v3.20.2
Significant Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]
2. Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation and Consolidation
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regarding interim financial reporting. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Palantir Technologies Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Investments in entities where the Company holds at least a 20% ownership interest and has the ability to exercise significant influence over the investee, but does not control, are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. For such investments, the share of the investee’s results of operations is included as a component of other income (expense), net in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and the investment balance is included in other assets and classified as noncurrent in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company’s fiscal year ends on December 31.
The unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2019 included herein was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements as of that date, but does not include all disclosures, including certain notes required by GAAP on an annual reporting basis. In management’s opinion, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all normal recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly the balance sheets and statements of operations, comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity (deficit), and cash flows for the interim periods, but are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be anticipated for the full fiscal year or any future period.
These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes included in the Company’s final prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, on September 30, 2020 (the “Prospectus”).
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates, judgments, and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods.
Significant estimates and assumptions made in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to, identification of performance obligations in customer contracts, the fair value of common stock and other assumptions used to measure stock-based compensation, the fair value of preferred and common stock warrants, the valuation of deferred tax assets and uncertain tax positions, collectability of accounts receivable, and useful lives of tangible assets. Estimates and judgments are based on historical experience, forecasted events, and various other assumptions that management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates and such differences could affect the Company’s financial position and results of operations.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
The Company’s significant accounting policies are discussed in
Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies
in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in its Prospectus. There have been no significant changes to these policies during the three months ended September 30, 2020.
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash
The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consists of amounts invested in money market funds.
Restricted cash primarily consists of cash and certificates of deposit that are held as collateral against letters of credit and guarantees that the Company is required to maintain for operating lease agreements, certain customer contracts, other guarantees, and financing arrangements.
The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the amounts shown in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows (in thousands):
 
 
  
As of September 30,
 
  
2020
  
2019
Cash and cash equivalents
  
$
1,800,190

  
$
507,319

Restricted cash
  
 
43,800

  
 
72,219

Restricted cash, noncurrent
  
 
86,343

  
 
113,876

 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash
  
$
1,930,333

  
$
693,414

 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Concentrations of Credit Risk and Other Concentrations

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and accounts receivable. Cash equivalents consist of money market funds with original maturities of three months or less, which are invested primarily with U.S. financial institutions. Cash deposits with financial institutions, including restricted cash, generally exceed federally insured limits. Management believes minimal credit risk exists with respect to these financial institutions and the Company has not experienced any losses on such amounts.
The Company is exposed to concentrations of credit risk with respect to accounts receivable presented on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company’s accounts receivable balance as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 was $162.3 million and $50.3 million, respectively. Customers E and H represented 15% and 11% of total accounts receivable as of September 30, 2020. Customers A and C represented 38% and 21% of total accounts receivable as of December 31, 2019, respectively. No other customer comprised more than 10% of total accounts receivable as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019. The Company seeks to mitigate its credit risk with respect to accounts receivable by contracting with large commercial customers and government agencies and regularly monitoring the aging of accounts receivable balances. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company had not experienced any significant losses on its accounts receivable.
For the three months ended September 30, 2020, no customer represented more than 10% of total revenue. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Customer F (in the government operating segment) represented 11% of total revenue. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, Customer D (in the commercial operating segment) represented 12% and 13% of total revenue, respectively. No other customer represented more than 10% of total revenue for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 or 2019.
The Company relies on the technology, infrastructure, and software applications, including
software-as-a-service
offerings, of third parties in order to host or operate certain key products and functions of its business.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
As of September 30, 2020, the Company qualified as an emerging growth company (“EGC”) under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (“JOBS Act”) which permits the Company an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards affecting public companies.
 
The Company adopted the following accounting standard during the nine months ended September 30, 2020:
Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”)
2018-13,
Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework – Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement.
This standard update modified the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements by removing, modifying, or adding certain disclosures. The ASU eliminated such disclosures as the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy and valuation processes for Level 3 fair value measurements. The ASU adds new disclosure requirements for Level 3 measurements. The Company adopted ASU
2018-13
as of January 1, 2020. The Company’s disclosures related to its Level 3 financial instruments did not materially change for the periods presented. See
Note 4. Fair Value Measurements
for more information.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU
2016-02,
Leases (Topic 842)
, which requires lessees to recognize a
right-of-use
(“ROU”) asset and lease liability on its condensed consolidated balances sheet for all leases with a term longer than twelve months. Leases will be classified as finance or operating leases, with classification affecting the pattern and classification of expense recognition in the condensed consolidated statements of operation. If the Company loses its EGC status as of December 31, 2020, the new standard will be effective for the Company for its fiscal year beginning January 1, 2020. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new standard on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures; however, the Company believes that, upon adopting the new standard, it will recognize material
right-of-use
assets and lease liabilities on its condensed consolidated balance sheets associated primarily with real estate related operating leases. The Company intends to adopt the standard using an optional transition method and will not restate comparative periods. The Company does not believe this standard will have a material impact on its condensed consolidated statements of operations.
In June 2016, the FASB amended guidance related to impairment of financial instruments as part of ASU
2016-13,
Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments
, which replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology with an expected credit loss model for which a company recognizes an allowance based on the estimate of expected credit loss. If the Company loses its EGC status as of December 31, 2020, the new standard will be effective for the Company for its fiscal year beginning January 1, 2020. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new standard on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU
2018-15,
Intangibles – Goodwill and Other –
Internal-Use
Software – (Subtopic
350-40):
Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract
, which requires a customer in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract to follow the
internal-use
software guidance in ASC
350-40
to determine which implementation costs to capitalize as assets or expense as incurred. If the Company loses its EGC status as of December 31, 2020, the new standard will be effective for the Company for its fiscal year beginning January 1, 2020. The amendments in this ASU can be applied either retrospectively or prospectively to all implementation costs after the date of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new standard on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU
2019-12,
Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (Topic 740)
, which is intended to simplify various aspects related to accounting for income taxes. If the Company loses its EGC status as of December 31, 2020, the new standard will be effective for the Company for its fiscal year beginning January 1, 2021. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new standard on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.