UPWORK, INC - Quarter Report: 2018 September (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2018

OR

For the transition period from _______ to _______

Commission File Number: 001-38678

UPWORK INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

(650) 316-7500

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.     Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ☐    No ☒

As of October 31, 2018, the number of shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding was 106,299,106.

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Table of Contents

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (“Form 10-Q”) to “Upwork,” “Company,” “our,” “us,” and “we” refer to Upwork Inc. and where appropriate, its consolidated subsidiaries.

This Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. All statements contained in this Form 10-Q, other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding our future operating results and financial position, our business strategy and plans, market growth, and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. Words such as “believes,” “may,” “will,” “estimates,” “potential,” “continues,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “expects,” “could,” “would,” “projects,” “plans,” “targets,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-Q include, but are not limited to, statements about our expectations regarding:

Such forward-looking statements are based on our expectations as of the date of this filing and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including but not limited to, risks detailed in the “Risk Factors” section of this Form 10-Q. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made in this Form 10-Q and in other documents we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) that disclose risks and uncertainties that may affect our business. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for us to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, the future events and circumstances discussed in this Form 10-Q may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements.

You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, performance, or achievements. In addition, the forward-looking statements in this Form 10-Q are made as of the date of this filing, and we do not undertake, and expressly disclaim any duty, to update such statements for any reason after the date of this Form 10-Q or to conform statements to actual results or revised expectations, except as required by law.

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PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements.

UPWORK INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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UPWORK INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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UPWORK INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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UPWORK INC.

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

Note 1—Organization and Description of Business

Upwork Inc. (the “Company” or “Upwork”) operates an online marketplace that enables businesses (“clients”) to find and work with highly-skilled independent professionals (“freelancers,” and, together with clients, “users”). The Company was originally incorporated in the state of Delaware in December 2013 prior to and in connection with the combination of Elance, Inc. and oDesk Corporation (the “Elance-oDesk Combination”). The Company changed its name to Elance-oDesk, Inc. (“Elance-oDesk”) shortly before the Elance-oDesk Combination in March 2014, and later to Upwork Inc. in May 2015. In 2015, the Company relaunched as Upwork and commenced consolidation of its two operating platforms. In 2016, following completion of the platform consolidation, the Company began operating under a single platform. The Company is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

The terms “Upwork” and the “Company” in these notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements refer to Upwork and its wholly-owned subsidiaries taken as a whole.          

Note 2—Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies    

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) and applicable rules and regulations of the SEC regarding interim financial reporting. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in the financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. As such, the information included in this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in our final prospectus filed with the SEC on October 3, 2018 (the “Prospectus”) pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2017 included herein was derived from the audited financial statements as of that date, but does not include all disclosures including notes required by U.S. GAAP.

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Upwork Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all normal recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the interim periods, but are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be anticipated for the full year ending December 31, 2018.

Initial Public Offering

In October 2018, the Company completed its initial public offering (the “IPO”), in which the Company issued and sold an aggregate of 7,840,908 shares of the Company’s common stock, including 1,022,727 shares pursuant to the exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares, and selling stockholders sold 6,507,288 shares of the Company’s common stock, including 848,776 shares pursuant to the exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares. The shares were sold at the IPO price of $15.00 per share. The Company received aggregate net proceeds of $109.4 million from the IPO after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions. Because the IPO closed in October 2018, the condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2018 and for the periods then ended, do not reflect the impact of the IPO. See Note 14—Subsequent Events.

Income Taxes

The Company recorded immaterial provision for income taxes in all periods presented. The Company continues to maintain a full valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets.

As of September 30, 2018, the Company had unrecognized tax benefits of $10.8 million, none of which would currently affect the Company’s effective tax rate if recognized due to the Company’s net deferred tax assets being fully offset by a valuation allowance. The Company does not anticipate that the amount of unrecognized tax benefits relating to tax positions existing at September 30, 2018 will significantly increase or decrease within the next 12 months. There was no interest expense or penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits recorded through September 30, 2018.

A number of years may elapse before an uncertain tax position is audited and finally resolved. While it is often difficult to predict the final outcome or the timing of resolution of any particular uncertain tax position, the Company believes that its reserves for income taxes reflect the most likely outcome. The Company adjusts these reserves, as well as the related interest, in light of changing facts and circumstances. Settlement of any particular position would not require the use of cash.

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On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive tax legislation referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”). The Tax Act significantly revises the future ongoing U.S. corporate income tax by, among other things, lowering the U.S. corporate income tax rates and implementing a territorial tax system. The corporate tax rate was reduced from 35% to 21% for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and certain provisions exist on which to allow accelerated expensing of equipment for a portion of 2017 and for future years. These changes primarily impacted the value of the Company’s deferred tax assets with a corresponding offset to valuation allowance, both of which were recognized in the year ended December 31, 2017.

The Tax Act also limits the amount of net operating losses that can be used to reduce taxable income to 80% for net operating losses generated for periods beginning after December 31, 2017. Existing net operating losses, arising in years on or before December 31, 2017 are not affected by the Tax Act. The Company expects to finalize the assessment of the accounting for the income tax effects of the Tax Act, as it relates to its current structure, including provisions that are effective for tax years beginning in 2018 during the three months ended December 31, 2018. The Company’s preliminary assessment is subject to revisions to any additional guidance issued by the U.S. Treasury Department, the Internal Revenue Service, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), and other standard-setting and regulatory bodies. Adjustments may materially impact the Company’s provision for income taxes and the assessment of the accounting for the tax effects of the Tax Act will not extend beyond one year from the enactment date.

Significant Accounting Policies

There have been no changes to the Company’s significant accounting policies that are described in the Prospectus.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. 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 financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the periods presented. Such estimates include, but are not limited to, the useful lives of assets; assessment of the recoverability of long-lived assets; goodwill impairment; allowance for doubtful accounts; liabilities relating to transaction losses; the valuation of warrants; stock-based compensation; and accounting for income taxes. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. The Company evaluates its estimates, assumptions, and judgments on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors and revises them when facts and circumstances dictate. Actual results could materially differ from these estimates.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

As an “emerging growth company,” the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (“JOBS Act”) allows the Company to delay adoption of new or revised accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies until such pronouncements are made applicable to private companies. The Company has elected to use this extended transition period under the JOBS Act. The adoption dates discussed below reflect this election.

In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). ASC 606 supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in ASC 605, and requires the recognition of revenue when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASC 606 also includes Subtopic 340-40, Other Assets and Deferred Costs—Contracts with Customers (“Subtopic 340-40” and together with ASC 606, the “new revenue standard”), which requires the deferral of incremental costs of obtaining a contract with a customer. In August 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. In 2016, the FASB issued amendments on this guidance with the same effective date and transition guidance. The new revenue standard may be applied retrospectively to each prior period presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect recognized as of the date of adoption.

The Company is required to adopt the new revenue standard for the year ending December 31, 2019. Interim reporting under ASC 606 will not be required until 2020. To date, the Company has established an implementation team and is in the process of evaluating the impact of the new revenue standard on its accounting policies, processes, and system requirements. Furthermore, the Company has made and will continue to make investments in systems to enable timely and accurate reporting under the new revenue standard.

The Company is continuing to evaluate adoption methods and the potential impact that the implementation of this standard will have on its condensed consolidated financial statements, including the identification of performance obligations, evaluation of material right considerations, principal agent considerations, the timing of revenue recognition, and related disclosures, but has not yet determined whether the effects of adoption will be material to its condensed consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), related to how an entity should recognize lease assets and lease liabilities. The guidance specifies that an entity that is a lessee under lease agreements should recognize lease assets and lease liabilities for those leases classified as operating leases under previous FASB guidance. Accounting for leases by lessors is largely unchanged under the new guidance. In 2018, the FASB also approved an amendment that would permit the option to adopt the new

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standard prospectively as of the effective date, without adjusting comparative periods presented. The new standard becomes effective for the Company for the year ending on December 31, 2020. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this new guidance on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payment, to clarify how certain cash receipts and payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The new guidance becomes effective for the Company for the year ending December 31, 2019, although early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this new guidance on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash, that will require that the amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents would be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. The new guidance also requires certain disclosures to supplement the statement of cash flows. The guidance becomes effective for the Company for the year ending on December 31, 2019, although early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this new guidance on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles—Goodwill and Others (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. ASU No. 2017-04 eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test, which measures a goodwill impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. Under ASU No. 2017-04, an entity should perform its annual or interim goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying amount and recognize an impairment loss for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, with the loss not exceeding the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. The guidance becomes effective for the Company on a prospective basis for its annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests during the year ending on December 31, 2021, although early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this new guidance on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, which expands and refines hedge accounting for both financial and non-financial risk components, aligns the recognition and presentation of the effects of hedging instruments and hedge items in the financial statements, and includes certain targeted improvements to ease the application of current guidance related to the assessment of hedge effectiveness. ASU No. 2017-12 is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. The Company has not yet evaluated the impact of this standard on its financial statements and related disclosures.

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-07, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting. ASU No. 2018-07 expands the scope of Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation to include share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from non-employees. These awards are measured at the grant-date fair value of the equity instruments that an entity is obligated to issue when the good has been delivered or the service has been rendered and any other conditions necessary to earn the right to benefit from the instruments have been satisfied. The guidance is effective for the Company for the fiscal year ending on December 31, 2020, although early adoption is permitted but not earlier than the Company’s adoption of ASC 606, and the guidance requires a modified retrospective application to awards that have not been settled as of the adoption date. The Company has not yet evaluated the impact of this standard on its financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, which modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. ASU No. 2018-13 is effective for the Company for the fiscal year ending on December 31, 2021, although early adoption is permitted. The Company has not yet evaluated the impact of this standard on its financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 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. ASU 2018-15 aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs in a cloud computing arrangement service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred for an internal-use software license. ASU No. 2018-15 is effective for the Company for the fiscal year ending on December 31, 2021, although early adoption is permitted. The Company has not yet evaluated the impact of this standard on its financial statements and related disclosures.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncement

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The Company adopted this standard as of January 1, 2018. ASU 2016-09 eliminates the requirement to delay the recognition of excess tax benefits until they reduce current taxes payable. Under this standard, previously unrecognized excess tax benefits shall be recognized on a modified retrospective basis. ASU No. 2016-09 also requires excess tax benefits and deficiencies to be recognized prospectively in the Company’s provision for income taxes rather than additional paid-in capital.

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Additionally, the Company elected to account for forfeitures as they occur rather than estimate expected forfeiture using a modified retrospective transition method. Finally, ASU No. 2016-09 requires excess tax benefits to be presented as a component of operating cash flows rather than financing cash flows. The Company elected to adopt this requirement prospectively and accordingly, prior periods have not been adjusted. The adoption of this standard was immaterial to the condensed consolidated financial statements as of and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting, which provides guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in the ASU. The Company adopted this standard as of January 1, 2018. The adoption of this standard had no impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements as of and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018.

Note 3—Fair Value Measurements

The Company measures its redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liability at fair value on a recurring basis. The Company defines fair value as the exchange price that would be received from sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability 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. The authoritative guidance describes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

The categorization of a financial instrument within the fair value hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to its fair value measurement. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires management to make judgments and consider factors specific to the assets or liability.

The Company’s financial instruments that are carried at fair value consist of Level III liabilities. The Company’s redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liability is classified within Level III because the warrants are valued using a Black-Scholes valuation model, for which some inputs are unobservable in the market. The valuation methodology and underlying assumptions are discussed further in Note 8 – Preferred and Common Stock Warrants.

The following tables set forth the fair value of the Company’s financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis based on the three-tier fair value hierarchy (in thousands):

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The increase in Level III from December 31, 2017 to September 30, 2018 was due solely to the remeasurement of the Company’s redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant liability, which was $3.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, and is included in other expense, net in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations.

Note 4—Balance Sheet Components

Property and Equipment, Net

Property and equipment, net consisted of the following (in thousands):

Depreciation expense related to property and equipment was $0.6 million and $0.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Depreciation expense related to property and equipment was $1.5 million and $1.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

The Company capitalized $0.8 million and $0.2 million of internal-use software and platform development costs during the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $2.7 million and $0.4 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. There was no amortization expense during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 related to the internal-use software and platform development costs. During the three months ended September 30, 2018, the Company placed into service approximately $0.6 million of the underlying assets. Amortization expense related to the internal-use software and platform development costs for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 was immaterial.

Intangible Assets, Net

All of the Company’s identifiable intangible assets were acquired in March 2014 from the Elance-oDesk Combination. Intangible assets, net consisted of the following (in thousands):

Total amortization expense of intangible assets was $0.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 and $2.0 million and $2.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Amortization expense was included in general and administrative expenses. As of September 30, 2018, the remaining useful life for user relationships was 2.5 years. As of December 31, 2017, the remaining useful life for user relationships was 3.3 years.

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The estimated future amortization expense for the acquired intangible assets is as follows (in thousands):

Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consisted of the following (in thousands):

Note 5—Commitments and Contingencies

Operating Leases

The Company leases office space under four non-cancelable operating lease agreements, which expire from 2019 through 2024. The terms of the office leases contain rent escalation clauses, rent holidays, or tenant improvement allowances. The Company recognizes rent expense on a straight-line basis over the non-cancelable lease term and records the difference between cash payments and the recognition of rent expense as a deferred rent liability. Where leases contain escalation clauses, rent holidays, or tenant improvement allowances, the Company applies them in the determination of straight-line rent expense over the lease term. In September 2015, the Company entered into an agreement to sublease a portion of its office space in San Francisco and recognized sublease income of $0.3 million and $0.8 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017. The sublease agreement was terminated in November 2017.

In September 2018, the Company entered into an agreement to extend its non-cancellable operating lease for its San Francisco office through 2024. From September 1, 2019 through August 31, 2024, total minimum lease payments under the lease agreement are $15.7 million, with lease payments ranging from $1.0 million to $2.2 million per year from 2019 to 2024.

Also in September 2018, the Company entered into an agreement for a non-cancellable operating lease for new office space in Chicago through 2024. From June 1, 2019 through October 31, 2024, total minimum lease payments under the lease agreement are $5.1 million, with lease payments ranging from $0.5 million to $1.0 million per year from 2019 to 2024.

Future aggregate minimum lease payments under the non-cancelable operating leases were as follows (in thousands):

Rent expense was $1.1 million and $0.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Rent expense was $3.0 million and $2.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

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Letters of Credit

As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, in conjunction with the operating lease agreements, the Company had two irrevocable letters of credit outstanding in the aggregate amount of $0.6 million and $0.8 million, respectively. The letters of credit are collateralized by restricted cash in the same amount and expire in 2019. No amounts have been drawn against these letters of credit as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

Contingencies

The Company accrues contingent liabilities when it is probable that future expenditures will be made and such expenditures can be reasonably estimated. From time to time in the normal course of business, various claims and litigation have been asserted or commenced. Due to uncertainties inherent in litigation and other claims the Company can give no assurance that it will prevail in any such matters, which could subject the Company to significant liability or damages. Any claims or litigation could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial position, results of operations or cash flows in or following the period that claims or litigation are resolved.

As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company was not a party to any material legal proceedings or claims, nor is the Company aware of any pending or threatened litigation or claims that could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on its business, operating results, cash flows, or financial condition. Accordingly, the Company has determined that the existence of a material loss as of this date is neither probable nor reasonably possible.

Indemnification

The Company has indemnification agreements with its officers, directors, and certain key employees to indemnify them while they are serving in good faith in their respective positions. In the ordinary course of business, the Company enters into contractual arrangements under which it agrees to provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to vendors and other parties, including, but not limited to, losses arising out of the Company’s breach of such agreements. In addition, subject to the terms of the applicable agreement, as part of the Company’s Upwork Enterprise offering, the Company indemnifies clients that subscribe to worker classification services for losses arising from worker misclassification and intellectual property claims made by third parties relating to the use of the Company’s platform. It is not possible to determine the maximum potential loss under these indemnification provisions due to the Company’s limited history of prior indemnification claims and the facts and circumstances involved in each particular provision.

Note 6—Debt

The following table presents the carrying value of the Company’s debt (in thousands):

In September 2017, the Company entered into a Loan and Security Agreement (the “Loan Agreement”), which was subsequently amended in November 2017 and September 2018. The Loan Agreement consisted initially of a term loan (the “First Term Loan”) of $15.0 million and a $15.0 million revolving line of credit based on eligible trade and client accounts receivable, for an aggregate facility amount of $30.0 million. However, upon the Company achieving adjusted net revenue of at least $49.0 million in a trailing three-month period on or before June 30, 2018, the revolving line of credit increased to $25.0 million with a corresponding increase to the aggregate facility amount to $40.0 million. The Loan Agreement was amended in November 2017 to include a second term loan of $9.0 million

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(the “Second Term Loan,” and together with the First Term Loan, the “Term Loans”), which, in turn, increased the aggregate maximum amount of the facility of up to $49.0 million. The Company incurred debt issuance costs of $0.2 million, which was primarily classified as a deduction to the long-term portion of the Term Loan. In November 2017, the Company drew revolving loan borrowings of $10.0 million and Term Loan borrowings of $9.0 million. The Company has granted its lender first-priority liens against substantially all of its assets, as collateral, excluding the Company’s intellectual property (but including proceeds therefrom) and the funds and assets held by the Company’s subsidiary, Upwork Escrow Inc. The Company has also agreed to a negative pledge on its intellectual property. The Loan Agreement is also subject to the Company maintaining an adjusted quick ratio of 1.30 and achieving minimum EBITDA levels over trailing periods ranging from three to twelve months. The Loan Agreement also includes a restrictive covenant on dividend payments other than dividends paid solely in common stock.

In September 2018, the Company entered into a second amendment (the “Second Amendment”) to the Loan Agreement which expanded the types of eligible trade and client accounts receivable considered for the determination of the borrowing base of the revolving line of credit. The Second Amendment also provided for a reduction in the interest rate for the Second Term Loan, from prime plus 5.25% to prime plus 0.25%, from and after the occurrence of an initial public offering by the Company with net proceeds of more than $50.0 million. Because the IPO occurred in October 2018, the change in interest rate had no effect on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements as of and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018. To the extent the Company has not yet collected funds for hourly billings from clients which are in-transit due to timing differences in receipt of cash from clients and payments of cash to freelancers, the Company plans, from time to time, to utilize the revolving line of credit to satisfy escrow funding requirements. In September 2018, the Company drew down $15.0 million under the revolving line of credit for such purpose. In October 2018, the Company repaid a total of $25.0 million of indebtedness owed under the Loan Agreement. See Note 14—Subsequent Events.

The amortization expense related to the debt discount was immaterial for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017. The Company was in compliance with all financial-related covenants under the Loan Agreement as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

Note 7—Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock

Redeemable convertible preferred stock as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 consisted of the following (in thousands, except share data):

Note 8—Preferred and Common Stock Warrants

Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock Warrants

As a result of the Elance-oDesk Combination, a redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant that was originally issued by Elance prior to the Elance-oDesk Combination became exercisable to purchase up to 26,000 and 57,181 shares of the Company’s Series A-1 and Series A-2 redeemable convertible preferred stock, respectively, at an exercise price of $3.13 per share. In June 2017, the warrant was exercised in full.

Further, as a result of the Elance-oDesk Combination, another redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant that was originally issued by Elance prior to the Elance-oDesk Combination became exercisable to purchase up to 124,506 and 273,825 shares of the Company’s Series A-1 and Series A-2 redeemable convertible preferred stock, respectively, at an exercise price of $3.13 per share. The warrant was outstanding and exercisable as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

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The Company estimated the fair value of each redeemable convertible preferred stock warrant using the Black-Scholes valuation model. The redeemable convertible preferred stock liability, included in other noncurrent liabilities, was $4.7 million as of September 30, 2018, and $1.1 million as of December 31, 2017. The following assumptions were used to calculate the fair value of the then-outstanding warrants as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017:

Common Stock Warrant

As a result of the Elance-oDesk Combination, a common stock warrant that was originally issued by oDesk prior to the Elance-oDesk Combination became exercisable to purchase up to 45,286 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $0.06 per share. The warrant was outstanding and exercisable as of December 31, 2017 with the fair value of the warrant reflected in additional paid-in capital in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. In May 2018, the Company issued 45,286 shares of common stock upon the exercise of this common stock warrant.

In April 2018, the Company established The Upwork Foundation initiative. The program will include a donor-advised fund created through the Tides Foundation. In May 2018, the Company issued a warrant to purchase 500,000 shares of its common stock at an exercise price of $0.01 per share to the Tides Foundation.

This warrant is exercisable as to 1/10th of the shares on each anniversary of the IPO, with proceeds from the sale of such shares to be donated in accordance with the Company’s directive. The IPO occurred in October 2018; as such, the issuance of this warrant has had no effect on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements as of and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018.

Note 9—Common Stock

Holders of common stock are entitled to one vote per share and are entitled to dividends on a pro rata basis with the holders of redeemable convertible preferred stock whenever funds are legally available and when, as, and if declared by the Company’s board of directors, subject to the rights of the holders of the Company’s redeemable convertible preferred stock.

As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company was authorized to issue 150,000,000 shares of common stock. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company had reserved shares of common stock, on an as-converted basis, for future issuance as follows:

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Note 10—Stock-Based Compensation

The following table summarizes activity under the Company’s stock option plans:

In July 2018, the Company’s board of directors granted Stephane Kasriel, Chief Executive Officer, an option to purchase 1,860,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.61 per share, with vesting contingent on continuous service and the achievement of various business milestones, including the completion of the IPO. Because the IPO had not been completed as of September 30, 2018, vesting had not commenced and, as a result, there has been no effect on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements as of and for the period ended September 30, 2018. In addition to the IPO milestone, vesting of this award is contingent upon the achievement of certain financial milestones, such as positive EBITDA and GSV growth rates from 2019 through 2023.

Stock-Based Compensation

The following table summarizes the components of stock-based compensation expense recognized in the condensed consolidated statements of operations (in thousands):

Stock-based compensation expense related to non-employee stock option grants was immaterial for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017. The amount of stock-based compensation capitalized to internal-use software and platform development costs for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 was immaterial.

Secondary Market Transactions

Certain common stockholders (who were employees or former employees of the Company) sold the Company’s common stock in secondary market transactions to third parties. During the second quarter of 2017, an aggregate of 195,000 shares of common stock were sold for $0.9 million at an average price of $4.50 per share. The incremental value between the sale price and the fair value of the common stock at each date of sale resulted in aggregate stock-based compensation expense of $0.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017. There were no secondary transactions during the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017. There was an immaterial secondary market transaction during the nine months ended September 30, 2018.

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Note 11—Net Loss per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders

The following table sets forth the computation of the Company’s basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders (in thousands, except share and per share data):

The following potentially dilutive shares were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders because including them would have been anti-dilutive: 

Note 12—Segment and Geographical Information

The Company has determined it operates as one operating and reportable segment for purposes of allocating resources and evaluating financial performance.

The following table sets forth total revenue by type of service (in thousands):

The Company generates its revenue from freelancers and clients. Marketplace revenue included freelancer service fees of $36.5 million and $31.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and client payment processing and administrative fees of $9.0 million and $7.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Marketplace revenue included freelancer service fees of $108.5 million and $88.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and client payment processing and administrative fees of $25.8 million and $20.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

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The following table sets forth total revenue by geographic area based on the billing address of its freelancers and clients (in thousands): 

Substantially all of the Company’s long-lived assets were located in the United States as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

Note 13—401(k) Plan

The Company offers the Upwork Retirement Savings Plan (“Retirement Plan”), a defined contribution plan that allows employees to contribute a portion of their salary, subject to the annual limits. Under the Retirement Plan, eligible employees may defer a portion of their pretax salaries, but not more than the statutory limits. The Retirement Plan provides for a discretionary employer matching cash contribution. The Company makes matching cash contributions equal to 50% of each dollar a participant contributed, subject to a maximum contribution of $5,000 per year. The Company’s total expense for the matching contributions was $0.3 million and $0.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company’s total expense for the matching contributions was $1.4 million and $1.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

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Note 14—Subsequent Events

In August 2018, the Company’s board of directors adopted the 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2018 Plan”) and ceased granting awards under the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan. The 2018 Plan became effective in connection with the IPO. The Company reserved 10,500,000 shares of its common stock for issuance under the 2018 Plan. Any remaining shares available for issuance under the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan on the effective date of the 2018 Plan were added to the shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2018 Plan. On October 3, 2018, the Company granted approximately 327,000 restricted stock units (“RSUs”) to certain employees, service providers and members of the Company’s board of directors. Of the total RSUs granted, approximately 55,000 were approved and granted to certain members of the Company’s board of directors and will vest within one year from the date of the grant. The RSUs granted to the Company’s employees will vest over four years from the date of the grant.

In October 2018, prior to the IPO, the Company repaid the $15.0 million of indebtedness owed under its Loan Agreement, which was initially drawn to satisfy its escrow funding requirements as of September 30, 2018. See Note 6—Debt.

The Company completed its IPO in October 2018, in which the Company issued and sold 7,840,908 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $15.00 per share. The following table shows, on a pro forma basis, the effect of the IPO as if the IPO had been completed as of September 30, 2018 (in thousands):

A description of the pro forma adjustments, as well as their location in the above table, are as follows:

Cash: Received net proceeds of $109.4 million after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $8.2 million.

Other assets: Reclassification of $5.6 million deferred offering costs against additional paid-in capital, which is a component of total stockholders’ equity.

Debt, current: Repayment of $10.0 million of indebtedness under the loan agreement from net proceeds.

Other liabilities, noncurrent: Reclassification of $4.7 million related to the redeemable convertible preferred stock liability to additional paid-in capital, a component of total stockholders’ equity.

Redeemable convertible preferred stock: Automatic conversion into 61,279,079 shares of common stock on a one-for-one basis.

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Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Form 10-Q and our Prospectus. As discussed in the section titled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” the following discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove incorrect, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include, but are not limited to, those identified below and those discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” under Part II, Item 1A in this Form 10-Q and in our Prospectus.

Overview

We operate the largest online global marketplace that enables businesses to find and work with highly-skilled freelancers as measured by gross services volume (“GSV”). GSV represents the total amount that clients spend on both our marketplace offerings and our managed services offering as well as additional fees we charge to users for other services. Freelancers are an increasingly sought-after, critical, and expanding segment of the global workforce. We define freelancers as users of our platform that advertise and provide services to clients through our platform, and we define clients as users of our platform that work with freelancers through our platform. The freelancers on our platform include independent professionals and agencies of varying sizes. The clients on our platform range in size from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.

Our platform reduces inefficiencies associated with searching for, contracting and collaborating with, and paying highly-skilled freelancers for short-term and longer-term projects. As early innovators in this space, we have built an expansive and unique repository of data on our platform, which, when combined with our machine learning capabilities, enables us to better connect clients with the best freelancers for their projects. As a result, clients are able to obtain specialized talent in less time and at a lower cost compared to traditional channels.

We serve as a powerful marketing channel for freelancers to find rewarding, engaging, and flexible work. Freelancers using our platform benefit from access to quality clients and secure and timely payments while enjoying the freedom to run their own businesses, create their own schedules, and work from their preferred locations. Moreover, freelancers have real-time visibility into opportunities that are highest in demand, so that they can invest their time and focus on developing sought-after skills.

Our platform provides clients with fast, secure, and efficient access to high-quality talent with over 5,000 skills across over 70 categories, such as content marketing, customer service, data science and analytics, graphic design, mobile development, sales, and web development. We offer a direct-to-talent approach, reducing reliance on intermediaries such as staffing firms, recruiters, and traditional agencies while providing features that help instill trust in remote work. Our platform also enables clients to streamline workflows, such as talent sourcing, outreach, and engagement. In addition, our platform provides access to essential functionality for remote engagements, including communication and collaboration, time tracking, invoicing, and payments.

Key Financial and Operational Metrics

We monitor the following key financial and operational metrics to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate business plans, and make strategic decisions (in thousands):

We believe these key financial and operational metrics are useful to evaluate period-over-period comparisons of our business and in understanding our operating results. The number of core clients in any given period drives both GSV, which represents the amount of business transacted through our platform, and client spend retention. Client spend retention impacts the growth rate of GSV. We believe our marketplace revenue, which represents a majority of our revenue, will grow as GSV grows, although they could grow at different rates. For a discussion of limitations in the measurement of core clients, GSV, and client spend retention, see “Risk Factors—We track certain performance metrics with internal tools and do not independently verify such metrics. Certain of our performance metrics are subject to inherent challenges in measurement, and real or perceived inaccuracies in such metrics may harm our reputation and negatively affect our business.”

Core Clients

We define a core client as a client that has spent in the aggregate at least $5,000 since it began using our platform and also had spend-activity during the twelve months preceding the date of measurement. This includes the total amount spent by the client on both

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the Elance and oDesk platforms for the periods prior to the consolidation of the two platforms. We believe $5,000 is an important spend milestone as it indicates that the client is actively using our platform. Historically, these core clients have been more likely to continue using our platform. We believe that the number of core clients is a key indicator of our growth and the overall health of our business because core clients are a primary driver of GSV, and, therefore, marketplace revenue. We had 101,000 and 82,600 core clients as of September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017, respectively.

Gross Services Volume

GSV includes both client spend and additional fees charged for other services. Client spend—the total amount that clients spend on both our marketplace offerings and our managed services offering—is the primary component of our GSV. GSV also includes additional fees charged by us for other services, such as freelancer withdrawals and foreign currency exchange.

GSV is an important metric because it represents the amount of business transacted through our platform. Growth in the number of core clients and increased client spend retention are the primary drivers of GSV growth. In addition, our marketplace revenue is primarily comprised of the service fees paid by freelancers as a percentage of the total amount freelancers charge clients for services accessed through our platform. Therefore, marketplace revenue is correlated to GSV, and we believe that our marketplace revenue will grow as GSV grows, although they could grow at different rates. We expect our GSV growth rates to fluctuate between periods due to a number of factors, including the volume and characteristics of projects that are posted by clients on our platform, such as size, duration, pricing, and other factors.

Client Spend Retention

We calculate client spend retention by dividing our recurring client spend by our base client spend. We define base client spend as the aggregate client spend from all clients during the four quarters ended one year prior to the date of measurement. We define our recurring client spend as the aggregate client spend during the four quarters ended on the date of measurement from the same clients included in our measure of base client spend. Our business is recurring in nature even though clients are not contractually required to spend on a recurring basis. We believe that client spend retention is a key indicator of the value of our platform and the overall health of our business because it impacts the growth rate of GSV, and, therefore, marketplace revenue.

The growth in our marketplace is driven by long-term and recurring use by freelancers and clients, which leads to increased revenue visibility for us. While continued use of our platform by freelancers is a factor that impacts our ability to attract and retain clients, our platform currently has a significant surplus of freelancers in relation to the number of clients actively engaging freelancers. As a result of this surplus of freelancers relative to core clients, we primarily focus our efforts on retaining client spend and acquiring new clients as opposed to acquiring new freelancers and retaining existing freelancers. Moreover, we generate revenue when clients engage and pay freelancers and therefore our key metrics and operating results are directly impacted by client spend. On the other hand, the number of freelancers retained between periods is merely one of many factors that may impact client spend in a particular period and is not directly related to our key metrics and operating results. For these reasons, we do not calculate or track freelancer retention metrics in order to manage our business. Our client spend retention was 108% and 95% as of September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017, respectively.

Marketplace Revenue

Marketplace revenue, which represents the majority of our revenue, consists of revenue derived from our Upwork Standard and Upwork Enterprise and other premium offerings. We generate marketplace revenue from both freelancers and clients. Our marketplace revenue is primarily comprised of the service fees paid by freelancers as a percentage of the total amount freelancers charge clients for services accessed through our platform. In addition, we generate marketplace revenue from our Upwork Standard offering by charging clients a payment processing and administration fee. We also generate marketplace revenue for other services, such as foreign currency exchange and premium offerings. Marketplace revenue is an important metric because it is the primary driver of our business model, and we believe it provides greater comparability to other online marketplaces. The growth rate of marketplace revenue fluctuates in relation to the growth rate of GSV. Therefore, marketplace revenue is correlated to GSV, and we believe that our marketplace revenue will grow as GSV grows, although they could grow at different rates.

Adjusted EBITDA

In addition to our results determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP, adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure that we believe is useful in evaluating our operating performance.

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We define adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) adjusted for stock-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization, interest expense, other (income) expense, net, and income tax (benefit) provision.

The following table presents a reconciliation of net income (loss) to adjusted EBITDA, the most directly comparable financial measure prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, for each of the periods indicated (in thousands):

We use adjusted EBITDA as a measure of operational efficiency. We believe that this non-GAAP financial measure is useful to investors for period-to-period comparisons of our business and in understanding and evaluating our operating results for the following reasons:

Our use of adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our financial results as reported under U.S. GAAP. Some of these limitations are as follows:

Because of these and other limitations, you should consider adjusted EBITDA along with other financial performance measures, including net loss and our other financial results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

Components of Our Results of Operations

Revenue

Marketplace Revenue. Marketplace revenue is generated from our Upwork Standard and Upwork Enterprise and other premium offerings. Under our Upwork Standard offering, we generate revenue from both freelancers and clients. Marketplace revenue, which represents the majority of our total revenue, is primarily comprised of the service fees paid by freelancers as a percentage of the total amount that freelancers charge clients for services accessed through our platform.

Our Upwork Standard offering provides clients with access to freelance talent with verified work history on our platform and client feedback, the ability to instantly match with the right freelancers, and built-in collaboration features. For our Upwork Standard offering, we have a tiered freelancer service fee schedule based on cumulative lifetime billings by the freelancer to each client.

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Freelancers on our Upwork Standard offering typically pay us 20% of the first $500, 10% for the next $9,500, and then 5% for any amount over $10,000 they bill to each client through our platform. We also generate revenue from freelancers through withdrawal and other fees, which are currently immaterial.

In addition, we generate marketplace revenue from our Upwork Standard offering by charging clients a payment processing and administration fee. Clients using our Upwork Standard offering pay either 2.75% of their client spend or a flat fee of $25 per month for unlimited payment transactions with qualifying payment methods. We also generate revenue from foreign currency exchange fees from clients, which are currently immaterial.

Our Upwork Enterprise offering and other premium offerings, which are designed for larger clients, include access to additional product features, premium access to top talent, professional services, custom reporting, and invoicing on a monthly basis. For our Upwork Enterprise offering, we charge clients a monthly or annual subscription fee and a service fee calculated as a percentage of the client’s spend on freelancer services, in addition to the service fees paid by freelancers. Additionally, Upwork Enterprise clients can also subscribe to a compliance offering that includes worker classification services for an additional fee. Upwork Enterprise clients may also choose to use our platform to engage freelancers that were not sourced through our platform for a lower fee percentage.

One of our premium offerings, Upwork Payroll, is available to clients when freelancers are classified as employees for engagements on our online marketplace. The client enters into an Upwork Payroll agreement with us, and we separately contract with unrelated third-party staffing providers who provide employment services to such clients. Revenue from Upwork Payroll is currently immaterial.

Managed Services Revenue. Through our managed services offering, we are responsible for providing services and engaging freelancers directly or as employees of third-party staffing providers to perform services on our behalf. The freelancers delivering managed services include independent professionals and agencies of varying sizes. Under U.S. GAAP, we are deemed to be the principal in these managed services arrangements, and therefore, recognize the entire GSV of managed services projects as managed services revenue, as compared to recognizing only the percentage of the client spend that we receive, as we do with our marketplace offerings.

Cost of Revenue and Gross Profit

Cost of Revenue. Cost of revenue consists primarily of the cost of payment processing fees, amounts paid to freelancers to deliver services for the client under our managed services offering, personnel-related costs for our services and support personnel, third-party hosting fees for our use of Amazon Web Services (“AWS”) and the amortization expense associated with acquired intangibles and capitalized internal-use software and platform development. We define personnel-related costs as salaries, bonuses, benefits, travel and entertainment, and stock-based compensation costs for employees and the costs related to other service providers we engage.

We expect cost of revenue to increase in absolute dollars in future periods due to higher payment processing fees, third-party hosting fees, and personnel-related costs in order to support additional transaction volume on our platform. Amounts paid to freelancers to deliver services under our managed services offering are tied to the volume of managed services used by our client. The level and timing of all of these items could fluctuate and affect our cost of revenue in the future.

Gross Profit and Gross Margin. Our gross profit and gross margin may fluctuate from period-to-period. Such fluctuations may be influenced by our revenue, the mix of payment methods that our clients choose, the timing and amount of investments to expand hosting capacity, our continued investments in our services and support teams, the timing and amount of services freelancers deliver for clients under our managed services offering, and the amortization expense associated with acquired intangibles and capitalized internal-use software and platform development cost. In addition, gross margin will be impacted by fluctuations in our revenue mix between marketplace revenue and our managed services revenue.

Operating Expenses

Research and Development. Research and development expense primarily consists of personnel-related costs and third-party hosting costs related to development. Research and development costs are expensed as incurred, except to the extent that such costs are associated with internal-use software and platform development that qualifies for capitalization. We believe continued investments in research and development are important to attain our strategic objectives, and expect research and development expense to increase in absolute dollars, but this expense may vary as a percentage of total revenue, for the foreseeable future.

Sales and Marketing. Sales and marketing expense consists primarily of expenses related to personnel-related costs, including sales commissions, which we expense as they are incurred, and advertising and marketing activities. In 2017 and 2018, we increased our marketing expenditures by investing in outdoor and radio advertising to drive greater brand awareness. Further, to grow our Upwork Enterprise offering, we hired additional sales personnel in 2017, with many of them starting late in the year, and in 2018. We continued to invest in our sales and marketing capabilities in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and expect this expense to increase in absolute dollars in future periods. Sales and marketing expense as a percentage of total revenue may fluctuate from period-to-period based on total revenue levels and the timing of our investments in our sales and marketing functions as these investments may vary in scope and scale over future periods.

General and Administrative. General and administrative expense consists primarily of personnel-related costs for our executive, finance, legal, human resources, and operations functions. General and administrative expense also includes outside consulting, legal, and accounting services, and insurance.

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We expect to invest in corporate infrastructure and incur additional expenses associated with transitioning to and operating as a public company, including increased legal and accounting costs, investor relations costs, higher insurance premiums, and compliance costs. As a result, we expect general and administrative expense to increase in absolute dollars in future periods, but this expense may vary as a percentage of total revenue.

Provision for Transaction Losses. Provision for transaction losses consists primarily of losses resulting from fraud and bad debt expense associated with our trade and client receivables balance and transaction losses associated with chargebacks. Provisions for these items represent estimates of losses based on our actual historical incurred losses and other factors. As result, we expect provision for transaction losses to vary in future periods.

Interest Expense

Interest expense consists of interest on our outstanding borrowings.

Other Expense, Net

Other expense, net consists primarily of gains and losses from foreign currency exchange transactions and expenses resulting from the revaluation of our warrant liability. Our warrant liability was converted to additional paid-in capital upon the completion of our IPO, which occurred subsequent to September 30, 2018.

Results of Operations

The following table sets forth our condensed consolidated results of operations for the periods presented (in thousands):

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