PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION
We maintain our books and records in pounds sterling, our results are subsequently converted to U.S. dollars and we prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or U.S. GAAP, as issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB. Solely for the convenience of the reader, unless otherwise indicated, all pounds sterling amounts as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020 have been translated into U.S. dollars at the rate of £1 to $1.3662, which was the noon buying rate of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on December 31, 2020, the last business day of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. These translations should not be considered representations that any such amounts have been, could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars at that or any other exchange rate as of that or any other date.
We have made rounding adjustments to some of the figures included in this Annual Report. Accordingly, numerical figures shown as totals in some tables may not be an arithmetic aggregation of the figures that preceded them. We have historically conducted our business through COMPASS Pathfinder Holdings Limited, and therefore through the period ended December 31, 2019 present the consolidated results of operations of COMPASS Pathfinder Holdings Limited. For periods beginning after January 1, 2020, our consolidated financial statements present the consolidated results of operations of COMPASS Pathways plc.
GENERAL INFORMATION
All references in this Annual Report on Form 20-F, or the Annual Report, to “COMPASS,” the “company,” the "group", “we,” “us” and “our” refer to COMPASS Pathways plc and its consolidated subsidiaries. In this Annual Report, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is referred to as the “SEC”, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, is referred to as the “Securities Act” and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is referred to as the “Exchange Act.” We own various trademark registrations and applications, and unregistered trademarks, including our corporate logo. All other trade names, trademarks and service marks referred to in this annual report on Form 20‑F, or this annual report, are the property of their respective owners. Trade names, trademarks and service marks of other companies appearing in this annual report are the property of their respective holders. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this annual report may be referred to without the ® and ™ symbols, but such references should not be construed as any indicator that their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto. We do not intend to use or display other companies’ trademarks and trade names to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report contains express or implied forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the words “may,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “objective,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue” and “ongoing,” or the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology intended to identify statements about the future, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and opinions contained in this Annual Report are based upon information available to our management as of the date of this Annual Report and, while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited
or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. Furthermore, it is not possible for our management 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 forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this Annual Report may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report include, but are not limited to, statements about:
•the timing, progress and results of our investigational COMP360 psilocybin therapy, including statements regarding the timing of initiation and completion of trials or studies and related preparatory work, the period during which the results of the trials will become available and our research and development programs;
•our reliance on the success of our investigational COMP360 psilocybin therapy;
•the timing, scope or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals;
•our expectations regarding the size of the eligible patient populations for COMP360 psilocybin therapy, if approved for commercial use;
•our ability to identify third-party clinical sites to conduct our trials and our ability to identify and train appropriately qualified therapists to administer COMP360 psilocybin therapy;
•our ability to implement our business model and our strategic plans for our business and our investigational COMP360 psilocybin therapy;
•our ability to identify new indications for COMP360 psilocybin therapy beyond our current primary focus on treatment-resistant depression;
•our ability to identify, develop or acquire digital technologies to enhance our administration of our investigational COMP360 psilocybin therapy;
•our ability to successfully establish and maintain Centers of Excellence;
•our commercialization, marketing and manufacturing capabilities and strategy;
•the pricing, coverage and reimbursement of COMP360 psilocybin therapy, if approved;
•the scalability and commercial viability of our manufacturing methods and processes;
•the rate and degree of market acceptance and clinical utility of our investigational COMP360 psilocybin therapy, in particular, and psilocybin-based therapies, in general;
•our ability to establish or maintain collaborations or strategic relationships or obtain additional funding;
•our expectations regarding potential benefits of our investigational COMP360 psilocybin therapy and our therapeutic approach generally;
•our expectations around regulatory development paths and with respect to Controlled Substances Act designation;
•the scope of protection we and any current or future licensors or collaboration partners are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering COMP360;
•our ability to operate our business without infringing, misappropriating, or otherwise violating the intellectual property rights and proprietary technology of third parties;
•regulatory developments in the United States, under the laws and regulations of England and Wales, and other jurisdictions;
•developments and projections relating to our competitors and our industry;
•our ability to maintain appropriate internal control over financial reporting in future reporting periods;
•our estimates regarding expenses, capital requirements and needs for additional financing;
•our ability to effectively manage our anticipated growth;
•our ability to attract and retain qualified employees and key personnel;
•the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, including mitigation efforts and economic effects, on any of the foregoing or other aspects of our business or operations;
•whether we are classified as a controlled foreign corporation (“CFC”) or a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for current and future periods;
•our expectations regarding the time during which we will be an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act and as a foreign private issuer;
•the future trading price of the ADSs and impact of securities analysts’ reports on these prices; and
•other risks and uncertainties, including those listed under the caption “Risk Factors.”
We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. We have included important factors in the cautionary statements included in this Annual Report, particularly in the section titled “Risk Factors” that we believe may cause our actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. Moreover, we operate in a competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report. As a result of these factors, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this Annual Report will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, if our forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all.
In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this Annual Report, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information.
These statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
You should read this Annual Report and the documents that we reference in this Annual Report and have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as exhibits to the registration statement of which this Annual Report is a part completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. The forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report are made as of the date of this Annual Report, and we do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
SUMMARY OF THE MATERIAL AND OTHER RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR BUSINESS
Below is a summary of the material risks to our business, operations and the investment in our ADSs. This summary does not address all of the risks that we face. Risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we presently deem less significant may also impair our business operations. Additional discussion of the risks summarized in this risk factor summary, and other risks that we face, can be found below under the heading “Risk Factors” and should be carefully considered, together with other information in this annual report on Form 20-F in its entirety before making investment decisions regarding our ADSs.
◦We are a clinical stage mental health care company and have incurred significant losses since our inception. We expect to incur losses for the foreseeable future and may never achieve or maintain profitability;
◦Failure to obtain the substantial additional funding we need to complete the development and commercialization of our investigational COMP360 psilocybin therapy or any future therapeutic candidates may force us to delay, limit or terminate certain or all of our product discovery, therapeutic development, research operations or commercialization efforts;
◦Exchange rate fluctuations may materially affect our results of operations and financial condition;
◦COMP360 is, and any future therapeutic candidates we may develop in the future may be, subject to controlled substance laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where the product may be marketed, and failure to comply with these laws and regulations, or the cost of compliance, may adversely affect the results of our business operations, both during clinical development and post approval, and our financial condition. In addition, during the review process of COMP360, and prior to approval, the FDA and/or other regulatory bodies may require additional data, including with respect to whether COMP360 has abuse potential, which may delay approval and any potential rescheduling process;