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Description of Business and Basis of Presentation
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation Description of Business and Basis of Presentation
LivePerson, Inc. (“LivePerson”, the “Company”, “we”, “our” or “us”) is a leading Conversational Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) company creating digital experiences that are Curiously Human. Conversational AI allows humans and machines to interact using natural language, including speech or text. During the past decade, consumers have made mobile devices the center of their digital lives, and they have made mobile messaging the center of communication with friends, family and peers. The Company’s technology enables consumers to connect with businesses through these same preferred conversational interfaces, including Facebook Messenger, short message service (“SMS”), WhatsApp, Apple Business Chat, Google Rich Business Messenger and Alexa. These messaging conversations harness human agents, bots and AI to power convenient, personalized and content-rich journeys across the entire consumer lifecycle, from discovery and research, to sales, service and support, and increasingly marketing, social, and brick and mortar engagements. For example, consumers can look up product info like ratings, images and pricing, search for stores, see product inventory, schedule appointments, apply for credit, approve repairs, and make purchases or payments - all without ever leaving the messaging channel. These AI and human-assisted conversational experiences constitute the Conversational Space, within which LivePerson has strategically developed one of the industry’s largest ecosystems of messaging endpoints and use cases.

The Conversational Cloud, the Company’s enterprise-class cloud-based platform, enables businesses to become conversational by securely deploying AI-powered messaging at scale for brands with tens of millions of customers and many thousands of agents. The Conversational Cloud powers conversations across each of a brand’s primary digital channels, including mobile apps, mobile and desktop web browsers, SMS, social media and third-party consumer messaging platforms. Brands can also use the Conversational Cloud to message consumers when they dial a 1-800 number instead of forcing them to navigate interactive voice response systems (“IVRs”) and wait on hold. Similarly, the Conversational Cloud can ingest traditional emails and convert them into messaging conversations, or embed messaging conversations directly into web advertisements, rather than redirect consumers to static website landing pages. Agents can manage all conversations with consumers through a single console interface, regardless of where the conversations originated.

LivePerson’s robust, cloud-based suite of rich messaging, real-time chat, AI and automation offerings features consumer and agent facing bots, intelligent routing and capacity mapping, real-time intent detection and analysis, queue prioritization, customer sentiment, analytics and reporting, content delivery, Payment Card Industry (“PCI”) compliance, co-browsing and a sophisticated proactive targeting engine. An extensible application programming interface (“API”) stack facilitates a lower cost of ownership by facilitating robust integration into back-end systems, as well as enabling developers to build their own programs and services on top of the platform. More than 40 APIs and software development kits are available on the Conversational Cloud.

LivePerson’s Conversational AI offerings put the power of bot development, training, management and analysis into the hands of the contact center and its agents, the teams most familiar with how to structure sales and service conversations to drive successful outcomes. The platform enables what the Company calls “the tango” of humans, AI and bots, whereby human agents act as bot managers, overseeing AI-powered conversations and seamlessly stepping into the flow when a personal touch is needed. Agents become ultra-efficient, leveraging the AI engine to serve up relevant content, define next-best actions and take over repetitive transactional work, so that the agent can focus on relationship building. By seamlessly integrating messaging with the Company’s proprietary Conversational AI, as well as third-party bots, the Conversational Cloud offers brands a comprehensive approach to scaling automations across their millions of customer conversations.

LivePerson’s consumer services offering is an online marketplace that connects independent service providers (“Experts”) who provide information and knowledge for a fee via mobile and online messaging with individual consumers (“Users”). Users seek assistance and advice in various categories including personal counseling and coaching, computers and programming, education and tutoring, spirituality and religion, and other topics.

LivePerson was incorporated in the State of Delaware in November 1995 and the LivePerson service was introduced in November 1998. The Company completed an initial public offering in April 2000 and is currently traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (“TASE”). LivePerson is headquartered in New York City. LivePerson has adopted an “employee-centric” workforce model that does not rely on traditional offices. During the second quarter of 2021, the Company decided to reoccupy some of its leased space to provide its employees with the option of working in an office space environment if they choose to do so.
Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements, and the financial data and other information disclosed in the notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2022 and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 are unaudited. In the opinion of management, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the annual financial statements and reflect all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations, comprehensive loss, and cash flows for the interim periods presented. The results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for any other future interim period or for a full fiscal year. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2021 has been derived from audited consolidated financial statements at that date.

Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2021 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 28, 2022.

Principles of Consolidation

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

Equity Method Investment

The Company utilizes the equity method to account for investments when it possesses the ability to exercise significant influence, but not control, over the operating and financial policies of the investee. The ability to exercise significant influence is presumed when an investor possesses more than 20.0% of the voting interests of the investee, and conversely, the ability to exercise significant influence is presumed not to exist when an investor possesses 20% or less of the voting interests of the investee. These presumptions may be overcome based on specific facts and circumstances that demonstrate an ability to exercise significant influence is restricted or demonstrate an ability to exercise significant influence notwithstanding a smaller voting interest, such as with the Company’s 19.2% equity method investment in Claire Holdings, Inc. (“Claire”), due to the Company’s seat on the entity’s board of directors which provides the Company the ability to exert significant influence. In applying the equity method, the Company records the investment at cost and subsequently increases or decreases the carrying amount of the investment by its proportionate share of the net earnings or losses. The Company records dividends or other equity distributions as reductions in the carrying value of the investment. The Company assesses the carrying value of equity method investment on a periodic basis to see if there has been a decline in carrying value that is not temporary. When deciding whether a decline in carrying value is more than temporary, a number of factors are considered, including the investee’s financial condition and business prospects, as well as the Company’s investment intentions.

Variable Interest Entities

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of LivePerson, its wholly owned subsidiaries, and each variable interest entity (“VIE”) for which the Company is the primary beneficiary. The Company consolidates entities in which it has a controlling financial interest. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The Company evaluates whether an entity in which it has a variable interest is considered a variable interest entity. VIEs are generally entities that have either a total equity investment that is insufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support, or whose equity investors lack the characteristics of a controlling financial interest (i.e., ability to make significant decisions through voting rights and a right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity or an obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity).

Under the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 810, “Consolidation”, an entity consolidates a VIE if it is determined to be the primary beneficiary of the VIE. The primary beneficiary has both (a) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance, and (b) the obligation to absorb losses or
the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. The Company periodically reassesses whether it is the primary beneficiary of a VIE. See Note 18 – Variable Interest Entities for the Company’s assessment of VIEs.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates 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 reporting period.

Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include:
revenue recognition;
stock-based compensation;
accounts receivable;
valuation of goodwill;
valuation of intangible assets;
income taxes; and
legal contingencies.
As of the date of issuance of the financial statements, the Company is not aware of any material specific events or circumstances that would require it to update its estimates, judgments, or to revise the carrying values of its assets or liabilities. These estimates may change, as new events occur and additional information is obtained, and are recognized in the condensed consolidated financial statements as soon as they become known. Actual results could differ from those estimates and any such differences may be material to the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.
Goodwill
The Company evaluates goodwill for impairment on an annual basis in the third quarter, and more frequently whenever events or substantive changes in circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the carrying value of reporting unit exceeds its fair value in accordance with ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement.” In performing the goodwill impairment test, the Company first assesses qualitative factors to determine the existence of impairment. If the qualitative factors indicate that the carrying value of a reporting unit more likely than not exceeds its fair value, the Company proceeds to a quantitative test to measure the existence and amount, if any, of goodwill impairment. The Company may also choose to bypass the qualitative assessment and proceed directly to the quantitative test.

In performing the quantitative test, impairment loss is recorded to the extent that the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its assessed fair value. The Company determines the fair value using the income and market approaches.

Under the income approach, the fair value of a reporting unit is the present value of its future cash flows as viewed from the eyes of a hypothetical market participant in an orderly transaction. These future cash flows are derived from expectations of revenue, expenses, tax deductions and credits, working capital flows, capital expenditures, and other projected sources and uses of cash, as applicable. Value indications are developed by discounting expected cash flows to their present value using a discount rate commensurate with the risks associated with the reporting unit subject to testing.

Under the market approach, the Company uses market multiples derived from comparable companies based on measures salient to investors in those companies.
Foreign Currency Translation

The Company’s operations are conducted in various countries around the world and the financial statements of its foreign subsidiaries are reported in the applicable foreign currencies (functional currencies). Financial information is translated from the applicable functional currency to the U.S. dollar (the reporting currency) for inclusion in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. Income, expenses, and cash flows are translated at weighted average exchange rates prevailing during the fiscal period, and assets and liabilities are translated at fiscal period-end exchange rates. Resulting translation adjustments are included as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in stockholders’ equity. Foreign
exchange transaction gain or losses are included in other income (expense), net in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820), Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions: In June 2022, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2022-03 to clarify that a contractual restriction on the sale of an equity security is not considered part of a unit of account of the equity security, and, therefore, is not considered in measuring fair value. The amendments also clarify that an entity cannot, as a separate unit of account, recognize and measure a contractual sale restriction. The amendments also require the following disclosures for equity securities subject to the contractual sale restrictions:
1.The fair value of equity securities subject to the contractual sale restrictions reflected on the balance sheet.
2.The nature and remaining duration of the restriction(s).
3.The circumstances that could cause a lapse in the restriction(s).
This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within those financial years. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2022-03 to have a significant impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Debt - Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity. In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06 which simplifies the accounting for convertible instruments by eliminating existing accounting models that require separation of a cash conversion or beneficial conversion feature from the host contract. Accordingly, a convertible debt instrument will be accounted as a single liability measured at its amortized cost and a convertible preferred stock will be accounted as a single equity instrument measured at its historical cost, as long as no other embedded features require bifurcation as derivatives and the convertible debt was not issued at a substantial premium. The ASU also simplifies the derivative scope exception for accounting for contracts in an entity’s own equity by:
removing certain conditions required to meet the settlement criterion;
clarifying that instruments that are not indexed to the issuer’s own stock must be remeasured at fair value through earnings at each reporting period; and
clarifying the scope of reassessment guidance and disclosure requirements in Subtopic 815-40.

The ASU also makes targeted improvements to the disclosure requirements for convertible instruments and earnings per share guidance.
For SEC filers, excluding smaller reporting companies, the ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The ASU specifies that the guidance should be adopted as of the beginning of the annual fiscal year. In connection with the adoption of ASU 2020-06, the Company recognized a $50.2 million decrease to accumulated deficit, a $209.7 million decrease to additional paid-in capital, and a $159.4 million increase to convertible senior notes, net. See Note 8 – Convertible Senior Notes, Net and Capped Call Transactions for a description of the convertible senior notes, net on the condensed consolidated balance sheet.
With the exception of the new standards discussed above, there have been no other recent accounting pronouncements or changes in accounting pronouncements during the quarter ended September 30, 2022, that are of significance or potential significance to the Company.