Core Insights - C3.ai, Inc. is entering a significant phase of operational reset, with federal bookings becoming a crucial aspect of its near-term strategy [1] - Federal, defense, and aerospace bookings surged by 89% year-over-year, accounting for approximately 45% of total bookings during Q2 fiscal 2026, despite a 43-day U.S. government shutdown impacting procurement [1][7] Group 1: Federal Demand and Partnerships - The strong performance in federal bookings is attributed to sustained demand from government agencies that are reassessing their technology needs and prioritizing commercial off-the-shelf AI solutions [2] - C3.ai has secured new and expanded agreements with various federal entities, including the Department of Health and Human Services and multiple military organizations, focusing on data consolidation and AI-driven analytics [2] - Nearly 89% of total bookings in the quarter were achieved through partnerships, indicating deeper collaboration with system integrators aligned with government mandates [3] Group 2: Future Outlook and Financial Metrics - Management emphasized the importance of monitoring bookings as a key performance indicator, especially as execution processes are being reset [4] - Although near-term financial metrics are constrained, the scale of federal demand and increased partner engagement suggest a promising outlook for the federal segment [4] Group 3: Stock Performance and Valuation - C3.ai's shares have decreased by 20.3% over the past three months, compared to a 15.6% decline in the industry [5] - The company trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 6.32, significantly lower than the industry average of 13.73 [9] - Projections indicate a potential earnings decline of 195.1% year-over-year for fiscal 2026, contrasting with expected growth for other industry players [13]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q2 was $75.1 million, a quarter-over-quarter increase of 7% [19] - Subscription revenue was $70.2 million, a quarter-over-quarter increase of 16.5%, representing 93% of total revenue [19] - Non-GAAP gross profit was $40.9 million, with a non-GAAP gross margin of 54% [21] - Non-GAAP operating loss for the quarter was $42.2 million, and non-GAAP net loss was $34.8 million, equating to $0.25 per share [21] - Free cash flow for the quarter was negative $46.9 million, with $675 million in cash and equivalents at quarter-end [22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Bookings increased by 49% sequentially to $86 million, with significant traction in federal business [5][20] - Total bookings across federal, defense, and aerospace increased by 89% year over year, accounting for 45% of total bookings [6] - Professional services revenue was $4.9 million, representing 7% of total revenue [20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The federal market is identified as a large growth vector, with agencies moving towards commercial off-the-shelf solutions [6] - The company signed new agreements with various federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Defense [6][7] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to return to rapid growth and a path towards free cash flow positive and non-GAAP profitability [14] - Focus on driving sales execution and doubling down on products and industries where the company has demonstrable leadership [15] - The product roadmap includes innovations like C3.ai Agentic Process Automation, which expands the scope of what customers can accomplish [12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledges challenges from a government shutdown but remains optimistic about the demand for enterprise AI [5][30] - The management team is focused on delivering economic value quickly to convert opportunities into agreements [27][36] - The company is benefiting from trends such as the push for AI adoption and the reindustrialization of the maritime industrial base [34] Other Important Information - The company has established a detailed financial model and operational objectives to facilitate growth [17][18] - The partner ecosystem is crucial, with 89% of bookings in Q2 closed through partnerships [10] Q&A Session Summary Question: Explanation for the decline in business performance - Management attributed the decline to poor sales execution and acknowledged that demand for enterprise AI is accelerating [26] Question: Clarification on revenue from demo licenses - The revenue of $21.9 million was from demo licenses [31] Question: Outlook for professional services revenue mix - Long-term expectations for professional services mix remain between 10%-20% of revenue [32] Question: Future outlook for federal business - The federal business is expected to be a durable growth engine, driven by government trends towards commercial solutions and AI adoption [33] Question: Initiatives for better growth and accountability - Management emphasized the importance of rigorous evaluation and delivery of value to drive growth [36]

Core Insights - C3.ai, Inc.'s first-quarter fiscal 2026 results showed a 19% year-over-year revenue decline to $70.3 million, attributed to weaker demand for demonstration licenses and organizational changes [1][8] - Despite the weak start, the company remains optimistic about global trends in AI-based solutions, with approximately 60 large-scale customer engagements across various sectors [2][8] - The introduction of the Strategic Integrator Program aims to enhance platform adoption through partnerships with systems integrators and OEMs, which has received positive early feedback [3][8] Company Positioning - C3.ai is strategically positioned in the generative AI landscape, focusing on industry-specific, production-ready AI applications and a strong alliance with Microsoft to facilitate market integration [5] - The company faces competition from BigBear.ai, which specializes in defense-oriented AI solutions, and Palantir Technologies, which utilizes a platform-first approach to unify complex datasets [6][7] - C3.ai's integrated offerings, including the C3 Agentic AI platform, address various challenges in generative AI, such as cybersecurity risks and data access control [2][4]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q3 increased 26% year-over-year to $98.8 million, with subscription revenue growing 22% to $85.7 million, representing 87% of total revenue [16][34] - Non-GAAP gross profit was $68.2 million, resulting in a gross margin of 69% [16][37] - Non-GAAP operating loss improved to $23.1 million, better than the guidance of $38.6 million to $46.6 million [17][38] - Free cash flow for Q3 was negative $22.4 million, an improvement from negative $45.1 million in the same quarter last year [40] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from software licenses was $28.6 million, while professional services revenue was $13.1 million, accounting for 13% of total revenue [34][36] - Subscription and professional engineering services revenue combined was $91.4 million, representing 93% of total revenue, an increase of 18% compared to the previous year [37] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The partnership with Microsoft resulted in closing 28 agreements across nine different industries, marking a 460% increase quarter-over-quarter [18][22] - The joint qualified sales pipeline with Microsoft surged 244% year-over-year, targeting 621 eligible customer opportunities [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on expanding its strategic alliances with Microsoft, AWS, and McKinsey QuantumBlack to enhance global reach and execution speed [20][29] - The emphasis on Generative AI and Agentic AI is expected to drive innovation and customer traction, with plans to ensure proper organization for expanding direct sales and services [30][31] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's positioning to capitalize on the growing enterprise AI market, with fiscal years 2026 and 2027 expected to focus on expanded growth and market share [31][32] - The company anticipates continued moderation in gross margins due to a higher mix of pilots in the near term, but expects to be free cash flow positive for Q4 [43][44] Other Important Information - The company closed 50 pilots during Q3, with 245 still active, indicating strong customer engagement [42] - The company ended the quarter with $724.3 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, indicating strong capitalization [40] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you provide more color on the total number of pitches and pipeline? - Management indicated involvement in over 600 engagements with Microsoft, with 28 agreements closed in the last quarter [49][56] Question: Can you discuss remaining performance obligations trends? - Management noted that the total remaining performance obligations (RPO) at the end of the quarter was around $208 million, with expectations of some decline in RPO in the near term [62] Question: What drove the outperformance in professional services this quarter? - The outperformance was attributed to an uptick in revenue from consulting services, paid implementation services, and training services [78] Question: Why are demonstration licenses outperforming? - The increase in demonstration licenses was driven by the need to equip sales teams with effective tools to engage customers independently, resulting in higher revenue recognition [84][85]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q3 increased 26% year-over-year to $98.8 million, with subscription revenue growing by 22% to $85.7 million, representing 87% of total revenue [15][33] - Non-GAAP gross profit was $68.2 million, resulting in a gross margin of 69% [15][36] - Non-GAAP operating loss improved to $23.1 million, better than the guidance of $38.6 million to $46.6 million [16][37] - Free cash flow for Q3 was negative $22.4 million, an improvement from negative $45.1 million in the same quarter last year [39] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from software licenses was $28.6 million, while professional services revenue was $13.1 million, accounting for 13% of total revenue [33][35] - Subscription and professional engineering services revenue combined was $91.4 million, representing an 18% increase compared to the previous year [36] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The partnership with Microsoft resulted in 28 closed agreements across nine different industries, marking a 460% increase quarter-over-quarter [17][21] - The joint qualified sales pipeline with Microsoft surged by 244% year-over-year, targeting 621 accounts recognized as eligible customer opportunities [18] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on expanding its strategic alliances with Microsoft, AWS, and McKinsey QuantumBlack to enhance global reach and execution speed [19][20] - The emphasis on Generative AI and Agentic AI is expected to drive innovation and customer traction, with a goal of increasing market share in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 [30][31] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's positioning to capitalize on the growing enterprise AI market, highlighting the importance of their partner ecosystem [30][31] - The company anticipates continued investments in sales, partner ecosystem, and research and development, expecting to be free cash flow positive in Q4 [42][43] Other Important Information - The company closed 50 pilots during Q3, with 310 pilots cumulatively signed, of which 245 are still active [41] - The total accounts receivable balance at the end of Q3 was $180.4 million, with a strong health of accounts receivables [40] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you give more color on the total number of pitches and pipeline? - The company is currently involved in over 600 engagements with Microsoft, with 28 agreements closed in the last quarter [48][55] Question: Can you discuss the trends in remaining performance obligations? - The total remaining performance obligations (RPO) at the end of the quarter was around $208 million, with expectations of some decline in RPO in the near term [61] Question: What drove the outperformance in professional services this quarter? - The uptick in professional services revenue was driven by increased revenue from consulting services, paid implementation services, and training services [78] Question: Why are demonstration licenses outperforming this year? - The increase in demonstration licenses is attributed to the need for sales teams to have effective tools to engage customers, leading to a significant rise in interest from large organizations [82][84]