Research Solutions(RSSS) - 2025 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q4 FY 2025 was $12.4 million, up from $12.1 million in Q4 FY 2024, marking a strong quarter for the business [9] - Annual recurring revenue (ARR) reached $21 million, growing 20% year-over-year [4] - Gross margin for Q4 was 51%, a 450 basis point improvement over the previous year, marking the first time gross margin exceeded 50% [12] - Net income for Q4 was $2.4 million, compared to a net loss of $2.8 million in the prior year [15] - For the full fiscal year 2025, total revenue was approximately $49.1 million, a 10% increase from fiscal 2024 [16] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Platform subscription revenue increased 21% year-over-year to approximately $5.2 million in Q4 [10] - B2B ARR grew significantly, with net B2B ARR growth of $724,000 in Q4, compared to $407,000 in the prior year [10] - Transaction revenue for Q4 was approximately $7.3 million, down from $7.9 million in the prior year [11] - Total deployments ended the year at 1,171, up 150 for the year [16] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company experienced a modest sequential decline in B2C ARR, attributed to seasonal challenges [11] - The total active customer count for Q4 was 1,338, down from 1,398 in the same period a year ago [12] - The company noted competitive pressures in the B2C space affecting near-term growth, but remains optimistic about long-term prospects [22] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to reach a $30 million platform ARR target by the end of FY 2027, focusing on product development and unique value delivery [4] - A shift from a transaction-based model to a vertical SaaS model is underway, with an emphasis on AI's impact on research workflows [7] - The company is pursuing a headless strategy, allowing customers to integrate services into their own systems and workflows [30] - New AI-based products are growing at nearly 4X the pace of legacy products, indicating a strong future focus on AI [8] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the momentum of B2B ARR growth and the potential for a return to low levels of growth in transaction revenue [22] - The company plans to continue investing in sales and marketing while aiming to reduce general and administrative expenses [23] - Management expects to maintain adjusted EBITDA margins above 10% and gross margins above 50% in FY 2026 [66] Other Important Information - The final earnout for the Scite acquisition was determined to be $15.4 million, with a cash mix increased to approximately 62% [18] - Cash flow from operations in FY 2025 was over $7 million, nearly double the previous year's result [20] - The company ended FY 2025 with a cash balance of $12.2 million, with no outstanding borrowings [21] Q&A Session Summary Question: Sequential uptick in ASP drivers - Management noted larger deals and improved sales execution as key drivers for the increase in average selling price [38] Question: Resolute software adaptation to new strategy - The company is focusing on leveraging Resolute's strong API capabilities within the headless strategy, enhancing its value proposition [40] Question: Competitive environment for API strategy - Management highlighted that while some publishers are exploring similar strategies, the company is uniquely positioned due to its extensive partnerships with various publishers [43] Question: Trends in COGS and platform optimization - Management indicated that cost stabilization and prepayment strategies have contributed to lower COGS despite revenue growth [47] Question: AI-related deals growth sustainability - Management expects continued strong growth in B2B AI-related deals, while B2C growth may moderate due to increased competition [50] Question: Strength in deals above $100,000 - The new sales process and pricing strategy have enabled the company to secure larger deals, with a focus on understanding customer pain points [52]