IZEA Reports Q1 2026 Revenue of $6.6 Million, Strengthens Enterprise Client Base, Launches AI-Powered ZED Platform
Rhea-AI Summary
IZEA (NASDAQ: IZEA) reported Q1 2026 revenue of $6.6 million, down 18% from $8.0 million, reflecting its exit from lower-margin SMB accounts and focus on enterprise customers. Managed Services bookings were $6.3 million, down 17%.
Total costs and expenses fell 10% to $7.7 million. Net loss was $0.8 million ($0.04 per share) versus $0.1 million a year ago, while adjusted EBITDA was $(0.5) million. Cash and equivalents were $46.5 million with no long-term debt. IZEA launched its AI-powered ZED platform and added new clients including Hulu and ASUS. A $10 million stock repurchase program has used $1.3 million to buy 523,268 shares to date.
Positive
- Total costs and expenses decreased 10% to $7.7 million year over year
- Cost of revenue declined 18% to $3.6 million, matching revenue shift
- Sales and marketing expense reduced 17% to $0.9 million
- Cash and equivalents totaled $46.5 million with no long-term debt
- Launched AI-powered ZED creator economy marketing operations platform
- New business wins from Hulu, ASUS, Garanimals and Emmi Roth
- Authorized up to $10 million share repurchase; $1.3 million invested
Negative
- Q1 2026 revenue declined 18% to $6.6 million year over year
- Managed Services bookings decreased 17% to $6.3 million
- Net loss widened to $0.8 million from $0.1 million
- Adjusted EBITDA loss increased to $(0.5) million from $(0.1) million
- Cash and equivalents declined $4.4 million during the quarter
- No share repurchases executed during the current quarter
News Market Reaction – IZEA
In the May 13 session, IZEA declined 7.86%, reflecting a notable negative market reaction. Argus tracked a trough of -6.7% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 5 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 05 | Earnings call notice | Neutral | +4.0% | Announcement of timing and access details for Q1 2026 results call. |
| Mar 31 | AI platform launch | Positive | +1.1% | Launch of ZED AI-powered creator economy marketing operations platform. |
| Mar 17 | FY2025 results | Positive | -4.3% | Reported $31.2M revenue and $18.9M profitability swing to slight net income. |
| Mar 10 | Earnings call notice | Neutral | -4.6% | Scheduled Q4 and FY2025 earnings conference call with webcast details. |
| Nov 12 | Q3 2025 results | Positive | -1.6% | Q3 2025 revenue, profitability momentum, and improved Adjusted EBITDA highlighted. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Operationally positive updates have shown mixed reactions, with some profitability and growth headlines followed by negative next-day moves, while conference call notices and the ZED AI launch saw modest gains.
Over the past six months, IZEA highlighted a pivot to enterprise customers and profitability improvement, including an $18.9M swing to FY2025 net income of $42,326 on $31.2M revenue and positive Adjusted EBITDA. Q3 2025 and FY2025 updates emphasized cost reductions, no long‑term debt, and buybacks. The March 2026 ZED AI platform launch reinforced this tech-focused strategy, which the current Q1 2026 earnings build on by detailing revenue mix, margins, and cash position.
Key Terms
adjusted ebitda financial
non-gaap financial measures financial
working capital financial
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Completes SMB Exit and Positions for Accelerated Growth, Higher-Quality Revenue and Profitability with Enterprise Clients
ORLANDO, Fla., May 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IZEA Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: IZEA), a leading influencer marketing company that makes Creator Economy solutions for marketers, reported its financial and operational results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026.
Q1 2026 Financial Summary Compared to Q1 2025
- Revenue was
$6.6 million , off$1.4 million (18% ) compared to$8.0 million , driven by the shedding of small, unprofitable, non-recurring small and mid-size business (SMB) accounts - Managed Services bookings declined
17% to$6.3 million , primarily reflecting contract timing within several large enterprise accounts, which we expect to contribute to growth in 2026 - Total costs and expenses decreased
10% to$7.7 million , compared to$8.6 million , reflecting a normalized cost base positioned to scale with revenue growth - Net loss totaled
$0.8 million , or$(0.04) per share, compared to a net loss of$0.1 million , or$(0.01) per share - Adjusted EBITDA* for the quarter was
$(0.5) million , compared to$(0.1) million - Cash and equivalents as of March 31, 2026 totaled
$46.5 million , declining$4.4 million during the quarter, primarily reflecting working capital timing
Q1 2026 Highlights
- IZEA won new business from Hulu, ASUS, Garanimals, and Emmi Roth
- IZEA launched ZED, its proprietary creator economy marketing operations platform infused with AI, designed to connect brands and creators through a unified operating system, enabling teams to plan smarter campaigns, collaborate seamlessly, automate workflows, and measure impact in real time
- IZEA executed many high-impact creator campaigns including a global fandom activation for Warner Bros.’ Wuthering Heights, gaming activations for Acer, vehicle showcases for Jeep, and launch support for Netflix Games
- IZEA strengthened its talent base with a dozen strategic growth hires, including Lindsey Gamble as Vice President of Creator Strategy and Innovation, bringing a powerful combination of deep influencer marketing expertise and enterprise-scale marketing leadership
* Adjusted EBITDA and revenue from on-going operations are non-GAAP financial measures. Refer to the definition and reconciliation of these measures under “Use of Key Metrics and Non-GAAP Financial Measures."
Management Commentary
“Q1 marked a pivotal milestone for IZEA as we completed our transition to an enterprise-focused business model,” said Patrick Venetucci, CEO. “Over the past year, we made the disciplined decision to exit lower-margin SMB work, which reset our economic foundation and drove a nearly
Q1 2026 Financial Results
Total revenue for the first quarter of 2026 was
Cost of revenue for the first quarter of 2026 was
Costs and expenses, excluding the cost of revenue, totaled
Net loss in the first quarter of 2026 was
Adjusted EBITDA (as defined below, a non-GAAP measure management used as a proxy for operating cash flow) totaled
As of March 31, 2026, our cash and cash equivalents totaled
We previously announced our commitment to repurchase up to
Conference Call
IZEA will hold a conference call to discuss its first quarter 2026 results on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET. IZEA's CEO Patrick Venetucci and CFO Peter Biere will host the call, followed by a question and answer period.
Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
Webcast link: https://viavid.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1760886&tp_key=951f9d5729
Toll-free dial-in number: 1-877-407-4018
International dial-in number: 1-201-689-8471
Please call the conference telephone number five (5) minutes before the start time. An operator will register your name and organization. A call replay will be made available approximately 3 hours after the conference ends until Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Toll-free replay number: 1-844-512-2921
International replay number: 1-412-317-6671
Replay ID: 13760257
About IZEA Worldwide, Inc.
IZEA Worldwide, Inc. (“IZEA”) is a full-service creator economy agency powered by our proprietary ZED technology, with a mission to make Creator Economy solutions for marketers. We do this by lighting up the Creator Economy with IZEAs—our strategies, campaigns, and solutions that build brands and drive demand. Since launching the industry’s first-ever influencer marketing platform in 2006, IZEA has facilitated nearly 4 million collaborations between brands and creators.
Use of Key Metrics and Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Managed Services Bookings is a key metric representing total sales orders received during a period, net of cancellations and refunds. Contracts vary by customer and scope, ranging from custom content projects to integrated marketing campaigns, and generally extend from several months up to a year. Managed Services Bookings provide a useful measure of overall demand but are not necessarily predictive of quarterly revenue, as the timing of revenue recognition varies with contract size, complexity, and customer arrangements. Certain customers enter into annual spend commitments that establish a defined budget for services to be performed throughout the year, while others engage the Company for specific campaigns or deliverables. These differing contract structures may influence the timing and distribution of bookings and related revenue. The Company uses this metric to evaluate customer and market trends, to plan operational staffing, and to inform product development initiatives.
"Adjusted EBITDA" is a non-GAAP financial measure under the Securities and Exchange Commission rules. EBITDA is commonly defined as "earnings before interest income and expense, taxes, depreciation, and amortization." IZEA defines “Adjusted EBITDA” as earnings or loss before interest expense, interest income, taxes, depreciation and amortization, non-cash stock-based compensation, gain or loss on asset disposals or impairment, and certain other unusual or non-cash income and expense items such as gains or losses on settlement of liabilities and exchanges, and changes in the fair value of derivatives, if applicable. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors as it primarily excludes non-cash and non-operating transactions, and it provides consistency to facilitate period-to-period comparisons.
Not all companies calculate bookings and Adjusted EBITDA in the same manner. These metrics and financial measures, as presented by IZEA, may not be comparable to those presented by other companies. Moreover, these metrics and financial measures have limitations as analytical tools. You should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for an analysis of our results of operations or, with respect to non-GAAP financial measures, as reported under GAAP. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and revenue and costs from on-going operations to the most directly comparable GAAP measures is presented in the financial tables included in this press release.
Safe Harbor Statement
All statements in this release that are not based on historical fact are “forward-looking statements” intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies, and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “hope,” “estimate,” “optimistic,” “believe,” “intend,” “ought to,” "likely," "projects," “plans,” "pursue," "strategy" or "future," or the negative of these words or other words or expressions of similar meaning. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding expectations concerning product development and platform launches, future financial performance and operating results, including regarding recognition of bookings as revenues, the share repurchase authorization and any use of such authorization, growth, or maintenance of customer relationships, and expectations concerning IZEA’s business strategy. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, among others, the following: competitive conditions in the content and social sponsorship segment in which IZEA operates; failure to popularize one or more of the marketplace platforms of IZEA; our ability to maintain disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting; our ability to satisfy the requirements for continued listing of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market; changing economic conditions that are less favorable than expected; and other risks and uncertainties described in IZEA’s periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements made in this release speak only as of the date of this release, and IZEA assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or changes in expectations, except as otherwise required by law.
Press Contact
John Francis
IZEA Worldwide, Inc.
Phone: 407-674-6911
Email: ir@izea.com
IZEA Worldwide, Inc.
Unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheets
| March 31, 2026 | December 31, 2025 | ||||||
| Assets | |||||||
| Current assets: | |||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 46,502,356 | $ | 50,886,850 | |||
| Accounts receivable, net | 5,853,585 | 3,398,479 | |||||
| Prepaid expenses | 622,896 | 830,509 | |||||
| Other current assets | 125,321 | 9,002 | |||||
| Total current assets | 53,104,158 | 55,124,840 | |||||
| Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation | 6,209 | 17,131 | |||||
| Software development costs, net of accumulated amortization | 2,426,122 | 2,335,745 | |||||
| Total assets | $ | 55,536,489 | $ | 57,477,716 | |||
| Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | |||||||
| Current liabilities: | |||||||
| Accounts payable | 758,442 | 779,434 | |||||
| Accrued expenses | 1,413,805 | 3,050,995 | |||||
| Contract liabilities | 4,892,795 | 4,729,767 | |||||
| Total current liabilities | 7,065,042 | 8,560,196 | |||||
| Total liabilities | 7,065,042 | 8,560,196 | |||||
| Commitments and Contingencies | — | — | |||||
| Stockholders’ equity: | |||||||
| Preferred stock; $.0001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding | — | — | |||||
| Common stock; | 1,825 | 1,815 | |||||
| Treasury stock at cost: 889,123 and 889,123 shares at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively | (2,344,698 | ) | (2,344,698 | ) | |||
| Additional paid-in capital | 155,904,372 | 155,568,812 | |||||
| Accumulated deficit | (105,032,252 | ) | (104,254,729 | ) | |||
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (57,800 | ) | (53,680 | ) | |||
| Total stockholders’ equity | 48,471,447 | 48,917,520 | |||||
| Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity | $ | 55,536,489 | $ | 57,477,716 | |||
| IZEA Worldwide, Inc. Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Operations | |||||||
| Three Months Ended March 31, | |||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | ||||||
| Revenue | $ | 6,573,232 | $ | 7,968,363 | |||
| Costs and expenses: | |||||||
| Cost of revenue | 3,630,001 | 4,401,574 | |||||
| Sales and marketing | 930,574 | 1,121,782 | |||||
| General and administrative | 3,035,506 | 2,940,507 | |||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 149,247 | 160,352 | |||||
| Total costs and expenses | 7,745,328 | 8,624,215 | |||||
| Loss from operations | (1,172,096 | ) | (655,852 | ) | |||
| Other income (expense): | |||||||
| Interest expense | (372 | ) | (1,654 | ) | |||
| Other income (expense), net | 394,945 | 514,706 | |||||
| Total other income (expense), net | 394,573 | 513,052 | |||||
| Net loss | (777,523 | ) | (142,800 | ) | |||
| Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic and diluted | 17,310,313 | 16,927,166 | |||||
| Basic and diluted loss per common share | $ | (0.04 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | |
| IZEA Worldwide, Inc. Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss | |||||||
| Three Months Ended March 31, | |||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | ||||||
| Net loss | $ | (777,523 | ) | $ | (142,800 | ) | |
| Other comprehensive loss | |||||||
| Unrealized gain loss on securities held | — | (13,903 | ) | ||||
| Unrealized gain loss on currency translation | (4,120 | ) | (109,459 | ) | |||
| Total other comprehensive loss | (4,120 | ) | (123,362 | ) | |||
| Total comprehensive loss | $ | (781,643 | ) | $ | (266,162 | ) | |
| IZEA Worldwide, Inc. Revenue Details Revenue details by type: | ||||||||||||
| Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | $ Change | % Change | |||||||||
| Managed Services revenue | 6,553,171 | 100 | % | 7,907,410 | 99 | % | (1,354,239 | ) | (17)% | |||
| SaaS Services revenue | 20,061 | — | % | 60,953 | 1 | % | (40,892 | ) | (67)% | |||
| Total revenue | $ | 6,573,232 | 100 | % | $ | 7,968,363 | 100 | % | $ | (1,395,131 | ) | (18)% |
| IZEA Worldwide, Inc. Reconciliation of GAAP Net Loss to Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA | |||||||
| Three Months Ended March 31, | |||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | ||||||
| Net loss | $ | (777,523 | ) | $ | (142,800 | ) | |
| Non-cash stock-based compensation | 402,166 | 285,132 | |||||
| Non-cash stock issued for payment of services | 90,010 | 90,002 | |||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 149,247 | 160,352 | |||||
| Interest expense | 372 | 1,654 | |||||
| Interest income | (395,012 | ) | (471,190 | ) | |||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | (530,740 | ) | $ | (76,850 | ) | |
| Revenue | $ | 6,573,232 | $ | 7,968,363 | |||
| Adjusted EBITDA as a % of revenue | (8.1 | )% | (1.0 | )% | |||
