Outset Medical, Inc. - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Outset Medical, Inc. is Medium Risk.

Outset is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. The company occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Lower Risk
Political Actions	Lower Risk

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Outset integrates ESG into its business practices. From its 2023 ESG Report: “Today, we frame our ESG efforts across four key areas linked to our overall business strategy…. 1. Access to Better Dialysis Care… 2. Workforce Diversity, Development & Engagement… 3. Environmental Sustainability… 4. Responsible Business Practices” (1). However, the company has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (2).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Outset does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs (1).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Outset offers DEI training to its employees (1). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its leadership composition. From its 2025 Proxy Statement: “our Board and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee value the importance of nominating persons with different perspectives and experiences to enhance the deliberation and decision-making processes of our Board and diversity attributes such as race and gender may be among the factors considered” (2). It protects its employees against viewpoint discrimination (3).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Outset supports DEI within its business practices, hosting a DEI Committee (1). It supports DEI within its business practices. From its 2023 ESG Report: “We are committed to creating and nurturing an inclusive workplace, where everyone feels respected, valued, and included—not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because we strongly believe that it’s vital to our success and crucial to fully support the diverse communities we serve.” The company supports ESG within its business practices: “we are committed to implementing and advancing various policies related to our environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts” (2).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Outset has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (1).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Outset does not operate a PAC at this time and has not used its lobbying for ideological purposes (1)(2)(3).