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Cars.com Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Results

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Exceeded Fourth Quarter Guidance, Delivered 7% Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth

Achieved 7% Year-Over-Year ARPD Growth coupled with Strong Fourth Quarter OEM Performance

Generated $137MM of Annual Cash Flows From Operating Activities

CHICAGO, Feb. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Cars.com Inc. (NYSE: CARS) (d/b/a “Cars Commerce Inc.” or the “Company”), an audience-driven technology company empowering the automotive industry, today released its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2023.

Q4 2023 Financial and Key Metric Highlights

Revenue of $179.6 million, up $11.4 million, or 7% year-over-yearNet income of $8.3 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, compared to Net Income of $10.3 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, in the prior yearAdjusted EBITDA of $55.4 million, or 31% of revenue, up $5.9 million year-over-yearAverage Monthly Unique Visitors (“UVs”) of 24.3 million, compared to 24.6 million a year agoTraffic (“Visits”) of 142.7 million, up 2% year-over-yearMonthly Average Revenue Per Dealer (“ARPD”) of $2,523, up 7% year-over-yearDealer Customers totaled 19,504[1] as of December 31, 2023, up 789 compared to 18,715 as of September 30, 2023

2023 Full-Year Financial and Key Metric Highlights

Revenue of $689.2 million, up $35.3 million, or 5% year-over-yearNet income of $118.4 million, or $1.74 per diluted share, compared to Net income of $17.2 million, or $0.25 per diluted share, in the prior year. Current year Net income was primarily related to the release of a significant portion of the Company’s valuation allowanceAdjusted EBITDA of $194.9 million, or 28.3% of revenue, compared to $186.7 million, or 28.6% of revenue in the prior yearCash flows from operating activities of $136.7 million, compared to $128.5 million in the prior year, with Free cash flow of $115.8 million, compared to $108.8 million in the prior yearUVs of 26.4 million, even compared to the prior yearTraffic of 614.8 million, up 5% year-over-year, setting an all-time Company record for traffic

Operational Highlights

AccuTrade was selected by FordDirect as its preferred Vehicle Acquisition and Trade & Appraisal solution for The Shop, a newly launched preferred vendor selection program for its more than 3,000 U.S. Ford and Lincoln retailersClosed on the acquisition of D2C Media, a leading provider of website and digital advertising solutions; integration of teams and technology underway supporting the Company’s expanding presence in CanadaDebuted VIN Performance Media, a new advertising solution that combines three of the Company’s existing media products into a single solution that saves dealers time and money, while maximizing ad performance and operational efficiency

“2023 marked a year of significant progress. We advanced our platform strategy through the introduction of Cars Commerce, the rollout of our Marketplace Repackaging initiative and our expansion into Canada with the acquisition of D2C Media. Our focus on simplifying everything about buying and selling cars enabled us to continue to deliver value for consumers, dealers, and OEMs, supporting our twelve consecutive quarters of year-over-year profitable revenue growth,” said Alex Vetter, Chief Executive Officer of Cars Commerce. “We begin 2024 well-positioned to continue building on this momentum, unlocking new growth opportunities and driving commerce for the auto industry.”

Q4 2023 Results

Revenue for the fourth quarter, which includes two months of activity related to D2C Media, totaled $179.6 million, an increase of $11.4 million, or up 7%, compared to the prior year period. Excluding D2C Media, the Company’s  revenue would have increased 5%, year-over-year.

Dealer revenue grew 8% year-over-year, driven by continued growth in solutions and media products and the 2023 Marketplace Repackaging initiative. OEM and National revenue also grew 8%, year-over-year driven by a 24% increase in OEM customer revenue. Sequentially, OEM and National revenue increased 6%, driven by 11% growth in OEM customer revenue.

Fourth quarter ARPD grew 7%, or $162, year-over-year to $2,523, primarily driven by the 2023 Marketplace Repackaging initiative. As of December 31, 2023, Dealer Customers totaled 19,504, including 950 dealers associated with the Company’s D2C Media acquisition, an increase of 789 compared to 18,715 at the end of the third quarter of 2023.

Total operating expenses for the fourth quarter were $164.7 million, compared to $148.4 million for the prior year period. Adjusted Operating Expenses for the quarter were $150.8 million, a $10.1 million increase compared to the prior year period. The change in Adjusted operating expenses is primarily due to continued investments in people, an increase in depreciation and amortization, and investments in marketing to support the launch of the Company’s Cars Commerce brand.

Net income for the quarter was $8.3 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, compared to Net income of $10.3 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2022. The change in Net income is primarily attributable to the changes in the fair value contingent consideration associated with the Company’s prior acquisitions.

Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded sequentially throughout the year, reaching 31% of revenue for the quarter, or $55.4 million, compared to 29% of revenue, or $49.5 million, for the prior year period.

2023 Full-Year Results

Revenue for the year totaled $689.2 million, an increase of $35.3 million, or up 5%, compared to the prior year period. Dealer revenue grew 7% year-over-year, driven by the continued growth in solutions and media and the 2023 Marketplace Repackaging initiative. OEM and National revenue was down 5%, year-over-year; while OEM revenue increased 8% relative to the prior year, revenue from insurance customers was down compared to a year ago. Other Revenue was $4.5 million lower compared to the prior year primarily due to the planned expiration of a non-cash transition services agreement related to AccuTrade in the first quarter of 2023.

For the year, total operating expenses were $635.1 million, compared to $587.8 million in 2022. Adjusted Operating Expenses for the year were $594.1 million, a $38.2 million increase compared to the prior year that was largely driven by increased compensation and employee related expenses, particularly in Marketing and sales and Product and technology. Additionally, as the Company has accelerated product development and technology investments, Depreciation and amortization expense was also up, year-over-year.

Marketing and sales costs increased primarily due to higher compensation and higher investments in Brand Media to support both the Company’s Possibilities advertising campaign and launch of its enterprise brand, Cars Commerce.

2023 Net income totaled $118.4 million, or $1.74 per diluted share, compared to Net income of $17.2 million, or $0.25 per diluted share in the prior year. The increase in Net income is primarily related to the release of a significant portion of the Company’s valuation allowance, given the expectation of projected future income and utilization of the Company’s tax assets.

Adjusted EBITDA for the year totaled $194.9 million, or 28.3% of revenue, compared to $186.7 million, or 28.6% of revenue, in the prior year period.

The Company remained focused on driving high-quality traffic at scale. Organic traffic remained strong at 61% for the year and Average Monthly Unique Visitors for the year were in line with the prior year. In 2023, total Traffic increased 5%, reaching 614.8 million, a new all-time Company record.

Cash Flow and Balance Sheet

Net cash provided by operating activities in 2023 was $136.7 million, compared to $128.5 million in the prior year. Free cash flow in 2023 totaled $115.8 million compared to $108.8 million in 2022. The increase is primarily due to  an $8.2 million year-over-year increase in Adjusted EBITDA and favorable working capital, partially offset by a year-over-year increase in cash taxes of $17.1 million.

In 2023, the Company made $36.3 million in debt payments. Total debt outstanding was $490.0 million as of December 31, 2023 and the Company’s net leverage (as defined in the Company’s credit facility) remained within its target net leverage range of 2.0x to 2.5x, improving to 2.3x, compared to 2.4x as of December 31, 2022. Total liquidity as of December 31, 2023 was $234.2 million, which is defined as Cash and cash equivalents of $39.2 million and revolver capacity of $195.0 million.

For the year, the Company repurchased 1.7 million of its common shares, or 2.6% of the 66.3 million shares outstanding at December 31, 2022, for $31.3 million

“2023 was a year with robust revenue growth and strong Adjusted EBITDA margins, driven by our focus on execution. Our asset light business model consistently generates strong free cash flow conversion that enables us to invest in growth areas that continue to deliver sustained value for consumers, customers, and shareholders,” said Sonia Jain, Chief Financial Officer of Cars Commerce.

2024 Outlook 

The Company expects to deliver another year of strong growth. The Company believes market conditions are improving, with increased OEM production, new model launches, and rising dealer inventory, which coupled with a still cautious consumer makes the Company’s in-market solutions more valuable.

First quarter revenue is expected to be between $179 million and $181 million, representing year-over-year growth of 7% to 8%. First quarter revenue outlook reflects continued strong growth in Dealer revenue driven by continued adoption of the Cars Commerce suite of products, the D2C acquisition, and the full period impact of the 2023 Marketplace Repackaging Initiative. OEM and National Advertising spend is also expected to be up year-over-year, but historically has experienced some seasonality from the fourth quarter to the first quarter. For the year, the Company anticipates continued growth across its platform with both dealer and OEM customers which is reflected in its revenue growth guidance of 6% to 8%.

Adjusted EBITDA margin for the first quarter of 2024 is expected to be between 27% and 29%. It’s important to note, the Company has seasonally higher investments in Marketing and sales in the first quarter, due to the timing of in-person industry events. The Company expects margins to improve over the course of the year and deliver a full year Adjusted EBITDA margin between 28% to 30%.

Q4 2023 Earnings Call

As previously announced, management will hold a conference call and webcast today at 8:00 a.m. CT. This webcast may be accessed at the Cars Commerce Investor relations website,  investor.cars.com. An archive of the webcast will be available at investor.cars.com following the conclusion of the call.

About Cars Commerce

Cars Commerce is an audience-driven technology company empowering the automotive industry. The Company simplifies everything about car buying and selling with powerful products, solutions and AI-driven technologies that span pretail, retail and post-sale activities – enabling more efficient and profitable retail operations. The Cars Commerce platform is organized around four industry-leading brands: the flagship automotive marketplace and dealer reputation site Cars.com, award-winning technology and digital retail technology and marketing services from Dealer Inspire, essential trade-in and appraisal technology from AccuTrade, and exclusive in-market media solutions from the Cars Commerce Media Network. Learn more at www.carscommerce.inc.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This earnings release discusses Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin and Free Cash Flow and Adjusted Operating Expenses. These financial measures are not prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). These financial measures are presented as supplemental measures of operating performance because the Company believes they provide meaningful information regarding the Company’s performance and provide a basis to compare operating results between periods. In addition, the Company uses Adjusted EBITDA as a measure for determining incentive compensation targets. Adjusted EBITDA also is used as a performance measure under the Company’s credit agreement and includes adjustments such as the items defined below and other further adjustments, which are defined in the credit agreement. These non-GAAP financial measures are frequently used by the Company’s lenders, securities analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in the Company’s industry. For a reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures presented in this earnings release to their most directly comparable financial measure prepared in accordance with GAAP, see “Non-GAAP Reconciliations” below.

Other companies may define or calculate these measures differently, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures. Because of these limitations, non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are presented in the tables below.

The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before (1) interest expense, net, (2) income tax (benefit) expense, (3) depreciation, (4) amortization of intangible assets, (5) stock-based compensation expense, (6) unrealized mark-to-market adjustments and cash transactions related to derivative instruments, and (7) unrealized foreign currency exchange gains and losses, and (8) certain other items, such as transaction-related items, severance, transformation and other exit costs and write-off and impairments of goodwill, intangible assets and other long-lived assets.

Transaction-related items result from actual or potential transactions such as business combinations, mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, spin-offs, financing transactions, and other strategic transactions, including, without limitation, (1) transaction-related bonuses and (2) expenses for advisors and representatives such as investment bankers, consultants, attorneys and accounting firms. Transaction-related items may also include, without limitation, transition and integration costs such as retention bonuses and acquisition-related milestone payments to acquired employees, consulting, compensation and other incremental costs associated with integration projects, fair value changes to contingent considerations and amortization of deferred revenue related to the Accu-Trade acquisition.

The Company defines Free Cash Flow as net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures, including purchases of property and equipment and capitalization of internally developed technology.

The Company defines Adjusted Operating Expenses as total operating expenses adjusted to exclude stock-based compensation, write-off and impairments of goodwill, intangible assets, long-lived assets, severance, transformation and other exit costs and transaction-related items.

Key Metric Definitions

Average Monthly Unique Visitors (“UVs”) and Traffic (“Visits”). The Company defines UVs in a given month as the number of distinct visitors that engage with its platform during that month. Visitors are identified when a user first visits an individual Cars.com property on an individual device/browser combination or installs one of its mobile apps on an individual device. If a visitor accesses more than one of its web properties or apps or uses more than one device or browser, each of those unique property/browser/app/device combinations counts toward the number of UVs. Traffic is defined as the number of visits to Cars.com desktop and mobile properties (responsive sites and mobile apps). The Company measures UVs and Traffic via Adobe Analytics. These metrics do not include traffic to Dealer Inspire or D2C Media websites.

Monthly Average Revenue Per Dealer (“ARPD”). The Company believes that its ability to grow ARPD is an indicator of the value proposition of its platform. The Company defines ARPD as Dealer revenue, excluding digital advertising services, during the period divided by the monthly average number of Dealer Customers during the same period. Beginning with the three months ended June 30, 2022, AccuTrade is included in our ARPD metric. No prior period has been recast as it would be impracticable to do so and the inclusion of AccuTrade would have had an immaterial impact on ARPD for prior periods. Additionally, beginning December 31, 2023, this key operating metric includes D2C Media.

Dealer Customers. Dealer Customers represent dealerships using our products as of the end of each reporting period. Each physical or virtual dealership location is counted separately, whether it is a single-location proprietorship or part of a large, consolidated dealer group. Multi-franchise dealerships at a single location are counted as one dealer. Beginning June 30, 2022, this key operating metric includes AccuTrade; however, no prior period has been recast as it would be impracticable to do so. Additionally, beginning December 31, 2023, this key operating metric includes D2C Media.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements often use words such as “believe,” “expect,” “project,” “anticipate,” “outlook,” “intend,” “strategy,” “plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “seek,” “will,” “may,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “forecasts,” “mission,” “strive,” “more,” “goal” or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, beliefs, strategies, estimates, projections and assumptions, experience in the industry as well as our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments, and other factors we think are appropriate. Such forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Cars Commerce and its management based on their knowledge and understanding of the business and industry, are inherently uncertain. While Cars Commerce and its management make such statements in good faith and believe such judgments are reasonable, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of future strategic action, performance or results. Our actual results, performance, achievements, strategic actions or prospects could differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Given these uncertainties, you should not rely on forward-looking statements in making investment decisions. When we make comparisons of results between current and prior periods, we do not intend to express any future trends, or indications of future performance, unless expressed as such, and you should view such comparisons as historical data. Whether or not any such forward-looking statement is in fact achieved will depend on future events, some of which are beyond our control.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other important factors, many of which are beyond our control, that could cause our actual results and strategic actions to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. For a detailed discussion of many of these and other risks and uncertainties, see “Part I, Item 1A., Risk Factors” and “Part II, Item 7., Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 22, 2024 and our other filings filed with the SEC and available on our website at investor.cars.com or via EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

You should evaluate all forward-looking statements made in this press release in the context of these risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based only on information currently available to us and speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation, other than as may be required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking or cautionary statements to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of events, unanticipated or otherwise, or changes in future operating results over time or otherwise. The forward-looking statements in this report are intended to be subject to the safe harbor protection provided by the federal securities laws.

Cars Commerce Investor Relations Contact:
Robbin Moore-Randolph
rmr@carscommerce.com
312.601.5929

Cars Commerce Media Contact:
Marita Thomas
mthomas@carscommerce.com
312.601.5692

[1]As of December 31, 2023, this key metric includes the addition of 950 D2C Media only customers.

Cars.com Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Income

(In thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended December 31,

Year Ended December 31,

2023

2022

2023

2022

Revenue:

  Dealer

$               161,393

$               149,424

$               621,661

$               579,222

  OEM and National

15,410

14,330

55,904

58,557

  Other 

2,803

4,447

11,618

16,097

       Total revenue

179,606

168,201

689,183

653,876

Operating expenses:

  Cost of revenue and operations

30,918

28,875

122,205

114,959

  Product and technology

25,230

23,166

99,584

89,015

  Marketing and sales

58,835

56,515

235,471

221,879

  General and administrative

23,069

16,128

76,807

67,593

  Depreciation and amortization

26,619

23,706

101,000

94,394

       Total operating expenses

164,671

148,390

635,067

587,840

         Operating income

14,935

19,811

54,116

66,036

Nonoperating expense:

  Interest expense, net

(8,254)

(8,442)

(32,425)

(35,320)

  Other (expense) income, net

(4,790)

5,093

(3,586)

(8,140)

       Total nonoperating expense, net

(13,044)

(3,349)

(36,011)

(43,460)

       Income before income taxes

1,891

16,462

18,105

22,576

       Income tax (benefit) expense

(6,455)

6,200

(100,337)

5,370

          Net income

$                   8,346

$                 10,262

$               118,442

$                 17,206

Weighted-average common shares outstanding:

Basic

66,510

66,546

66,742

68,215

Diluted

68,326

68,513

68,227

69,649

Earnings per share:

Basic

$                     0.13

$                     0.15

$                     1.77

$                     0.25

Diluted

0.12

0.15

1.74

0.25

 

Cars.com Inc.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(In thousands, except per share data)

December 31, 2023

December 31, 2022

Assets:

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$                       39,198

$                       31,715

Accounts receivable, net

125,373

107,930

Prepaid expenses

12,553

8,377

Other current assets

1,314

605

Total current assets

178,438

148,627

Property and equipment, net

43,853

45,218

Goodwill

147,058

102,856

Intangible assets, net 

669,167

707,088

Deferred tax assets, net

112,953

48

Investments and other assets, net

20,980

21,033

Total assets

$                  1,172,449

$                  1,024,870

Liabilities and stockholders’ equity:

Current liabilities:

Accounts payable

$                       22,259

$                       18,230

Accrued compensation

31,669

19,316

Current portion of long-term debt, net

23,129

14,134

Other accrued liabilities

68,691

54,332

Total current liabilities

145,748

106,012

Noncurrent liabilities:

Long-term debt, net

460,119

458,249

Deferred tax liabilities, net

8,757

1,401

Other noncurrent liabilities

65,717

74,778

Total noncurrent liabilities

534,593

534,428

Total liabilities

680,341

640,440

Commitments and contingencies

Stockholders’ equity:

Preferred Stock at par, $0.01 par value; 5,000 shares authorized; no
   shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and 2022,
   respectively

Common Stock at par, $0.01 par value; 300,000 shares authorized;
   65,929 and 66,287 shares issued and outstanding as of
   December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively

659

662

Additional paid-in capital

1,500,232

1,511,944

Accumulated deficit

(1,009,734)

(1,128,176)

Accumulated other comprehensive income

951

Total stockholders’ equity

492,108

384,430

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

$                  1,172,449

$                  1,024,870

 

Cars.com Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(In thousands)

Year Ended December 31,

2023

2022

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net income

$               118,442

$                 17,206

Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:

Depreciation

22,331

16,380

Amortization of intangible assets

78,669

78,014

Amortization of Accumulated other comprehensive loss on interest rate swap

2,362

Changes in fair value of contingent consideration

5,537

8,130

Stock-based compensation

28,491

22,342

Deferred income taxes

(114,498)

1,283

Provision for doubtful accounts

2,986

1,888

Amortization of debt issuance costs

3,042

3,235

Unrealized gain on foreign currency denominated transactions

(2,072)

Amortization of deferred revenue related to AccuTrade Acquisition

(883)

(4,417)

Other, net

1,026

1,202

Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:

Accounts receivable

(15,567)

(9,337)

Prepaid expenses and other assets

(5,101)

(423)

Accounts payable

3,722

2,611

Accrued compensation

11,638

(4,296)

Other liabilities

(1,043)

(7,669)

Net cash provided by operating activities

136,720

128,511

Cash flows from investing activities:

     Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired

(76,168)

(64,663)

     Capitalization of internally developed technology

(19,602)

(17,886)

     Purchase of property and equipment

(1,280)

(1,828)

Net cash used in investing activities

(97,050)

(84,377)

Cash flows from financing activities:

     Proceeds from Revolving Loan borrowings

45,000

45,000

     Payments of Revolving Loan borrowings and long-term debt

(36,250)

(41,250)

     Payments for stock-based compensation plans, net

(9,205)

(6,256)

     Repurchases of common stock

(31,293)

(48,982)

     Payments of debt issuance costs and other fees

Net cash used in financing activities

(31,748)

(51,488)

Impact of foreign currency on Cash and cash equivalents

(439)

Net increase (decrease) in Cash and cash equivalents

7,483

(7,354)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

31,715

39,069

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$                 39,198

$                 31,715

Supplemental cash flow information:

Cash paid for income taxes

$                 17,636

$                      545

Cash paid for interest and swap

30,416

33,370

 

Cars.com Inc.

Non-GAAP Reconciliations

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended December 31,

Year Ended December 31,

2023

2022

2023

2022

Reconciliation of Net income to Adjusted EBITDA

Net income

$                   8,346

$                 10,262

$               118,442

$                 17,206

Interest expense, net

8,254

8,442

32,425

35,320

Income tax (benefit) expense

(6,455)

6,200

(100,337)

5,370

Depreciation and amortization

26,619

23,706

101,000

94,394

Stock-based compensation, including related payroll tax expense

7,844

5,390

30,127

22,966

Non-operating foreign exchange income

(2,072)

(2,072)

Write-off of long-lived assets and other

389

929

1,027

999

Severance, transformation and other exit costs

1,226

960

3,574

4,329

Transaction-related items

11,253

(6,370)

10,698

6,144

Adjusted EBITDA

$                 55,404

$                 49,519

$               194,884

$               186,728

Reconciliation of Net cash provided by operating activities to Free cash flow

Net cash provided by operating activities

$                 45,140

$                 37,220

$               136,720

$               128,511

Capitalization of internally developed technology

(4,764)

(4,739)

(19,602)

(17,886)

Purchase of property and equipment

(543)

(576)

(1,280)

(1,828)

Free cash flow

$                 39,833

$                 31,905

$               115,838

$               108,797

Reconciliation of Operating expenses to Adjusted operating expenses for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2023:

As Reported

Adjustments (1)

Stock-Based Compensation

As Adjusted

Cost of revenue and operations

$                 30,918

$                        —

$                    (396)

$                 30,522

Product and technology

25,230

(2,518)

22,712

Marketing and sales

58,835

(48)

(1,566)

57,221

General and administrative

23,069

(6,003)

(3,364)

13,702

Depreciation and amortization

26,619

26,619

Total operating expenses

$               164,671

$                 (6,051)

$                 (7,844)

$               150,776

Total nonoperating expense, net

$               (13,044)

$                   4,745

$                        —

$                 (8,299)

(1) Includes transaction related items, unrealized gain on foreign currency denominated transactions, severance, transformation and other exit costs, and write-off of long-lived assets and other.

Reconciliation of Operating expenses to Adjusted operating expenses for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2022:

As Reported

Adjustments (1)

Stock-Based Compensation

As Adjusted

Cost of revenue and operations

$                 28,875

$                        —

$                    (224)

$                 28,651

Product and technology

23,166

(1,765)

21,401

Marketing and sales

56,515

(1,164)

55,351

General and administrative

16,128

(2,373)

(2,237)

11,518

Depreciation and amortization

23,706

23,706

Total operating expenses

$               148,390

$                 (2,373)

$                 (5,390)

$               140,627

Total nonoperating expense, net

$                 (3,349)

$                 (5,229)

$                        —

$                 (8,578)

(1) Includes transaction related items, severance, transformation and other exit costs, and write-off of long-lived assets and other.

Reconciliation of Operating expenses to Adjusted operating expenses for the Year Ended December 31, 2023:

As Reported

Adjustments (1)

Stock-Based Compensation

As Adjusted

Cost of revenue and operations

$               122,205

$                        —

$                 (1,571)

$               120,634

Product and technology

99,584

(9,360)

90,224

Marketing and sales

235,471

(48)

(6,078)

229,345

General and administrative

76,807

(10,797)

(13,118)

52,892

Depreciation and amortization

101,000

101,000

Total operating expenses

$               635,067

$               (10,845)

$               (30,127)

$               594,095

Total nonoperating expense, net

$               (36,011)

$                   3,465

$                        —

$               (32,546)

(1) Includes transaction related items, severance, transformation and other exit costs, unrealized gain on foreign currency denominated transactions, and write-off of long-lived assets and other.

Reconciliation of Operating expenses to Adjusted operating expenses for the Year Ended December 31, 2022:

As Reported

Adjustments (1)

Stock-Based Compensation

As Adjusted

Cost of revenue and operations

$               114,959

$                        —

$                    (983)

$               113,976

Product and technology

89,015

(6,851)

82,164

Marketing and sales

221,879

(5,068)

216,811

General and administrative

67,593

(8,943)

(10,064)

48,586

Depreciation and amortization

94,394

94,394

Total operating expenses

$               587,840

$                 (8,943)

$               (22,966)

$               555,931

Total nonoperating expense, net

$               (43,460)

$                   7,946

$                        —

$               (35,514)

(1) Includes transaction related items, severance, transformation and other exit costs, and write-off of long-lived assets and other.

 

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SOURCE Cars Commerce

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NIX United Achieves AWS AI Competency After Rigorous Audit

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AI-enabled software development company NIX United has officially achieved the AWS AI Competency designation from Amazon Web Services (AWS). The recognition validates NIX’s proven expertise in architecting, securing, and deploying enterprise-grade artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions on AWS.

TAMPA, Fla., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — For enterprise organizations, the designation provides independent validation of NIX’s end-to-end AI capabilities across solution architecture, data security, governance, and operational excellence. It is based on successful production deployments, including a generative AI customer feedback analytics platform and an AI-powered medical education solution. The competency also provides eligible customers with access to AWS-validated frameworks, specialized technical resources, and AWS GenAI Innovation Funding programs.

“AI must be engineered for long-term production value,” said Artur Bakulin, Head of RnD and Innovation at NIX United. “Earning the AWS AI Competency reflects our commitment to building AI architectures grounded in verifiable return on investment.”

Moving Beyond AI Demos to Production Value

While AI adoption accelerates, organizations face a critical barrier: transitioning from impressive proofs of concept to production-grade applications. Building AI for the modern enterprise requires solving complex challenges around regulatory compliance and seamless system integration.

To earn the AWS AI Competency, NIX completed a comprehensive technical audit demonstrating its ability to deliver scalable AI solutions. The evaluation covered engineering practices, security controls, governance frameworks, and operational excellence, while highlighting NIX’s experience applying generative AI to complex business workflows.

Strategic Benefits for Enterprise Clients

“AI must be engineered for long-term production value,” said Artur Bakulin, Head of RnD and Innovation at NIX United. “Earning the AWS AI Competency reflects our commitment to building AI architectures grounded in verifiable return on investment.”

For NIX clients, this designation provides:

Reduced project risk through AWS-validated architectures that support data privacy, security, and regulatory compliance.Faster project execution with access to eligible AWS funding programs, including subsidized AI assessments, Proofs of Concept (PoCs), and AWS GenAI Innovation Funding.Long-term scalability with solutions engineered to move seamlessly from pilot projects to business-critical production environments.

Organizations exploring generative AI initiatives can work with NIX experts to evaluate their eligibility for the AWS GenAI Innovation Funding Program and identify opportunities to accelerate adoption.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What specific competency did NIX United achieve?

A: NIX achieved the AWS AI Competency, a formal designation by Amazon Web Services verifying a partner’s technical proficiency and robust customer success in delivering generative AI solutions.

Q: What criteria did AWS use to evaluate NIX United?

A: AWS conducted a comprehensive technical audit covering NIX’s solution architecture, security controls, governance frameworks, and delivery methodology.

Q: How can enterprise clients fund their AI initiatives with NIX United?

A: Through NIX’s status as an advanced AWS partner, eligible clients can access the AWS GenAI Innovation Funding Program to offset costs for AI assessments, proofs-of-concept, and full-scale implementations.

Media Contact

Yevheniia Kryvenko, NIX United, 1 7272563558, yevheniia.kryvenko@nixs.com, NIX United

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/nix-united-achieves-aws-ai-competency-after-rigorous-audit-302831769.html

SOURCE NIX United

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Apollo and San Jose Earthquakes Announce Official Sleeve and Go-to-Market Partnership, Bringing the AI GTM System to Major League Soccer

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First-of-its-kind partnership to help Earthquakes capitalize on soccer’s surging popularity through AI-powered GTM transformation

SAN FRANCISCO, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Apollo, the AI go-to-market system, announced today a multiyear Official Sleeve Partnership with Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes that entails becoming both the club’s Official Go-to-Market Partner and the first go-to-market (GTM) company to combine a professional sports sponsorship with a full-scale partnership for revenue operations transformation.

As soccer continues its unprecedented rise in popularity across the United States, with MLS seeing a 62% year-over-year increase in viewership to kick off the 2026 season, the unique partnership positions the Earthquakes to modernize their GTM, accelerate revenue and capitalize on the sport’s expanding global audience.

In the partnership, Apollo will serve as both a brand sponsor with its logo featured prominently on the right sleeve of the Earthquakes’ jersey, and as a technology partner, powering the club’s GTM strategy. The club will deploy Apollo’s system across key revenue-generating functions, including group ticket sales, sponsorship pipeline management, inbound lead routing and season ticket renewals, creating a modern GTM system designed to drive fan engagement and commercial growth.

“We see this partnership as a natural extension of Apollo’s mission to make world-class go-to-market accessible to everyone by bringing it to the world’s most popular game,” said Matt Curl, CEO of Apollo. “Soccer is entering an incredible growth phase in the U.S., creating a once-in-a-generation opportunity for clubs to deepen fan relationships and accelerate commercial growth. Every professional sports team is running a revenue business focused on finding customers, engaging fans, growing sponsorships and driving renewals. By bringing together data, intelligence and execution into one system, we’re helping the Earthquakes build a modern commercial operation that will become a model for the future of sports.”  

The partnership reflects Apollo’s broader vision that every organization can benefit from its AI GTM system. With the rise in soccer’s popularity, clubs face increasing pressure to convert fan interest into lasting relationships, ticket sales, sponsorships and recurring revenue. While sports organizations have historically relied on fragmented tools across ticketing, sponsorship sales, CRM and marketing, Apollo brings those workflows together into one connected system to help organizations capitalize on this moment.

For the Earthquakes, that means:

Modernizing group ticket sales workflowsImproving inbound lead managementGrowing sponsorship pipelineStreamlining season ticket renewal campaignsGiving sales and marketing teams a unified system

“While excitement around soccer continues to grow across the country, we’re investing in the technology and systems that will help us better engage our supporters and continue growing our commercial business,” said Earthquakes President Jared Shawlee. “I started my career in sales and have never seen the kind of technology that Apollo provides. This will transform our approach to sales and marketing by giving us one system to connect data, automate workflows and create a more connected experience for Quakes fans throughout their journey with the club.”

“We are excited to roll out the Apollo AI GTM system to revenue teams across our organization,” added Earthquakes Chief Strategy Officer Ian Anderson. “Apollo is at the forefront of AI-powered GTM and the Quakes are committed to being ahead of the technology curve for our industry.”

The Earthquakes become Apollo’s first official sports partner, laying the foundation for a broader strategy to bring modern GTM technology to sports organizations worldwide. Apollo plans to use the partnership as a blueprint for working with hundreds of professional sports organizations facing similar revenue and commercial challenges.

“This is just the beginning,” added Curl. “Professional sports organizations have the same GTM challenges as fast-growing businesses. We’re excited to demonstrate what’s possible when data, intelligence, and execution come together in a single system to help teams build stronger relationships with fans, partners, and customers.”

The partnership will officially debut ahead of the Earthquakes’ annual California Clasico match on Saturday, July 25, against the LA Galaxy at Stanford Stadium, with Apollo and the club jointly celebrating the launch through customer events, social activations and in-stadium experiences.

About Apollo
Apollo is the AI GTM System that uniquely combines data, intelligence, and execution in one loop helping every business find and win their next customer. Trusted by millions of users and over 600,000 companies worldwide, Apollo combines one of the industry’s largest B2B contact databases with a purpose built GTM intelligence engine and a full execution stack, in an all-in-one system. Learn more at apollo.io.

About San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes, one of Major League Soccer’s original teams, are the epicenter for soccer in Northern California, playing at the highest professional level in the United States. The club won MLS Cups in 2001 and 2003 and took home Supporters’ Shields in 2005 and 2012. The Earthquakes are based out of PayPal Park, an 18,000-seat soccer-specific stadium that opened in 2015 and is the first cloud-enabled venue in MLS. The organization was originally founded in 1974 in the North American Soccer League, and in 2024, celebrated its 50th anniversary of positively impacting communities around Northern California. The club’s nonprofit arm, the Quakes Foundation, focuses on health and fitness initiatives for local underserved youth and fighting food insecurity. For more information about the Earthquakes, visit sjearthquakes.com.

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SOURCE Apollo.io

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CIQ Arms Federal Agencies and Contractors with Kernel-Level Detection and BOD 26-04-Compliant Remediation

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RLC Pro Hardened and Ascender Pro together give federal teams kernel exploitation detection as it happens and CVE remediation before it wipes out an entire fleet

RENO, Nev., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CIQ, the founding commercial sponsor of Rocky Linux, today announced the launch of an RLC Pro Hardened and Ascender Pro deployment that gives federal agencies real-time kernel exploit detection, audit-ready compliance, and automated remediation in a single deployment. The pairing gives federal teams a stronger position inside the three-day remediation window Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 26-04 sets for the highest-risk vulnerabilities on federal systems.

On June 10, 2026, CISA issued BOD 26-04, and the three-day clock starts when a flaw enters the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, not when a patch ships. For the most dangerous vulnerabilities, the exploit often arrives before the patch does, leaving agencies with a compliance deadline and no fix to apply yet. Non-compliance penalties can include a range of administrative consequences, including greater regulatory oversight and asset disconnection.

RLC Pro Hardened, CIQ’s federal-ready Enterprise Linux distribution, answers that gap. It is the first Enterprise Linux distribution to ship runtime kernel exploitation detection enabled and supported by default, giving agencies a record of what happened during the window before a fix shipped. CIQ delivered that capability well before BOD 26-04 put federal agencies on a three-day clock.

“A single critical vulnerability can impact an entire federal fleet before it’s even confirmed as a CVE,” said Gregory Kurtzer, founder and CEO of CIQ. “RLC Pro Hardened’s LKRG catches the exploit behavior at the kernel the moment it happens, patch or no patch. Once remediation is required, Ascender Pro orchestrates it across the entire fleet and proves it happened, system by system. Agencies get both sides covered without rebuilding their infrastructure.”

RLC Pro Hardened ships with Linux Kernel Runtime Guard (LKRG), which validates kernel integrity continuously and records kernel-level exploitation as it happens. The distribution also arrives audit-ready, with FIPS 140-3 validated cryptography and CIQ-engineered lockdown playbooks for DISA STIG, CIS and NIST 800-171.

Ascender Pro adds Reaqt, an event-driven engine that watches fleet logs, matches them against rule sets, and fires the right Ansible playbook automatically. Across a fleet, that closes issues faster than manual, ticket-driven review.

More About BOD 26-04

BOD 26-04 replaced the severity-score deadlines of BOD 22-01 and BOD 19-02 with a risk model. It scores each vulnerability on four factors: public exposure, presence in the KEV catalog, exploit automation and technical impact. A vulnerability that meets all four carries a three-calendar-day remediation deadline, the shortest CISA has set in a Binding Operational Directive. Agency remediation policies must support the directive by August 7, 2026.

About CIQ

CIQ is the founding support and services partner for Rocky Linux and a leading provider of enterprise Linux infrastructure. CIQ delivers commercially supported Linux offerings, high-performance computing solutions and AI infrastructure to enterprises, government agencies, research institutions and supercomputing centers worldwide. CIQ’s products include the Rocky Linux from CIQ (RLC Pro) family of operating systems, Ascender Pro for IT automation, Fuzzball job-based container orchestration, Warewulf cluster provisioning and Apptainer, the leading container system for high-performance computing. For more information, visit ciq.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Cristin Connelly
Cathey Communications for CIQ
cristin@cathey.co

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SOURCE CIQ

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