Trupanion (TRUP) Risk Factors

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes, and also to comply with many complex requirements and standards. We devote substantial resources to compliance with accounting requirements and we base our estimates on our best judgment, historical experience, information derived from third parties, and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the values of assets, liabilities, equity, revenue and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. However, various factors are causing our accounting to become complex, such as our investments in strategic opportunities and our expansion into foreign markets. The ongoing evolution of our business, international expansion, and entry into complementary businesses, such as pet food, may compound these complexities. Our operating results may be adversely affected if we make accounting errors or our judgments prove to be wrong, assumptions change or actual circumstances differ from those in our assumptions, which could cause our operating results to fall below the expectations of securities analysts and investors or guidance we may have provided, resulting in a decline in our stock price and potential legal claims. Significant judgments, assumptions and estimates used in preparing our consolidated financial statements include those related to revenue recognition, reserve for veterinary invoices, business combinations, and income taxes.

We may require additional capital to meet our risk-based capital requirements, operate or expand our business or respond to unforeseen circumstances. Additional funds may not be available when we need them, on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. For instance, our arrangement with Aflac requires that, before we issue or sell equity to another investor, we are required to provide Aflac an opportunity to purchase equity allowing them to maintain their ownership percentage. This requirement may introduce delays or prevent us from raising funds through the issuance of securities. If we raise additional funds through the issuance of equity or convertible securities, the percentage ownership of holders of our common stock could be significantly diluted and these newly issued securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of holders of our common stock. Further, volatility in the equity markets may have an adverse effect on our ability to obtain equity financing or the cost of such financing and, in the event we require additional debt financing, volatility in the debt markets may have an adverse effect on our ability to obtain debt financing or the cost of such financing. Similarly, our access to funds may be impaired if regulatory authorities or rating agencies take negative actions against us. If a combination of these factors were to occur, our internal sources of liquidity may prove to be insufficient and, in such case, we may not be able to successfully obtain additional financing on favorable terms. If funds are unavailable to us on reasonable terms when we need them, we may be unable to meet our risk-based capital requirements, train and support our employees, support Territory Partners, maintain the competitiveness of our technology, pursue business opportunities, service our existing debt, pay veterinary invoices or acquire new members, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

Our ability to grow our business depends on retaining and expanding our member base. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we generated 64.0% of our revenue from our subscription business segment. In order to increase our membership, we must continue to convince prospective members of the benefits of medical insurance for pets in general and our subscription in particular. To maintain our existing member base, we need to continue to reinforce the value of our subscription. We utilize Territory Partners, who are paid fees based on enrollments and retention in their regions, to communicate the benefits of medical insurance to veterinarians through a combination of remote and in-person communications. Veterinarians then educate pet owners, who visit our website or call our contact center to learn more about these benefits, and potentially become members. We also invest in other third-party and direct-to-consumer member acquisition channels, though we have limited experience with some of them. We intend to maintain our Territory Partner model and structure and we plan to introduce other distribution channels to increase lead generation and to engage in other sales and promotional activities, including direct-to-consumer advertising, all of which are likely to increase our acquisition costs. In addition, these go-to-market plans may face unexpected delays, costs or other challenges, such as decreased ability of Territory Partners to conduct in-person visits with veterinarians. Our ability to generate leads through veterinary hospitals could be negatively impacted if our policy is perceived to be inadequate, unreliable, cumbersome or otherwise does not provide sufficient value, or if our process for paying veterinary invoices is unsatisfactory to the veterinarians and their clients. If we fail to establish new or are unable to maintain our existing member acquisition channels, if the cost of our existing sources increases or does not scale as we anticipate, or if we are unable to continue to use any existing channels or programs in any jurisdiction, including our exam day offer program, our member levels and pet acquisition expenses may be adversely affected. We seek to convert pet owners who visit our website and call our contact center into members. The rate at which we convert these visitors into members is a significant factor in the growth of our member base. A number of factors have influenced, and could in the future influence, the conversion rates for any given period, some of which are outside of our control. These factors include: - the pricing of our subscription, including its perceived value, simplicity, and fairness;- our ability to explain and educate consumers regarding the benefits and differences related to our products, including our offerings marketed by third parties, and any potential consumer confusion as we add more products;- changes in consumer shopping behaviors due to circumstances outside of our control, such as increased inflation and other economic conditions, and consumers' ability or willingness to pay for our product;- legal or regulatory requirements, including those that make the experience on our website cumbersome or difficult to navigate or that hinder our ability to communicate with potential members quickly and in a way that is more conducive to conversion; and - system failures or interruptions in our website or contact center. We have made and plan to continue to make substantial investments in features and enhanced functionalities for our website and support our contact center. These enhancements are designed to help appropriately direct pet owner traffic to the enrollment journey of their choice, increase member engagement, and improve member service. These activities do not directly generate revenue, however, and we may never realize any benefit from these investments. If the expenses that we incur in connection with these activities do not result in sufficient growth in members to offset the cost, our business, operating results and financial condition will be adversely affected. Generally, we see greater conversion through our contact center and if we are unable to drive more potential members to call our contact center, our conversion rates may decline. We have historically experienced high average monthly retention rates. For example, our average monthly retention rate between 2010 and 2023 was 98.5%. We expect to continue to make significant expenditures relating to the retention of existing members. If we do not retain our existing members or if our marketing initiatives do not result in enrolling more pets or result in enrolling pets that inherently have a lower retention rate, we may not be able to maintain our retention and new pet acquisition rates. Members we obtain through aggressive promotions or other channels that involve relatively less meaningful contact between us and the member and such members are more likely to terminate their subscription. In the past, we have experienced reduced retention rates during periods of rapid member growth, as our retention rate generally has been lower during the first year of member enrollment. Members may choose to terminate their subscription for a variety of reasons, including, loss of a pet, increased subscription fees, perceived or actual lack of value, delays or other unsatisfactory experiences in how we review and process veterinary invoice payments, unsatisfactory member service, a change in the economic environment, a more attractive offer from a competitor, changes in our subscription or other reasons, including reasons that are outside of our control. Our cost of acquiring a new member is substantially greater than the cost involved in maintaining our relationship with an existing member. If we are not able to successfully retain existing members and limit cancellations, our revenue and operating margins will be adversely impacted and our business, operating results and financial condition would be harmed.