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Symbotic (SYM)
NASDAQ:SYM
Risk Overview Q4, 2025
Risk Distribution
36% Finance & Corporate
24% Tech & Innovation
19% Legal & Regulatory
10% Production
7% Ability to Sell
5% Macro & Political
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.
Risk Change Over Time
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
Symbotic Risk Factors
New Risk (0)
Risk Changed (0)
Risk Removed (0)
No changes from previous report
The chart shows the number of risks a company has disclosed. You can compare this to the sector average or S&P 500 average.
The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.
The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.
Risk Highlights Q4, 2025
Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 21 Risks
Finance & Corporate
With 21 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
59
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
59
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Dec 2025
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Dec 2025
Number of Risk Changed
0
-16
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 3
0
-16
From last reportS&P 500 Average: 3
See the risk highlights of Symbotic in the last period.
Risk Word Cloud
The most common phrases about risk factors from the most recent report. Larger texts indicate more widely used phrases.
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 59
Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 21/59 (36%)Above Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights9 | 15.3%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
Our common stock price may be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance; you may lose some or all of your investment.Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
If securities analysts do not publish research or reports about us, or if they issue unfavorable commentary about us or our industry or downgrade our common stock, the price of our common stock could decline.The trading market for our common stock will depend in part on the research and reports that third-party securities analysts publish about us and the industries in which we operate. 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 and demand for our common stock could decrease, which might cause our trading price and trading volume of our common stock to decline. If any of our analysts downgrades our common stock, or provides more favorable recommendations about our competitors, the price of our common stock would likely decline. Moreover, if our reporting results do not meet the expectations of our analysts, the market price of our common stock could decline.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
Our issuance of additional shares of common stock or convertible securities could make it difficult for another company to acquire us, may dilute your ownership of us and could adversely affect our stock price.We have filed a registration statement with the SEC on Form S-8 providing for the registration of shares of our common stock issued or reserved for issuance under the Symbotic Inc. 2022 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan (the "Incentive Compensation Plan") and the 2022 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "ESPP"). Subject to the satisfaction of vesting conditions, shares registered under the registration statement on Form S-8 will be available for resale immediately in the public market without restriction. From time to time in the future, we may also issue additional shares of our common stock or securities convertible into common stock pursuant to a variety of transactions, including acquisitions. The issuance by us of additional shares of our common stock or securities convertible into our common stock would dilute your ownership of us and the sale of a significant amount of such shares in the public market could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock.
In the future, we expect to obtain financing or further increase our capital resources by issuing additional shares of our capital stock or offering debt or other equity securities, including senior or subordinated notes, debt securities convertible into equity, or shares of preferred stock. Issuing additional shares of our capital stock, other equity securities, or securities convertible into equity may dilute the economic and voting rights of our existing stockholders, reduce the market price of our common stock, or both. Debt securities convertible into equity could be subject to adjustments in the conversion ratio pursuant to which certain events may increase the number of equity securities issuable upon conversion. Preferred stock, if issued, could have a preference with respect to liquidating distributions or a preference with respect to dividend payments that could limit our ability to pay dividends to the holders of our common stock. Our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, which may adversely affect the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings. As a result, holders of our common stock bear the risk that our future offerings may reduce the market price of our common stock and dilute their percentage ownership.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
Future sales, or the perception of future sales, of our common stock by us or our stockholders in the public market could cause the market price for our common stock to decline.The sale of substantial amounts of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could harm the prevailing market price of shares of our common stock. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate.
As of November 21, 2025, there were (i) 113,614,046 shares of Class A Common Stock issued and outstanding, (ii) 74,344,708 shares of Class V-1 Common Stock issued and outstanding, and (iii) 403,559,196 shares of Class V-3 Common Stock issued and outstanding. These numbers do not take into account unvested shares of our Class A Common Stock and paired shares of Class A Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of securities exercisable for units of Symbotic Holdings.
Shares held by certain of our stockholders will be eligible for resale, subject to, in the case of certain stockholders, volume, manner of sale and other limitations under Rule 144, if then available. In addition, pursuant to the Amended & Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of June 7, 2022, among the Company, SVF Sponsor III (DE) LLC and other parties thereto, certain stockholders have the right, subject to certain conditions, to require us to register the sale of their shares of our common stock under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Securities Act"). By exercising their registration rights and selling a large number of shares, these stockholders could cause the prevailing market price of our Class A Common Stock to decline. As of November 21, 2025, the shares covered by those registration rights represent approximately 83% of our outstanding common stock.
As restrictions on resale end or if these stockholders exercise their registration rights, the market price of shares of our common stock could drop significantly if the holders of these shares sell them or are perceived by the market as intending to sell them. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to raise additional funds through future offerings of our shares of common stock or other securities.
Shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our Incentive Compensation Plan and our ESPP are eligible for sale in the public market, subject to provisions relating to various vesting agreements, lock-up agreements and, in some cases, limitations on volume and manner of sale applicable to affiliates under Rule 144, as applicable. We have reserved for issuance under our Incentive Compensation Plan a total of 68,300,928 shares of Class A Common Stock and 50,266,507 shares of Class A Common Stock remain available for issuance under the Incentive Compensation Plan as of September 27, 2025 (the "Share Reserve"). The Share Reserve is subject to an annual increase on the first trading day of each calendar year, which began on January 1, 2023 and ends on and including January 1, 2032, by a number of shares equal to the lesser of (i) 5% of the aggregate number of shares of our Class A Common Stock outstanding on the last day of the prior calendar year and (ii) such smaller number of shares (which may be zero) as is determined by the compensation committee of our board of directors prior to such calendar year.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
Anti-takeover provisions in our Charter and Bylaws and under Delaware law could make an acquisition of us more difficult, limit attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management and limit the market price of our common stock.Our Charter, Bylaws and Delaware law contain provisions that could make it more difficult, delay, or prevent an acquisition deemed undesirable by our board of directors. Among other things, our Charter and/or Bylaws include the following provisions:
- prohibition on stockholder action by written consent, which means that our stockholders will only be able to act at a meeting of stockholders and will not be able to act by written consent;- forum selection, which means certain litigation against us can only be brought in Delaware;- authorization of undesignated preferred stock, the terms of which may be established and shares issued without further action by our stockholders; and - advance notice procedures, which apply to stockholders to nominate candidates for election as directors or to bring matters before an annual meeting of stockholders.
These provisions, alone or together, could delay or prevent hostile takeovers and changes in control or changes in our management.
We are not governed by Section 203 of Delaware corporate law. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination, such as a merger, with an "interested stockholder" (which includes a person or group owning 15% or more of the corporation's voting stock) for a period of three years following the date the person became an interested stockholder, unless (with certain exceptions) the business combination or the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder is approved in a prescribed manner. Accordingly, we will not be subject to any anti-takeover effects of Section 203. Nevertheless, our Charter contains provisions that will have a similar effect to Section 203.
Any provision of our Charter and Bylaws or Delaware law that has the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change in control could limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
Our Charter provides that the courts located in the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders' ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or employees.Our Charter provides that, unless we consent in writing to an alternative forum, (a) a state court within Delaware (or, if no court within Delaware has jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action asserting a breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, employees or stockholders to us or to our stockholders or (iii) any action arising pursuant to any provision of Delaware corporate law, our Charter or Bylaws; and (b) the federal district court for the District of Delaware (or if such court does not have jurisdiction, any other federal district court) will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for any action arising under the Securities Act.
These forum selection provisions will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability, obligation or duty created by the Exchange Act. The choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder's ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our Charter to be inapplicable or unenforceable, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Additionally, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act. As noted above, our Charter will provide that the federal district courts will have jurisdiction over any action arising under the Securities Act. Accordingly, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provision. Our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with the federal securities laws.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
Our overlapping executive officers and directors with C&S Wholesale Grocers may result in the diversion of corporate opportunities to C&S Wholesale Grocers and other conflicts, and provisions in our Charter may provide us no remedy in those circumstances.Certain of our executive officers and directors may also be serving as directors, officers, employees, consultants or agents of C&S Wholesale Grocers and its subsidiaries and we may engage in material business transactions with such entities. Our Charter renounces our rights to certain business opportunities. It also provides that no director or officer who is also serving as a director, officer, employee, consultant or agent of C&S Wholesale Grocers will be liable to us or our stockholders for breach of any fiduciary duty that would otherwise occur by reason of the fact that any such individual directs a corporate opportunity to C&S Wholesale Grocers or any of its subsidiaries instead of us, or does not refer or communicate information regarding such corporate opportunities to us.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8
The multi class structure of our common stock has the effect of concentrating voting control with our founder, certain family members of our founder and certain affiliated entities and trusts of our founder and his family members; this will limit or preclude your ability to influence our corporate matters.Our Class V-3 common stock has three votes per share and our Class A Common Stock and Class V-1 common stock have one vote per share. Our Class V-3 common stock converts into Class V-1 common stock in certain situations, including automatically on June 7, 2029. Our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Richard B. Cohen, together with certain family members and certain affiliated entities and trusts of Mr. Cohen and his family members, in the aggregate, hold Class V-3 common stock and 69.3% of the voting power of our outstanding common stock and are able to control all matters submitted to our stockholders for approval as of September 27, 2025. This concentrated control will limit or preclude your ability to influence our corporate matters for the foreseeable future.
Transfers by holders of our Class V-3 common stock will generally result in those shares converting to Class V-1 common stock, subject to limited exceptions, such as certain transfers effected for estate planning or charitable purposes. The conversion of Class V-3 common stock to Class V-1 common stock will have the effect, over time, of increasing the relative voting power of those holders of Class V-3 common stock who retain their shares in the long term. If, for example, Mr. Cohen retains, including through his affiliated entities and trusts, a significant portion of his holdings of Class V-3 common stock for an extended period of time, he could, in the future, continue to control a significant portion of the combined voting power of our outstanding capital stock.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9
Our multi-class capital structure may render our shares ineligible for inclusion in certain stock market indices, which could adversely affect the share price and liquidity of our common stock.We cannot predict whether our multi-class structure will result in a lower or more volatile market price of our Class A Common Stock, in adverse publicity, or other adverse consequences. For example, certain index providers have restrictions on including companies with multiple-class share structures in certain of their indexes. In addition, several stockholder advisory firms have announced their opposition to the use of multiple-class structures. As a result, the multi-class structure of our common stock may cause stockholder advisory firms to publish negative commentary about our corporate governance practices, recommend that stockholders vote against certain company annual stockholder meeting proposals or otherwise seek to cause us to change our capital structure. Any such exclusion from indices or any actions or publications by stockholder advisory firms critical of our corporate governance practices or capital structure could adversely affect the value and trading market of our Class A Common Stock.
Accounting & Financial Operations4 | 6.8%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future.Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
We are a growing company with a limited operating history and a history of losses. We have not been profitable historically and we may not achieve or maintain profitability in the near term or at all, and it is difficult to evaluate our future prospects and the risks and challenges we may encounter.We face significant risks and difficulties as a growing company. We have a limited operating history upon which to evaluate the viability and sustainability of our technology and processes, which increases the risk to your investment. In addition, we have an accumulated deficit of $1.3 billion as of September 27, 2025 and have incurred recurring net losses since inception, including net losses of $91.0 million and $84.7 million, respectively, for the years ended September 27, 2025 and September 28, 2024. We could continue to incur operating losses in the near term as we continue to invest significantly in our business to position us for future growth, including expending substantial financial and other resources on our:
- product development, including investments in our product development team and new functionality and enhancements for our systems;- technology infrastructure, including systems, architecture, scalability, availability, performance and security;- acquisitions and strategic transactions;- international operations and anticipated international expansion into new markets;- expansion into new market verticals, including e-commerce and healthcare;- general administration, including increased legal, compliance and accounting expenses associated with being a public company.
These efforts may be costlier than we expect, and our revenue may not grow at a rate to offset these expenses. We may make investments that do not generate optimal short- or medium-term financial results and may even incur increased operating losses in the short- or medium-term with no assurance that we will eventually achieve the intended long-term benefits or profitability.
Our investments in our systems and services may not be successful on the timeline we anticipate or, at all, and may not result in increased revenue growth. Additionally, we have encountered, and may in the future encounter, risks and uncertainties frequently experienced by growing companies in rapidly changing industries, such as unforeseen operating expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other known or unknown factors that may result in losses in future periods. If our revenue growth does not meet our expectations in future periods, or we are unable to maintain or increase our revenue at a rate sufficient to offset the expected increase in our costs, our business, financial position and results of operations will be harmed, and we may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability over the long term.
As our business expands, our historical results may not be indicative of our future performance and you should consider our future prospects in light of the risks and uncertainties of growing companies operating in fast evolving high-tech industries in emerging markets.
As a result, it is difficult to predict our future revenue or appropriately budget for our expenses. If actual results differ from our estimates, or we adjust our estimates in future periods, our operating results and financial position could be materially affected.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3
Our operating results and financial condition may fluctuate from period to period, which could make our future operating results difficult to predict or cause our operating results to fall below analysts' and investors' expectations.Our operating results and financial condition fluctuate from quarter to quarter and year to year and are likely to continue to vary due to a number of factors, many of which will not be within our control. Both our business and supply chain automation product portfolio are changing and evolving rapidly, and our historical operating results may not be useful in predicting our future operating results. If our operating results do not meet the guidance that we provide to the marketplace or the expectations of securities analysts or investors, the market price of our Class A common stock will likely decline. Fluctuations in our operating results and financial condition may be due to a number of factors, including:
- the portion of our revenue attributable to software maintenance and support and operation service fees versus milestone payments for system deployment and other sales;- the ability of our equipment vendors to continue to manufacture high-quality products and to supply sufficient products to meet our demands;- the impact of shortages of components, commodities or other materials, including semiconductors, integrated circuits and batteries, and other supply chain disruptions;- our ability to control costs, including our operating expenses, warranty obligations and the costs of the equipment we purchase;- the timing and success of introductions of new solutions;- competition, including entry into the industry by new competitors and new offerings by existing competitors;- changes in our pricing policies or those of our competitors;- our ability to successfully manage any past or future acquisitions, strategic transactions and integrations of businesses;- our ability to protect our patents, copyrights trademarks and trade secrets ("IP") by obtaining, maintaining, and enforcing our IP rights;- the amount and timing of expenditures, including those related to expanding our operations, increasing research and development and improving facilities;- the ability to effectively manage growth within existing and new markets domestically and abroad;- changes in the payment terms of our customer contracts;- the strength of regional, national and global economies;- the impact of cybersecurity incidents or security breaches; and - the impact of natural disasters, health pandemics or man-made problems such as terrorism.
Due to the foregoing factors, and the other risks discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, you should not rely on quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year comparisons of our operating results as an indicator of our future performance.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 4
We are required to assess our internal control over financial reporting and our management has identified a material weakness. If our remediation of the material weakness is not effective, or we identify additional material weaknesses or other adverse findings in the future, our ability to report our financial condition or results of operations accurately or timely or prevent fraud may be adversely affected, which may result in a loss of investor confidence in our financial reports, significant expenses to remediate any internal control deficiencies, and ultimately have an adverse effect on the trading price of our common stock.Effective internal controls over financial reporting are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and, together with adequate disclosure controls and procedures, are designed to prevent fraud. Any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in their implementation could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or Section 404, we are required to furnish a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting. As we are no longer an "emerging growth company" as of the end of the fiscal year ended September 28, 2024, to achieve compliance with Section 404, we are required to document and test the operating effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, which is both costly and challenging. The rules governing the standards that must be met for management to assess our internal control over financial reporting are complex and require significant documentation, testing and possible remediation. Annually, we perform activities that include reviewing, documenting and testing our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, if we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting, we will not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. If we fail to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment, we could suffer misstatements in our financial statements and fail to meet our reporting obligations, which would likely cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information. This could result in significant expenses to remediate any internal control deficiencies and lead to a decline in our stock price.
Our management has conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of September 27, 2025. Based upon this evaluation and those criteria, management concluded that, as of September 27, 2025, the Company's internal control over financial reporting was not effective due to the identification of a material weakness. As of September 27, 2025, the Company did not effectively design procedures and controls over the timing of the recognition of cost of revenue. This resulted in timing discrepancies on the recognition of cost of revenue. Given that we recognize revenue on a percentage of completion basis, this also resulted in timing discrepancies on the recognition of revenue. This deficiency in internal control over financial reporting constituted a material weakness. For further discussion of this material weakness, see Item 9A. Controls and Procedures. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company's annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
We may be unable to conclude in future periods that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective due to the effects of various factors, which may, in part, include unremediated material weaknesses in internal controls over financial reporting. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in those reports is accumulated and communicated to the company's management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management is committed to maintaining a strong internal control environment and believes its remediation efforts will represent an improvement in existing controls. Management anticipates that the new controls, as implemented and when tested for a sufficient period of time, will remediate the material weaknesses. We may not be successful in promptly remediating the material weaknesses identified by management or be able to identify and remediate additional control deficiencies, including material weaknesses, in the future. Remediation efforts have placed, and will continue to place, a significant burden on management and add increased pressure on our financial reporting resources and processes. The accuracy of our financial reporting and our ability to timely file with the SEC may in the future be adversely impacted if we are unable to successfully remediate the material weaknesses in a timely manner, or if any additional material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting are identified.
Debt & Financing3 | 5.1%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
We may need to raise additional capital, and this capital may not be available on terms favorable to us, or at all, when needed.Debt & Financing - Risk 2
Our only principal asset is our interest in New Symbotic Holdings, and accordingly, we will depend on distributions from New Symbotic Holdings to pay taxes, make payments under the tax receivable agreement ("TRA") and cover our corporate and other overhead expenses.We are a holding company and have no material assets other than our ownership interest in New Symbotic Holdings. We have no independent means of generating revenue or cash flow. To the extent the funds of New Symbotic Holdings are legally available for distribution, and subject to any restrictions contained in any credit agreement to which New Symbotic Holdings or its subsidiaries are bound, New Symbotic Holdings is required under the New Symbotic Holdings Limited Liability Company Agreement ("New Symbotic Holdings LLC Agreement") to (i) make generally pro rata distributions to its equityholders, including us, in an amount generally intended to allow its equityholders to satisfy their respective income tax liabilities with respect to their allocable share of the income of New Symbotic Holdings, based on certain assumptions and conventions, and (ii) reimburse us for our corporate and other overhead expenses. In the future, we may be limited, however, in our ability to cause New Symbotic Holdings and its subsidiaries to make these and other distributions to us due to restrictions contained in any credit agreement to which New Symbotic Holdings or any of its subsidiaries are bound. To the extent that we need funds and New Symbotic Holdings or its subsidiaries are restricted from making such distributions under applicable law or regulation or under the terms of their financing arrangements or are otherwise unable to provide such funds, our liquidity and financial condition could be adversely affected.
Moreover, because we have no independent means of generating revenue, our ability to make tax payments and payments under the TRA is dependent on the ability of New Symbotic Holdings to make distributions to us in an amount sufficient to cover our tax obligations and obligations under the TRA. This ability, in turn, may depend on the ability of New Symbotic Holdings' subsidiaries to make distributions to it. The ability of New Symbotic Holdings, its subsidiaries and other entities in which it directly or indirectly holds an equity interest to make such distributions will be subject to, among other things, (i) the applicable provisions of Delaware law (or other applicable jurisdictions) that may limit the amount of funds available for distribution and (ii) restrictions contained in any credit agreement to which New Symbotic Holdings, its subsidiaries and other entities in which it directly or indirectly holds an equity interest are bound. To the extent that we are unable to make payments under the TRA for any reason, such payments will accrue interest until paid.
Debt & Financing - Risk 3
Pursuant to the TRA, we are required to make payments to equity holders of New Symbotic Holdings for certain tax benefits we may claim, and those payments may be substantial.Our purchase of common units of New Symbotic Holdings ("New Symbotic Holdings Common Units") in connection with the Unit Purchase Agreement dated December 12, 2021 and exchange of New Symbotic Holdings Common Units for shares of our Class A Common Stock or cash pursuant to the New Symbotic Holdings LLC Agreement (collectively, "Exchanges") are expected to produce additional favorable tax attributes for us. When we acquire New Symbotic Holdings Common Units from existing unitholders, both the existing basis and anticipated basis adjustments are likely to increase (for tax purposes) depreciation and amortization deductions allocable to us from New Symbotic Holdings and therefore reduce the amount of income tax that we would otherwise be required to pay in the future. This increase in tax basis may also decrease gain (or increase loss) on future dispositions of certain assets to the extent the increased tax basis is allocated to those assets.
We entered into the TRA, which generally provides for the payment by us to certain legacy equity holders of New Symbotic Holdings ("TRA Holders") of their proportionate share of 85% of the tax savings, if any, in U.S. federal and state income tax that we realize (or are deemed to realize in certain circumstances) as a result of (i) the existing tax basis in certain assets of New Symbotic Holdings that is allocable to the relevant New Symbotic Holdings Common Units, (ii) any step-up in tax basis in New Symbotic Holdings' assets resulting from the relevant Exchanges and certain distributions (if any) by New Symbotic Holdings and payments under the TRA, and (iii) tax benefits related to imputed interest deemed to be paid by us as a result of payments under the TRA. The term of the TRA will continue until all such tax benefits have been utilized or expired unless we exercise our right to terminate the TRA for an amount representing the present value of anticipated future tax benefits under the TRA or certain other acceleration events occur. These payments are our obligation and not that of New Symbotic Holdings.
We expect that the payments we will be required to make under the TRA will be substantial. Assuming no material changes in the relevant tax law and that we earn sufficient taxable income to realize all tax benefits that are subject to the TRA, we expect that the reduction in tax payments for us associated with our purchase of New Symbotic Holdings Common Units since the business combination between SVF Investment Corp. 3 and Symbotic (the "Business Combination") that closed on June 7, 2022 would aggregate to approximately $532.9 million over a 41-year period. Under such scenario we would be required to pay the TRA Holders 85% of such amount, or approximately $453 million, over a 41-year period from the Business Combination.
Further, assuming no material changes in the relevant tax law and that we earn sufficient taxable income to realize all tax benefits that are subject to the TRA, we estimate that the reduction in tax payments for us associated with our purchase of New Symbotic Holdings Common Units would aggregate to approximately $7,509.9 million over 41 years based on a closing share price of $52.14 per share of Class A common stock and assuming all future Exchanges of New Symbotic Holdings Common Units had occurred on September 27, 2025. Under such scenario, we would be required to pay the TRA Holders 85% of such amount, or $6,452.2 million, over a 41-year period. These amounts are estimates and have been prepared for informational purposes only. The actual amount of reduction in tax payments and related liabilities that we will recognize will differ based on, among other things, the timing of the Exchanges, the price of our shares of Class A Common Stock at the time of the Exchanges, and the tax rates then in effect.
The actual payment amounts may materially differ from these hypothetical amounts, as potential future reductions in tax payments for us and TRA payments by us are calculated using the market value of our Class A Common Stock at the time of an Exchange and the prevailing tax rates applicable to us over the life of the TRA and is dependent on us generating sufficient future taxable income to realize the benefit.
The actual increase in our allocable share of New Symbotic Holdings' tax basis in its assets, as well as the amount and timing of any payments under the TRA, vary depending upon a number of factors, including the timing of Exchanges, the market price of our Class A Common Stock at the time of the Exchanges, the extent to which such Exchanges are taxable, the amount and timing of the recognition of our income, the tax rate then applicable, and the portion of our payments under the TRA constituting imputed interest. Payments under the TRA are expected to give rise to certain additional tax benefits attributable to either further increases in basis or in the form of deductions for imputed interest, depending on the circumstances. Any such benefits are covered by the TRA and will increase the amounts due thereunder. In addition, the TRA provides for interest, at a rate equal to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate plus 100 basis points, accrued from the due date (without extensions) of the corresponding tax return to the date of payment specified by the TRA.
While many of the factors that will determine the amount of payments that we will make under the TRA are outside of our control, we expect that the payments we will make under the TRA will be substantial and could materially and adversely affect our financial condition. Any payments made by us under the TRA 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 timely payments under the TRA for any reason, the unpaid amounts will be deferred and will accrue interest until paid; however, nonpayment for a specified period may constitute a material breach of a material obligation under the TRA and therefore accelerate payments due under the TRA, as further described below. Furthermore, our future obligation to make payments under the TRA 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 TRA.
Corporate Activity and Growth5 | 8.5%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
We have incurred and will continue to incur increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management continues to devote substantial time to compliance initiatives.Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2
Some members of our management have limited experience in operating a public company.Some members of our management have limited experience in the management of a public company. As a public company, we must establish and maintain appropriate corporate infrastructure. Their experience in dealing with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies could be a disadvantage. It is likely that an increasing amount of their time may be devoted to these activities, which will result in less time being devoted to our management and growth. The development and implementation of the standards and controls necessary for us to achieve the level of accounting standards required of a public company may require additional staffing and costs greater than expected. We may need to expand our employee base and hire additional employees to support our operations as a public company, which will increase our operating costs.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 3
We may fail to realize anticipated benefits of the GreenBox joint venture, or it may disrupt our ongoing operations or result in operating difficulties, liabilities and expenses, harm our business, and negatively impact our results of operations.The GreenBox joint venture and related commercial agreement are expected to be material to our financial condition and results of operations. Our backlog includes $11.6 billion associated with GreenBox and any delays in implementation could adversely affect the business and when anticipated benefits are realized. We may be unable to obtain the benefits, avoid the difficulties and risks of the joint venture, or it may take us longer than expected to fully realize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the GreenBox joint venture. Those benefits and synergies may ultimately be smaller than anticipated or may not be realized at all, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations
The GreenBox joint venture may also require us to issue additional equity securities, spend our cash, or incur debt (and increased interest expense), liabilities and amortization expenses related to intangible assets, which could adversely affect our results of operations and dilute the economic and voting rights of our stockholders. In addition, we cannot assure you that the GreenBox joint venture will lead to the successful development of new or enhanced products and services or that any new or enhanced products and services, if developed, will achieve market acceptance or prove to be profitable.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 4
Failure to manage our growth effectively could make it difficult to execute our business strategy and could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.We have experienced rapid growth, and we are attempting to continue to grow our business substantially. To this end, we have made, and expect to continue to make, significant investments in our business, including investments in our infrastructure, technology, marketing and sales efforts. We are expanding our facilities and growing our headcount. If we do not generate the level of revenue required to support our investment, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our ability to effectively manage our anticipated growth and expansion will also require us to enhance our operational, financial and management controls and infrastructure, human resources policies and reporting systems. These enhancements and improvements will require significant capital expenditures, additional headcount, other capital expenditures and allocation of valuable management and employee resources. Our future financial performance and our ability to execute on our business plan will depend, in part, on our ability to effectively manage our growth and expansion. There are no guarantees we will be able to do so in an efficient or timely manner, or at all.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 5
We may experience risks associated with future mergers, acquisitions or dispositions of businesses or assets or other strategic transactions or joint ventures.We may pursue mergers, acquisitions or dispositions of businesses or assets or other strategic transactions that we believe will enable us to strengthen or broaden our business. We established the GreenBox joint venture in July 2023, acquired substantially all of the assets of Veo Robotics in July 2024 and OhmiLabs in December 2024 and acquired the ASR business from Walmart in January 2025.
However, in the future, we may be unable to identify suitable companies, businesses or assets, reach agreement on potential strategic transactions on acceptable terms and manage the impacts of such transactions on our business. Moreover, mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and other strategic transactions involve various risks including, but not limited to:
- integrating or disposing of a business;- introducing new or improved supply chain automation solutions;- unanticipated changes in customer, supplier and other third-party relationships,- diversion of management's attention from day-to-day operations,- failure to realize the anticipated benefits of such transactions, such as cost savings and revenue enhancements,- substantial transaction costs, and - potential impairment resulting from the overpayment for an acquisition or adverse changes in business performance.
Future mergers or acquisitions may require us to obtain additional equity or debt financing, which may not be available on attractive terms. Moreover, to the extent a transaction financed by non-equity consideration results in goodwill, it will reduce our tangible net worth, which might have an adverse effect on credit availability. For all these reasons, mergers, acquisitions or dispositions of businesses or assets or other strategic transactions could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated.
We may also choose to divest certain businesses or product lines that no longer fit with our strategic objectives. If we decide to sell assets or a business, we may have difficulty obtaining terms acceptable to us in a timely manner, or at all. Additionally, the terms of such potential transactions may expose us to ongoing obligations and liabilities.
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 14/59 (24%)Above Sector Average
Innovation / R&D2 | 3.4%
Innovation / R&D - Risk 1
If we fail to adapt and respond effectively to rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards and changing business needs, requirements or preferences, our systems may become less competitive.Innovation / R&D - Risk 2
If we are unable to develop new solutions, adapt to technological change, sell our systems, services and software into new markets or further penetrate our existing markets, our revenue may not grow as expected.Our ability to increase sales will depend, in large part, on our ability to enhance and improve our systems, services and software, timely introduce new robotic technology and automation solutions, sell into new markets and further penetrate our existing markets. As a result, we must continually invest resources in product development and successfully incorporate and develop new technology.
Developing upgrades and new supply chain automation solutions are costly and impose burdens on our internal teams, including management, compliance, and product development. The success of any enhancement or new system, software, services and products depend on several factors, including timely completion, competitive pricing, introduction and market acceptance and our ability to develop and maintain relationships with customers and vendors. Any new system, software, service and product we develop or acquire may not be introduced in a timely or cost-effective manner.
Any new markets into which we attempt to sell our systems, services and software may not be receptive. Our ability to further penetrate our existing markets depends on the pricing, quality, availability and reliability of our systems, services and software and our ability to design them to meet customer demand and price. Similarly, if any of our competitors implement new technologies before we are able to implement ours, those competitors may be able to provide more effective products, possibly at lower prices. If we are unable to provide systems that customers want at a competitive price, then our customers may become dissatisfied and use competitors' services. Any delay or failure in the introduction of new or enhanced solutions could harm our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Trade Secrets3 | 5.1%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
We may need to bring, or defend ourselves against, IP infringement or misappropriation claims, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations by limiting our ability to use certain IP and causing us to incur substantial costs.Trade Secrets - Risk 2
Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected and the value of our brand, systems and other intangible assets may be diminished if we are unable to maintain and protect our IP (including maintaining the confidentiality and control of our proprietary source code) from unauthorized use, infringement or misappropriation by third parties.Our success depends on our ability to protect our IP (including by obtaining patents and trademarks and maintaining the confidentiality of our proprietary source code), and the failure to adequately maintain, protect or enforce our IP could result in our competitors offering products or services similar or superior to ours, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. We rely on a combination of patents, trade secrets (including know-how), employee and third-party invention assignment and nondisclosure agreements, IP licenses and contractual rights to establish, maintain and protect the IP in and to our systems.
The measures we take to maintain and protect our IP from infringement, misappropriation or violation by others or the unauthorized disclosure of our trade secrets may not be effective for various reasons, including the following:
- any patent applications we submit or currently have pending may not result in the issuance of patents;- the scope of our issued patents, including our patent claims, may not be broad enough to protect our proprietary rights;- our issued patents may be challenged, invalidated or held unenforceable through administrative or legal proceedings in the U.S. or in foreign jurisdictions;- our employees or business partners may breach their confidentiality, non-disclosure and non-use obligations to us and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach;- competitors or third parties may reverse engineer, circumvent or design around our technology or IP or independently discover or develop technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to ours;- we may not be successful in enforcing our IP portfolio against third parties who are infringing, violating or misappropriating such IP for a number of reasons, including substantive and procedural legal impediments;- our trademarks may not be valid or enforceable;- our efforts to protect our trademarks from unauthorized use may be deemed insufficient to satisfy legal requirements throughout the world to maintain our rights in our trademarks;- any goodwill that we have developed in our trademarks could be lost or impaired;- the costs associated with filing patent applications, enforcing patents, confidentiality and invention assignment agreements or other IP and IP-related agreements may make enforcement commercially impracticable or divert our management's attention and resources; and - our use of open-source software could: (i) subject us to claims alleging that we are not compliant with such software licenses; (ii) require us to publicly release portions of our proprietary source code; and (iii) expose us to greater security risks than would the use of non-open-source third-party commercial software.
Additionally, IP laws vary throughout the world. Some foreign countries do not protect IP to the same extent as do the laws of the U.S. Further, policing the unauthorized use of or enforcing our IP in foreign jurisdictions may be difficult. Therefore, as we continue to expand our international footprint, our IP may not be as strong and expansive, or as easily enforced (or even exist), outside of the U.S. Accordingly, despite our efforts, we may be unable to prevent third parties from infringing upon, misappropriating, or otherwise violating our IP rights.
If we are unable to adequately prevent disclosure of trade secrets or other proprietary information, the value of our technology may be diminished. We enter into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and consultants and enter into confidentiality agreements with other third parties, including suppliers and other partners. However, 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 enforceable or 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 systems. These agreements may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach.
Trade Secrets - Risk 3
Our patent applications may not issue or, if issued, may not provide sufficient protection, which may adversely affect our ability to prevent others from commercially exploiting products similar to ours.We rely on our patent portfolio to protect our competitive advantages. As of September 27, 2025, we had 654 issued patents in 17 countries and an additional 413 patents pending worldwide. Our issued patents are scheduled to expire between January 2026 and March 2044. The pending patent applications are presently undergoing examination or expected to undergo examination in the near future. These patents and patent applications seek to protect our proprietary inventions relevant to our business (including our systems, next-generation storage, depalletizing tool, electro-sensitive protection system for machinery and other software and hardware components of our system), in addition to other proprietary technologies (including source code) which are primarily maintained as trade secrets. We intend to pursue additional IP protection to the extent we believe it would be beneficial and cost-effective. We make business decisions about when to seek patent protection for a particular technology and when to rely upon copyright or trade secret protection, and the approach we select may ultimately prove to be inadequate. Even in cases where we seek patent protection, there is no assurance that the resulting patents will effectively protect every significant feature of our system or other automated or robotic supply chain solution.
Even if we continue to seek patent protection in the future, we may be unable to obtain or maintain patent protection for our technology. There may be issued patents of which we are not aware held by third parties that, if found to be valid and enforceable, could be alleged to be infringed by our current or future technologies or solutions. There also may be pending patent applications of which we are not aware that may result in issued patents, which could be alleged to be infringed by our current or future technologies or solutions. Furthermore, legal standards relating to the validity, enforceability and scope of protection of IP rights are uncertain. Despite our precautions, it may be possible for unauthorized third parties to copy our solution and use information that we regard as proprietary to create products that compete with ours.
We also cannot be certain that we are the first inventor of the subject matter for which we have filed a particular patent application, or if we are the first party to file such a patent application. If another party has invented or filed a patent application with respect to the same subject matter as we have, we may not be entitled to the protection sought by our applicable patent applications. We also cannot be certain that all the claims included in a patent application will ultimately be allowed in the applicable issued patent. Further, the scope of protection provided by issued patent claims is often difficult to determine. As a result, we cannot be certain that the patent applications that we file will issue, or that our issued patents will afford protection against competitors with similar technology. In addition, even if all of our patent claims are allowed and cover their intended scope, our competitors may circumvent or design around our issued patents, which may adversely affect our business, financial, condition or results of operations. Finally, our issued patents may be challenged and invalidated.
Cyber Security2 | 3.4%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
We have experienced cybersecurity incidents in the past and may experience further cybersecurity incidents or security breaches of our IT or OT in the future, which may result in systems disruption, shutdown, unauthorized access to or disclosure of confidential or personal information.Cyber Security - Risk 2
A breach of our IT that results in unauthorized access to personal information could require us to notify affected employees, customers and other persons (including governmental organizations) and lead to lawsuits and investigations alleging breaches of applicable laws or regulations.We may collect and process certain personal information of our customers or customers' customers in connection with our business. Additionally, we collect and otherwise process other data relating to individuals, including business partners, prospects, employees, vendors and contractors. Although we take steps to protect the security of our customers' personal information and other personal information within our control, we may face actual or perceived breaches of security, security incidents or other misuses of this information. Many jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring companies to notify individuals, regulatory authorities and others of security breaches involving certain types of data, and we may have contractual obligations to customers imposing similar requirements.
We may be required to expend significant resources to comply with security breach and security incident notification requirements if a third party accesses or acquires such personal information without authorization, if we otherwise experience a security breach or incident or loss or damage of personal information, or if this is perceived to have occurred. Any actual or perceived breach of our network security, or those of our vendors or service providers, could result in claims, litigation and proceedings against us by governmental entities, customers, individuals or others, negative effects on our business and future prospects, including possible fines, penalties and damages, reduced demand for our systems, software and services and harm to our reputation and brand, which could negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Technology7 | 11.9%
Technology - Risk 1
We depend and rely upon technologies from third parties (including cloud-based technologies) to operate our business, and interruptions of, or performance or security problems with, these technologies or the termination of relationships with the providers of these technologies may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.Technology - Risk 2
Real or perceived errors, failures, bugs or defects in our IT could adversely lead to liability and litigation, disrupt our operations and could negatively impact our reputation and otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.Our systems are complex and, like all complicated solutions that depend on software and hardware, may contain undetected defects or errors. We are continuing to evolve the features and functionality of our systems through updates and enhancements, and as we do so, we may introduce additional defects or errors that may not be detected until after deployment by our customers. If we acquire companies or integrate into our systems technologies developed by third parties, we may encounter difficulty in incorporating the newly-obtained technologies into our systems and maintaining the quality standards that are consistent with our reputation.
If our systems are not implemented or used correctly or as intended, inadequate performance and disruptions in service may result. Because our customers use our systems for important aspects of their business, any actual or perceived errors, defects, bugs, or other performance problems in our systems could damage our customers' businesses. Any defects or errors in our systems generally, or the perception of such defects or errors, could result in a loss of customers and delayed or lost revenue and could damage our reputation and lead to liability or litigation.
Errors in our software or hardware that supports our systems, generally, could cause system failures, loss of data or other adverse effects for our customers who may assert warranty and other claims for substantial damages against us. Although our customer agreements often contain provisions that seek to limit our exposure to such claims, it is possible that these provisions may be ineffective or unenforceable under the laws of some jurisdictions. While we seek to insure against these types of claims, our insurance policies may not adequately limit our exposure to such claims. These claims, even if unsuccessful, could be costly and time-consuming to defend and could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Technology - Risk 3
Our ability to efficiently manage and expand our business depends significantly on the reliability, capacity and protection of our IT. Real or perceived failures or security breaches of our IT could disrupt our operations, lead to loss of proprietary information, damage our relationships with customers, result in regulatory investigations and penalties, lead to liability, negatively impact our reputation and otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.Our systems, services and software are used by our customers in supply chain applications that may be subject to information theft, tampering, vulnerabilities or sabotage. Careless or malicious actors could cause a customer's supply chain processes, including our systems, to be disrupted or could cause equipment to operate in an improper manner that could result in harm to people or property. While we continue to improve the security attributes of our systems, services and software, we can reduce risk but not eliminate it. To a significant extent, the security of our customers' IT depends on how they are designed, installed, protected, configured, updated and monitored, and much of this is typically outside our control. In addition, the software supply chain introduces security vulnerabilities into many products, including products that may be used by our systems.
The current cyber threat environment indicates increased risk for all companies, including those in supply chain automation. Any significant security incident could have an adverse impact on sales, interrupt or delay our ability to operate or service our customers, harm our reputation and cause us to incur legal liability and increased costs to address such events and related security concerns. Cybersecurity incidents may also compromise third parties upon which we rely for our operations, and we are limited in our ability to prevent or mitigate those compromises or their effects.
If such an event results in unauthorized access to, or loss of, any data subject to data privacy and security laws and regulations or contractual obligations, then we could be subject to substantial fines by U.S. federal and state authorities, foreign data privacy authorities and private claims by companies or individuals. A cyber-attack may cause additional costs, such as investigative and remediation costs, and the costs of providing individuals and/or data owners with notice of the breach, legal fees, and the costs of any additional fraud detection activities required by law, a court or a third party. Further, if a high-profile security breach occurs with respect to another provider of supply chain automation solutions, our customers may lose trust in the security of our systems or in the supply chain automation industry generally, which could adversely impact our ability to retain existing customers or attract new ones. Even in the absence of any security breach, customer concerns about security, privacy or data protection may deter them from using our systems, software and services, which could negatively impact our reputation and otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Technology - Risk 4
Our software contains third-party open-source software components. Certain use of such open-source components with our proprietary software could adversely affect our ability to charge fees for, or otherwise protect the value of, our solution.We license certain software from third parties under open-source licenses. Use and distribution of open-source software may entail greater risks than use of non-open-source third-party commercial software, as open-source licensors generally do not provide support, warranties, indemnification or other contractual protections regarding infringement claims or the quality of the code. In addition, the public availability of such software may make it easier for others to compromise our systems.
Some open-source licenses contain requirements that we make available source code for modifications or derivative works of our proprietary software based upon the type of open-source software we use or grant other licenses to our IP. If we combine our proprietary software with open-source software in a certain manner, we could, under certain open-source licenses, be required to release the source code of our proprietary software to the public. This could allow our competitors to create similar products or service offerings with lower development effort and time and ultimately could result in a loss of our competitive advantages. Alternatively, to avoid the public release of the affected portions of our source code, we could be required to expend substantial time and resources to re-engineer some or all of our software.
Although we monitor our use of open-source software to avoid subjecting our systems to unintended conditions, the terms of many open-source licenses have not been interpreted by U.S. or foreign courts, and there is a risk that these licenses could be construed in a way that could impose unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability to provide or distribute our systems. From time to time, there have been claims challenging the ownership of open-source software against companies that incorporate open-source software into their solutions. We could similarly be subject to lawsuits by parties claiming ownership of what we believe to be open-source software. Moreover, we cannot assure you that our processes for controlling our use of open-source software in our systems will be effective.
If we are held to have breached or failed to fully comply with all the terms and conditions of an open-source software license, we could face infringement or other liability. This may result in an injunction against providing our systems, a requirement to seek costly licenses from third parties to continue providing our systems on terms that are not economically feasible, re-engineering our systems, discontinuing or delaying the provision of our systems if re-engineering could not be accomplished on a timely basis or to make generally available, in source code form, our proprietary code, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Technology - Risk 5
Our systems may not be successful or meet existing or future requirements in customer agreements with existing or future customers.Our first case picking system became Operational at a customer distribution center in 2012 and our latest version of our case picking system became Operational at a customer distribution center in 2019. Our first BreakPack system became Operational at a customer distribution center in 2025. Since that time, we have continued to refine the robotics technology and capabilities of our systems and anticipate continuing to upgrade our systems and services in the future.
Our BreakPack and micro-fulfillment systems, as well as any other system, software, service or product we may launch in the future, may not be well received by our customers, may not help us to generate new customers, may adversely affect the attrition rate of existing customers and may increase our customer acquisition costs and the costs to service our customers. Any revenue we may generate from them may be lower than revenue generated from our existing systems and services and may not be sufficient for us to recoup our development or customer acquisition costs incurred, particularly if launch dates are delayed or we are unable to scale. In addition, BreakPack, and the micro-fulfillment systems, as well as any new system, software, services and products may require increased operational expenses or customer acquisition costs and present new and difficult technological and intellectual property challenges that may subject us to claims or complaints if our customers experience installation issues, service disruptions or failures or other quality issues. To the extent any of these systems or products are not successful, it could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, cash flow or results of operations.
Technology - Risk 6
Complex technology will need to be developed and implemented, both in-house and in coordination with our vendors and suppliers, for us to successfully produce and integrate our systems with our customers' existing warehouses, and there can be no assurance that they will be successfully developed and implemented.Our systems require a substantial amount of third-party and proprietary in-house software and complex hardware to be installed and operated in our customers' warehouses. The development of such advanced technologies is inherently complex and costly, and we will need to coordinate with our vendors and suppliers to produce and integrate our systems with our customers' infrastructure. In the future, one or more of our third-party software or hardware providers may choose not to support the operation of their software, software services and infrastructure with our systems, or our systems may not support the capabilities needed to operate with such software, software services and infrastructure.
Defects and errors may be revealed over time (and may not even be known until after our systems have been deployed to our customers) and our control over the performance of third-party services and systems may be limited. We may be unable to develop the necessary technology or meet the technological requirements and production timing to support our business plan.
In addition, our systems may not comply with the cost, performance useful life and warranty requirements we anticipate in our business plan. Our warranty exposure could be exacerbated by the performance of third-party components or integration with customer infrastructure, and we may not always be able to recover related costs from our vendors or suppliers. Warranty obligations may exceed the reserves we have established, requiring us to incur additional unexpected costs. As a result, our business plan could be significantly impacted and we may incur significant liabilities under warranty claims, which could adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
Technology - Risk 7
We implemented a new enterprise resource planning ("ERP") system, and challenges with the implementation of the system may impact our business and operations.In fiscal year 2024, we implemented a multi-year implementation of a complex new ERP system. The ERP system implementation required the integration of the ERP system with multiple new and existing information systems and business processes. It has been designed to accurately maintain our books and records and provide information to our management teams important to the operation of our business. Our ERP system implementation will continue to require ongoing maintenance and monitoring and in the future we may elect to implement additional modules of the ERP system. Conversion from our old system to the ERP system may cause inefficiencies until the ERP system is stabilized and mature. The implementation of our ERP system has mandated new procedures and many new controls over financial reporting. These procedures and controls are not yet mature in their operation. If we are unable to adequately maintain procedures and controls relating to our ERP system, our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements or comply with applicable regulations could be impaired and impact our assessment of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting.
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 11/59 (19%)Above Sector Average
Regulation3 | 5.1%
Regulation - Risk 1
We are subject to U.S. and foreign anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws and regulations and could face criminal liability and other serious consequences for violations, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.Regulation - Risk 2
Laws and regulations governing robotics and supply chain automation industries are still developing and may restrict our business or increase the costs of our systems, making our systems less competitive or adversely affecting our revenue growth.We are subject to laws and regulations relating to the robotics and supply chain automation industries in the jurisdictions in which we conduct our business or in some circumstances, of those jurisdictions in which we offer our systems. Our systems utilize emerging tools and technologies, such as A.I., which may also become subject to regulation under new laws or new applications of existing laws. These laws and regulations are developing and vary from one jurisdiction to another. Future legislative and regulatory action, court decisions or other governmental action may be affected by, among other things, political pressures, attitudes and climates, as well as personal biases, and may have a material and adverse impact on our operations and financial results.
Regulation - Risk 3
Our facilities are subject to various compliance requirements, including those of OSHA and other workplace safety agencies, and compliance costs could increase as we scale our systems.Our facilities are subject to numerous federal and state laws and regulations, including those of OSHA, a regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor. In particular, our facilities are subject to oversight and regulation under local ordinances, building, zoning and fire codes, environmental protection regulation, and other rules and regulations. Although we believe that obtaining and renewing any certificates or licenses required for the operation of our business in compliance with such laws and regulations will be routine, we cannot assure you that we will obtain or renew them in a timely manner. Our failure to hold a given license or certificate, whether by expiration, nonrenewal, modification or termination, may impair our ability to perform our obligations under our customer contracts. Such licenses or certificates may require us to operate in ways that incur substantial compliance costs, particularly as we seek to scale our systems.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities3 | 5.1%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
Our customer agreements allocate certain liabilities to us. The occurrence of such liability could disrupt our business or result in liability.Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 2
We are party to pending litigation, and we may be subject to future litigation in the operation of our business. An adverse outcome in one or more proceedings could adversely affect our business.We are a party to litigation, and we may in the future face the risk of claims, lawsuits, and other proceedings involving competition and antitrust, intellectual property, privacy, consumer protection, accessibility, securities, tax, labor and employment, commercial disputes, services and other matters. For additional information on these matters, see "Item 3. Legal Proceedings."
Litigation to defend us against claims by third parties, or to enforce any rights that we may have against third parties, may be necessary, which could result in substantial costs and diversion of our resources. 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.
Any litigation to which we are a party may result in an onerous or unfavorable judgment that may not be reversed upon appeal, or in payments of substantial monetary damages or fines, the posting of bonds requiring significant collateral, letters of credit or similar instruments, or we may decide to settle lawsuits on similarly unfavorable terms. These proceedings could result in reputational harm and criminal sanctions. Litigation and other claims and regulatory proceedings against us could also result in unexpected disciplinary actions, expenses and liabilities, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 3
We have been, and may be in the future, the subject of governmental and regulatory investigations and inquiries, legal proceedings and enforcement actions with respect to the operation of our businesses. Any such investigation, inquiry, proceeding or action could adversely affect our business.We have in the past, and may receive in the future, formal and informal inquiries from government authorities and regulators regarding compliance with laws and other matters, particularly as we grow and expand our business and operations. Resolution of these matters against us may result in, among other things, the payment of fines, judgments, penalties, non-monetary sanctions, or settlements, which may be significant, as well as the imposition of administrative remedies, changes and additional costs to our business operations to avoid risks associated with such litigation or investigations, reputational damage and decreased demand for our products, and the expenditure of significant time and resources that would otherwise be available for operating our business. These results may have an impact on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Taxation & Government Incentives3 | 5.1%
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1
Changes to applicable tax laws and regulations, exposure to additional income tax liabilities or unfavorable outcomes in tax audits could harm our future profitability or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2
In certain cases, payments under the TRA may exceed the actual tax benefits we realize or be accelerated.Payments under the TRA will be based on the tax reporting positions that we determine. The Internal Revenue Service or another taxing authority may challenge all or any part of the tax basis increases, as well as other tax positions that we take, and a court may sustain such a challenge. If any tax benefits that we initially claimed are disallowed, the TRA Holders will not be required to reimburse us for any excess payments that may previously have been made under the TRA, for example, due to adjustments resulting from examinations by taxing authorities. Rather, excess payments made to such holders will be netted against any future cash payments that we are otherwise required to make after the determination of such excess. However, a challenge to any tax benefits that we initially claim may not arise for a number of years after 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 TRA and, as a result, there might not be future cash payments against which to net. As a result, in certain circumstances we could make payments under the TRA in excess of our actual income or franchise tax savings, which could materially impair our financial condition.
Moreover, the TRA provides that, if we (i) exercise our early termination rights under the TRA, (ii) experience certain changes of control (as described in the TRA) or (iii) breach any of our material obligations under the TRA, our obligations under the TRA may accelerate and we could be required to make a lump-sum cash payment to each TRA Holder equal to the present value of all future payments that would have otherwise been made under the TRA, which lump sum payment would be based on certain assumptions, including those relating to our future taxable income. The lump-sum payment could be substantial and could exceed the actual tax benefits that we realize subsequent to such payment because we would calculate such payment assuming, among other things, that we would have certain tax benefits available to us and that we would be able to use them in future years.
There may be a material negative effect on our liquidity if the payments under the TRA exceed the actual tax savings that we realize. Furthermore, our obligations to make payments under the TRA could also have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing certain mergers, asset sales, other forms of business combinations or other changes of control.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 3
If New Symbotic Holdings were to become a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we and New Symbotic Holdings might be subject to potentially significant tax inefficiencies, and we would not be able to recover payments previously made by us under the TRA even if the corresponding tax benefits were subsequently determined to have been unavailable due to such status.A number of aspects of our structure depend on the classification of New Symbotic Holdings as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and we intend to operate such that New Symbotic Holdings 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 are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof. Under certain circumstances, Exchanges or other transfers of New Symbotic Holdings Common Units could cause New Symbotic Holdings to be treated as a publicly traded partnership. Applicable U.S. Treasury regulations provide for certain safe harbors from treatment as a publicly traded partnership, and we intend to operate such that Exchanges or other transfers of New Symbotic Holdings Common Units qualify for one or more such safe harbors. For example, we intend to limit the number of New Symbotic Holdings unitholders, and the New Symbotic Holdings LLC Agreement provides for limitations on the ability of New Symbotic Holdings equityholders to transfer their New Symbotic Holdings Common Units and provides us with the right to cause the imposition of limitations and restrictions (in addition to those already in place) on the ability of New Symbotic Holdings equityholders to Exchange their New Symbotic Holdings
Common Units to the extent we believe it is necessary to ensure that New Symbotic Holdings will continue to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
If New Symbotic Holdings were to become a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, significant tax inefficiencies might result for us and New Symbotic Holdings, including as a result of our inability to file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return with New Symbotic Holdings. In addition, we may not be able to realize tax benefits covered under the TRA, and we would not be able to recover any payments previously made by us under the TRA, even if the corresponding tax benefits (including any claimed increase in the tax basis of New Symbotic Holdings' assets) were subsequently determined to have been unavailable.
Environmental / Social2 | 3.4%
Environmental / Social - Risk 1
Our business requires the collection, use, handling, processing, transfer and storage of employee and customer data, and such activities may be regulated by third-party agreements, our own privacy policies and certain federal, state and foreign laws and regulations.Environmental / Social - Risk 2
Numerous states and the federal government have enacted, or are considering enacting, increasingly complex and rigorous privacy, information security and data protection laws and regulations that build on an existing global privacy and data security regulatory framework. This global patchwork of laws could have a significant impact on our privacy, data protection and information security-related practices. Monitoring and complying with these laws and regulations may be expensive and disruptive to our business, and our real or perceived failure to comply with them could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.We, our customers, and third parties whom we work with are subject to numerous evolving and increasingly stringent foreign and domestic laws and requirements relating to privacy, data security, and data loss prevention that are increasing the cost and complexity of operating our business. Compliance with state, federal and foreign privacy regulations, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act or the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, could increase our operating costs as part of our efforts to protect and safeguard our sensitive data and personal information. Failure to maintain information privacy and security could result in business interruption, legal liability and reputational harm.
We strive to comply with applicable privacy, data security, and data protection laws and requirements, but we cannot fully determine the impact that current or future such laws and requirements may have on our business or operations. Such laws or requirements may be inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another, subject to differing interpretations, and courts or regulators may deem our efforts to comply as insufficient. If we, or the third parties we rely on to operate our business and deliver our services fail to comply, or are perceived as failing to comply, with our legal or contractual obligations relating to privacy, data security, or data protection, or our policies and documentation relating to personal information, we could face: governmental enforcement action; litigation with our customers, individuals or others; fines and civil or criminal penalties for us or our executives; obligations to cease offering our systems or to substantially modify it in ways that make it less effective in certain jurisdictions; negative publicity and harm to our brand and reputation; and reduced overall demand for our systems. Such developments could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Production
Total Risks: 6/59 (10%)Below Sector Average
Manufacturing1 | 1.7%
Manufacturing - Risk 1
Our systems, services and software may be affected from time to time by design and manufacturing defects that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and result in harm to our reputation.Employment / Personnel2 | 3.4%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
We rely on senior management, technical experts, and other highly qualified personnel, including hardware and software engineers, and will need to hire and train additional personnel.Employment / Personnel - Risk 2
We share certain key executives with C&S Wholesale Grocers, an important customer, which means those executives will not devote their full time and attention to our affairs, and the overlap may give rise to conflicts.Our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Richard B. Cohen, also serves as the Executive Chairman of C&S Wholesale Grocers and he and trusts for the benefit of his family are the substantial majority stockholders of C&S Wholesale Grocers. Our Chief Strategy Officer, William Boyd, also serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of C&S Wholesale Grocers and our Chief Human Resource Officer, Miriam Ort, also serves as Chief Human Resources Officer of C&S Wholesale Grocers. As a result, not all of our executive officers devote their full time and attention to our affairs and are compensated separately by C&S Wholesale Grocers and its subsidiaries. The overlapping executives may have actual or apparent conflicts of interest with respect to matters involving or affecting each company. For example, the potential for a conflict of interest exists when we, on the one hand, and C&S Wholesale Grocers, on the other hand, look at certain corporate opportunities that may be suitable for either company. Also, conflicts may arise if there are issues or disputes under the commercial arrangements that exist between us and C&S Wholesale Grocers. These overlapping executives' ownership interests in us and C&S Wholesale Grocers could create actual, apparent or potential conflicts of interest if they are faced with decisions that have different implications for us and C&S Wholesale Grocers.
Supply Chain3 | 5.1%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
We rely on suppliers to provide equipment, components and services. Any disruption to our supply chain could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.Supply Chain - Risk 2
Certain of our supply agreements allow the supplier to terminate the agreement upon notice for any reason or no reason. This termination right could disrupt our operations, negatively impact our reputation and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.We rely on a number of suppliers for raw materials and components for our systems and have entered into supply agreements with such suppliers. A number of these supply agreements provide the supplier with a termination right for any reason or no reason. If one of our suppliers terminates their relationship with us, or experiences a supply chain disruption, we could experience delays in our ability to deliver our systems to our customers. In addition, while most raw materials and components for our systems are available from multiple suppliers, certain of those items are only available from limited sources. Should any of these suppliers become unavailable or inadequate, or impose terms unacceptable to us, such as increased pricing terms, we could be required to spend a significant amount of time and expense to develop alternate sources of supply, and we may not be successful in doing so on terms acceptable to us, or at all. As a result, the loss of a supplier could adversely affect our relationship with our customers and our reputation, as well as our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Supply Chain - Risk 3
Supply chain interruptions may increase our costs or reduce our revenue.We depend on good vendor relationships and the effectiveness of our supply chain management to ensure reliable and sufficient supply, on reasonably favorable terms, of materials used in our manufacturing processes. The materials we purchase and use in the ordinary course of business are sourced from a wide variety of suppliers around the world including Germany, Italy, Sweden, Mexico, the United States, Canada and China. Disruptions in the supply chain may result from public health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, or from weather-related events, natural disasters, trade restrictions, tariffs, border controls, acts of war, terrorist attacks, third-party strikes, work stoppages or slowdowns, shipping capacity constraints, supply or shipping interruptions or other factors beyond our control. In the event of disruptions in our existing supply chain, the labor and materials we rely on in the ordinary course of our business may not be available at reasonable rates or at all. If the costs in our supply chain increase, we may not be able to recover such additional costs under our agreements with our customers or offset such costs in new customer agreements. Our supply chain also depends on third-party warehouses and logistics providers. Any disruption in the supply, storage or delivery of materials could disrupt our operations, which may cause harm to our reputation and results of operations.
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 4/59 (7%)Below Sector Average
Competition1 | 1.7%
Competition - Risk 1
The markets in which we participate are competitive. Many companies, including large retail and e-commerce companies, companies that offer point solutions or other comprehensive or specific supply chain functionalities and other companies that focus on automated technologies, may target the markets in which we do business. Additionally, our customers and potential customers may develop in-house solutions that compete with our systems. If we are unable to compete effectively, our sales and profitability could be adversely affected.Demand2 | 3.4%
Demand - Risk 1
We depend heavily on our larger customers, and therefore, our success is heavily dependent on their ability to grow their businesses and their adoption of our systems.Demand - Risk 2
If demand for our systems does not grow as we expect, or if market adoption of A.I.-powered robotics and supply chain automation solutions does not continue to develop, or develops slower than we expect, our future revenue may stagnate or decline and our business may be adversely affected.The supply chain automation industry is rapidly growing and developing. We may not be able to develop effective strategies to raise awareness among potential customers of the benefits of A.I. enabled robotics and automation and our systems may not address the specific needs or provide the level of functionality required by potential customers to encourage the continuation of the shift towards supply chain automation. If supply chain automation technology does not continue to gain broader market acceptance as an alternative to conventional manual operations, or if the marketplace adopts supply chain automation technologies that differ from ours, we may not be able to increase or sustain the level of sales of our solutions, retain existing customers or attract new customers, and our operating results would be adversely affected as a result.
Sales & Marketing1 | 1.7%
Sales & Marketing - Risk 1
C&S Wholesale Grocers, an important customer, is our affiliate. Despite our affiliation with C&S Wholesale Grocers, there is no guarantee that it will continue to be a customer beyond the term of its current contracts with us.Macro & Political
Total Risks: 3/59 (5%)Below Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment1 | 1.7%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
Inflation, tariffs, customs duties and other increases in manufacturing and operating costs could adversely affect our cash flow as well as our business, financial condition and results of operations.Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 1.7%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
Our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be significantly hindered by the occurrence of a natural disaster, terrorist attack or other catastrophic event. We also face risks related to health pandemics or epidemics, such COVID-19, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.Capital Markets1 | 1.7%
Capital Markets - Risk 1
Our financial performance is subject to risks of foreign exchange fluctuation, which could result in foreign exchange losses.See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.
FAQ
What are “Risk Factors”?
Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment.
They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result.
It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.
How do companies disclose their risk factors?
Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process.
Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”.
Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report.
According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.
How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?
Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing.
You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector.
Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements.
A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.
What are all the risk factor categories?
TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below.
1. Financial & Corporate
- Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing.
- Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments.
- Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances.
2. Legal & Regulatory
- Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company.
- Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation.
- Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy.
- Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives.
3. Production
- Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory.
- Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers.
- Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls.
- Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation.
4. Technology & Innovation
- Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development.
- Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology.
- Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks.
- Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying.
5. Ability to Sell
- Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers.
- Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes.
- Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration.
- Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation.
6. Macro & Political
- Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions.
- Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19.
- International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company.
- Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.