As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 23,July 19, 2021

No. 333-255067

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

AMENDMENT NO. 23

TO

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

PowerSchool Holdings, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

150 Parkshore Dr.

Folsom, California 95630

Telephone: (877) 873-1550

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

Hardeep Gulati

Chief Executive Officer

150 Parkshore Dr.

Folsom, California 95630

Telephone: (877) 873-1550

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies of all communications, including communications sent to agent for service, should be sent to:

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

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

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

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

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, 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.

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

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

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. The prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities nor a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer and sale is not permitted.

Subject to Completion. Dated ,July 19, 2021

39,473,685 Shares

Class A Common Stock

This is the initial public offering of shares of Class A common stock of PowerSchool Holdings, Inc., par value $0.0001 per share. PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. is offering 39,473,685 shares of its Class A common stock to be sold in the offering.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for the Class A common stock of PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. It is currently estimated that the initial public offering price per share will be between $$18.00 and $                .$20.00. PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. has been approved to list its Class A common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PWSC”.

PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. has two authorized classes of common stock: Class A and Class B (together, the “common stock”). Holders of the Class A common stock and Class B common stock are each entitled to one vote per share. All holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock will vote together as a single class except as otherwise required by applicable law or our certificate of incorporation. Holders of Class B common stock do not have any right to receive dividends or distributions upon the liquidation or winding up of PowerSchool Holdings, Inc.

PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. will use the net proceeds from this offering to purchase newly-issued units (“LLC Units”) in Severin Holdings, LLC (“Holdings LLC”). The purchase price for the LLC Units will be equal to the initial public offering price of the shares of Class A common stock less the underwriting discounts and commissions referred to below. Holdings LLC will use the net proceeds it receives from PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. in connection with this offering as described in “Use of Proceeds.” Upon completion of this offering, PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. will own 153,218,009 LLC Units representing a %79.3% economic interest in Holdings LLC and although PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. will initially have a minority economic interest in Holdings LLC, it will be the sole managing member of Holdings LLC and will exclusively operate and control all of its business and affairs. Severin Topco LLC (“Topco LLC”), the sole existing member of Holdings LLC, will hold the remaining 39,934,320 LLC Units representing a %20.7% economic interest in Holdings LLC, and an equal number of shares of Class B common stock. Each LLC Unit is, from time to time, exchangeable for shares of Class A common stock or, at our election, for cash from a substantially concurrent public offering or private sale (based on the price of our Class A common stock in such public offering or private sale). PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. will be a holding company, and upon consummation of this offering and the application of the net proceeds therefrom, its sole asset will be LLC Units of Holdings LLC. Immediately following this offering, the holders of Class A common stock will collectively own 100% of the economic interests in PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. and have %79.3% of the voting power of PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. Topco LLC, through ownership of our Class B common stock, will have the remaining %20.7% of the voting power of PowerSchool Holdings, Inc.

PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. is an “emerging growth company” as the term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 and, as such, has elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements for this prospectus and expects to continue to do so in future filings.

Investing in our Class A common stock involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 2728 to read about factors you should consider before buying shares of our Class A common stock.

Immediately after this offering, certain affiliates of Vista and Onex Partners (each as defined herein), after giving effect to this offering and assuming the offering size set forth will beneficially own approximately %78.1% of the voting power of our common stock. As a result, we expect to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of the New York Stock Exchange. See “Management—Controlled Company Status” and “Principal Stockholders.”

At our request, the underwriters have reserved up to 1,973,684 shares of our Class A common stock, or %5.0% of the shares of Class A common stock offered pursuant to this prospectus, for sale at the initial public offering price per share through a directed share program to certain individuals associated with Vista and Onex Partners. See “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest).”

PRICE $                 A SHARE

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Select Equity Group, L.P., acting on behalf of a number of their respective clients, have indicated an interest, severally but not jointly, in purchasing an aggregate of up to $350 million in shares of our Class A common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, the underwriters may determine to sell more, fewer, or no shares in this offering to such potential investors, or either or both of these potential investors may determine to purchase more, fewer, or no shares in this offering. The underwriters will receive the same underwriting discount on any shares purchased by such potential investors as they will on any other shares sold to the public in this offering.

The underwriters have the option to purchase up to an additional 5,921,052 shares of Class A common stock from us at the initial public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions for a period of 30 days after the date of this prospectus.

NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

The underwriters expect to deliver shares of Class A common stock against payment in New York, New York on or about                 , 2021.

Prospectus dated                 , 2021.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Neither we nor any of the underwriters have authorized anyone to provide any information or make any representations other than that contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). We and the underwriters take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, shares of Class A common stock only in jurisdictions and under circumstances where offers and sales are permitted. The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or of any sale of the Class A common stock. Our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects may have changed since such date.

For investors outside of the United States, neither we nor any of the underwriters have done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. You are required to inform yourselves about, and to observe any restrictions relating to, this offering and the distribution of this prospectus outside of the United States.

Through and including                , 2021 (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus), all dealers effecting transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to a dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to an unsold allotment or subscription.

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BASIS OF PRESENTATION

In connection with the consummation of this offering, we will effect certain organizational transactions. Unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise requires, all information in this prospectus reflects the consummation of the organizational transactions and this offering, which we refer to collectively as the “Organizational Transactions.” See “Organizational Structure” for a description of the Organizational Transactions and a diagram depicting our anticipated structure after giving effect to the Organizational Transactions, including this offering.

Unless we state otherwise or the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “our business,” “the Company” and “PowerSchool” refer to and similar references refer: (1) on or following the consummation of the Organizational Transactions, including this offering, to PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, including Holdings LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries, and (2) prior to the consummation of the Organizational Transactions, including this offering, to Holdings LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries. The term “our Principal Stockholders” refers to funds associated with Onex Partners Manager LP (“Onex Partners” or “Onex”) and Vista Equity Partners (“Vista”), our principal stockholders, and the term “Holdings LLC” refers to Severin Holdings, LLC.

We will be a holding company and the sole managing member of Holdings LLC and, upon consummation of this offering and the application of net proceeds therefrom, our sole asset will be equity interests in Holdings LLC held directly and indirectly through the former Blocker Entities (as defined below). Holdings LLC is the predecessor of the issuer, PowerSchool Holdings, Inc., for financial reporting purposes. PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. will be the reporting entity following this offering.

PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. is a newly incorporated entity, has had no business transactions or activities to date and had no assets or liabilities during the periods presented in this prospectus. PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. will have no interest in any operations other than those of Holdings LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries. Accordingly, this prospectus contains the historical financial statements of Holdings LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries. The unaudited pro forma consolidated financial data of PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. presented in this prospectus has been derived from the application of pro forma adjustments to the historical consolidated financial statements of Holdings LLC and its subsidiaries included elsewhere in this prospectus. These pro forma adjustments give effect to the Organizational Transactions as described in “Organizational Structure,” including the consummation of this offering and other related transactions, as if all such transactions had occurred on DecemberMarch 31, 2020,2021, in the case of the unaudited pro forma condensed balance sheet and January 1, 2020, in the case of the unaudited pro forma consolidated statements of income. See “Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Financial Data”Information” for a complete description of the adjustments and assumptions underlying the unaudited pro forma consolidated financial datainformation included in this prospectus.

As used in this prospectus, unless the context otherwise requires, references to “K-12 schools” or “K-12 education” refer to all primary and secondary education, from kindergarten prior to the first year (or first grade) of formal schooling through the twelfth year of formal schooling (or twelfth grade).

MARKET AND INDUSTRY DATA

Unless otherwise indicated, information in this prospectus concerning economic conditions, our industry, our markets and our competitive position is based on a variety of sources, including information from independent industry analysts and publications, as well as our own estimates and research.

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Certain information in the text of this prospectus is contained in independent industry publications. The sources of these independent industry publications are provided below:

We have not had this information verified by any independent sources. Other than the Frost & Sullivan report, the independent industry publications used in this prospectus were not prepared on our behalf. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding any information presented in this prospectus, forecasts, assumptions, expectations, beliefs, estimates and projects involve risk and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those described under the headings “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors.”

TRADEMARKS, SERVICE MARKS AND TRADENAMESTRADE NAMES

This prospectus includes our trademarks, service marks and trade names, such as “PowerSchool” which are protected under applicable intellectual property laws and are the property of the Company or its subsidiaries. This prospectus also contains trademarks, service marks and trade names of other companies which are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, trademarks, service marks and trade names referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ^®, ^SM or ^™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks, service marks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of the trademarks, service marks or trade names of other parties to imply a relationship with, or endorsement of, these other parties.

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our Class A common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information contained in this prospectus, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto, before making a decision to invest in our Class A common stock. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, may also become important factors that affect us. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the price of our Class A common stock could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to COVID-19

Our new customer acquisition and expansion and customer renewals have increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and such increases in customer acquisitions and renewals may not be sustained or may reverse at any time.

We have experienced significant increases in customer acquisition and expansion and customer renewals as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly as it relates to statewide implementations of our platform. You should not rely on the increase in customer acquisitions and renewals in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic as an indication of our future performance. Many factors may contribute to declines in our acquisitions of customers and customer renewals in future periods, including if there is slowing demand for our platform, especially once the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic tapers. If our growth rate declines, investors’ perceptions of our business and the trading price of our common stock could be adversely affected.

The increased adoption and usage of our platform stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic may result in interruptions, delays, or outages in our platform, has resulted in increased customer interactions and wait times which could result in breach of our standard customer agreements, our performance guarantees and service level standards thereunder, and will result in increased variable costs, all of which could harm our business financial condition and results of operations.

The usage and adoption of our learning platform has increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and customer interactions and wait times for our customers have increased accordingly. If our customer support teams are unable to keep up with our increasing demands of our customers, customers may experience delays or interruptions in service, which could result in the breach of our standard customer agreements including performance guarantees and service level standards that obligate us to provide credits in the event of a significant disruption in our platform.

We have benefitted from the U.S. federal government’s stimulus packages focused on educational initiatives approved as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, there is no guarantee that additional funding will be approved, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. federal government approved certain fiscal stimulus packages, including an additional $82 billion in December 2020, and in March 2021 President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan which includes $130 billion to support a reopening plan for K-12 schools and $35 billion for public Higher Education institutions to assist in reopening efforts, such as distance learning programs, the implementation of safety protocols, and emergency financial assistance. We are unable to predict the extent, implementation and effectiveness of any government-funded benefit programs and stimulus packages and the corresponding effect on demand for our

platform or whether any further programs or stimulus packages will be adopted. If such government-funded benefit programs and stimulus packages are approved, our results may not be comparable to future periods.

Further, as a result of the stimulus packages, if potential competitors are attracted to our industry and develop and market new technologies that render our existing or future solutions less competitive, unmarketable or obsolete, our business and operating results may be adversely affected.

The COVID-19 pandemic could materially adversely affect our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects.

The severity, magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty regarding the timing of the vaccine rollout is uncertain and rapidly changing. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in authorities implementing numerous measures to try to contain the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter in place orders and shutdowns. These measures have impacted and may further impact all or portions of our facilities, workforce and operations, the behavior of our customers and the operations of our respective vendors and suppliers. Concern over the impact of COVID-19 and uncertainty regarding the timing of the vaccine rollout has delayed the purchasing decisions of certain prospective customers and/or caused them to consider making smaller purchases than originally anticipated. While governmental authorities have taken measures to try to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, there is considerable uncertainty regarding such measures and potential future measures. There is no certainty that measures taken by governmental authorities will be sufficient to mitigate the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and our ability to perform critical functions could be harmed.

In response to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have implemented a number of measures designed to protect the health and safety of our workforce, proactively reduce operating costs, conserve liquidity and position us to maintain our healthy financial position. These measures include restrictions on non-essential business travel, the institution of work-from-home policies wherever feasible and the implementation of strategies for workplace safety at our facilities that remain open. We are following the guidance from public health officials and government agencies, including implementation of enhanced cleaning measures, social distancing guidelines and wearing of masks. We will continue to incur increased costs for our operations during this pandemic that are difficult to predict with certainty. As a result, our future business, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition may be affected by the COVID-19 disruptions and timing of the vaccine rollout. There is no assurance the measures we have taken or may take in the future will be successful in managing the uncertainties caused by COVID-19 and the vaccine rollout.

While most of our operations can be performed remotely, there is no guarantee that we will be as effective while working remotely because our team is dispersed, many employees may have additional personal needs to attend to (such as looking after children as a result of school closures or caring for family members who become sick), and employees may become sick themselves and be unable to work. Decreased effectiveness of our team could adversely affect our results due to our inability to meet in person with potential customers, cancellation and inability to participate in conferences and other industry events that lead to sales generation, longer time periods to review and approve work product and a corresponding reduction in innovation, longer time to respond to platform performance issues, or other decreases in productivity that could seriously harm our business. Significant management time and resources may be diverted from our ordinary business operations in order to develop, implement and manage workplace safety strategies and conditions, which may be impacted by the vaccine rollout, as we attempt to return to our facilities.

As a result of COVID-19 and the vaccine rollout, we may decide to postpone or cancel planned investments in our business in response to changes in our business, or experience difficulties in

recruiting or retaining personnel, each of which may impact our ability to respond to our customers’ needs and fulfill contractual obligations. In addition, as a result of financial or operational difficulties, our suppliers, system integrators and channel partners may experience delays or interruptions in their ability to provide services to us or our customers, if they are able to do so at all, which could interrupt our customers’ access to our services which could adversely affect their perception of our platform’s reliability and result in increased liability exposure. We rely upon third parties for certain critical inputs to our business and platform, such as data centers and technology infrastructure. Any disruptions to services provided to us by third parties that we rely upon to provide our platform, including as a result of actions outside of our control, could significantly impact the continued performance of our platform.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also significantly increased economic and demand uncertainty globally, and has led to record levels of unemployment in the United States. As a result, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an economic slowdown, and it is possible that it could cause a global recession. This economic uncertainty has led to a general decrease in consumer spending and confidence, as well as an increased focus at state and federal level on budgets and overall spending. Our revenue, results of operations and cash flows depend on the overall demand for our platform. Concerns about the systemic impact of a potential widespread recession (in the United States or internationally), geopolitical issues or the availability and cost of credit have led to increased market volatility, decreased consumer confidence and diminished growth expectations in the U.S. economy and abroad, which in turn could result in reductions in IT spending by our existing and prospective customers. Some of our customers have experienced and may continue to experience financial hardships that, to date, have resulted in certain instances of delayed or uncollectible payments from our existing customers, though this could increase in the future. It is unclear when and how quickly the economy will recover after this unprecedented shutdown. All of these factors could have a negative impact on our revenue, cash flows and results of operations.

The severity, magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine rollout is uncertain, rapidly changing and hard to predict and depends on events beyond our knowledge or control. These and other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic could have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section, such as those relating to our reputation, solutions sales, results of operations or financial condition. We may not be able to predict or respond to all impacts on a timely basis to prevent near- or long-term adverse impacts to our results. As a result, we cannot at this time predict the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine rollout, but it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Risks Related to Our Business and Strategy

We have a history of cumulative losses, and we do not expect to be profitable for the foreseeable future.

While we recorded a net income of $0.5 million in the quarter ended March 31, 2021, we incurred net losses of $46.6 million, and $90.7 million in the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. We had accumulated deficit of $177.8 million, $178.3 million and $131.7 million as of March 31, 2021, December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. Our losses and accumulated deficit reflect the substantial investments we have made to acquire new customers and develop our platform. We expect our operating expenses to increase in the future due to anticipated increases in sales and marketing expenses, research and development expenses, operations costs and general and administrative costs, and, therefore, we expect our losses to continue for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, to the extent we are successful in gaining new customers, we will also incur increased losses because many costs associated with acquiring new customers are generally incurred up front, while subscription revenue is generally recognized ratably over the terms of the agreements (typically three years, although some customers commit for longer or shorter periods). If we are unable to maintain consistent or increasing revenue or revenue growth, the market price of our common stock could be

could be volatile, and it may be difficult for us to achieve and maintain profitability or maintain or increase cash flow on a consistent basis. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we will achieve profitability in the future, or that, if we do become profitable, we will sustain profitability or achieve our target margins on a midterm or long-term basis.

We have experienced rapid growth in recent periods, and our recent growth rates may not be indicative of our future growth. As our costs increase, we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to achieve and, if achieved, maintain profitability.

We have experienced significant revenue growth in recent periods. In future periods, we may not be able to sustain revenue growth consistent with recent history, or at all. We believe our revenue growth depends on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, our ability to:

We may not successfully accomplish any of these objectives and, in particular, COVID-19 may impact our ability to successfully accomplish any of the above, and as a result, it is difficult for us to forecast our future results of operations. Our historical growth rate should not be considered indicative of our future performance and may decline in the future. In future periods, our revenue could grow more slowly than in recent periods or decline for any number of reasons, including those outlined above. We also expect our operating expenses to increase in future periods, particularly as we continue to invest in research and development and technology infrastructure, expand our operations globally, develop new solutions and enhancements for existing solutions and as we begin to operate as a public company. If our revenue growth does not increase to offset these anticipated increases in our operating expenses, our business, financial position and results of operations will be harmed, and we may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability. In addition, the additional expenses we will incur may not lead to sufficient additional revenue to maintain historical revenue growth rates and profitability.

The markets in which we participate are intensely competitive, and if we do not compete effectively, our operating results could be adversely affected.

The market for the software we sell is highly competitive, with relatively low barriers to entry within certain areas of our product portfolio. Our competitors include well-established providers of K-12 non-instructional educational software, including Frontline and Instructure, that have long-standing relationships with many customers. Some customers may be hesitant to switch or to adopt our cloud-based software and prefer to maintain their existing relationships with their legacy software vendors.

We may also in the future face competition from new entrants to our market, some of whom would be able to invest massive resources (e.g., Microsoft, Amazon or Google) to develop a unified platform that competes directly with ours or to acquire one or more of our competitors to compete with us. If existing or new companies develop or market solutions similar to ours, develop an entirely new software platform for the K-12 education sector, acquire one of our existing competitors or form a strategic alliance with one of our competitors or other industry participants, our ability to compete effectively could be significantly impacted, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our competitors may offer software on a standalone basis at a low price or bundled as part of a larger product sale. In order to take advantage of customer demand for cloud-based software, legacy vendors are expanding their cloud-based software through acquisitions and organic development. Legacy vendors may also seek to partner with other leading cloud providers. We also face competition from custom-built software vendors and from vendors of specific applications, some of which offer cloud-based solutions.

We may also face competition from a variety of vendors of cloud-based and on-premises software products that may have some of the core functionality of our solutions but that address only a portion of the capabilities and features of our platform. In addition, other companies that provide cloud-based software in different target markets may develop software or acquire companies that operate in our target markets, and some potential customers may elect to develop their own internal software. With the introduction of new technologies and market entrants, we expect this competition to intensify in the future.

Furthermore, our current or potential competitors may be acquired by third parties with greater available resources and the ability to initiate or withstand substantial price competition. In addition, many of our competitors have established marketing relationships, access to larger customer bases and major distribution agreements with consultants, system integrators and resellers. Our competitors may also establish cooperative relationships among themselves or with third parties that may further enhance their product offerings or resources. If our platform does not become more accepted relative to our competitors’, or if our competitors are successful in bringing their products or services to market earlier than ours, or if their products or services are more technologically advanced than ours, then our revenue could be adversely affected. In addition, some of our competitors may offer their products and services at a lower price. If we are unable to achieve our target pricing levels, our operating results will be negatively affected. Pricing pressures and increased competition could result in reduced sales, reduced margins, losses or a failure to maintain or improve our competitive market position, any of which could adversely affect our business.

Acquisitions and divestitures could harm our business and operating results.

We have acquired in the past, and plan to acquire in the future, other businesses, solutions and technologies. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of

Operations—Overview—Building the PowerSchool Platform.” Acquisitions and divestures involve significant risks and uncertainties, which include:

In addition, a significant portion of the purchase price of companies we acquire may be allocated to acquired goodwill and other intangible assets. Goodwill must be assessed for impairment at least annually, and other intangible assets are assessed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. In the future, if our acquisitions do not yield expected returns, we may be required to take charges to our operating results based on this impairment assessment process, which could adversely affect our results of operations. In addition, our exposure to risks associated with various claims, including the use of intellectual property, may be increased as a result of acquisitions of other companies. For example, we may have a lower level of visibility into the development process with respect to intellectual property or the care taken to safeguard against infringement risks with respect to the acquired company or technology. In addition, third parties may make infringement and similar or related claims after we have acquired technology that were not asserted prior to our acquisition. We could also acquire businesses or companies that offer solutions or services different than our current platform services, which could expose us to new areas of risk. In addition, acquisitions could result in dilutive issuances of equity securities or the incurrence of debt, which could adversely affect our operating results. If an acquired business fails to meet our expectations, our operating results, business and financial position may suffer.

If we are unable to retain our personnel and hire and integrate additional skilled personnel, we may be unable to achieve our goals and our business will suffer.

Our future success depends upon our ability to continue to attract, train, integrate and retain highly skilled employees, particularly those on our management team, including Hardeep Gulati, our Chief Executive Officer, and our sales and marketing personnel, SaaS operations personnel, professional services personnel and software engineers. Our inability to attract and retain qualified personnel, or delays in hiring necessary personnel, including delays due to COVID-19, may seriously harm our business, results of operations and financial condition. If U.S. immigration policy related to skilled foreign workers were materially adjusted, such a change could hamper our efforts to hire highly skilled foreign employees, including highly specialized engineers, which would adversely impact our business.

Our executive officers and other key employees are generally employed on an at-will basis, which means that these personnel could terminate their relationship with us at any time. The loss of any member of our senior management team could significantly delay or prevent us from achieving our business and/or development objectives, and could materially harm our business.

We face competition for qualified individuals from numerous software and other technology companies. Competition for these personnel is intense, especially for engineers with high levels of experience in designing and developing software for Internet-related services. We have, from time to time, experienced, and we expect to continue to experience, difficulty in hiring and retaining employees with appropriate qualifications. Many of the companies with which we compete for experienced personnel have greater resources than we have. If we hire employees from competitors or other companies, their former employers may attempt to assert that these employees or our company have breached their legal obligations, resulting in a diversion of our time and resources. In addition, job candidates and existing employees often consider the value of the stock awards they receive in connection with their employment. If the perceived value of our stock awards declines, it may adversely affect our ability to recruit and retain highly skilled employees. Further, significant amounts of time and resources are required to train technical, sales, services and other personnel. We may incur significant costs to attract, train and retain such personnel, and we may lose new employees to our competitors or other technology companies before we realize the benefit of our investment after recruiting and training them.

Also, to the extent that we hire personnel from competitors, we may be subject to allegations that such personnel have been improperly solicited or have divulged proprietary or other confidential information. In addition, we have a limited number of sales people and the loss of several sales people within a short period of time could have a negative impact on our sales efforts. We may be unable to attract and retain suitably qualified individuals who are capable of meeting our growing technical, operational and managerial requirements, or we may be required to pay increased compensation in order to do so.

Our ability to expand geographically depends, in large part, on our ability to attract, retain and integrate managers with the appropriate skills to lead local operations and employees. Similarly, our profitability depends on our ability to effectively utilize personnel with the right mix of skills and experience to perform services for our customers, including our ability to transition employees to new assignments on a timely basis. If we are unable to effectively deploy our employees globally on a timely basis to fulfill the needs of our customers, our reputation could suffer and our ability to attract new customers may be harmed.

Because of the technical nature of our solutions and the dynamic market in which we compete, any failure to attract, integrate and retain qualified technical, sales, services and other personnel, as well as our contract workers, could harm our ability to generate sales or successfully develop new solutions and professional services and enhancements of existing solutions.

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

Our success depends largely upon the continued services of our key executive officers. In particular, our chief executive officer, Hardeep Gulati, is critical to our vision, strategic direction, culture and overall business success. We also rely on our leadership team in the areas of research and development, marketing, sales, services and general and administrative functions, and on mission-critical individual contributors in research and development. From time to time, there may be changes in our executive management team resulting from the hiring or departure of executives, which could disrupt our business. We do not maintain key-man insurance for Mr. Gulati or any other member of our senior management team. We do not have employment agreements with our executive officers or other key personnel that require them to continue to work for us for any specified period and, therefore, they could terminate their employment with us at any time. The loss of one or more of our executive officers or key employees could have a serious adverse effect on our business.

If we are unable to develop, introduce and market new and enhanced versions of our solutions, we may be put at a competitive disadvantage and our operating results could be adversely affected.

Our ability to attract new customers and increase revenue from our existing customers depends, in part, on our continued ability to enhance the functionality of our existing solutions by developing, introducing and marketing new and enhanced versions of our solutions that address the evolving needs of our customers and changing industry standards. Because some of our solutions are complex and require rigorous testing, development cycles can be lengthy and can require months or even years of development, depending upon the solution and other factors. As we expand internationally, our solutions and services must be modified and adapted to comply with regulations and other requirements of the countries in which our customers do business.

Additionally, market conditions, including heightened pressure on carriers from end-users relating to mobile computing devices and speed of delivery, may dictate that we change the technology

platform underlying our existing solutions or that new solutions be developed on different technology platforms, potentially adding material time and expense to our development cycles. The nature of these development cycles may cause us to experience delays between the time we incur expenses associated with research and development and the time we generate revenue, if any, from such expenses.

If we fail to develop new solutions or enhancements to our existing solutions, our business could be adversely affected, especially if our competitors are able to introduce solutions with enhanced functionality. It is critical to our success for us to anticipate changes in technology, industry standards and customer requirements and to successfully introduce new, enhanced and competitive solutions to meet our customers’ and prospective customers’ needs on a timely basis.

If we are not able to scale our business and manage our expenses, our operating results may suffer.

We have expanded specific functions over time in order to scale efficiently, to improve our cost structure and help scale our business. Our need to scale our business has placed, and will continue to place, a significant strain on our administrative and operational business processes, infrastructure, facilities and other resources. Our ability to manage our operations will require significant expenditures and allocation of valuable management resources to improve internal business processes and systems, including investments in automation. Further, we expect to continue to expand our business globally. International expansion may also be required for our continued business growth, and managing any international expansion will require additional resources and controls. If our operations, infrastructure and business processes fail to keep pace with our business and customer requirements, customers may experience disruptions in service or support or we may not scale the business efficiently, which could adversely affect our reputation and adversely affect our revenue. There is no guarantee that we will be able to continue to develop and expand our infrastructure and business processes at the pace necessary to scale the business, and our failure to do so may have an adverse effect on our business. If we fail to efficiently expand our engineering, operations, customer support, professional services, cloud infrastructure, IT and financial organizations and systems, or if we fail to implement or maintain effective internal business processes, controls and procedures, our costs and expenses may increase more than we planned or we may fail to execute on our solutions roadmap or our business plan, any of which would likely seriously harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

Adverse general and industry-specific economic and market conditions and reductions in IT spending may reduce demand for our solutions, which could harm our results of operations.

Our revenue, results of operations and cash flows depend on the overall demand for our solutions. Concerns about the systemic impact of a potential widespread recession (in the United States or internationally), geopolitical issues or the availability and cost of credit could lead to increased market volatility, decreased consumer confidence and diminished growth expectations in the U.S. economy and abroad, which in turn could result in reductions in IT spending by our existing and prospective customers. Prolonged economic slowdowns may result in customers delaying or canceling IT projects, choosing to focus on in-house development efforts or seeking to lower their costs by requesting us to renegotiate existing contracts on less advantageous terms or defaulting on payments due on existing contracts or not renewing at the end of existing contract terms. As a result, broadening or protracted extension of an economic downturn could harm our business, revenue, results of operations and cash flows.

We could lose revenue if there are changes in the spending policies or budget priorities for government funding of K-12 schools.

A substantial portion of our revenue is derived from sales to K-12 schools, with less than 10% coming from Higher Education institutions, which are heavily dependent on federal, state, and local government funding. In addition, the school appropriations process is often slow, unpredictable and subject to many factors outside of our control. Budget cuts, curtailments, delays, changes in leadership, shifts in priorities or general reductions in funding could reduce or delay our revenue. Funding difficulties experienced by schools, which have been exacerbated by the recent economic downturn, the impacts of COVID-19 and state budget deficits, could also slow or reduce purchases, which in turn could materially harm our business.

Our business may be adversely affected by changes in state educational funding, resulting from changes in legislation, both at the federal and state levels, changes in the state procurement process, changes in government leadership, declines in K-12 school enrollment, emergence of other priorities and changes in the condition of the local, state or U.S. economy. Moreover, future reductions in federal funding and the state and local tax bases could create an unfavorable environment, leading to budget shortfalls resulting in a decrease in educational funding. Any decreased funding for schools may harm our recurring and new business materially if our customers are not able to find and obtain alternative sources of funding.

Additionally, permanent shifts in student enrollment from traditional K-12 education models toward online and home schooling or other alternative educational models that do not use our solutions could materially harm our business. In addition, although it is a smaller proportion of our business, our revenue coming from Higher Education institutions might decline if enrollment rates continue to decline.

We provide our solutions to state and local government entities and to a lesser extent federal government agencies, and heavily regulated organizations in the U.S. and in foreign jurisdictions; as a result, we face risks related to the procurement process and budget decisions driven by statutory and regulatory determinations, termination of contracts and compliance with government contracting requirements.

We sell our solutions and provide limited services to a number of state and local government entities and, in limited instances, the U.S. government. We additionally have customers who operate in heavily-regulated organizations who procure our software solutions and we have made, and may continue to make, significant investments to support future sales opportunities in these sectors. Doing business with government entities presents a variety of risks. Among other risks, the procurement process for governments and their agencies is highly competitive, can be time-consuming, requires us to incur significant up-front time and expense and subjects us to additional compliance risks and costs, without any assurance that we will win a contract. Beyond this, demand for our solutions and services may be impacted by public sector budgetary cycles and funding availability, the impacts of COVID-19, and reduced or delayed funding in any given fiscal cycle, including in connection with an extended federal government shutdown, which could adversely impact demand for our solutions and services. In addition, public sector and heavily-regulated customers may have contractual, statutory or regulatory rights to terminate current contracts with us for convenience or due to a default. If a contract is terminated for convenience, we may only be able to collect fees for solutions or services delivered prior to termination and settlement expenses. If a contract is terminated due to a default, we may be liable for excess costs incurred by the customer for procuring alternative solutions or services or be precluded from doing further business with government entities. Further, entities providing services to governments are required to comply with a variety of complex laws, regulations and contractual provisions relating to the formation, administration, or performance of government contracts that give

public sector customers substantial rights and remedies, many of which are not typically found in commercial contracts. These may include rights with respect to price protection, the accuracy of information provided to the government, contractor compliance with supplier equal opportunity and affirmative action policies and other terms that are particular to government contracts, such as termination rights. Federal, state and local governments routinely investigate and audit contractors for compliance with these requirements. If, as a result of an audit or review, it is determined that we have failed to comply with these requirements, we may be subject to civil and criminal penalties and administrative sanctions, including termination of contracts, forfeiture of profits, cost associated with the triggering of price reduction clauses, fines and suspensions or debarment from future government business, and we may suffer harm to our reputation.

Our customers also include a number of non-U.S. governments. Similar procurement, budgetary, contract and audit risks that apply in the context of U.S. government contracting also apply to our doing business with these entities, particularly in certain emerging markets where our customer base is less established. In addition, compliance with complex regulations and contracting provisions in a variety of jurisdictions can be expensive and consume significant management resources. In certain jurisdictions, our ability to win business may be constrained by political and other factors unrelated to our competitive position in the market.

Certain estimates of market opportunity and forecasts of market growth included in this prospectus may prove to be inaccurate.

This prospectus includes our internal estimates of the addressable market for our solutions. Market opportunity estimates and growth forecasts, whether obtained from third-party sources or developed internally, are subject to significant uncertainty and are based on assumptions and estimates that may prove to be inaccurate. This is especially so at the present time due to the uncertain and rapidly changing projections of the severity, magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. The estimates and forecasts in this prospectus relating to the size and expected growth of our target market, market demand and adoption, capacity to address this demand and pricing may also prove to be inaccurate. In particular, our estimates regarding our current and projected market opportunity are difficult to predict. The addressable market we estimate may not materialize for many years, if ever, even if the markets in which we compete meet the size estimates and growth forecasted in this prospectus, our business could fail to grow at similar rates, if at all.

We invest significantly in research and development, and to the extent our research and development investments do not translate into new solutions or material enhancements to our current solutions, or if we do not use those investments efficiently, our business and results of operations would be harmed.

A key element of our strategy is to invest significantly in our research and development efforts to develop new solutions and enhance our existing solutions to address additional applications and markets. For the year ended December 31, 2020, our research and development expense was approximately 16% of our revenue. If we do not spend our research and development budget efficiently or effectively on compelling innovation and technologies, our business may be harmed and we may not realize the expected benefits of our strategy. Moreover, research and development projects can be technically challenging and expensive. The nature of these research and development cycles may cause us to experience delays between the time we incur expenses associated with research and development and the time we are able to offer compelling solutions and generate revenue, if any, from such investment. Additionally, anticipated customer demand for a solutions we are developing could decrease after the development cycle has commenced, rendering us unable to recover substantial costs associated with the development of such solution. If we expend a significant amount of resources on research and development and our efforts do not lead to the successful introduction or improvement

of solutions that are competitive in our current or future markets, it would harm our business and results of operations.

Downturns or upturns in our sales may not be immediately reflected in our financial position and results of operations.

Because we recognize the majority of our revenue ratably over the term of the subscription agreement, any decreases in new subscriptions or renewals in any one period may not be immediately reflected as a decrease in revenue for that period, but could negatively affect our revenue in future quarters. This also makes it difficult for us to rapidly increase our revenue through the sale of additional subscriptions in any period, as revenue is recognized over the term of the subscription agreement. In addition, fluctuations in monthly subscriptions based on usage could affect our revenue on a period-over-period basis. If our quarterly results of operations fall below the expectations of investors and securities analysts who follow our stock, the price of our Class A common stock would decline substantially, and we could face costly lawsuits, including securities class actions.

The length and unpredictability of the sales cycle for our software could delay new sales and cause our revenue and cash flows for any given quarter to fail to meet our projections or market expectations.

The sales cycle between our initial contact with a potential client and the signing of a subscription with that client typically ranges from 3 to 18 months. As a result of this lengthy sales cycle, we have only a limited ability to forecast the timing of sales. A delay in or failure to complete transactions could harm our business and financial results, and could cause our financial results to vary significantly from quarter to quarter. Our sales cycle varies widely, reflecting differences in our potential clients’ decision-making processes, procurement requirements and budget cycles, and is subject to significant risks over which we have little or no control, including:

Our large customers have substantial negotiating leverage, which may require that we agree to terms and conditions that result in increased cost of sales, decreased revenue and lower average selling prices and gross margin percentages, all of which would harm our results of operations.

Some of our customers include state-level agencies and North America’s largest school districts. These customers have significant bargaining power when negotiating new SaaS arrangements or term licenses, or renewals of existing agreements, and have the ability to buy similar solutions from other vendors or develop such systems internally. These customers have and may continue to seek advantageous pricing and other commercial terms and may require us to develop additional features in the solutions we sell to them. We have been required to, and may continue to be required to, reduce the average selling price of our solutions in response to these pressures. These customers may also require us to implement their purchased solutions on an expedited basis. If we are unable to implement our solutions to our customers satisfaction or avoid reducing our average selling prices and gross margin percentages, our results of operations would be harmed.

We may need to change our pricing models to compete successfully.

The intense competition we face in the sales of our solutions and services and general economic and business conditions can put pressure on us to change our prices. If our competitors offer deep

discounts on certain solutions or services or develop solutions that the marketplace considers more valuable than ours, we may need to lower prices or offer other favorable terms in order to compete successfully. Any such changes may reduce margins and could adversely affect operating results. Our competitors may offer lower pricing on their support offerings, which could put pressure on us to further discount our offerings. We also must determine the appropriate price of our offerings and services to enable us to compete effectively internationally. Our prices may also change because of discounts, a change in our mix of solutions toward subscription, enterprise-wide licensing arrangements, bundling of solutions, features and functionality by us or our competitors, potential changes in our pricing, anticipation of the introduction of new solutions or promotional programs for customers. In response to COVID-19, we may be required to offer deeply discounted pricing, adopt new pricing models and offer extended payment terms in order to attract new and retain existing customers, which could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity and financial condition.

Any broad-based change to our prices and pricing policies could cause our revenue to decline or be delayed as our sales force implements and our customers adjust to new pricing policies. We or our competitors may bundle solutions for promotional purposes or as a long-term go-to-market or pricing strategy or provide guarantees of prices and solution implementations. These practices could, over time, significantly constrain the prices that we can charge for certain of our solutions. If we do not adapt our pricing models to reflect changes in customer use of our solution or changes in customer demand, our revenue could decrease.

We may not be able to increase the number of new subscription-based accounts or cause existing accounts to renew their subscriptions, which could have a negative impact on our future revenue and results of operations.

We may not be able to increase demand for our subscription-based services in line with our growth strategy. Our accounts are not obligated to renew their subscriptions for our offerings, and they may elect not to renew. We cannot assure renewal rates, or the mix of subscriptions renewals. Account renewal rates may decline or fluctuate due to a number of factors, including offering pricing, competitive offerings, account satisfaction, and reductions in account spending levels or account activity due to economic downturns. If our accounts do not renew their subscriptions or if they renew on less favorable terms, our revenue may decline, which could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

If we fail to maintain, enhance or protect our brand, our ability to expand our customer base will be impaired and our business, financial condition and results of operations may suffer.

We believe that maintaining, enhancing and protecting our brand, is critical to support the marketing and sale of our existing and future solutions to new customers and expand sales of our solutions to existing customers. We also believe that the importance of brand recognition will increase as competition in our market increases. Successfully maintaining, enhancing and protecting our brand will depend largely on the effectiveness of our marketing efforts, our ability to provide reliable solutions that continue to meet the needs of our customers at competitive prices, our ability to maintain our customers’ trust, our ability to continue to develop new functionality and use cases, our ability to successfully differentiate our solutions and solution capabilities from competitive products and our ability to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce trademark and other intellectual property protection for our brand. Our brand promotion activities may not generate customer awareness or yield increased revenue, and even if they do, any increased revenue may not offset the expenses we incur in building our brand. If we fail to successfully promote, maintain or protect our brand, our business, financial condition and results of operations may suffer.

Our business is subject to the risks of fire, floods and other natural catastrophic events, and to interruption by man-made problems such as power disruptions, computer viruses, data security breaches or terrorism.

Our corporate headquarters are located in the Sacramento region of California. A significant natural disaster, such as a fire or flood, occurring at our headquarters, at one of our other facilities, at any of our cloud hosting provider facilities, or where a business partner is located could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. For example, the rapid spread of COVID-19 globally in 2020 has resulted in travel restrictions and in some cases, prohibitions of non-essential travel, disruption and shutdown of businesses and greater uncertainty in global financial markets. Prolonged health concerns or political or governmental developments in countries in which we or our customers, partners and service providers operate could result in further economic, social or labor instability, slow our sales process, result in customers not purchasing or renewing our solutions or failing to make payments, and could otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business and our results of operations and financial condition. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts our results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and will include emerging information concerning the re-opening of private businesses, infection rates and the actions taken by governments and private businesses to attempt to contain and cope with COVID-19.

Further, if a natural disaster or man-made incident were to affect Internet service providers, this could adversely affect the ability of our customers to use our solutions and platform. Although we maintain incident management and disaster response plans, in the event of a major disruption caused by a natural disaster or man-made incident, we may be unable to continue our operations and may endure system interruptions, reputational harm, delays in our development activities and lengthy interruptions in service, any of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Large customers often demand more configuration and integration services, or customized features and functions that we do not offer, which could adversely affect our business and operating results.

Large customers may demand more configuration and integration services, which increase our upfront investment in sales and deployment efforts, with no guarantee that these customers will increase the scope of their subscription. As a result of these factors, we must devote a significant amount of sales support and professional services resources to individual customers, increasing the cost and time required to complete sales. Additionally, our platform does not currently permit customers to modify our code. If prospective customers require customized features or functions that we do not offer and that would be difficult for them to deploy themselves, then the market for our platform will be more limited and our business could suffer.

Our business is subject to seasonal sales and customer growth fluctuations which could result in volatility in our operating results.

Our business is subject to seasonal fluctuations. Historically, we have experienced predictable annual renewal cycles, with a meaningful portion of service periods beginning in July and September due to seasonal demand and “back-to-school” momentum. This drives higher bookings in our second and third fiscal quarters and subsequent annual fees. As a result, a significantly higher percentage of our annual license fees are invoiced during those quarters at contract renewal or inception, also resulting in higher levels of cash collection in the third and fourth quarter. We generally expect these seasonal trends to continue tracking the school year and academic calendar in the future, which may cause quarterly fluctuations in our results of operations and certain financial metrics. Seasonality may cause our sales and customer growth to vary from quarter-to-quarter depending on the variability in the

volume and timing of sales and renewals. These factors, among other things, make forecasting more difficult and may adversely affect our ability to predict financial results accurately, which could result in volatility or adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Quarterly Results of Operations and Other Data.”

We rely, in part, on channel partners for the sale and distribution of certain of our products. Failure to deliver on the service level agreements with our channel partners, a decrease in revenues from certain of these channel partners or any failure in our channel strategy could adversely affect our business.

We rely on channel partners for the sale and distribution of some of our products. For example, in March 2021, we entered into a reseller agreement with EAB Global, Inc. whereby EAB Global operates as the exclusive channel partner and reseller of our Intersect products and other items within the United States and Canada and a non-exclusive reseller of certain other products. We plan to continue to establish and maintain similar strategic relationships in certain industry verticals and otherwise, and we expect our channel partners to become an increasingly important aspect of our business. However, these strategic relationships could limit our ability in the future to compete in certain industry verticals and, depending on the success of our third-party partners and the industries that those partners operate in generally, may negatively impact our business because of the nature of strategic alliances, exclusivity provisions, or otherwise.

We anticipate that we will continue to depend on relationships with third parties, such as our channel partners and system integrators, to sell, market and deploy our products. Identifying partners, and negotiating and documenting relationships with them, requires significant time and resources. If our channel partners do not effectively sell, market or deploy our products, choose to promote our competitors’ products or otherwise fail to meet the needs of our customers, our ability to grow our business and sell our products may be adversely affected. In addition, acquisitions of such partners by our competitors could result in a decrease in the number of our current and potential customers, as these partners may no longer facilitate the adoption of our applications by potential customers. Further, some of our partners are or may become competitive with certain of our products and may elect to no longer integrate with our products. We rely on our channel partners to operate in accordance with the terms of their contractual agreements with us. Moreover, if we experience any failures to meet the stated service level commitments in our channel partner agreements, our business may be negatively impacted. Overall, if we are unsuccessful in establishing or maintaining our channel partners and system integrators, our ability to compete in the marketplace or to grow our revenue could be impaired, and our results of operations may suffer.

Risks Related to our Intellectual Property Rights and our Technology

Disruptions, capacity limitations or interference with our use of the data centers operated by third-party providers that host our cloud services, including, but not limited to Amazon Web Services (“AWS”) and Microsoft Azure (“Azure”), could result in delays or outages of our cloud service and harm our business.

We currently host our cloud service from third-party data center facilities operated by AWS and Azure, from several global locations. Any damage to, failure of or interference with our cloud service that is hosted by AWS and Azure, or by third-party providers we may utilize in the future, whether as a result of our actions, actions by the third-party data centers, actions by other third parties, or acts of God, could result in interruptions in our cloud service and/or the loss of our or our customers’ data. While the third-party data centers host the server infrastructure, we manage the cloud services through our site reliability engineering team, and we need to support version control, changes in cloud software

parameters and the evolution of our solutions, all in a multi-OS environment. As we utilize third-party data centers, we may move or transfer our data and our customers’ data from one region to another. Despite precautions taken during this process, any unsuccessful data transfers may impair the delivery of our service. Many of our customer agreements contain contractual service level commitments to maintain specified service levels for our cloud services, and if we, AWS and Azure, or any other third-party data center facilities that we may utilize fail to meet these service level commitments, we may have to issue credits to these customers, which could adversely affect our operations. Impairment of, or interruptions in, our cloud services may reduce our subscription revenue, subject us to claims and litigation, cause our customers to terminate their subscriptions and adversely affect our subscription renewal rates and our ability to attract new customers. Our business will also be harmed if our customers and potential customers believe our services are unreliable. Additionally, any limitation of the capacity of our third-party data centers could impede our ability to scale, onboard new customers or expand the usage of existing customers, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We do not control, or in some cases have limited control over, the operation of the data center facilities we use, and they are vulnerable to damage or interruption from earthquakes, floods, fires, power loss, telecommunications failures and similar events. They may also be subject to cyberattacks, computer viruses, disabling devices, break-ins, sabotage, intentional criminal acts, acts of vandalism and similar misconduct and to adverse events caused by operator error. Despite precautions taken at these facilities, the occurrence of a natural disaster, an act of terrorism, war or other act of malfeasance, a decision to close the facilities without adequate notice, or other unanticipated problems at these facilities could result in lengthy interruptions in our service and the loss of customer data and business. We may also incur significant costs for using alternative equipment or facilities or taking other actions in preparation for, or in reaction to, any such events.

In the event that any of our agreements with our third-party service providers are terminated, there is a lapse or elimination of any services or features that we utilize or there is an interruption of connectivity or damage to facilities, whether due to actions outside of our control or otherwise, we could experience interruptions or delays in customer access to our platform and incur significant expense in developing, identifying, obtaining and/or integrating replacement services, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all, and which would adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may be sued by third parties for alleged infringement, misappropriation or other violation of their intellectual property and proprietary rights.

There is considerable patent and other intellectual property development activity in our industry. Our success depends, in part, on our ability to develop and commercialize our solutions without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the intellectual property or proprietary rights of others. From time to time, our competitors or other third parties have claimed and in the future could claim that we are infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating their intellectual property or proprietary rights, we have been and in the future may become subject to intellectual property disputes and we may be found to be infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating such rights. A claim may also be made relating to technology that we acquire or license from third parties.

We may be unaware of the intellectual property or proprietary rights of others that may cover some or all of our solutions. Regardless of merit, any claims or litigation could cause us to incur significant expenses and, if successfully asserted against us, could require that we pay substantial damages, costs and/or ongoing royalty payments, prevent us from offering our solutions, require us to obtain a license, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all, require us to re-design our solutions, which could by costly, time-consuming or impossible or require that we comply

with other unfavorable terms. If any of our customers are sued, we would in general be required to defend and/or settle the litigation on their behalf. In addition, if we are unable to obtain licenses or modify our solutions to make them non-infringing, we might have to refund a portion of license fees prepaid to us and terminate those agreements, which could further exhaust our resources. In addition, we may pay substantial settlement amounts or royalties on future solution sales to resolve claims or litigation, whether or not legitimately or successfully asserted against us. Even if we were to prevail in the actual or potential claims or litigation against us, any claim or litigation regarding our intellectual property and proprietary rights could be costly and time-consuming and divert the attention of our management and key personnel from our business operations. Such disputes, with or without merit, could also cause potential customers to refrain from purchasing our solutions or otherwise cause us reputational harm.

We do not currently have a large patent portfolio, which could prevent us from deterring patent infringement claims through our own patent portfolio, and our competitors and others may now and in the future have significantly larger and more mature patent portfolios than we have. Any litigation may also involve non-practicing entities, patent holding companies or other adverse patent owners. We cannot predict the outcome of lawsuits and cannot ensure that the results of any such actions will not have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

If we are unable to obtain, maintain, protect or enforce our intellectual property and proprietary rights, our competitive position could be harmed or we could be required to incur significant expenses.

Our ability to compete effectively is dependent in part upon our ability to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce our intellectual property and other proprietary rights, including proprietary technology. We establish and protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights, including our proprietary information and technology through a combination of licensing agreements, third-party nondisclosure agreements, confidentiality procedures and other contractual provisions, as well as through patent, trademark, trade dress, copyright, trade secret and other intellectual property laws in the United States and similar laws in other countries. However, the steps we take to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce our intellectual property and proprietary rights may be inadequate. There can be no assurance that these protections will be available in all cases or will be adequate to prevent our competitors or other third parties from copying, reverse engineering, accessing or otherwise obtaining and using our technology, intellectual property or proprietary rights or solutions without our permission. The laws of some foreign countries, including countries in which our solutions are sold, may not be as protective of intellectual property and proprietary rights as those in the United States, and mechanisms for enforcement of intellectual property and proprietary rights may be inadequate. There can be no assurance that our competitors will not independently develop technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to our technology or design around our intellectual property and proprietary rights. In each case, our ability to compete could be significantly impaired.

In addition, third parties may seek to challenge, invalidate or circumvent our patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets or other intellectual property and proprietary rights, or any applications for any of the foregoing, including through administrative processes such as re-examination, inter partes review, interference and derivation proceedings and equivalent proceedings in foreign jurisdictions (e.g., opposition proceedings) or litigation. The legal standards relating to the validity, enforceability and scope of protection of intellectual property and proprietary rights are uncertain and still evolving. There can be no assurance that our patent applications will result in issued patents or whether the examination process will require us to narrow the scope of the claims sought. In addition, our issued patents, and any patents issued from our pending or future patent applications or licensed to us in the future may not provide us with competitive advantages, may be successfully challenged, invalidated or circumvented by third parties, or may not prove to be enforceable in actions brought against alleged

infringers. The value of our intellectual property and proprietary rights could also diminish if others assert rights therein or ownership thereof, and we may be unable to successfully resolve any such conflicts in our favor or to our satisfaction.

To prevent substantial unauthorized use of our intellectual property and proprietary rights, it may be necessary to prosecute actions for infringement, misappropriation or other violation of our intellectual property and proprietary rights against third parties. Any such action may be time-consuming and could result in significant costs and diversion of our resources and management’s attention, and there can be no assurance that we will be successful in such action, even when our rights have been infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated. Further, our efforts to enforce our intellectual property and proprietary rights may be met with defenses, counterclaims and countersuits attacking the validity and enforceability of our intellectual property and proprietary rights, and if such defenses, counterclaims or countersuits are successful, we could lose valuable intellectual property and proprietary rights.

Furthermore, many of our current and potential competitors have the ability to dedicate substantially greater resources to enforce their intellectual property and proprietary rights than we do. Accordingly, despite our efforts, we may not be able to prevent third parties from infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating our intellectual property and proprietary rights. Although we enter into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and consultants and enter into confidentiality agreements with other third parties, including customers and third-party service providers, we cannot guarantee that we have entered into such agreements with each party that has or may have had access to our proprietary information, know-how and trade secrets. Moreover, no assurance can be given that these agreements will be effective in controlling access to, distribution, use, misuse, misappropriation, reverse engineering or disclosure of our proprietary information, know-how and trade secrets. Further, these agreements may not prevent our competitors from independently developing technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to our solutions and platform capabilities. These agreements may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach.

If our security measures or those of our third-party service providers are breached or fail and result in unauthorized disclosure of data, we could lose school clients, fail to attract new school clients and be exposed to protracted and costly litigation as a result of the harm to a student’s wellbeing or other damages.

Our platform and solutions store and transmit proprietary and confidential school, student, and company information, which may include personal information of students, prospective students, faculty and employees, that is subject to stringent legal and regulatory obligations. As a technology company, we face an increasing number of threats to our platform and computer systems, including unauthorized activity and access, system viruses, worms, malicious code, denial of service attacks, phishing attacks, and organized cyberattacks, any of which could breach our security and disrupt our platform and our school clients’ offerings. Although we devote significant resources, including approximately $8 million of spending on cybersecurity during the year ended December 31, 2020, to prevent unwanted intrusions and to protect our systems and data, whether such data is housed internally or by external third parties, the techniques used by computer hackers and cyber criminals to obtain unauthorized access to data or to sabotage computer systems change frequently and generally are not detected until after an incident has occurred. Cyber threat actors are becoming more sophisticated and coordinated in their attempts to access information technology (IT) systems and data. While we have implemented certain safeguards and processes to thwart unwanted intrusions and to protect the data in our platform and computer systems, whether housed internally or externally by third parties, such safeguards and the cybersecurity measures taken by our third-party service providers may be unable to anticipate, detect or prevent all attempts to compromise our platform and

systems. We and certain of our third-party service providers have experienced and may continue to experience cyber incidents

of varying degrees and type in the conduct of our business. Although such incidents did not have a material adverse effect on our operating results, there can be no assurance of a similar result in the future. If our security measures are breached or fail as a result of third-party action, user error, malfeasance or otherwise, it could result in the loss or misuse of proprietary and confidential school, student (including prospective student), employee and company information, or harm the safety, wellbeing or academic outcomes of students, all of which could subject us to significant liability, or interrupt our business, potentially over an extended period of time. For example, data breaches or failures could result in a student’s grades being misreported on that student’s transcripts, which could negatively affect students’ emotional health and educational and career prospects.

Any or all of these issues could harm our reputation, adversely affect our ability to attract new school clients and students, cause existing school clients to scale back their offerings or elect not to renew their agreements, cause prospective students not to enroll or existing students to not stay enrolled in our offerings, or subject us to third-party lawsuits, regulatory fines or other action or liability. Further, any reputational damage resulting from breach of our security measures could create distrust of our company by prospective school clients or students. In addition, our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover costs, expenses and losses associated with such events, and in any case, such insurance may not cover all of the types of costs, expenses and losses we could incur to respond to and remediate a security breach. As a result, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to protect against the threat of these disruptions and security breaches or to alleviate problems caused by such disruptions or breaches.

Many governments have enacted laws that require companies and institutions to notify impacted individuals of data breach incidents, usually in writing. Under the terms of our contracts with our school clients, we would be responsible for the costs of investigating and disclosing data breaches to the school clients and their students. In addition to costs associated with investigating and fully disclosing a data breach, we could be subject to regulatory proceedings or private claims by affected parties, which could result in substantial monetary fines or damages, and our reputation would likely be harmed.

Indemnity provisions in various agreements to which we are party potentially expose us to substantial liability for infringement, misappropriation or other violation of intellectual property rights, data protection and other losses.

Our agreements with our customers and other third parties may include indemnification provisions under which we agree to indemnify or otherwise be liable to them for losses suffered or incurred as a result of claims of infringement, misappropriation or other violation of intellectual property rights, data protection, damages caused by us to property or persons, or other liabilities relating to or arising from our software, services, platform, our acts or omissions under such agreements or other contractual obligations. Some of these indemnity agreements provide for uncapped liability and some indemnity provisions survive termination or expiration of the applicable agreement. Large indemnity payments could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Although we attempt to contractually limit our liability with respect to such indemnity obligations, we are not always successful and may still incur substantial liability related to them, and we may be required to cease use of certain functions of our platform or solutions as a result of any such claims. Any dispute with a customer or other third-party with respect to such obligations could have adverse effects on our relationship with such customer or other third-party and other existing or prospective customers, reduce demand for our solutions and services and adversely affect our business, financial conditions and results of operations. In addition, although we carry general liability insurance, our insurance may not be adequate to indemnify us for all liability that may be imposed or otherwise protect us from liabilities or damages with respect to claims alleging compromises of customer data, and any such coverage may not continue to be available to us on acceptable terms or at all.

Our use of open source software could impose limitations on our ability to commercialize our solutions or subject us to litigation or other actions.

Our software contains solutions licensed for use from third-party authors under open source licenses, and we expect to continue to incorporate open source software in our solutions in the future. Use and distribution of open source software may entail greater risks than use of third-party commercial software, as open source licensors generally do not provide warranties or other contractual protections regarding infringement, misappropriation or other violation claims or the quality of the code. Some open source licenses contain requirements that we make available the source code of modifications or derivative works we create based upon, incorporating or using the type of open source software we use and that we license such modifications or derivative works under the terms of the applicable open source licenses. If we fail to comply, or are alleged to have failed to comply, with the terms and conditions of our open source licenses, we could be required to incur significant legal expenses defending such allegations, subject to significant damages, enjoined from the sale of our proprietary solutions and required to comply with onerous conditions or restrictions on our proprietary solutions, any of which could be disruptive to our business.

Moreover, if we combine our proprietary solutions with open source software in a certain manner, we could, under certain of the open source licenses, be required to release the source code of our proprietary solutions to the public or offer our solutions to users at no cost. This could allow our competitors to create similar solutions with lower development effort and time and ultimately could result in a loss of sales for us. We cannot ensure that we have not incorporated open source software in our software in a manner that is inconsistent with the terms of the applicable license or our current policies, and we may inadvertently use open source in a manner that we do not intend or that could expose us to claims for breach of contract or intellectual property infringement, misappropriation or other violation.

The terms of many open source licenses have not been interpreted by U.S. courts, and there is a risk that such licenses could be construed in a manner that could impose unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability to commercialize our solutions. In such an event, we could be required to seek licenses from third parties in order to continue offering our solutions, re-engineer our solutions, discontinue the sale of our solutions in the event re-engineering cannot be accomplished on a timely basis or make generally available, in source code form, all or a portion of our proprietary source code, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business and operating results.

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

Our continued growth depends on the ability of our existing and potential customers to access our solutions and applications 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without interruption or degradation of performance. We have and, in the future may experience disruptions, outages and other performance problems with our infrastructure due to a variety of factors, including infrastructure changes, introductions of new functionality, service interruptions from our hosting or technology partners, human or software errors, capacity constraints, distributed denial of service attacks or other security-related incidents. In some instances, we may not be able to identify the cause or causes of these performance problems immediately or in short order. We may not be able to maintain the level of service uptime and performance required by our customers or our contractual commitments, especially during peak usage times and as our solutions become more complex and our user traffic increases. If any of our solutions malfunction or if our customers are unable to access our solutions or deploy them within a reasonable amount of time, or at all, our business would be harmed. The adverse effects of any service interruptions on our reputation and financial condition may be disproportionately heightened due to the

nature of our business and the fact that our customers expect continuous and uninterrupted access to our solutions and have a low tolerance for interruptions of any duration. Since our customers use our solutions to assist in necessary business and service interactions and to support customer and client-facing applications, any outage on our solutions would impair the ability of our customers to operate their businesses and provide necessary services, which would negatively impact our brand, reputation and customer satisfaction.

Any of the above circumstances or events may harm our reputation, cause customers to terminate their agreements with us, impair our ability to obtain subscription renewals from existing customers, impair our ability to grow our customer base, result in the expenditure of significant financial, technical and engineering resources, subject us to financial penalties and liabilities under our service level agreements, and otherwise could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Failures in internet infrastructure or interference with broadband or wireless access could cause current or potential customers to believe that our solutions are unreliable, leading these customers to switch to our competitors or to avoid using our solutions, which could negatively impact our revenue or harm our opportunities for customer growth.

Our solutions depend in part on our customers’ high-speed broadband or wireless access to the internet. Increasing numbers of customers and bandwidth requirements may degrade the performance of our solutions due to capacity constraints and other internet infrastructure limitations, and additional network capacity to maintain adequate data transmission speeds may be unavailable or unacceptably expensive. If adequate capacity is not available to us, our solutions may be unable to achieve or maintain sufficient data transmission, reliability, or performance. In addition, if internet service providers and other third parties providing internet services, including incumbent phone companies, cable companies and wireless companies, have outages or suffer deterioration in their quality of service, our customers may not have access to or may experience a decrease in the quality of our solutions. These providers may take measures that block, degrade, disrupt, or increase the cost of customer access to our solutions. Any of these disruptions to data transmission could lead customers to switch to our competitors or avoid using our solutions, which could negatively impact our revenue or harm our opportunities for growth.

Real or perceived errors, failures or bugs in our solutions, hosting, support or implementation could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects.

Our solutions are complex, and therefore, undetected errors, failures, bugs or defects may be present in our solutions or occur in the future in our solutions, our technology or software or technology or software we license in from third parties, including open source software, especially when updates or new solutions are released. Such software and technology is used in IT environments with different operating systems, system management software, devices, databases, servers, storage, middleware, custom and third-party applications and equipment and networking configurations, which may cause errors, failures, bugs or defects in the IT environment into which such software and technology is deployed. This diversity increases the likelihood of errors, failures, bugs or defects in those IT environments. Despite testing by us, real or perceived errors, failures, bugs or defects may not be found until our customers use our solutions. Real or perceived errors, failures, bugs or defects in our solutions could result in negative publicity, potentially harm the safety, wellbeing and academic outcomes of students, cause a loss of or delay in market acceptance of our solutions and harm to our brand, weaken our competitive position, result in claims by customers for losses sustained by them or failure to meet the stated service level commitments in our customer agreements. In such an event, we may be required, or may choose, for customer relations or other reasons, to expend significant

additional resources in order to help correct the problem. Any real or perceived errors, failures, bugs or defects in our solutions could also impair our ability to attract new customers, retain existing customers or expand their use of our solutions, which would adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Moreover, as our solutions are adopted by an increasing number of schools and school districts, it is possible that the individuals and organizations behind advanced cyberattacks will begin to focus on finding ways to hack our solutions. If this happens, our customers could be specifically targeted by attackers exploiting vulnerabilities in our solutions, which could subject us to private claims by affected parties and adversely affect our reputation.

Organizations are increasingly subject to a wide variety of attacks on their networks, systems and endpoints. If any of our customers experiences a successful third-party cyberattack on our solutions, such customer could be dissatisfied with our solutions, regardless of whether theft of any of such customer’s data occurred in such attack. Additionally, if customers fail to adequately deploy protection measures or update our solutions, customers and the public may erroneously believe that our solutions are especially susceptible to cyberattacks. Real or perceived security breaches against our solutions could cause disruption or damage to our customers’ networks or other negative consequences and could result in negative publicity to us, damage to our reputation, lead to other customer relations issues, potentially harm the safety and wellbeing of students and adversely affect our revenue and results of operations. We may also be subject to liability claims for damages related to real or perceived errors, failures, bugs or defects in our solutions. A material liability claim or other occurrence that harms our reputation or decreases market acceptance of our solutions may harm our business and results of operations. Finally, since some our customers use our solutions for compliance reasons, any errors, failures, bugs, defects, disruptions in service or other performance problems with our solutions may damage our customers’ business and could hurt our reputation.

Incorrect or improper use of our solutions or our failure to properly train customers on how to utilize our solutions could result in customer dissatisfaction and negatively affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects.

Our solutions are complex and are used in a wide variety of school environments. The proper use of our solutions requires training of the customer and end user. If our solutions are not used correctly or as intended, inadequate performance may result. Because our customers rely on our solutions, services and maintenance support to manage a wide range of operations, the incorrect or improper use of our solutions, our failure to properly train customers on how to efficiently and effectively use our solutions, or our failure to properly provide maintenance services to our customers may result in negative publicity or legal claims against us. Also, as we continue to expand our customer base, any failure by us to properly provide these services will likely result in lost opportunities for follow-on sales of our solutions.

In addition, if there is substantial turnover of customer personnel responsible for use of our solutions, or if customer personnel are not well trained in the use of our solutions, customers may defer the implementation of our solutions, may use them in a more limited manner than originally anticipated or may not use them at all. Further, if there is substantial turnover of the customer personnel responsible for use of our solutions, our ability to make additional sales may be substantially limited.

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

Our customers rely on our customer support personnel to resolve issues and realize the full benefits that our solutions provide. High-quality support is also important for the renewal and expansion of our subscriptions with existing customers. The importance of our support function will

increase as we expand our business and pursue new customers. Many of our large customers have complex networks and require high levels of focused support, including premium support offerings, to fully realize the benefits of our solutions. As our customer base continues to grow, we will need to expand our account management, customer service and other personnel and our network of channel partners and system integrators to provide personalized account management and customer service. Any failure by us to maintain the expected level of support could reduce customer satisfaction and hurt our customer retention, particularly with respect to our large customers.

Furthermore, as we sell our solutions internationally, our support organization faces additional challenges, including those associated with delivering support, training and documentation in languages other than English. Any failure to maintain high-quality customer support, or a market perception that we do not maintain high-quality support, could materially harm our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations, and adversely affect our ability to sell our solutions to existing and prospective customers. The importance of high-quality customer support will increase as we expand our business and pursue new customers.

We may not be able to respond to rapid technological changes with new solution and service offerings. If we fail to predict and respond rapidly to evolving technological trends and our customers’ changing needs, we may not be able to remain competitive.

Our market is characterized by rapid technological change, changing customer needs, frequent new software solution introductions and evolving industry standards. The introduction of third-party solutions embodying new technologies and the emergence of new industry standards and products could make our existing and future software solutions obsolete and unmarketable. We may not be able to develop updated solutions and services that keep pace with these and other technological developments that address the increasingly sophisticated needs of our customers or that meet new industry standards or interoperate with new or updated operating systems and hardware devices. We may also fail to adequately anticipate and prepare for the commercialization of emerging technologies and the development of new markets and applications for our technology and thereby fail to take advantage of new market opportunities or fall behind early movers in those markets. Our customers require that our solutions effectively identify and respond to these challenges on a timely basis without disrupting the performance of our customers’ IT systems or interrupting their operations. As a result, we must continually modify and improve our offerings in response to these changes on a timely basis. If we are unable to evolve our solutions in time to respond to and remain ahead of new technological developments, our ability to retain or increase market share and revenue in our markets could be materially adversely affected.

In addition, the process of developing new technology is complex and uncertain, and if we fail to accurately predict customers’ changing needs and emerging technological trends, our business could be harmed. We believe that we must continue to dedicate significant resources to our research and development efforts, including significant resources to developing new solutions and solution enhancements before knowing whether the market will accept them. Our new solutions and solution enhancements could fail to attain sufficient market acceptance for many reasons, including:

Our competitors, particularly those with greater financial and operating resources, may be able to respond more quickly and effectively than we can to new or changing opportunities, technologies, standards or customer requirements. With the introduction of new technologies, the evolution of our solutions and new market entrants, we expect competition to intensify in the future. Pricing pressures and increased competition generally could result in reduced sales, reduced margins, losses or the failure of our solutions to achieve or maintain more widespread market acceptance.

We rely on third-party software and intellectual property licenses.

Our solutions include software and other intellectual property and proprietary rights licensed from third parties. It may be necessary in the future to seek or renew licenses relating to various aspects of our solutions. We have the expectation, based on experience and standard industry practice, that such licenses generally can be obtained on commercially reasonable terms. However, there can be no assurance that the necessary licenses would be available on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. Our inability to obtain certain licenses or other rights or to obtain such licenses or rights on favorable terms could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial conditions. In any such case, we may be required to seek licenses to other software or intellectual property or proprietary rights from other parties and re-design our solutions to function with such technology, or develop replacement technology ourselves, which could result in increased costs and solution delays. We may also be forced to limit the features available in our current or future solutions. Moreover, incorporating intellectual property or proprietary rights licensed from third parties on a nonexclusive basis in our solutions, including our software could limit our ability to protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights in our solutions and our ability to restrict third parties from developing similar or competitive technology using the same third-party intellectual property or proprietary rights.

Risks Related to Laws and Regulation

Government regulation of education and student information is evolving, and unfavorable developments could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

We are subject to regulations and laws specific to the education sector because we offer our solutions and services to students, collect data from students, and offer education and training. Data privacy and security with respect to the collection of personally identifiable information from students continues to be a focus of worldwide legislation and regulation. This includes significant regulation in the European Union (the “EU”), and legislation and compliance requirements in various jurisdictions around the world. Within the United States, several states have enacted legislation that goes beyond any federal requirements relating to the collection and use of personally identifiable information and other data from students. Examples include statutes adopted by the State of California and most other states that require online services to report certain breaches of the security of personal data and a California statute that requires companies to provide choice to California customers about whether their personal data is disclosed to direct marketers or to report to California customers when their personal data has been disclosed to direct marketers. In this regard, there are a large number of legislative proposals before the U.S. Congress and various state legislative bodies regarding privacy issues related to our business. It is not possible to predict whether or when such legislation may be adopted, and certain proposals, if adopted, could harm our business through a decrease in student registrations and revenue. These decreases could be caused by, among other possible provisions, the required use of disclaimers or other requirements before students can utilize our services. We post our privacy policies and practices concerning the use and disclosure of student data on our website. However, any failure by us to comply with our posted privacy policies, FTC requirements or other privacy-related laws and regulations could result in proceedings by governmental or regulatory bodies or by private litigants that could potentially harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Our business may also be subject to laws specific to students, such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the Delaware Higher Education Privacy Act and a California statute which restricts the access by postsecondary educational institutions of prospective students’ social media account information. Compliance requirements include obtaining government licenses, disclosures, consents, transfer restrictions, notice and access provisions for which we may in the future need to build further infrastructure to further support. We cannot guarantee that we or our acquired companies prior to our acquisition thereof have been or will be fully compliant in every jurisdiction, due to lack of clarity concerning how existing laws and regulations governing educational institutions affect our business and lengthy governmental compliance process timelines. Moreover, as the education industry continues to evolve, increasing regulation by federal, state and foreign agencies becomes more likely. Recently, California adopted the Student Online Personal Information Protection Act which prohibits operators of online services used for K-12 school purposes from using or sharing student personal information and Colorado adopted House Bill 16-1423 designed to protect the use of student personal data in elementary and secondary school. These acts do not apply to general audience Internet websites but it is not clear how these acts will be interpreted and the breadth of services that will be restricted by them. Other states may adopt similar statutes. Certain states have also adopted statutes, such as California Education Code § 66400, which prohibits the preparation or sale of material that should reasonably be known will be submitted for academic credit. These statutes are directed at enterprises selling term papers, theses, dissertations and the like, which we do not offer, and were not designed for services like ours which are designed to help students understand the relevant subject matter. Although we will continue to work with academic institutions to enforce our honor code and otherwise discourage students from misusing our services, other states may adopt similar or broader versions of these types of statutes, or the interpretation of the existing or future statutes may impact whether they are cited against us or where we can offer our services.

The adoption of any laws or regulations that adversely affect the popularity or growth in the use of the Internet particularly for educational services, including laws limiting the content and learning programs that we can offer, and the audiences that we can offer that content to, may decrease demand for our service offerings and increase our cost of doing business. Future regulations, or changes in laws and regulations or their existing interpretations or applications, could also hinder our operational flexibility, raise compliance costs and result in additional historical or future liabilities for us, resulting in adverse impacts on our business and our results of operations.

While we expect and plan for new laws, regulations, and standards to be adopted over time that will be directly applicable to the Internet and to our student-focused activities, any existing or new legislation applicable to our business could expose us to substantial liability, including significant expenses necessary to comply with such laws and regulations and potential penalties or fees for non-compliance, and could negatively impact the growth in the use of the Internet for educational purposes and for our services in particular. We may also run the risk of retroactive application of new laws to our business practices that could result in liability or losses. Due to the global nature of the Internet, it is possible that the governments of other states and foreign countries might attempt to change previous regulatory schemes or choose to regulate transmissions or prosecute us for violations of their laws. We might unintentionally violate such laws, such laws may be modified, and new laws may be enacted in the future. Any such developments could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

We function as a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) “business associate” for certain of our customers and, as such, are subject to strict privacy and data security requirements. If we fail to comply with any of these requirements, we could be subject to significant liability, all of which can adversely affect our business as well as our ability to attract and retain new customers.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH, and their respective implementing regulations, or HIPAA, imposes specified requirements relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information. Among other things, HITECH makes HIPAA’s security standards directly applicable to “business associates”. We function as a business associate for certain of our customers that are HIPAA covered entities and service providers, and in that context we are regulated as a business associate for the purposes of HIPAA. If we are unable to comply with our obligations as a HIPAA business associate, we could face substantial civil and even criminal liability. HITECH imposes four tiers of civil monetary penalties and gives state attorneys general authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions. In addition, many state laws govern the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from HIPAA and each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect.

As a business associate, we are required by HIPAA to maintain HIPAA-compliant business associate agreements with our customers that are HIPAA covered entities and service providers, as well as our subcontractors that access, maintain, create or transmit individually identifiable health information on our behalf for the rendering of services to our HIPAA covered entity and service provider customers. These agreements impose stringent data security and other obligations on us. If we or our subcontractors are unable to meet the requirements of any of these business associate agreements, we could face contractual liability under the applicable business associate agreement as well as possible civil and criminal liability under HIPAA, all of which can have an adverse impact on our business and generate negative publicity, which, in turn, can have an adverse impact on our ability to attract and retain customers.

Changes in tax laws or regulations that are applied adversely to us or our customers may have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flow, financial condition, or results of operations.

New income, sales, use, or other tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations, or ordinances could be enacted at any time, which could adversely affect our business operations and financial performance. Further, existing tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations, or ordinances could be interpreted, changed, modified, or applied adversely to us. For example, U.S. federal tax legislation enacted in 2017, informally titled the Tax Cuts and JOBS Act (the “Tax Act”), enacted many significant changes to the U.S. tax laws. Future guidance from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities with respect to the Tax Act may affect us, and certain aspects of the Tax Act could be repealed or modified in future legislation. For example, legislation enacted on March 27, 2020, entitled the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), modified certain provisions of the Tax Act. In addition, it is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to the Tax Act, the CARES Act or any newly enacted federal tax legislation. Changes in corporate tax rates, the realization of net deferred tax assets relating to our operations, the taxation of foreign earnings, and the deductibility of expenses under the Tax Act or future reform legislation could have a material impact on the value of our deferred tax assets, could result in significant one-time charges, and could increase our future U.S. tax expense.

In addition, the public schools we contract with are financed with government funding from federal, state and local taxpayers. Our business may be adversely affected by changes in tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations, or ordinances or by diminished tax revenues which could lead to significant declines in public school funding. The results of federal and state elections can also result in shifts in education policy and the amount of funding available for various education programs. Any decreased funding for schools may harm our recurring and new business materially if our customers are not able to find and obtain alternative sources of funding.

We are subject to export controls and economic sanctions laws, and our customers and channel partners are subject to import controls that could subject us to liability if we are not in full compliance with applicable laws.

Certain of our solutions are subject to U.S. export controls and we would be permitted to export such solutions to certain countries outside the U.S. only by first obtaining an export license from the U.S. government, or by utilizing an existing export license exception, or after clearing U.S. government agency review. Obtaining the necessary export license or accomplishing a U.S. government review for a particular export may be time-consuming and may result in the delay or loss of sales opportunities. Furthermore, U.S. export control laws and economic sanctions, including economic and trade sanctions regulations administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, prohibit the sale or supply of our solutions and services to U.S. embargoed or sanctioned countries, regions, governments, persons and entities.

Although we take precautions to prevent our solutions from being provided in violation of U.S. export control and economic sanctions laws, our solutions may have been in the past, and could in the future be, provided inadvertently in violation of such laws. If we were to fail to comply with U.S. export law requirements, U.S. customs regulations, U.S. economic sanctions or other applicable U.S. laws, we could be subject to substantial civil and criminal penalties, including fines, incarceration for responsible employees and managers and the possible loss of export or import privileges. U.S. export controls, sanctions and regulations apply to our channel partners as well as to us. Any failure by our channel partners to comply with such laws, regulations or sanctions could have negative consequences, including reputational harm, government investigations and penalties.

Changes in our solutions or changes in export and import regulations may create delays in the introduction of our solutions into international markets, prevent our customers with international operations from deploying our solutions globally or, in some cases, prevent the export or import of our solutions to certain countries, governments or persons altogether. In addition, any change in export or import regulations, economic sanctions or related legislation, shift in the enforcement or scope of existing regulations, or change in the countries, governments, persons or technologies targeted by such regulations, could result in decreased use of our solutions by, or in our decreased ability to export or sell our solutions to, existing or potential customers with international operations. Any decreased use of our solutions or limitation on our ability to export or sell our solutions would likely adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.

We are subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery and similar laws, and non-compliance with such laws can subject us to criminal penalties or significant fines and harm our business and reputation.

We are subject to anti-corruption and anti-bribery and similar laws, such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or the FCPA, the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, the U.K. Bribery Act 2010 and other anti-corruption, anti-bribery and anti-money laundering laws in countries in which we conduct activities. Anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws have been enforced aggressively in recent years and are

interpreted broadly and prohibit companies and their employees and agents from promising, authorizing, making, offering, soliciting, or accepting, directly or indirectly, improper payments or other improper benefits to or from any person whether in the public or private sector. As we increase our international sales and business, our risks under these laws may increase. Noncompliance with these laws could subject us to investigations, sanctions, settlements, prosecution, other enforcement actions, disgorgement of profits, significant fines, damages, other civil and criminal penalties or injunctions, adverse media coverage and other consequences. Any investigations, actions or sanctions could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Any future litigation against us could damage our reputation and be costly and time-consuming to defend.

We may become subject, from time to time, to legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business, such as claims brought by our customers in connection with commercial disputes or employment claims made by current or former employees, including as a result of actions taken by us in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Litigation might result in reputational damage and substantial costs and may divert management’s attention and resources, which might adversely impact our business, overall financial condition and results of operations. Insurance might not cover such claims, might not provide sufficient payments to cover all the costs to resolve one or more such claims and might not continue to be available on terms acceptable to us. Moreover, any negative impact to our reputation will not be adequately covered by any insurance recovery. A claim brought against us that is uninsured or underinsured could result in unanticipated costs, thereby reducing our results of operations and leading analysts or potential investors to reduce their expectations of our performance, which could reduce the value of our Class A common stock. While we currently are not aware of any material pending or threatened litigation against us, we can make no assurances the same will continue to be true in the future.

We have received allegations from two prior employees alleging, among other things, that non-exempt employees were not paid all wages owed under applicable laws. We are evaluating the allegations and we intend to pursue any defenses that may be available to us should a lawsuit or other action ultimately be brought in either matter. Although we cannot predict the outcome of these allegations, any ultimate liability or settlement cost or legal costs in defending these or any other actions may have a material adverse effect on our financial position or our results of operations in any particular accounting period.

Changes in privacy laws, regulations, and standards may cause our business to suffer.

Our customers can use our platform to collect, use and store certain types of personal or identifying information regarding their employees and students. Federal, state and foreign government bodies and agencies have adopted, are considering adopting or may adopt laws and regulations regarding the collection, use, storage and disclosure of personal information obtained from consumers and individuals, such as compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in the U.S. and the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) in the EU. The costs of compliance with, and other burdens imposed by, such laws and regulations that are applicable to the businesses of our customers may limit the use and adoption of our platform and reduce overall demand or lead to significant fines, penalties or liabilities for any noncompliance with such privacy laws. Furthermore, privacy concerns may cause our customers’ employees to resist providing the personal data necessary to allow our customers to use our platform effectively. Even the perception of privacy concerns, whether or not valid, may inhibit market adoption of our platform in certain industries.

All of these domestic and international legislative and regulatory initiatives may adversely affect our customers’ ability to process, handle, store, use and transmit demographic and personal

information from their employees, customers and suppliers, which could reduce demand for our platform. The EU and many countries in Europe have stringent privacy laws and regulations, which may affect our ability to operate cost effectively in certain European countries. In particular, the EU has adopted the GDPR which went into effect on May 25, 2018 and contains numerous requirements and changes, including more robust obligations on data processors and heavier documentation requirements for data protection compliance programs by companies. Specifically, the GDPR introduced numerous privacy-related changes for companies operating in the EU, including greater control for data subjects (e.g., the “right to be forgotten”), increased data portability for EU consumers, data breach notification requirements, and increased fines. In particular, under the GDPR, fines of up to 20 million Euros or up to 4% of the annual global revenue of the noncompliant company, whichever is greater, could be imposed for violations of certain of the GDPR’s requirements. Complying with the GDPR may cause us to incur substantial operational costs or require us to change our business practices. Despite our efforts to bring practices into compliance with the GDPR, we may not be successful either due to internal or external factors such as resource allocation limitations or a lack of vendor cooperation. Non-compliance could result in proceedings against us by governmental entities, customers, data subjects or others. We may also experience difficulty retaining or obtaining new European or multi-national customers due to the compliance cost, potential risk exposure, and uncertainty for these entities, and we may experience significantly increased liability with respect to these customers pursuant to the terms set forth in our engagements with them. Recent legal developments in Europe have created complexity and regulatory compliance uncertainty regarding certain transfers of personal information from the EEA to the United States. For example, on July 16, 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) invalidated the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework (“Privacy Shield”) under which personal information could be transferred from the EU to U.S. entities who had self-certified under the Privacy Shield program. While the CJEU upheld the adequacy of EU-specified standard contractual clauses as an adequate personal information transfer mechanism, it made clear that reliance on them alone may not necessarily be sufficient in all circumstances and that their use must be assessed on a case-by-case basis taking into account the surveillance laws in and the right of individuals afforded by, the destination country. The CJEU went on to state that, if the competent supervisory authority believes that the standard contractual clauses cannot be complied with in the destination country and the required level of protection cannot be secured by other means, such supervisory authority is under an obligation to suspend or prohibit that transfer unless the data exporter has already done so itself. We rely on a mixture of mechanisms to transfer personal data from the EU to the U.S. (including having previously relied on Privacy Shield) and are evaluating what additional mechanisms may be required to establish adequate safeguards for personal information. As supervisory authorities continue to issue further guidance on personal information export mechanisms, including circumstances where the standard contractual clauses cannot be used and/or start taking enforcement action, we could suffer additional costs, complaints, and/or regulatory investigations or fines. Moreover, if we are otherwise unable to transfer personal information between and among countries and regions in which we operate, it could affect the manner in which we provide our services, and we may find it necessary to establish systems in the EU to maintain personal data originating from the EU, which may involve substantial expense and distraction from other aspects of our business. In the meantime, there could be uncertainty as to how to comply with EU privacy law.

In addition to the changing regulatory landscape in the E.U., California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”) which took effect on January 1, 2020, and which broadly defines personal information, gives California residents expanded privacy rights, allows consumers to opt out of certain data sharing with third parties, and provides for civil penalties for violations, and includes a new cause of action for data breaches. Moreover, a new privacy law, the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), certified by the California Secretary of State to appear as a ballot initiative was passed by Californians during the November 3, 2020 election. The CPRA will significantly modify the CCPA, and will impose additional data protection obligations on companies doing business in

California, potentially resulting in further complexity. The effects of this legislation are potentially far-reaching and may require us to modify our data management practices and to incur substantial expense in an effort to comply.

In addition, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, generally prohibits educational institutions that receive federal funding from disclosing PII from a student’s education records without the student’s consent. Through our solutions, our customers and users disclose to us certain information that may originate from or comprise a student education record, as the term is defined under FERPA. As an entity that provides services to institutions, we are often subject to contractual clauses that impose restrictions derived from FERPA on our ability to collect, process, transfer, disclose, and store student data, under which we may not transfer or otherwise disclose any PII from a student record to another party other than in a manner permitted under the statute. If we violate our obligations to any of our educational institution customers relating to the privacy of student records subject to FERPA, such a violation could constitute a material breach of contract with one or more of our customers and could harm our reputation. Further, in the event that we disclose student information in a manner that results in a violation of FERPA by one of our educational customers, the U.S. Department of Education could require that customer to suspend our access to the customer’s student information that is covered under FERPA for a period of at least five years.

We are also subject to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, which applies to operators of commercial websites and online services directed to U.S. children under the age of 13 that collect personal information from children, and to operators of general audience websites with actual knowledge that they are collecting information from U.S. children under the age of 13. Some of our solutions are directed, in part, at children under the age of 13. Through our solutions, we collect certain personal information, including names and email addresses from children. COPPA is subject to interpretation by courts and other governmental authorities, including the FTC, and the FTC is authorized to promulgate, and has promulgated, revisions to regulations implementing provisions of COPPA, and provides non-binding interpretive guidance regarding COPPA that changes periodically with little or no public notice. Although we strive to ensure that our platform and applications are compliant with applicable COPPA provisions, these provisions may be modified, interpreted, or applied in new manners that we may be unable to anticipate or prepare for appropriately, and we may incur substantial costs or expenses in attempting to modify our systems, platform, applications, or other technology to address changes in COPPA or interpretations thereof. If we fail to accurately anticipate the application, interpretation or legislative expansion of COPPA we could be subject to governmental enforcement actions, litigation, fines and penalties or adverse publicity and we could be in breach of our customer contracts and our customers could lose trust in us, which could harm our reputation and business.

In addition to government regulation, privacy advocates and industry groups may propose self-regulatory standards, such as the Student Privacy Pledge, from time to time. These and other industry standards may legally or contractually apply to us, or we may elect to comply with such standards or to facilitate our customer’s compliance with such standards. Following these privacy standards and adapting to future standards involves significant operational challenges. In addition, any inability or decision not to join these industry initiatives could damage our reputation, inhibit sales, slow our sales cycles and adversely affect our business.

Because the interpretation and application of many privacy and data protection laws along with contractually imposed industry standards are uncertain, it is possible that these laws may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our existing data management practices or the features of our solutions and platform capabilities. If so, in addition to the possibility of fines, lawsuits and other claims and penalties, we could be required to fundamentally change our business activities and practices or modify our solutions and platform capabilities, which could have an adverse effect on our business. Any inability to adequately address privacy and security concerns, even if

unfounded, or comply with applicable privacy and data security laws, regulations and policies, could result in additional cost and liability to us, damage our reputation, inhibit sales, and adversely affect our business. Furthermore, the costs of compliance with, and other burdens imposed by, the laws, regulations and policies that are applicable to the businesses of our customers may limit the use and adoption of, and reduce the overall demand for, our solutions. Privacy and data security concerns, whether valid or not valid, may inhibit market adoption of our solutions, particularly in certain industries and foreign countries. If we are not able to adjust to changing laws, regulations and standards related to the Internet, our business may be harmed.

Our failure to comply with a variety of complex procurement rules and regulations could damage our reputation and result on our being liable for penalties, including termination of our government contracts, disqualification from bidding on future government contracts, suspension or debarment from government contracting.

We must comply with laws and regulations relating to government contracts, which affect how we do business with our customers and may impose added costs on our business. Some significant laws and regulations that affect us include:

Any failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations could result in contract termination, damage to our reputation, price or fee reductions or suspension or debarment from contracting with the government, each of which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

In addition, federal, state and local government entities may revise existing contract rules and regulations or adopt new contract rules and regulations at any time and may also face restrictions or pressure regarding the type and amount of services that they may obtain from private contractors. Any of these changes could impair our ability to obtain new contracts or renew contracts under which we currently perform when those contracts are eligible for recompetition.

Risks Related to Being a Public Company

As a result of becoming a public company, we will be obligated to develop and maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting in order to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We may not complete our analysis of our internal control over financial reporting in a timely manner, or these internal controls may not be determined to be effective, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our Class A common stock.

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. 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 in accordance with GAAP. We are in the very early stages of the costly and challenging process of

compiling the system and processing documentation necessary to perform the evaluation needed to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We may not be able to complete our evaluation, testing and any required remediation prior to becoming a public company or in a timely manner thereafter. If we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which would cause the price of our Class A common stock to decline, and we may be subject to investigation or sanctions by the SEC.

We will be required, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the fiscal year that coincides with the filing of our second annual report on Form 10-K. This assessment will need to include disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting. We will also be required to disclose changes made in our internal control and procedures on a quarterly basis. However, our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act until the later of the year following our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC, or the date we are no longer an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act if we take advantage of the exemptions contained in the JOBS Act. At such time, our independent registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse in the event it is not satisfied with the level at which our controls are documented, designed or operating.

Additionally, the existence of any material weakness or significant deficiency would require management to devote significant time and incur significant expense to remediate any such material weaknesses or significant deficiencies and management may not be able to remediate any such material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in a timely manner. The existence of any material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting could also result in errors in our financial statements that could require us to restate our financial statements, cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and cause shareholders to lose confidence in our reported financial information, all of which could materially and adversely affect our business and stock price. To comply with the requirements of being a public company, we may need to undertake various costly and time-consuming actions, such as implementing new internal controls and procedures and hiring accounting or internal audit staff, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our management team has limited experience managing a public company.

Many members of our management team have limited experience managing a publicly-traded company, interacting with public company investors and complying with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies. Our management team may not successfully or efficiently manage us as a public company that is subject to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations under the federal securities laws and the continuous scrutiny of securities analysts and investors. These new obligations and constituents require significant attention from our senior management and could divert their attention away from the day-to-day management of our business, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our quarterly operating results and other metrics may vary significantly and be unpredictable, which could cause the trading price of our stock to decline.

Our operating results and other metrics have historically varied from period to period, and we expect that they will continue to do so as a result of a number of factors, many of which are outside of our control and may be difficult to predict, including:

Any one of the factors above or the cumulative effect of some of the factors referred to above may result in significant fluctuations in our financial and other operating results, including fluctuations in our key metrics. This variability and unpredictability could result in our failing to meet the expectations of securities analysts or investors for any period. If we fail to meet or exceed such expectations for these or any other reasons, the market price of our shares could fall substantially and we could face costly lawsuits, including securities class action suits.

We may fail to meet or exceed the expectations of securities analysts and investors, and the market price for our Class A common stock could decline. If one or more of the securities analysts who cover us change their recommendation regarding our stock adversely, the market price for our Class A common stock could decline. Additionally, our stock price may be based on expectations, estimates or forecasts of our future performance that may be unrealistic or may not be achieved. Further, our stock price may be affected by financial media, including press reports and blogs.

Our billing and collections processing activities are complex and time-consuming, and any delay in transmitting and collecting payment could have an adverse effect on our future revenue.

Billing for our solutions is complex, time-consuming and expensive. Depending on the billing arrangement and applicable law, we often bill various entities within a school district, all of which may have different billing requirements. In addition, because many of our customers are educational institutions and provide fundamental services, it is not possible to cease service when bills are not paid which limits our collection methods. These factors create increased risk in our collection efforts, including long collection cycles and the risk that we may never collect at all, either of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Indebtedness

Our existing indebtedness could adversely affect our business and growth prospects.

As of March 31, 2021, we had total current and long-term indebtedness outstanding of approximately $1,596.9 million. Our indebtedness, or any additional indebtedness we may incur, could require us to divert funds identified for other purposes for debt service and impair our liquidity position. If we cannot generate sufficient cash flow from operations to service our debt, we may need to refinance our debt, dispose of assets or issue equity to obtain necessary funds. We do not know whether we will be able to take any of these actions on a timely basis, on terms satisfactory to us or at all.

Our indebtedness, the cash flow needed to satisfy our debt and the covenants contained in the First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement have important consequences, including:

Our level of indebtedness may place us at a competitive disadvantage to our competitors that are not as highly leveraged. Fluctuations in interest rates can increase borrowing costs. Increases in interest rates may directly impact the amount of interest we are required to pay and reduce earnings accordingly. In addition, tax laws, including the disallowance or deferral of tax deductions for interest paid on outstanding indebtedness, could have an adverse effect on our liquidity and our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects. Further, our First Lien Credit

Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement contain customary affirmative and negative covenants and certain restrictions on operations that could impose operating and financial limitations and restrictions on us, including restrictions on our ability to enter into particular transactions and to engage in other actions that we may believe are advisable or necessary for our business. With respect to the Revolving Credit Agreement under the First Lien Credit Agreement, we are subject to a springing maximum Total First Lien Net Leverage Ratio (as defined therein) covenant of 7.75 to 1.00, which is tested quarterly if the aggregate amount of revolving loans, swingline loans and undrawn letter of credit obligations outstanding under the Revolving Credit Agreement (net of cash collateralized letters of credit and up to $15.0 million of non-collateralized or undrawn letters of credit) exceeds 35% of the $180.0 million (effective upon the consummation of the initial public offering, $289.0 million) of commitments thereunder.

Interest rates under the First Lien Credit Agreement and the Second Lien Credit Agreement are based partly on the London interbank offered rate (“LIBOR”) the basic rate of interest used in lending between banks on the London interbank market and is widely used as a reference for setting the interest rate on loans globally. LIBOR is currently expected to be phased out by the middle of 2023. The U.S. Federal Reserve has begun publishing a Secured Overnight Funding Rate which is currently intended to serve as an alternative reference rate to LIBOR. If the method for calculation of LIBOR changes, if LIBOR is no longer available, or if lenders have increased costs due to changes in LIBOR, we may suffer from potential increases in interest rates on our borrowings. Further, we may need to renegotiate our agreements or any other borrowings that utilize LIBOR as a factor in determining the interest rate to replace LIBOR with the new standard that is established.

We expect to use cash flow from operations to meet current and future financial obligations, including funding our operations, debt service requirements and capital expenditures. The ability to make these payments depends on our financial and operating performance, which is subject to prevailing economic, industry and competitive conditions and to certain financial, business, economic and other factors beyond our control.

Despite current indebtedness levels, we may incur substantially more indebtedness, which could further exacerbate the risks associated with our substantial indebtedness.

We may incur significant additional indebtedness in the future. We may also consider investments in joint ventures or acquisitions, which may increase our indebtedness. If new debt is added to our current indebtedness levels, the related risks that we face could intensify.

Variable rate indebtedness that we have incurred or may in the future incur will subject us to interest rate risk, which could cause our debt service obligations to increase significantly.

Substantially all of our borrowings, including borrowings under our First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement, bear variable rates of interest. An increase in prevailing interest rates would increase our debt service obligations, which would have a negative impact on our net income and cash flows, including cash available for servicing our indebtedness.

We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow to service all of our indebtedness and may be forced to take other actions to satisfy our obligations under such indebtedness, which may not be successful.

Our ability to make scheduled payments or to refinance outstanding debt obligations depends on our financial and operating performance, which will be affected by prevailing economic, industry and competitive conditions and by financial, business and other factors beyond our control. We may not be able to maintain a sufficient level of cash flow from operating activities to permit us to pay the principal,

premium, if any, and interest on our indebtedness. Any failure to make payments of interest and principal on our outstanding indebtedness on a timely basis would likely result in a reduction of our credit worthiness, which would also harm our ability to incur additional indebtedness.

If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we may be forced to reduce or delay capital expenditures and acquisitions, sell assets, seek additional capital or seek to restructure or refinance our indebtedness. Any refinancing of our indebtedness could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with more onerous covenants. Refinancings may not be successful and may not permit us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations. In the absence of such cash flows and resources, we could face substantial liquidity problems and might be required to sell material assets or operations to attempt to meet our debt service obligations. The financing documents governing our First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement include certain restrictions on our ability to conduct asset sales and/or use the proceeds from asset sales for certain purposes. We may not be able to consummate these asset sales to raise capital or sell assets at prices and on terms that we believe are fair and any proceeds that we do receive may not be adequate to meet any debt service obligations then due. If we cannot meet our debt service obligations, the holders of our indebtedness may accelerate such indebtedness and, to the extent such indebtedness is secured, foreclose on our assets. In such an event, we may not have sufficient assets to repay all of our indebtedness.

The terms of the financing documents governing our First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement restrict our current and future operations, particularly our ability to respond to changes or to take certain actions.

The financing documents governing our First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement contain a number of restrictive covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us and may limit our ability to engage in acts that may be in our long-term best interests, including restrictions on our ability to:

These restrictions could limit, potentially significantly, our operational flexibility and affect our ability to finance our future operations or capital needs or to execute our business strategy.

The phase-out of the LIBOR, or the replacement of LIBOR with a different reference rate, may adversely affect interest rates.

Borrowings under our First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement bear interest at rates determined using LIBOR as the reference rate. On July 27, 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority (the authority that regulates LIBOR) announced that it would phase out LIBOR by the end of 2021. It is unclear whether new methods of calculating LIBOR will be established such that it continues to exist after 2021, or if alternative rates or benchmarks will be adopted, and currently it appears highly likely that LIBOR will be discontinued or substantially modified by the end of 2021.

Changes in the method of calculating LIBOR, or the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative rate or benchmark, may adversely affect interest rates and result in higher borrowing costs. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects. We cannot predict the effect of the potential changes to LIBOR or the establishment and use of alternative rates or benchmarks. Furthermore, we may need to renegotiate our First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement or incur other indebtedness, and changes in the method of calculating LIBOR, or the use of an alternative rate or benchmark, may negatively impact the terms of such indebtedness.

We may be unable to refinance our indebtedness.

Our Revolving Credit Agreement matures on July 31, 2023 (but upon the consummation of this initial public offering will currently mature on May 2, 2025), our First Lien Term Loan Facility matures on July 31, 2025, our Second Lien Credit Agreement matures on July 31, 2026, and our Bridge Loan matures on August 31, 2022. In addition, we may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness before maturity. Our ability to repay, refinance, replace or extend these facilities by their maturity dates will be dependent on, among other things, business conditions, our financial performance and the general condition of the financial markets. If a financial disruption were to occur at the time that we are required to repay indebtedness outstanding under these facilities, we could be forced to undertake alternate financings, including a sale of additional common stock, negotiate for an extension of the maturity of the applicable facility or sell assets and delay capital expenditures in order to generate proceeds that could be used to repay indebtedness. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain sufficient funds to enable us to repay or refinance our debt obligations on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.

Our failure to raise additional capital or generate cash flows necessary to expand our operations and invest in new technologies in the future could reduce our ability to compete successfully and harm our competitive position and results of operations.

We may need to raise additional funds, and we may not be able to obtain additional debt or equity financing on favorable terms or at all. If we raise additional equity financing, our security holders may experience significant dilution of their ownership interests. If we engage in additional debt financing, we may be required to accept terms that restrict our ability to incur additional indebtedness, force us to maintain specified liquidity or other ratios or restrict our ability to pay dividends or make acquisitions. If we need additional capital and cannot raise it on acceptable terms, or at all, we may not be able to, among other things:

In addition, if we issue additional equity to raise capital, your interest in us will be diluted.

Risks Related to Our Organizational Structure

Our principal asset is our interest in Holdings LLC, and, accordingly, we depend on distributions from Holdings LLC to pay our taxes and expenses, including payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement. Holdings LLC’s ability to make such distributions may be subject to various limitations and restrictions.

We are a holding company and have no material assets other than our ownership of equity interests in Holdings LLC. As such, we have no independent means of generating revenue or cash flow, and our ability to pay our taxes, satisfy our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement and pay operating expenses or declare and pay dividends, if any, in the future depends on the financial results and cash flows of Holdings LLC and its subsidiaries and distributions we receive from Holdings LLC. There can be no assurance that Holdings LLC and its subsidiaries will generate sufficient cash flow to distribute funds to us or that applicable state law and contractual restrictions, including negative covenants in debt instruments of Holdings LLC and its subsidiaries, will permit such distributions.

Holdings LLC is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, as such, is not subject to any entity-level U.S. federal income tax. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, taxable income of Holdings LLC is allocated to the LLC Unitholders, including us. Accordingly, we incur income taxes on our distributive share of any net taxable income of Holdings LLC. Under the terms of the LLC Operating Agreement, Holdings LLC is obligated to make tax distributions to LLC Unitholders, including us. In addition to tax and dividend payments, we also incur expenses related to our operations, including obligations to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement. Due to the uncertainty of various factors we cannot precisely quantify the likely tax benefits we may realize as a result of our purchase of LLC Units and LLC Unit exchanges and certain tax attributes of the Blocker Entities, Holdings LLC, and subsidiaries of Holdings LLC, and the resulting amounts we are likely to pay out pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement; however, we estimate that such payments will be substantial. Under the LLC Operating Agreement, tax distributions shall be made on a pro rata basis among the LLC Unitholders, and will be calculated without regard to any applicable basis adjustment under Section 743(b) of the Code, which means that the amount of tax distributions will be determined based on the LLC Unitholder who is allocated the largest amount of taxable income on a per LLC Unit basis and at a tax rate that will equal the highest combined maximum U.S. federal, state, and local income tax rate applicable to a taxable individual or corporation in any jurisdiction in the United States, but will be made pro rata based on ownership of LLC Units, and so Holdings LLC will be required to make tax distributions that, in the aggregate, will likely significantly exceed the amount of taxes that it would have paid if it were taxed on its net income at the tax rate applicable to a similarly situated corporate taxpayer.

We intend to cause Holdings LLC to make (1) pro rata cash distributions to the owners of LLC Units (including us) in amounts sufficient to fund all or part of their tax obligations in respect of taxable income allocated to them (as discussed above) and to fund our obligation to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement and (2) non-pro rata reimbursements to us in respect of our expenses.

However, Holdings LLC’s ability to make such distributions may be subject to various limitations and restrictions, such as restrictions on distributions that would violate either any contract or agreement to which Holdings LLC or its subsidiaries is then a party, including debt agreements, or any applicable law, or that would have the effect of rendering Holdings LLC or its subsidiaries insolvent. If we do not have sufficient funds to pay tax or other liabilities or to fund our operations, we may have to borrow funds, which could materially adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition and subject us to various restrictions imposed by any such lenders. To the extent that we are unable to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement, such payments generally will be deferred and will accrue interest until paid. Nonpayment for a specified period, however, may constitute a breach of a material obligation under the Tax Receivable Agreement and therefore accelerate payments due under the Tax Receivable Agreement, unless, generally, such nonpayment is due to a lack of sufficient funds or is prevented by any

debt agreement to which Holdings LLC or its subsidiaries is a party. See “—Risks Related to Our Class A Common Stock and This Offering,” “Dividend Policy,” “Organizational Structure—Tax Receivable Agreement” and “Organizational Structure—Amended and Restated Operating Agreement of Holdings LLC.”

If Holdings LLC were to become a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we might be subject to potentially significant tax inefficiencies, and we would not be able to recover payments previously made by us under the Tax Receivable Agreement, even if the corresponding tax benefits were subsequently determined to have been unavailable due to such status. Even as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, Holdings LLC could become liable for amounts resulting from adjustments to its tax returns for prior years.

We intend to operate such that Holdings LLC does not become a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A “publicly traded partnership” is a partnership the interests of which are traded on an established securities market or readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof. Under certain circumstances, transfers of LLC Units could cause Holdings LLC to be treated like a publicly traded partnership. From time to time the U.S. Congress has considered legislation to change the tax treatment of partnerships and there can be no assurance that any such legislation will not be enacted or if enacted will not be adverse to us.

If Holdings LLC were to become a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we might be subject to potentially significant tax inefficiencies, including as a result of our inability to file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return with Holdings LLC. In addition, we may not be able to realize tax benefits covered under the Tax Receivable Agreement and would not be able to recover any payments previously made by it under the Tax Receivable Agreement, even if the corresponding tax benefits (including any claimed increase in the tax basis of Holdings LLC’s assets) were subsequently determined to have been unavailable. Even if Holdings LLC continues to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, certain adjustments to Holdings LLC’s tax return for prior years may result in liabilities for Holdings LLC.

In addition, legislation that is effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 may impute liability for adjustments to a partnership’s tax return on the partnership itself with respect to taxable years of the partnership that are open to adjustment, including taxable years prior to the offering, in certain circumstances, absent an election to the contrary. Holdings LLC (or any subsidiary of Holdings LLC that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) may be subject to material liabilities pursuant to this legislation and related guidance if, for example, its calculations of taxable income are incorrect.

Conflicts of interest could arise between our shareholders and Topco LLC, which may impede business decisions that could benefit our shareholders.

Topco LLC, which will be the only holder of LLC Units other than us upon consummation of this offering, has the right to consent to certain amendments to the LLC Operating Agreement, as well as to certain other matters. Topco LLC may exercise these voting rights in a manner that conflicts with the interests of our shareholders. Circumstances may arise in the future when the interests of Topco LLC conflict with the interests of our shareholders. As we control Holdings LLC, we have certain obligations to Topco LLC as an LLC Unitholder that may conflict with fiduciary duties our officers and directors owe to our shareholders. These conflicts may result in decisions that are not in the best interests of shareholders.

The Tax Receivable Agreement requires us to make cash payments to Topco LLC, Vista and Onex in respect of certain tax benefits to which we may become entitled, and we expect that the payments we will be required to make will be substantial.

In connection with the consummation of this offering, we will enter into a Tax Receivable Agreement with Topco LLC, Vista and Onex. Pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement, we will be required to make cash payments to Topco LLC, Vista and Onex equal to 85% of the tax benefits, if any, that we actually realize, or, in some circumstances, are deemed to realize, as a result of (i) certain increases in the tax basis of assets of Holdings LLC and its subsidiaries resulting from purchases of LLC Units with the proceeds of this offering or exchanges of LLC Units in the future or any prior transfers of interests in Holdings LLC, (ii) certain tax attributes of the Blocker Entities (including net operating losses (“NOLs”) and excess interest expense carryforwards) and of Holdings LLC and subsidiaries of Holdings LLC (including amortizable goodwill and other intangible assets) that existed prior to this offering and (iii) certain other tax benefits related to our making payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement (including deductions for payments of imputed interest). Due to the uncertainty of various factors we cannot precisely quantify the likely tax benefits we will realize as a result of the purchase of LLC Units and LLC Unit exchanges and certain tax attributes of the Blocker Entities, Holdings LLC, and subsidiaries of Holdings LLC, and the resulting amounts we are likely to pay out to Topco LLC, Vista and Onex pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement; however, we estimate that such payments will be substantial. See “Organizational Structure—Tax Receivable Agreement.” Payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement will be based on the tax reporting positions that we determine, which tax reporting positions will be based on the advice of our tax advisors. Any payments made by us to Topco LLC, Vista and Onex under the Tax Receivable Agreement will generally reduce the amount of overall cash flow that might have otherwise been available to us. To the extent that we are unable to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement, such payments generally will be deferred and will accrue interest until paid. Nonpayment for a specified period, however, may constitute a breach of a material obligation under the Tax Receivable Agreement and therefore accelerate payments due under the Tax Receivable Agreement, unless, generally, such nonpayment is due to a lack of sufficient funds or is prevented by any debt agreement to which Holdings LLC or its subsidiaries is a party. Furthermore, our future obligation to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement could make us a less attractive target for an acquisition, particularly in the case of an acquirer that cannot use some or all of the tax benefits that may be deemed realized under the Tax Receivable Agreement. The payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement are also not conditioned upon Topco LLC maintaining a continued ownership interest in the LLC.

The actual amount and timing of any payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement will vary depending upon a number of factors, including the timing of exchanges by Topco LLC, the amount of gain recognized by Topco LLC, the amount and timing of the taxable income we generate in the future and the federal tax rates then applicable. See “Organizational Structure—Tax Receivable Agreement.”

We may incur tax and other liabilities attributable to the Blocker Entities as a result of the Blocker Contributions.

Following the Blocker Contributions, each of the Blocker Entities will become subsidiaries of PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. As a result of such transactions, the former equityholders of the Blocker Entities will exchange all of the equity interests in the Blocker Entities for shares of Class A common stock and enter into the Tax Receivable Agreement. As the parent entity of the Blocker Entities, PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. will generally succeed to and be responsible for any outstanding or historical tax or other liabilities of the Blocker Entities, including any liabilities that might be incurred as a result of the transactions described in the previous sentence. Any such liabilities for which PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. is responsible could have an adverse effect on our liquidity and financial condition.

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) might challenge the tax benefits we receive in connection with this offering and the related transactions and in connection with future acquisitions of units. As a result, it is possible that we could make cash payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement that are substantially greater than our actual cash tax savings.

Payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement will be based on the tax reporting positions that we determine. Although we are not aware of any issue that would cause the IRS or other applicable taxing authority to challenge a tax basis increase or the availability of Blocker Entities’ NOLs or other tax attributes of the Blocker Entities, Holdings LLC or subsidiaries of Holdings LLC, we will not be reimbursed for any cash payments previously made to Topco LLC pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement if any tax benefits initially claimed by us are subsequently disallowed, in whole or in part, by the IRS or other applicable taxing authority. For example, if the IRS later asserts that we did not obtain a tax basis increase or disallows or defers (in whole or in part) the availability of NOLs due to a potential ownership change under Section 382 of the Code, among other potential challenges, then we would not be reimbursed for any cash payments previously made to Topco LLC pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement with respect to such tax benefits that we had initially claimed. Instead, any excess cash payments made by us pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement will be netted against any future cash payments that we might otherwise be required to make under the terms of the Tax Receivable Agreement. Nevertheless, any tax benefits initially claimed by us may not be disallowed for a number of years following the initial time of such payment or, even if challenged early, such excess cash payment may be greater than the amount of future cash payments that we might otherwise be required to make under the terms of the Tax Receivable Agreement. In addition, we will not be permitted to settle any such challenge with the IRS or other applicable taxing authority if it could have a material effect on the Tax Receivable Agreement holders’ rights without the consent of Topco LLC or its designee and the Onex representative. Accordingly, there may not be sufficient future cash payments against which to net. The applicable U.S. federal income tax rules are complex and their application to certain aspects of our structure are uncertain and there is no explicit authority in this regard, and there can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will not disagree with our tax reporting positions. As a result, it is possible that we could make cash payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement that are substantially greater than our actual cash tax savings.

The amounts that we may be required to pay to Topco LLC, Vista and Onex under the Tax Receivable Agreement may be accelerated in certain circumstances and may also significantly exceed the actual tax benefits that we ultimately realize.

The Tax Receivable Agreement provides that if (1) certain mergers, asset sales, other forms of business combination or other changes of control were to occur, (2) we breach any of our material obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement or (3) at any time, we elect an early termination of the Tax Receivable Agreement, then the Tax Receivable Agreement will terminate and our obligations, or our successor’s obligations, to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement would accelerate and become immediately due and payable. The amount due and payable in that circumstance is based on certain assumptions, including an assumption that we would have sufficient taxable income to fully utilize all potential future tax benefits that are subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement. See “Organizational Structure—Tax Receivable Agreement.” We may need to incur debt to finance payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement to the extent our cash resources are insufficient to meet our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement as a result of timing discrepancies or otherwise.

As a result of a change in control, material breach or our election to terminate the Tax Receivable Agreement early, (1) we could be required to make cash payments to Topco LLC, Vista and Onex that are greater than the specified percentage of the actual benefits we ultimately realize in respect of the tax benefits that are subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement and (2) we would be required to make

an immediate cash payment equal to the anticipated future tax benefits that are the subject of the Tax Receivable Agreement discounted in accordance with the Tax Receivable Agreement, which payment may be made significantly in advance of the actual realization, if any, of such future tax benefits. In these situations, our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement could have a substantial negative impact on our liquidity and could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing certain mergers, asset sales, other forms of business combination, or other changes of control. There can be no assurance that we will be able to finance our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement.

Our organizational structure, including the Tax Receivable Agreement, confers certain benefits upon Topco LLC, Vista and Onex that will not benefit the other common shareholders to the same extent as they will benefit Topco LLC, Vista and Onex.

Our organizational structure, including the Tax Receivable Agreement, confers certain benefits upon Topco LLC as the only other LLC Unitholder that will not benefit the holders of our Class A common stock (other than Vista and Onex) to the same extent. We will enter into a Tax Receivable Agreement with Topco LLC, Vista and Onex, which will provide for the payment by us to Topco LLC, Vista and Onex, collectively, of 85% of the amount of tax benefits, if any, that we actually realize, or in some circumstances are deemed to realize, as a result of (i) certain increases in the tax basis of assets of Holdings LLC and its subsidiaries resulting from purchases of LLC Units with the proceeds of this offering or exchanges of LLC Units in the future or any prior transfers of interests in Holdings LLC, (ii) certain tax attributes of the Blocker Entities (including “NOLs”NOLs and excess interest expense carryforwards) and of Holdings LLC and subsidiaries of Holdings LLC (including amortizable goodwill and other intangible assets) that existed prior to this offering and (iii) certain other tax benefits related to our making payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement (including deductions for payments of imputed interest). Due to the uncertainty of various factors, we cannot precisely quantify the likely tax benefits we will realize as a result of purchases of LLC Units with the proceeds of this offering and LLC Unit exchanges in the future and certain tax attributes of the Blocker Entities, Holdings LLC, and subsidiaries of Holdings LLC, and the resulting amounts we are likely to pay out to Topco LLC, Vista and Onex pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement; however, we estimate that such payments will be substantial. See “Organizational Structure—Tax Receivable Agreement.” Although we will retain 15% of the amount of such tax benefits, this and other aspects of our organizational structure may adversely impact the future trading market for the Class A common stock.

We may not be able to realize all or a portion of the tax benefits that are currently expected to result from the tax attributes covered by the Tax Receivable Agreement and from payments made under the Tax Receivable Agreement.

Our ability to realize the tax benefits that we currently expect to be available as a result of the attributes covered by the Tax Receivable Agreement, the payments made pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement, and the interest deductions imputed under the Tax Receivable Agreement all depend on a number of assumptions, including that we earn sufficient taxable income each year during the period over which such deductions are available and that there are no adverse changes in applicable law or regulations. Additionally, if our actual taxable income were insufficient or there were additional adverse changes in applicable law or regulations, we may be unable to realize all or a portion of the expected tax benefits and our cash flows and shareholders’ equity could be negatively affected. See “Organizational Structure—Tax Receivable Agreement.”

Holdings LLC will be required to make distributions to us and Topco LLC and we expect that the distributions will be substantial.

Holdings LLC is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, as such, is not subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, taxable income is allocated to its members, including

us. We intend to cause Holdings LLC to make tax distributions quarterly to the LLC Unitholders (including us), in each case on a pro rata basis based on Holdings LLC’s net taxable income and without regard to any applicable basis adjustment under Section 743(b) of the Code which means that the amount of tax distributions will be determined based on the LLC Unitholder who is allocated the largest amount of taxable income on a per LLC Unit basis and at a tax rate that will equal the highest combined maximum U.S. federal, state, and local income tax rate applicable to a taxable individual or corporation in any jurisdiction in the United States, but will be made pro rata based on ownership of LLC Units, and so Holdings LLC will be required to make tax distributions that, in the aggregate, will likely significantly exceed the amount of taxes that it would have paid if it were taxed on its net income at the tax rate applicable to a similarly situated corporate taxpayer. In addition, we intend to cause Holdings LLC to make pro rata distributions to the LLC Unitholders (including us) in order to provide us with the funds necessary for us to satisfy our obligations to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement. Funds used by Holdings LLC to satisfy its tax distribution obligations and funds distributed by Holdings to the LLC Unitholders (including us) in order to enable us to satisfy our obligations to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement will not be available for reinvestment in our business. Moreover, we expect that these tax distributions will be substantial, and will likely significantly exceed (as a percentage of Holdings LLC’s income) the overall effective tax rate applicable to a similarly situated corporate taxpayer. As a result, it is possible that we will receive distributions significantly in excess of our tax liabilities and obligations to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement. While our Board may choose to distribute such cash balances as dividends on our Class A common stock, they will not be required to do so, and may in their sole discretion choose to use such excess cash for any purpose depending upon the facts and circumstances at the time of determination. To the extent that we do not distribute such excess cash as dividends on the Class A common stock and instead, for example, holds such cash balances, the LLC Unitholders (not including us) may benefit from any value attributable to such cash balances as a result of their ownership of Class A common stock following an exchange of their LLC Units for shares of the Class A common stock, notwithstanding that such limited partners may previously have participated as holders of LLC Units in distributions by Holdings LLC that resulted in such excess cash balances at our level. See “Dividend Policy.”

Unanticipated changes in effective tax rates or adverse outcomes resulting from examination of our income or other tax returns could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.

We are subject to income taxes in the United States, and certain of our subsidiaries are subject to income taxes outside of the United States, and our tax liabilities will be subject to the allocation of expenses in differing jurisdictions. Our future effective tax rates could be subject to volatility or adversely affected by a number of factors, including:

In addition, we may be subject to audits of our income, sales and other transaction taxes by U.S. federal, state, and local tax authorities, and certain of our subsidiaries may be subject to audits of income, sales and other transaction taxes by non-U.S. tax authorities. Outcomes from these audits could have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.

If we were deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), applicable restrictions could make it impractical for us to continue our business as contemplated and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects.

Under Sections 3(a)(1)(A) and (C) of the 1940 Act, a company generally will be deemed to be an “investment company” for purposes of the 1940 Act if it (1) is, or holds itself out as being, engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities or (2) is engaged, or proposes to engage, in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading in securities and it owns or proposes to acquire investment securities having a value exceeding 40% of the value of its total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. We do not believe that we are an “investment company,” as such term is defined in either of those sections of the 1940 Act.

As the sole managing member of Holdings LLC, we will control and manage Holdings LLC. On that basis, we believe that our interest in Holdings LLC is not an “investment security” under the 1940 Act. Therefore, we have less than 40% of the value of our total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) in “investment securities.” However, if we were to lose the right to manage and control Holdings LLC, interests in Holdings LLC could be deemed to be “investment securities” under the 1940 Act.

We intend to conduct our operations so that we will not be deemed to be an investment company. However, if we were deemed to be an investment company, restrictions imposed by the 1940 Act, including limitations on our capital structure and our ability to transact with affiliates, could make it impractical for us to continue our business as contemplated and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects.

Risks Related to Our Class A Common Stock and This Offering

Our Principal Stockholders control us, and their interests may conflict with ours or yours in the future.

Immediately following this offering, investment entities affiliated with our Principal Stockholders will control approximately %78.1% of the voting power of our outstanding common stock, or %75.8% if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares, which means that, based on its percentage voting power controlled after the offering, our Principal Stockholders will control the vote of all matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders. This control will enable our Principal Stockholders to control the election of the members of our Board and all other corporate decisions. Even when our Principal Stockholders cease to control a majority of the total voting power, for so long as our Principal Stockholders continue to own a significant percentage of our common stock, our Principal Stockholders will still be able to significantly influence the composition of our Board and the approval of actions requiring shareholder approval. Accordingly, for such period of time, our Principal Stockholders will have significant influence with respect to our management, business plans and policies, including the appointment and removal of our officers, decisions on whether to raise future capital and amending our charter and bylaws, which govern the rights attached to our common stock. In particular, for so long as our Principal Stockholders continue to own a significant percentage of our common stock, our Principal Stockholders will be able to cause or prevent a change of control of us or a change in the composition of our Board and could preclude any unsolicited acquisition of us. The concentration of ownership could deprive you of an opportunity to receive a premium for your shares of Class A common stock as part of a sale of us and ultimately might affect the market price of our Class A common stock.

In addition, in connection with this offering, we will enter into a Stockholders Agreement with Topco LLC, Vista and Onex that provides Vista and Onex with certain rights. The Stockholders

Agreement will provide each of Vista and Onex with an independent right to designate the following number of nominees for election to our Board: (i) three nominees so long as such Principal Stockholder controls 25% or more of the voting power of our stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; (ii) two nominees for so long as such Principal Stockholder controls 15% or more of the voting power of our stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; and (iii) one nominee for so long as such Principal Stockholder controls 5% or more of the voting power of our stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. The Stockholders Agreement will also provide that Vista and Onex may assign such right to an affiliate of our Principal Stockholders. The Stockholders Agreement will prohibit us from increasing or decreasing the size of our Board without the prior written consent of Vista and Onex. See “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions — Policies for Approval of Related Party Transactions — Stockholders Agreement” for more details with respect to the Stockholders Agreement.

Our Principal Stockholders and their affiliates engage in a broad spectrum of activities, including investments in our industry generally. In the ordinary course of their business activities, our Principal Stockholders and their affiliates may engage in activities where their interests conflict with our interests or those of our other shareholders, such as investing in or advising businesses that directly or indirectly compete with certain portions of our business or are suppliers or customers of ours. Our certificate of incorporation to be effective at or prior to the consummation of this offering will provide that none of our Principal Stockholders, any of their affiliates or any director who is not employed by us (including any non-employee director who serves as one of our officers in both his or her director and officer capacities) or its affiliates will have any duty to refrain from engaging, directly or indirectly, in the same business activities or similar business activities or lines of business in which we operate. Our Principal Stockholders also may pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business, and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us. In addition, our Principal Stockholders may have an interest in pursuing acquisitions, divestitures and other transactions that, in their judgment, could enhance their investment, even though such transactions might involve risks to you or may not prove beneficial.

Upon listing of our shares of Class A common stock on the New York Stock Exchange, we will be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the rules of the New York Stock Exchange and, as a result, we will qualify for, and intend to rely on, exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements. You will not have the same protections as those afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to such governance requirements.

After completion of this offering, our Principal Stockholders will continue to control a majority of the voting power of our outstanding common stock. As a result, we will be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of the New York Stock Exchange. Under these rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power for the election of directors is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including:

Following this offering, we intend to utilize these exceptions. As a result, we may not have a majority of independent directors on our Board, our compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees may not consist entirely of independent directors and our compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees may not be subject to annual performance evaluations. Accordingly, you will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of the New York Stock Exchange.

We may allocate the net proceeds from this offering in ways that you and other shareholders may not approve.

Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering, including for any of the purposes described in the section titled “Use of Proceeds.” Because of the number and variability of factors that will determine our use of the net proceeds from this offering, their ultimate use may vary substantially from their currently intended use. Our management might not apply our net proceeds in ways that ultimately increase the value of your investment, and the failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in short- and intermediate-term interest-bearing obligations, investment-grade instruments, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the United States government. These investments may not yield a favorable return to our shareholders. If we do not invest or apply the net proceeds from this offering in ways that enhance shareholder value, we may fail to achieve expected results, which could cause our stock price to decline.

We are an “emerging growth company” and we expect to elect to comply with reduced public company reporting requirements, which could make our Class A common stock less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we are eligible for certain exemptions from various public company reporting requirements. These exemptions include, but are not limited to, (i) not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley, (ii) reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports, proxy statements and registration statements, (iii) exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved and (iv) not being required to provide audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017 or five years of Selected Consolidated Financial Data in this prospectus. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years after the first sale of our Class A common stock pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, which fifth anniversary will occur in 2026. However, if certain events occur prior to the end of such five-year period, including if we become a “large accelerated filer,” our annual gross revenue exceeds $1.07 billion or we issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt in any three-year period, we would cease to be an emerging growth company prior to the end of such five-year period. We have made certain elections with regard to the reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in this prospectus and may elect to take advantage of other reduced disclosure obligations in future filings. As a result, the information that we provide to holders of our common stock may be different than you might receive from other public reporting companies in which you hold equity interests. We cannot predict if investors will find our Class A common stock less attractive as a result of reliance on these exemptions. If some investors find our Class A common stock less attractive as a result of any choice we make to reduce disclosure, there may be a less active trading market for our Class A common stock and the market price for our Class A common stock may be more volatile.

The JOBS Act also permits an emerging growth company like us to take advantage of an extended transition period to comply with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public

companies. We are electing to take advantage of this extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards provided for by the JOBS Act. We will therefore comply with new or revised accounting standards when they apply to private companies. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable with companies that comply with public company effective dates for accounting standards.

The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources and distract our management, which could make it difficult to manage our business, particularly after we are no longer an “emerging growth company.”

As a public company, we will incur legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not previously incur. We will become subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Compliance with these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly and increase demand on our systems and resources, particularly after we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we establish and maintain effective internal controls and procedures for financial reporting. Furthermore, the need to establish the corporate infrastructure demanded of a public company may divert our management’s attention from implementing our growth strategy, which could prevent us from improving our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects. We have made, and will continue to make, changes to our internal controls and procedures for financial reporting and accounting systems to meet our reporting obligations as a public company. However, the measures we take may not be sufficient to satisfy our obligations as a public company. In addition, these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly. For example, we expect these rules and regulations to make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to incur substantial costs to maintain the same or similar coverage. These additional obligations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects.

In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of our management’s time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us and there could be a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects.

Provisions of our corporate governance documents could make an acquisition of us more difficult and may prevent attempts by our shareholders to replace or remove our current management, even if beneficial to our shareholders.

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws to be effective at or prior to the consummation of this offering and the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) contain provisions that could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so might be beneficial to our shareholders. Among other things:

We will opt out of Section 203 of the DGCL, which generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any of a broad range of business combinations with any interested shareholder for a period of three years following the date on which the shareholder became an interested shareholder. However, our certificate of incorporation to be effective at or prior to the consummation of this offering will contain a provision that provides us with protections similar to Section 203, and will prevent us from engaging in a business combination with a person (excluding Topco LLC, Vista and Onex and any of their direct or indirect transferees and any group as to which such persons are a party) who acquires at least 85% of our common stock for a period of three years from the date such person acquired such common stock, unless board or shareholder approval is obtained prior to the acquisition. See “Description of Capital Stock—Anti-Takeover Provisions.” These provisions could discourage, delay or prevent a transaction involving a change in control of our company. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other shareholders to elect directors

of your choosing and cause us to take other corporate actions you desire, including actions that you may deem advantageous, or negatively affect the trading price of our Class A common stock. In addition, because our Board is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, these provisions could in turn affect any attempt by our shareholders to replace current members of our management team.

These and other provisions in our certificate of incorporation, bylaws and Delaware law could make it more difficult for shareholders or potential acquirers to obtain control of our Board or initiate actions that are opposed by our then-current Board, including actions to delay or impede a merger, tender offer or proxy contest involving our company. The existence of these provisions could negatively affect the price of our Class A common stock and limit opportunities for you to realize value in a corporate transaction.

For information regarding these and other provisions, see “Description of Capital Stock.”

Our certificate of incorporation will designate the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the exclusive forum for certain litigation that may be initiated by our shareholders and the federal district courts of the United States as the exclusive forum for litigation arising under the Securities Act, which could limit our shareholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us.

Pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, which we will adopt at or prior to the consummation of this offering, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for any claims in state court for (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our shareholders, (3) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws or (4) any other action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine; provided that for the avoidance of doubt, the forum selection provision that identifies the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the exclusive forum for certain litigation, including any “derivative action,” will not apply to suits to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Our certificate of incorporation will also provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. However, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder; accordingly, we cannot be certain that a court would enforce such provision. Our certificate of incorporation will further provide that any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock is deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of our certificate of incorporation described above. However, our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived (and cannot waive) compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. See “Description of Capital Stock—Forum Selection.” The forum selection provisions in our certificate of incorporation may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against us or our directors and officers and may limit our shareholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us. If the enforceability of our forum selection provisions were to be challenged, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such challenge. While we currently have no basis to expect any such challenge would be successful, if a court were to find our forum selection provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable with respect to one or more of these specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with having to litigate in other jurisdictions, which could have an adverse effect on our

business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects and result in a diversion of the time and resources of our employees, management and board of directors.

If you purchase shares of Class A common stock in this offering, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution of your investment.

The initial public offering price of our Class A common stock is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our Class A common stock. Therefore, if you purchase shares of our Class A common stock in this offering, you will pay a price per share that substantially exceeds our net tangible book value per share after this offering. Based on an assumed initial public offering price of $$19.00 per share, which is the mid-pointmidpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, you will experience immediate dilution of $$28.16 per share, representing the difference between our pro forma net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering and the initial public offering price. In addition, purchasers of Class A common stock in this offering will have contributed %29.1% of the aggregate price paid by all purchasers of our Class A common stock but will own only approximately %25.8% of our Class A common stock outstanding after this offering. See “Dilution” for more detail.

An active, liquid trading market for our Class A common stock may not develop, which may limit your ability to sell your shares.

Prior to this offering, there was no public market for our Class A common stock. Although we have been approved to list our Class A common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “PWSC,” an active trading market for our Class A common stock may never develop or be sustained following this offering. The initial public offering price will be determined by negotiations between us and the underwriters and may not be indicative of market prices of our Class A common stock that will prevail in the open market after the offering. A public trading market having the desirable characteristics of depth, liquidity and orderliness depends upon the existence of willing buyers and sellers at any given time, such existence being dependent upon the individual decisions of buyers and sellers over which neither we nor any market maker has control. The failure of an active and liquid trading market to develop and continue would likely have a material adverse effect on the value of our Class A common stock. The market price of our Class A common stock may decline below the initial public offering price, and you may not be able to sell your shares of our Class A common stock at or above the price you paid in this offering, or at all. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital to continue to fund operations by issuing additional shares of our Class A common stock or other equity or equity-linked securities and may impair our ability to acquire other companies or technologies by using any such securities as consideration.

Our operating results and stock price may be volatile, and the market price of our Class A common stock after this offering may drop below the price you pay.

Our quarterly operating results are likely to fluctuate in the future. In addition, securities markets worldwide have experienced, and are likely to continue to experience, significant price and volume fluctuations, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This market volatility, as well as general economic, market or political conditions, could subject the market price of our Class A common stock to wide price fluctuations regardless of our operating performance. Our operating results and the trading price of our Class A common stock may fluctuate in response to various factors, including:

These and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, may cause our operating results and the market price and demand for our Class A common stock to fluctuate substantially. Fluctuations in our quarterly operating results could limit or prevent investors from readily selling their shares of Class A common stock and may otherwise negatively affect the market price and liquidity of our shares of Class A common stock. In addition, in the past, when the market price of a stock has been volatile, holders of that stock have sometimes instituted securities class action litigation against the company that issued the stock. If any of our shareholders brought a lawsuit against us, we could incur substantial costs defending the lawsuit. Such a lawsuit could also divert the time and attention of our management from our business, which could significantly harm our profitability and reputation.

A significant portion of our total outstanding shares of Class A common stock are restricted from immediate resale but may be sold into the market in the near future. This could cause the market price of our Class A common stock to drop

significantly, even if our business is doing well.

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our Class A common stock in the public market could occur at any time. These sales, or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of shares of Class A common stock intend to sell shares, could reduce the market price of our Class A common stock. After this offering, we will have 153,218,009 outstanding shares of Class A common stock based on the number of shares outstanding as of                 , 2021.stock. This includes shares of Class A common stock that we are selling in this offering, which may be resold in the public market immediately. Following the consummation of this offering, substantially all of the shares that are not being sold in this offering will be subject to a 180-day lock-up period provided under lock-up agreements executed in connection with this offering described in “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” and restricted from immediate resale under the federal securities laws as described in “Shares Eligible for Future Sale.” All of these shares of Class A common stock will, however, be able to be resold after the expiration of the lock-up period, as well as pursuant to customary exceptions thereto or upon the waiver of the lock-up agreement by the representatives on behalf of the underwriters. We also intend to register shares of Class A common stock that we may issue under our equity compensation plans. Once we register these shares, they can be freely sold in the public market upon issuance, subject to the lock-up agreements. As restrictions on resale end, the market price of our stock could decline if the holders of currently restricted shares of Class A common stock sell them or are perceived by the market as intending to sell them.

Because we have no current plans to pay regular cash dividends on our Class A common stock following this offering, you may not receive any return on investment unless you sell your Class A common stock for a price greater than that which you paid for it.

We do not anticipate paying any regular cash dividends on our Class A common stock following this offering. Any decision to declare and pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of

our Board and will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, cash requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors that our Board may deem relevant. In addition, our ability to pay dividends is, and may be, limited by covenants of existing and any future outstanding indebtedness we or our subsidiaries incur, including under our First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement. Therefore, any return on investment in our Class A common stock is solely dependent upon the appreciation of the price of our Class A common stock on the open market, which may not occur. See “Dividend Policy” for more detail.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, if they publish unfavorable research or reports, or adversely change their recommendations regarding our Class A common stock or if our results of operations do not meet their expectations, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

If a trading market for our Class A common stock develops, the trading market will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over these analysts. As a newly public company, we may be slow to attract research coverage. In the event we obtain securities or industry analyst coverage, if any of the analysts who cover us provide inaccurate or unfavorable research, issue an adverse opinion regarding our stock price or if our results of operations do not meet their expectations, our stock price could decline. Moreover, if one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.

We may issue shares of preferred stock in the future, which could make it difficult for another company to acquire us or could otherwise adversely affect holders of our Class A common stock, which could depress the price of our Class A common stock.

Our certificate of incorporation will authorize us to issue one or more series of preferred stock. Our Board will have the authority to determine the preferences, limitations and relative rights of the shares of preferred stock and to fix the number of shares constituting any series and the designation of such series, without any further vote or action by our shareholders. Our preferred stock could be issued with voting, liquidation, dividend and other rights superior to the rights of our Class A common stock. The potential issuance of preferred stock may delay or prevent a change in control of us, discouraging bids for our Class A common stock at a premium to the market price, and materially adversely affect the market price and the voting and other rights of the holders of our Class A common stock.

Our Principal Stockholders may pursue corporate opportunities independent of us that could present conflicts with our and our stockholders’ interests.

Our Principal Stockholders are the business of making or advising on investments in companies and hold (and may from time to time in the future acquire) interests in or provide advice to businesses that may directly or indirectly compete with our business or be suppliers or customers of ours. For example, while our Principal Stockholders and their affiliates do not currently have other substantial investments or portfolio companies that compete in the K-12 education industry, they may in the future. Our Principal Stockholders may also pursue acquisitions that may be complementary to our business and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us.

Our charter provides that none of our officers or directors who are also an officer, director, employee, partner, managing director, principal, independent contractor or other affiliate of our Principal Stockholders will be liable to us or our stockholders for breach of any fiduciary duty by reason of the fact that any such individual pursues or acquires a corporate opportunity for its own account or the account of an affiliate, as applicable, instead of us, directs a corporate opportunity to any other person, instead of us or does not communicate information regarding a corporate opportunity to us.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains “forward-looking statements” that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this prospectus are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations relating to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “believe,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “can have,” “likely” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. For example, all statements we make relating to our estimated costs, expenditures, cash flows, growth rates and financial results, our plans and objectives for future operations, growth or initiatives, strategies or the expected outcome or impact of pending or threatened litigation are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that we expected, including:

We derive many of our forward-looking statements from our operating budgets and forecasts, which are based on many detailed assumptions. While we believe that our assumptions are reasonable, we caution that it is very difficult to predict the impact of known factors, and it is impossible for us to anticipate all factors that could affect our actual results. Important factors that could cause

actual results to differ materially from our expectations, or cautionary statements, are disclosed under the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this prospectus. All written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us, or persons acting on our behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements as well as other cautionary statements that are made from time to time in our other SEC filings and public communications. You should evaluate all forward-looking statements made in this prospectus in the context of these risks and uncertainties.

In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this prospectus, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.

We caution you that the important factors referenced above may not contain all of the factors that are important to you. In addition, we cannot assure you that we will realize the results or developments we expect or anticipate or, even if substantially realized, that they will result in the consequences or affect us or our operations in the way we expect. The forward-looking statements included in this prospectus are made only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.

USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate, based upon an assumed initial public offering price of $$19.00 per share (which is the midpoint of the estimated public offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), we will receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $$697.8 million (or $$804.1 million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full), after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.us and the funding of $1.0 million of philanthropic initiatives benefitting K-12 educators in North America.

We intend to use such net proceeds to acquire 39,473,685 newly-issued LLC Units (or 45,394,737 LLC Units if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full) in Holdings LLC at a purchase price per LLC Unit equal to the initial public offering price per share of Class A common stock in this offering, less underwriting discounts and commissions.

In turn, Holdings LLC intends to apply the proceeds it receives from us (including any additional proceeds it may receive from us if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock) to:

Our Bridge Loan bears interest at approximately 3.12% as of March 31, 2021 and matures on August 31, 2022. We had $320.0 million aggregate principal amount outstanding indebtedness under our Bridge Loan as of March, 31, 2021. Our Second Lien Term Loan bears interest at 6.86% as of March 31, 2021 and matures on July 31, 2026. We had $365.0 million aggregate principal amount of outstanding indebtedness under our Second Lien Term Loan as of March 31, 2021. Our Revolving Credit Agreement bears interest at approximately 3.36% as of March 31, 2021 and matures on July 31, 2025.2023. We had $85.0 million of outstanding indebtedness drawn under our Revolving Credit Facility as of March 31, 2021. Our First Lien Term Loan bears interest at 3.36% as of March 31, 2021 and matures on July 31, 2025. We had $757.6 million aggregate principal amount of outstanding indebtedness under our First Lien Term Loan as of March 31, 2021.

Pending use of the net proceeds from this offering described above, we may invest the net proceeds in short- and intermediate-term interest-bearing obligations, investment-grade instruments, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the United States government.

Assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares, each $1.00 increase or decrease in the assumed initial public offering price of $$19.00 per share (which is the midpoint of the estimated public offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus) would increase or decrease the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $$37.3 million, assuming the number of shares of Class A common stock offered, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

Each 1,000,000 increase or decrease in the number of shares of Class A common stock offered in this offering would increase or decrease the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $$18.0 million, assuming that the initial public offering price per share for the offering remains at $$19.00 (which is the midpoint of the estimated public offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

Certain of the underwriters and/or their affiliates are lenders under our First Lien Term Loan Facility, Second Lien Term Loan Facility, Revolving Credit Agreement and/or Bridge Loan facility and, as such, may receive a portion of the net proceeds from this offering that are used to repay the outstanding borrowings under the First Lien Term Loan Facility, Second Lien Term Loan Facility, Revolving Credit Agreement and Bridge Loan facility. As a result of the intended use of proceeds, such underwriters and/or their affiliates will receive in excess of 5% of the net proceeds from this offering. The receipt of at least 5% of the net proceeds of this offering by the underwriters (or their affiliates) would be considered a “conflict of interest” under FINRA Rule 5121. As such, this offering is being conducted in compliance with FINRA Rule 5121, which requires prominent disclosure of the nature of the conflict of interest in the prospectus for the public offering. See “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest) — Conflicts of Interest.”

DIVIDEND POLICY

We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business and to repay indebtedness and, therefore, we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Additionally, because we are a holding company, our ability to pay dividends on our Class A common stock may be limited by restrictions on the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make distributions to us. Any future determination to pay dividends will be at the discretion of our Board, subject to compliance with covenants in current and future agreements governing our and our subsidiaries’ indebtedness, including our First Lien Credit Agreement and our Second Lien Credit Agreement, and will depend on our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements and other factors that our Board deems relevant.

Under the terms of the LLC Operating Agreement, Holdings LLC is obligated to make tax distributions to current and future unitholders, including us, with such distributions to be made on a pro rata basis among the LLC Unitholders based on Holdings LLC’s net taxable income and without regard to any applicable basis adjustment under Section 743(b) of the Code, which means that the amount of tax distributions will be determined based on the LLC Unitholder who is allocated the largest amount of taxable income on a per LLC Unit basis and at a tax rate that will equal the highest combined maximum U.S. federal, state, and local income tax rate applicable to a taxable individual or corporation in any jurisdiction in the United States, but will be made pro rata based on ownership of LLC Units, and so Holdings LLC will be required to make tax distributions that, in the aggregate, will likely significantly exceed the amount of taxes that it would have paid if it were taxed on its net income at the tax rate applicable to a similarly situated corporate taxpayer. We expect that these tax distributions will be substantial, and will likely significantly exceed (as a percentage of Holdings LLC’s income) the overall effective tax rate applicable to a similarly situated corporate taxpayer. As a result, it is possible that we will receive distributions significantly in excess of our tax liabilities and obligations to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement. While our Board may choose to distribute such cash balances as dividends on our Class A common stock (subject to the limitations set forth in the preceding paragraph), it will not be required (and does not currently intend) to do so, and may in its sole discretion choose to use such excess cash for any purpose depending upon the facts and circumstances at the time of determination.

CAPITALIZATION

The following table describes ourthe cash and consolidated capitalization as of March 31, 2021:

You should read this table in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the related notes, “Use of Proceeds,” “Organizational Structure,” “Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Financial Data” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this prospectus.