Summary of significant accounting policies | Summary of significant accounting policies Use of estimates The preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant estimates and assumptions reflected in these consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to, calculating the standalone selling price of products and services for revenue recognition, the valuation of inventory, and the valuation of stock-based awards. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience, known trends and other market-specific and relevant factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates when there are changes in circumstances, facts and experience. Changes in estimates are recorded in the period in which they become known. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Risk of concentrations of credit, significant customers and significant suppliers Financial instruments that potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments and accounts receivable. Periodically, the Company maintains deposits in accredited financial institutions in excess of federally insured limits. The Company maintains its cash and cash equivalents with financial institutions that management believes to be of high credit quality. The Company has not experienced any losses on such accounts or any other-than-temporary losses with respect to its cash equivalents and investments and does not believe it is exposed to any unusual credit risk beyond the normal credit risk associated with commercial banking relationships. Significant customers are those which represent more than 10% of the Company’s total revenue or accounts receivable balance at each respective balance sheet date. The following table presents customers that represent 10% or more of the Company’s total revenue: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 Customer A 16.5 % 22.8 % 16.5 % 22.8 % The following table presents customers that represent 10% or more of the Company’s accounts receivable: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 Customer A 10.7 % 21.4 % Customer B 21.4 % * Customer C 16.4 % 11.8 % Customer D 12.4 % * Customer E * 16.7 % 60.9 % 49.9 % ______________________________ * – less than 10% The Company relies on third parties for the supply and manufacture of certain of its products as well as logistics. In instances where these parties fail to perform their obligations, the Company may be unable to find alternative suppliers to satisfactorily deliver its products to its customers on time, if at all, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operating results, financial condition and cash flows and damage its customer relationships. There are no significant concentrations around a single third-party supplier or manufacturer for the year ended December 31, 2023 or 2022. Cash equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of 90 days or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents that are readily convertible to cash are stated at cost, which approximates fair value. At December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company held cash of $0.1 million and $0.2 million in banks located outside of the U.S., respectively. Restricted cash As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company was required to maintain guaranteed investment certificates with a value of $0.3 million, with maturities of three months to one year that are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value. The guaranteed investment certificates are held for the benefit of landlords in connection with operating leases which have remaining terms of greater than one year and are classified as restricted cash (non-current) on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. Investments The Company’s short-term and long-term investments are classified as available-for-sale and recorded at fair value based upon market prices at period end. Unrealized gains and losses are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income as a separate component of stockholders’ equity. Realized gains and losses and declines in value of investments determined to be other than temporary are included as a component of interest income, net in the consolidated statement of operations. The costs of investments for purposes of computing realized and unrealized gains and losses is based on the specific identification method. The Company evaluates its short-term and long-term investments with unrealized losses for other-than-temporary impairment. When assessing investments for other-than-temporary declines in value, the Company considers such factors as, among other things, how significant the decline in value is as a percentage of the original cost, how long the market value of the investment has been less than its original cost, the Company’s ability and intent to retain the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in fair value and market conditions in general. If any adjustment to fair value reflects a decline in the value of the investment that the Company considers to be other-than-temporary, the Company reduces the investment to fair value through a charge to the consolidated statement of operations. No such adjustments were necessary during the periods presented. The Company’s short-term investments as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 had maturities of less than one year, and long-term investments as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 had maturities greater than one year. Accounts receivable Accounts receivable are customer obligations that are unconditional. Accounts receivable are presented net of an allowance for doubtful accounts for expected credit losses, which represents an estimate of amounts that may not be collectible. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and, if necessary, provides an allowance for doubtful accounts and expected credit losses. A provision to the allowance for doubtful accounts for expected credit losses is recorded based on factors including the length of time the receivables are past due, the current business environment, the geographic market, and the Company’s historical experience. Provisions to the allowance for doubtful accounts for expected credit losses are recorded to general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company writes off accounts receivable against the allowance when it determines a balance is uncollectible and no longer actively pursues collection of the receivable. The Company does not have any off-balance-sheet credit exposure related to customers. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the allowance for doubtful accounts for expected credit losses was zero. Inventory Inventory is valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is computed using the first-in, first-out method. The Company regularly reviews inventory quantities on-hand for excess and obsolete inventory and, when circumstances indicate, records charges to write down inventories to their estimated net realizable value, after evaluating historical sales, future demand, market conditions and expected product life cycles. Such charges are classified as cost of product revenue in the consolidated statements of operations. Any write-down of inventory to net realizable value creates a new cost basis. Property and equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization expense is recognized using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of each asset, as follows: Estimated Useful Life Manufacturing and laboratory equipment 5-10 years Computer hardware and software 3 years Office furniture and fixtures 5-7 years Leasehold improvements Shorter of remaining life of lease or useful life Estimated useful lives are periodically assessed to determine if changes are appropriate. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. When assets are retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost of these assets and related accumulated depreciation or amortization are eliminated from the consolidated balance sheet and any resulting gains or losses are included in the consolidated statement of operations in the period of disposal. Costs for capital assets not yet placed into service are capitalized as construction-in-progress and depreciated once placed into service. Software development costs The Company accounts for software development costs for internal-use software under the provisions of ASC 350-40, “Internal-Use Software” (“ASC 350”). Accordingly, certain costs to develop internal-use computer software are capitalized, provided these costs are expected to be recoverable. There was $1.4 million of software development costs related to the Company's enterprise resource planning ("ERP") system capitalized in other long-term assets at both December 31, 2023 and 2022, net of accumulated amortization of $0.7 million and $0.4 million, respectively. These capitalized costs are being amortized on a straight-line basis over the initial subscription term of five years. There was $0.3 million of amortization expense recorded in the consolidated statement of operations for each of the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. Impairment of long-lived assets Long-lived assets consist of property and equipment. Long-lived assets to be held and used are tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable. Factors that the Company considers in deciding when to perform an impairment review include significant underperformance of the business in relation to expectations, significant negative industry or economic trends and significant changes or planned changes in the use of the assets. If an impairment review is performed to evaluate a long-lived asset group for recoverability, the Company compares forecasts of undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the long-lived asset group to its carrying value. An impairment loss would be recognized in loss from operations when estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of an asset group are less than its carrying amount. The impairment loss is based on the excess of the carrying value of the impaired asset group over its fair value, determined based on discounted cash flows. The Company did not record any impairment losses on long-lived assets during the years ended December 31, 2023 or 2022. Fair value measurements Certain assets and liabilities of the Company are carried at fair value under GAAP. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three levels of the fair value hierarchy, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable: • Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. • Level 2—Observable inputs (other than Level 1 quoted prices), such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar assets or liabilities, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data. • Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity that are significant to determining the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques. The Company’s cash equivalents, investments, and its redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liability are carried at fair value, determined according to the fair value hierarchy described above (see Note 3). The carrying values of the Company’s accounts receivable, prepaid expenses and other current assets, accounts payable and accrued expenses and other current liabilities approximate their fair values due to the short-term nature of these assets and liabilities. Product warranties The Company offers a one-year limited assurance warranty on system sales, which is included in the selling price. Product warranties provide assurance that the Company’s product functions in accordance with standard specifications. Warranties cover for repairs and replacements when the product does not function in accordance with agreed specifications. The standard assurance warranty does not cover, and no warranty is provided for, parts which by their nature are normally required to be replaced periodically. The accrued warranty cost is based on estimated material, labor and other costs that the Company expects to incur to fulfill the warranty obligation. Estimates are primarily based on historical information, current cost data and future forecasts. The Company periodically assesses the adequacy of the warranty accrual and adjusts the amount as necessary. If the historical data used to calculate the adequacy of the warranty accrual are not indicative of future requirements, additional or reduced warranty accrual may be required. The warranty accrual is included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. The following table presents a summary of changes in the amount reserved for warranty cost (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 Balance, beginning of the period $ 872 $ 598 Warranty provisions 171 646 Warranty repairs (354) (372) Balance, end of the year $ 689 $ 872 Segment information The Company determined its operating segment after considering the Company’s organizational structure and the information regularly reviewed and evaluated by the Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance. The Company has determined that its CODM is its Chief Executive Officer. The CODM reviews the financial information on a consolidated basis for purposes of evaluating financial performance and allocating resources. On the basis of these factors, the Company determined that it operates and manages its business as one operating segment that develops, manufactures, markets and sells systems and related LIMS connection software, consumables and services; and, accordingly, has one reportable segment for financial reporting purposes. Substantially all of the Company’s long-lived assets are held in the United States. Revenue recognition Revenue is recognized when or as a customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In order to achieve this core principle, the Company applies the following five steps when recording revenue: 1. Identify the contract, or contracts, with the customer; 2. Identify the performance obligations in the contract; 3. Determine the transaction price; 4. Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and 5. Recognize revenue when, or as, performance obligations are satisfied. The Company derives revenue from the sale of its products and services through direct sales representatives and distributors. The Company’s arrangements are generally noncancelable and nonrefundable. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring products to a customer (transaction price). To the extent that the transaction price includes variable consideration, the Company estimates the amount of variable consideration that should be included in the transaction price utilizing the most likely amount method. Variable consideration is included in the transaction price if, in the Company’s judgment, it is probable that a significant future reversal of cumulative revenue under the contract will not occur. Estimates of variable consideration and determination of whether to include estimated amounts in the transaction price are based largely on an assessment of the Company’s anticipated performance and all information (historical, current and forecasted) that is reasonably available. However, most arrangements have a fixed transaction price with no variable consideration apart from discounts. Product revenue The Company derives product revenue primarily from the sale of its systems, optional LIMS connection software, which facilitates the transfer of data captured by the system to the customer’s existing LIMS software, and proprietary consumables. Revenue is recognized when control of the products is transferred to the customer. Transfer of control is generally at shipment or delivery, depending on contractual terms, and occurs when title and risk of loss transfers to the customer, which represents the point in time when the customer obtains the use of and substantially all of the benefits of the product. Upon delivery, the System is fully functional for use by the customer. As such, the Company’s performance obligation related to product sales is satisfied at a point in time. The Company’s principal terms of sale are free carrier shipping point. Service revenue The Company derives service revenue primarily from validation services, service contracts and field service (including installation). The Company’s validation services include validation and documentation services performed utilizing systems purchased by the customer. Service contracts are around-the-clock maintenance support which can be purchased by the customer after the expiration of the one-year assurance warranty included with each system purchase. Field service primarily consists of services provided by field service engineers to install the system at the customer site and perform preventative maintenance services during the warranty period. Service revenue is recognized over time using an input method based on time lapsed for service contracts and output method based on milestone achieved for validation services and field service. Performance obligations A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct product or service to a customer that are both capable of being distinct, whereby the customer can benefit from the product or service either on its own or together with other resources that are readily available, and are distinct in the context of the contract, whereby the transfer of the product or service is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract. The Company’s main performance obligations in customer arrangements are systems, LIMS connection software, consumables, validation services, service contracts, and field service. Payment terms Payment terms for customer orders are typically between 30 to 90 days after the shipment or delivery of the product and apply to all performance obligations within an arrangement. For certain products, services and customer types, the Company requires payment before the products or services are delivered to, or performed for, the customer. None of the Company’s contracts contain a significant financing component. Multiple performance obligations with an arrangement The Company’s contracts may include multiple performance obligations when customers purchase a combination of products and services such as system sold together with the LIMS connection software, consumables or services. For these arrangements, the Company allocates the contract’s transaction price to each performance obligation on a relative standalone selling price basis. The standalone selling prices used in the allocation are based on the prices observed in standalone sales to customers or cost-plus margin depending on the nature of the obligation and available evidence of fair value. Allocation of the transaction price is determined at contract’s inception. Remaining performance obligations The Company does not disclose the value of remaining performance obligations for (i) contracts with an original contract term of one year or less, (ii) contracts for which the Company recognizes revenue at the amount to which it has the right to invoice when that amount corresponds directly with the value of services performed, and (iii) variable consideration allocated entirely to a wholly unsatisfied performance obligation or to a wholly unsatisfied distinct service that forms part of a single performance obligation. The Company does not have material remaining performance obligations associated with contracts with terms greater than one year. Contract balances from contracts with customers Contract assets arise from customer arrangements when revenue recognized exceeds the amount billed to the customer and the Company’s right to payment is conditional and not only subject to the passage of time. The Company had $0.1 million in contract assets included in prepaid expenses and other current assets in the consolidated balance sheets as of both December 31, 2023 and 2022. These balances relate to unbilled amounts with customers. Contract liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to transfer goods or services to a customer for which it has received consideration (or the amount is due) from the customer. The Company has a contract liability related to service revenue, which consists of amounts that have been invoiced but that have not been recognized as revenue. Amounts expected to be recognized as revenue within 12 months of the balance sheet date are classified as current deferred revenue and amounts expected to be recognized as revenue beyond 12 months of the balance sheet date are classified as non-current deferred revenue. The Company did not record any non-current deferred revenue as of December 31, 2023 or 2022. Deferred revenue was $6.0 million and $4.7 million at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Revenue recognized during the year ended December 31, 2023 that was included in deferred revenue at the prior year-end was $3.5 million. Revenue recognized during the year ended December 31, 2022 that was included in deferred revenue at the prior year-end was $2.7 million. Disaggregated revenue The Company disaggregates revenue based on the recurring and non-recurring nature of the underlying sale. Recurring revenue includes sales of consumables and service contracts. The Company considers these to be recurring revenues because customers typically place purchase orders on a periodic basis as they use their Growth Direct system over time. These arrangements typically contain a single performance obligation and thus the entire consideration to which the Company is entitled is allocated entirely to that performance obligation. Non-recurring revenue includes sales of systems, LIMS connection software, validation services, and field service, and typically contains multiple performance obligations. The Company considers these to be non-recurring revenues because customers typically place single purchase orders for a bundle of products and services on a one-time or infrequent basis. For these arrangements, significant judgment is applied in identifying the distinct performance obligations, determination of the transaction price, transaction price allocation, and determination of standalone selling price for each of the distinct performance obligations. The following table presents the Company’s revenue by the recurring or non-recurring nature of the revenue stream (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 Product and service revenue — recurring $ 13,546 $ 10,983 Product and service revenue — non-recurring 8,973 6,150 Total revenue $ 22,519 $ 17,133 The following table presents the Company’s revenue, classified by the major geographic areas in which our customers were located (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 United States $ 9,879 $ 8,767 Germany 2,116 2,649 Switzerland 3,995 2,756 Japan 2,562 * All other countries 3,967 2,961 Total revenue $ 22,519 $ 17,133 ______________________________ * – not individually significant Contract acquisition costs The Company incurs and pays commissions on systems, LIMS connection software, validation services, consumables, and service contracts. The period of the related revenue stream is typically less than one year in duration, and as such, the Company applies the practical expedient to expense the costs in the period in which they were incurred. Cost of revenue Cost of product revenue primarily consists of costs for raw material parts and associated freight, shipping and handling costs, royalties, contract manufacturer costs, salaries and other personnel costs including stock-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization expense, scrap, warranty cost, inventory reserves, allocated information technology and facility-related costs, overhead and other costs related to those sales recognized as product revenue in the period. Cost of service revenue primarily consists of salaries and other personnel costs including stock-based compensation expense, travel costs, materials consumed when performing installations, validations and other services, allocated information technology and facility-related costs, costs associated with training and other expenses related to service revenue recognized in the period. Shipping and handling fees Shipping and handling fees billed to customers for product shipments are recorded in product revenue in the consolidated statements of operations. Shipping and handling costs incurred for inventory purchases and product shipments are recorded in cost of product revenue in the consolidated statements of operations. Research and development costs Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses consist of costs incurred in performing research and development activities including, employee-related expenses, such as salaries, bonuses and other personnel costs including stock-based compensation expense, the cost of developing maintaining and improving new and existing products designs, the cost of hardware and software engineering, the cost of research materials and supplies, external costs of outside consultants engaged to conduct research and development services associated with the Company’s technology and products, and information technology and facilities expenses, which include direct and allocated expenses for rent, maintenance of facilities and insurance, as well as related depreciation and amortization. The costs incurred for the development of system software that will be sold are capitalized when technological feasibility has been established. The Company has continued to develop the software associated with its platform and products, and the associated costs have been expensed as incurred, when the nature of improvements did not significantly improve the performance or functionality of the software. Advertising costs Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and are included in sales and marketing expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Advertising costs were $0.3 million and $0.1 million during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Patent costs All patent-related costs incurred in connection with filing and prosecuting patent applications are expensed as incurred due to the uncertainty about the recovery of the expenditures. Amounts incurred are classified within general and administrative expense in the consolidated statement of operations. Stock-based compensation The Company measures all stock-based awards granted to employees, officers and directors based on their fair value on the date of the grant and recognizes compensation expense for those awards over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the respective award. The Company issues stock-based awards with (i) service-based vesting conditions only and (ii) both service-based and Company performance-based vesting conditions, and records the expense for these awards using the straight-line method. Forfeitures are accounted for prospectively as they occur. The Company measures all restricted common stock and restricted stock units granted to employees based on the common stock value on the date of grant. The purchase price of the restricted common stock is the common stock value on the date of grant. The Company classifies stock-based compensation expense in its consolidated statement of operations in the same manner in which the award recipient’s payroll costs are classified or in which the award recipient’s service payments are classified. The fair value of each stock option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, which uses the following inputs: (i) the fair value per share of the common stock issuable upon exercise of the option, (ii) the expected term of the option, (iii) expected volatility of the price of the common stock, (iv) the risk-free interest rate, and (v) the expected dividend yield. The exercise price of the option cannot be less than the fair market value of a share of common stock on the date of grant. The expected term of the Company’s stock options has been determined utilizing the “simplified” method for awards that qualify as “plain-vanilla.” The Company historically has been a private company and lacks company-specific historical and implied volatility information for its stock. Therefore, the Company estimates its expected stock price volatility based on the historical volatility of publicly traded peer companies and expects to continue to do so until such time as it has adequate historical data regarding the volatility of its own traded stock price. The risk-free interest rate is determined by reference to the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant of the award for time periods approximately equal to the expected term of the award. Expected dividend yield is based on the fact that the Company has never paid cash dividends on its common stock and does not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Income taxes The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the consolidated financial statements or in the Company’s tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined on the basis of the differences between the consolidated financial statements and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded in the provision for income taxes. The Company assesses the likelihood that its deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income and, to the extent it believes, based upon the weight of available evidence, that it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is established through a charge to income tax expense. Potential for recovery of deferred tax assets is evaluated by estimating the future taxable profits expected and considering prudent and feasible tax planning strategies. The Company accounts for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in the consolidated financial statements by applying a two-step process to determine the amount of tax benefit to be recognized. First, the tax position must be evaluated to determine the likelihood that it will be sustained upon external examination by the taxing authorities. If the tax position is deemed more-likely-than-not to be sustained, the tax position is then assessed to determine the amount of benefit to recognize in the consolidated financial statements. The amount of the benefit that may be recognized is the largest amount that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The provision for income taxes includes the ef |