Appian Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2018 Financial Results


Fourth quarter subscription revenue increased 44% year-over-year to $33.8 million
Fourth quarter total revenue increased 19% year-over-year to $60.2 million

RESTON, Va., Feb. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Appian (Nasdaq: APPN) today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2018.

"Appian is the first and only company to go public as a low-code vendor so far. Our growth in 2018 demonstrates our leadership in the low-code industry,” said Matt Calkins, CEO & Founder.

 Fourth Quarter 2018 Financial Highlights:

  • Revenue: Subscription revenue was $33.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, up 44% compared to the fourth quarter of 2017. Total subscriptions, software and support revenue increased 38% year-over-year to $35.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2018.   Professional services revenue was $25.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to $25.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2017. Total revenue was $60.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, up 19% compared to the fourth quarter of 2017. Subscription revenue retention rate was 117% as of December 31, 2018.

  • Operating loss and non-GAAP operating loss: GAAP operating loss was $(13.3) million for the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to $(7.0) million for the fourth quarter of 2017.  Non-GAAP operating loss was $(8.5) million for the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to $(4.9) million for the fourth quarter of 2017.
     
  • Net loss and non-GAAP net loss: GAAP net loss was $(13.9) million for the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to $(6.9) million for the fourth quarter of 2017.  GAAP net loss per share attributable to common stockholders was $(0.22) for the fourth quarter of 2018 based on 63.8 million weighted-average shares outstanding, compared to $(0.11) for the fourth quarter of 2017 based on 60.4 million weighted-average shares outstanding.  Non-GAAP net loss was $(9.1) million for the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to $(4.8) million for the fourth quarter of 2017.  Non-GAAP net loss per share was $(0.14) for the fourth quarter of 2018, based on 63.8 million basic and diluted shares outstanding, compared to $(0.08) for the fourth quarter of 2017, based on 60.4 million basic and diluted shares outstanding. 

Full Year 2018 Financial Highlights:

  • Revenue: Subscription revenue was $115.7 million for the full year 2018, up 40% compared to the full year 2017. Total subscriptions, software and support revenue was $126.0 million for the full year 2018, an increase of 38% from the prior year. Professional services revenue was $100.7 million for the full year 2018, an increase of 18% from the prior year. Total revenue was $226.7 million for the full year 2018, up 28% compared to the full year 2017.
     
  • Operating loss and non-GAAP operating loss: GAAP operating loss was $(46.7) million for the full year 2018, compared to $(31.8) million for full year 2017.  Non-GAAP operating loss was $(30.7) million for the full year 2018, compared to $(18.8) million for the full year 2017.
  • Net loss and non-GAAP net loss: GAAP net loss was $(49.5) million for the full year 2018, compared to $(31.0) million for the full year 2017.  GAAP net loss per basic and diluted share attributable to common stockholders was $(0.80) for the year 2018 based on 62.1 million weighted average shares outstanding, compared to $(0.63) for the full year 2017 based on 49.5 million weighted average shares outstanding.  Non-GAAP net loss was $(33.4) million for the full year 2018, compared to $(17.3) million for the full year 2017.  Non-GAAP net loss per share was $(0.54) for the full year 2018, based on 62.1 million basic and diluted shares outstanding, compared to $(0.30) for the full year 2017, based on 57.0 million basic and diluted shares outstanding.
     
  • Balance sheet and cash flows: As of December 31, 2018, Appian had cash and cash equivalents of $94.9 million. For the fourth quarter of 2018, cash used in operating activities was $(7.4) million, compared with cash provided by operating activities of $1.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2017. Cash used in operating activities was $(31.3) million for the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to $(9.1) million for the year ended December 31, 2017.

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.”

Fourth Quarter 2018 Business Highlights:

  • Announced “The Appian Guarantee”, which states that new Appian Cloud customers can deploy their first project in just eight weeks and that a technical person can learn Appian in only two weeks. The Appian Guarantee emphasizes Appian's accessibility edge in the low-code market.
  • Announced Appian will work with Geoscience Australia, part of the Australian Government under the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, to improve and digitize the processes supporting travel card integration within the organization’s financial systems.

Financial Outlook:

As of February 21, 2019, guidance for the first quarter 2019 and full year 2019 is as follows:

  • First Quarter 2019 Guidance:
       •   Subscription revenue is expected to be in the range of $33.3 million and $33.6 million, representing year-over-year growth of between 31% and 32%.
       •   Total revenue is expected to be in the range of $59.5 million and $59.8 million, representing year-over-year growth of between 15% and 16%. 
       •   Non-GAAP operating loss is expected to be in the range of $(10.5) million and $(10.0) million.
       •   Non-GAAP net loss per share is expected to be in the range of $(0.17) and $(0.16). This assumes 64.3 million weighted average common shares outstanding.
  • Full Year 2019 Guidance:
       •   Subscription revenue is expected to be in the range of $148.0 million and $150.0 million, representing year-over-year growth of between 28% and 30%.
       •   Total revenue is expected to be in the range of $258.5 million and $262.5 million, representing year-over-year growth of between 14% and 16%. 
       •   Non-GAAP operating loss is expected to be in the range of $(29.5) million and $(27.5) million.
       •   Non-GAAP net loss per share is expected to be in the range of $(0.46) and $(0.42).  This assumes 65.1 million non-GAAP weighted average common shares outstanding.

Conference Call Details:

Appian will host a conference call today, February 21, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. ET to discuss Appian’s financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2018 and business outlook. The live webcast of the conference call can be accessed on the Investor Relations page of Appian’s website at http://investors.appian.com. To access the call, please dial (877) 407-0792 in the U.S. or (201) 689-8263 internationally.  Following the call, an archived webcast will be available at the same location on the Investor Relations page.  A telephone replay will be available for one week at (844) 512-2921 in the U.S. or (412) 317-6671 internationally with recording access code 13686334.

About Appian

Appian (NASDAQ: APPN) provides a low-code development platform that accelerates the creation of high-impact business applications. Many of the world’s largest organizations use Appian applications to improve customer experience, achieve operational excellence, and simplify global risk management and compliance. For more information, visit www.appian.com

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 measures, including non-GAAP operating loss, non-GAAP net loss, non-GAAP net loss per share and non-GAAP weighted average shares outstanding. These non-GAAP financial measures exclude the effect of stock-based compensation expense, change in fair value of warrant liability, loss on extinguishment of debt and gain on disposal of an asset. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or 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, please see the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their nearest comparable GAAP measures at the end of this press release.

Appian uses these non-GAAP financial measures for financial and operational decision-making and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. Appian’s management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding Appian’s performance by excluding certain expenses that may not be indicative of its recurring core business operating results. Appian believes that 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.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements. 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 first quarter and full-year 2019, 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 subscription revenue and total revenue growth, are forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate," believe," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "will" 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, 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, the potential fluctuation of Appian’s future quarterly results of operations, Appian’s ability to shift its revenue towards subscriptions and away from professional services, Appian’s ability to operate in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, Appian’s strategic relationships with third parties and use of third-party licensed software and its platform’s compatibility with third-party applications, and the timing of Appian’s recognition of subscription revenue which may delay the effect of near term changes in sales on its operating results, and the additional risks and uncertainties set forth in the "Risk Factors" section of Appian’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 21, 2019 and other reports that Appian has filed 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 Contact
Staci Mortenson
ICR
703-442-1091
investors@appian.com

Media Contact
Nicole Greggs
Director, Media Relations
703-260-7868
nicole.greggs@appian.com

 
APPIAN CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
        
  December 31,   December 31, 
  2018   2017 
        
Assets       
Current assets       
Cash and cash equivalents$94,930  $73,758 
Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $600 and $400 at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively 79,383   55,315 
Deferred commissions, current 14,020   9,117 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 21,293   7,032 
Total current assets  209,626   145,222 
Property and equipment, net 7,539   2,663 
Deferred commissions, net of current portion 15,088   12,376 
Deferred tax assets 326   281 
Other assets 601   511 
Total assets$233,180  $161,053 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity       
Current liabilities       
Accounts payable$9,249  $5,226 
Accrued expenses 7,464   6,467 
Accrued compensation and related benefits 13,796   12,075 
Deferred revenue, current 95,523   70,165 
Other current liabilities 2,369   1,182 
Total current liabilities  128,401   95,115 
Deferred tax liabilities 42   87 
Deferred revenue, net of current portion 16,145   18,922 
Deferred rent, net of current portion 15,400   1,404 
Total liabilities 159,988   115,528 
Stockholders’ equity       
Class A common stock—par value $0.0001; 500,000,000 shares authorized and 29,626,054 shares
  issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2018; 500,000,000 shares authorized and 13,030,081 shares
  issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2017
 3   1 
Class B common stock—par value $0.0001; 100,000,000 shares authorized and 34,290,383 shares
  issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2018; 100,000,000 shares authorized and 47,569,796 shares
  issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2017
 3   5 
Additional paid-in capital 218,284   141,268 
Accumulated other comprehensive income 542   439 
Accumulated deficit (145,640)  (96,188)
Total stockholders’ equity 73,192   45,525 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity$233,180  $161,053 
        

 

                
APPIAN CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
                
 Three Months Ended December 31,
 Year Ended December 31,
  2018   2017   2018   2017 
          
 (unaudited)
        
Revenue:               
Subscriptions, software and support $  35,108  $  25,398  $  126,012  $  91,514 
Professional services    25,108     25,164     100,731     85,223 
Total revenue   60,216     50,562     226,743     176,737 
Cost of revenue:               
Subscriptions, software and support    3,284     2,488     11,997     9,379 
Professional services    18,926     16,169     72,928     55,218 
Total cost of revenue   22,210     18,657     84,925     64,597 
Gross profit   38,006     31,905     141,818     112,140 
Operating expenses:               
Sales and marketing   30,177     22,463     105,992     81,966 
Research and development    12,332     8,968     44,724     34,835 
General and administrative   8,799     7,429     37,821     27,150 
Total operating expenses    51,308     38,860     188,537     143,951 
Operating loss   (13,302)    (6,955)    (46,719)    (31,811)
Other expense (income):               
Other expense (income), net   510     (380)    2,295     (2,038)
Interest expense   64     22     198     473 
Total other expense (income)   574     (358)    2,493     (1,565)
Loss before income taxes   (13,876)    (6,597)    (49,212)    (30,246)
Income tax expense   27     272     239     761 
Net loss   (13,903)    (6,869)    (49,451)    (31,007)
Accretion of dividends on convertible preferred stock   —     —     —     357 
Net loss attributable to common stockholders$  (13,903) $  (6,869) $  (49,451) $  (31,364)
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders:               
Basic and diluted$  (0.22) $  (0.11) $  (0.80) $  (0.63)
Weighted average common shares outstanding:               
Basic and diluted   63,793,704     60,434,368     62,140,684     49,529,833 
                

 

 
APPIAN CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
STOCK BASED COMPENSATION EXPENSE
(in thousands)
            
            
 Three Months Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31,
  2018  2017  2018  2017
        
 (unaudited)      
Cost of revenue:           
Subscriptions, software and support$159 $91 $514 $575
Professional services 1,072  169  1,717  1,295
Operating Expenses           
Sales and marketing 1,692  451  3,473  3,233
Research and development 1,310  364  2,416  2,822
General and administrative 574  982  7,934  5,051
Total stock-based compensation expense$4,807 $2,057 $16,054 $12,976
            

 

        
APPIAN CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
        
 Year Ended December 31,
  2018 2017
Cash flows from operating activities:       
Net loss$  (49,451) $  (31,007)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in
  operating activities:
       
Depreciation and amortization 2,021   886 
Gain on disposal of equipment (4)  - 
Bad debt expense 211   62 
Deferred income taxes (218)  (200)
Stock-based compensation 16,054   12,976 
Fair value adjustment for warrant liability -   341 
Loss on extinguishment of debt -   384 
Changes in assets and liabilities:        
Accounts receivable (23,332)  (9,716)
Prepaid expenses and other assets (1,025)  (4,162)
Deferred commissions (7,615)  (3,487)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses 7,461   4,077 
Accrued compensation and related benefits (3)  2,365 
Other current liabilities 1,823   383 
Deferred revenue 23,023   18,344 
Deferred rent, non-current (266)  (374)
Net cash used in operating activities  (31,321   (9,128)
Cash flows from investing activities:       
Purchases of property and equipment (7,014)  (433)
Proceeds from sale of equipment 4   - 
Net cash used in investing activities  (7,010)  (433)
Cash flows from financing activities:       
Proceeds from initial public offering, net of underwriting discounts -   80,213 
Proceeds from public offering, net of underwriting discounts 58,258   - 
Payment of costs related to public offerings (429)  (2,424)
Payment of dividend to Series A preferred stockholders -   (7,565)
Proceeds from exercise of common stock options 3,133   1,108 
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt, net of debt issuance costs -   19,616 
Repayment of long-term debt -   (40,000)
Net cash provided by financing activities  60,962   50,948 
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (1,459)  1,228 
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 21,172   42,615 
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 73,758   31,143 
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period$  94,930  $  73,758 
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:       
Cash paid for interest$  46  $  515 
Cash paid for income taxes$  680  $  615 
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash financing activities:       
Conversion of convertible preferred stock to common stock$-  $  48,207 
Conversion of convertible preferred stock warrant to common stock warrant$-  $  1,191 
Accretion of dividends on convertible preferred stock$-  $  357 
        

 

            
APPIAN CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
RECONCILIATION OF GAAP MEASURES TO NON-GAAP MEASURES
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
(unaudited)
            
            
 Three Months Ended December 31,
 Year Ended December 31,
 2018  2017  2018  2017 
Reconciliation of non-GAAP operating loss:           
GAAP operating loss$(13,302) $(6,955) $(46,719) $(31,811)
Add back:           
Stock-based compensation expense4,807  2,057  16,054  12,976 
Non-GAAP operating loss$(8,495) $(4,898) $(30,665) $(18,835)
            
Reconciliation of non-GAAP net loss:           
GAAP net loss$(13,903) $(6,869) $(49,451) $(31,007)
Add back:           
Stock-based compensation expense4,807  2,057  16,054  12,976 
Change in fair value of warrant liability      341 
Loss on extinguishment of debt      384 
Gain on disposal of asset    (4)  
Non-GAAP net loss$(9,096) $(4,812) $(33,401) $(17,306)
            
Non-GAAP earnings per share:           
Non-GAAP net loss$(9,096) $(4,812) $(33,401) $(17,306)
Non-GAAP weighted average shares used to compute net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted63,793,704  60,434,368  62,140,684  57,043,906 
Non-GAAP net loss per share, basic and diluted$(0.14) $(0.08) $(0.54) $(0.30)
            
Reconciliation of non-GAAP net loss per share, basic and diluted:           
GAAP net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted$(0.22) $(0.11) $(0.80) $(0.63)
Add back:           
Non-GAAP adjustments to net loss per share0.08  0.03  0.26  0.33 
Non-GAAP net loss per share, basic and diluted$(0.14) $(0.08) $(0.54) $(0.30)
            
Reconciliation of non-GAAP weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted:           
GAAP weighted average shares used to compute net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted63,793,704  60,434,368  62,140,684  49,529,833 
Add back:           
Additional weighted average shares giving effect to conversion of preferred stock at the beginning of the period      7,514,073 
Non-GAAP weighted average shares used to compute net loss per share, basic and diluted63,793,704  60,434,368  62,140,684  57,043,906