Connect with us

Technology

Ginkgo Bioworks Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results

Published

on

$251 million of Total revenue in 2023

$139 million in Cell Engineering services revenue, representing 31% growth over 2022

78 new Cell Programs added in 2023, representing 32% growth over 2022 and continued penetration in biopharma

Year-end cash balance of nearly $950 million provides meaningful multi-year runway as we drive towards profitability and begin recognizing benefits from improved platform efficiency

BOSTON, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: DNA, “Ginkgo”), which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, today announced its results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2023. The update, including a webcast slide presentation and supplemental financial information, will be available at investors.ginkgobioworks.com.

“2023 was a breakout year for Ginkgo,” said Jason Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Ginkgo. “We’re working to build a durable platform that fundamentally transforms R&D in biotech. I’m particularly pleased with our growth in biopharma, which represents our largest untapped market – we added several new programs across modalities with large enterprises including Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck, Novo Nordisk, and Pfizer and are seeing strong momentum in pharma going into 2024. I am also thrilled to see a real ecosystem building around Ginkgo – we’re honored by the trust placed in us by the terrific founders of Patch Biosciences, Reverie Labs, and Proof Diagnostics to bring their technologies to customers and by the over 25 inaugural partners in our newly announced Technology Network. We are committed to bringing the best technologies together to support our customers, and we’ve never been better positioned to deliver.”

Recent Business Highlights & Strategic Positioning

Added 78 new Cell Engineering Programs in 2023, representing 32% growth over the prior year periodGinkgo’s Cell Engineering segment generated services revenue, which does not include downstream value share revenue, of $139 million in 2023, a 31% increase versus 2022Ginkgo’s Biosecurity segment generated $108 million of revenue in 2023 as the Biosecurity business shifted to a more recurring model focused on global reach and multiple pathogens to build a long-term biosecurity global infrastructureGinkgo continues to expand its global bioradar network—now in 14 countries and 10 airports—and advance capabilities for multi-target and multimodal biological threat detection, characterization, and forecasting for next-generation biological intelligenceGinkgo is partnering with the Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZ) and Doha Venture Capital (DVC) to build a Center for Unified Biosecurity Excellence in Doha (CUBE-D), envisioned as the first of several hubs for biosecurity sample and data analysis in our global networkGinkgo is partnering with Illumina, a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, to advance localized biosecurity capabilities in countries around the worldDownstream value share – which consists of potential value to Ginkgo from its Cell Engineering customers and includes potential royalties, milestone payments, and equity interests – is an important component of the financial potential of most programs. As of December 31, 2023 Ginkgo has approximately $2.4 billion in aggregate revenue potential from downstream milestone payments alone in addition to royalties.Ginkgo recently announced the launch of its Technology Network of over 25 companies, creating a more integrated approach to biotech R&D. Ginkgo has a long history of integrating diverse technologies to deliver on customers’ complex program goals and believes that customers should not have to choose a technical approach prematurely but should be able to test many approaches in an unbiased way. Ginkgo customers will be able to benefit from the integration of technologies from network partners in their programs, and Ginkgo expects to expand the network based on customer needs and feedback.Ginkgo also announced several acquisitions including Patch Biosciences, Proof Diagnostics and Reverie Labs. These acquisitions are expected to expand Ginkgo’s capabilities in AI and biopharma.

Fourth Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights

Fourth quarter 2023 Total revenue of $35 million, down from $98 million in the comparable prior year period, a decrease of 65% primarily driven by the expected ramp down of K-12 testing in Ginkgo’s Biosecurity segment and the impact of Cell Engineering downstream value share from equity milestones in 2022 that did not recur in 2023Fourth quarter 2023 Cell Engineering services revenue, which does not include downstream value share revenue, of $27 million, down 26% from $36 million in the comparable prior year period. There was no material downstream value share revenue received in the fourth quarter of 2023.Fourth quarter 2023 Biosecurity revenue of $8 million with gross profit margin of 15% is reflective of the early stages of transitioning to a more recurring business modelFourth quarter 2023 Loss from operations of $(178) million (inclusive of stock-based compensation expense of $44 million), compared to Loss from operations of $(231) million in the comparable prior year period (inclusive of stock-based compensation expense of $111 million). Just under half of the stock-based compensation expense relates to the continued GAAP accounting for the modification of restricted stock units issued prior to Ginkgo becoming a public company, as disclosed in our annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 13, 2023, and which we expect to continue to ramp down significantly in the coming quarters.Fourth quarter 2023 Adjusted EBITDA of $(96) million, down from $(76) million in the comparable prior year period driven by the decline in Total revenue partially offset by a decline in operating expensesCash and cash equivalents balance as of the end of the fourth quarter of $944 million puts Ginkgo in a strong financial position to pursue its strategic objectives

Full Year 2023 Financial Highlights

Full year 2023 Total revenue of $251 million, down from $478 million in the prior year, a decrease of 47% as Biosecurity revenue transitioned from K-12 testing to a more recurring business modelFull year 2023 Cell Engineering revenue of $144 million remained stable over the prior year, representing 31% growth in services revenue offset by a decrease in downstream value share from equity milestonesFull year 2023 Biosecurity revenue of $108 million, down from $334 million in the prior year, a decrease of 68%, with full year 2023 Biosecurity gross profit margin of 50%Full year 2023 Loss from operations of $(864) million (inclusive of stock-based compensation expense of $235 million), compared to $(2.2) billion (inclusive of stock-based compensation expense of $1.9 billion) in the prior yearFull year 2023 Adjusted EBITDA of $(355) million, down from $(173) million in the prior year

Full Year 2024 Guidance

Ginkgo expects to add 100-120 new Cell Programs to the Cell Engineering platform in 2024Ginkgo expects Total revenue of $215$235 million in 2024Ginkgo expects Cell Engineering services revenue of $165-185 million in 2024 driven by expected growth in biopharma and government programs. This guidance excludes the impact of any potential downstream value share revenue.Ginkgo expects Biosecurity revenue in 2024 of at least $50 million, representing approximate current contracted backlog, with potential upside from additional opportunities in the pipeline

Conference Call Details
Ginkgo will host a videoconference today, Thursday, February 29, 2024, beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET. The presentation will include an overview of the fourth quarter and full year financial performance, recent business updates, a discussion on Ginkgo’s outlook, as well as a moderated question and answer session.

To ask a question ahead of the presentation, please submit your questions to @Ginkgo on X (hashtag #GinkgoResults) or by sending an e-mail to investors@ginkgobioworks.com.

A webcast link is available on Ginkgo’s Investor Relations website and a replay will be made available following the presentation.

Ginkgo Investor Website: https://investors.ginkgobioworks.com/events/

Audio-Only Dial Ins:
+1 646 876 9923 (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 (Chicago)
+1 669 900 6833 (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 (Houston)
+1 408 638 0968 (San Jose)

Webinar ID: 928 9136 7332

If you experience technical difficulties with any of these dial-ins or if you need international dial-in numbers, please visit our web site at https://investors.ginkgobioworks.com/events/ for updated dial-in information.

About Ginkgo Bioworks
Ginkgo Bioworks is the leading horizontal platform for cell programming, providing flexible, end-to-end services that solve challenges for organizations across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to pharmaceuticals to industrial and specialty chemicals. Ginkgo’s biosecurity and public health unit, Concentric by Ginkgo, is building global infrastructure for biosecurity to empower governments, communities, and public health leaders to prevent, detect and respond to a wide variety of biological threats. For more information, visit ginkgobioworks.com and concentricbyginkgo.com, read our blog, or follow us on social media channels such as X (@Ginkgo and @ConcentricByGBW), Instagram (@GinkgoBioworks), Threads (@GinkgoBioworks) or LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements of Ginkgo Bioworks
This press release, the presentation, and the conference call and webcast contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding our plans, strategies, including with respect to our balance sheet and cash runway, acquisitions, current expectations, operations and anticipated results of operations, both business and financial, including opportunities for increased operational efficiency, our manufacturing capabilities, potential customer success, including successful application of our offerings by our customers, the capabilities and potential operational and financial success of our acquisitions, partnerships and collaborations, and expected timing thereof, expectations with regard to revenue, the nature of such revenue and any related downstream value share associated with such revenue, funding that is contingent upon Ginkgo’s achievement of milestones, expenses, including our stock-based compensation expenses, our full year 2024 outlook, the future security and commercial applications of the BIOINT industry, the expansion, timing and potential capabilities of our bioradar network and the national biodefense strategy, plans to develop and deploy AI tools for biology and biosecurity for both internal use and external release, including the expected timing thereof, and the market environment, all of which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, market trends, or industry results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “can,” “project,” “potential,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document, including but not limited to: (i) volatility in the price of Ginkgo’s securities due to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which Ginkgo operates and plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, and changes in laws and regulations affecting Ginkgo’s business, (ii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and to identify and realize additional business opportunities, (iii) the risk of downturns in demand for products using synthetic biology, (iv) the uncertainty regarding the demand for passive monitoring programs and biosecurity services, (v) changes to the biosecurity industry, including due to advancements in technology, emerging competition and evolution in industry demands, standards and regulations, (vi) the outcome of any pending or potential legal proceedings against Ginkgo, (vii) our ability to realize the expected benefits from and the success of our Foundry platform programs, (viii) our ability to successfully develop engineered cells, bioprocesses, data packages or other deliverables, and (ix) the product development or commercialization success of our customers. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of Ginkgo’s most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and other documents filed by Ginkgo from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Ginkgo assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Ginkgo does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations. 

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Certain of the financial measures included in this release, including Adjusted EBITDA, have not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), and constitute “non-GAAP financial measures” as defined by the SEC. Ginkgo has included these non-GAAP financial measures because it believes they provide an additional tool for investors to use in evaluating Ginkgo’s financial performance and prospects. Due to the nature and/or size of the items being excluded, such items do not reflect future gains, losses, expenses or benefits and are not indicative of our future operating performance. These non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental to, and should not be considered in isolation from, or as an alternative to, financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures may differ from non-GAAP financial measures with comparable names used by other companies. See the reconciliation below for additional information regarding certain of the non-GAAP financial measures included in this release, including a description of these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of the historic measures to Ginkgo’s most comparable GAAP financial measures.

Ginkgo Bioworks Contacts:

INVESTOR CONTACT:
investors@ginkgobioworks.com 

MEDIA CONTACT:
press@ginkgobioworks.com 

 

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands, except per share data, unaudited)

As of December 31,

2023

2022

Assets

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$       944,073

$    1,315,792

Accounts receivable, net

17,157

80,907

Accounts receivable – related parties

742

1,558

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

39,777

51,822

Total current assets

1,001,749

1,450,079

Property, plant and equipment, net

188,193

314,773

Operating lease right-of-use assets

206,801

400,762

Investments

78,565

112,188

Equity method investments

1,543

Intangible assets, net

82,741

111,041

Goodwill

49,238

60,210

Other non-current assets

58,055

88,725

Total assets

$    1,665,342

$    2,539,321

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

Current liabilities:

Accounts payable

$           9,323

$         10,451

Deferred revenue

44,486

47,817

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

110,051

114,694

Total current liabilities

163,860

172,962

Non-current liabilities:

Deferred revenue, net of current portion

158,062

174,767

Operating lease liabilities, non-current

221,835

413,256

Warrant liabilities

5,700

10,868

Other non-current liabilities

18,733

31,191

Total liabilities

568,190

803,044

Stockholders’ equity:

Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 200,000 shares authorized; none issued

Common stock, $0.0001 par value

199

190

Additional paid-in capital

6,385,997

6,136,378

Accumulated deficit

(5,290,528)

(4,397,659)

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

1,484

(2,632)

Total stockholders’ equity

1,097,152

1,736,277

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

$    1,665,342

$    2,539,321

 

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss

(in thousands, except per share data, unaudited)

Three Months Ended December 31,

Year Ended December 31,

2023

2022

2023

2022

Cell Engineering revenue

$          26,976

$          53,257

$         143,531

$         143,666

Biosecurity revenue:

Product

12,431

28,949

35,455

Service

7,779

32,597

78,975

298,585

Total revenue

34,755

98,285

251,455

477,706

Costs and operating expenses:

Cost of Biosecurity product revenue

7,447

7,481

20,646

Cost of Biosecurity service revenue

6,611

22,771

46,524

183,570

Research and development

117,038

177,548

580,621

1,052,643

General and administrative

89,223

121,383

385,025

1,429,799

Impairment of lease assets

96,210

Total operating expenses

212,872

329,149

1,115,861

2,686,658

Loss from operations

(178,117)

(230,864)

(864,406)

(2,208,952)

Other income (expense):

Interest income

13,303

11,441

57,217

20,262

Interest expense

(93)

(106)

(93)

(106)

Loss on equity method investments

(1,119)

10,003

(2,635)

(43,761)

Loss on investments

(10,012)

(13,354)

(54,827)

(53,335)

Change in fair value of warrant liabilities

6,555

28,871

5,168

124,970

(Loss) gain on deconsolidation of subsidiaries

(42,502)

(42,502)

31,889

Other income (expense), net

93

6,161

9,138

7,634

Total other income (expense), net

(33,775)

43,016

(28,534)

87,553

Loss before income taxes

(211,892)

(187,848)

(892,940)

(2,121,399)

Income tax benefit

(198)

(14,770)

(71)

(15,027)

Net loss

(211,694)

(173,078)

(892,869)

(2,106,372)

Loss attributable to non-controlling interest

2,390

(1,443)

Net loss attributable to Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. stockholders

$      (211,694)

$      (175,468)

$       (892,869)

$   (2,104,929)

Net loss per share attributable to Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc.

common stockholders:

Basic

$            (0.11)

$            (0.09)

$             (0.46)

$             (1.25)

Diluted

$            (0.11)

$            (0.10)

$             (0.46)

$             (1.25)

Weighted average common shares outstanding:

Basic

1,977,708

1,854,952

1,944,420

1,679,061

Diluted

1,978,843

1,856,610

1,944,420

1,679,839

Comprehensive loss:

Net loss

$      (211,694)

$      (173,078)

$       (892,869)

$   (2,106,372)

Other comprehensive loss:

Foreign currency translation adjustment

4,383

5,278

4,116

(917)

Total other comprehensive gain (loss)

4,383

5,278

4,116

(917)

Comprehensive loss

$      (207,311)

$      (167,800)

$       (888,753)

$   (2,107,289)

(1)

R&D and G&A expenses included a significant charge for stock-based compensation expense as a result of the modification of the vesting terms of RSUs and related earnout shares. Total stock-based compensation expense, inclusive of employer payroll taxes, was allocated as follows (in thousands):

 

Three Months Ended December 31,

Year Ended December 31,

(in thousands)

2023

2022

2023

2022

Research and development

$         26,775

$         68,171

$        148,861

$          738,821

General and administrative

16,809

43,059

86,047

1,202,099

Total

$         43,584

$       111,230

$        234,908

$       1,940,920

 

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands, unaudited)

Year Ended December 31,

2023

2022

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net loss

$       (892,869)

$    (2,106,372)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization

70,507

42,552

Stock-based compensation

229,884

1,930,641

Non-cash customer consideration

(1,373)

(34,263)

Loss on equity method investments

2,635

43,761

Loss on investments

54,827

53,335

Change in fair value of notes receivable

2,416

(3,757)

Change in fair value of warrant liabilities

(5,168)

(124,970)

Change in fair value of contingent consideration liability

9,168

(1,262)

Loss (gain) on deconsolidation of subsidiaries

42,502

(31,889)

Impairment of long-lived assets

121,404

Deferred income tax benefit

(801)

(14,609)

Loss on disposal of equipment

842

3,091

Non-cash lease expense

28,313

19,082

Non-cash in-process research and development

9,182

1,162

Amortization of finance lease right-of-use assets

1,047

1,871

Non-cash severance and retention bonus expense associated with an acquisition

6,152

Other non-cash activity

2,147

283

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

Accounts receivable

50,068

55,024

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

10,473

(8,523)

Operating lease right-of-use assets

9,275

13,233

Other non-current assets

2,570

921

Accounts payable

(1,183)

(10,844)

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

16,899

(39,639)

Deferred revenue, current and non-current

(35,917)

(36,417)

Operating lease liabilities, current and non-current

(22,800)

(10,792)

Other non-current liabilities

452

31

Net cash used in operating activities

(295,500)

(252,198)

Cash flows from investing activities:

Purchases of property and equipment

(40,801)

(52,271)

Deconsolidation of subsidiaries – cash

(42,980)

(55,721)

Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired

82,367

Asset acquisitions, net of cash acquired

(7,639)

Purchases of notes receivable

(350)

(40,000)

Proceeds from notes receivable

10,000

Purchase of investment in equity securities

(3,691)

Proceeds from sale of equipment

4,428

Other

(990)

(439)

Net cash used in investing activities

(80,693)

(67,394)

Cash flows from financing activities:

Proceeds from exercise of stock options

93

240

Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards

(23)

(981)

Principal payments on finance/capital leases and lease financing obligation

(1,295)

(1,237)

Proceeds from public offering, net of issuance costs

99,303

Contingent consideration payment

(1,411)

(521)

Payment of equity issuance costs

(580)

(1,467)

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

(3,216)

95,337

Effect of foreign exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents

(588)

908

Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

(379,997)

(223,347)

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period

1,315,792

1,550,004

Restricted cash, beginning of period

53,789

42,924

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period

1,369,581

1,592,928

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

944,073

1,315,792

Restricted cash, end of period

45,511

53,789

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period

$         989,584

$      1,369,581

 

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc.

Selected Non-GAAP Financial Measures

(in thousands, unaudited)

Three Months Ended December 31,

Year Ended December 31,

(in thousands)

2023

2022

2023

2022

Net loss attributable to Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. stockholders

$      (211,694)

$      (175,468)

$       (892,869)

$    (2,104,929)

Interest income

(13,226)

(11,412)

(57,217)

(20,262)

Interest expense

15

77

93

106

Income tax benefit

(198)

(14,770)

(71)

(15,027)

Depreciation and amortization

12,837

15,667

70,507

42,552

EBITDA

(212,266)

(185,906)

(879,557)

(2,097,560)

Stock-based compensation (1)

43,584

111,230

234,908

1,940,920

Impairment of long-lived assets (2)

121,404

Merger and acquisition related expenses (3)

23,663

26,045

70,771

46,229

Loss on investments

10,012

13,354

54,827

53,335

Loss (gain) on deconsolidation of subsidiaries

42,502

42,502

(31,889)

Loss on equity method investments (4)

1,119

(7,612)

2,635

45,315

Change in fair value of warrant liabilities

(6,555)

(28,871)

(5,168)

(124,970)

Change in fair value of notes receivable

2,174

(3,924)

2,295

(4,153)

Adjusted EBITDA

$        (95,767)

$        (75,684)

$       (355,383)

$       (172,773)

(1)

For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, includes $5.0 million and $10.3 million, respectively, in related employer payroll taxes.

(2)

For the year ended December 31, 2023, includes $25.2 million impairment loss on lab equipment and $96.2 million impairment loss on a right-of-use asset and the related leasehold improvements associated with an exited Zymergen leased facility.

(3)

Represents transaction and integration costs directly related to mergers and acquisitions, including: (i) due diligence, legal, consulting and accounting fees associated with acquisitions, (ii) post-acquisition employee retention bonuses and severance payments, (iii) the fair value adjustments to contingent consideration liabilities resulting from acquisitions, (iv) acquired intangible assets expensed as in-process research and development, and (v) costs associated with the Zymergen Bankruptcy, as well as securities litigation costs, net of insurance recovery.

(4)

Represents losses on equity method investments under the hypothetical liquidation at book value method, net of losses attributable to non-controlling interests.

 

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc.

Segment Information

(in thousands, unaudited)

Three Months Ended December 31,

Year Ended December 31,

2023

2022

2023

2022

Revenue:

Cell Engineering

$            26,976

$         53,257

$       143,531

$       143,666

Biosecurity

7,779

45,028

107,924

334,040

Total revenue

34,755

98,285

251,455

477,706

Segment cost of revenue:

Biosecurity

6,611

30,218

54,005

204,216

Segment research and development expense:

Cell Engineering

77,999

95,408

353,493

273,356

Biosecurity

191

590

1,599

1,937

Total segment research and development expense

78,190

95,998

355,092

275,293

Segment general and administrative expense:

Cell Engineering

60,047

63,686

215,263

168,586

Biosecurity

12,652

13,670

55,514

56,353

Total segment general and administrative expense

72,699

77,356

270,777

224,939

Segment operating (loss) income:

Cell Engineering

(111,070)

(105,837)

(425,225)

(298,276)

Biosecurity

(11,675)

550

(3,194)

71,534

Total segment operating loss

(122,745)

(105,287)

(428,419)

(226,742)

Operating expenses not allocated to segments:

Stock-based compensation (1)

43,584

111,230

234,908

1,940,920

Impairment of long-lived assets

121,404

Depreciation and amortization

12,837

15,667

70,507

42,552

Change in fair value of contingent consideration liability

(1,049)

(1,320)

9,168

(1,262)

Loss from operations

$        (178,117)

$     (230,864)

$     (864,406)

$  (2,208,952)

(1)

Includes $5.0 million and $10.3 million in related employer payroll taxes for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ginkgo-bioworks-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2023-financial-results-302076484.html

SOURCE Ginkgo Bioworks

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

LYKSTAGE Launches Patented Video Platform That Pays Creators and Viewers — Now Live Across Five Countries

Published

on

By

MUMBAI, India, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LYKSTAGE, a video-sharing platform owned by LYK Inc., a Delaware-based entity, and founded by New York-based entrepreneur Adris Chakraborty, is redefining how the creator economy works — with a patented monetization model no other platform can legally replicate.

Built by a technology team in India under Manhattan Tech Ventures, LYKSTAGE runs on a patented Watch-Time Monetization Model that fundamentally changes who earns from video content. Creators earn whenever their content’s watch time gets monetized — no subscriber minimums, no waiting periods, and no thresholds to cross before earning begins.

What makes the model unprecedented is that viewers earn too. Logged-in viewers are rewarded whenever their watch time gets monetized — when they watch content uninterrupted and the ad served during viewing is fully consumed. When that happens, the creator earns, the viewer is rewarded, and the platform earns. Every reward is funded by actual ad revenue — not venture capital subsidies. The model is entirely self-sustaining.

The platform serves both skippable and non-skippable ads, determined by an ad server algorithm that optimizes based on viewing patterns and content traction. For advertisers, impressions are served intelligently — matching the right ad format to the right moment, delivering higher completion rates and genuine attention.

LYKSTAGE is now live across five markets — India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the UAE — and available on Samsung TV, LG TV, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, desktop, mobile web, and native apps on both the App Store and Google Play Store.

Adris Chakraborty, a Kolkata-born Columbia Business School alumnus based in the US since 2003, co-founded Mediamorphosis Advertising & Technology Inc. in New York in 2006 with his spouse and business partner Poulami Mukherjee. The company expanded to the UK in 2012, followed by Manhattan Communications in India — building a multicultural advertising group spanning five countries with over 100 clients, providing LYKSTAGE with built-in advertiser relationships and market intelligence.

The platform has crossed over one million users across all markets, with more than 20,000 creators on board and growing across all five countries — achieved with minimal paid marketing.

LYKSTAGE is a transparent, patented system where the people who create the value are the ones who earn from it.

Sign up at:
Android – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lykstage.app
Apple – https://apps.apple.com/in/app/lykstage-video-streaming/id6754064834

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2960187/LYKSTAGE_Logo.jpg

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/lykstage-launches-patented-video-platform-that-pays-creators-and-viewers–now-live-across-five-countries-302746985.html

Continue Reading

Technology

Towngas and Tencent forge strategic partnership to drive “Energy + Tech” smart digital transformation

Published

on

By

HONG KONG, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas) and Tencent have signed a strategic partnership agreement in Hong Kong. The two companies will collaborate extensively on unified cloud resource management, digital platform development, large artificial intelligence (AI) models and applications, customer engagement enhancement, and R&D tool synergy. Together, they aim to drive the smart digital transformation of the energy sector.

The partnership dates back to 2020, when Towngas Lifestyle, the extended business division of Towngas, first teamed up with Tencent Cloud. In 2021, Towngas Energy, the Group’s renewable energy arm, worked with Tencent Cloud to build a smart energy ecosystem, which currently supports over a hundred integrated energy projects for the business segment. In 2023, Towngas Lifestyle and Tencent Cloud entered into a comprehensive strategic partnership spanning cloud platforms, big data, AI, and customer engagement, delivering one-stop lifestyle solutions to 46 million household customers across Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. This latest agreement marks a comprehensive, group-level strategic partnership between Towngas and Tencent. It is designed to pool their resources, achieve cross-divisional synergy, drive quality and efficiency gains, and accelerate AI innovation.

Over the past six years, this collaboration has yielded remarkable results. Powered by Tencent Cloud, Towngas Lifestyle has upgraded the digital foundation and driven application innovation for its Towngas Lifestyle Cloud (TLC) platform. Furthermore, leveraging Tencent Cloud’s TBDS (Tencent Big Data Suite), it built the Towngas Analytics Platform (TAP), which currently supports big data applications for over 70 affiliated city-gas companies as well as its Hong Kong operations.

In terms of AI applications, Towngas Lifestyle has capitalised on Tencent’s AI computing power and large model technology to launch innovative tools such as smart safety inspections and AI service agents, significantly boosting the efficiency of frontline staff at gas companies. To better serve its customers, the company has deeply integrated Tencent’s WeCom to improve customer outreach. On the R&D front, Towngas Lifestyle has widely adopted Tencent’s AI development tools to streamline workflows. Moreover, the partners have successfully replicated their mainland successes in Hong Kong, completing the cross-border deployment of the TAP platform and advancing the upgrade of the city’s business systems.

Mr Peter Wong Wai-yee, Managing Director of Towngas, said: “Tencent’s leading position in AI and digital technology is obvious to all. Since 2020, the two parties have established a strong partnership, expanding from Towngas Lifestyle’s extended business to cooperation on the smart energy platform for the renewable energy segment, and gradually extending from the mainland to Hong Kong. As an enterprise with a 164-year history, Towngas has grown to possess a customer base of over 120 million since entering the mainland gas utility business in 1994. Facing such a massive number of customers, data security is of paramount importance. How to build a secure and efficient system for management and service has become a critical issue for business development. We are confident in joining hands with Tencent to co-build a secure and efficient digital system, comprehensively elevate the customer service experience and operational efficiency, and jointly pioneer more possibilities for ‘Energy + Tech’.”

Mr Dowson Tong, Senior Executive Vice President of Tencent and CEO of Tencent Cloud and Smart Industries Group, stated that as a household brand in Hong Kong, Towngas’s “customer-centric” service philosophy aligns closely with Tencent’s corporate mission of “Value for Users, Tech for Good”. Over the past six years, Tencent has engaged in deep collaboration with multiple segments under Towngas, empowering businesses with technology to achieve precise operations. Tencent looks forward to taking this exchange as a new starting point, further consolidating the “Cloud + AI” technological foundation based on existing cooperation, and deeply integrating Tencent’s digital capabilities with Towngas’s rich application scenarios. Through technological innovation, the goal is to achieve better customer service delivery and enhance operational efficiency, exploring a new path to sustainable development for the smart upgrade of the energy industry while ensuring data security and user privacy.

Looking ahead, the two companies will continue to deepen their collaboration in migrating core businesses to the cloud, co-building digital platforms, deploying large models and AI applications, and enhancing customer engagement. This will not only deliver a superior experience for gas customers but also set a benchmark for the high-quality transformational development of the energy industry.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/towngas-and-tencent-forge-strategic-partnership-to-drive-energy–tech-smart-digital-transformation-302746992.html

SOURCE Tencent Cloud

Continue Reading

Technology

DMEGC Solar Achieves EcoVadis Gold Medal, Underscoring Its Commitment to ESG Excellence

Published

on

By

JINHUA, China, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On April 15, DMEGC Solar, a global leader in magnetic materials and renewable energy solutions, achieved a milestone breakthrough in sustainable development. With outstanding performance in environmental protection, social responsibility, and other key areas, the company earned a Gold Medal from the internationally recognized rating agency EcoVadis, scoring 82 points. This places DMEGC Solar in the top 3% of all rated companies worldwide, surpassing 97% of participants.

EcoVadis is a globally leading sustainability assessment platform, having rated over 150,000 companies across more than 250 industries and 185 countries. Its evaluation framework covers 21 indicators across four core themes: Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement. The platform aims to assess the sustainability performance and social responsibility of companies within global supply chains.

DMEGC Solar participated in the assessment at the group level rather than as a single factory, demonstrating outstanding strength across all four dimensions. In the Labor & Human Rights dimension, the company has established a comprehensive employee rights protection system, strictly implemented occupational health and safety standards, and promoted employee development and career growth, ranking in the top 1% of its industry.

In the Sustainable Procurement dimension, the company has built a full-chain green supply chain management mechanism, collaborating with core suppliers to create a “cooperative carbon reduction” ecosystem. Initiatives such as packaging material recycling, green electricity usage, and localized collaborative production have enabled a low-carbon, traceable supply chain, also ranking in the top 1% of the industry.

Coupled with strong performances in environmental governance and business ethics, the company achieved an impressive score of 82, surpassing 97% of evaluated companies and earning the Gold Medal. This distinction places DMEGC Solar at the top in the global solar module manufacturers to receive such recognition.

This Gold Medal rating will for sure strengthen the company’s competitiveness in overseas markets. On one hand, its industry-leading ESG performance helps meet policy requirements related to sustainable supply chains, enhancing both the premium pricing of its products in international markets and its ability to secure orders. On the other hand, this recognition will boost customer and partner trust in the company’s brand, supporting the expansion of market share for its core products—such as photovoltaic modules, residential energy storage systems, and magnetic materials—while consolidating its market leadership.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2960053/DMEGC_Solar_Achieves_EcoVadis_Gold_Medal__Underscoring_Its_Commitment_to_ESG_Excellence.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dmegc-solar-achieves-ecovadis-gold-medal-underscoring-its-commitment-to-esg-excellence-302746991.html

Continue Reading

Trending