Aspen Aerogels, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2023 Financial Results and Recent Business Highlights
- Strong financial results for Q4 and full year 2023 with $84.2 million quarterly revenue and $238.7 million full-year revenue.
- 35% gross margins and $9.1 million adjusted EBITDA in Q4 2023.
- Significant improvements in revenue, gross margins, and net loss compared to the previous year.
- Key business developments include partnerships with The Automotive Cells Company and the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as a registered direct offering of common stock.
- CEO's positive outlook on growth, targeting a $650 million revenue capacity business with 35% gross profit and 25% adjusted EBITDA margins.
- 2024 outlook projects total revenue of at least $350 million, with a focus on Energy Industrial and Thermal Barrier revenues.
- None.
Insights
Revenue Growth and Margin Expansion: Aspen Aerogels' reported revenue for Q4 2023 demonstrates a significant year-over-year increase, indicative of robust demand for its products, particularly in the Thermal Barriers segment. The company's strategic focus on this area is evident from the doubled revenue, suggesting a strong market position and potential for further growth. The substantial improvement in gross margins, from 23% in Q3 to 35% in Q4, reflects operational efficiencies and possibly favorable product mix or pricing power. However, it is crucial to monitor if these margins can be sustained amid fluctuating raw material costs and market competition.
Adjusted EBITDA and Net Loss: The positive shift in Adjusted EBITDA, from a significant loss to a gain, is a critical indicator of operational turnaround. Although the company still reports a net loss, the reduced magnitude suggests a trajectory towards profitability. Investors should consider the implications of the net loss decrease in the context of the company's investment in growth and potential future earnings.
Capital Expenditures and Cash Position: The reduction in capital expenditures and the company's cash position are noteworthy. A disciplined approach to CAPEX, alongside a healthy cash reserve, provides Aspen with a buffer to navigate market uncertainties and invest in strategic initiatives, such as the planned Second Aerogel Plant. However, the scale of future capital requirements and their impact on financial health should be closely evaluated.
Market Trends and Competitive Landscape: The impressive growth in the Thermal Barriers segment aligns with global trends towards electrification and energy efficiency. Aspen's partnerships, such as the PyroThin vehicle platform award, indicate confidence from major industry players and potential for increased market share. However, the Energy Industrial segment's supply constraints and reduced year-over-year revenue raise questions about supply chain resilience and the ability to meet demand, which could affect Aspen's competitive stance if not addressed.
Future Outlook and Industry Positioning: Aspen's optimistic outlook for 2024 with projected revenue of at least $350 million and a positive Adjusted EBITDA reflects confidence in its strategic direction and market opportunities. The company's positioning in sustainability and the EV Thermal Barrier market is likely to benefit from the growing focus on green technologies. Still, it is essential to assess the realism of these projections against industry performance and macroeconomic factors that could influence the business environment.
Sustainability Performance: Aspen's Silver Medal rating by EcoVadis for its sustainability performance places it in a favorable position, especially as environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria become increasingly important to investors and consumers. This achievement may enhance Aspen's brand reputation and could lead to preferential treatment from sustainability-conscious partners and customers. The company's commitment to sustainability is also likely to align with regulatory trends and incentives, potentially opening up new business avenues and bolstering long-term viability.
Long-term Strategic Implications: The due diligence phase with the U.S. Department of Energy for a loan to build a second Aerogel Plant highlights Aspen's strategic initiatives to scale operations. If successful, this could significantly enhance production capacity and revenue potential. However, the associated long-term financial commitments and operational risks must be carefully considered, as they will influence Aspen's financial structure and market dynamics.
Total revenue for the fourth quarter of 2023 was
Total revenue for the full year 2023 was
Fourth Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights
- Record Company revenues of
, up$84.2 million 39% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) and41% year-over-year (YoY)- Thermal Barriers:
of revenue, up$52.9 million 61% QoQ and110% YoY - Energy Industrial:
of revenue, up$31.3 million 12% QoQ and supply constrained to a9% YoY reduction
- Thermal Barriers:
- Delivered gross margins of
35% , a twelve-percentage point improvement QoQ - Adjusted EBITDA of
, a$9.1 million improvement QoQ and$16.4 million improvement YoY$13.6 million - Operating Income of
, a$1.4 million improvement QoQ and$16.0 million improvement YoY$11.0 million - Net loss of
, a$0.5 million improvement QoQ and$12.6 million improvement YoY$9.1 million
Full Year 2023 Financial Highlights
- Total revenue of
, up by$238.7 million 32% YoY and 1.96X versus 2021 revenues- Thermal Barriers:
of revenue, up$110.1 million 98% YoY - Energy Industrial: Supply constrained to
of revenue, up$128.6 million 3% YoY
- Thermal Barriers:
- Delivered gross margins of
24% , a twenty-one-percentage point improvement over 2022, with a quarterly progression from11% in Q1 to17% in Q2,23% in Q3, and35% in Q4 - Adjusted EBITDA of
, a$(22.9) million YoY improvement and a$37.7 million improvement from midpoint of the outlook range of$12.1 million to$(30.0) million provided on October 23rd, 2023$(40.0) million - Net loss of
, a$45.8 million improvement YoY$36.9 million - Capital expenditures of
, a$175.5 million reduction versus 2022$2.5 million - Ended the year with cash and equivalents of
$139.7 million - Initial 2023 outlook comparison:
($ in millions, except per share amounts) | |||
Metric | Initial 2023 Outlook (2/15/2023) | Full Year 2023 Results | Improvement vs Midpoint |
Revenue | |||
Adjusted EBITDA | |||
Net (Loss) | |||
Net (Loss) Per Share | |||
CAPEX |
A reconciliation of net loss to non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA is provided in the financial schedules that are part of this press release. An explanation of this non-GAAP financial measure is also included below under the heading "Non-GAAP Financial Measures."
Recent Business Developments
- Successfully delivered
in Energy Industrial products to customers through its supplemental supply in the fourth quarter of 2023$3.1 million - PyroThin vehicle platform award from The Automotive Cells Company ("ACC"), a battery cell joint venture between Stellantis N.V., Saft-Total Energies, and Mercedes-Benz, to supply the Stellantis STLA Medium vehicle platform with an expected start of production in 2025, as previously announced on December 5th, 2023
- Invited into the formal due diligence and term sheet negotiation phase by the
U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") Loan Programs Office ("LPO") in connection with the company's pending application seeking a loan pursuant to the DOE LPO's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program for the construction of our planned Second Aerogel Plant inStatesboro, GA , as previously announced on December 5th, 2023 - Completed
registered direct offering of common stock at$75 million per share in December 2023$12.37 5 - In connection with General Motors' Supplier Pledge,
Aspen's sustainability performance was re-assessed by EcoVadis and, for the second consecutive year,Aspen was awarded a Silver Medal rating in February 2024 for its overall sustainability scorecard, placingAspen in the 85th percentile of companies assessed by EcoVadis
"Our team has effectively delivered on the main execution milestones that we targeted for 2023 while building a company that can rapidly scale to profitability. We believe that further diversifying our EV Thermal Barrier customer base will drive our growth beyond 2024 and validate our recent investments in this segment. Energy Industrial demand is strong, and the successful launch of our supplemental supply is enabling the team to deliver the current and growing demand," commented Don Young,
2024 Financial Outlook
- Total revenue is expected to be at least
, with approximately$350 million in Energy Industrial revenues, and$150 million in Thermal Barrier revenues$200 million - Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be at least
$30 million - Net loss is expected to be under
$23 million - Net loss per share is expected to be under
$0.30 - Capital Expenditures, excluding investments in Plant II, are expected to be
$50 million - Capital Expenditures for Plant II in the first half of 2024 are expected to be
, with an additional$30 million for the second half of 2024, assuming continued construction right-timing$15 million
The Company's 2024 outlook assumes depreciation and amortization of
A reconciliation of net loss to non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA for the 2024 financial outlook is provided in the financial schedules that are part of this press release. An explanation of this non-GAAP financial measure is also included below under the heading "Non-GAAP Financial Measures."
Ricardo C. Rodriguez, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer noted, "We're increasingly optimistic about our EV customers' ability to ramp up production in 2024 and see meaningful upside potential to our outlook. In the meantime, we remain focused on gearing the business for sustained profitability that isn't dependent on outsized revenue growth. We will continue managing our fixed cost base within clear targets, right-timing capital investments, and increasing our focus on cash conversion. The last quarter of 2023 gave us a glimpse of what our asset base can deliver, and our team is energized to drive additional scale in 2024."
Conference Call and Webcast Notification
A conference call with
Shareholders and other interested parties may call +1 (833) 470-1428 (domestic) or +1 (929) 526-1599 (international) and reference conference ID "939782" to participate in the conference call. In addition, the conference call and an accompanying slide presentation will be available live as a listen-only webcast hosted at the Investors section of
Following the live event, an archived version of the webcast will be available on
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to providing financial measurements based on generally accepted accounting principles in
Management believes that this non-GAAP financial measure reflects
The non-GAAP financial measure does not replace the presentation of
About Aspen Aerogels, Inc.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements
This press release and any related discussion contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including statements relating to
ASPEN AEROGELS, INC. | ||||||||
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets | ||||||||
(Unaudited and in thousands) | ||||||||
December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
2023 | 2022 | |||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
Assets | ||||||||
Current assets: | ||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 139,723 | $ | 281,335 | ||||
Restricted cash | 248 | 1,226 | ||||||
Accounts receivable, net | 69,995 | 57,350 | ||||||
Inventories | 39,189 | 22,538 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 17,176 | 7,236 | ||||||
Total current assets | 266,331 | 369,685 | ||||||
Property, plant and equipment, net | 417,227 | 259,223 | ||||||
Operating lease right-of-use assets | 17,212 | 11,990 | ||||||
Other long-term assets | 2,278 | 2,518 | ||||||
Total assets | $ | 703,048 | $ | 643,416 | ||||
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity | ||||||||
Current liabilities: | ||||||||
Accounts payable | $ | 51,094 | $ | 54,728 | ||||
Accrued expenses | 22,811 | 16,003 | ||||||
Deferred revenue | 2,316 | 5,846 | ||||||
Operating lease liabilities | 1,874 | 2,368 | ||||||
Total current liabilities | 78,095 | 78,945 | ||||||
Convertible note - related party | 114,992 | 103,580 | ||||||
Operating lease liabilities long-term | 21,906 | 13,456 | ||||||
Total liabilities | 214,993 | 195,981 | ||||||
Stockholders' equity: | ||||||||
Total stockholders' equity | 488,055 | 447,435 | ||||||
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity | $ | 703,048 | $ | 643,416 |
ASPEN AEROGELS, INC. | ||||||||||||||||
Consolidated Statements of Operations | ||||||||||||||||
(Unaudited and in thousands, except share and per share data) | ||||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended | Year Ended | |||||||||||||||
December 31, | December 31, | |||||||||||||||
2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||
(In thousands, except | ||||||||||||||||
Revenue | $ | 84,219 | $ | 59,611 | $ | 238,718 | $ | 180,364 | ||||||||
Cost of revenue | 54,601 | 45,277 | 181,797 | 175,388 | ||||||||||||
Gross profit | 29,618 | 14,334 | 56,921 | 4,976 | ||||||||||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||||||||||
Research and development | 4,075 | 4,197 | 16,356 | 16,930 | ||||||||||||
Sales and marketing | 8,782 | 7,848 | 33,008 | 28,792 | ||||||||||||
General and administrative | 15,378 | 11,955 | 56,760 | 38,499 | ||||||||||||
Total operating expenses | 28,235 | 24,000 | 106,124 | 84,221 | ||||||||||||
Loss from operations | 1,383 | (9,666) | (49,203) | (79,245) | ||||||||||||
Other income (expense) | ||||||||||||||||
Interest expense, convertible note - related party | (2,904) | (1,007) | (5,328) | (5,110) | ||||||||||||
Interest income, net | 1,002 | 1,064 | 6,534 | 1,617 | ||||||||||||
Income from Employee Retention Credits | - | - | 2,186 | - | ||||||||||||
Total other income (expense), net | (1,902) | 57 | 3,392 | (3,493) | ||||||||||||
Net loss | $ | (519) | $ | (9,609) | $ | (45,811) | $ | (82,738) | ||||||||
Net loss per share: | ||||||||||||||||
Basic and diluted | $ | (0.01) | $ | (0.20) | $ | (0.66) | $ | (2.10) | ||||||||
Weighted-average common shares outstanding: | ||||||||||||||||
Basic and diluted | 70,018,243 | 49,200,713 | 69,439,034 | 39,363,114 |
Analysis of Cash Flow
The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods indicated.
Three Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||
March 31, 2023 | June 30, 2023 | September 30, 2023 | December 31, 2023 | |||||||||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
Net cash provided by (used in): | ||||||||||||||||
Operating activities | $ | (24,651) | $ | (7,680) | $ | (7,502) | $ | (2,779) | ||||||||
Investing activities | (49,378) | (66,012) | (32,279) | (27,786) | ||||||||||||
Financing activities | (364) | 142 | 126 | 75,573 | ||||||||||||
Net (decrease) increase in cash | (74,393) | (73,550) | (39,655) | 45,008 | ||||||||||||
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period | 282,561 | 208,168 | 134,618 | 94,963 | ||||||||||||
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period | $ | 208,168 | $ | 134,618 | $ | 94,963 | $ | 139,971 |
Square Foot Operating Metric
The following chart sets forth Energy Industrial product shipments in square feet associated with recognized revenue.
Three Months Ended | Year Ended | |||||||||||||||
December 31, | December 31, | |||||||||||||||
2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
Energy Industrial product shipments in square feet | 6,055 | 8,824 | 28,392 | 32,589 |
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The following tables present a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure included in this press release to the most directly comparable GAAP measure:
Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net loss
We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before interest expense, taxes, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation expense and other items, which occur from time to time and which we do not believe are indicative of our core operating performance.
For the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:
Three Months Ended | Year Ended | |||||||||||||||
December 31, | December 31, | |||||||||||||||
2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
Net loss | $ | (519) | $ | (9,609) | $ | (45,811) | $ | (82,738) | ||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 4,561 | 2,530 | 15,318 | 9,222 | ||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation | 3,188 | 2,672 | 10,954 | 9,385 | ||||||||||||
Other (income) expense | 1,902 | (57) | (3,392) | 3,493 | ||||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 9,132 | $ | (4,464) | $ | (22,931) | $ | (60,638) |
For the 2024 full year financial outlook:
Year Ending | ||||
December 31, 2024 | ||||
Baseline | ||||
(In thousands) | ||||
Net loss | $ | (23,000) | ||
Depreciation and amortization | 30,000 | |||
Stock-based compensation | 14,000 | |||
Other (income) expense | 9,000 | |||
Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 30,000 |
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SOURCE Aspen Aerogels, Inc.
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