Appian Announces Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

MCLEAN, Va., Nov. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Appian (NASDAQ:APPN) today announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

"Appian continues to grow even as we become more efficient. Growth remains our top priority. We now project positive adjusted EBITDA for the full year 2024," said Matt Calkins, CEO & Founder.

Third Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights:

Revenue: Cloud subscription revenue was $94.1 million, up 22% compared to the third quarter of 2023. Total subscriptions revenue, which includes sales of our cloud subscriptions, on-premises term license subscriptions, and maintenance and support, increased 19% year-over-year to $123.1 million. Professional services revenue was $30.9 million, a decrease of 7% compared to the third quarter of 2023. Total revenue was $154.1 million, up 12% compared to the third quarter of 2023. Cloud subscription revenue retention rate was 117% as of September 30, 2024.

Operating loss and non-GAAP operating income and loss: GAAP operating loss was $(7.2) million, compared to $(15.2) million for the third quarter of 2023. Non-GAAP operating income was $8.3 million, compared to non-GAAP operating loss of $(7.7) million for the third quarter of 2023.

Net loss and non-GAAP net income and loss: GAAP net loss was $(2.1) million, compared to $(22.3) million for the third quarter of 2023. GAAP net loss per share was $(0.03) for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $(0.30) for the third quarter of 2023. Non-GAAP net income was $11.4 million, compared to non-GAAP net loss of $(14.6) million for the third quarter of 2023. Non-GAAP diluted net income per share was $0.15, compared to $(0.20) net loss per share for the third quarter of 2023. GAAP net loss and non-GAAP net income for the third quarter of 2024 included $9.2 million of foreign currency exchange gains. GAAP and non-GAAP net loss for the third quarter of 2023 included $4.3 million of foreign currency exchange losses. We do not forecast foreign exchange rate movements.

Adjusted EBITDA: Adjusted EBITDA was $10.8 million, compared to adjusted EBITDA loss of $(5.3) million for the third quarter of 2023.

Balance sheet and cash flows: As of September 30, 2024, Appian had total cash, cash equivalents, and investments of $140.0 million. Net cash used by operating activities was $(8.2) million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $(65.0) million of net cash used by operating activities for the same period in 2023.

A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures has been provided in the tables following the financial statements in this press release. An explanation of these measures is also included below under the heading "Non-GAAP Financial Measures."

Recent Business Highlights:

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Financial Outlook:

As of November 7, 2024, guidance for 2024 is as follows:

Fourth Quarter 2024 Guidance:

Cloud subscription revenue is expected to be between $95.0 million and $97.0 million, representing year-over-year growth of 14% to 17%.

Total revenue is expected to be between $163.5 million and $165.5 million, representing a year-over-year increase of 13% to 14%.

Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between $6.0 million and $8.0 million.

Non-GAAP net loss per share is expected to be between $(0.03) and breakeven, assuming weighted average common shares outstanding of 74.0 million.

Full Year 2024 Guidance:

Cloud subscription revenue is expected to be between $364.0 million and $366.0 million, representing year-over-year growth of 20%.

Total revenue is expected to be between $613.0 million and $615.0 million, representing a year-over-year increase of 12% to 13%.

Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between $5.0 million and $7.0 million.

Non-GAAP net loss per share is expected to be between $(0.38) and $(0.35), assuming weighted average common shares outstanding of 73.0 million.

Conference Call Details:

Appian will host a conference call today, November 7, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss Appian's financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024 and business outlook.

To access the call, navigate to the following link(1). Once registered, participants can dial in using their phone with a dial in and PIN, or they can choose the Call Me option for instant dial to their phone. The live webcast of the conference call can also be accessed on the Investor Relations page of our website at https://investors.appian.com.

About Appian

Appian is a software company that orchestrates business processes. The Appian Platform empowers leaders to design, automate, and optimize important processes from start to finish. With our industry-leading platform and commitment to customer success, Appian is trusted by top organizations to drive transformational process change. For more information, visit appian.com. (NASDAQ:APPN)

1 https://register.vevent.com/register/BI4a3543c2295f4f5085f10a575f9a8298

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement its consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, Appian provides investors with certain non-GAAP financial performance measures. Appian uses these non-GAAP financial performance measures for financial and operational decision-making and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. Appian's management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding Appian's performance by excluding certain expenses that may not be indicative of our recurring core business operating results. Appian believes both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing Appian's performance and when planning, forecasting, and analyzing future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management's internal comparisons to historical performance as well as comparisons to competitors' operating results. Appian believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors both because (1) they allow for greater transparency with respect to measures used by management in its financial and operational decision-making and (2) they are used by Appian's institutional investors and the analyst community to help them analyze the health of Appian's business.

The non-GAAP financial performance measures include the following: non-GAAP subscriptions cost of revenue, non-GAAP professional services cost of revenue, non-GAAP total cost of revenue, non-GAAP total operating expense, non-GAAP operating loss, non-GAAP income tax expense, non-GAAP net income (loss), and non-GAAP net income (loss) per share, basic and diluted. These non-GAAP financial performance measures exclude the effect of stock-based compensation expense, certain non-ordinary litigation-related expenses consisting of legal and other professional fees associated with the Pegasystems cases (net of insurance reimbursements), or Litigation Expense, amortization of the judgement preservation insurance policy, or JPI Amortization, severance costs related to involuntary reductions in our workforce, or Severance Costs, lease impairment and lease-related charges associated with actions taken to reduce the footprint of our leased office spaces, or Lease Impairment and Lease-Related Charges, and a short-swing profit disgorgement paid to us by an investor, or Short-Swing Profit Payment. While some of these items may be recurring in nature and should not be disregarded in the evaluation of our earnings performance, it is useful to exclude such items when analyzing current results and trends compared to other periods as these items can vary significantly from period to period depending on specific underlying transactions or events that may occur. Therefore, while we may incur or recognize these types of expenses in the future, we believe removing these items for purposes of calculating our non-GAAP financial measures provides investors with a more focused presentation of our ongoing operating performance.

Appian also discusses adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial performance measure it believes offers a useful view of the overall operation of its businesses. The company defines adjusted EBITDA as net loss before (1) other (income) expense, net, (2) interest expense, (3) income tax expense, (4) depreciation expense and amortization of intangible assets, (5) stock-based compensation expense, (6) Litigation Expense, (7) JPI Amortization, (8) Severance Costs, and (9) Lease Impairment and Lease-Related Charges. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to adjusted EBITDA is net loss. Users should consider the limitations of using adjusted EBITDA, including the fact this measure does not provide a complete measure of our operating performance. Adjusted EBITDA is not intended to purport to be an alternative to net loss as a measure of operating performance or to cash flows from operating activities as a measure of liquidity.

The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or superior to the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, and Appian's non-GAAP measures may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, see the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their nearest comparable GAAP measures at the end of this press release. Appian provides guidance ranges for non-GAAP net loss per share and adjusted EBITDA; however, we are not able to reconcile these amounts to their comparable GAAP financial measures without unreasonable efforts because certain information necessary to calculate such measures on a GAAP basis is unavailable, subject to high variability, dependent on future events outside of our control, and cannot be predicted. In addition, Appian believes such reconciliations could imply a degree of precision that might be confusing or misleading to investors. The actual effect of the reconciling items that Appian may exclude from these non-GAAP expense numbers, when determined, may be significant to the calculation of the comparable GAAP measures.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding Appian's future financial and business performance for the fourth quarter and full year 2024, future investment by Appian in its go-to-market initiatives, increased demand for the Appian Platform, market opportunity and plans and objectives for future operations, including Appian's ability to drive continued subscriptions revenue and total revenue growth, are forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "will," "plan," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Appian has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that Appian believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives, and financial needs. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties associated with Appian's ability to grow its business and manage its growth, Appian's ability to sustain its revenue growth rate, continued market acceptance of Appian's Platform and adoption of low-code solutions to drive digital transformation, the fluctuation of Appian's operating results due to the length and variability of its sales cycle, competition in the markets in which Appian operates, AI being a disruptive set of technologies that may affect the markets for Appian's software dramatically and in unpredictable ways, risks and uncertainties associated with the composition and concentration of Appian's customer base and their demand for its platform and satisfaction with the services provided by Appian, Appian's ability to operate in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, Appian's strategic relationships with third parties, and additional risks and uncertainties set forth in the "Risk Factors" section of Appian's most recent annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Moreover, Appian operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for Appian's management to predict all risks nor can Appian assess the impact of all factors on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements Appian may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, Appian cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, achievements, or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will occur. Appian is under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform these statements to actual results or revised expectations, except as required by law.

Investor RelationsJack Andrews

Media ContactValerie

APPIAN CORPORATIONCONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS(in thousands, except par value and share data)

 

 

As of

 

September 30, 2024

 

December 31, 2023

 

(unaudited)

 

 

Assets

 

 

 

Current assets

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

$

99,193

 

 

$

149,351

 

Short-term investments and marketable securities

 

40,798

 

 

 

9,653

 

Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $2,850 and $2,606, respectively

 

140,213

 

 

 

171,561

 

Deferred commissions, current

 

34,785

 

 

 

34,261

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

45,483

 

 

 

49,529

 

Total current assets

 

360,472

 

 

 

414,355

 

Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $30,329 and $25,141, respectively

 

39,190

 

 

 

42,682

 

Goodwill

 

27,462

 

 

 

27,106

 

Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $5,356 and $4,152, respectively

 

2,790

 

 

 

3,889

 

Right-of-use assets for operating leases

 

32,231

 

 

 

39,975

 

Deferred commissions, net of current portion

 

54,576

 

 

 

59,764

 

Deferred tax assets

 

4,827

 

 

 

3,453

 

Other assets

 

28,365

 

 

 

36,279

 

Total assets

$

549,913

 

 

$

627,503

 

Liabilities and Stockholders' (Deficit) Equity

 

 

 

Current liabilities

 

 

 

Accounts payable

$

6,928

 

 

$

6,174

 

Accrued expenses

 

11,310

 

 

 

11,046

 

Accrued compensation and related benefits

 

31,171

 

 

 

38,003

 

Deferred revenue

 

224,199

 

 

 

235,992

 

Debt

 

9,598

 

 

 

66,368

 

Operating lease liabilities

 

12,470

 

 

 

11,698

 

Other current liabilities

 

2,798

 

 

 

1,891

 

Total current liabilities

 

298,474

 

 

 

371,172

 

Long-term debt

 

243,225

 

 

 

140,221

 

Non-current operating lease liabilities

 

54,270

 

 

 

59,067

 

Deferred revenue, non-current

 

3,370

 

 

 

4,700

 

Deferred tax liabilities

 



 

 

 

2

 

Other non-current liabilities

 

375

 

 

 



 

Total liabilities

 

599,714

 

 

 

575,162

 

Stockholders' (deficit) equity

 

 

 

Class A common stock—par value $0.0001; 500,000,000 shares authorized as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 and 42,361,024 and 42,169,970 shares issued of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively

 

4

 

 

 

4

 

Class B common stock—par value $0.0001; 100,000,000 shares authorized as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 and 31,195,739 and 31,196,796 shares issued as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively

 

3

 

 

 

3

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

614,204

 

 

 

595,781

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

(22,809

)

 

 

(23,555

)

Accumulated deficit

 

(598,507

)

 

 

(519,892

)

Treasury stock at cost, 1,127,138 shares as of September 30, 2024

 

(42,696

)

 

 



 

Total stockholders' (deficit) equity

 

(49,801

)

 

 

52,341

 

Total liabilities and stockholders' (deficit) equity

$

549,913

 

 

$

627,503

 

APPIAN CORPORATIONCONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS(in thousands, except per share data)

 

 

Three Months Ended September 30, 2024

 

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024

 

 

2024

 

 

 

2023

 

 

 

2024

 

 

 

2023

 

 

(unaudited)

Revenue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subscriptions

$

123,121

 

 

$

103,803

 

 

$

353,789

 

 

$

296,554

 

Professional services

 

30,931

 

 

 

33,291

 

 

 

96,548

 

 

 

103,490

 

Total revenue

 

154,052

 

 

 

137,094

 

 

 

450,337

 

 

 

400,044

 

Cost of revenue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subscriptions

 

14,082

 

 

 

11,265

 

 

 

39,614

 

 

 

32,492

 

Professional services

 

23,002

 

 

 

24,804

 

 

 

74,880

 

 

 

76,515

 

Total cost of revenue

 

37,084

 

 

 

36,069

 

 

 

114,494

 

 

 

109,007

 

Gross profit

 

116,968

 

 

 

101,025

 

 

 

335,843

 

 

 

291,037

 

Operating expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sales and marketing

 

50,865

 

 

 

55,667

 

 

 

175,613

 

 

 

181,338

 

Research and development

 

38,572

 

 

 

37,135

 

 

 

117,789

 

 

 

118,502

 

General and administrative

 

34,688

 

 

 

23,440

 

 

 

108,327

 

 

 

82,342

 

Total operating expenses

 

124,125

 

 

 

116,242

 

 

 

401,729

 

 

 

382,182

 

Operating loss

 

(7,157

)

 

 

(15,217

)

 

 

(65,886

)

 

 

(91,145