Iris Energy (IREN) - 2026 Q1 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-11-06 23:00

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q1 FY26 reached $240 million, representing a 28% increase quarter over quarter and a 355% increase year over year [16] - Adjusted EBITDA was $92 million, reflecting continued margin strength despite higher payroll tax expenses of $33 million accrued in the quarter [16][17] - Operating expenses increased primarily due to higher depreciation and SG&A expenses, largely driven by a higher share price [16] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company announced a significant $9.7 billion AI cloud contract with Microsoft, expected to generate approximately $1.94 billion in annual recurring revenue [5][17] - The expansion plan includes scaling the GPU fleet from 23,000 GPUs to 140,000 GPUs by the end of 2026, which is projected to support an annualized run rate revenue of approximately $3.4 billion [6][10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The AI cloud services market is experiencing strong demand, with the company positioned as a strategic partner for major technology firms, including Microsoft [6][9] - The company is seeing increased demand for air-cooled variants of NVIDIA's GPUs, indicating robust market interest [10][33] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on vertical integration, controlling the entire stack from power supply to GPU deployment, which is seen as a key differentiator in the AI cloud services market [7][8] - Future expansions will leverage existing data centers to maintain capital efficiency while accommodating growing customer demand [10][12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the execution of the Microsoft contract and the overall growth strategy, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a strong balance sheet and access to capital markets [20][21] - The company anticipates continued strong demand for its services, particularly in AI workloads, and is actively engaging with various customer segments [32][44] Other Important Information - The company has secured $1.8 billion in cash as of the end of October, which will support upcoming capital expenditures [20] - The design enhancements for data centers are aimed at ensuring long-term value protection and accommodating future generations of GPUs [12][30] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you expand on the strategic value of the Microsoft deal? - The deal demonstrates the company's capability to service a major technology firm and validates its proprietary data center design, enhancing its market credibility [22][23] Question: What is the expected return profile of the Microsoft deal? - The unlevered IRR is expected to be in the low double digits, while the levered IRR could reach 25-30% depending on financing structures [24][25] Question: How is the company addressing GPU demand and future-proofing? - The design accommodates future generations of GPUs with higher rack densities, ensuring scalability and efficiency [29][30] Question: What is the level of interest in the Sweetwater site? - There is strong interest across all sites, including Sweetwater, with significant capacity available for future service offerings [35] Question: How does the company view risk in cloud deals versus colocation? - The company believes cloud deals present a better risk proposition compared to colocation, especially with the backing of a strong credit profile like Microsoft's [46][47] Question: What are the dynamics of pricing in the cloud market? - The company is experiencing increasing demand and pricing per GPU hour, indicating a robust market environment [31][32] Question: Can you provide an update on the contracting of GPUs in British Columbia? - The company has contracted 12,000 out of the initial 23,000 GPUs, with ongoing strong demand and late-stage discussions for the remaining capacity [43][44]