at cost as of October 3, 2020 and September 28, 2019, respectivelyTreasury stock, 1,571,138 and 1,020,775 shares at cost as of October 3, 2020 and September 28, 2019, respectively(20,886)(13,498)
Additional paid-in capital424,617
 200,301
Additional paid-in capital548,993 502,757 
Accumulated deficit(203,611) (188,007)Accumulated deficit(228,492)(208,377)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(1,677) (2,165)Accumulated other comprehensive loss(1,890)(64)
Total stockholders’ equity208,358
 27
Total liabilities, redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ equity$587,498
 $400,020
Total stockholders' equityTotal stockholders' equity297,839 280,928 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equityTotal liabilities and stockholders’ equity$816,051 $761,605 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
53

SONOS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSSConsolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
(in thousands, except share and per share data)


Year EndedYear Ended
September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 October 1,
2016
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
     
Revenue$1,137,008
 $992,526
 $901,284
Revenue$1,326,328 $1,260,823 $1,137,008 
Cost of revenue647,700
 536,461
 497,885
Cost of revenue754,372 733,480 647,700 
Gross profit489,308

456,065
 403,399
Gross profit571,956 527,343 489,308 
Operating expenses     Operating expenses
Research and development142,109
 124,394
 107,729
Research and development214,672 171,174 142,109 
Sales and marketing270,869
 270,162
 258,012
Sales and marketing263,539 247,599 270,869 
General and administrative85,205

77,118
 68,531
General and administrative120,978 102,871 85,205 
Total operating expenses498,183
 471,674
 434,272
Total operating expenses599,189 521,644 498,183 
Operating loss(8,875) (15,609) (30,873)
Operating income (loss)Operating income (loss)(27,233)5,699 (8,875)
Other income (expense), net     Other income (expense), net
Interest expense, net(4,511)
(4,260) (2,489)
Interest incomeInterest income1,998 4,349 731 
Interest expenseInterest expense(1,487)(2,499)(5,242)
Other income (expense), net(1,162) 3,361
 (2,208)Other income (expense), net6,639 (8,625)(1,162)
Total other expense, net(5,673) (899) (4,697)
Loss before provision for (benefit from) income taxes(14,548) (16,508) (35,570)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes1,056
 (2,291) 2,644
Total other income (expense), netTotal other income (expense), net7,150 (6,775)(5,673)
Loss before provision for income taxesLoss before provision for income taxes(20,083)(1,076)(14,548)
Provision for income taxesProvision for income taxes32 3,690 1,056 
Net loss$(15,604)
$(14,217) $(38,214)Net loss$(20,115)$(4,766)$(15,604)
     
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders - basic and diluted$(0.24)
$(0.25) $(0.71)
Net loss attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted:Net loss attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted:$(20,115)$(4,766)$(15,604)
     
Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share attributable to common stockholders - basic and diluted65,706,215
 56,314,546
 53,873,051
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted:Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted:$(0.18)$(0.05)$(0.24)
Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted:Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted:109,807,154 103,783,006 65,706,215 
     
Total comprehensive loss     Total comprehensive loss
Net loss$(15,604) $(14,217) $(38,214)Net loss$(20,115)$(4,766)$(15,604)
Change in foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax488
 (2,486) (203)
Change in foreign currency translation adjustmentChange in foreign currency translation adjustment(1,826)1,613 488 
Comprehensive loss$(15,116) $(16,703) $(38,417)Comprehensive loss$(21,941)$(3,153)$(15,116)
 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
54

SONOS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF REDEEMABLE CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)Consolidated Statements of Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders’ Equity
(in thousands, except share amounts)

Redeemable
Convertible
Preferred Stock
Common StockAdditional
Paid-In
Capital
Treasury StockAccumulated DeficitAccumulated Other Comprehensive LossTotal Stockholders' Equity
Redeemable
Convertible
Preferred Stock
 Common Stock 
Additional
Paid-In
Capital
 Treasury Stock 
Accumulated
Deficit
 
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Loss
 Total
Stockholders’
Equity (Deficit)
SharesAmountSharesAmountSharesAmount
Shares Amount  Shares Amount Shares Amount 
Balance at October 3, 201532,395,828
 $88,637
  78,546,014
 $79
 $333,459
 (24,982,950) $(218,345) $(135,576) $524
 $(19,859)
Net exercise of Series C preferred stock warrants86,762
 1,704
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exercise of stock options
 
  1,278,150
 1
 3,669
 
 
 
 
 3,670
Retirement of treasury stock
 
  (24,982,950) (25) (218,320) 24,982,950
 218,345
 
 
 
Purchase of treasury stock
 
  
 
 
 (7,780) (145) 
 
 (145)
Stock-based compensation expense
 
  
 
 25,963
 
 
 
 
 25,963
Net loss
 
  
 
 
 
 
 (38,214) 
 (38,214)
Change in foreign currency translation adjustment
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 (203) (203)
Balance at October 1, 201632,482,590
 90,341
  54,841,214
 55
 144,771
 (7,780) (145) (173,790) 321
 (28,788)
Balance at September 30, 2017Balance at September 30, 201732,482,590 $90,341 59,339,336 $59 $200,301 (746,462)$(10,161)$(188,007)$(2,165)$27 
Common stock issued, net of issuance costs
 
  742,034
 1
 10,077
 
 
 
 
 10,078
Common stock issued, net of issuance costs— — 6,388,888 86,021 — — — — 86,027 
Exercise of stock options
 
  3,756,088
 3
 8,903
 
 
 
 
 8,906
Purchase of treasury stock
 
  
 
 
 (738,682) (10,016) 
 
 (10,016)
Stock-based compensation expense
 
  
 
 36,550
 
 
 
 
 36,550
Net loss
 
  
 
 
 
 
 (14,217) 
 (14,217)
Change in foreign currency translation adjustment
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 (2,486) (2,486)
Balance at September 30, 201732,482,590
 90,341
  59,339,336
 59
 200,301
 (746,462) (10,161) (188,007) (2,165) 27
Issuance of common stock upon initial public offering, net of offering costs
 
  6,388,888
 6
 86,021
 
 
 
 
 86,027
Conversion of redeemable convertible preferred stock to common stock upon initial public offering(32,482,590) (90,341)  32,482,590
 33
 90,308
 
 
 
 
 90,341
Exercise of stock options
 
  2,657,436
 3
 9,342
 
 
 
 
 9,345
Purchase of treasury stock
 
  
 
 
 (60,578) (911) 
 
 (911)
Conversion of redeemable convertible preferred stock upon initial public offeringConversion of redeemable convertible preferred stock upon initial public offering(32,482,590)(90,341)32,482,590 33 90,308 — — — — 90,341 
Issuance of common stock pursuant to equity incentive plansIssuance of common stock pursuant to equity incentive plans— — 2,657,436 9,342 — — — — 9,345 
Repurchase of common stockRepurchase of common stock— — — — — (60,578)(911)— — (911)
Stock-based compensation expense
 
  
 
 38,645
 
 
 
 
 38,645
Stock-based compensation expense— — — — 38,645 — — — — 38,645 
Net loss
 
  
 
 
 
 
 (15,604) 
 (15,604)Net loss— — — — — — — (15,604)— (15,604)
Change in foreign currency translation adjustment
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 488
 488
Change in foreign currency translation adjustment— — — — — — 488 488 
Balance at September 29, 2018
 $
  100,868,250
 $101
 $424,617
 (807,040) $(11,072) $(203,611) $(1,677) $208,358
Balance at September 29, 2018100,868,250 101 424,617 (807,040)(11,072)(203,611)(1,677)208,358 
Issuance of common stock pursuant to equity incentive plansIssuance of common stock pursuant to equity incentive plans— — 8,755,167 31,565 — — — — 31,574 
Repurchase of common stockRepurchase of common stock— — — — — (213,735)(2,426)— — (2,426)
Stock-based compensation expenseStock-based compensation expense— — — — 46,575 — — — — 46,575 
Net lossNet loss— — — — — — — (4,766)— (4,766)
Change in foreign currency translation adjustmentChange in foreign currency translation adjustment— — — — — — — 1,613 1,613 
Balance at September 28, 2019Balance at September 28, 2019109,623,417 110 502,757 (1,020,775)(13,498)(208,377)(64)280,928 
Issuance of common stock pursuant to equity incentive plansIssuance of common stock pursuant to equity incentive plans— — 8,392,371 42,278 — — — — 42,286 
Retirement of treasury stockRetirement of treasury stock— — (4,100,555)(4)(53,652)4,100,555 53,656 
Repurchase of common stockRepurchase of common stock— — — — — (3,787,783)(50,015)— — (50,015)
Repurchase of common stock related to shares withheld for tax in connection with vesting of restricted stock unit awards ("RSUs")Repurchase of common stock related to shares withheld for tax in connection with vesting of restricted stock unit awards ("RSUs")— — — — — (863,135)(11,029)— — (11,029)
Stock-based compensation expenseStock-based compensation expense— — — — 57,610 — — — — 57,610 
Net lossNet loss— — — — — — — (20,115)— (20,115)
Change in foreign currency translation adjustmentChange in foreign currency translation adjustment— — — — — — — (1,826)(1,826)
Balance at October 3, 2020Balance at October 3, 2020$113,915,233 $114 $548,993 (1,571,138)$(20,886)$(228,492)$(1,890)$297,839 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
55

SONOS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWSConsolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)

Year EndedYear Ended
September 29,
2018
 September 30,
2017
 October 1,
2016
October 3, 2020September 28, 2019September 29, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities     Cash flows from operating activities
Net loss$(15,604) $(14,217) $(38,214)Net loss$(20,115)$(4,766)$(15,604)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:     Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation39,358
 35,014
 34,323
Depreciation and amortizationDepreciation and amortization36,426 36,415 39,358 
Impairment and abandonment chargesImpairment and abandonment charges14,174 
Stock-based compensation expense38,645
 36,550
 25,963
Stock-based compensation expense57,610 46,575 38,645 
Other1,676
 713
 4,098
Other5,710 2,713 1,676 
Deferred income taxes152
 1,443
 (857)Deferred income taxes(567)(268)152 
Foreign currency transaction (gain) loss941
 (3,568) 782
Foreign currency transaction (gain) loss(4,143)4,035 941 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net(26,505) (2,727) (4,590)Accounts receivable, net49,593 (32,078)(26,505)
Inventories, net(80,107) (60,270) 5,878
InventoriesInventories38,010 (31,796)(80,107)
Other assets(2,140) 36
 2,908
Other assets(5,749)(7,605)(2,140)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses66,473
 54,895
 (5,715)Accounts payable and accrued expenses(24,440)85,878 66,473 
Accrued compensation1,625
 5,123
 2,094
Accrued compensation1,088 8,231 1,625 
Deferred revenue5,566
 9,411
 8,556
Deferred revenue4,754 6,165 5,566 
Other liabilities490
 1,557
 8,068
Other liabilities9,635 7,137 490 
Net cash provided by operating activities30,570

63,960

43,294
Net cash provided by operating activities161,986 120,636 30,570 
Cash flows from investing activities     Cash flows from investing activities
Purchases of property and equipment(35,747) (33,553) (52,520)
Purchases of property and equipment and intangible assetsPurchases of property and equipment and intangible assets(33,035)(23,222)(35,747)
Cash paid for acquisition, net of acquired cashCash paid for acquisition, net of acquired cash(36,289)
Net cash used in investing activities(35,747)
(33,553)
(52,520)Net cash used in investing activities(69,324)(23,222)(35,747)
Cash flows from financing activities     Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from initial public offering, net of underwriting discounts and commissions90,562
 
 
Proceeds from initial public offering, net of underwriting discounts and commissions90,562 
Payments of offering costs(3,950) 
 
Payments of offering costs(585)(3,950)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs
 10,078
 
Proceeds from exercise of stock options9,345
 8,906
 3,670
Proceeds from exercise of stock options42,286 31,574 9,345 
Payments for purchase of treasury stock(911) (10,016) (145)
Payments for repurchase of common stockPayments for repurchase of common stock(50,015)(2,426)(911)
Payments for repurchase of common stock related to shares withheld for tax in connection with vesting of RSUsPayments for repurchase of common stock related to shares withheld for tax in connection with vesting of RSUs(11,029)
Proceeds from borrowings, net of borrowing costs69,748
 14,987
 89,844
Proceeds from borrowings, net of borrowing costs69,748 
Repayments of borrowings(70,000) 
 (85,400)Repayments of borrowings(8,333)(6,667)(70,000)
Payments for debt extinguishment costs(420) 
 
Payments for debt extinguishment costs(420)
Net cash provided by financing activities94,374

23,955

7,969
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents1,138
 1,320
 (182)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents90,335

55,682

(1,439)
Cash and cash equivalents     
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activitiesNet cash provided by (used in) financing activities(27,091)21,896 94,374 
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cashEffect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash2,900 (1,610)1,135 
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cashNet increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash68,471 117,700 90,332 
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cashCash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash
Beginning of period130,595
 74,913
 76,352
Beginning of period338,820 221,120 130,788 
End of period$220,930

$130,595

$74,913
End of period$407,291 $338,820 $221,120 
Supplemental disclosure     Supplemental disclosure
Cash paid for interest$3,750
 $4,114
 $2,326
Cash paid for interest$1,647 $2,517 $3,750 
Cash paid for taxes, net of refunds$1,430
 $461
 $233
Cash paid for taxes, net of refunds$783 $3,570 $1,430 
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilitiesCash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities$17,194 
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities     Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities
Conversion of redeemable convertible preferred stock to common stock$90,341
 $
 $
Conversion of redeemable convertible preferred stock to common stock$$$90,341 
Purchases of property and equipment, accrued but not paid$4,075
 $9,665
 $3,939
Purchases of property and equipment, accrued but not paid$3,911 $11,687 $4,075 
Net exercise of Series C preferred stock warrants$
 $
 $1,704
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease liabilitiesRight-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease liabilities$77,416 $$
Deferred offering costs in accounts payable and accrued expenses$585
 $
 $
Deferred offering costs in accounts payable and accrued expenses$$$585 
 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
56

Table of contents
SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNotes to Consolidated Financial Statements



1. Business overviewOverview


Description of businessBusiness


Sonos, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively, "Sonos"“Sonos,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” or the "Company"“our”) designs, develops, manufactures and sells multi-room audio products .and services. The Sonos sound system provides customers with an immersive listening experience created by the design of its speakers and components, a proprietary software platform, and the ability to stream content from a variety of sources throughout the home over the customer’s wireless network.network or over Bluetooth.


The Company’s products are sold through third-party retail stores,physical retailers, including custom installers of home audio systems. The Company also sells throughsystems, select e-commerce retailers, and its website sonos.com. The Company’s products are distributed in over 50 countries through its wholly owned subsidiaries: Sonos Europe B.V., in the Netherlands, Beijing Sonos Technology Co., Ltd. in China, Sonos Japan GK in Japan, and Sonos Australia Pty Ltd., located in the Netherlands, China and Australia, respectively.Australia.

Initial public offering

On August 6, 2018, the Company completed its initial public offering ("IPO") of its common stock, in which it sold 6,388,888 shares of its common stock, including 833,333 shares of its common stock pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option, and selling stockholders sold 9,583,333 shares of the Company's common stock, including 1,250,000 shares pursuant to the underwriters' over-allotment option. The shares were sold at the IPO price of $15.00 per share for net proceeds of $90.6 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $5.3 million. Additionally, offering costs incurred by the Company totaled approximately $4.6 million. Upon the closing of the IPO, all outstanding shares of the Company's redeemable convertible preferred stock automatically converted into 32,482,590 shares of common stock on a one-for-one basis.
2. Summary of significant accounting policiesSignificant Accounting Policies
Basis of presentationPresentation and preparationPreparation
The consolidated financial statements, which include the accounts of Sonos, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("U.S. GAAP"). All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.

On November 14, 2019, the Company completed the acquisition of 100% of the equity interests in Snips SAS ("Snips"), a France-based provider of an artificial intelligence voice technology. The results of Snips' operations have been included in the Company’s consolidated results of operations since the date of acquisition. Refer to Note 12. Business Combination for further discussion of the acquisition.

On June 23, 2020, the Company initiated a restructuring plan (the "2020 restructuring plan"). The impact of the 2020 restructuring plan is included in the Company's consolidated results of operations since the third quarter of fiscal 2020. Refer to Note 15. Restructuring Plan for further discussion of restructuring activities.

The Company hasoperates on a 4-4-552-week or 53-week fiscal year ending on the Saturday nearest September 30 each year. The Company’s fiscal year is divided into four quarters of 13 weeks, each beginning on a Sunday and containing two 4-week monthsperiods followed by a 5-week "month."period. An additional week is included in the fourth fiscal quarter approximately every five years to realign fiscal quarters with calendar quarters. This occurred last in the fourth quarter of the Company’sThe fiscal year ended October 3, 2015. References to 2020 (“fiscal 2018 are to the Company’s2020”) was a 53-week fiscal year. The fiscal year ended September 28, 2019 (“fiscal 2019”) and fiscal year ended September 29, 2018 references to (“fiscal 2017 are to the Company’s2018”) were 52-week fiscal year ended September 30, 2017 and references to fiscal 2016 are to the Company’s fiscal year ended October 1, 2016.years.

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

Stock split
On July 19, 2018, the Company effected a two-for-one stock split of all outstanding shares of the Company’s capital stock, including its common stock and its redeemable convertible preferred stock. All share and per share information presented in the consolidated financial statements have been retroactively adjusted for all periods presented for the effects of the stock split.
Use of estimatesEstimates and judgmentsJudgments
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported and disclosed in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. For revenue recognition, examples of estimates and judgments include: determining the nature and timing of satisfaction of performance obligations, determining the standalone selling price ("SSP") of performance obligations and estimating variable consideration such as sales incentives and product returns. Additionally, estimates and judgments are made by management for allowances for doubtful accounts, the market value ofexcess and demand forobsolete inventory, useful lives associated with property and equipment, the recording of and release of valuation allowances with respect to deferred tax assets and uncertain tax positions, impairment of long-lived assets, impairment of goodwill impairment,and indefinite-lived intangible assets, warranty, contingencies and valuation and assumptions underlying stock-based compensation and other equity instruments. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates and judgments compared to historical experience and trends that form the basis for making estimates and judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities.
Comprehensive income (loss)
57

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
In March 2020, the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic. While the nature of the situation is dynamic, the Company has considered the impact when developing its estimates and assumptions noted above. Actual results and outcomes may differ from management's estimates and assumptions.

Comprehensive income (loss)Income (Loss)
Comprehensive loss consists of two components: net income (loss)loss and other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax.. Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax refers to net gains and losses that are recorded as an element of stockholders’ equity (deficit), but are excluded from net income (loss).loss. The Company’s other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax consists of net unrealized gains and losses on foreign currency translation adjustments from those subsidiaries not using the U.S. dollar as their functional currency.

Cash and cash equivalentsCash Equivalents
Cash equivalents consist of short-term, highly liquid financial instruments with insignificant interest rate risk that are readily convertible to cash and have maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase. As of September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 and September 30, 2017,28, 2019, cash equivalents consisted of money market funds, which are recorded at fair value.

Restricted cashCash

The Company held $0.2 million in restricted cash as of September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 and September 30, 2017,28, 2019, representing security deposits on real estate leases.

Accounts receivableReceivable
Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount less allowances for doubtful accounts and sales incentives, do not require collateral and do not bear interest.
The allowance for doubtful accounts is established through a provision for net bad debt expense which is recorded in general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The Company determines the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts by evaluating customer accounts receivable balances as well as the customer’s financial condition, credit history and current economic conditions. This estimate is periodically adjusted as a result of the aforementioned process, or when the Company becomes aware of a specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations.

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

Accounts receivable allowances
The following table summarizes changes in the allowance for doubtful accounts for fiscal 2018, 2017 and 2016:
  2018 2017 2016
(In thousands)      
Beginning balance $804
 $726
 $679
Increases 635
 449
 962
Write-offs (567) (371) (915)
Ending balance $872
 $804
 $726

The following table summarizes the changes in the allowance for sales incentives for fiscal 2018, 2017 and 2016:
  2018 2017 2016
(In thousands)      
Beginning balance $11,195
 $8,913
 $6,235
Charged to revenue 90,246
 65,879
 34,627
Utilization of sales incentive allowance (89,687) (63,597) (31,949)
Ending balance $11,754
 $11,195
 $8,913



Concentration of credit riskCredit Risk


Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivable. The Company maintains cash and cash equivalents in several high-quality financial institutions. Cash and cash equivalents held at these banks, including those held in foreign branches of global banks, may exceed the amount of insurance provided on such deposits. These deposits may be redeemed upon demand, and management believes that the financial institutions that hold the Company’s cash and cash equivalents are financially sound and, accordingly, minimal credit risk exists with respect to cash. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts.


As of September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 and September 30, 2017,28, 2019, the Company’s customers that accounted for 10% or more of total accounts receivable, net, were as follows:
 Accounts receivable, netAccounts Receivable, net
 2018 2017October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
Customer A 31% 26%Customer A39 %20 %
Customer B 13% 16%Customer B*14 %
Customer C 11% *
Customer ECustomer E*10 %
* Accounts receivable was less than 10%.


58

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
The Company’s customers that accounted for 10% or more of total revenue were as follows:
Revenue
Year Ended
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
Customer A12 %16 %17 %
Customer C*10 %10 %
  Revenue
  Year Ended
  2018 2017 2016
Customer A 17% 16% 17%
Customer C 10% 12% 11%
* Revenue was less than 10%.


Inventories


Inventories primarily consist of finished goods and to a lesser extent component parts, which are purchased from contract manufacturers and component suppliers. Inventories are stated at lower of cost andor net realizable value on a first-in, first-out basis. Inventory costs primarily consist of materials, inbound freight, import duties, tariffs, direct labor and manufacturing overhead, logistics, and other handling fees. The Company assesses the valuation of inventory balances including an assessment to determine potential excess and/or obsolete inventory. The Company may be required to write down the value of inventory if estimates of future demand and
SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

market conditions indicate estimated excess and/ or obsolete inventory. For the periods presented, the Company has not experienced significant write-downs.


Property and equipment, netEquipment, Net


Property and equipment are stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets as follows:

Computer hardware and software2-3 years
Furniture and fixtures3-5 years
Tooling and production line test equipment2-4 years
Leasehold improvements2-10 years
Product displays1-3 years


Costs incurred to improve leased office space are capitalized. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the term of the lease or the estimated useful life of the improvement. Expenditures for major renewals and improvements that extend the useful lives of property and equipment are capitalized. Maintenance, repair costs and gains or losses associated with disposals are charged to expense as incurred.


Product displays are deployed at retail locations. Because the product displays facilitate marketing of the Company’s products within the retail stores, depreciation for product displays is recorded in sales and marketing expenses in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.



Business combinations

The Company uses the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations and recognizes assets acquired and liabilities assumed measured at their fair values on the date acquired. Goodwill is measured as of the acquisition date as the excess of consideration transferred over the net acquisition date fair value of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. These estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. During the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, adjustments to the fair value of these tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed may be recorded, with the corresponding offset to goodwill. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or final determination of the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

59

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
Impairment of long-livedGoodwill and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets

Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized and shall be tested for impairment on an annual basis or between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the reporting unit or asset below its carrying value.


In connection with the Company's evaluation of goodwill impairment, the Company performs a qualitative assessment to determine if it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the qualitative assessment is not conclusive, the Company tests goodwill for impairment, including comparing the fair value of the reporting unit to its carrying value (including attributable goodwill). The Company determines fair value of its reporting unit using an income or market approach incorporating market participant considerations and management’s assumptions on revenue growth rates, operating margins, discount rates and expected capital expenditures. Fair value determinations may include both internal and third-party valuations. The Company performs its annual goodwill impairment assessment during the third quarter of each fiscal year and more frequently if circumstances otherwise dictate.

In connection with the Company’s evaluation of indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment, the Company performs a qualitative assessment to determine if it is more likely than not that the fair value of the asset is less than its carrying amount. If the qualitative assessment is not conclusive, the Company proceeds to test for impairment by comparing the fair value of the asset to the carrying value. Fair value is determined based on discounted cash flow analyses that include significant management assumptions such as revenue growth rates, weighted-average costs of capital and assumed royalty rates. If the carrying value exceeds fair value, an impairment charge will be recorded to reduce the asset to fair value.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company evaluates the recoverability of its long-lived assets, primarily comprised of property and equipment and operating lease right-of-use assets, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recoverable. The Company performs impairment testing at the level that represents the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. Recoverability is measured by comparing the carrying amounts to the expected future undiscounted cash flows attributable to the assets. If it is determined that an asset may not be recoverable, an impairment loss equal to the excess of the asset’s carrying value over its fair value is recorded. Fair value is determined based upon estimated discounted future cash flows. Impairment charges were incurred related to the 2020 restructuring plan as described within Note 15. Restructuring Plan. There were no0 impairment charges identified on the Company’s long-lived assets for each period presented.fiscal 2019 or fiscal 2018.


Product warrantiesWarranties


The Company’s products are covered by warranty to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of one year, except for products sold in the European UnionEU and select other countries where the Company provides a two-year warranty.two-year warranty on all its products. At the time of sale, an estimate of future warranty costs is recorded as a component of cost of revenue and a warranty liability is recorded for estimated costs to satisfy the warranty obligation. The Company’s estimate of costs to fulfill its warranty obligations is based on historical experience and expectations of future costs to repair or replace.
    
Legal contingenciesContingencies


If a potential loss from any claim or legal proceeding is considered probable, and the amount can be reasonably estimated, the Company accrues a liability for an estimated loss. Legal fees are expensed as incurred and included in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. See Note 1113. Commitments and Contingencies for additional information regarding legal contingencies.


Treasury stockStock


The Company accounts for treasury stock acquisitions using the cost method. The Company accounts for the retirement of treasury stock by deducting its par value from common stock and reflecting any excess of cost over par value as a deduction from additional paid-in capital on the consolidated balance sheets.
    
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SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

Fair Value Accounting
Fair value accounting


Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets are categorized based upon the level of judgment associated with the inputs used to measure their fair value.


Fair value is estimated by applying the following hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value into three levels and bases the categorization within the hierarchy upon the lowest level of input that is available and significant to the fair value measurement:
    
Level InputInput Definition
Level 1Quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets at the measurement date.
Level 2Inputs, other than quoted prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, in active markets or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated with market data at the measurement date.
Level 3Unobservable inputs that reflect management's best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date.


Foreign currencyCurrency


Certain of the Company’s wholly owned subsidiaries have non-U.S. dollar functional currencies. The Company translates assets and liabilities of non-U.S. dollar functional currency subsidiaries into U.S. dollars using exchange rates in effect at the end of each period and stockholders’ equity (deficit) at historical rates. Revenue and expenses for these subsidiaries are translated using rates that approximate those in effect during the period. Gains and losses from translation are recognized in foreign currency translation included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).loss.


The Company remeasures monetary assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency using exchange rates prevailing on the balance sheet date, and non-monetary assets and liabilities at historical rates. Foreign currency remeasurement and transaction gains and losses are included in other income (expense), net.


Foreign currency remeasurement and transaction gains (losses) are recorded in other income (expense), net and were $(1.2) million, $3.2 million and $(2.2) million for fiscal 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.as follows:


October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
(in thousands)
Foreign currency remeasurement and transaction gains (losses)$6,594 $(8,622)$(1,245)


Revenue recognitionRecognition


Revenue is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those products or services. The CompanyCompany's contracts generally enters into contracts that include a combination of products and services. Revenue is allocated to distinct performance obligations and is recognized net of allowances for returns, discounts, sales incentives and any taxes collected from customers, which are subsequently remitted to governmental authorities. Shipping and handling costs associated with outbound freight after control over a product has transferred to a customer are accounted for as a fulfillment cost and are included in cost of revenue. As of September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 and September 30, 2017,28, 2019, the Company did not have any material assets related to incremental costs to obtain or fulfill customer contracts.


In fiscal 2018, the Company adopted ASC 606 using the full retrospective transition method which resulted in an acceleration of revenue and related costs of revenue and most significantly, a reduction in deferred costs and revenue and deferred revenue at each balance sheet date.

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SONOS, INC.
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Nature of productsProducts and servicesServices


Product revenue primarily includes sales of wireless speakers, home theaterSonos speakers and audio components,Sonos system products, which include software that enables the Company’s products to operate over a customer’s wireless network, as well as connect to various third-party services, including music and voice. The Company also generates a small portion of revenue from Partner products and other revenue sources in connection with partnerships, accessories, professional services, licensing and advertising revenue. Revenue for module units is related to hardware and embedded software that is integrated into final products that are manufactured and sold by the Company's partners. Software primarily consists of firmware embedded in the products and the Sonos app, which is software that can be downloaded to consumer devices at no charge, with or without the purchase of one of the Company’s products. Products and related software are accounted for as a single performance obligation and all intended functionality is available to the customer upon purchase. The revenue allocated to the products and related software is the substantial portion of the total sale price. Product revenue is recognized at the point in time when control is transferred, which is either upon shipment or upon delivery to the customer, depending on delivery terms.


Service revenue includes revenue allocated to (i) unspecified software upgrades and (ii) cloud-based services that enable products to access third-party music and voice assistant platforms, based on relative standalone selling price, which are each distinct performance obligations and are provided to customers at no additional charge. Unspecified software upgrades are provided on a when-and-if-available basis
SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

and have historically included updates and enhancements such as bug fixes, feature enhancements and updates to the ability to connect to third-party music or voice assistant platforms. Service revenue is recognized ratably over the estimated service period.


Significant judgmentsJudgments


The Company’s contracts with customers generally contain promises to transfer products and services as described above. Determining whether products and services are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately requires significant judgment.


Judgment is required to determineDetermining the SSP for each distinct performance obligation.obligation requires judgment. The Company estimates SSP for items that are not sold separately, which include the products and related software, unspecified software upgrades and cloud-based services, using information that may include competitive pricing information, where available, as well as analyses of the cost of providing the products or services plus a reasonable margin. In developing SSP estimates, the Company also considers the nature of the products and services and the expected level of future services.


Determining the revenue recognition period for unspecified software upgrades and cloud-based services also requires judgment. The Company recognizes revenue attributable to these performance obligations ratably over the best estimate of the period that the customer is expected to receive the services. In developing the estimated period of providing future services, the Company considers past history, plans to continue to provide services, including plans to continue to support updates and enhancements to prior versions of the Company’s products, expected technological developments, obsolescence, competition and other factors. The estimated service period may change in the future in response to competition, technology developments and the Company’s business strategy.


The Company offers sales incentives through various programs consisting primarily of discounts, cooperative advertising and market development fund programs. The Company records cooperative advertising and market development fund programs with customers as a reduction to revenue unless it receives a distinct benefit in exchange for credits claimed by the customer and can reasonably estimate the fair value of the benefit received, in which case the Company records it as an expense. The Company recognizes a liability or a reduction to accounts receivable, and reduces revenue based on the estimated amount of sales incentives that will be claimed by customers. Estimates for sales incentives are developed using the most likely amount and are included in the transaction price to the extent that a significant reversal of revenue would not result once the uncertainty is resolved. In developing its estimate, the Company also considers the susceptibility of the incentive to outside influences, the length of time until the uncertainty is resolved and the Company’s experience with similar contracts. Reductions in revenue related to discounts are allocated to products and services on a relative basis based on their respective SSP. Judgment is required to determine the timing and amount of recognition of marketing funds which the Company estimates based on past practice of providing similar funds.


The Company accepts returns from direct customers and from certain resellers. To establish an estimate for returns, the Company uses the expected value method by considering a portfolio of contracts with similar characteristics to calculate the
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SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
historical returns rate. When determining the expected value of returns, the Company considers future business initiatives and relevant anticipated future events.


Supplier concentrationConcentration


The Company relies on third parties for the supply and manufacture of its products, as well as third-party logistics providers. In instances where these parties fail to perform their obligations, the Company may be unable to find alternative suppliers or satisfactorily deliver its products to customers on time, if at all. During fiscal 2020, 2019 and 2018, 2017approximately 65%, 83% and 2016, approximately 98%, 99% and 99%, respectively, of the Company’s finished goods purchased during each year were from one vendor.


Deferred revenueRevenue and payment termsPayment Terms


The Company invoices each order upon hardware shipment or delivery and recognizes revenue for each distinct performance obligation when transfer of control has occurred, which in the case of services, may extend over several reporting periods. Amounts invoiced in advance of revenue recognition are recorded as deferred revenue on the consolidated balance sheets. Deferred revenue primarily relates to revenue allocated to unspecified software upgrades and platform services. The Company classifies deferred revenue as noncurrent if amounts are expected to be recognized as revenue after more thanbeyond one year from the balance sheet date.


SONOS, INC.Payment Terms
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

The following table summarizes the changes in the deferred revenue balances:
  2018 2017 2016
(In thousands)      
Deferred revenue, beginning of period $45,567
 $36,160
 $27,373
Recognition of revenue included in beginning of period
   deferred revenue
 (10,627) (6,878) (4,553)
Revenue deferred, net of revenue recognized on contracts
   in the respective period
 16,027
 16,285
 13,340
Deferred revenue, end of period $50,967
 $45,567
 $36,160

The Company expected the following recognition of deferred revenue as of September 29, 2018:
  For the fiscal years ending  
(In thousands) 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 and Beyond Total
Revenue expected to be recognized $11,615
 $10,905
 $9,602
 $7,756
 $11,089
 $50,967

See Note 4 for further information with respect to revenue, including revenue by product category and geography.

Payment terms


Payment terms and conditions vary among the Company’s distribution channels although terms generally include a requirement of payment within 30 days of product shipment. Sales directly to customers from the Company’s website are paid in advanceat the time of product shipment. Prior to providing payment terms to customers, an evaluation of the customer’s credit risk is performed. Contractual allowances are an offset to accounts receivable, net.receivable.


Research and developmentDevelopment


Research and development expenses consist primarily of personnel-related expenses, consulting and outside professional service costs, tooling and prototype materials and overhead costs. Substantially all of the Company’s research and development expenses are related to developing new products and services and improving existing products and services. To date, software development costs have been expensed as incurred because the period between achieving technological feasibility and the release of the software has been short and development costs qualifying for capitalization have been insignificant.


In-process research and development ("IPRD") assets represent the fair value of incomplete research and development projects obtained as part of a business combination that have not yet reached technological feasibility and are initially not subject to amortization; rather, these assets are subject to impairment considerations of indefinite-lived intangible assets. Upon completion of development, IPRD assets are considered definite-lived intangible assets, transferred to developed technology and are amortized over their useful lives. If a project were to be abandoned, the IPRD would be considered fully impaired and expensed to Research and development.

Advertising costsCosts


Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and included in sales and marketing expenses. Advertising expenses were $50.2$43.9 million, $72.2$48.8 million and $50.6$50.2 million for fiscal 2018, 20172020, 2019 and 2016,2018, respectively.


Stock-based compensation

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SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
Restructuring and Related Costs

Costs associated with a restructuring plan generally consist of involuntary employee termination benefits, contract termination costs, and other exit-related costs including costs to close facilities. The Company records a liability for involuntary employee termination benefits when management has committed to a plan that establishes the terms of the arrangement and that plan has been communicated to employees. Costs to terminate a contract before the end of the term are recognized on the termination date, and costs that will continue to be incurred in a contract for the remaining term without economic benefit are recognized as of the cease-use date. Restructuring and related costs may also include the write-down of related assets, including operating lease right-of-use assets, when the sale or abandonment of the asset is a direct result of the plan. Other exit-related costs are recognized as incurred. Restructuring and related costs are recognized as an operating expense within the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss and are classified based on the Company's classification policy for each category of operating expense.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company measures stock-based compensation cost at fair value on the date of grant. Compensation cost for stock options is recognized, on a straight-line basis, as an expense over the period of vesting as the employee performs the related services, net of estimated forfeitures. The Company estimates the fair value of stock option awards using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value of restricted stock units ("RSUs")RSUs is the fair value of the Company’s common stockbased on the Company's closing stock price on the trading day immediately preceding the date of grant date. Compensation costs for RSUs and for stock options with graded vesting are recognized, on a straight-line basis, as an expense over the period of vesting as the employee performs the related services, net of estimated forfeitures. The Company estimates forfeitures based on expected future terminations and will revise rates, as necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from initial estimates.


401(k) PlanRetirement Plans


The Company has a defined contribution 401(k) plan (the "401(k) Plan") for the Company’s U.S-basedU.S.-based employees, as well as various defined contribution plans for its international employees. The 401(k) Plan is for all full-time employees who meet certain eligibility requirements. Eligible U.S. employees may contribute up to 100% of their annual compensation under the 401(k) plan, but are limited to the maximum annual dollar amount allowable under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). AlthoughThe Company matches contributions towards the 401(k) Plan providesand international defined contribution plans. The Company's matching contributions totaled $6.2 million and $4.1 million for discretionary employer matchingfiscal 2020 and 2019, respectively.
SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
Income Taxes

contribution, the Company has not made any such contributions on behalf of participating employees as of September 29, 2018.

Income taxes


The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the consolidated financial statements. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the consolidated financial statements and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.


The Company records a valuation allowance to the extent that its deferred tax assets are not more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, all available positive and negative evidence is considered, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies and results of recent operations. If the Company determines that it would be able to realize its deferred tax assets in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, the Company would make an adjustment to the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which would reduce the provision forresult in a benefit to income taxes.


The Company records uncertain tax positions in accordance with a two-step process whereby (i) the Company determines whether it is more likely than not that the tax positions will be sustained on the basis of the technical merits of the position and (ii) for those tax positions that meet the more likely than not recognition threshold, the Company recognizes the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement with the related tax authority.


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SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
The Company includes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within the provision for income taxes in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The Company has not incurred any interest or penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in any of the periods presented.


The Company’s provision for (benefit from) income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities and liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits involves the use of estimates, assumptions and judgments. Although the Company believes its estimates, assumptions and judgments to be reasonable, any changes in tax law or its interpretation of tax laws and the resolutions of potential tax audits could significantly impact the amounts provided for income taxes in the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Actual future operating results and the underlying amount and type of income could differ materially from the Company’s estimates, assumptions and judgments thereby impacting the Company’s financial position and results of operations.


Segment informationInformation


The Company operates as one1 operating segment as it only reports aggregate financial information on a consolidated basis, accompanied by disaggregated information about revenue by geographic region and product category to its Chief Executive Officer, who is the Company’s chief operating decision maker.


Leases

The substantial majority of the Company’s leases are for its office spaces and facilities, which are accounted for as operating leases. The Company determines whether an arrangement is a lease at inception if there is an identified asset, and if it has the right to control the identified asset for a period of time. Some of the Company’s leases include options to extend the leases for up to 5 years, and some include options to terminate the leases within 1 year. The Company's lease terms are only for periods in which it has enforceable rights and are impacted by options to extend or terminate the lease only when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise the option. For leases that contain rent escalation or rent concession provisions,with terms greater than 12 months, the Company recognizes rent on a straight-line basisrecords the related right-of-use asset and lease obligation at the present value of lease payments over the lease terms. Leases with an initial term of the lease. The Company does12 months or less are not assume renewals in its determination of the lease term unless the renewals are deemed to be reasonably assured at inception. Tenant improvement allowances received from landlords are recorded as a credit to deferred rent, reported as a liability on the consolidated balance sheets and amortizedsheet. Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term asterm. Lease agreements will typically exist with lease and non-lease components, which are accounted for separately. The Company's agreements may contain variable lease payments. The Company includes variable lease payments that depend on an index or a reductionrate and exclude those which depend on facts or circumstances occurring after the commencement date, other than the passage of time. As most of the Company’s leases do not contain an implicit interest rate, the Company uses judgment to rent expense in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.determine an incremental borrowing rate to use at lease commencement.
Recently adopted accounting pronouncementsAdopted Accounting Pronouncements
Revenue from contracts with customers

Leases
In May 2014,February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB"("FASB") issued aASU No. 2016-02, Leases, and it subsequently issued amendments to the initial guidance (collectively referred to as "Topic 842"), which modifies lease accounting in order to increase transparency and comparability among entities. Topic 842 requires lessees to recognize operating leases as right–of–use assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheets. The lease liabilities are initially measured at the present value of the future lease payments.
The Company adopted Topic 842 as of September 29, 2019, using the modified retrospective method under ASU 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements. As such, prior periods were not retrospectively adjusted. There was no cumulative effect to the accumulated deficit upon adoption. The Company elected the transition package of three practical expedients permitted within the standard, which eliminates the requirements to reassess prior conclusions about lease identification, lease classification and initial direct costs.
Adoption of the new standard relatedresulted in the recording of right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities of approximately $63.7 million and $73.7 million, respectively on September 29, 2019, with an increase to revenue recognition, Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") No. 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("ASC 606"). Under ASCtotal assets and liabilities of approximately $62.5 million. The difference between the right-of-use assets and lease liabilities was primarily
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SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

606, revenue is recognized when a customer obtains control of promised goods or services in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity expectsattributable to receive in exchange for those goods or services. In addition, the standard requires disclosure of the nature, amount, timingdeferred rent and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers.

ASC 606 is required to be adopted for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods therein, and may be earlier adopted, thoughrent incentives. There was no earlier than for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company elected to early adopt ASC 606 effective October 1, 2017, using the full retrospective transition method, which required the Company to adjust each prior reporting period presented.

The most significant impact of the adoption of this standard related to the Company’s accounting for arrangements with certain distributors and retail partners with implicit or explicit return rights that were recognized based on a sell-through method under ASC 605, Revenue Recognition. Under ASC 606, revenue with these parties is recognized upon transfer of control to the customer which occurs when the product is either shipped to or delivered to the customer depending on the contractual terms of the arrangement. This change resulted in an acceleration of revenue and related costs of revenue and most significantly, a reduction in deferred costs of revenue and deferred revenue at each balance sheet date. This acceleration of revenue can have a net increase or decrease in the adjusted revenue for the respective fiscal year depending on the year over year impact of the amounts accelerated across reporting periods. The impact of the adjusted balances on previously reported results presented below were also affected by changes in both product mix as well as by the timing of transactions within fiscal years.

Impact to previously reported results

The adoption of ASC 606 impacted the Company’s previously reported amounts on the consolidated balance sheets as of October 1, 2016 as follows:
 2016
(In thousands)
As previously
reported
 
Impact of
adoption
 As adjusted
Accounts receivable, net$48,569
 $(3,262) $45,307
Inventories, net53,553
 9
 53,562
Deferred costs of revenue27,478
 (27,478) 
Other current assets8,850
 587
 9,437
Deferred tax assets6,207
 (3,663) 2,544
Deferred revenue96,696
 (60,536) 36,160
Other current liabilities4,599
 1,936
 6,535
Stockholders’ equity (deficit)(53,581) 24,793
 (28,788)

The adoption of ASC 606 impacted the Company’s previously reported amounts on theCompany's consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the years ended October 3, 2015 and October 1, 2016 as follows:
 2016 2015
(In thousands)As previously
reported
 Impact of
adoption
 As adjusted As previously
reported
 Impact of
adoption
 As adjusted
Net revenue$904,049
 $(2,765) $901,284
 $860,652
 $(17,128) $843,524
Cost of revenue494,673
 3,212
 497,885
 468,229
 (6,842) 461,387
Provision for income taxes2,930
 (286) 2,644
 2,734
 508
 3,242
Net loss(32,523) (5,691) (38,214) (57,983) (10,794) (68,777)

The Company has not previously reported its financial statements for fiscal 2017 under ASC 605. The adoption of ASC 606 had no impact to cash flows provided by or used in operating, financing or investing activities on the Company’s consolidated statements of cash flows. The cumulative impact of adoption resulted in a reduction to the Company’s accumulated deficit by $43.4 million from the previously reported accumulated deficit of $110.2 million, as of September 28, 2014, the beginning of the Company’s fiscal 2015.See Note 6. Leases for further information on leases.
SONOS, INC.Internal-use Software
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)


Recent accounting pronouncements pending adoption

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) ("ASU 2016-02"), which amends a number of aspects of lease accounting, including requiring lessees to recognize operating leases with a term greater than one year on their balance sheet as a right-of-use asset and corresponding liability, measured at the present value of the lease payments. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those years, with early adoption permitted. In JanuaryAugust 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-01, Land Easement Practical Expedient2018-15, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer's Accounting for TransitionImplementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That is a Service Contract. The guidance aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to Topic 842(“ASU 2018-01”), which establishes an optional transition practical expedient when applyingdevelop or obtain internal-use software. In the guidance in ASU 2016-02. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-10, Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases (“ASU 2018-10”), and ASU No. 2018-11, Targeted Improvements (“ASU 2018-11”). ASU 2018-10 affects narrow aspectsfirst quarter of the guidance issued in ASU 2016-02. ASU 2018-11 provides an additional transition method. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2016-02, ASU 2018-01, ASU 2018-10 and ASU 2018-11 on its consolidated financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments ("ASU 2016-13"). ASU 2016-13 provides for a new impairment model that requires measurement and recognition of expected credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments, including but not limited to accounts receivable and available for sale debt securities. ASU 2016-13 is effective forfiscal 2020, the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those years, with early adoption permitted.prospectively adopted this standard. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2016-13 on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments ("ASU 2016-15"), which provides guidance intended to reduce diversity in practice in how certain transactions are classified in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-15 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those years, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2016-15 on its consolidated financial statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash ("ASU 2016-18"), which enhances and clarifies the guidance on the classification and presentation of restricted cash in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-18 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those years, with early adoption permitted. The Company held $0.2 million in restricted cash as of September 29, 2018 and September 30, 2017 and therefore does not expect the adoption of this guidance to havestandard has not had a material impact on itsthe Company’s consolidated financial statements.statements or disclosures.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory ("ASU 2016-16"). ASU 2016-16 removes the prohibition in ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes, against the immediate recognition of the current and deferred income tax effects of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. ASU 2016-16is intended to reduce the complexity of U.S. GAAP and diversity in practice related to the tax consequences of certain types of intra-entity asset transfers, particularly those involving intellectual property. ASU 2016-16 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of ASU 2016-16 on its consolidated financial statements.

Goodwill
In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles—Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill, ("ASU 2017-04"), which simplifies the subsequent measurement of goodwill by eliminating the second step of the goodwill impairment test. The second step measures a goodwill impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of a reporting unit’sunit's goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. Under ASU 2017-04,the new guidance, a company will record an impairment charge based on the excess of a reporting unit’sunit's carrying amount over its fair value. The Company early adopted the standard in the second quarter of fiscal 2020. The adoption of this standard has not had a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or disclosures.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Pending Adoption
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04 will be applied prospectivelyNo. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, and it subsequently issued amendments to the initial guidance (collectively referred to as "Topic 326"), which provide a new impairment model that requires measurement and recognition of expected credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments, including accounts receivable. The standard is effective for annual or interim goodwill impairment teststhe Company in the first quarter of fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early2021, with early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017.permitted. The Company is currently evaluatingwill adopt this standard in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 and does not expect the adoption to have a material impact of ASU 2017-04 on itsthe Company's consolidated financial statements. The Company expects the impact of ASU 2017-04 to be immaterial as goodwill was $1.0 million as of September 29, 2018.statements or disclosures.


In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework—Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement (“ASU 2018-13”). ASU 2018-13Measurement. The new standard eliminates disclosures such as the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy and adds new disclosure requirements for Level 3 measurements. ASU 2018-13The standard is effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal years beginning after2021, with early adoption permitted. The Company will adopt this standard in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 and does not expect the adoption to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements or disclosures.

In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-18, Collaborative Arrangements (Topic 808): Clarifying the Interaction between Topic 808 and Topic 606. This standard resolves the diversity in practice concerning whether certain transactions between collaborative arrangement participants should be accounted for as revenue under Accounting Standards Codification 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("Topic 606"). This standard specifies when a participant is a customer in a collaboration, adds guidance for unit of account to align with Topic 606 and provides presentation guidance for collaborative arrangements. This standard is effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2021, with early adoption permitted. The Company will adopt this standard in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 and does not expect the adoption to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements or disclosures.

In December 15, 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. This standard simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Accounting Standards Codification Topic 740 ("ASC 740") as well as by improving consistent application of the topic by clarifying and amending existing guidance. This standard is effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2022, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the timing of adoption and impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.
66

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)


interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted for any eliminated or modified disclosures. The Company does not expect adoption will have a material impact on the Company's disclosures.
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract (“ASU 2018-15”). The new guidance requires a customer in a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract to follow the existing internal-use software guidance to determine which implementation costs to capitalize as assets or expense as incurred. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted, including adoption in any interim period. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2018-15.

3. Fair value measurementsValue Measurements


The carrying values of the Company’s financial instruments, including accounts receivable and accounts payable, approximate their fair values due to the short period of time to maturity or repayment. The carrying values of the Company’s long-term debt approximate their fair values as of September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 and September 30, 201728, 2019 as the debt carries a variable rate or market rates that approximate those currently available to the Company.


The following table summarizes fair value measurements by level for the assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 and September 30, 2017:28, 2019:
October 3, 2020
(In thousands)Level 1Level 2Level 3Total
Assets:
Money market funds (cash equivalents)$281,380 $$$281,380 

September 28, 2019
(In thousands)Level 1Level 2Level 3Total
Assets:
Money market funds (cash equivalents)$267,806 $$$267,806 

 2018
(In thousands)Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Assets:       
Money market funds (cash equivalents)$140,588
 $
 $
 $140,588

 2017
(In thousands)Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Assets:       
Money market funds (cash equivalents)$40,072
 $
 $
 $40,072



4. Revenue and geographic informationGeographic Information


Disaggregation of revenue


Revenue by geographical region includes the applicable service revenue attributable to each region and is based on ship-to address, is as follows:


October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
(In thousands)
Americas$755,874 $678,224 $603,450 
Europe, Middle East and Africa ("EMEA")470,883 484,785 478,518 
Asia Pacific ("APAC")99,571 97,814 55,040 
Total revenue$1,326,328 $1,260,823 $1,137,008 

Revenue is attributed to individual countries based on ship-to address and includes the applicable service revenue attributable to each country. Revenue by significant countries is as follows:

October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
(In thousands)
United States$697,410 $630,012 $554,896 
Germany109,124 124,385 121,546 
United Kingdom112,446 112,708 114,790 
Other countries407,348 393,718 345,776 
Total revenue$1,326,328 $1,260,823 $1,137,008 


67

 2018 2017 2016
(In thousands)     
Americas$603,450
 $496,668
 $443,314
Europe, Middle East and Africa478,518
 442,081
 415,689
Asia Pacific55,040
 53,777
 42,281
Total revenue$1,137,008
 $992,526
 $901,284
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SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

Revenue from external customers is attributed to individual countries based on ship-to address. Revenue by significant countries is as follows:

 2018 2017 2016
(In thousands)     
United States$554,896
 $449,261
 $399,531
Germany121,546
 111,065
 93,824
United Kingdom114,790
 110,695
 120,732
Other countries345,776
 321,505
 287,197
Total revenue$1,137,008
 $992,526
 $901,284


Revenue by majorIn the first quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company began reporting product category is as follows:

 2018 2017 2016
(In thousands)     
Wireless speakers$546,649
 $480,977
 $462,967
Home theater speakers418,416
 348,899
 274,268
Components150,436
 151,965
 151,658
Other21,507
 10,685
 12,391
Total revenue$1,137,008
 $992,526
 $901,284

revenue in the following categories: Sonos speakers, Sonos system products and Partner products and other revenue. These categories further align revenue reporting with the evolving nature of the Company's products, customers' engagement across multiple categories and how the Company evaluates its business. Revenue by product categoriescategory includes the applicable service revenue attributable to each product category. Revenue by major product category is as follows:


October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
(In thousands)
Sonos speakers$1,034,813 $1,008,422 $965,066 
Sonos system products218,788 187,172 156,583 
Partner products and other revenue72,727 65,229 15,359 
Total revenue$1,326,328 $1,260,823 $1,137,008 

Disaggregation of property and equipment

Property and equipment, net by country as of September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 and September 30, 201728, 2019 were as follows:
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
(In thousands)
United States$35,372 $48,370 
China17,624 16,539 
Other countries7,788 13,230 
Property and equipment, net$60,784 $78,139 
 2018 2017
(In thousands)   
United States$48,441
 $59,738
China18,729
 22,672
Other countries18,201
 12,720
Property and equipment, net$85,371
 $95,130


5. Balance sheet componentsSheet Components


The following tables show the Company’s balance sheet component details as of September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 and September 30, 2017.28, 2019.


InventoriesAccounts Receivable Allowances


Inventories, net, consist ofThe following table summarizes changes in the following:allowance for doubtful accounts for fiscal 2020, 2019 and 2018:
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
(In thousands)
Beginning balance$1,255 $872 $804 
Increases1,127 1,034 635 
Write-offs(1,075)(651)(567)
Ending balance$1,307 $1,255 $872 

The following table summarizes the changes in the allowance for sales incentives for fiscal 2020, 2019 and 2018:
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
(In thousands)
Beginning balance$20,051 $11,754 $11,195 
Charged to revenue108,843 87,703 90,246 
Utilization of sales incentive allowance(111,379)(79,406)(89,687)
Ending balance$17,515 $20,051 $11,754 

68

 2018 2017
(In thousands)
Finished goods$176,181
 $104,014
Components17,012
 9,842
Inventories$193,193
 $113,856


SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

Inventories

Inventories, net, consist of the following:
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
(In thousands)
Finished goods$172,184 $207,723 
Components8,646 12,061 
Inventories$180,830 $219,784 

Property and equipment, netEquipment, Net


Property and equipment, net consist of the following:
 
 October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
 (In thousands)
Computer hardware and software$45,798 $47,775 
Furniture and fixtures8,239 9,594 
Tooling and production line test equipment67,495 54,536 
Leasehold improvements51,102 58,944 
Product displays48,925 45,672 
Total property and equipment221,559 216,521 
Accumulated depreciation and amortization(160,775)(138,382)
Property and equipment, net$60,784 $78,139 



69

 2018 2017
 (In thousands)
Computer hardware and software$46,385
 $42,928
Furniture and fixtures9,696
 9,840
Tooling and production line test equipment47,297
 42,368
Leasehold improvements53,962
 53,479
Product displays40,265
 55,855
Total property and equipment197,605
 204,470
Accumulated depreciation and amortization(112,234) (109,340)
Property and equipment, net$85,371
 $95,130
SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
Depreciation expense was $39.4$34.9 million, $35.0$36.4 million and $34.3$39.4 million for fiscal 2018, 20172020, 2019 and 2016,2018, respectively. During fiscal 2018, 20172020, 2019 and 2016,2018, the Company abandoned and disposed of gross fixed assets of $35.8$18.5 million, $11.5$10.2 million and $6.2$35.8 million, with accumulated depreciation of $35.6$14.2 million, $11.2$9.3 million and $3.4$35.6 million, respectively. Disposals of fixed assets were recorded in operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss and resulted in losses of $0.2$4.3 million, $0.2$0.8 million and $3.1$0.2 million for fiscal 2020, 2019 and 2018, 2017respectively. For further detail regarding the property and 2016, respectively.
Accrued expenses
Accrued expenses consistedequipment that was abandoned as part of the following:2020 restructuring plan, refer to Note 15. Restructuring Plan.

Goodwill

The following table presents details of the Company's goodwill for the year ended October 3, 2020:


Goodwill
(In thousands)
Balance as of September 28, 2019$1,005 
Goodwill acquired14,282 
Purchase price adjustment258 
Balance as of October 3, 2020$15,545 

Intangible Assets

The following table reflects the changes in the net carrying amount of the components of intangible assets associated with the Company's acquisition activity:
October 3, 2020
Gross Carrying AmountAccumulated AmortizationNet Carrying ValueWeighted-Average Remaining Life
(In thousands, except weighted-average remaining life)
Technology$7,780 (1,509)$6,271 3.55
Other39 (16)231.17
Total finite-lived intangible assets7,819 (1,525)6,294 3.54
In-process research and development and other intangible assets not subject to amortization20,100 — 20,100 
Total intangible assets$27,919 $(1,525)$26,394 

The following table summarizes the estimated future amortization expense of the Company's intangible assets as October 3, 2020:
Fiscal years endingFuture Amortization Expense
(In thousands)
2021$1,938 
20221,922 
20231,245 
20241,020 
2025 and thereafter169 
Total future amortization expense$6,294 


70

 2018 2017
 (In thousands)
Accrued advertising and marketing$11,613
 $10,880
Accrued taxes4,175
 4,800
Accrued inventory4,179
 22,563
Accrued manufacturing, logistics and product development8,290
 4,921
Other accrued payables10,430
 14,184
Total accrued expenses$38,687
 $57,348

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

Accrued Expenses

Accrued expenses consisted of the following:
 October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
 (In thousands)
Accrued advertising and marketing$10,609 $25,662 
Accrued taxes6,252 4,388 
Accrued inventory2,843 6,494 
Accrued manufacturing, logistics and product development9,753 14,783 
Accrued general and administrative10,068 12,455 
Accrued restructuring1,062 
Other accrued payables4,462 6,074 
Total accrued expenses$45,049 $69,856 
Deferred revenue

The following table presents the changes in the Company's deferred revenue balances:
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
(In thousands)
Deferred revenue, beginning of period$56,449 $50,967 $45,567 
Recognition of revenue included in beginning of period
   deferred revenue
(13,052)(11,934)(10,627)
Revenue deferred, net of revenue recognized on contracts
in the respective period
18,992 17,416 16,027 
Deferred revenue, end of period$62,389 $56,449 $50,967 

The Company expects the following recognition of deferred revenue as of October 3, 2020:
For the fiscal years ending
(In thousands)20212022202320242025 and BeyondTotal
Revenue expected to be recognized$15,304 $13,264 $11,337 $9,286 $13,198 $62,389 

Other Current Liabilities

Other current liabilities consist of the following:
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
(In thousands)
Reserve for returns$14,195 $12,110 
Short-term operating lease liabilities10,910 
Product warranty liability3,628 3,254 
Other2,417 2,184 
Total other current liabilities$31,150 $17,548 

71

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
The following table presents the changes in the Company’s warranty liability for the fiscal years ended October 3, 2020 and September 28, 2019:

October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
(In thousands)
Warranty liability, beginning of period$3,254 $2,450 
Provision for warranties issued during the period12,711 12,795 
Settlements of warranty claims during the period(12,337)(11,991)
Warranty liability, end of period$3,628 $3,254 



6. Leases

The Company entered into various non-cancelable lease agreements for offices and facilities, as well as auto leases. The substantial majority of the Company's leases are for its office spaces and facilities, which are accounted for as operating leases. The Company's main offices are leased in California, Massachusetts, and the Netherlands with additional sales and operations offices around the world. These facilities operate under leases with initial terms from one to ten years and expire at various dates through 2026. The Company determines whether an arrangement is a lease at inception if there is an identified asset, and it has the right to control the identified asset for a period of time. Some of the Company's leases include options to extend the lease for up to 5 years, and some include options to terminate the lease within 1 year. The Company's lease terms are only for periods in which it has enforceable rights and are impacted by options to extend or terminate the lease only when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise the option.

For leases with terms greater than 12 months, the Company records the related right-of-use asset and lease obligation at the present value of lease payments over the lease terms. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet. Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company's leases do not include any residual value guarantees, bargain purchase options or asset retirement obligations.

Lease agreements will typically exist with lease and non-lease components, which are accounted for separately. The Company's agreements may contain variable lease payments. The Company includes variable lease payments that depend on an index or a rate and exclude those which depend on facts or circumstances occurring after the commencement date, other than the passage of time.

Most of the Company's leases do not contain an implicit interest rate. Therefore, the Company uses judgment to estimate an incremental borrowing rate, which is defined as the rate of interest the Company would have to pay to borrow an amount that is equal to the lease obligations, on a collateralized basis, and over a similar term. The Company takes into consideration the terms of the Company's Credit Facility (as defined in Note 7. Debt), lease terms, and current interest rates to determine the incremental borrowing rate at lease commencement date. At October 3, 2020, the Company's weighted-average discount rate was 4.1%, while the weighted-average remaining lease term was 4.6 years. As part of the supplemental cash flow disclosure, the right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities does not reflect the impact of prepaid or deferred rent.

The components of lease expense for the fiscal year ended October 3, 2020 was as follows:
Year Ended
October 3,
2020
(In thousands)
Operating lease cost$13,179 
Short-term lease cost222 
Variable lease cost5,023 
Total lease cost$18,424 
72

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

For the fiscal years ended October 3, 2020 and September 28, 2019, rent expense, including leases for offices and facilities as well as auto leases, was $13.4 million and $14.2 million, respectively, and common area maintenance expense was $5.0 million and $5.2 million, respectively.

The following table summarizes the maturity of lease liabilities under operating leases as of October 3, 2020:
Fiscal years endingOperating leases
(In thousands)
2021$14,515 
202215,060 
202314,868 
202413,841 
20259,174 
Thereafter1,775 
Total lease payments$69,233 
Less imputed interest(7,963)
Total lease liabilities (1)
$61,270 

(1) Total lease liabilities reflect the lease liabilities associated with the Company's New York retail space and satellite offices that were closed as a part of the 2020 restructuring plan. Refer to Note 15. Restructuring Plan for discussion of the impact of the associated operating lease right-of-use asset.

Under Topic 840, the following table represents the gross minimum rental commitments under noncancelable leases as disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 28, 2019:


Fiscal years endingOperating leases
(In thousands)
2020$15,627 
202114,759 
202214,136 
202314,395 
202413,615 
Thereafter10,951 
Total minimum lease commitments$83,483 

73

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
7. Debt


OurThe Company's debt obligations consist of the Secured Credit Facility with J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (the “Credit Facility”) and the J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. Secured Term Loan (the "Term Loan").

The Company’s short and long termlong-term debt as of September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 and September 30, 201728, 2019 is as follows:
October 3, 2020September 28, 2019
RateBalanceRateBalance
(In thousands)
Term Loan (1)
2.4 %$25,000 4.6 %$33,333 
Unamortized debt issuance costs (2)
(82)(160)
Total indebtedness24,918 33,173 
Less short term portion(6,667)(8,333)
Long-term debt$18,251 $24,840 
 2018 2017
 Rate Balance Rate Balance
(In thousands)       
J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A Secured Term Loan (the "New Term Loan") (1)4.8% $40,000
 % $
J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A Secured Credit Facility (the "Credit Facility") (2)% 
 % 
Gordon Brothers Finance Company Secured Term Loan (the "Prior Term Loan") (3)% 
 10.7% 40,000
Unamortized debt issuance costs (4)
  (236)   (400)
Total indebtedness  39,764
   39,600
Less short term portion  (6,667)   
Long term debt  $33,097
   $39,600


(1)Bears interest at a variable rate equal to an adjusted LIBOR plus 2.25% and is payable quarterly. Due in October 2021, with quarterly principal payments beginning in July 2019.
(2)Allows the Company to borrow up to $80.0 million restricted to the value of the borrowing base which is based on the value of inventory and accounts receivable and is subject to monthly redetermination. Also includes up to $10.0 million for the issuance of letters of credit and up to $8.0 million for swing line loans. The Credit Facility matures in October 2021 and may be drawn as Commercial Bank Floating Rate Loans (at the higher of prime rate or adjusted LIBOR plus 2.50%) or Eurocurrency Loans (at LIBOR plus an applicable margin). The unused portion is subject to an annual commitment fee of 0.2%.
(3)In July 2018, all outstanding principal, accrued interest and fees were paid in full and the Prior Term Loan was terminated. While outstanding, it bore interest at LIBOR plus 9.5%.
(4)Debt issuance costs are recorded as debt discount and recorded as interest expense over the term of the agreement.

(1)Due in October 2021 and bears interest at a variable rate equal to an adjusted LIBOR plus 2.25%, payable quarterly.

(2)Debt issuance costs are recorded as a debt discount and charged to interest expense over the term of the agreement.

The Credit Facility allows the Company to borrow up to $80.0 million restricted to the value of the borrowing base, which is based on the value of inventory and accounts receivable and is subject to monthly redetermination. The Credit Facility matures in October 2021 and may be drawn as Commercial Bank Floating Rate Loans (at the higher of prime rate or adjusted LIBOR plus 2.50%) or Eurocurrency Loans (at LIBOR plus an applicable margin). As of October 3, 2020 and September 28, 2019, the Company had no outstanding borrowings and $0.5 million and $4.5 million, respectively, in undrawn letters of credit that reduce the availability under the Credit Facility.

Debt obligations under the Credit Facility and the New Term Loan require the Company to maintain a consolidated fixed charge ratio of at least 1.0, restrict distribution of dividends unless certain conditions are met, such as having a fixed charge ratio of at least 1.15, and require financial statement reporting and delivery of borrowing base certificates. As of September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 and September 30, 2017,28, 2019, the Company was in compliance with all financial covenants.
Obligations under the New Term Loan The Credit Facility and the Credit FacilityTerm Loan are collateralized by eligible inventory and accounts receivable of the Company, as well as the Company's intellectual property including patents and trademarks.

8. Stockholders' Equity

Share Repurchase Program

In September 2019, the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board") authorized a common stock repurchase program of up to $50.0 million. During the fiscal year ended October 3, 2020, the Company repurchased 3,787,783 shares for an aggregate purchase price of $50.0 million at an average price of $13.18 per share under the repurchase program. As of September 29, 2018 and September 30, 2017,October 3, 2020, the Company did not have any outstanding borrowings and $4.5 million and $4.4 million, respectively,fully utilized the amount available under this stock repurchase program. Additionally, treasury stock during the fiscal year ended October 3, 2020 included shares withheld to satisfy employees' tax withholding requirements in undrawn lettersconnection with vesting of credit thatRSUs. No shares of the Company's stock were repurchased under this program during fiscal 2019.

The Company withholds shares of common stock from certain employees in connection with the vesting of restricted stock unit awards issued to such employees to satisfy applicable tax withholding requirements. Such withheld shares are treated as common stock repurchases in our consolidated financial statements as they reduce the availability under the Credit Facility. Asnumber of September 29, 2018, the Company had $39.8 million outstanding on the New Term Loan.shares that would have been issued upon vesting. Repurchases associated with tax withholdings were not material during fiscal 2020 and 2019.

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Table of contents
SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

9. Stock-Based Compensation
7. Stockholders' equity

2018 Equity Incentive Plan
Redeemable convertible preferred stock

Upon the closing of the IPO, all outstanding shares of the Company's redeemable convertible preferred stock automatically converted into 32,482,590 shares of common stock on a one-for-one basis. Additionally, upon completion of the IPO, the Company's authorized capital stock consisted of 500,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share and 10,000,000 shares of "blank check" preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share.

The following table summarizes the redeemable convertible preferred stock information (together, the "Preferred Stock") as of September 30, 2017:

(In thousands, except share amounts)        
  Authorized Shares 
Issued and
Outstanding
Shares
 
Carrying
Value
 
Liquidation
Preference
Series A preferred stock 10,035,000
 10,005,000
 $15,060
 $15,008
Series B preferred stock 3,881,250
 3,730,000
 5,926
 5,968
Series C preferred stock 11,700,000
 11,688,766
 26,556
 25,000
Series D preferred stock 7,058,824
 7,058,824
 42,799
 45,000
Total 32,675,074
 32,482,590
 $90,341
 $90,976


Common and treasury stock

During fiscal 2017, in an effort to facilitate the sale of common stock to new investors and provide liquidity for existing stockholders, the Company purchased 738,682 shares of common stock at the fair value of common stock at the date of exchange for an aggregate purchase price of $10.0 million and concurrent therewith, the Company issued 742,034 shares of common stock to two outside investors. The sale price to the outside investors was $13.56 per share, the fair value of common stock at the date of exchange, for total gross proceeds to the Company of $10.1 million.

8. Stock-based compensation

DuringIn 2003, the Board established the 2003 Stock Plan as(as amended, (the "2003 Plan"the “2003 Plan”). The 2003 Plan includes incentive stock options that are subject to the rules and regulations of the Code and nonqualified stock options. The option price, number of shares and grant date of stock options granted under the 2003 Plan were determined at the discretion of the Board. Under the 2003 Plan, as long as the optionholder performs services for the Company, the options generally vest over 48 months, with cliff vesting after one year and monthly vesting thereafter and are exercisable for a period not to exceed ten years from the date of grant.

In July 2018, the Board adopted the 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2018 Plan"“2018 Plan”) and ceased granting awards under the 2003 Plan. The 2018 Plan became effective in connection with the IPO. The Company reserved 21,200,000Company's initial public offering ("IPO"). Remaining shares of its common stock for issuance under the 2018 Plan. Any remaining shares available for issuance under the 2003 Plan on the effective date of the 2018 Plan were added to the shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2018 Plan. The numberPlan as of such date, and additional shares reservedof common stock that would become available for issuance under the 2003 Plan in the future will instead become available for issuance under the 2018 Plan, will also be increased by (i)as further discussed in the number of shares that are subject to outstanding awards under the 2003 Plan which cease to be subject to such awards and (ii) the number of shares issued under the 2003 Plan which are forfeited or repurchased at their original issue price; however, shares subject to awards under the 2003 Plan that are used to pay the exercise price of an option or withheld to satisfy the tax withholding obligations related to any award will not become available for future grant or sale under the 2018 Plan. Further, theAnnual Report. The number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2018 Plan will increase automatically on January 1 of each year beginning in 2019 and continuing through 2028 by a number of shares of common stock equal to the lesser of (x) 5% of the total outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock and common stock equivalents as of the immediately preceding December 31 (rounded to the nearest whole share) and (y) a number of shares determined by the Board. As of September 29, 2018,October 3, 2020, there were 21,939,40828,056,633 shares reserved for future issuance including 21,200,000 shares authorized under the 2018 Plan, plus shares under the 2003 Plan that were available for issuance, or forfeited, that were added to shares reserved for issuance under the 2018 Plan.


SONOS, INC.Stock Options
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)


As of September 29,Pursuant to the 2018 Plan, the Company hadissues stock options to employees and directors. The fair value of the stock options is based on the Company’s closing stock price on the trading day immediately prior to the date of grant. The option price, number of shares and grant date are determined at the discretion of the Board. For so long as the option holder performs services for the Company, the options generally vest over 48 months, on a monthly or quarterly basis, with certain options subject to an initial annual cliff vest, and are exercisable for a period not granted any RSUs. Stockto exceed ten years from the date of grant.


The summary of the Company’s stock option activity wasis as follows:

 



Number of
Options
 Weighted Average Exercise Price Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term Weighted Average Intrinsic Value
     (in years) (in thousands)
Outstanding at September 30, 201745,817,252
 $9.20
 6.9 $199,663
Granted9,316,926
 15.12
 
 

Exercised(2,657,436) 3.52
 
 

Forfeited(3,971,280) 13.14
    
Expired(1,280) 15.11
 
 

Outstanding at September 29, 201848,504,182
 $10.33
 6.6 $276,959
        
At September 29, 2018       
Options exercisable31,194,219
 $8.13
 5.4 $246,847
Options vested and expected to vest45,662,090
 $10.07
 6.5 $272,699
        



Number of
Options
Weighted-Average Exercise PriceWeighted-Average Remaining Contractual TermAggregate Intrinsic Value
(in years)(in thousands)
Outstanding at September 28, 201937,155,568 $11.39 6.3$94,288 
Exercised(5,985,471)7.06
Forfeited(2,747,157)14.16
Outstanding at October 3, 202028,422,940 $12.03 5.6$99,053 
At October 3, 2020
Options exercisable24,230,278 $11.60 5.2$94,768 
Options vested and expected to vest27,877,806 $11.98 5.6$98,495 


The Company granted no options in fiscal 2020. During fiscal 2018, 20172019 and 2016,fiscal 2018, the Company granted options with a fair value of $50.2 million, $39.4$8.4 million and $83.5$50.2 million, respectively, with a weighted-average grant date fair value of $5.39, $4.84$4.91 and $5.32$5.39 per share, respectively. Options vested in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively, have a fair value of $27.4 million, $34.3 million, and $38.3 million.


The total intrinsic value of stock options exercised was $31.3$40.1 million, $42.0$61.1 million and $17.4$31.3 million for fiscal 2018, 20172020, 2019 and 2016,2018, respectively.


As of October 3, 2020 and September 29, 2018 and September 30, 2017,28, 2019, the Company had $71.5$16.9 million and $74.9$43.9 million, respectively, of unrecognized stock-based compensation cost, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.61.5 years and 2.82.0 years, respectively.


The Company’s policy for issuing stock upon stock option exercise is to issue new common stock.

75

Stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is expensed, net of estimated forfeitures, over the remaining requisite service period. SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

The Company uses the Black- ScholesBlack-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value of stock options. This model requires the input of highly subjective assumptions including the expected term of the option, expected stock price volatility and expected dividends. If any of the assumptions used in the Black-Scholes model changes significantly, stock-based compensation expense may differ materially in the future from that recorded in the current period.

The fair value of options at the date of grant was estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions:


September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
Expected term (years)6.516.25
Risk-free interest rate2.67 %2.73 %
Expected volatility30.7 %30.19 %
Expected dividend yield%%
 2018 2017 2016
Expected term (years)6.25
 6.25
 6.25
Risk-free interest rate2.73% 1.95% 1.29%
Expected volatility30.19% 32.40% 36.64%
Expected dividend yield% % %



Expected termTerm


The expected term represents the period over which the Company anticipates stock-based awards to be outstanding. The Company does not have sufficient historical exercise data to provide a reasonable basis upon which to estimate expected term. As a result, the Company elected the simplified method, which is the average of the options’ vesting and contractual terms.


SONOS, INC.Risk-Free Interest Rate
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

Risk-free interest rate


The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant for the expected term of the option.


Expected share price volatilityShare Price Volatility


The Company’s computation of expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of selected comparable publicly traded companies over a period equal to the expected term of the option.


Expected dividend yieldDividend Yield


The Company used a zero-dividend yield, as the Company has never paid dividends and does not plan to pay dividends in the near future.


Fair valueValue of common stockCommon Stock


Prior to the IPO, in accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Accounting and Valuation Guide, Valuation of Privately-HeldThe Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation, the Board exercised reasonable judgment and considered numerous objective and subjective factors to determine the best estimate of fair value of the Company’s common stock, including but not limited to the prices at which the Company sold shares of its common stock to outside investors in arm’s-length transactions; independent third-party valuations of the Company’s common stock; the rights, preferences and privileges of redeemable convertible preferred stock relative to those of common stock; the Company’s operating results, financial position and capital resources; and additional relevant economic information.

Subsequent to the Company's IPO, the Company began usinguses the market closing price for its common stock as reported on The Nasdaq Global Select Market.



76

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
Restricted Stock Units

Pursuant to the 2018 Plan, the Company issues RSUs to employees and directors. The fair value of RSUs is based on the Company's closing stock price on the trading day immediately preceding the date of grant. RSUs vest quarterly over the service period, which is generally four years with certain awards subject to an initial annual cliff vest. The summary of the Company’s unvested RSU activity is as follows:



Number of
Units
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair ValueAggregate Intrinsic Value
(in thousands)
Outstanding at September 28, 20196,716,786 $11.40 $90,744 
Granted9,030,809 
Exercised(2,406,900)
Forfeited(1,692,744)
Expired
Outstanding at October 3, 202011,647,951 $10.50 $180,543 
At October 3, 2020
Units expected to vest9,530,614 $10.53 $147,725 

As of October 3, 2020, the Company had $92.4 million of unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to their RSUs, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 3.0 years.

Total stock-based compensation expense by function category was as follows:
October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
(In thousands)
Cost of revenue$1,106 $985 $198 
Research and development23,439 17,643 13,960 
Sales and marketing14,359 12,965 15,885 
General and administrative18,706 14,982 8,602 
Total stock-based compensation expense$57,610 $46,575 $38,645 

10. Income Taxes
 2018 2017 2016
(In thousands)     
Cost of revenue$198
 $240
 $211
Research and development13,960
 13,605
 8,260
Sales and marketing15,885
 15,086
 11,742
General and administrative8,602
 7,619
 5,750
Total stock-based compensation expense$38,645
 $36,550
 $25,963

9. Income taxes


The Company’s income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes for fiscal 2018, 20172020, 2019 and 20162018 were as follows: 
2018 2017 2016 October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
(In thousands)(In thousands)(In thousands)
Domestic$2,803
 $(25,005) $(47,285)Domestic$(15,194)$(858)$2,803 
Foreign(17,351) 8,497
 11,715
Foreign(4,889)(218)(17,351)
Income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes$(14,548) $(16,508) $(35,570)
Loss before provision for income taxesLoss before provision for income taxes$(20,083)$(1,076)$(14,548)
 
77

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

Components of the provision for (benefit from) income taxes consisted of the following:
 
 October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
(In thousands)
Current:
U.S. Federal$(1,388)$1,366 $
U.S. State724 1,132 177 
Foreign1,220 1,463 816 
Total current556 3,961 993 
Deferred:
U.S. Federal(168)
U.S. State
Foreign(524)(271)231 
Total deferred(524)(271)63 
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes$32 $3,690 $1,056 

The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions in which it operates. The Company’s tax provision is impacted by the jurisdictional mix of earnings as its foreign subsidiaries have statutory tax rates different from those in the U.S. The Company has made an accounting policy election to treat Global Intangible Low Taxed Income (“GILTI”) as a period expense. The Company's accounting for the elements of U.S. Tax Reform is completed based on all published tax law and corresponding guidance. However. proposed and final clarifying guidance is anticipated for various aspects of U.S. Tax Reforms which could be relevant to the Company. The effects of any additional guidance will be recorded in the period such guidance is issued.




78

 2018 2017 2016
(In thousands)
Current:     
U.S. Federal$
 $
 $129
U.S. State177
 62
 59
Foreign816
 (3,791) 3,344
Total current993
 (3,729) 3,532
Deferred:     
U.S. Federal(168) 
 
U.S. State
 
 
Foreign231
 1,438
 (888)
Total deferred63
 1,438
 (888)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes$1,056
 $(2,291) $2,644

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
Components of the Company’s net deferred income tax assets (liabilities)and liabilities are as follows:
 October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
(In thousands)
Deferred tax assets
Accrued expenses and reserves$12,014 $12,582 
Deferred revenue11,831 11,185 
U.S. net operating loss carryforwards8,242 15,112 
Foreign net operating loss carryforwards12,183 3,414 
Tax credit carryforwards53,543 43,411 
Stock-based compensation11,018 10,368 
Right-of-Use Liability14,377 
Amortization7,648 4,131 
Depreciation1,101 672 
Other603 453 
Total deferred tax assets132,560 101,328 
Valuation allowance(113,939)(95,088)
Deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowance18,621 6,240 
Deferred tax liabilities
Tax accounting method change(2,946)(5,086)
Right-of-Use Asset(9,914)
Amortization(6,093)
Depreciation(187)
Other(115)
Total deferred tax liabilities(19,255)(5,086)
Net deferred tax assets (liabilities)$(634)$1,154 
Reported as
Deferred tax assets$1,800 $1,154 
Deferred tax liabilities(2,434)
Net deferred tax assets (liabilities)$(634)$1,154 
 2018 2017
(In thousands)
Deferred tax assets   
Accrued expenses and reserves$5,639
 $8,828
Deferred revenue10,317
 218
Inventory deferral
 3,259
U.S. net operating loss carryforwards18,385
 53,589
Foreign net operating loss carryforwards5,625
 1,147
Tax credit carryforwards22,969
 17,553
Stock-based compensation7,237
 7,976
Amortization3,237
 3,859
Other427
 324
Total deferred tax assets73,836
 96,753
Valuation allowance(72,380) (94,956)
Deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowance1,456
 1,797
Deferred tax liabilities   
Depreciation(515) (690)
Total deferred tax liabilities(515) (690)
Net deferred tax assets$941
 $1,107


After considering all available positive and negative evidence, the Company has determined it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets in the U.S. and certain foreign entities will not be realized and thatas a result of cumulative book losses incurred in these jurisdictions. Therefore, the Company maintains a full valuation allowance is required inagainst the United States and the Netherlands. Both jurisdictions have generated cumulative losses in recent years. The Company hasnet deferred tax assets in other foreign jurisdictionsthese jurisdictions. It is possible that within the next 12 months there may be sufficient positive evidence to release a portion or all of the valuation allowance. Release of the U.S. valuation allowance would result in a benefit to income tax expense for the period the release is recorded, which it determinedcould have a material impact on net earnings. The timing and amount of the potential valuation allowance release are more likely than notsubject to be fully realized.significant management judgment and prospective earnings in the U.S.


As of September 29, 2018,October 3, 2020, the Company had gross federal and post-apportionmentpost-apportioned state net operating loss carryforwards of $74.7$30.8 million and $45.9$26.9 million, respectively, available to reduce future taxable income. The earliest federal and state net operating loss carryforwards expire in varying amounts beginning in 20332035 and 2020,2027, respectively. As of September 29, 2018,October 3, 2020, the Company had gross foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $21.9$52.2 million, of which $2.7$37.6 million have an indefinite life and $19.2$14.6 million that will expire in 2027. The Company also has gross federal and state research and development tax creditscredit carryforwards of $25.4$41.8 million and $19.1$31.8 million, respectively. The federal research credits will begin to expire in the year 2025, and the state research credits will begin to expire in the year 2024.

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)


Because of the change of ownership provisions of Sections 382 and 383 of the Code, use of a portion of the Company’s domestic net operating losses and tax credit carryforwards may be limited in future periods depending upon future changes in ownership. Specifically, the Company’s net operating losses generated through July 18, 2012 may be subject to limitation under Section 382
79

ownership. Further, a portion of the carryforwards may expire before being applied to reduce future income tax liabilities if sufficient taxable income is not generated in future periods.


The following table summarizes changes in the valuation allowance for fiscal 2018, 20172020, 2019 and 2016:2018:
(In thousands)October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
Beginning balance$95,088 $72,380 $94,956 
Increase (decrease) during the period18,851 22,708 (22,576)
Ending balance$113,939 $95,088 $72,380 
(In thousands)2018 2017 2016
Beginning balance$94,956
 $95,882
 $33,264
Increase (decrease) during the period(22,576) (926) 19,535
Increase due to adoption of ASU 2016-09
 
 43,083
Ending balance$72,380
 $94,956
 $95,882

During the year ended October 1, 2016, the Company elected early adoption of ASU 2016-09. Gross excess windfall tax benefits resulting from stock option exercises in the amount of $113.8 million and $59.8 million for federal and post-apportionment state net operating loss carryforwards, respectively, were not reported as components of gross deferred tax assets with an offsetting valuation allowance as of October 3, 2015. The Company applied a modified retrospective transition method to report the tax effected amount of $39.8 million and $3.2 million of U.S. federal and state net operating loss carryforwards, respectively, for the year ended October 1, 2016. The Company determined that these deferred tax assets are not more likely than not to be realized and recorded a corresponding increase to its valuation allowances. As a result, no tax benefit or effect on accumulated deficit was recognized in association with the adoption of ASU 2016-09.


Reconciliation of U.S. statutory federal income taxes to the Company’s provision for (benefit from) income taxes is as follows:
 
(In thousands)October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
U.S. federal income taxes at statutory rate$(4,217)$(226)$(3,570)
U.S. state and local income taxes(2,798)(9,315)(1,441)
Foreign income tax rate differential(75)129 (53)
Stock-based compensation869 (2,399)4,025 
Federal research tax credits(8,012)(8,418)(4,333)
Unrecognized federal tax benefits815 (2,806)1,990 
Change in tax rate1,161 25,725 
Net Impact of GILTI239 
BEAT(781)781 
Other598 822 259 
Change in valuation allowance13,633 23,722 (21,546)
Provision for income taxes$32 $3,690 $1,056 
(In thousands)2018 2017 2016
U.S. federal income taxes at statutory rate$(3,570) $(5,778) $(12,450)
U.S. state and local income taxes(1,441) (2,454) (1,813)
Foreign income tax rate differential(53) (1,101) (4,680)
Dutch tax settlement
 7,361
 
Stock-based compensation4,025
 1,503
 6,521
Research tax credits(2,343) (1,787) (4,036)
Change in tax rate25,725
 
 (624)
Other259
 1,197
 191
Change in valuation allowance(21,546) (1,232) 19,535
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes$1,056
 $(2,291) $2,644

In December 2013, the Company entered into a written Settlement Agreement with the Dutch Tax Administration related to taxable profits of Sonos Europe B.V. The Settlement Agreement, which expired on October 1, 2016, provided for a 3% profit based on the statutory revenue of Sonos Europe B.V. which is then allowed to be reduced to 1% for taxable income purposes by utilizing prior year’s net operating losses. As of October 3, 2015, these net operating losses had been fully utilized.

In December 2016, the Company reached an agreement with the Dutch Tax Administration to amend the terms of the aforementioned Settlement Agreement (the "Amendment"). Based on a review of the functions, risks and assets of the Company, it was agreed that Sonos Europe B.V.’s arm’s length remuneration should be adjusted for fiscal years 2015 and 2016. The Company’s application of the terms of this Amendment generated a pre-tax loss in fiscal 2015 and 2016 in Sonos Europe B.V., a portion of which is treated as non-deductible for tax purposes and also resulted in an adjustment to the allocation of income and loss to Sonos, Inc., which led to the reduction of pre-existing net operating losses for U.S. tax purposes. As of September 30, 2017, the Company has utilized all of its Dutch tax loss carryforwards. Additionally, as a result of concluding the terms of the Amendment, the Company was released from previously accrued for Dutch income tax liabilities related to fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2016, resulting in a one-time tax benefit of $4.9 million for the year ended September 30, 2017.

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)


In January 2017, the Company entered into a unilateral Advance Pricing Agreement (the "APA") with the Dutch Tax Administration. The APA establishes an intercompany licensing arrangement whereby the operating profit or loss, as determined under U.S. GAAP, of Sonos Europe B.V. and Sonos, Inc. will be allocated between the two companies based on relative contribution to the development of marketing and technology intangibles. The APA has a five-year term that commenced on October 2, 2016 and ends on September 30, 2021.
Change in unrecognized tax benefits as a result of uncertain tax positions are as follows:
2018 2017October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
(In thousands)(In thousands)(In thousands)
Beginning balance$13,780
 $11,496
Beginning balance$12,527 $17,794 $13,780 
Increase (decrease) - tax positions in prior periods636
 (23)Increase (decrease) - tax positions in prior periods(768)(8,226)$636 
Increase (decrease) - tax positions in current periods3,378
 2,307
Increase (decrease) - tax positions in current periods2,962 2,959 $3,378 
Ending balance$17,794
 $13,780
Ending balance$14,721 $12,527 $17,794 
 
The unrecognized tax benefits, if recognized, would increase a deferred tax asset which is expected to require a full valuation allowance based on the current circumstances and would not affect the Company’s effective tax rate for each period presented. The Company does not anticipate changes to unrecognized benefits within the next 12 months that would result in a material change to the Company’s financial position. The unrecognized tax benefits as of October 3, 2020 would have no impact on the effective tax rate if recognized.


The Company conducts business in a number of tax jurisdictions and, as such, is required to file income tax returns in multiple jurisdictions globally. U.S. federal income tax returns for the 20142016 tax year and earlier are no longer subject to examination by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS"). All net operating losses and tax credits generated to date are subject to adjustment for U.S. federal and state purposes.

80

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

The Company recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. There waswere no accrued interest or penalties as of September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 and September 30, 2017. 28, 2019.

As of September 29, 2018,October 3, 2020, we continue to assert that the unremitted earnings in our foreign subsidiaries are permanently reinvested and therefore no tax provision hasdeferred taxes or withholding taxes have been made for $5.7 million of undistributed earnings of certain of the Company’s subsidiaries as these earnings are considered indefinitely reinvested.provided. If, in the future, the Company decides to repatriate theits $7.9 million of undistributed earnings from these subsidiaries in the form of dividends or otherwise, the Company could be subject to withholding taxes payable at that time. The amount of withholding tax liability is dependent onupon circumstances existing if and when a remittance occurs but could be reasonably estimated to be $0.3$0.2 million.


Tax Act

11. Net Loss Per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders
On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Tax Act") into law, implementing a wide variety of changes to the U.S. tax system. Among other changes at the corporate level, the Tax Act includes (i) a reduction in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, (ii) further limitations on the deductibility of interest expense and certain executive compensation, (iii) the repeal of the corporate alternative minimum tax, (iv) the imposition of a territorial tax system with a one-time repatriation tax on deemed repatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries and (v) subjecting certain foreign earnings to U.S. taxation through a base erosion anti-abuse tax ("BEAT") and a new tax related to global intangible low taxed income ("GILTI"). Additionally, certain foreign derived intangible income ("FDII") may prospectively be subject to a reduced rate of income tax from the statutorily enacted rate of 21%. Some of these changes, including the BEAT, FDII and GILTI provisions, will not come into effect until the Company’s 2019 fiscal year, but because the decrease in the corporate income tax rate was effective January 1, 2018, the Company has reduced the future tax benefits of the Company’s existing U.S. deferred tax assets. However, since the Company maintains a full valuation allowance against these assets, it did not have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition. The Company has not recorded a provision related to the one-time transition tax under Section 965 as the Company has estimated that its foreign subsidiaries have a consolidated deficit in accumulated and current earnings and profits.

The Company’s accounting for the elements of the Tax Act is incomplete. The Company has made reasonable estimates of the effects to the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) and consolidated balance sheets and have preliminarily determined that a provision is not required. The ultimate impact of the Tax Act may differ from the above estimates due to potential future legislative action to address questions that have arisen because of the Tax Act, issuance of additional guidance by the IRS to provide clarity on certain provisions of the Tax Act and any changes in accounting standards for income taxes or related interpretations in response to the Tax Act. The SEC has issued rules that allow for a measurement period of up to one year after the enactment date of the Tax Act to finalize the recording of the related tax impacts. The Company currently anticipates finalizing and recording any resulting adjustments during its fiscal quarter ending December 29, 2018.
SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)


10. Net loss per share


Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is presented in conformity with the two-class method required for participating securities. The Company considers its redeemable convertible preferred stock to be participating securities as the holders of redeemable convertible preferred stock were entitled to receive noncumulative dividends in the event that a dividend was paid on common stock. Upon the closing of the IPO, all outstanding shares of the Company'sCompany’s redeemable convertible preferred stock automatically converted into 32,482,590 shares of common stock on a one-for-one1-for-one basis.

Basic net loss attributable to common stockholders per share is calculated by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding less shares subject to repurchase. Diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders adjusts the basic net loss per share attributable to common stockholders and the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the potentially dilutive impact of stock options and RSUs, using the treasury stock method.


The following table sets forth the computation of the Company’s basic and diluted net loss per share:share attributable to common stockholders:

2018 2017 2016October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
(In thousands, except share and per share data)     (In thousands, except share and per share data)
Numerator:     Numerator:
Net loss attributable to common stockholders—basic and diluted$(15,604) $(14,217) $(38,214)
Net loss attributable to common stockholders - basic and dilutedNet loss attributable to common stockholders - basic and diluted$(20,115)$(4,766)$(15,604)
Denominator:     Denominator:
Weighted-average shares of common stock—basic and diluted65,706,215
 56,314,546
 53,873,051
Weighted-average shares of common stock - basic and dilutedWeighted-average shares of common stock - basic and diluted109,807,154 103,783,006 65,706,215 
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders:     Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders:
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders—basic and diluted$(0.24) $(0.25) $(0.71)
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders - basic and dilutedNet loss per share attributable to common stockholders - basic and diluted$(0.18)$(0.05)$(0.24)


The following potentially dilutive shares as of the end of each period presented were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share for the periods presented because including them would have been antidilutive:

October 3,
2020
September 28,
2019
September 29,
2018
Stock options to purchase common stock33,503,698 42,300,183 48,504,182 
RSUs9,225,127 4,147,463 
Total42,728,825 46,447,646 48,504,182 


 2018 2017 2016
Stock options to purchase common stock48,504,182
 45,817,252
 45,940,594
Convertible preferred stock
 32,482,590
 32,482,590
Shares subject to repurchase
 53,892
 53,892
Total48,504,182
 78,353,734
 78,477,076
81


SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

12. Business Combination
11.
On November 14, 2019, the Company completed the acquisition of 100% of the equity interests of Snips, a France-based provider of an artificial intelligence voice platform for connected devices that provides private-by-design, voice technology. The acquisition brought strategic IP to enhance the voice experience on Sonos products. The total purchase price consideration of the acquisition of Snips was $36.3 million, of which $35.6 million was paid in cash at closing, and $0.7 million was recorded as a contingent consideration liability. The terms of the contingent consideration were met, and the contingent consideration was paid in cash in the second quarter of fiscal 2020.

The Company accounted for this transaction as a business combination and allocated the purchase consideration to assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with $25.2 million in intangible assets, $3.2 million in net liabilities assumed, and $14.3 million in estimated goodwill on the date of acquisition. Subsequent to the acquisition date, an immaterial purchase price adjustment was recorded resulting in an immaterial increase to goodwill. The goodwill recognized was primarily attributable to the assembled workforce and expected post-acquisition synergies from integrating Snips’ technology into the Company's products. The goodwill is not deductible for income tax purposes.

The results of Snips' operations have been included in the Company's consolidated results of operations since the date of acquisition. Pro forma results of operations have not been presented because the effect of the acquisition was not material to the Company's consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

One-time acquisition-related costs of $1.4 million were expensed as general and administrative expenses as incurred.

13. Commitments and contingenciesContingencies


Unconditional purchase obligations

The following table presents noncancelablesummarizes future payments due byunder the CompanyCompany's unconditional purchase obligations as of September 29, 2018, andOctober 3, 2020:
excludes amounts already recorded on the consolidated balance sheet:
Fiscal years ended
(In thousands)Total20212022202320242025Beyond
Inventory-related purchase obligations69,404 67,687 1,717 
Other purchase obligations25,793 13,378 6,550 4,369 1,496 
Total$95,197 $81,065 $8,267 $4,369 $1,496 $$

    Fiscal years ended
(In thousands) Total 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Beyond
Operating leases $85,546
 $16,830
 $14,120
 $12,391
 $11,654
 $11,870
 $18,681
Inventory 70,900
 70,900
 
 
 
 
 
Other noncancelable agreements 8,696
 3,279
 3,574
 1,843
 
 
 
Total contractual obligations $165,142
 $91,009
 $17,694
 $14,234
 $11,654
 $11,870
 $18,681

Operating leases

The Company entered into various non-cancelable operating lease agreements substantially for offices and facilities as well for auto leases. Company’s main offices are leased in California, Massachusetts and the Netherlands with additional sales and operations offices around the world. These facilities operate under leases with initial terms ranging from one to ten years and expire at various dates through 2025.

Rent expense during the years ended September 29, 2018, September 30, 2017 and October 1, 2016 was $14.5 million, and $13.5 million and $14.5 million, respectively.

Inventory

The Company enters into various inventory-related purchase agreements with suppliers. Under these agreements, 100% of orders are cancelable by giving sufficient notice prior to the expected shipment date.


Legal proceedingsProceedings


From time to time, the Company is involved in legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including claims relating to employee relations, business practices and patent infringement. Litigation can be expensive and disruptive to normal business operations. Moreover, the results of complex legal proceedings are difficult to predict, and the Company’s view of these matters may change in the future as the litigation and events related thereto unfold. The Company expenses legal fees as incurred. The Company records a provision for contingent losses when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. An unfavorable outcome to any legal matter, if material, could have an adverse effect on the Company’s operations or its financial position, liquidity or results of operations.


On October 21, 2014,January 7, 2020, the Company commencedfiled a patentcomplaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission ("ITC") against Alphabet Inc. ("Alphabet") and Google LLC ("Google") and a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Google. The complaint and lawsuit each allege infringement action inof certain Sonos patents related to its smart speakers and related technology and respectively seek relief including a ban on the importation into the United States of infringing Google products and monetary damages. On February 6, 2020, the ITC initiated a formal investigation into the Company’s claims. Google and Alphabet filed an initial answer in the ITC action on February 27, 2020 and an amended answer on April 3, 2020, denying infringement and alleging that the asserted patents are invalid. The ITC case is set for trial towards the end of February 2021. On March 4, 2020, the California District Court stayed the district court proceeding pending resolution of the ITC investigation. On March 11, 2020, Google filed an answer in the California District Court,
82

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
denying infringement and alleging that the asserted patents are invalid. On September 28, 2020, Google filed for a declaratory judgement of non-infringement in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Delaware against D&M Holdings Inc. d/b/a The D+M Group, D&M Holdings U.S. Inc. and Denon Electronics (USA), LLC (collectively, "Denon").California related to 5 different Sonos patents. On May 18, 2018,September 29, 2020, the Company entered intofiled a patent covenant agreement with Denon, effective May 17, 2018, with a term lasting through May 22, 2022. Under the agreement, Denon will make royalty payments covering both historical sales and sales throughout the term, at an effective royalty rate materially consistent with the December 14, 2017 jury verdict. Pursuant to the agreement, all claims assertedlawsuit against Google in the Company’s patentU.S. District Court for Western District of Texas, alleging infringement claim against Denonof those 5 Sonos patents and seeking monetary damages and other non-monetary relief.

On June 11, 2020, Google filed a lawsuit in Denon’s countersuitthe U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the Company, were dismissed with prejudicealleging infringement of five Google patents generally related to noise cancellation, digital rights management, media search and the parties released claimswireless relays and seeking monetary damages and other non-monetary relief. On June 12, 2020, Google filed lawsuits in District Court Munich I against Sonos Europe B.V. and Sonos, Inc., alleging infringement of two Google patents generally related to digital rights management and search notifications, and seeking monetary damages and an injunction preventing sales of any pastinfringing Sonos products. On August 21, 2020, Google filed a lawsuit against Sonos, Inc. in Canada, alleging infringement of theone Google patent generally related to noise cancellation technology. On August 21, 2020, Google filed a lawsuit against Sonos Europe B.V. and Sonos, Inc. in France, alleging infringement of two Google patents assertedgenerally related to digital rights management and search notifications, and seeking monetary damages and an injunction preventing sales of any infringing Sonos products. In August 2020, Google filed a lawsuit against Sonos Europe B.V. and Sonos, Inc. in the litigation betweenNetherlands alleging infringement of a Google patent related to search notifications, and seeking monetary damages and an injunction preventing sales of any infringing Sonos products. In September 2020, Google filed a lawsuit against Sonos Europe B.V. in the CompanyNetherlands, alleging infringement of a Google patent related to digital rights management, and Denonseeking monetary damages and enforcement of an injunction preventing sales of any patents related thereto.infringing Sonos products. A range of loss, if any, associated with these matters is not probable or reasonably estimable as of October 3, 2020.


On March 10, 2017, Implicit, LLC ("Implicit"(“Implicit”) filed a patent infringement action in the United States District Court, District of Delaware against the Company. Implicit is asserting that the Company infringed on two patents in this case.case and is seeking monetary damage and other non-monetary relief. The Company denies the allegations. There is no assurance of a favorable outcome and the Company’s business could be adversely affected as a result of a finding that the Company patents-in-suit are invalid and/or unenforceable. A range of loss, if any, associated with this matter is not probable or reasonably estimable as of September 29, 2018 and September 30, 2017.October 3, 2020.


The Company is involved in certain other litigation matters not listed above but does not consider thethese matters to be material either individually or in the aggregate at this time. The Company’s view of the matters not listed may change in the future as the litigation and events related thereto unfold.


SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

Product warranties

As of September 29, 2018,On May 13, 2020, the Company recorded $2.4 million of warranty liability in other current liabilitieswas granted a temporary exclusion from the August 2019 Section 301 Tariff Action (List 4A) ("Section 301 tariffs") for its component products. On July 23, 2020, the Company was granted a temporary exclusion from Section 301 tariffs for its core speaker products. These exclusions eliminated the tariffs on the consolidated balance sheets. ChangesCompany's component and core speaker products imported from China until August 31, 2020, and entitled the Company to receive an estimated refund of approximately $30 million for the tariffs paid since September 2019, the date the Section 301 tariffs were imposed. On August 28, 2020, the United States Trade Representative granted an extension through December 31, 2020 of the exclusion for the Company’s core products. The exclusion for the Company’s component products was not extended past August 31, 2020, with the Section 301 tariffs for our component products automatically reinstating on September 1, 2020. We will need to seek an extension of the exemption request for our core products to extend such exclusions past December 31, 2020 and, in the Company’s warranty liability wereevent that we are unsuccessful, the Section 301 tariffs on our core products will automatically re-instate. The timing of receipt of this refund is not reasonably determinable as follows:of the date of this report and no amounts have been recorded in the consolidated financial statements as of and for the fiscal year ended October 3, 2020.

(In thousands)2018 2017 2016
Warranty liability at beginning of year$2,437
 $2,491
 $2,722
Provision for warranties issued during the year10,678
 5,867
 5,412
Settlements of warranty claims during the year(10,665) (5,921) (5,643)
Warranty liability at end of year$2,450
 $2,437
 $2,491


Guarantees and indemnificationsIndemnifications


In the normal course of business, the Company enters into agreements that contain a variety of representations and warranties and provide for general indemnification. The Company’s exposure under these agreements is unknown because it involves claims that may be made against the Company in the future, but have not yet been made. It is not possible to make a reasonable estimate of the maximum potential amount of future payments under these or similar agreements due to the conditional nature of the Company’s obligations and the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement. To date, the Company has not incurred material costs to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnification provisions. The Company has also entered into indemnification agreements with its directors and officers that may require the Company to indemnify its directors and officers against liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law. The Company also currently has directors’ and officers’ insurance. No amount has been accrued in the consolidated financial statements with respect to these indemnification guarantees.

83

12.SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
14. Quarterly financial data (unaudited)Financial Data (Unaudited)


The following table shows a summary ofsummarizes the Company’s unaudited quarterly financial information for each of the four quarters of 20182020 and 20172019 (the sum of quarterly periods may not equal full-year amounts due to rounding):


 Three Months Ended
 
October 3,
2020 (1)
June 27,
2020 (2)
March 28,
2020
December 28,
2019
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Revenue$339,837 $249,310 $175,098 $562,083 
Gross profit161,536 109,791 73,009 227,620 
Net income (loss)18,411 (56,980)(52,320)70,775 
Net income (loss) per share - basic$0.17 $(0.52)$(0.48)$0.65 
Net income (loss) per share - diluted$0.15 $(0.52)$(0.48)$0.60 

(1)The fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 reflects the impact of 14 weeks.
(2)The third quarter of fiscal 2020 reflects the impact of the 2020 restructuring plan. See Note 15. Restructuring Plan for additional information regarding the Company's 2020 restructuring plan.


 Three Months Ended
 September 28,
2019
June 29,
2019
March 30,
2019
December 29,
2018
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Revenue$294,160 $260,119 $210,173 $496,371 
Gross profit124,271 117,370 90,413 195,289 
Net income (loss)(29,600)(14,009)(22,824)61,667 
Net income (loss) per share - basic$(0.28)$(0.13)$(0.22)$0.62 
Net income (loss) per share - diluted$(0.28)$(0.13)$(0.22)$0.55 

15. Restructuring Plan
On June 23, 2020, the Company initiated a restructuring plan as part of its efforts to reduce operating expenses and preserve liquidity due to the uncertainty and challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the 2020 restructuring plan, the Company eliminated approximately 12% of its global headcount and closed its New York retail store and six satellite offices. The Company believes these initiatives will better align resources to provide further operating flexibility and more efficiently position the business for its long-term strategy. The Company expects activities under the 2020 restructuring plan to be substantially complete in the first quarter of fiscal 2021.

Total pre-tax restructuring and related costs under the 2020 restructuring plan were $26.4 million, which included $26.3 million incurred in the fiscal year ended October 3, 2020 as presented in the table below. The remaining restructuring and related costs are nominal and are expected to be incurred through the completion of the 2020 restructuring plan in the first quarter of fiscal 2021. For the assets deemed to be impaired, the Company estimated fair value using an income-approach based on management’s forecast of future cash flows expected to be derived from the property.







84

SONOS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
 Three Months Ended
 September 29,
2018
 June 30,
2018
 March 31,
2018
 December 30,
2017
(In thousands, except per share amounts) 




 
Revenue$272,940
 $208,398
 $186,720
 $468,950
Gross profit116,277
 95,489
 81,341
 196,201
Net income (loss)(1,720) (26,988) (32,592) 45,697
Net income (loss) per share - basic$(0.02) $(0.45) $(0.55) $0.42
Net income (loss) per share - diluted$(0.02) $(0.45) $(0.55) $0.36

The following table summarizes the costs incurred in connection with the 2020 restructuring plan:


Fiscal Year Ended
October 3, 2020
(In thousands)
Employee related costs$8,985 
Right-of-use asset impairment and abandonment charges8,139 
Property and equipment abandonment charges5,824 
Other restructuring costs3,337 
Total$26,285 

The following table represents the restructuring and related costs recorded in the Company's consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss:


Fiscal Year Ended
October 3, 2020
(In thousands)
Research and development$5,074 
Sales and marketing19,788 
General and administrative1,423 
Total$26,285 


The following table summarizes the Company's restructuring activities recorded in accrued expenses and accrued compensation within the consolidated balance sheets:

(In thousands)Employee Related CostsOther Restructuring CostsTotal
Balance at September 28, 2019$$$
Restructuring charges8,955 3,332 12,287 
Cash paid(7,335)(361)(7,696)
Balance at October 3, 2020$1,620 $2,971 $4,591 


The Company made certain judgments and estimates regarding the amount and timing of the 2020 restructuring plan and related impairment and abandonment charges or recoveries. The estimated liability could change subsequent to its recognition, requiring adjustments to the expense and liability recorded. On a quarterly basis, the Company conducts an evaluation of the related liabilities and expenses and revises its assumptions and estimates as appropriate as new or updated information becomes available.
85
 Three Months Ended
 September 30,
2017
 July 1,
2017
 April 1,
2017
 December 31,
2016
(In thousands, except per share amounts)       
Revenue$214,095
 $223,078
 $182,546
 $372,807
Gross profit102,891
 107,288
 86,105
 159,782
Net income (loss)(14,906) (14,539) (19,790) 35,017
Net income (loss) per share - basic$(0.26) $(0.26) $(0.35) $0.32
Net income (loss) per share - diluted$(0.26) $(0.26) $(0.35) $0.26


SONOS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

16. Subsequent Event
On November 18, 2020, the Company announced that its Board of Directors authorized a common stock repurchase program of up to $50.0 million. As of the date of this report, no shares of the Company's stock were repurchased under this new program.
86

Item 9. Changes in and disagreementsDisagreements with accountantsAccountants on accountingAccounting and financial disclosureFinancial Disclosure
None.

Item 9A. Controls and proceduresProcedures
Evaluation of disclosure controlsDisclosure Controls and proceduresProcedures
Our management,Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, haswe have evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)as required under Rule 13a-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended),amended (“Exchange Act”) as of October 3, 2020. Based on that evaluation, the endChief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that these disclosure controls and procedures are effective as of October 3, 2020.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f).
Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, with assistance from other members of management, assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of October 3, 2020, based on the framework and criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the period coveredTreadway Commission. Based on this assessment, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of October 3, 2020.
The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of October 3, 2020 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears in Item 15(a) of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Based on the evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of September 29, 2018, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as a result of material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting as described below, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of September 29, 2018.

Material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting
During 2017, we identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, as defined in the standards established by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the "Sarbanes-Oxley Act"). A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
We identified a material weakness related to an insufficient complement of experienced personnel with the requisite technical knowledge of financial statement disclosures and accounting for non-routine, unusual or complex events and transactions. This material weakness in our control environment contributed to an additional material weakness in that we did not maintain effective internal controls to address the accounting of non-routine, unusual or complex events and transactions and the related financial statement presentation of such transactions.

Management’s plan to remediate the material weaknesses
As a result of these material weaknesses, we have initiated and will continue to implement remediation measures including, but not limited to, hiring experienced additional accounting and financial reporting personnel as well as the creation of additional controls including those designed to strengthen our review processes around financial statement disclosures and accounting for non-routine, unusual or complex transactions.
The initiatives we are implementing to remediate the material weaknesses are subject to continued management review supported by confirmation and testing, as well as audit committee oversight. We will continue to implement measures to remedy our internal control deficiencies through the end of our fiscal 2019, which coincides with the first year in which we will be required to provide management's report on internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Notwithstanding the material weaknesses, our management has concluded that the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K present fairly, in all material respects, our financial position, results of operations and cash flows in conformity with U.S. GAAP.

Changes in internal controlInternal Control Over Financial Reporting
Other than the changes intended to remediate the material weaknesses noted above, thereThere were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the three monthsquarter ended September 29, 2018October 3, 2020 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.


Attestation report of the registered public accounting firm
This Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include a report of management's assessment regarding internal control over financial reporting or an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm as permitted in this transition period under the rules of the SEC for newly public companies. A report of management’s assessment regarding internal control over financial reporting will be required to be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 28, 2019.


Item 9B. Other informationInformation
None.
PART III
Item 10. Directors, executive officersExecutive Officers and corporate governanceCorporate Governance
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference toincluded under the captions "Board of Directors and Corporate Governance," "Proposal One: Election of Directors," "Executive Officers" and "Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports" included in our definitive Proxy Statement for the 20192021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of our year ended September 29, 2018.October 3, 2020 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 11. Executive compensationCompensation
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference toincluded under the captions “Board of Directors and Corporate Governance” and "Executive Compensation" in our definitive Proxy Statement for the 20192021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of our year ended September 29, 2018.October 3, 2020 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 12. Security ownershipOwnership of certain beneficial ownersCertain Beneficial Owners and managementManagement and related stockholder mattersRelated Stockholder Matters
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference toincluded under the captions "Equity Compensation Plan Information" and “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” in our definitive Proxy Statement for the 20192021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of our year ended September 29, 2018.October 3, 2020 and is incorporated herein by reference.
87

Item 13. Certain relationshipsRelationships and related transactions,Related Transactions, and director independenceDirector Independence
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference toincluded under the captions "Board of Directors and Corporate Governance" and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions” in our definitive Proxy Statement for the 20192021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of our year ended September 29, 2018.October 3, 2020 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 14. Principal accounting feesAccounting Fees and servicesServices
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference toincluded under the caption “Proposal Two: Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” in our definitive Proxy Statement for the 20192021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of our year ended September 29, 2018.October 3, 2020 and is incorporated herein by reference.


PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits, financial statement schedulesFinancial Statement Schedules
(a)(1) Financial statementsStatements


The information concerning Sonos’ consolidated financial statements and the Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm required by this Item 15(a)(1) is incorporated by reference herein to the section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K in Part II, Item 8, titled "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."
(a)(2) Financial statement scheduleStatement Schedules
All financial statement schedules have been omitted as the information is not required under the related instructions or is not applicable or because the information required is already included in the consolidated financial statements or the notes to those consolidated financial statements.


(a)(3) Exhibits


We have filed, or incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K by reference, the exhibits listed on the accompanying Exhibit Index immediately preceding the signature page of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.


EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit
Number
   Incorporated By Reference Filed or Furnished
Herewith
Exhibit Title Form File No. Exhibit Filing Date 
3.1  10-Q001-386033.19/11/2018
3.2  10-Q001-386033.29/11/2018
4.1S-1333-2260764.017/6/2018
4.2S-1333-2260764.027/6/2018
4.310-K 001-386034.311/26/19
10.1+S-1333-22607610.017/6/2018
10.2+S-1333-22607610.027/6/2018
10.3+  10-K001-3860310.3+11/26/19
88

Exhibit
Number
  Incorporated By Reference 
Filed or Furnished
Herewith
Exhibit Title Form File No. Exhibit Filing Date 
  10-Q 001-38603 3.1 9/11/2018  
  10-Q 001-38603 3.2 9/11/2018 
  S-1 333-226076 4.01 7/6/2018 
  S-1 333-226076 4.02 7/6/2018 
  S-1 333-226076 10.01 7/6/2018 
  S-1 333-226076 10.02 7/6/2018 
  S-1/A 333-226076 10.03 7/23/2018 
  S-1 333-226076 10.04 7/6/2018 10.4+S-1333-22607610.047/6/2018
  S-1 333-226076 10.05 7/6/2018 10.5+S-1333-22607610.057/6/2018
  S-1 333-226076 10.06 7/6/2018 
  S-1 333-226076 10.07 7/6/2018 10.7+10-Q001-3860310.15/10/2019
  S-1 333-226076 10.08 7/6/2018 10.8†S-1333-22607610.087/6/2018
  X10.9+10-K001-3860310.0911/28/2018
  X10.10+10-K001-3860310.1011/28/2018
10.11+10.11+10-Q001-3860310.12/7/2019
10.13+10.13+10-Q001-3860310.18/6/2020
10.14+10.14+10-Q001-3860310.12/6/2020
  S-1 333-226076 21.1 7/6/2018 21.1S-1333-22607621.17/6/2018
  X23.1X
  X24.1X
  X31.1X
   X31.2  X
32.1*32.1*  X
32.2*32.2*X
101.INS101.INS XBRL Instance Document X
101.SCH101.SCH XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document X
101.CAL101.CAL XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document X
101.DEF101.DEF XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document X
101.LAB101.LAB XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document X
101.PRE101.PRE XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document X
104104Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in the Exhibit 101 attachments)X


X
X
101.INSXBRL Instance DocumentX
101.SCHXBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema DocumentX
101.CALXBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase DocumentX
101.DEFXBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase DocumentX
101.LABXBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase DocumentX
101.PREXBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase DocumentX


 
 
* These exhibits are furnished with this Annual Report on Form 10-KFurnished and are not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are not incorporated by reference in any filing of Sonos, Inc. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filings.filed.
+ Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
† Confidential treatment has been granted with respect to portions of this exhibit.

89




Item 16. Form 10-K Summary


None.

90

SIGNATURES


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this Annual Report on Form 10-K to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


Sonos, Inc.


Date: November 28, 201823, 2020By:/s/ Patrick Spence
Patrick Spence
Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
Date: November 28, 201823, 2020By:/s/ Michael GiannettoBrittany Bagley
Michael GiannettoBrittany Bagley
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)







91

POWER OF ATTORNEY


KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each individual whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Patrick Spence and Michael Giannetto,Brittany Bagley, and each of them, such individual’s true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full power of substitution, for such individual and in such individual’s name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as such individual might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done or by virtue hereof.


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Annual Report on Form 10-K has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
SignatureTitleDate
SignatureTitleDate
/s/ Patrick SpenceChief Executive Officer and DirectorNovember 28, 201823, 2020
Patrick Spence(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Michael GiannettoBrittany BagleyChief Financial OfficerNovember 28, 201823, 2020
Michael GiannettoBrittany Bagley
(Principal Financial Officer and
Principal Accounting Officer)
/s/ Robert BachDirectorNovember 28, 201823, 2020
Robert Bach
/s/ Brittany BagleyDirectorNovember 28, 2018
Brittany Bagley
/s/ Karen BooneDirectorNovember 28, 201823, 2020
Karen Boone
/s/ Joanna ColesDirectorNovember 23, 2020
Joanna Coles
/s/ Thomas ConradDirectorNovember 28, 201823, 2020
Thomas Conrad
/s/ Deirdre FindlayDirectorNovember 23, 2020
Deirdre Findlay
/s/ Julius GenachowskiDirectorNovember 28, 201823, 2020
Julius Genachowski
/s/ John MaedaDirectorNovember 28, 201823, 2020
John Maeda
/s/ Panos PanayDirectorNovember 23, 2020
Panos Panay
/s/ Michelangelo VolpiDirector and Chairperson of the Board of DirectorsNovember 28, 201823, 2020
Michelangelo Volpi


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