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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2022
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Basis of Consolidation | Basis of Consolidation The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of MarketWise and its wholly owned subsidiaries. The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The accompanying statements of operations include expenses for certain functions historically performed by a related party, including general corporate services, such as legal, accounting, treasury, information technology, human resources and administration. 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 | 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, 2021 condensed 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 March 31, 2022, the results of operations, comprehensive income (loss), stockholders’ deficit / members’ deficit, and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 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, 2021 filed with the 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 financial statements.
Use of Estimates | Use of Estimates The preparation of 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 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.
Stock-Based Compensation | Stock-Based Compensation Stock-based compensation expenses are included in cost of revenue, sales and marketing, and general and administrative expenses in a manner consistent with the employee’s salary and benefits in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. 2021 Incentive Award Plan On July 21, 2021, the MarketWise, Inc. 2021 Incentive Award Plan (the “2021 Incentive Award Plan”) became effective. MarketWise has reserved a total of 32,045,000 shares of MarketWise Class A common stock for issuance pursuant to the 2021 Incentive Award Plan and the maximum number of shares that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of incentive stock options granted under the 2021 Incentive Award Plan is 32,045,000, in each case, subject to certain adjustments set forth therein. See also Note 9, Stock-Based Compensation. The 2021 Incentive Award Plan provides for the grant of stock options, including incentive stock options, or ISOs, and nonqualified stock options, or NSOs; restricted stock; restricted stock units, or RSUs; stock appreciation rights, or SARs; and other stock or cash-based awards. Equity-based compensation with service conditions made to employees is measured based on the grant date fair value of the awards and recognized as compensation expense over the period during which the recipient is required to perform services in exchange for the award (the requisite service period). We have elected to use a straight-line attribution method for recognizing compensation costs relating to awards that have service conditions only. Forfeitures are recorded as they occur. 2021 ESPP As a result of the Transactions, we adopted the 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”). Under the ESPP, the Company authorizes the grant of the right to purchase shares of Class A Common Stock by employees who qualify under the ESPP. The Company has reserved for issuance a total of 6,409,000 shares of Class A Common Stock for the ESPP. The ESPP became effective on January 1, 2022 and the initial offering period began on January 1, 2022 and ends on June 30, 2022. The ESPP is implemented through a series of offerings under which eligible employees are granted purchase rights to purchase shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock on specified dates during such offerings. Under the ESPP, the Company has determined the offering period to occur in six month intervals, with the purchase date occurring at the end of the offering period. On each purchase date, eligible employees will purchase the shares at a price per share equal to 85% of the lesser of (1) the fair market value of the Company’s Class A Common Stock on the first trading day of the offering period, or (2) the fair market value of the Company’s Class A Common Stock on the purchase date, as defined in the ESPP. The fair value of the ESPP is determined using the Monte Carlo model as of the beginning of each offering period and is expensed ratably over the six month offering period. Class B Units As more fully described above, we completed our Transactions in July 2021, and all Class B Units fully vested as of the transaction date, and the original operating agreement was terminated and replaced by a new operating agreement consistent with the Company’s Up-C structure. This new operating agreement does not contain the put and call options that existed under the previous operating agreement, and the Common Units are treated as common equity under the new operating agreement and do not generate stock-based compensation expense. Prior to the Transactions, under the old operating agreement, and as part of our compensation and retention strategy, we granted incentive compensation units (“Class B Units”) to certain key employees, which are profit interests for United States federal income tax purposes. The Class B Units were accounted for as a substantive class of equity and allowed the recipient to realize value only to the extent that the value of the award appreciated. The Class B Units contained service-based vesting conditions and had different vesting terms depending upon the employee which ranged from vesting immediately to eight years; vesting was accelerated upon the completion of the Transactions. Compensation cost was recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period until vesting for the entire award, but at least equaled the number of vested units determined by the underlying vesting schedule. Forfeitures were accounted for in the period in which they occurred. The Class B Units were subject to a put and call option whereby we could elect to redeem or be required to redeem these units at a value determined by a predefined formula based on a multiplier of our net income as defined by management. Employees may not exercise the put option until 25 months have elapsed from the issuance date. Since the redemption price is not representative of fair value, the employees are not considered to be subject to the risks and rewards of share ownership, and the Class B Units were classified as liabilities in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet. Prior to the completion of the Transactions, the liability for Class B units was remeasured to fair value at the end of each reporting period. Since Class B Units were classified as liabilities, all cash distributions made to the unitholders of the Class B Units pursuant to our operating agreement were considered to be stock-based compensation expenses. Upon consummation of the Transactions, the old operating agreement was terminated and a new operating agreement was adopted. This new operating agreement does not contain the put and call options that existed under the previous operating agreement, and the Common Units are treated as common equity under the new operating agreement and do not generate stock-based compensation expense.
Noncontrolling Interest | 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. The Transactions occurred on July 21, 2021. As a result, net income (loss) for the year ended December 31, 2021 was attributed to the pre-Transaction period from January 1, 2021 through July 21, 2021 and to the post-Transaction period from July 22, 2021 through December 31, 2021. Net income for the three months ended March 31, 2022 was fully in the post-Transaction period and therefore attributable to consolidated MarketWise, Inc. and its respective noncontrolling interests. As of March 31, 2022, MarketWise, Inc.’s controlling interest in MarketWise, LLC was 7.2% and the noncontrolling interest was 92.8%. For the three months ended March 31, 2022 net income attributable to controlling interests included a $6.7 million gain on warrant liabilities and a $1.5 million tax provision, both of which are 100% attributable to the controlling interest. Net loss for three months ended March 31, 2021 was fully in the pre-Transaction period and therefore attributable to consolidated MarketWise, LLC and its respective noncontrolling interests.
Earnings Per Share | Earnings Per Share Basic net income per share is based on the weighted average number of shares of Class A Common Stock issued and outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share is based on the weighted average number of shares of Class A Common Stock issued and outstanding and the effect of all dilutive common stock equivalents and potentially dilutive share based compensation awards outstanding during the period.

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