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Wag! Reports Record First Quarter 2024 Results

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Wag! Group Co. (Nasdaq: PET) reported record first-quarter results for 2024, with a 13% increase in revenue to $23.2 million. The company achieved positive operating cash flow, paid down $5 million of debt principal, and saw an improvement in adjusted EBITDA to $0.2 million. Despite a net loss of $4.2 million, the CEO highlighted growth in both revenues and platform participants.

Positive
  • Record quarterly revenue of $23.2 million, a 13% increase from the previous year.

  • Achieved positive operating cash flow and paid down $5 million of debt principal.

  • Improved adjusted EBITDA to $0.2 million.

  • Achieved record 671,000 platform participants in Q1 2024, a 10% increase from the previous year.

  • Focus on fast-growing categories like wellness and pet insurance driving revenues.

Negative
  • Net loss of $4.2 million, driven by costs associated with debt pay down.

  • 78% of revenues from B2B sources, which may indicate dependency on business partners.

  • Potential risks from disruptions to global supply chains and changes in consumer behavior.

Insights

Wag! Group Co. announced a revenue increase of 13% for Q1 2024, which is a positive indicator of growth, especially considering the challenging economic environment companies faced in the past years. Their service diversification with WeCompare and Furscription indicates an attempt to capture more market share in the pet industry, which has been growing steadily. However, the reported net loss of $4.2 million, higher than Q1 2023, raises some concerns. The loss mainly resulted from debt repayment, which can be seen as a strategic move to reduce leverage, potentially improving long-term financial health. Their ability to achieve positive operating cash flow while paying down debt is noteworthy. The guidance for the full year remains unchanged, suggesting management's confidence in their strategic plan. Investors should consider if the company's growth strategies align with market trends and whether they believe Wag! can monetize its new verticals effectively.

The sustained increase in Platform Participants, with a 10% year-over-year growth, implies that Wag! is successfully expanding its customer base which is critical in the pet services industry known for high customer loyalty. The focus on wellness and insurance services is in line with consumer trends favoring premium pet care and wellness services. B2B revenue accounting for 78% of the total suggests strong business partnerships, which could provide stable revenue streams. The company's projection of seasonal and economic factors influencing service demand shows awareness of market dynamics. Investors may appreciate such transparency as it provides a clearer understanding of potential variability in the company's performance.

The launch of digital SaaS products like Furscription indicates Wag!’s strategic pivot to leverage technology for growth. The shift towards digital solutions in pet care, such as e-prescribing software, aligns with the broader trend of digital transformation across industries. The presence of a robust waitlist for Furscription suggests initial market interest and potential recurring revenue streams. Similarly, WeCompare's focus on auto insurance comparison could tap into the lucrative insurance tech market. However, success hinges on user adoption and market share capture from established players. Investors should monitor adoption rates of these platforms and the subsequent impact on Wag!'s financials.

Achieved Record Quarterly Revenue

Achieved Record Platform Participants

Achieved Positive Operating Cash Flow

Paid Down $5 Million of Debt Principal

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Wag! Group Co. (the “Company” or “Wag!”; Nasdaq: PET), which strives to be the number one platform to solve the service, product, and wellness needs of the modern U.S. pet household, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024.

First Quarter 2024 Highlights:

  • Revenues increased 13% to $23.2 million, compared to $20.6 million in the first quarter of 2023, a quarterly revenue record – comprised of $5.3 million of Services revenue, $15.8 million of Wellness revenue, and $2.1 million of Pet Food & Treats revenue.
  • Net loss was $4.2 million, compared to $3.8 million in the first quarter of 2023, driven by costs associated with $5 million debt principal pay down.
  • Adjusted EBITDA improved to $0.2 million, compared to an Adjusted EBITDA loss of $0.4 million in the first quarter of 2023.
  • Achieved positive cash flows from operating activities of $0.2 million.

"Q1 marks another record quarter of results for Wag! Group Co. We achieved both record revenues and Platform Participants in the quarter,” said Garrett Smallwood, CEO and Chairman of Wag!.

“We have demonstrated that we can expand into fast-growing categories profitably and meet customers where they need us most,” said Smallwood. “We are thrilled to have recently announced the launch of WeCompare, one of the easiest ways to compare insurance products, starting with auto, and Furscription, beautiful e-prescribing software for veterinarians,” concluded Smallwood.

Recent Business Highlights:

  • Achieved record 671,000 Platform Participants in Q1 2024, an increase of 10% from 611,000 in Q1 2023.
  • Achieved record revenues driven by strong secular growth across our key verticals, with a specific emphasis on Wellness and the continued strength in pet insurance, wellness plans, and veterinary needs.
  • Paid down $5 million of debt balance, which drove net loss higher due to $0.6 million proportional reduction of debt discount and $0.1 million prepayment penalty.
  • 78% of revenues was B2B (Business-to-Business) revenue, which is defined as revenue that is generated by business partners, including pet insurance companies, pet food companies, pet treat companies, and wholesale distribution partners.
  • Announced the launch of Furscription — digital e-prescribing and prescription management SaaS tools for veterinary staff across the U.S., with a robust waitlist of veterinary clinics.
  • Announced the launch of WeCompare — a consumer-facing brand focused on transferring our best-in-class digital comparison technology to new verticals, starting with auto insurance.

Guidance

“As a result of our strong first quarter results, we are continuing to focus our investments within marketing, research and development, and proprietary partnerships that will drive growth in 2024 and beyond,” said Alec Davidian, Wag! CFO. “In Q2, we are planning on scaling our new products and services, including Furscription and WeCompare, which we expect to accelerate in the back half of 2024. Accordingly, we are closely monitoring all costs related to our new products and services to ensure we are optimizing for shareholder value creation via free cash flow generation,” concluded Davidian.

For the full year 2024, we reiterate our guidance of:

  • Revenue in the range of $105 million to $115 million, consistent with our prior forecast.
  • Adjusted EBITDA1 in the range of $2 million to $6 million.

Our financial guidance includes the following outlook:

  • We expect holidays to drive incremental overnight vs. daytime service demand, but also expect that severe weather will impact Services demand. Pet adoption during the holidays also positively impacts pet insurance penetration and demand for wellness plans.
  • We anticipate that continued growth in the pet industry, driven by factors such as higher rates of pet ownership, pet insurance penetration, and increasing demand for premium pet products and services, will have a positive impact on our full year 2024 results.
  • General trends related to state of the economy, interest rates, and consumer confidence. We have factored in potential risks and opportunities related to these macroeconomic factors in order to accurately forecast our financial performance.
  • Sales & Marketing efficiency within the Pet category, our ability to manage CPCs and CPMs across key partners and advertising platforms, and our ability to manage search engine results and search engine optimization (SEO) within competitive keywords.
  • We recognize that there may be potential risks to our financial performance in 2024, such as disruptions to global supply chains, changes in consumer behavior due to unexpected events such as a delayed or imbalanced return-to-office, digital and performance marketing trends, the potential impact of AI, and our ability to expand through partnerships.

1 Information reconciling forward-looking Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin to the comparable GAAP financial measures is unavailable to the company without unreasonable effort, as discussed in our Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Operating Metrics section below.

Wag!’s First Quarter Results Conference Call

Wag! will host a conference call and live webcast today, May 09, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss financial results. Investors and analysts interested in participating in the call are invited to dial 888-999-6281 (international callers please dial 1-848-280-6550) approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available online at https://investors.wag.co.

A recorded replay of the conference call will be available approximately three hours after the conclusion of the call and can be accessed online at https://investors.wag.co for 90 days.

Wag! also provides announcements regarding financial performance and other matters, including SEC filings, investor events, press and earnings releases, on our investor relations website (https://investors.wag.co), and/or social media outlets, as a means of disclosing material information and complying with disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. The list of social media channels that Wag! uses may be updated on the investor relations website from time to time. In addition, you may automatically receive email alerts and other information about Wag! when you enroll your email address by visiting the “Email Alerts” section at (https://investors.wag.co/ir-resources/email-alerts).

About Wag! Group Co.

Wag! Group Co. strives to be the number one platform to solve the service, product, and wellness needs for the modern U.S. pet household. Wag! pioneered on-demand dog walking in 2016 with the Wag! app, which offers access to 5-star dog walking, sitting, and one-on-one training from a community of over 500,000 Pet Caregivers nationwide. In addition, Wag! Group Co. operates Petted, the nation’s largest pet insurance comparison marketplace; Dog Food Advisor, one of the most visited and trusted pet food review platforms; WoofWoofTV, a multi-media company bringing delightful pet content to over 18 million followers across social media; maxbone, a digital platform for modern pet essentials; and Furmacy, software to simplify pet prescriptions. For more information, visit Wag.co.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Operating Metrics

Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure defined as net income (loss) adjusted for interest expense, net; income taxes; depreciation and amortization; and share-based compensation, as well as other items to be consistent with definitions typically used by lenders, including transaction costs. Additionally, we exclude the impact of certain non-recurring items which are not indicative of our operating performance as well as other transaction-specific costs that do not represent an ongoing operating expense of the business, including but not limited to, integration and transaction costs associated with acquired businesses and severance costs. Adjusted EBITDA margin is calculated by dividing Adjusted EBITDA by revenues. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin provide a basis for comparison of our business operations between current, past, and future periods by excluding items from net income (loss) that we do not believe are indicative of our core operating performance.

Platform Participant is defined as a Pet Parent or Pet Caregiver who transacted on the Wag! platform for a service in the quarter. Services include dog walking, sitting, boarding, drop-ins, training, premium telehealth services, wellness plans, and pet insurance plan comparison.

Information reconciling forward-looking Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin to GAAP financial measures is unavailable to the Company without unreasonable effort. The Company is not able to provide reconciliations of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin to GAAP financial measures because certain items required for such reconciliations are outside of the Company’s control and/or cannot be reasonably predicted, such as the provision for income taxes. Preparation of such reconciliations would require a forward-looking balance sheet, statement of income and statement of cash flow, prepared in accordance with GAAP, and such forward-looking financial statements are unavailable to the company without unreasonable effort. The Company provides a range for its Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin forecast that it believes will be achieved, however it cannot accurately predict all the components of the Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin calculation. The Company provides an Adjusted EBITDA and an Adjusted EBITDA margin forecast because it believes that Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin, when viewed with the Company’s results under GAAP, provides useful information for the reasons noted above. However, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are not measures of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP and, accordingly, should not be considered as alternatives to net income (loss), net income (loss) margin, or cash flow from operating activities as an indicator of operating performance or liquidity.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Some of the forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words. Statements that are not historical in nature, including the words “anticipate,” “expect,” “suggests,” “plan,” “believe,” “intend,” “estimates,” “targets,” “projects,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “may,” “will,” “forecast” and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include those related to the Company’s ability to further develop and advance its pet service offerings and achieve scale; ability to attract and retain personnel; market opportunity, anticipated growth, and future financial performance, including management’s financial outlook for the future. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: management’s financial outlook for the future; market adoption of the Company’s pet service offerings and solutions; failure to realize the financial benefits of acquisitions; the ability of the Company to protect its intellectual property; changes in the competitive industries in which the Company operates; changes in laws and regulations affecting the Company’s business; the Company’s ability to implement its business plans, forecasts and other expectations, and identify and realize additional partnerships and opportunities; and the risk of downturns in the market and the technology industry. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. The Company does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

Wag! Group Co.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(unaudited)

 

 

 

March 31,
2024

 

December 31,
2023

 

 

(in thousands, except par value amounts)

ASSETS

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

12,603

 

 

$

18,323

 

Accounts receivable, net

 

 

11,104

 

 

 

10,023

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

 

2,510

 

 

 

3,428

 

Total current assets

 

 

26,217

 

 

 

31,774

 

Property and equipment, net

 

 

622

 

 

 

347

 

Operating lease right-of-use assets

 

 

970

 

 

 

1,045

 

Intangible assets, net

 

 

8,280

 

 

 

8,828

 

Goodwill

 

 

4,646

 

 

 

4,646

 

Other assets

 

 

52

 

 

 

57

 

Total assets

 

$

40,787

 

 

$

46,697

 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable

 

$

12,375

 

 

$

9,919

 

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

 

 

2,953

 

 

 

4,015

 

Deferred revenue

 

 

1,742

 

 

 

1,781

 

Deferred purchase consideration – current portion

 

 

368

 

 

 

547

 

Operating lease liabilities – current portion

 

 

390

 

 

 

386

 

Notes payable – current portion

 

 

1,913

 

 

 

1,751

 

Total current liabilities

 

 

19,741

 

 

 

18,399

 

Operating lease liabilities – non-current portion

 

 

731

 

 

 

816

 

Notes payable – non-current portion, net of debt discount and warrant allocation of $3,280 and $4,563 as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively

 

 

21,428

 

 

 

25,664

 

Other non-current liabilities

 

 

125

 

 

 

172

 

Total liabilities

 

 

42,025

 

 

 

45,051

 

Commitments and contingencies

 

 

 

 

Stockholders’ equity (deficit):

 

 

 

 

Common stock

 

 

4

 

 

 

4

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

 

164,733

 

 

 

163,376

 

Accumulated deficit

 

 

(165,975

)

 

 

(161,734

)

Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)

 

 

(1,238

)

 

 

1,646

 

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficit)

 

$

40,787

 

 

$

46,697

 

Wag! Group Co.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(unaudited)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

March 31,
2024

 

March 31,
2023

 

 

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

Revenues

 

$

23,219

 

 

$

20,623

 

Costs and expenses:

 

 

 

 

Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below)

 

 

1,570

 

 

 

1,026

 

Platform operations and support

 

 

2,960

 

 

 

3,170

 

Sales and marketing

 

 

15,655

 

 

 

13,275

 

General and administrative

 

 

4,239

 

 

 

4,984

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

578

 

 

 

381

 

Total costs and expenses

 

 

25,002

 

 

 

22,836

 

Interest expense

 

 

1,885

 

 

 

1,874

 

Interest income

 

 

(152

)

 

 

(244

)

Loss on extinguishment of debt

 

 

726

 

 

 

 

Other income, net

 

 

 

 

 

(56

)

Loss before income taxes

 

 

(4,242

)

 

 

(3,787

)

Income taxes

 

 

(1

)

 

 

 

Net loss

 

$

(4,241

)

 

$

(3,787

)

Loss per share, basic and diluted

 

$

(0.11

)

 

$

(0.10

)

Weighted-average common shares outstanding used in computing loss per share, basic and diluted

 

 

40,077

 

 

 

37,065

 

Wag! Group Co.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(unaudited)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

March 31,
2024

 

March 31,
2023

 

 

(in thousands)

Cash flow from operating activities:

 

 

 

 

Net loss

 

$

(4,241

)

 

$

(3,787

)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:

 

 

 

 

Stock-based compensation

 

 

1,296

 

 

 

1,342

 

Non-cash interest expense

 

 

665

 

 

 

685

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

578

 

 

 

381

 

Reduction in carrying amount of operating lease right-of-use assets

 

 

75

 

 

 

83

 

Loss on extinguishment of debt

 

 

726

 

 

 

 

Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquired business:

 

 

 

 

Accounts receivable

 

 

(1,081

)

 

 

(2,351

)

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

 

918

 

 

 

537

 

Operating lease liabilities

 

 

(81

)

 

 

(78

)

Other assets

 

 

5

 

 

 

(5

)

Accounts payable

 

 

2,456

 

 

 

(459

)

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

 

 

(1,062

)

 

 

(250

)

Deferred revenue

 

 

(39

)

 

 

322

 

Other non-current liabilities

 

 

(47

)

 

 

 

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

 

 

168

 

 

 

(3,580

)

Cash flows from investing activities:

 

 

 

 

Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired

 

 

 

 

 

(9,000

)

Cash paid for equity method investment

 

 

 

 

 

(1,470

)

Purchase of property and equipment

 

 

(305

)

 

 

(16

)

Net cash used in investing activities

 

 

(305

)

 

 

(10,486

)

Cash flows from financing activities:

 

 

 

 

Repayment of debt

 

 

(5,357

)

 

 

(277

)

Debt prepayment penalty

 

 

(100

)

 

 

 

Proceeds from exercises of stock options

 

 

61

 

 

 

54

 

Other

 

 

(187

)

 

 

(175

)

Net cash used in financing activities

 

 

(5,583

)

 

 

(398

)

Net change in cash and cash equivalents

 

 

(5,720

)

 

 

(14,464

)

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period

 

 

18,323

 

 

 

38,966

 

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

 

$

12,603

 

 

$

24,502

 

Wag! Group Co.

Adjusted EBITDA (Loss) Reconciliation

(unaudited)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

March 31,
2024

 

March 31,
2023

 

 

(in thousands, except percentages)

Net loss

 

$

(4,241

)

 

$

(3,787

)

Interest expense, net

 

 

1,733

 

 

 

1,630

 

Income taxes

 

 

(1

)

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

578

 

 

 

381

 

Stock-based compensation

 

 

1,296

 

 

 

1,342

 

Integration and transaction costs associated with acquired business

 

 

 

 

 

37

 

Severance costs

 

 

77

 

 

 

 

Loss on extinguishment of debt

 

 

726

 

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA (loss)

 

$

168

 

 

$

(397

)

Revenues

 

$

23,219

 

 

$

20,623

 

Adjusted EBITDA (loss) margin

 

 

0.7

%

 

 

(1.9

)%

Wag! Group Co.

Key Operating and Financial Metrics

(unaudited)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

March 31,
2024

 

March 31,
2023

 

 

(in thousands, except percentages)

Platform Participants (as of period end)

 

 

671

 

 

 

611

 

Revenues

 

$

23,219

 

 

$

20,623

 

Net loss

 

$

(4,241

)

 

$

(3,787

)

Net loss margin

 

 

(18.3

)%

 

 

(18.4

)%

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

 

$

168

 

 

$

(3,580

)

Adjusted EBITDA (loss)

 

$

168

 

 

$

(397

)

Adjusted EBITDA (loss) margin

 

 

0.7

%

 

 

(1.9

)%

 

Media:

Wag!: Media@wagwalking.com

Investor Relations:

Wag!: IR@wagwalking.com

Gateway for Wag!: PET@gateway-grp.com

Source: Wag! Group Co.

FAQ

What was Wag! Group Co.'s record revenue in the first quarter of 2024?

Wag! Group Co. reported record revenue of $23.2 million in the first quarter of 2024.

How many platform participants did Wag! Group Co. achieve in Q1 2024?

Wag! Group Co. achieved a record of 671,000 platform participants in Q1 2024.

What was the net loss for Wag! Group Co. in Q1 2024?

Wag! Group Co. had a net loss of $4.2 million in Q1 2024, driven by costs associated with debt pay down.

What did Wag! Group Co. focus on to drive revenues in Q1 2024?

Wag! Group Co. focused on fast-growing categories like wellness and pet insurance to drive revenues in Q1 2024.

What are the potential risks mentioned regarding Wag! Group Co.'s financial performance in 2024?

Potential risks include disruptions to global supply chains, changes in consumer behavior, and other macroeconomic factors that may impact financial performance in 2024.

Wag! Group Co.

NASDAQ:PET

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Software - Application
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United States of America
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