Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Consolidation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of MarketWise, Inc. and its subsidiary, MarketWise, LLC, a variable interest entity (“VIE”) for which MarketWise, Inc. is deemed to be the primary beneficiary.

MarketWise, Inc. is a holding company that owns a minority economic interest in MarketWise, LLC but, through its role as the managing member of MarketWise, LLC, controls all of the business and operations of MarketWise, LLC. Therefore, MarketWise, LLC and its subsidiaries are included in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. As of September 30, 2023, MarketWise, Inc. had a 10.6% ownership interest in MarketWise, LLC.

The Company determined that MarketWise, LLC is the primary beneficiary of a VIE, and therefore, the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of that VIE are included in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The accompanying statements of operations include certain expenses incurred by, and charged to us by, a related party for general corporate services. These expenses are based primarily on direct usage when identifiable, direct capital expenditures, or other relevant allocations during the respective periods. We believe the assumptions underlying the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements, including the assumptions regarding these expenses from this related party, are reasonable. Actual results may differ from these expenses, assumptions and estimates. The amounts recorded in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements are not necessarily indicative of the actual amount of such indirect expenses that would have been recorded had we been a separate independent entity.

Unaudited Interim Financial Information

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the related footnote disclosures have been prepared by us in accordance with GAAP for interim financial reporting and as required by Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements may not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for audited financial statements. The year-end December 31, 2022 consolidated balance sheet data included herein was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, the

accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments, consisting of items of a normal and recurring nature, necessary to present fairly our financial position as of September 30, 2023, the results of operations, comprehensive income, stockholders’ deficit, and cash flows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The information contained herein should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Management considers events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date but before the financial statements are issued to provide additional evidence relative to certain estimates or to identify matters that require additional disclosure. Subsequent events have been evaluated through the date of issuance of these condensed financial statements.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates and assumptions made in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to, the fair value of common units, derivatives, warrants, valuation of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations, useful lives of intangible assets with definite lives, benefit period of deferred contract acquisition costs, determination of standalone selling prices, estimated life of lifetime customers, recoverability of goodwill and long-lived assets, valuation allowances on deferred tax assets, the incremental borrowing rates to calculate lease liabilities and right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and certain accruals. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors and adjust those estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Emerging Growth Company

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (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 growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our unaudited condensed financial statements with another public company that is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company that has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.

Noncontrolling Interest

Noncontrolling interest represents the Company’s noncontrolling interest in consolidated subsidiaries which are not attributable, directly or indirectly, to the controlling Class A common stock ownership of the Company.

Net income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was attributable to consolidated MarketWise, Inc. and its respective noncontrolling interests.

As of September 30, 2023, MarketWise, Inc.’s controlling interest in MarketWise, LLC was 10.6% and the noncontrolling interest was 89.4%. For the three months ended September 30, 2023, net income attributable to controlling interests included a $691 tax provision, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, net income attributable to controlling interests included a $2,046 tax provision, both of which were solely attributable to the controlling interest.

As of September 30, 2022, MarketWise, Inc.’s controlling interest in MarketWise, LLC was 9.0% and the noncontrolling interest was 91.0%. For the three months ended September 30, 2022 net income attributable to controlling interests included a $3,868 loss on warrant liabilities and a $1,383 tax provision, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 net income attributable to controlling interests included a $14,931 gain on warrant liabilities and a $3,945 tax provision, both of which were solely attributable to the controlling interest.