Ess Tech (GWH) Q1 2025 Earnings Call May 15, 2025 05:00 PM ET Company Participants Erik Bylin - Head-Investor RelationsKelly Goodman - Interim CEOAnthony Rabb - Chief Financial OfficerThomas Boyes - VP - Equity Research Conference Call Participants Justin Clare - MD & Research AnalystBen Kallo - Senior Research Analyst Operator Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by. At this time, all participants are in listen only mode. Later, we will conduct a question and answer session. I would now like to tur ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported GAAP revenue of $600,000 for Q1 2025, with a cost of revenue of $8,700,000, reflecting the final deliveries of energy centers to a Florida utility [19][20] - Non-GAAP operating expenses for Q1 were $9,400,000, with R&D spending of $2,300,000 focused on cost reduction initiatives and technology improvements [21][22] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q1 was negative $15,000,000, but the company expects this loss to narrow as production ramps up in 2025 and beyond [21][22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The first quarter revenue was primarily tied to equipment (65%) and site preparation (35%) for battery systems [6] - The company is pivoting from energy warehouse and energy center products to a more focused strategy on energy-based products, which has already shown early momentum [7][8] - Proposal activity has increased significantly, totaling approximately 1.2 gigawatt hours and $400,000,000 in the last two quarters, with over 70% representing the energy base [10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company secured a contract for a 50 megawatt hour pilot project with an Arizona public power utility, beating over 10 competitors [8][9] - The project is expected to lead to a significant follow-on RFP opportunity, indicating strong demand for non-lithium ion longer duration storage technologies [9][10] - The company is experiencing increased inquiries and proposal activity due to the growing demand for alternatives to lithium-ion batteries [52][54] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on executing its energy-based product launch and gaining commercial momentum, with plans to demonstrate longer duration storage capabilities [6][11] - Strategic partnerships, particularly with Honeywell, are being leveraged to enhance product development and manufacturing capabilities [12][17] - The company aims to reduce costs and improve product performance to compete effectively with lithium-ion technologies [22] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the challenging capital markets environment and is actively pursuing options to extend the company's cash runway [17][24] - The company is optimistic about the legislative support for domestic battery manufacturing, which could benefit its operations [15][17] - Management expects to transition to EBITDA and cash flow positive in the next few years based on the anticipated ramp of energy-based production and sales [21][22] Other Important Information - The company ended Q1 2025 with $12,800,000 in cash and short-term investments, with a reduced cash burn rate compared to previous quarters [23][24] - The company is exploring various strategic financing alternatives to strengthen its balance sheet and extend its cash runway [25] Q&A Session Summary Question: Outlook for Q2 sales and ramp in the second half - Management confirmed that Q2 sales are expected to be similar to Q1, with a ramp in the second half contingent upon successful capital raising [27][28] Question: Cash runway and operational support - Management indicated that the current cash runway is supported by lower cash burn rates and ongoing discussions for interim financing solutions [29][32] Question: Details on the Arizona RFP requirements - The RFP required non-lithium solutions, and the company's ability to deliver over 10 hours of storage and operate in various temperatures contributed to its success [34][35] Question: Customer deposits for booked orders - Historical deposit ranges for booked orders are between 5% to 20%, with expectations to push towards the higher end for future contracts [38] Question: Status of the Australian project - The project is delayed due to government funding not coming through, with no further updates on timing [46] Question: Discussions with strategic partners - Ongoing discussions with Honeywell and other investors are productive, with a focus on strategic capital raising [49][50] Question: Impact of tariffs on customer inquiries - The company has seen a positive increase in inquiries due to tariff impacts and the drive for electrification growth [52][54]

Product & Strategy - ESS launched the Energy Base, a new product configuration scalable from 5 MW to 100+ MW with a duration of 10+ to 22 hours, utilizing the Iron Core technology[14,32] - The Energy Base is designed to be more capital efficient for both ESS and its customers, shifting manufacturing mix to higher margin components and lowering working capital burden[32,47] - ESS partners with Honeywell to optimize Energy Base design for quality, cost-efficiency, and scale, exploring product collaboration and procurement leverage[30] - ESS's product line is evolving to meet a broader range of use cases at larger scales, with the same core technology across all products[31] Market & Opportunities - Data centers' electricity demand is estimated to grow to 800 TWh by 2026, putting extreme pressure on aging infrastructure and increasing the risk of failure[37] - Power disruption accounts for 54% of impactful data center outages, highlighting the need for resilient power solutions[40] - ESS Energy Base enables fast deployment of additional grid capacity and increases grid balancing and resilience for data center customers[38] Financial Performance - Q1 2025 revenue was $0.6 million, a 78% decrease compared to $2.7 million in Q1 2024[53] - Q1 2025 net loss was $18.0 million, a 2% improvement compared to $18.3 million in Q1 2024[53] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q1 2025 was a loss of $15.0 million, a 3% improvement compared to a loss of $15.4 million in Q1 2024[53]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For the fiscal year 2024, the company reported revenue of $6.3 million, which was below the guidance range of $9 to $11 million, primarily due to a partner's inability to secure funding for orders [11][46] - The cost of revenue for the full year was $51.7 million, reflecting challenges in achieving expected revenue guidance [46] - The company achieved a nearly 60% reduction in its NOV adjustment per unit year-over-year, indicating progress in cost management [48] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company delivered six Energy Center (EC) systems to a Florida utility customer in December 2024, contributing significantly to revenue [14][44] - The Energy Center design achieved breakeven on a non-GAAP gross margin basis by the end of Q4 2024, hitting the target almost a year earlier than expected [19][50] - The company reported a 35% reduction in costs for the Energy Warehouse (EW) and a 26% reduction for the EC [52] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The demand for electricity in the U.S. is expected to grow by 35% to 50% between 2024 and 2040, driven by economic growth and the electrification of transport and heating [33] - The company is actively bidding on projects with the new energy base product, which is designed to meet increasing energy demands [34] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company plans to accelerate its strategic shift towards the Energy Center product deployment and the new energy base product in 2025 [13][20] - The energy base product is designed to be modular and scalable, allowing for greater flexibility in manufacturing and deployment [25][32] - The company aims to leverage partnerships, such as with Honeywell, to enhance manufacturing capabilities and reduce costs [24][98] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged challenges in the current operating environment, including capital raising and geopolitical uncertainties [5][37] - The company is focused on extending its cash runway through securing new capital and efficient management of expenses [66] - Management expressed optimism about the long-term potential of the energy storage market and the company's positioning within it [67] Other Important Information - The company is in the process of raising capital to bolster its balance sheet and support growth objectives [37][63] - The company received notice of falling below the NYSE market cap requirement of $50 million and is taking action to remedy this situation [40][41] Q&A Session Summary Question: Revenue growth trajectory and 2025 expectations - Management indicated that they will not provide guidance for 2025 but expect moderate revenue growth in the first half of the year, with a scale-up in the second half [73] Question: Trends in gross margins for 2025 - Management stated that they do not anticipate being U.S. GAAP gross margin positive in 2025 but expect to achieve that post-2025 [77] Question: Capital raising needs and Export-Import Bank financing - Management is looking to raise at least $50 million to access the full amount of the Export-Import Bank loan and anticipates drawing on it in the second quarter [79] Question: Performance metrics of products in the field - Management acknowledged operational issues with new technology deployments but highlighted improvements in software and documentation to enhance user experience [84][86] Question: Future operating expenses - Management indicated that operating expenses are expected to be slightly lower than the previous year, with a focus on reallocating resources to key initiatives [90][92] Question: Energy base product and manufacturing partners - Management clarified that the energy base product will involve manufacturing core components while potentially leveraging external partners for balance of system components [96][98]