RISK FACTORS

An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully read and consider the risks described below, together with all of the other information in this prospectus, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto and the section of this prospectus entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” before deciding to purchase shares of our common stock. The following risks could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operation or cash flows. In any such case, the trading price of shares of our common stock could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may impair our business operations.

Risks Relating to Our Business and Our Industry

If our sole semiconductor foundry is damaged or becomes inoperable, we will be unable to develop or produce wafers in a timely manner, if at all, and our business would be materially adversely affected.

We currently perform all of our manufacturing services and most of our design services at our foundry in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our foundry operation and the equipment we use to manufacture wafers would be costly to replace and could require substantial lead time to repair or replace. Our foundry may be harmed or rendered inoperable by physical damage from fire, floods, tornadoes, power loss, telecommunications failures, break-ins and similar events, which may render it difficult or impossible for us to produce or test products for a considerable period of time. If any of the foregoing events occur, we may incur significant additional costs including, among other things, loss of profits due to unplanned temporary or permanent shutdowns of our foundry, cleanup costs, liability for damages or injuries, legal expenses and reconstruction expenses, which would harm our results of operations and financial condition. In addition, because any substitute facility must hold any required licensures or certifications, we may be limited in our ability to rely on a third-party to perform interim design and manufacturing services or testing processes. We cannot assure you that we would be able to find another semiconductor foundry that is capable or willing to design and produce wafers in compliance with applicable specifications, or that such a substitute foundry would be willing to produce wafers for us on commercially reasonable terms. A substitute foundry may not have rights to intellectual property of others that is necessary to design, manufacture, and test products for us, and we may not be permitted to extend our license rights to a substitute foundry. Any unexpected constraints on our foundry’s ability to design, manufacture or test products could result in the loss of customers or harm our reputation, and we may be unable to regain those customers in the future, all of which would materially adversely affect our business.

Our industry has experienced rapid technological changes, and new technologies may prove difficult to commercialize or may not gain market acceptance by our customers, which may have a material adverse effect on demand for our products and service offerings.

The industry in which we operate is subject to constant technological change, industry standards and technological obsolescence. Our future success will depend on our ability to appropriately respond to changing technologies, including significant developments in wafer production, and changes in function of products and quality in a timely and cost-effective basis. If we adopt products and technologies that are not attractive to customers, we may not be successful in capturing or retaining our share of the market. If we fail to adopt enhanced technologies or processes, we could experience product obsolescence, loss of competitiveness of our products, decreased revenue and a loss of market share to competitors. In addition, some new technologies are relatively untested and unperfected and may not perform as expected or as desired, in which event our adoption of such products or technologies may cause us to lose money.

Defects or performance problems in our products could result in loss of customers, reputational damage and decreased revenue, and we may face warranty, indemnity and product liability claims arising from defective products.

Although our products are tested to meet our stringent quality requirements, they may contain undetected errors or defects, especially when first introduced or when new generations are released. Errors, defects or poor performance can arise due to design flaws, defects in raw materials or components or manufacturing errors or difficulties, which can affect both the quality and the yield of the product. Any actual or perceived errors, defects or poor performance in our products could result in the replacement or recall of our products, shipment delays, rejection of our products,

14

Table of Contents

damage to our reputation, lost revenue, diversion of our engineering personnel from our product development efforts and increases in customer service and support costs, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We typically provide a one year warranty on the operability of the products we design and manufacture. Defective components may give rise to warranty, indemnity or product liability claims against us that exceed any revenue or profit we receive from the affected products.

If we do not achieve satisfactory yields or quality, our reputation and customer relationships could be harmed.

The fabrication of wafers is a complex and technically demanding process. Minor deviations in the manufacturing process can cause substantial decreases in yields and, in some cases, cause production to be suspended. Our foundry could, from time to time, experience manufacturing defects and reduced manufacturing yields. Changes in manufacturing processes or the inadvertent use of defective or contaminated materials could result in lower than anticipated production yields or unacceptable performance of our wafers. Many of these problems are difficult to detect at an early stage of the manufacturing process and may be time-consuming and expensive to correct. We also may experience manufacturing problems in achieving acceptable yields as a result of, among other things, transferring production to other facilities, upgrading or expanding existing facilities or changing our process technologies. Poor production or defects, integration issues or other performance problems in our solutions could significantly harm our customer relationships and financial results and give rise to financial or other damages to our customers.

Our customers may cancel their orders, change production quantities or delay production, and if we fail to forecast demand accurately, we may incur supply shortages or lose revenue.

We generally do not obtain firm, long-term purchase commitments from our customers. Because production lead times often exceed the amount of time required to fulfill orders, we often must build our products in advance of orders, relying on an imperfect demand forecast to optimize use of our manufacturing capacity.

Our demand forecast accuracy can be adversely affected by a number of factors, including inaccurate forecasting by our customers, changes in market conditions, and demand for our customers’ products. Even after an order is received, our customers may cancel these orders or request a decrease in production quantities. Any such cancellation or decrease subjects us to a number of risks, most notably that our projected sales will not materialize on schedule or at all, leading to unanticipated revenue shortfalls and excess manufacturing capacity. Either underestimating or overestimating demand could lead to insufficient, excess or obsolete inventory, which could harm our operating results, cash flow and financial condition, as well as our relationships with our customers.

A material decrease in demand for products that contain semiconductors may decrease the demand for our services and products, and a decrease in the selling prices of our customers’ products may significantly affect our business, financial results and financial position.

Our customers generally use the semiconductors produced in our fab in a wide variety of applications. Any significant decrease in the demand for end-market devices or products may decrease the demand for our services and products. In addition, if the average selling prices of key end-market devices or products decline significantly, we may be pressured to reduce our selling prices, which may reduce our revenues and margins significantly. As demonstrated in the past by downturns in demand for high technology products, market conditions can change rapidly, without warning or advance notice. In such instances, our customers may experience inventory buildup or difficulties in selling their products and, in turn, may reduce or cancel orders for wafers from us, which may harm our business and profitability. The timing, severity and recovery of these downturns cannot be predicted. In order for demand for our wafer fabrication services to increase, the markets for the end products utilizing the integrated circuits that we manufacture must develop and expand. Because our services may be used in many new applications, it is difficult to forecast demand. If demand is lower than expected, we may have excess capacity and our revenue may not be sufficient to cover all our costs and serve all our debt, which may adversely affect our financial results and financial position.

We have a finite amount of production capacity, and to the extent customer demand exceeds our capacity we may lose customers and potential revenues.

In periods during which demand for our foundry services exceeds our capacity and manufacturing capabilities, we may be unable to (1) fulfill customer demand in whole or in part, in a timely manner or at all, (2) assure production of customers’ next-generation products or (3) provide additional capacity through transfer of process technologies, or ensure successful implementation. However, we could lose one or more of our current or potential customers, which may adversely affect our revenues, profitability and business.

15

Table of Contents

We have a limited operating history as a standalone company, and we may have difficulty accurately predicting our future revenues for the purpose of appropriately budgeting and adjusting our expenses.

We were divested from Cypress in 2017. Our limited operating experience as a standalone company, the dynamic and rapidly evolving market in which we sell our products, our dependence on a limited number of customers, as well as numerous other factors beyond our control, may impede our ability to forecast quarterly and annual revenues accurately. As a result, we could experience budgeting and cash flow management problems, unexpected fluctuations in our results of operations and other difficulties, any of which could make it difficult for us to gain and maintain profitability and could increase the volatility of the market price of our common stock.

A significant portion of our sales comes from five customers, the loss of which would adversely affect our financial results.

Cypress, which was acquired in April 2020 by Infineon Technologies AG, accounted for approximately 29% and 48% of our revenue for the fiscal years ended January 3, 2021 and December 29, 2019, respectively. Four of our non-Cypress customers accounted for 30%, 20%, 19% and 18% of our outstanding accounts receivable as of January 3, 2021, and two of our non-Cypress customers represent 16% and 14% of our revenues for the year ended January 3, 2021. If we were to lose these key customers or experience a significant decrease in volume or sales prices, our financial results would be adversely affected. We currently sell to a relatively small number of customers in total, and we expect our operating results will likely continue to depend on sales to a relatively small number of customers for the foreseeable future. We cannot be certain that these customers will generate significant revenue for us in the future or if these customer relationships will continue to develop. If our relationships with our other customers do not continue to develop, we may not be able to expand our customer base or maintain or increase our revenue. In addition, the loss or reduction in volume or sales price, whether due to their insolvency, or their unwillingness or inability to perform their obligations under their respective relationships with us, or if we are unable to renew or engagements with them in commercially reasonable terms, or attract new customers to replace such lost business, may materially negatively impact our overall business. This is exacerbated by our current manufacturing constraints which limit our ability to sell to other customers. In addition, our business is affected by competition in the market for the end products that our customers sell, and any decline in their business could harm our business and cause our revenue to decline.

We may not be able to successfully diversify our customer base and penetrate new markets which would negatively impact our growth strategy.

Our growth strategy depends on our ability to diversify our customer base and penetrate new markets. Our ability to add new customers to our Advanced Technology Services and Wafer Services businesses is subject to various elements outside of our control, such as fluctuations in demand for discrete components in both commodity and differentiated categories. If we are unable to attract new customers our customer revenue could remain highly concentrated. In addition, even if we add new customers, they may not require high levels of production, negatively impacting our growth strategy. Our growth strategy may also be adversely affected if we are unable to enter new markets, such as rad-hard electronic markets. Because we face competition from companies with substantially greater production and marketing resources than we have, we may not be able to penetrate these new markets successfully.

Our expansion strategy carries inherent risks.

Our growth strategy includes, among other matters, diversifying our customer base, growing our presence in existing markets, expanding into new end markets, and seeking acquisition opportunities to drive growth. Although management believes that pursuing our growth strategy is in our best interests, such strategy involves substantial expenditures and risks. For example, business acquisitions or strategic partnerships pursued in connection with our growth strategy may not be completed successfully or, if completed, may not yield the expected benefits to us. In addition, such business acquisitions or strategic partnerships may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. The pursuit of expansion opportunities through business acquisitions, joint ventures, stockholder agreements, government contracts or otherwise could result in operating losses and the write down of goodwill, which would increase our losses or reduce or eliminate our earnings, if any.

16

Table of Contents

We depend on successful parts and materials procurement for our foundry and a shortage, or an increase in the price, of these raw materials could interrupt our operations and result in a decline in revenues.

The raw materials used to manufacture our products are subject to availability constraints and price volatility caused by weather, supply conditions, government regulations, general economic conditions and other unpredictable factors. In the event that the raw materials we acquire from third parties increase in price, we will be required to increase the prices we charge our customers, which could result in decreased sales, or we may not be permitted under our customer agreements to increase the cost to our customers, which could result in a loss or in decreased profits. Customers also may seek alternative sources of raw materials for comparable products. In the event we are unable to procure the necessary raw materials, we may not be able to operate our foundry at capacity or at all. If either of these events were to occur, our business and operations may be materially harmed.

Our dependence on a limited number of third-party suppliers for key components and capital equipment used in our manufacturing process could prevent us from delivering our products to our customers within required timeframes, which could result in order cancellations and loss of market share.

We manufacture our products using components and capital equipment procured from a limited number of third-party suppliers. In some instances, the capital equipment we use has been developed and made specifically for us or for a customer, is not readily available from multiple vendors and would be difficult to repair or replace if it were to become damaged or stop working. If we fail to develop or maintain our relationships with these or our other suppliers, we may be unable to manufacture our products or our products may be available only at a higher cost or after a long delay, which could prevent us from delivering our products to our customers within required timeframes and we may experience order cancellation and loss of market share. To the extent the designs or processes that our suppliers use to manufacture components and capital equipment are proprietary, we may be unable to obtain comparable components or capital equipment from alternative suppliers. The failure of a supplier to supply components or capital equipment in a timely manner, or to supply components or capital equipment that meets our quality, quantity and cost requirements, could impair our ability to manufacture our products or decrease their costs, particularly if we are unable to obtain substitute sources of these components or capital equipment on a timely basis or on terms acceptable to us.

The costs incurred by us to provide development services and manufacture our wafers may be higher than anticipated which could hurt our ability to earn a profit.

We may incur substantial cost overruns in our Advanced Technology Services and Wafer Services businesses. In particular, pricing for wafer services is typically based on a fixed price per wafer which accounts for electrical yield and mechanical scrap, in addition to all of the associated manufacturing and overhead costs. If, despite our process controls currently in place, the wafer fabrication process shifts, it may cause electrical or performance yield loss. Wafer fabrication is also especially susceptible to interruptions caused by process tooling errors or facility support interruptions such as power loss, leading to the potential for scrap. In our Advanced Technology Services business, many customers contract with us on a consumption basis, but some contract with us on a firm-fixed prices basis where milestone attainment is required for payment. If the milestone scope is unexpectedly difficult, we may be required to continue expending effort and funds to achieve the milestone, which may delay revenue and increase costs. Unanticipated costs may force us to obtain additional capital or financing from other sources and would hinder our ability to earn a profit. If we incur cost overruns, there is no assurance that we could obtain the financing or capital to cover them.

A breach of our security systems or a cyber-attack that disrupts our operations or results in the breach of confidential information about us, our technology or our customers could harm our business and expose us to costly regulatory enforcement and other liability.

Our security systems are designed to maintain the physical security of our facilities and protect the confidential information and trade secrets of our customers, suppliers and employees. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyberattacks, including by computer hackers, foreign governments and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. In addition, our accreditation as a Trusted Foundry by the DMEA, our publicly-announced DARPA programs, our rad-hard program with the DoD, and other U.S. Government, or USG, and defense-related programs may make us a specific target for such attacks or industrial or nation-state espionage. A failure to comply with cybersecurity requirements imposed by those entities may result in fines or a disruption of our ability to acquire certain contracts. Criminal or other threat actors may seek to penetrate our network security and misappropriate or

17

Table of Contents

compromise our confidential information, systems or trade secrets, or that of our customers, create system disruptions or cause shutdowns. While we have not experienced any such material system failure or security breach to our knowledge to date, if such an event were to be discovered or cause interruptions in our operations, it could result in a material reduction in the value of our trade secrets or disruption of our development and production programs, and our business operations, including, without limitation, the cancellation or delay of our sales of wafers. The costs to address the foregoing security problems and any security vulnerabilities identified before or after a cyber incident could be significant. Remediation efforts may not be successful and could result in interruptions, delays or cessation of service and loss of existing or potential customers that may impede our sales or other critical functions. Breaches of our security measures and the unapproved dissemination of proprietary information, such as trade secrets, or sensitive or confidential data about us or our customers could expose us, our customers or other affected third parties to a risk of loss or misuse of this information, result in regulatory enforcement, litigation and potential liability for us and damage our brand and reputation or otherwise harm our business. Our security program includes controls intended to mitigate risks to our systems, data, personnel and facilities. The program includes logical and physical controls designed to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our resources. Performance of these controls is accomplished by both internal and trusted third parties. Possible security problems and security vulnerabilities of those third-party cybersecurity or other vendors may have similar effects on us.

We operate in the highly cyclical semiconductor industry, which is subject to significant downturns that may negatively impact our results of operations.

The semiconductor industry is highly cyclical and is characterized by constant and rapid technological change and price erosion, wide fluctuations in product supply and demand, evolving technical standards, and short product life cycles for semiconductors and the end-user products in which they are used. In addition, changes in general economic conditions also can cause significant upturns and downturns in the semiconductor industry. During previous periods of downturns in the semiconductor industry, we have experienced diminished demand for end-user products and underutilization of manufacturing capacity, among other effects. We may experience renewed, and possibly more severe and prolonged, industry downturns in the future as a result of such cyclical changes. We base our planned operating expenses in part on our expectations of future revenue, and a significant portion of our expenses is relatively fixed in the short term. If an industry downturn or other unforeseen event causes revenue for a particular quarter to be lower than we initially expected, we likely will be unable to proportionately reduce our operating expenses for that quarter, which would harm our operating results.

Because the markets in which we compete are highly competitive and many of our competitors have greater resources than us, we may not be able to compete successfully, and we may lose or be unable to gain market share.

We compete with a large number of competitors in the semiconductor market, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, or Taiwan Semiconductor, United Microelectronics Corporation, or United Microelectronics, Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation, or Vanguard Semiconductor, Tower Semiconductor Ltd., or Tower Semiconductor, X-FAB Silicon Foundries SE, or X-FAB Silicon Foundries, ON Semiconductor Corporation, or ONSemi, Tower Semiconductor Ltd., or Tower-Jazz, GlobalFoundries Inc., or Globalfoundries, MIT Lincoln Labs and Intel Corporation. We expect to face increased competition in the future. Many of our current and potential competitors have longer operating histories, greater name recognition, access to larger customer bases and significantly greater financial, sales and marketing, manufacturing, distribution, technical and other resources than us. As a result, they may be able to respond more quickly to changing customer demands or to devote greater resources to the development, promotion and sales of their products than we can. Our business relies on sales of our products and our competitors with more diversified product offerings may be better positioned to withstand a decline in the demand for semiconductor products. Some of our competitors have longer term relationships with polysilicon providers which could result in them being able to obtain raw materials on a more favorable basis than us. It is possible that new competitors or alliances among existing competitors could emerge and rapidly acquire significant market share, which would harm our business. If we fail to compete successfully, our business would suffer and we may lose or be unable to gain market share.

Existing or future customers could eventually transition their business to a competitor with a higher production capacity or lower-cost means of production.

As a result of our smaller manufacturing footprint, we target opportunities that larger competitors are unable to fulfill efficiently. These contracts are typically lower volume but require higher levels of customization and engineering

18

Table of Contents

expertise. Rapid growth in demand for a customer’s products could outpace our capacity, causing that customer to supplement or fully transition production to a higher volume foundry. In addition, as a customer’s product matures, demand for customization and engineering expertise may decrease, causing downward pricing pressure or forcing the customer to seek lower-cost means of production than are economically feasible for us. Although we are seeking to increase our customer and production mixes, the loss of one or more significant customers as a result of any such customer developments could have a material adverse impact on our financial results. In addition, our Advanced Technology Services customers may choose to implement their wafer production with other foundry providers, which could limit our Wafer Services revenue growth.

Planned efficiency and cost-savings initiatives could disrupt our operations or adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition, and we may not realize some or all of the anticipated benefits of such initiatives in the anticipated time frame or at all.

We are currently pursuing several efforts to improve profitability of our operations, including, but not limited to, efficiency improvements, cost reductions, supplier pricing negotiation and workforce reductions. These efforts, if implemented successfully, are planned to have an impact on our short-term and long-term financial results. The implementation of these efficiency and cost-savings initiatives, including the impact of any workforce reductions, could impair our ability to invest in developing, marketing and selling new and existing products, be disruptive to our operations, make it difficult to attract or retain employees, result in higher than anticipated charges, divert the attention of management, result in a loss of accumulated knowledge, impact our customer and supplier relationships and otherwise adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. In addition, our ability to complete our efficiency and cost-savings initiatives and achieve the anticipated benefits within the expected time frame is subject to estimates and assumptions and may vary materially from our expectations, including as a result of factors that are beyond our control. Furthermore, our efforts to grow our business could be delayed or jeopardized through planned or inadvertent results of cost-savings initiatives.

If we are unable to attract, train and retain highly qualified personnel, the quality of our services may decline, and we may not successfully execute our internal growth strategies.

Our success depends in large part upon our ability to continue to attract, train, motivate and retain highly skilled and experienced employees, including technical personnel. Qualified technical employees periodically are in great demand and may be unavailable on the timing required to satisfy our customers’ requirements. While we currently have available technical expertise sufficient for the requirements of our business, expansion of our business could require us to employ additional highly skilled technical personnel. We expect competition for such personnel to increase as the market for our products expands. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to attract and retain sufficient numbers of highly skilled technical employees in the future. The loss of personnel or our inability to hire or retain sufficient personnel at competitive rates of compensation could impair our ability to secure and complete customer engagements and could harm our business.

We may face litigation in the future, including potential product liability claims.

As a manufacturer and seller of goods, we are exposed to the risk of litigation for a variety of reasons, including product liability lawsuits, employee lawsuits, commercial contract disputes, government enforcement actions and other legal proceedings. Any future litigation in which we may become involved may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, operating results, business performance and business reputation. If one of our products were to cause injury to someone or cause property damage, including as a result of product malfunctions, defects or improper installation, then we could be exposed to product liability claims. We could incur significant costs and liabilities if we are sued and if damages are awarded against us. Further, any product liability claim we face could be expensive to defend and could divert management’s attention. The successful assertion of a product liability claim against us could result in potentially significant monetary damages, penalties or fines, subject us to adverse publicity, damage our reputation and competitive position, and adversely affect sales of our products. In addition, product liability claims, injuries, defects or other problems experienced by other companies in the wafer industry or related industries could lead to unfavorable market conditions for the industry as a whole, and may have an adverse effect on our ability to attract new customers, both of which would harm our growth and financial performance.

We are exposed to various possible claims and hazards relating to our business, and our insurance may not fully protect us.

Although we maintain modest business disruption, theft, casualty, liability and property insurance coverage, along with worker’s compensation and related insurance, we may incur uninsured liabilities and losses as a result of the

19

Table of Contents

conduct of our business. In particular, we may incur liability if one or more of our products is deemed to have caused a personal injury or if we experience damage to our facilities or disruptions in our business, whether or not such disruptions result from damage at our facilities. Should uninsured losses occur, they could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, financial condition and business performance. Further, we cannot be sure that any such insurance will be sufficient to cover any actual losses or that such insurance will continue to be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all.

Changes in trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs, could negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The current U.S. administration has signaled support for, and in some instances has taken action with respect to, major changes to certain trade policies, such as the imposition of tariffs on imported products and the withdrawal from or renegotiation of certain trade agreements, including the North American Free Trade Agreement. For example, the United States has increased tariffs on certain imports such as steel and aluminum products imported from various countries. We procure certain materials, tools and maintenance parts which are essential in the manufacturing of our products directly or indirectly from outside of the United States. The imposition of tariffs and other potential changes in U.S. trade policy could increase the cost or limit the availability of these essential materials, tools and maintenance parts, which could hurt our competitive position and adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations in several ways. For example, the increase in costs and risk of supply chain interruption could drive some of our foreign customers to overseas foundries. In addition, availability concerns with respect to some of our essential materials, tools and maintenance parts could also prompt a lengthy and expensive search for alternative sources which would necessitate requalification cycles and production delays.

We are exposed to risks associated with a potential financial crisis and weaker global economy.

The tightening of monetary policy in the United States, potential turmoil in the financial markets and a potentially weakened global economy would contribute to slowdowns in the semiconductor industry. The market for the installation of wafers depends largely on commercial, customer and government capital spending. Economic uncertainty exacerbates negative trends in these areas of spending, and may cause our customers to delay, cancel or refrain from placing orders, which may reduce our sales. Difficulties in obtaining capital and deteriorating market conditions may also lead to the inability of some customers to obtain affordable financing. Further, these conditions and uncertainty about future economic conditions may make it challenging for us to obtain equity and debt financing to meet our working capital requirements to support our business, forecast our operating results, make business decisions and identify the risks that may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we are unable to timely and appropriately adapt to changes resulting from the difficult macroeconomic environment, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

The market data and forecasts included in this prospectus may prove to be inaccurate, and you should not unduly rely on such market data and forecasts.

The market data and forecasts included in this prospectus are subject to significant uncertainty and are based on assumptions and estimates that may not prove to be accurate. Such reports speak as of their respective publication dates and the opinions expressed in such reports are subject to change, including as a result of the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy. Accordingly, potential investors in our common stock are urged not to put undue reliance on such forecasts and market data.

Our credit facility contains restrictive covenants that may impair our ability to conduct business.

Our credit facility contains a number of customary affirmative and negative covenants that, among other things, will limit or restrict our ability to: incur additional indebtedness (including guaranty obligations); incur liens; engage in mergers, consolidations, liquidations and dissolutions (other than pursuant to transactions approved by the lender); sell assets; pay dividends and make other payments in respect of capital stock; make acquisitions, investments, loans and advances; pay and modify the terms of certain indebtedness; engage in certain transactions with affiliates; enter into negative pledge clauses and clauses restricting subsidiary distributions; and change our line of business, in each case, subject to certain limited exceptions. As a result of these covenants and restrictions, we are limited in how we conduct our business and we may be unable to raise additional debt or other financing to compete effectively or to take advantage of new business opportunities. The terms of any future indebtedness we may incur could include more restrictive covenants. Failure to comply with such restrictive covenants may lead to default and acceleration under our credit facility and may impair our ability to conduct business. We may not be able to maintain

20

Table of Contents

compliance with these covenants in the future and, if we fail to do so, we may not be able to obtain waivers from the lenders or amend the covenants, which may adversely affect our financial condition.

We may need to raise additional capital or financing after this offering to continue to execute and expand our business.

We may need to raise additional capital after this offering to expand or if positive cash flow is not achieved and maintained. As of January 3, 2021, our available cash balance, not including cash held by a variable interest entity that we consolidate, was $6.6 million. We may be required to pursue sources of additional capital through various means, including joint venture projects, sale and leasing arrangements, and debt or equity financings. Any new securities that we may issue in future transactions to raise capital may be more favorable for our new investors than this offering. If we raise additional equity financing, our stockholders may experience significant dilution of their ownership interests and the per share value of our common stock could decline. Newly-issued securities may include preferences, superior voting rights and the issuance of warrants or other convertible securities that will have additional dilutive effects. We cannot assure you that additional funds will be available when needed from any source or, if available, will be available on terms that are acceptable to us. Further, we may incur substantial costs in pursuing future capital or financing, including investment banking fees, legal fees, accounting fees, printing and distribution expenses and other costs. We also may be required to recognize non-cash expenses in connection with certain securities we may issue, such as convertible notes and warrants, which will adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations. Our ability to obtain needed financing may be impaired by such factors as the weakness of capital markets, and the fact that we have not been profitable, which could impact the availability and cost of future financings. If the amount of capital we are able to raise from financing activities, together with our revenues from operations, is not sufficient to satisfy our capital needs, we may have to reduce our operations accordingly.

Our inability to raise additional capital on acceptable terms in the future may limit our ability to develop and commercialize our high-margin wafers.

We may require additional capital to finance capital expenditures and operating expenses over the next several years as we launch our high-margin, front-end design engineering services and expand our infrastructure, commercial operations and research and development activities. We may seek to raise additional capital through equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations or licensing arrangements. Additional funding may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. If we raise funds by issuing equity securities, dilution to our stockholders could result. Any equity securities issued also may provide for rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of holders of our existing securities. The incurrence of additional indebtedness or the issuance of certain equity securities could result in increased fixed payment obligations and could also include restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt or issue additional equity, limitations on our ability to acquire or license intellectual property rights and other operating restrictions that could adversely affect our ability to conduct our business. In the event that we enter into collaborations or licensing arrangements to raise capital, we may be required to accept unfavorable terms. If we are not able to secure additional funding when needed, we may have to delay, reduce the scope of or eliminate one or more research and development programs or selling and marketing initiatives. In addition, we may have to work with a partner on one or more of our products or market development programs, which could lower the economic value of those programs to us.

Our sales cycles are long and unpredictable, and our sales efforts require considerable time and expense, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

Sales of our products usually require lengthy sales cycles. Sales to our customers can be complex and require us to educate our clients about our technical capabilities and the use and benefits of our services. Customers typically undertake a significant evaluation and acceptance process, and their decisions frequently are influenced by budgetary constraints, technology evaluations, multiple approvals and unplanned administrative, processing and other delays. We spend substantial time, effort and money in our sales efforts without any assurance that our efforts will generate long-term contracts. If we do not realize the sales we expect from potential clients, our revenue and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Our purchase orders often are cancellable until shortly before the start of production, and our lack of significant backlog makes it difficult for us to forecast our revenues and margins in future periods and may cause actual revenue and results to fall short of expectations.

Our purchase orders often are cancellable until shortly before the start of production, and we do not typically operate with any significant backlog, which makes it difficult for us to forecast our revenues in future periods. In addition,

21

Table of Contents

since our expense levels are based in part on our expectations of future revenues, we may be unable to adjust costs in a timely manner to compensate for revenue shortfalls caused by cancellations, rescheduling of orders or lower actual orders than quantities forecasted. Rescheduling may relate to quantities or delivery dates, and sometimes relates to the specifications of the products we are shipping. Consequently, we cannot be certain that orders on backlog will be shipped when expected or at all.

While customers will typically provide twelve-month rolling forecasts, we expect that, in the future, our revenues in any quarter will continue to be substantially dependent upon cancellable purchase orders received in the immediately preceding quarter or two. We cannot assure you that any of our customers will continue to place orders with us in the future at the same levels as in prior periods. For these reasons, our backlog at any given date may not be a reliable indicator of our future revenues and, as a result, revenue and margin forecasts, targets and guidance that we provide from time to time may fall short of expectations.

We may manufacture wafers based on forecasted demand, and if our forecasted demand exceeds actual demand, we may accumulate obsolete inventory, which may have a negative impact on our financial results.

We target manufacturing wafers in an amount matching each customer’s specific purchase order. On occasion, we may produce wafers in excess of a customer’s orders based on forecasted customer demand, because we may forecast future excess demand or because of future capacity constraints. If we manufacture more wafers than are actually ordered by customers, we may be left with excess inventory that may ultimately become obsolete and must be scrapped or sold at a significant discount. Significant amounts of obsolete inventory may have a negative impact on our financial results.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant disruption of normal business operations globally, as businesses, including SkyWater, have needed to implement modifications to employee travel and employee work locations, as required in some instances by federal, state and local authorities, which has had a negative impact on our employee productivity and has given rise to significant volatility in the global capital markets and financial system. As a result of COVID-19, one customer has reduced its planned research and development expenditures with us, and a second customer experienced facility shutdowns which resulted in delays in project milestones, in each case negatively affecting our revenues.

Additional effects of the public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak and the measures being taken to limit COVID-19’s spread remain uncertain and difficult to predict, but may include:

22

Table of Contents

The resumption of normal business operations after such interruptions may be delayed or constrained by lingering effects of COVID-19 on our team members, contractors, suppliers, third-party service providers, customers or distributors.

These effects, alone or taken together, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, legal exposure or financial condition. A sustained, prolonged or recurring outbreak could exacerbate the adverse impact of such measures.

Earthquakes, fires, power outages, floods, terrorist attacks, public health issues, such as COVID-19, and other catastrophic events could disrupt our business and ability to serve our customers and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.

A significant natural disaster, such as an earthquake, a fire, a flood or a significant power outage, or a widespread public health issue, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition. Although our foundry operation center is designed to be redundant and to offer seamless backup support in an emergency, we rely on two onsite data centers in addition to public cloud providers to sustain our operations. Losing any one of these three infrastructure sources could severely impact our operations. In addition, our ability to deliver our solutions as agreed with our customers depends on the ability of our supply chain, manufacturing vendors or logistics providers to deliver products or perform services we have procured from them. If any natural disaster, including a pandemic such as COVID-19, impairs the ability of our vendors or service providers to support us on a timely basis, our ability to perform our customer engagements may suffer. Disruptions from COVID-19 or a similar pandemic or public health issue could include, and have included, restrictions on the ability of our employees or the employees of our customers, vendors or suppliers to travel, or closures of our facilities or the facilities of these third parties. Such restrictions or closures could affect our ability to sell our solutions, develop and maintain customer relationships or render services, such as our consulting services, could adversely affect our ability to generate revenues or could lead to inadvertent breaches of contract by us or by our customers, vendors or suppliers. Acts of terrorism or other geopolitical unrest also could cause disruptions in our business or the business of our supply chain, manufacturing vendors or logistics providers. The adverse impacts of these risks may increase if the disaster recovery plans for us and our suppliers prove to be inadequate.

Risks Relating to Government Regulation

We are a party to several significant USG contracts, which are subject to unique risks.

The funding of USG programs is subject to annual U.S. congressional appropriations. Many of the USG programs in which we or our customers participate may extend for several years. Long-term government contracts and related orders are subject to cancellation if appropriations for subsequent performance periods are not made. In addition, the USG may modify, curtail or terminate its contracts and subcontracts without prior notice at its convenience upon payment for work done and commitments made at the time of termination. The termination of funding for a USG program, or any modification or curtailment of one of our major USG programs or contracts, would result in a loss of anticipated future revenue attributable to that program, which could have an adverse effect on our operations, financial condition or demand for our products and services.

Our government contracts are primarily fixed-price contracts where we bear a significant portion of the risk of cost overruns. These types of government contracts are priced, in part, on cost and scheduling estimates that are based on assumptions including prices and availability of experienced labor, equipment and materials as well as

23

Table of Contents

productivity, performance and future economic conditions. If these estimates prove inaccurate, if there are errors or ambiguities as to contract specifications, or if circumstances change due to, among other reasons, unanticipated technical problems, poor project execution, difficulties in obtaining permits or approvals, changes in local laws or labor conditions, weather delays, changes in the costs of equipment and materials or our suppliers’ or subcontractors’ inability to perform, then cost overruns may occur. Our failure to accurately estimate the resources and time required for fixed-price contracts or our failure to complete our contractual obligations within a specified time frame or cost estimate could result in reduced profits or, in certain cases, a loss for that contract. If the contract is significant, or we encounter issues that impact multiple contracts, cost overruns could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our government contract activities are subject to audits by USG agencies, including agency Inspectors General. If any audit, inquiry or investigation uncovers improper or illegal activities, we may be subject to civil and criminal penalties and administrative sanctions, including termination of contracts, suspension of payments, fines, and suspension or debarment from doing business with the USG. In addition, we rely on certain third party business strategy consultants to assist us in procuring new opportunities to compete for and receive USG contracts. If these contractors were to engage in any improper or illegal activities, our USG contracts could be terminated and we could be prohibited from obtaining government contract in the future, regardless of whether we had involvement or knowledge of any such activities. We also could suffer reputational harm if allegations of impropriety were made against us, even if such allegations are later determined to be false. We have not been audited in the past by the USG but expect that we may be audited in the future.

We are sometimes subject to potential USG review of our business and security practices due to our participation in government contracts. Any such inquiry or investigation could potentially result in a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. Our USG business also is subject to specific procurement regulations and other requirements. These requirements, although customary in USG contracts, increase our performance and compliance costs. For example, we are required to comply with the DMEA Trust Accreditation process, the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, the U.S. Export Administration Regulations, or EAR, as well as labor requirements, pricing justifications, cybersecurity requirements and other federal contractor requirements imposed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation, or FAR, and the Defense FAR Supplement. In addition, we are subject to certain registration requirements, including registration with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls and consortium registration or membership requirements. These compliance costs might further increase in the future, reducing our margins, which could have a negative effect on our financial condition. Failure to comply with these regulations and requirements could lead to suspension or debarment, for cause, from USG contracting or subcontracting for a period of time and could have a material adverse effect on our reputation and ability to secure future USG contracts.

Some of our subsidiaries hold USG-issued facility security clearances and certain of our employees have qualified for and hold USG-issued personnel security clearances necessary to qualify for and ultimately perform certain USG contracts. Obtaining and maintaining security clearances for employees involves lengthy processes, and it is difficult to identify, recruit and retain employees who already hold security clearances. If these employees are unable to obtain or retain security clearances or if our employees who hold security clearances terminate employment with us and we are unable to find replacements with equivalent security clearances, we may be unable to perform our obligations to customers whose work requires cleared employees, or such customers could terminate their contracts or decide not to renew them upon their expiration. The USG could also “invalidate” our facility security clearances for several reasons including unmitigated foreign ownership, control or influence, mishandling of classified materials, or failure to properly report required activities. An inability to obtain or retain our facility security clearances or engage employees with the required personnel security clearances for a particular contract could disqualify us from bidding for and winning new contracts with security requirements as well as result in the termination of any existing contracts requiring such security clearances.

Changes to DoD business practices could have a material effect on the DoD’s procurement process and adversely impact our current programs and potential new awards.

The defense industry has experienced, and we expect will continue to experience, significant changes to business practices resulting from an increased focus by the DoD on affordability, efficiencies, business systems, recovery of costs and a reprioritization of available defense funds to key areas for future defense spending. The DoD continues to

24

Table of Contents

adjust its procurement practices, requirements criteria and source selection methodology in an ongoing effort to reduce costs, gain efficiencies and enhance program management and control. We expect the DoD’s focus on business practices to impact the contracting environment in which we operate as we and others in the industry adjust our practices to address the DoD’s initiatives and the reduced level of spending by the DoD. Depending on how these initiatives are implemented, they could have an impact on our current programs, as well as new business opportunities with the DoD.

Our international sales and domestic operations are subject to applicable laws relating to trade, export controls and foreign corrupt practices, the violation of which could adversely affect its operations.

Due to our international sales and domestic operations, we must comply with all applicable international trade, customs, export controls and economic sanctions laws and regulations of the United States and other countries.

Conducting our operations subjects us to risks that include:

The occurrence of any of these risks could negatively affect our international business and, consequently, our overall business, results of operations and financial condition.

Risks Relating to Intellectual Property

We depend on intellectual property to succeed in our business, and any failure or inability to obtain, preserve, enforce, defend and protect our technologies or intellectual property rights could harm our business and financial condition.

Our business relies in part on trade secrets and other non-patent intellectual property rights, all of which offer only limited protection to our products and services (including technologies and processes used in our business). Although we regularly enter into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with employees, vendors, customers and other third parties, these agreements may be breached or otherwise fail to prevent disclosure or use of trade secrets, know-how, and other proprietary or confidential information effectively or fail to provide an adequate remedy in the event of such unauthorized disclosure or use. Our ability to police misappropriation or infringement of our

25

Table of Contents

trade secrets and other non-patent intellectual property rights is uncertain, particularly in other countries. In addition, the existence of our own proprietary and confidential information, including trade secrets and know-how, does not protect against independent discovery or development of such intellectual property by other persons. If our proprietary or confidential information is misappropriated, is no longer confidential, or is not protectable as a trade secret, we may no longer be able to protect that information from further disclosure or use by others.

We currently do not own any patents. Patents can provide a competitive advantage to the patent holder because they may give the patent holder the ability to prevent competitors or other parties from practicing the inventions covered by the patents during the patent term, or they may give the patent holder the right to collect royalties from those parties, even if those parties arrived at the covered inventions independently of the patent holder. Without patent protection on our products and services, we will not have this competitive advantage. In addition, if we do not obtain patent protection for our products and services, we would not have patents to assert in response against a competitor or other party that asserts its patents against us or our customers, and we may be at a disadvantage in any patent dispute with such a party. We may in the future seek to obtain patent protection for some of our products and services, but we may not be successful. The process of applying for patents to obtain patent protection may take a long time and can be expensive. We cannot assure you that patents will be issued from applications we may submit or that, if patents are issued, they will not be challenged, invalidated or circumvented or that the rights granted under the patents will provide us with meaningful protection or any commercial advantage.

We have sought, and may in the future seek, trademark registrations for certain trademarks used in our business, but we may not be successful. Registered trademarks can provide advantages to the trademark owner in the jurisdictions covered by the registrations. The process of applying for trademark registrations may take a long time and can be expensive. We cannot assure you that trademark registrations will be granted from applications we have submitted or may submit or that, if trademark registrations are granted, they will not be challenged, invalidated or circumvented or that the rights granted under the trademark registrations will provide us with meaningful protection or any commercial advantage.

Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the scope of our proprietary rights. In addition, other countries in which we market our products and services may not respect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as the United States. Effective intellectual property enforcement may be unavailable or limited in some countries. We cannot assure you that we will, at all times, enforce our intellectual property rights, and it may be difficult for us to protect our technologies and intellectual property rights from misuse or infringement by others. Further, courts may not uphold our intellectual property rights or enforce the contractual arrangements that we have entered into to protect our proprietary and confidential information, which may reduce our opportunities to generate revenues. In the event that we are unable to enforce our intellectual property rights, our business and financial condition may be harmed.

We depend on intellectual property licensed from third parties to succeed in our business, and any failure or inability to obtain or preserve rights under third-party licenses could harm our business and financial condition.

We use technologies and intellectual property rights that we license from third parties and that are material to our business. As one example, we received a license to certain technology and intellectual property rights in connection with our divestiture from Cypress. This license remains in effect and is critical to our business, and it may be terminated in the case of specified breaches or other events.

Parties with which we currently have license agreements, or with which we may enter into license agreements in the future, may elect not to renew those agreements or may have the right to terminate those agreements for our material breach, for convenience, or upon the occurrence of a change of control or other events or circumstances at any time, which could affect our ability to make use of material technologies or intellectual property rights.

We are required to pay ongoing royalties under some of these licenses, we may undertake obligations to pay royalties in the future, and these royalty obligations do or would impose costs on our business.

Our suppliers of technologies and intellectual property rights may suffer delays, quality issues, or other problems affecting their supply to us, or a supplier’s technologies and intellectual property rights may no longer be available to us, for example if the supplier discontinues a line of business or all of its business, or liquidates, merges, or is

26

Table of Contents

acquired by another company. Changes in our business from time to time may require us to negotiate new licenses or modifications to existing licenses, which may not be possible. As an alternative to the above, we might be required to develop non-infringing technology, which could require significant effort and expense and ultimately might not be successful.

If third party licenses terminate or are not renewed, or if third party technologies or intellectual property rights are no longer available to us, our business and financial condition could be harmed.

Our collaboration with others regarding the development of technologies and intellectual property may require that we restrict use of certain technologies and intellectual property and may result in disputes regarding ownership of or rights to use or enforce intellectual property rights, which could harm our business and financial condition.

Our business involves collaboration, including customization and other development of technologies and intellectual property, with and for our customers, vendors and other third parties. We frequently enter into agreements with customers, vendors and others that involve customization and other development of technologies and intellectual property. Some of these agreements contain terms that allocate ownership of, and rights to use and enforce, technologies and intellectual property rights. As a result of these agreements, we may be required to limit use of, or refrain from using, certain technologies and intellectual property rights in parts of our business. Determining inventorship and ownership of technologies and intellectual property rights resulting from development activities can be difficult and uncertain. Disputes may arise with customers, vendors and other third parties regarding ownership of and rights to use and enforce these technologies and intellectual property rights or regarding interpretation of our agreements with these third parties, and these disputes may result in claims against us or claims that intellectual property rights are not owned by us, are not enforceable, or are invalid. The cost and effort to resolve these types of disputes, or the loss of rights in technologies in intellectual property rights if we lose these types of disputes, could harm our business and financial condition.

Claims by others that we infringe their proprietary rights could harm our business and financial condition.

Third parties could claim that we, or our products or services (including technologies and processes used in our business) infringe, misappropriate, or otherwise violate their intellectual property rights. The communications, technology, and other industries in which we operate are characterized by the existence of a large number of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets and by frequent litigation, including by non-practicing entities, based on allegations of infringement, misappropriation or other violations of intellectual property rights, and we expect that such claims may increase as competition in the markets we serve continues to intensify, as we introduce new products and services (including in geographic areas where we currently do not operate) and as business-model or product or service overlaps between our competitors and us occur.

To the extent that we achieve greater prominence and market exposure as a public company, we may face a higher risk of being the target of intellectual property claims (including infringement claims).

From time to time, we may receive notices alleging that we have infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated other parties’ intellectual property rights. There may be third-party intellectual property rights, including patents and pending patent applications, that cover significant aspects of our products and services.

If our employees, consultants or contractors use technology or know-how, including proprietary or confidential information, such as trade secrets, owned by third parties in their work for us, disputes may arise between us and those third parties.

Any claims of infringement, misappropriation, or other violation by a third party, even claims without merit, could cause us to incur substantial defense costs and could distract our management and technical personnel from our business, and there can be no assurance that we or our products or services will be able to withstand such claims. Competitors may have the capability to dedicate substantially greater resources to enforce their intellectual property rights and to defend claims that may be brought against them than we do. Further, a party making such a claim, if successful, could secure a judgment that requires us to pay substantial damages, which potentially could include treble damages if we are found to have willfully infringed patents. A judgment also could include an injunction or other court order that could prevent us from using our technologies, offering our products or services, or otherwise conducting our business. In addition, we might be required to enter into a cross license or otherwise seek a license or enter into royalty arrangements for the use of the infringed intellectual property rights, which may not be available

27

Table of Contents

on commercially reasonable terms or at all. We may also be required to re-engineer our products or services, incur additional costs, discontinue the distribution or provision of certain products or services or the availability of certain features or capabilities of our products or services, or take other remedial actions. Any one or more of these events or circumstances, or the failure to obtain a license or the costs associated with any license, could harm our business and financial condition.

Third parties also may assert intellectual property claims against our customers relating to our products or services. Any of these claims might require us to initiate or defend potentially protracted and costly litigation on their behalf, regardless of the merits of these claims, because under specified conditions we agree to defend and indemnify our customers from claims of infringement, misappropriation, or other violation of intellectual property or other rights of third parties. We may be required to incur costs of the defense of these claims, we may be required to pay settlements of these claims, and if any of these claims were to succeed, we might be forced to pay damages on behalf of our customers, which could harm our business and our reputation in the industry.

We use open source software and other technology, which could negatively affect our business and subject us to litigation or other actions.

We use software and other technology in our business that is licensed under open source license terms, and we may use more open source technology in the future. We do not currently distribute technology that includes open source, but we may do so in the future, either ourselves or through a partner. The terms of many open source licenses have not been interpreted by U.S. courts, and there is a risk that these licenses could be construed in a way that could impose unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability to commercialize products that include open source. As a result, we could be subject to lawsuits by parties claiming ownership of what we believe to be open source technology or claiming breach of open source licenses. Litigation could be costly for us to defend, harm our business and financial condition, or require us to devote additional research and development resources to change our products or services. In addition, if we were to combine our proprietary source code or other technology with open source technology in a certain manner, we could, under certain of the open source licenses, be required to release our source code or other proprietary technology to the public. This would allow our competitors to create similar products with less development effort and time. If we inappropriately use open source technology, or if the license terms for open source technology that we use change, we may be required to re-engineer our products or services, incur additional costs, discontinue the distribution of certain products or services or the availability of certain features or capabilities of our products or services, or take other remedial actions.

In addition to risks related to license requirements, usage of open source software or other technology can lead to greater risks than use of third-party commercial technology, as open source licensors generally do not provide warranties or assurance of title or controls on origin of the technology. In addition, many of the risks associated with usage of open source, such as the lack of warranties or assurances of title, cannot be eliminated, and could, if not properly addressed, harm our business and financial condition. We have established processes to help alleviate these risks, but we cannot be sure that all of our use of open source is in a manner that is consistent with our current policies and procedures, or will not subject us to liability.

Risks Relating to this Offering and Ownership of our Common Stock

Investors in the offering will suffer immediate and substantial dilution as well as potential future dilution if we issue additional shares of our stock or other equity securities.

The initial public offering price per share of our common stock will be substantially higher than the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our common stock after giving effect to this offering. Based on an assumed initial public offering price of $        per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, you will experience immediate dilution of $        per share, representing the difference between our pro forma net tangible book value per share, after giving effect to this offering, and the assumed initial public offering price.

We are authorized to issue up to                shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and                shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, having such rights, preferences and privileges as are determined by our board of directors in their discretion. We have the right to raise additional capital or incur borrowings from third parties to finance our business, which we may choose to do depending on market conditions, strategic

28

Table of Contents

considerations and operational requirements. Our board of directors has the authority, without the consent of any of the stockholders, to cause us to issue more shares of our common stock and preferred stock. We may also issue net profits interests in specified assets or incur off balance sheet obligations. Future issuances of additional shares of capital stock, other equity securities or net profits interests by us would dilute our stockholders’ ownership.

We will incur increased costs and expenses as a result of operating as a public company and our management will be required to devote substantial time to compliance with our public company responsibilities and corporate governance practices.

As a public company, and particularly after we cease to be an “emerging growth company,” we will incur greater legal, accounting, and other expenses than we incurred as a private company. After this offering, we will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, or the Dodd-Frank Act, and the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market, which impose various requirements on public companies, including establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and corporate governance practices. These requirements will increase our legal, accounting, and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more difficult, time-consuming, and costly, and place significant strain on our personnel, systems and resources. For example, we expect these rules and regulations to make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to maintain the same or similar coverage.

We are evaluating these rules and regulations and cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs. These rules and regulations are often subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices.

After we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” we will need to comply with auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. In that regard, as we prepare for such compliance, we will need to hire additional accounting and financial staff with appropriate public company experience and technical accounting knowledge. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.

As a public company, we will be obligated to develop and maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting and any failure to maintain the adequacy of these internal controls may adversely affect investor confidence in our company and, as a result, the value of our common stock.

We will be required, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or Section 404, to furnish a report by our management on, among other matters, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for the first full fiscal year beginning after the effective date of this offering. This assessment will need to include disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting. Our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC following the date we are no longer an emerging growth company. We will be required to disclose significant changes made in our internal control procedures on a quarterly basis.

We are beginning the costly and challenging process of compiling the system and processing documentation necessary to perform the evaluation needed to comply with Section 404, and we may not be able to complete our evaluation, testing and any required remediation in a timely fashion. Our compliance with Section 404 will require that we incur substantial accounting expense and expend significant management efforts. Although we currently perform regulatory audits, we may need to hire additional accounting and financial staff with public company experience and technical accounting knowledge necessary to perform the evaluation needed to comply with Section 404.

We have concluded that we have material weaknesses in our internal controls due to our limited accounting and finance resources and processes related to the recording of revenue which resulted in inappropriate preparation, review and maintenance of documentation critical to the design and consistent execution of internal controls. Due to limited staffing, it can be challenging to properly prepare, review and maintain appropriate documentation critical to

29

Table of Contents

the process. If we fail to comply with the rules under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act related to disclosure controls and procedures in the future, or, if we continue to have material weaknesses and other deficiencies in our internal control and accounting procedures and disclosure controls and procedures, our stock price could decline significantly and raising capital could be more difficult. If additional material weaknesses or significant deficiencies are discovered or if we otherwise fail to address the adequacy of our internal control and disclosure controls and procedures, our business may be harmed. Effective internal controls are necessary for us to produce reliable financial reports and are important to helping prevent financial fraud. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our business and operating results could be harmed, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information, and the trading price of our common stock could drop significantly.

Our operating results may prove unpredictable which could negatively affect our profit.

Our operating results may fluctuate in the future due to a variety of factors, many of which we have no control over. Factors that may cause our operating results to fluctuate significantly include: our inability to generate enough working capital from sales; the level of commercial acceptance by clients of our products; fluctuations in the demand for our service; the amount and timing of operating costs and capital expenditures relating to expansion of our business, operations and infrastructure; the timing and recognition of revenue and related expenses; adverse litigation judgment, settlements or other litigation-related costs; our ability to increase sales to existing customers and to renew contracts with our customers; our ability to attract new customers; changes in our pricing policies or those of our competitors and general economic conditions. If realized, any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

An active, liquid and orderly trading market for our common stock may not develop.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. Although we intend to apply to list our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market, an active trading market for our shares may never develop or be sustained following this offering. While the initial public offering price for our common stock will be determined through arms-length negotiations with the underwriters, the negotiated price may not be indicative of the market price of the common stock after the offering. As a result of these and other factors, it may be difficult for you to sell shares you purchase in this offering at a favorable price or at all. Further, an inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares of our common stock and may impair our ability to enter into strategic partnerships or acquire companies or products by using our shares of common stock as consideration.

The price of our common stock may be volatile and fluctuate substantially, which could result in substantial losses for purchasers of our common stock in this offering.

The trading price of shares of our common stock following this offering is likely to be volatile. The stock market in general and the market for smaller technology companies in particular have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. As a result of this volatility, you may not be able to sell your common stock at or above the initial public offering price. The price of our common stock that will prevail in the market after this offering may be higher or lower than the price you pay for your shares, which depends on many factors, some of which we cannot control. These factors include:

30

Table of Contents

If the market for smaller technology company stocks or the stock market in general experiences a loss of investor confidence, the trading price of our common stock could decline for reasons unrelated to our business, results of operations or financial condition. The market price of our common stock may also decline in reaction to events that affect other companies in our industry, even if these events do not directly affect us.

In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. Litigation of this nature, if instituted against us, could cause us to incur substantial costs and divert our management’s attention and resources from our business.

Future sales, or the perception of future sales, of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could cause our stock price to fall.

Shares of our common stock that we have issued directly or that have been or may be acquired upon exercise of warrants or stock options may be covered by registration statements which permit the public sale of stock. Other holders of shares of common stock that we have issued may be entitled to dispose of their shares pursuant to (1) the applicable holding period, volume and other restrictions of Rule 144 of the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Act, or (2) another exemption from registration under the Securities Act. The lock-up agreements, which our officers, directors and certain stockholders are expected to enter into with the representatives of the underwriters, will provide that such persons will not offer, sell or contract to sell, directly or indirectly, any shares of our common stock, or engage in other specified transactions in our equity securities without the prior written consent of                , on behalf of the underwriters, during the period ending 180 days after the date of this prospectus, subject to certain exemptions. Upon the expiration of those lock-up agreements, the outstanding shares of common stock subject to their restrictions become eligible for resale in the open market (subject to Rule 144 volume limitations applicable to affiliates), resulting in more shares eligible for sale and potentially causing selling in the market to increase and our stock price to decline.

Additional sales of a substantial number of our shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that sales could occur, could have an adverse effect on the price of our common stock, which could make it more difficult for you to sell your shares of our common stock at a time and price that you consider appropriate, and could impair our ability to raise equity capital or use our common stock as consideration for acquisitions of other businesses, investments or other corporate purposes. If substantial amounts of our common stock become available for resale under Rule 144 once a market has developed for our common stock, the then-prevailing market prices for our common stock may be reduced. Any substantial sales of our common stock pursuant to Rule 144 may have an adverse effect on the market price of our securities.

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market following this offering could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. If there are more shares of common stock offered for sale than buyers are willing to purchase, then the market price of our common stock may decline to a market price at which buyers are willing to purchase the offered shares of common stock and sellers remain willing to sell the shares.

We do not intend to pay dividends in the future and any return on investment may be limited to the value of our common stock.

We do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future payment of dividends on our common stock will depend on earnings, financial condition and other business and economic factors affecting us at such time as our board of directors may consider relevant. Our current intention is to apply net earnings, if any, in the foreseeable future to increasing our capital base and contributing to our growth. Prospective investors seeking or needing dividend income or liquidity should therefore not purchase shares of our common stock. In addition, the

31

Table of Contents

terms of any future debt agreements we may enter into may preclude us from paying dividends. If we do not pay dividends, our common stock may be less valuable because a return on investment will only occur if our stock price appreciates.

We are a holding company and rely on dividends, distributions, and other payments, advances, and transfers of funds from our subsidiaries to meet our obligations.

We are a holding company and we conduct substantially all activities through our subsidiaries. As a result, satisfying any future payment obligations we may have, and our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders if we desire to do so in the future, may be largely dependent upon cash dividends and distributions and other transfers from our subsidiaries. The agreements governing the indebtedness of our subsidiaries impose restrictions on our subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividend distributions or other transfers to us. In particular, our subsidiary SkyWater Technology Foundry is limited in its ability to declare dividends or make any payment on equity to, directly or indirectly, fund a dividend or other distribution to us. Consequently, substantially all of the net assets of our subsidiaries are restricted. The deterioration of the earnings from, or other available assets of, our subsidiaries for any reason could also limit or impair their ability to pay dividends or other distributions to us.

We have elected to take advantage of the controlled company exemption from certain corporate governance requirements, which could make our common stock less attractive to some investors or otherwise adversely affect its trading price.

Following this offering, Oxbow and its affiliates will own approximately        % of our outstanding common stock (or approximately        % if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full), and will therefore control more than a majority of the voting power of our outstanding common stock. As a result, we expect to be a “controlled company” for purposes of the marketplace rules of the Nasdaq Capital Market. As a “controlled company” under the rules of the Nasdaq Capital Market, we are eligible to rely on certain exemptions from corporate governance requirements that would otherwise apply to us, including:

In light of our status as a controlled company, in the future we could elect not to have a majority of our board of directors be independent or not to have a compensation committee or nominating and corporate governance committee. Accordingly, our stockholders may not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance rules of the Nasdaq Capital Market. Our status as a controlled company could make our common stock less attractive to some investors or otherwise adversely affect its trading price. See “Management—Director Independence” for additional information.

A limited number of stockholders will have the ability to influence the outcome of director elections and other matters requiring stockholder approval.

After this offering, Oxbow and our directors and executive officers will beneficially own approximately                % of our outstanding common stock. These stockholders, if they acted together, could exert substantial influence over matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including electing directors, adopting new compensation plans and approving mergers, acquisitions or other business combination transactions. This concentration of ownership may discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company, which could deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their stock as part of a sale of our company and might reduce our stock price. These actions may be taken even if they are opposed by our other stockholders, including those who purchase shares in this offering.

We are an “emerging growth company” and our election to comply with the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies may make our common stock less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging

32

Table of Contents

growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced financial disclosure obligations, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

We may take advantage of these provisions until we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” We would cease to be an “emerging growth company” upon the earliest to occur of: (1) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenue; (2) the date we qualify as a large accelerated filer, with at least $700 million of equity securities held by non-affiliates; (3) the issuance, in any three-year period, by us of more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities; and (4) the last day of the fiscal year ending after the fifth anniversary of this offering.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to opt in to the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. Our financial statements therefore may not be comparable to those of companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.

As a result, the information that we provide our security holders may be different than the information you might get from other public companies in which you hold equity interests. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.

Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and in Delaware law could discourage takeover attempts even if our stockholders might benefit from a change in control of our company.

Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and in Delaware law may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control of our company that stockholders may favor, including transactions in which stockholders might receive a premium for their shares of common stock. These provisions also could make it more difficult for you and other stockholders to elect directors of your choosing and to cause us to take other corporate actions you support, including removing or replacing our current management. The certificate of incorporation and bylaw provisions:

In addition, we are subject to Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or the Delaware General Corporation Law. This statute prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder (generally a person who, together with its affiliates, owns or within the last three years has owned 15% or more of our voting stock) for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in the manner prescribed by this statute.

33

Table of Contents

Our certificate of incorporation designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or with our directors, our officers or our other employees.

Our certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the exclusive forum for:

Any person purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our common stock is deemed to have received notice of and consented to the foregoing provisions. This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds more favorable for disputes with us or with our directors, our officers or other employees, or our other stockholders, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and such other persons. Alternatively, if a court were to find this choice of forum provision inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our choice of forum provision is intended to apply to the fullest extent permitted by law to the above-specified types of actions and proceedings, including, to the extent permitted by the federal securities laws, to lawsuits asserting both the above-specified claims and claims under the federal securities laws. Application of the choice of forum provision may be limited in some instances by applicable law. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the choice of forum provision will not apply to actions arising under the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder, subject to a limited exception for certain “covered class actions.” Accordingly, although this provision will apply to claims arising under the Securities Act, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce the provision in connection with such claims. The enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that a court could find these types of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable. While the Delaware courts have determined that such choice of forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions, and there can be no assurance that such provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions. Our stockholders cannot waive claims arising under the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they issue an adverse or misleading opinion regarding our stock, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. We do not currently have and may never obtain research coverage by securities and industry analysts. If no or few securities or industry analysts commence coverage of us, the trading price for our common stock could be impacted negatively. In the event we obtain securities or industry analyst coverage, if any of the analysts who cover us issue an adverse or misleading opinion regarding us, our business model, our intellectual property or our stock performance, or if our results of operations fail to meet the expectations of analysts, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of such analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause a decline in our stock price or trading volume.

34

Table of Contents