Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our condensed consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our audited financial statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) on March 1, 2022. In addition to historical information, the following discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results, performance or experience could differ materially from what is indicated by any forward-looking statement due to various important factors, risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those set forth under Item 1A of Part II, “Risk Factors” and “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or under “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of Part I of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Overview
We are a life sciences company that has developed next generation, ultra-sensitive digital immunoassay platforms that advance precision health for life sciences research and diagnostics. Our platforms are based on our proprietary digital “Simoa” detection technology. Our Simoa bead-based and planar array platforms enable customers to reliably detect protein biomarkers in extremely low concentrations in blood, serum and other fluids that, in many cases, are undetectable using conventional, analog immunoassay technologies, and also allow researchers to define and validate the function of novel protein biomarkers that are only present in very low concentrations. These capabilities provide our customers with insight into the role of protein biomarkers in human health that has not been possible with other existing technologies and enable researchers to unlock unique insights into the continuum between health and disease. We believe this greater insight will enable the development of novel therapies and diagnostics and facilitate a paradigm shift in healthcare from an emphasis on treatment to a focus on earlier detection, monitoring, prognosis and, ultimately, prevention.
Our instruments are designed to be used either with assays fully developed by us, including all antibodies and supplies required to run the tests, or with “homebrew” kits where we supply some of the components required for testing, and the customer supplies the remaining required elements. Accordingly, our installed instruments generate a recurring revenue stream. As the installed base of the Simoa instruments increases, total consumables revenue overall is expected to increase. We believe that consumables revenue should be subject to less period-to-period fluctuation than our instrument sales revenue and will become an increasingly important contributor to our overall revenue.
We commercially launched our first immunoassay platform, the Simoa HD-1, in January 2014. The HD-1 is based on our bead-based technology, and assays run on the HD-1 are fully automated. We initiated commercial launch of the SR-X instrument in December 2017. The SR-X utilizes the same Simoa bead-based technology and assay kits as the HD-1 in a compact benchtop form with a lower price point, more flexible assay preparation, and a wider range of applications. In July 2019, we launched the Simoa HD-X, an upgraded version of the Simoa HD-1, which replaces the HD-1. The HD-X has been designed to deliver significant productivity and operational efficiency improvements, as well as greater user flexibility. We began shipping and installing HD-X instruments at customer locations in 2019, and by the end of 2021, approximately 68% of the HD instrument installed base was HD-X instruments.
We also provide contract research services for customers through our CLIA-certified Accelerator Laboratory. The Accelerator Laboratory provides customers with access to Simoa technology, and supports multiple projects and services, including sample testing, homebrew assay development and custom assay development. To date, we have completed over 1,900 projects for approximately 440 customers from all over the world using our Simoa platforms.
We sell our instruments, consumables and services to the life science, pharmaceutical and diagnostics industries through a direct sales force and support organizations in North America and Europe, and through distributors or sales agents in other select markets, including Australia, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, India, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, and UAE. In addition, Uman sells Nf-L antibodies and Nf-L ELISA kits directly, and in conjunction with us and another distributor worldwide. We have an