AEye Reports Second Quarter 2024 Results

Significant OEM interest in Apollo; Company looks toward market launch

Beat guidance on cash burn; new capital resources extend runway

AEye, Inc. (Nasdaq: LIDR), a global leader in adaptive, high performance lidar solutions, today announced its results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.

Management Commentary

“AEye gained significant momentum in the second quarter with our Apollo product launch, OEM and partner engagements, and access to additional capital, which could extend our cash runway considerably. We are pleased with the significant interest we saw in China following our Apollo product launch in Suzhou in June. Our on-going collaboration with ATI and LighTekton has exceeded our expectations and has led to multiple OEM introductions.

“With respect to our Tier 1 partner, LITEON, we are seeing tangible results from their ability to leverage their supply chain coupled with their expertise in optics. We have successfully completed the technology transfer to them and are now jointly executing a product cost reduction initiative. This partnership continues to drive OEM interest due to LITEON’s track record of industrializing products and bringing innovative cost-competitive automotive components to the global market.

“Our capital-light partnership model allows us to concentrate on key fundamentals: advancing our technology, attracting strategic partners, and driving company value with modest capital requirements compared to our peers. We are entering the next chapter in AEye’s development where we will bring Apollo to market and actively pursue product design wins with the help of our partners,” said Matt Fisch, AEye CEO. “Overall, our financial performance and market trends indicate a positive trajectory, and we are excited about the future of AEye.”

Key Q2 2024 Financial Highlights

“During the second quarter, we strengthened our balance sheet, extended our cash runway into the third quarter of 2025, and secured access to up to $50 million in additional liquidity. At the end of the second quarter, AEye had $28 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities. We also reduced our net cash burn for the fifth consecutive quarter, and AEye is on track to outperform our cash burn guidance for 2024. Factoring in our ongoing cost savings initiatives, in combination with our existing liquidity position (including up to $50 million in liquidity pursuant to the previously announced equity reserve facility with New Circle), and any additional funds raised from capital markets activity, could provide us with up to four years of cash runway,” said Conor Tierney, AEye CFO.

In December 2023, the company effected a 1-for-30 reverse stock split and all the financial information disclosed has been adjusted to account for the revised share count numbers.

  • GAAP net loss was $(8.0) million, or $(1.16) per share, based on 6.9 million weighted average common shares outstanding.
  • Non-GAAP net loss was $(6.2) million, or $(0.91) per share, based on 6.9 million weighted average common shares outstanding.
  • Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $28 million as of June 30, 2024.

Conference Call and Webcast Details

AEye management will hold a conference call today, August 5, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time) to discuss these results. AEye CEO Matt Fisch and CFO Conor Tierney will host the call, followed by a question-and-answer session.

The webcast and accompanying slides will be accessible via the company’s website at https://investors.aeye.ai/.

Access is also available via:

Conference call: https://aeye.pub/4f3SCOH

Webcast: https://aeye.pub/3zEQrkK

About AEye

AEye’s unique software-defined lidar solution enables advanced driver-assistance, vehicle autonomy, smart infrastructure, and logistics applications that save lives and propel the future of transportation and mobility. AEye’s 4Sight™ Intelligent Sensing Platform, with its adaptive sensor-based operating system, focuses on what matters most: delivering faster, more accurate, and reliable information. AEye’s 4Sight™ products, built on this platform, are ideal for dynamic applications which require precise measurement imaging to ensure safety and performance.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The non-GAAP measures provided in this press release should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in the United States. A reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP financial data is included in the supplemental financial data attached to this press release. Non-GAAP financial measures do not have any standardized meaning and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. AEye considers these non-GAAP financial measures to be important because they provide additional insight into the Company’s on-going performance. The Company provides this information to help investors evaluate the results of the Company’s on-going operations and to enable more meaningful and consistent period-to-period comparisons. Non-GAAP financial measures are presented only as supplemental information to understand the Company’s operating results. The non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with GAAP.

This press release includes non-GAAP financial measures, including:

Non-GAAP net loss, which is defined as GAAP net loss plus stock-based compensation, plus change in fair value of convertible note and warrant liabilities, plus one-time termination benefits and other restructuring costs, plus impairment of right-of-use assets; and

Adjusted EBITDA, defined as non-GAAP net loss plus depreciation and amortization expense, less interest income and other, less interest expense and other, plus provision for income tax expense.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are sometimes accompanied by words such as “believe,” “continue,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “predict,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “outlook,” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends, or that are not statements of historical matters. 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. Forward-looking statements included in this press release include statements about the launch of AEye’s new product, Apollo, the continued momentum with OEM and partner engagements, access to additional capital and the impact on AEye’s cash runway, and the Company’s cash position and cost reduction initiatives, among others. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as and must not be relied on by an investor as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction, or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are very difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from the assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of AEye. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (i) the risks that the significant OEM interest AEye has seen in its Apollo product, including the multiple OEM introductions, may not materialize into revenue to the extent anticipated, or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (ii) the risks that the new capital resources may not extend AEye’s runway to the extent anticipated, or at all; (iii) the risks that the tangible results seen from AEye’s Tier 1 partner, LITEON, may not materialize to the extent anticipated, or at all; (iv) the risks that the OEM interest driven by AEye’s partnership with LITEON may not continue to the extent anticipated, or at all; (v) the risks that AEye’s concentration on key fundamentals may not yield the results anticipated, or in the time frame anticipated; (vi) the risks that AEye may be unable to bring the Apollo product to market as anticipated, or at all, nor be able to actively pursue product design wins to the extent anticipated, or at all; (vii) the risks that the financial performance of AEye and the market trends may not continue as anticipated; (viii) the risks that the cash on hand may not be sufficient to extend AEye’s cash runway into the third quarter of 2025 due to unforeseen or other circumstances; (ix) the risks that AEye will be unable to access some or all of the $50 million in additional liquidity due to the limitations set forth in the associated stock purchase agreement, or otherwise; (x) the risks that AEye may be unable to outperform its cash burn guidance for 2024; (xi) the risks that the ongoing cash savings initiatives, capital raises, and other liquidity resources may not be sufficient to create a four-year cash runway, due to the inability to access the other liquidity sources, unforeseen circumstances, or otherwise; (xii) the risks that AEye’s continuing cost reduction initiatives may not continue to be effective to the extent anticipated, or at all, due to unforeseen circumstances, or such reductions may have other non-cash consequences negatively impacting AEye’s business operations; (xiii) the risks that market conditions create delays in the demand for commercial lidar products beyond AEye’s expectations; (xiv) the risks that lidar adoption occurs slower than anticipated or fails to occur at all; (xv) the risks that AEye’s products may not meet the diverse range of performance and functional requirements of target markets and customers; (xvi) the risks that AEye’s products may not function as anticipated by AEye, or by target markets and customers; (xvii) the risks that AEye may not be in a position to adequately or timely address either the near or long-term opportunities that may or may not exist in the evolving autonomous transportation industry; (xviii) the risks that laws and regulations are adopted impacting the use of lidar that AEye is unable to comply with, in whole or in part; (xix) the risks associated with changes in competitive and regulated industries in which AEye operates, variations in operating performance across competitors, and changes in laws and regulations affecting AEye’s business; (xx) the risks that AEye is unable to adequately implement its business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and identify and realize additional opportunities; and (xxi) the risks of economic downturns and a changing regulatory landscape in the highly competitive and evolving industry in which AEye operates. These risks and uncertainties may be amplified by current or future global conflicts and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, both of which continue to cause economic uncertainty. 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 periodic report that AEye has most recently filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, and other documents filed by us or that will be filed by us from time to time with the SEC. 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; AEye 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. AEye gives no assurance that AEye will achieve any of its expectations.

AEYE, INC.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
 
June 30,

2024
December 31,

2023
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents

$

11,215

 

$

16,932

 

Marketable securities

 

16,774

 

 

19,591

 

Accounts receivable, net

 

7

 

 

131

 

Inventories, net

 

382

 

 

583

 

Prepaid and other current assets

 

1,793

 

 

2,517

 

Total current assets

 

30,171

 

 

39,754

 

Right-of-use assets

 

10,499

 

 

11,226

 

Property and equipment, net

 

459

 

 

281

 

Restricted cash

 

2,150

 

 

2,150

 

Other noncurrent assets

 

735

 

 

906

 

Total assets

$

44,014

 

$

54,317

 

 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable

$

3,678

 

$

3,442

 

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

 

5,178

 

 

6,585

 

Contract liabilities

 

74

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

 

8,930

 

 

10,027

 

Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent

 

14,064

 

 

14,858

 

Convertible note

 

146

 

 

 

Other noncurrent liabilities

 

64

 

 

409

 

Total liabilities

 

23,204

 

 

25,294

 

Stockholders’ Equity:
Preferred stock

 

 

 

 

Common stock

 

1

 

 

1

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

376,658

 

 

366,647

 

Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income

 

(8

)

 

10

 

Accumulated deficit

 

(355,841

)

 

(337,635

)

Total stockholders’ equity

 

20,810

 

 

29,023

 

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

$

44,014

 

$

54,317

 

 

AEYE, INC.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(In thousands, except share amounts and per share data)

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

Three months ended

June 30,

 

Six months ended

June 30,

2024

 

2023

 

2024

 

2023

Revenue:
Prototype sales

$

6

 

$

245

 

$

26

 

$

370

 

Development contracts

 

26

 

 

326

 

 

26

 

 

837

 

Total revenue

 

32

 

 

571

 

 

52

 

 

1,207

 

Cost of revenue

 

160

 

 

1,911

 

 

423

 

 

4,172

 

Gross loss

 

(128

)

 

(1,340

)

 

(371

)

 

(2,965

)

Operating expenses:
Research and development

 

3,838

 

 

5,897

 

 

8,370

 

 

15,339

 

Sales and marketing

 

67

 

 

2,604

 

 

408

 

 

8,872

 

General and administrative

 

4,223

 

 

6,345

 

 

9,838

 

 

14,899

 

Total operating expenses

 

8,128

 

 

14,846

 

 

18,616

 

 

39,110

 

Loss from operations

 

(8,256

)

 

(16,186

)

 

(18,987

)

 

(42,075

)

Other income (expense):
Change in fair value of convertible note and warrant liabilities

 

(15

)

 

(116

)

 

(13

)

 

(926

)

Interest income and other

 

228

 

 

301

 

 

423

 

 

578

 

Interest expense and other

 

56

 

 

(11

)

 

373

 

 

165

 

Total other income (expense), net

 

269

 

 

174

 

 

783

 

 

(183

)

Loss before income tax expense

 

(7,987

)

 

(16,012

)

 

(18,204

)

 

(42,258

)

Provision for income tax expense

 

 

 

19

 

 

2

 

 

38

 

Net loss

$

(7,987

)

$

(16,031

)

$

(18,206

)

$

(42,296

)

 
Per Share Data
Net loss per common share (basic and diluted)

$

(1.16

)

$

(2.74

)

$

(2.80

)

$

(7.51

)

 
Weighted average common shares outstanding (basic and diluted)

 

6,874,454

 

 

5,855,866

 

 

6,499,089

 

 

5,632,091

 

 

AEYE, INC.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)
 

Six months ended June 30,

2024

 

2023

Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss

$

(18,206

)

$

(42,296

)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization

 

56

 

 

666

 

Gain on sale of property and equipment, net

 

 

 

(52

)

Noncash lease expense relating to operating lease right-of-use assets

 

727

 

 

706

 

Impairment of right-of-use assets

 

 

 

47

 

Inventory write-downs, net of scrapped inventory

 

112

 

 

544

 

Change in fair value of convertible note and warrant liabilities

 

13

 

 

926

 

Stock-based compensation

 

4,754

 

 

10,623

 

Amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts on marketable securities, net of change in accrued interest

 

(428

)

 

(65

)

Expected credit losses

 

34

 

 

 

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net

 

90

 

 

327

 

Inventories, current and noncurrent, net

 

89

 

 

(2,502

)

Prepaid and other current assets

 

724

 

 

2,884

 

Other noncurrent assets

 

171

 

 

(2,164

)

Accounts payable

 

108

 

 

282

 

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

 

(1,402

)

 

(785

)

Operating lease liabilities

 

(799

)

 

(749

)

Contract liabilities

 

74

 

 

(837

)

Other noncurrent liabilities

 

(358

)

 

 

Net cash used in operating activities

 

(14,241

)

 

(32,445

)

Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment

 

(234

)

 

(808

)

Proceeds from sale of property and equipment

 

 

 

96

 

Purchases of marketable securities

 

(15,173

)

 

 

Proceeds from redemptions and maturities of marketable securities

 

18,400

 

 

35,850

 

Net cash provided by investing activities

 

2,993

 

 

35,138

 

Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from exercise of stock options

 

134

 

 

391

 

Proceeds from the issuance of convertible note

 

146

 

 

 

Payments for convertible note redemptions

 

 

 

(4,973

)

Taxes paid related to the net share settlement of equity awards

 

(47

)

 

(1,051

)

Proceeds from issuance of common stock under the Common Stock Purchase Agreements

 

5,560

 

 

 

Stock issuance costs related to Common Stock Purchase Agreements

 

(288

)

 

 

Proceeds from issuance of common stock through the Employee Stock Purchase Plan

 

26

 

 

118

 

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

 

5,531

 

 

(5,515

)

Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

 

(5,717

)

 

(2,822

)

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period

 

19,082

 

 

21,214

 

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period

$

13,365

 

$

18,392

 

 

AEYE, INC.

Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures

(In thousands, except share amounts and per share data)

(Unaudited)
 

Three months ended

June 30,

 

Six months ended

June 30,

2024

 

2023

 

2024

 

2023

GAAP net loss

$

(7,987

)

$

(16,031

)

$

(18,206

)

$

(42,296

)

Non-GAAP adjustments:
Stock-based compensation

 

1,740

 

 

4,110

 

 

4,754

 

 

10,623

 

Change in fair value of convertible note and warrant liabilities

 

15

 

 

116

 

 

13

 

 

926

 

One-time termination benefits and other restructuring costs

 

 

 

45

 

 

 

 

1,298

 

Impairment of right-of-use assets

 

 

 

47

 

 

 

 

47

 

Non-GAAP net loss

$

(6,232

)

$

(11,713

)

$

(13,439

)

$

(29,402

)

Depreciation and amortization expense

 

27

 

 

336

 

 

56

 

 

666

 

Interest income and other

 

(228

)

 

(301

)

 

(423

)

 

(578

)

Interest expense and other

 

(56

)

 

(36

)

 

(373

)

 

(212

)

Provision for income tax expense

 

 

 

19

 

 

2

 

 

38

 

Adjusted EBITDA

$

(6,489

)

$

(11,695

)

$

(14,177

)

$

(29,488

)

 
GAAP net loss per share attributable to common stockholders:
Basic and diluted

$

(1.16

)

$

(2.74

)

$

(2.80

)

$

(7.51

)

Non-GAAP net loss per share attributable to common stockholders:
Basic and diluted

$

(0.91

)

$

(2.00

)

$

(2.07

)

$

(5.22

)

Shares used in computing GAAP net loss per share attributable to common stockholders:
Basic and diluted

 

6,874,454

 

 

5,855,866

 

 

6,499,089

 

 

5,632,091

 

Shares used in computing Non-GAAP net loss per share attributable to common stockholders:
Basic and diluted

 

6,874,454

 

 

5,855,866

 

 

6,499,089

 

 

5,632,091

 

 

Contacts

Investor Relations Contacts:



Agency Contact


Evan Niu, CFA

Financial Profiles, Inc.

eniu@finprofiles.com

310-622-8243



Company Contact

AEye, Inc. Investor Relations

info@aeye.ai

925-400-4366

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