Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For the full year 2024, the company delivered revenue in line with significantly revised guidance, despite a challenging year [8] - Fourth quarter revenue was $9.1 million, a decrease of 31.9% from $41 million in the same period of 2023 [21] - Gross margin increased from 23% in the prior year to 32% in Q4 2024 due to a higher mix of buy-side revenue [16] - Operating expenses for Q4 2024 were $7.7 million, down from $18.1 million in the same period of 2023 [24] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q4 2024 was a loss of $3.4 million compared to a loss of $6.6 million in the same period of 2023 [25] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Sell-side revenue fell to $2.7 million in Q4 2024 from $33.4 million in Q4 2023, primarily due to a major customer's suspension following a defamatory article [21][22] - Buy-side revenue decreased to $6.4 million in Q4 2024 from $7.6 million in the same period of 2023, impacted by reduced spending from certain customers [23] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company is seeing sequential improvement in the first quarter of 2025 compared to November and December 2024, indicating a recovery trend [20] - Political advertising represented 50% to 60% of spending in Q4, significantly higher than the historical range of 10% to 15% [34] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on diversifying revenue sources and optimizing its business model, including the launch of Colossus Connections to enhance direct integration with demand-side platforms [12][13] - The strategy includes targeting small- and mid-size clients who are shifting advertising budgets to digital, emphasizing a high-touch client relationship [15] - The company is pursuing opportunities in the middle market, which is seen as a growth area due to its slower transition to digital [42][44] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the ability to scale both buy-side and sell-side businesses, reiterating revenue guidance of $90 million to $110 million for fiscal 2025 [19][28] - The second half of 2025 is expected to deliver strong gains as new direct sell-side partners come online [19][28] - Management noted that the company is well-positioned to capture market share and strengthen its offerings in the advertising technology space [20] Other Important Information - The company ended the year with cash and cash equivalents of $1.4 million, down from $5.1 million at the end of 2023 [26] - The company is actively pursuing funding and equity financing pathways to restore NASDAQ compliance and support growth initiatives [26] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of post-election malaise on Q4 and client spending recovery - Management noted that political spending was significantly higher in Q4, but December was softer than anticipated, impacting overall performance [34][35] Question: Aggressiveness on direct connections and curation strategy - The company sees opportunities in the middle market and plans to focus on expanding relationships with holdco-partners while also exploring curation opportunities [42][47] Question: Cost savings and annualized basis expectations - Management indicated potential annualized cost savings of $1.5 million to $2 million for 2025, reflecting ongoing operational optimizations [71] Question: Anticipation of positive cash flow - Management expects to return to a more normal cadence of cash flow in the third and fourth quarters of 2025 [73]