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Uxin Reports Unaudited Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results

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BEIJING, July 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Uxin Limited (“Uxin” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: UXIN), China’s leading used car retailer, today announced its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended March 31, 2024.

Dear Shareholders,

First and foremost, on behalf of Uxin, I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support and trust. It is my pleasure to share with you the remarkable business progress we have made over the past fiscal year, as well as our strategic outlook for the future through this shareholder letter.

The current economic landscape in China is entering a new phase of development, bringing numerous challenges to various industries, including the used car sector. Notably, the competitive pricing strategies initiated by car manufacturers early last year have severely disrupted the price structure of the used car market, leading to a substantial decline in profitability across the industry.

However, we are pleased to see opportunities amidst these challenges. Over the past year, China’s used car market has continued its rapid growth trajectory, with national used car transactions surpassing 18 million units in 2023, reflecting a near 15% year-over-year increase. The government’s series of favorable policies to encourage the development of the used car industry, coupled with substantial incentives for trading in old cars for new ones, have spurred consumption growth in the sector. In an increasingly complex and dynamic operating environment, resources are beginning to concentrate towards leading used car dealers, providing long-term sustainable growth and profitability opportunities for companies that excel in scale, branding, and efficiency.

Uxin’s unique business model, characterized by our flagship used car superstores, has demonstrated strong competitive advantages across various dimensions, becoming increasingly prominent in the cities where our superstores are located. In the four quarters of fiscal year 2024, our retail sales continued to grow, with a total of 10,179 units sold throughout the year. From January to March 2024, even during the traditional slow season of the Spring Festival, we achieved retail sales of 3,124 units, a 38% increase compared to the same period last year. Our superstores have become the leading brand in their respective regions, with a Net Promoter Score (NPS) consistently around 60 points for 10 consecutive quarters, the highest level in the industry, and a regional market share of 10% and growing. Our overall vehicle inventory turnover days are around 30 days, and our standardized, streamlined, and digitalized operating system has matured over the past year, significantly surpassing the industry average in operational capability and efficiency.

Reflecting on the past year, we have made substantial progress in numerous areas of our business, positioning us well for scalable profitability. I will highlight three key achievements:

First, our branding and sales capabilities have generated a positive flywheel effect, further enhancing sales efficiency. By connecting with customers through superior products and services, we have built a stronger network effect in regional markets as customer trust and reputation have grown, further boosting sales conversion rates. As a result, our in-store customer conversion rate has reached approximately 40%. Despite intense industry competition, our retail vehicle inventory turnover rate has improved by over 60% compared to the previous fiscal year, allowing us to achieve higher retail sales with the same inventory size.

Uxin’s decade-long industry experience has greatly empowered our sales capabilities through digitalization. Our AI pricing model dynamically monitors six hundred thousands of used car data points across the internet, creating competitive models based on factors such as a car’s model, age, condition, and mileage. This system, combined with customer viewing records and offline test drives, can generate purchase and sale prices and adjust them promptly to ensure Uxin’s vehicles remain highly competitive in the market. During the new car price cuts, our pricing system responded quickly to adjust the acquisition and selling prices of similar models to accelerate the sales of impacted inventories. By adjusting our prices faster, we can accelerate vehicle sales, mitigate the effects of new car price reductions, and transition into the next regular sales cycle sooner.

Second, while increasing sales volume, we have also boosted our gross profit per vehicle. Our gross profit margin has risen from 1.2% in fiscal year 2023 to 5.9% in fiscal year 2024. In the used car industry, prices typically decrease as inventory ages. Therefore, by accelerating our sales turnover, we have naturally enhanced our gross profit per vehicle.

Meanwhile, leveraging our one-stop shopping experience at offline superstores and reconditioning factories, we have continuously expanded our high-margin value-added services. These include financing services, insurance, extended warranties, premium accessories, and maintenance. Over the past year, the penetration rate of these value-added services has rapidly increased, boosting our gross profit margin.

Additionally, our per-vehicle reconditioning costs have significantly decreased. Uxin’s transparent factory is now fully operational, with vehicles taking an average of only three days to move from warehousing to sales, allowing for faster sales entry. Through bulk procurement of parts, SMART repairs, and the application of 3D printing technology, our reconditioning cost per vehicle in fiscal year 2024 has decreased by 50% compared to the previous fiscal year.

Third, we have continued to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and optimize our operating expenses. Adjusted EBITDA[1] for fiscal year 2024 was a loss of RMB176 million, representing a nearly 40% reduction in losses compared to fiscal year 2023. This year, we implemented a series of cost-reduction and efficiency-enhancement measures. Looking forward, we expect fixed costs and expenses in fiscal year 2025 to be reduced by over RMB100 million compared to fiscal year 2024, driving faster overall Adjusted EBITDA profitability at the company level.

Take marketing as an example, we have developed a highly cost-effective customer acquisition strategy, reducing advertising and promotion expenses by more than 50% compared to last year. Leveraging our large venues, we actively explored community-integrated marketing strategies by organizing events such as sports meetings, anime conventions, job fairs, and vehicle test drives etc. These activities increased our regional market exposure, generating substantial organic traffic and significantly lowering customer acquisition costs.

In the past year, our offline superstore model has proven successful, placing Uxin on a rapid growth trajectory. Looking ahead to the new fiscal year, we have set three primary business objectives, aligning with our current development plan.

First, we aim to significantly increase sales volume, projecting a year-over-year retail sales growth of 150% for fiscal year 2025. We are confident in maintaining our current sales efficiency and will gradually ramp up inventory, expecting inventory levels to increase 2-3 times compared to the beginning of the fiscal year. This will drive continuous retail sales growth in the coming quarters, ensuring the achievement of our sales targets for the new fiscal year.

Second, we plan to achieve company-wide profitability at scale. Our goal is to achieve positive Adjusted EBITDA for the entire company in the quarter between October and December 2024. With new car prices stabilizing, the profitability of used cars is beginning to recover, and our inventory scales and sales continue to climb. We are confident in meeting this profitability target.

Third, we will finalize the location selection and operational preparations for 2-3 new superstores, enhancing our integrated online and offline superstore network. Recently, we announced a strategic partnership with the Zhengzhou Airport District government, with a joint investment of RMB170 million to establish a new Uxin used car superstore in Zhengzhou city. As a transportation hub in central China and one of the most active cities for used car transactions, Zhengzhou boasts a population of over 13 million and a car ownership of 5 million, making it an ideal location for operating a large-scale used car superstore. Besides Zhengzhou, we are also advancing implementation plans in several other cities, which will drive Uxin’s national expansion and business growth in the coming years.

Everything is in place for us to achieve our goals. We have confidence in the competitive advantage of Uxin’s superstore model and the momentum driving our business growth. We remain dedicated to leading the transformation and upgrading of China’s used car industry with a steadfast commitment to customer-centric value creation. Once again, we sincerely thank you for your continued trust and support. We look forward to achieving new breakthroughs together in the coming fiscal year.

Kun Dai

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Uxin

 [1] This is a non-GAAP measure. We believe non-GAAP measures help investors and users of our financial information understand the effect of adjusting items on our selected reported results and provide alternate measurements of our performance, both in the current period and across periods. See our Financial Supplement, filed as Exhibit 99.1 to our Current Report on Form 6-K on July 31, 2024 with the SEC, “Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP And Non-GAAP Results” for a reconciliation and additional information on non-GAAP measures.

Highlights for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2024

Transaction volume was 4,058 units for the three months ended March 31, 2024, a decrease of 6.8% from 4,354 units in the last quarter and an increase of 12.5% from 3,607 units in the same period last year.Retail transaction volume was 3,124 units, an increase of 1.4% from 3,081 units in the last quarter and an increase of 38.3% from 2,259 units in the same period last year.Total revenues were RMB319.2 million (US$44.2 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, a decrease of 22.3% from RMB410.5 million in the last quarter and a decrease of 7.2% from RMB343.8 million in the same period last year.Gross margin was 6.6% for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared with 4.8% in the last quarter and 2.3% in the same period last year.Loss from operations was RMB109.8 million (US$15.2 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared with RMB73.1 million in the last quarter and RMB57.4 million in the same period last year.Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA was a loss of RMB39.7 million (US$5.5 million), compared with a loss of RMB43.8 million in the last quarter and a loss of RMB40.8 million in the same period last year.

Highlights for the Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2024

Transaction volume was 15,550 units for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, a decrease of 22.4% from 20,029 units in the prior fiscal year.Retail transaction volume was 10,179 units for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, a decrease of 4.9% from 10,703 units in the prior fiscal year.Total revenues were RMB1,374.7 million (US$190.4 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, a decrease of 33.2% from RMB2,059.2 million in the prior fiscal year.Gross margin was 5.9% for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, compared with 1.2% in the prior fiscal year.Loss from operations was RMB312.5 million (US$43.3 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, compared with RMB356.9 million in the prior fiscal year.Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA was a loss of RMB176.1 million (US$24.4 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, compared with RMB280.3 million in the prior fiscal year.

Mr. Feng Lin, Chief Financial Officer of Uxin, stated, “Despite the traditional slow season for used car sales in China due to the Chinese New Year holiday, we continued to deliver solid results in the quarter, with retail transaction volume reaching 3,124 units, representing a 38% year-over-year increase. Additionally, the improvement in vehicle turnover and the increased penetration of value-added services significantly enhanced our profitability. As a result, our gross profit margin in the quarter was 6.6%, an improvement of 1.8 percentage points from the previous quarter.”

Mr. Lin added, “For the full fiscal year of 2024, we achieved a retail transaction volume of 10,179 units, and narrowed our Adjusted EBITDA loss by RMB104 million compared to the previous fiscal year to RMB176 million. We have started to expand our inventory levels, and we expect retail sales to continue growing in the coming quarters. Looking ahead to fiscal year 2025, we anticipate a year-over-year retail transaction volume growth by 150% with a further reduction in fixed costs by over RMB100 million year-over-year. We are fully committed to achieving company-wide Adjusted EBITDA profitability starting from the third quarter of the fiscal year.”

Financial Results for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2024

Total revenues were RMB319.2 million (US$44.2 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, a decrease of 22.3% from RMB410.5 million in the last quarter and a decrease of 7.2% from RMB343.8 million in the same period last year. The quarter-over-quarter decreases were mainly due to the decline of wholesale transaction volume as well as the decrease in vehicle average selling price. The year-over-year decreases were mainly due to the decline of wholesale vehicle sales revenue.

Retail vehicle sales revenue was RMB269.4 million (US$37.3 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, representing a decrease of 15.6% from RMB319.2 million in the last quarter and an increase of 2.2% from RMB263.7 million in the same period last year. For the three months ended March 31, 2024, retail transaction volume was 3,124 units, an increase of 1.4% from 3,081 units last quarter and an increase of 38.3% from 2,259 units in the same period last year. The Chinese New Year was on February 9, 2024, which is the traditional used car off-season. However, the quarter-over-quarter retail transaction volume maintained stable. The quarter-over-quarter decrease in retail vehicle sales was mainly due to the decline of retail average selling price. The year-over-year increase was mainly due to the retail transaction volume increase by 38.3% while partially offset by the decline of retail average selling price.

Wholesale vehicle sales revenue was RMB39.7 million (US$5.5 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared with RMB82.2 million in the last quarter and RMB73.6 million in the same period last year. For the three months ended March 31, 2024, wholesale transaction volume was 934 units, representing a decrease of 26.6% from 1,273 units last quarter and a decrease of 30.7% from 1,348 units in the same period last year. Wholesale vehicle sales refer to vehicles purchased by the Company from individuals that do not meet the Company’s retail standards and are subsequently sold through online and offline channels. The quarter-over-quarter decreases in wholesale vehicle sales were mainly due to the decline of wholesale vehicle sales volume during the traditional used car off-season. In addition, as the Company continued to improve its inventory capacity and reconditioning capabilities, an increased number of acquired vehicles were reconditioned to meet the Company’s retail standards, rather than being sold through wholesale channels. As a result, the year-over-year wholesale vehicle sales revenue decreased.

Other revenue was RMB10.1 million (US$1.4 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared with RMB9.1 million in the last quarter and RMB6.5 million in the same period last year. The year-over-year increase was mainly due to an increase in the value-added services such as revenue from sales of vehicle accessories and revenue from vehicle repair services.

Cost of revenues was RMB298.1 million (US$41.3 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared with RMB390.6 million in the last quarter and RMB336.0 million in the same period last year. 

Gross margin was 6.6% for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared with 4.8% in the last quarter and 2.3% in the same period last year. The quarter-over-quarter increase in gross margin was mainly due to the Company’s capacity to respond to market fluctuations enhanced and the Company’s pricing adjustments became more prompt. The year-over-year increase in gross margin was mainly due to the acceleration of the inventory turnover rate and the improvement of pricing and sales capabilities.

Total operating expenses were RMB131.8 million (US$18.3 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Total operating expenses excluding the impact of share-based compensation were RMB91.4 million.

Sales and marketing expenses were RMB50.8 million (US$7.0 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, a decrease of 10.4% from RMB56.7 million in the last quarter and a decrease of 3.0% from RMB52.4 million in the same period last year. 

General and administrative expenses were RMB75.3 million (US$10.4 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, representing an increase of 122.7% from RMB33.8 million in the last quarter and an increase of 96.7% from RMB38.3 million in the same period last year. The increase was mainly due to an increase in shared-based compensation for personnel performing general and administrative functions, including the share-based compensation expense of US$4.0 million (equivalent to RMB28.7 million) resulting from the issuance of the senior convertible preferred shares to Xin Gao Group Limited (“Xin Gao“), which is controlled by Mr. Kun Dai, the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

Research and development expenses were RMB6.0 million (US$0.8 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, representing a decrease of 37.9% from RMB9.7 million in the last quarter and a decrease of 35.4% from RMB9.3 million in the same period last year. The decrease was mainly due to a decrease of the salaries and benefits expenses of employees engaged in research and development.

Other operating income, net was a gain of RMB0.9 million (US$0.1 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared with a gain of RMB6.9 million in the last quarter. The decrease was mainly due to the reduction in liability waiver gain, which was recognized as the Company fulfilled its payment conditions under the operating payable waiver agreements the Company had entered into with several suppliers.

Loss from operations was RMB109.8 million (US$15.2 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared with RMB73.1 million in the last quarter and RMB57.4 million in the same period last year.

Interest expenses were RMB24.0 million (US$3.3 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, representing a decrease of 7.1% from RMB25.8 million in the last quarter and an increase of 322.3% from RMB5.7 million in the same period last year. The year-over-year increase was mainly due to the interest expenses on finance lease liabilities relating to the lease of Hefei Superstore in September 2023.

Fair value impact of the issuance of senior convertible preferred shares was nil for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared with a gain of RMB20.1 million in the last quarter.

Net loss from operations was net loss of RMB142.7 million (US$19.8 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared with net loss of RMB78.1 million in the last quarter and net loss of RMB79.8 million in the same period last year. 

Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA was a loss of RMB39.7 million (US$5.5 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared with a loss of RMB43.8 million in the last quarter and a loss of RMB40.8 million in the same period last year.

In order to cope with the intensified competition within the industry and the challenging external conditions, following the Spring Festival, the Company executed a series of initiatives to realign its organizational structure to better meet the development needs of its superstores and to further reduce company-wide costs and expenses. The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA excluding the severance payment and other realignment related charges recorded in general and administrative expenses and other operating income, net relating to the aforementioned structure realignment.

Financial Results for the Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2024

Total revenues were RMB1,374.7 million (US$190.4 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, a decrease of 33.2% from RMB2,059.2 million in the prior fiscal year. The decreases were driven by the decrease of wholesale vehicle sales revenue, mainly due to a decline in wholesale transaction volume, and the decrease of retail vehicle sales revenue, mainly due to a decline in retail average selling price. 

Retail vehicle sales revenue was RMB1,024.4 million (US$141.9 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, representing a decrease of 22.0% from RMB1,312.9 million in the prior fiscal year. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, retail transaction volume was 10,179 units, a decrease of 4.9% from 10,703 units in the prior fiscal year. The decrease in retail vehicle sales revenue was mainly due to a decline in retail average selling price by 18.0% year-over-year. Besides, the decrease in retail vehicle sales revenue was also driven by a decline in retail transaction volume. The decrease in retail transaction volume was mainly related to the lower inventory level. The Company has maintained a prudent inventory procurement strategy and keeps a low inventory level as compared with the same period last year, which constrained retail sales growth.

Wholesale vehicle sales revenue was RMB315.9 million (US$43.8 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, compared with RMB707.4 million in the prior fiscal year. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, wholesale transaction volume was 5,371 units, representing a decrease of 42.4% from 9,326 units in the prior fiscal year. Wholesale vehicle sales refer to vehicles purchased by the Company from individuals that do not meet the Company’s retail standards and are subsequently sold through online and offline channels. As the Company is focusing on creating value for its customers through retail transactions and continuing to improve its inventory capacity and reconditioning capabilities, the wholesale transaction volume decreased accordingly. The Company expects that its wholesale transaction volume will gradually represent a lower portion of the Company’s total transaction volume.

Other revenue was RMB34.4 million (US$4.7 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, compared with RMB38.9 million in the prior fiscal year. The decrease was mainly due to a decrease in the Company’s value-added services such as rebate received from certain financing partners for referring them to the Company’s retail customers with financing needs, a decrease in revenue from sales of vehicle accessories and a decrease in revenue from vehicle repair services.

Cost of revenues was RMB1,294.2 million (US$179.2 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, compared with RMB2,033.8 million in the prior fiscal year. The decrease was mainly due to a decrease in cost for acquiring used vehicles as a result of the Company’s prudent inventory procurement strategy implemented. 

Gross margin was 5.9% for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, compared with 1.2% in the prior fiscal year. The increase was mainly due to the acceleration of the inventory turnover rate, the improvement of pricing and sales capabilities, the increase of the Company’s value-added services penetration rate and the decrease of the Company’s per-vehicle reconditioning costs.

Total operating expenses were RMB411.1 million (US$56.9 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024. Total operating expenses excluding the impact of share-based compensation were RMB335.3 million.

Sales and marketing expenses were RMB202.5 million (US$28.0 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, representing a decrease of 14.3% from RMB236.3 million in the prior fiscal year. The decrease was mainly due to the decrease in marketing expenses driven by the adoption of more cost-effective promotion measures and the decrease of outbound logistic expenses, partially offset by the increase in right-of-use assets depreciation expenses as a result of relocation to the Company’s Hefei Superstore.

General and administrative expenses were RMB177.4 million (US$24.6 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, representing an increase of 7.8% from RMB164.5 million in the prior fiscal year. The increase was mainly due to an increase in shared-based compensation for personnel performing general and administrative functions, including the share-based compensation expense of US$4.0 million (equivalent to RMB28.7 million) resulting from the issuance of the senior convertible preferred shares to Xin Gao, which is controlled by Mr. Kun Dai, the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

Research and development expenses were RMB33.8 million (US$4.7 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, representing a decrease of 10.3% from RMB37.7 million in the prior fiscal year. The decrease was mainly due to a decrease of the salaries and benefits expenses of employees engaged in research and development.

Other operating income, net was RMB18.0 million (US$2.5 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, compared with RMB70.0 million in the prior fiscal year.

Loss from operations was RMB312.5 million (US$43.3 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, compared with RMB356.9 million in the prior fiscal year.

Interest expenses were RMB62.6 million (US$8.7 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, representing an increase of 194.7% from RMB21.2 million in the prior fiscal year.

Fair value impact of the issuance of senior convertible preferred shares resulted in a loss of RMB11.8 million (US$1.6 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, compared with a gain of RMB242.7 million in the prior fiscal year. The impact was mainly due to the fair value change of the warrants issued in relation to the senior convertible preferred shares during the period. The warrants to purchase 261,810,806 senior convertible preferred shares held by Alpha were terminated in December 2023. The fair value impact was a non-cash gain.

Net loss from operations was net loss of RMB369.5 million (US$51.2 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, compared with net loss of RMB137.2 million in the prior fiscal year. 

Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA was a loss of RMB176.1 million (US$24.4 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, compared with a loss of RMB280.3 million in the prior fiscal year.

Liquidity

As of March 31, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of RMB23.3 million, compared to RMB92.7 million as of March 31, 2023.

The Company has incurred accumulated and recurring losses from operations, and cash outflows from operating activities. In addition, the Company’s current liabilities exceeded its current assets by approximately RMB658.8 million as of March 31, 2024.

The Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is dependent on management’s ability to increase sales, achieve higher gross profit margin and control operating costs and expenses to reduce the cash that will be used in operating cash flows, and to enter into financing arrangements, including but not limited to renewal of the existing borrowings and obtaining new debt and equity financings. There is uncertainty regarding the implementation of these business and financing plans, which raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The accompanying unaudited financial information does not include any adjustment that is reflective of these uncertainties.

Recent Development

On July 8, 2024, the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Uxin (Anhui) Industrial Investment Co., Ltd., or Uxin Anhui, entered into an equity investment agreement with Zhengzhou Airport Automobile Industry Co., Ltd., or Zhengzhou Airport Industry, to establish a subsidiary of the Company, Uxin (Zhengzhou) Intelligent Remanufacturing Co., Ltd., or Uxin Zhengzhou, in Zhengzhou. Uxin Anhui will contribute RMB120.0 million and Zhengzhou Airport Industry will contribute RMB50.0 million, representing approximately 70% and 30% of Uxin Zhengzhou’s total registered capital, respectively.

Uxin Zhengzhou aims to support Uxin’s plan to establish a new used car super store in Zhengzhou. This initiative is a key collaboration between Uxin and Zhengzhou Airport Industry to promote the development of the automotive aftermarket industry in the Henan Province and to build a leading brand in China’s used car industry.

Business Outlook

For the three months ended June 30, 2024, the Company expects its retail transaction volume to be around 4,000 units and wholesale transaction volume to be around 1,500 units. The Company estimates that its total revenues including retail vehicle sales revenue, wholesale vehicle sales revenue and value-add-services revenue to be within the range of RMB390 million to RMB410 million. The Company expects its gross profit margin to remain stable. These forecasts reflect the Company’s current and preliminary views on the market and operational conditions, which are subject to changes.

Conference Call

Uxin’s management team will host a conference call on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at 8:00 A.M. U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 P.M. Beijing/Hong Kong time on the same day) to discuss the financial results. In advance of the conference call, all participants must use the following link to complete the online registration process. Upon registering, each participant will receive access details for this conference including an event passcode, a unique access PIN, dial-in numbers, and an e-mail with detailed instructions to join the conference call.

Conference Call Preregistration:https://dpregister.com/sreg/10191411/fd2f7ea0a4 

A telephone replay of the call will be available after the conclusion of the conference call until August 7, 2024. The dial-in details for the replay are as follows:

U.S.:

+1 877 344 7529

International:

+1 412 317 0088

Replay PIN:

2653168

A live webcast and archive of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of Uxin’s website at http://ir.xin.com.

About Uxin

Uxin is China’s leading used car retailer, pioneering industry transformation with advanced production, new retail experiences, and digital empowerment. We offer high-quality and value-for-money vehicles as well as superior after-sales services through a reliable, one-stop, and hassle-free transaction experience. Under our omni-channel strategy, we are able to leverage our pioneering online platform to serve customers nationwide and establish market leadership in selected regions through offline inspection and reconditioning centers. Leveraging our extensive industry data and continuous technology innovation throughout more than ten years of operation, we have established strong used car management and operation capabilities. We are committed to upholding our customer-centric approach and driving the healthy development of the used car industry.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In evaluating the business, the Company considers and uses certain non-GAAP measures, including Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net loss from operations per share – basic and diluted, as supplemental measures to review and assess its operating performance. The presentation of the non-GAAP financial measure is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA excluding share-based compensation, fair value impact of the issuance of senior convertible preferred shares, foreign exchange losses, other income/(expenses), dividend from long-term investment, structure realignment cost which was mainly severance cost, equity in loss of affiliates and dividend from affiliates. The Company defines adjusted net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders per share – basic and diluted as net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders per share excluding impact of share-based compensation, fair value impact of the issuance of senior convertible preferred shares, deemed dividend to preferred shareholders due to triggering of a down round feature and accretion on redeemable non-controlling interests. The Company presents the non-GAAP financial measures because they are used by the management to evaluate the operating performance and formulate business plans. The Company also believes that the use of the non-GAAP measures facilitates investors’ assessment of its operating performance as this measure excludes certain finance or non-cash items that the Company does not believe directly reflect its core operations. The Company believes that excluding these items enables us to evaluate our performance period-over-period more effectively and relative to our competitors.

The non-GAAP financial measures are not defined under U.S. GAAP and are not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools. One of the key limitations of using Adjusted EBITDA is that it does not reflect all items of income and expenses that affect the Company’s operations. Share-based compensation, fair value impact of the issuance of senior convertible preferred shares, other income/(expenses) and dividend from long-term investment have been and may continue to be incurred in the business. Further, the non-GAAP measures may differ from the non-GAAP information used by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore their comparability may be limited.

The Company compensates for these limitations by reconciling the non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest U.S. GAAP performance measure, all of which should be considered when evaluating the Company’s performance. The Company encourages you to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.

Reconciliations of Uxin’s non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable U.S. GAAP measure are included at the end of this press release.

Exchange Rate Information

This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars (“US$”) at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader, except for those transaction amounts that were actually settled in U.S. dollars. Unless otherwise stated, all translations from RMB to US$ were made at the rate of RMB7.2203 to US$1.00, representing the index rate as of March 29, 2024 set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The Company makes no representation that the RMB or US$ amounts referred could be converted into US$ or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Uxin’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Uxin may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the SEC, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Uxin’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Uxin’s goal and strategies; its expansion plans; its future business development, financial condition and results of operations; Uxin’s expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, its services; its ability to provide differentiated and superior customer experience, maintain and enhance customer trust in its platform, and assess and mitigate various risks, including credit; its expectations regarding maintaining and expanding its relationships with business partners, including financing partners; trends and competition in China’s used car e-commerce industry; the laws and regulations relating to Uxin’s industry; the general economic and business conditions; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Uxin’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and Uxin does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. 

For investor and media enquiries, please contact: 
Uxin Limited Investor Relations
Uxin Limited
Phone: +86 10 5691-6765
Email: ir@xin.com 

The Blueshirt Group
Mr. Jack Wang
Phone: +86 166-0115-0429
Email: Jack@blueshirtgroup.com 

 

 

Uxin Limited 

Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss

(In thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

For the three months ended March 31,

For the twelve months ended March 31,

2023

2024

2023

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Revenues

Retail vehicle sales

263,695

269,421

37,314

1,312,857

1,024,401

141,878

Wholesale vehicle sales

73,557

39,722

5,501

707,385

315,909

43,753

   Others

6,534

10,008

1,386

38,999

34,419

4,767

Total revenues

343,786

319,151

44,201

2,059,241

1,374,729

190,398

Cost of revenues

(335,984)

(298,109)

(41,288)

(2,033,797)

(1,294,161)

(179,239)

Gross profit

7,802

21,042

2,913

25,444

80,568

11,159

Operating expenses

   Sales and marketing

(52,392)

(50,815)

(7,038)

(236,307)

(202,493)

(28,045)

   General and administrative 

(38,308)

(75,336)

(10,434)

(164,505)

(177,386)

(24,568)

   Research and development

(9,329)

(6,027)

(835)

(37,704)

(33,820)

(4,684)

   (Provision for)/reversal of credit losses, net

(13,084)

359

50

(13,844)

2,631

364

Total operating expenses

(113,113)

(131,819)

(18,257)

(452,360)

(411,068)

(56,933)

Other operating income, net

47,907

935

129

69,990

18,001

2,493

Loss from operations

(57,404)

(109,842)

(15,215)

(356,926)

(312,499)

(43,281)

Interest income

146

8

1

603

169

23

Interest expenses

(5,676)

(23,970)

(3,320)

(21,243)

(62,598)

(8,670)

Other income

907

622

86

17,088

15,870

2,198

Other expenses

(18,317)

(4,086)

(566)

(24,153)

(5,941)

(823)

Losses from extinguishment of debt

(2,778)

Foreign exchange gains/(losses)

122

511

71

(2,457)

1,525

211

Fair value impact of the issuance of senior

convertible preferred shares

507

242,733

(11,776)

(1,631)

Loss before income tax expense

(79,715)

(136,757)

(18,943)

(147,133)

(375,250)

(51,973)

Income tax expense

(81)

(12)

(2)

(366)

(311)

(43)

Dividend from long-term investment 

10,374

11,970

1,658

Equity in loss of affiliates and dividend from

affiliate, net of tax   

(5,951)

(824)

(44)

(5,951)

(824)

Net loss, net of tax

(79,796)

(142,720)

(19,769)

(137,169)

(369,542)

(51,182)

Add: net loss/(profit) attribute to redeemable non-

controlling interests and non-controlling interests

shareholders

9

(1,629)

(226)

12

(2,845)

(394)

Net loss attributable to UXIN LIMITED

(79,787)

(144,349)

(19,995)

(137,157)

(372,387)

(51,576)

Deemed dividend to preferred shareholders due to

triggering of a down round feature (i)

(1,781,454)

(246,729)

(755,635)

(2,060,254)

(285,342)

Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders

(79,787)

(1,925,803)

(266,724)

(892,792)

(2,432,641)

(336,918)

Net loss

(79,796)

(142,720)

(19,769)

(137,169)

(369,542)

(51,182)

Foreign currency translation,  net of tax nil

12,057

66

9

(68,276)

4,905

679

Total comprehensive loss

(67,739)

(142,654)

(19,760)

(205,445)

(364,637)

(50,503)

Add: net loss/(profit) attribute to redeemable non-

controlling interests and non-controlling interests

shareholders

9

(1,629)

(226)

12

(2,845)

(394)

Total comprehensive loss attributable to UXIN

LIMITED

(67,730)

(144,283)

(19,986)

(205,433)

(367,482)

(50,897)

Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders

(79,787)

(1,925,803)

(266,724)

(892,792)

(2,432,641)

(336,918)

Weighted average shares outstanding – basic

1,419,079,968

4,465,415,461

4,465,415,461

1,344,536,565

2,185,363,635

2,185,363,635

Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted

1,419,079,968

4,465,415,461

4,465,415,461

1,344,536,565

2,185,363,635

2,185,363,635

Net loss per share for ordinary shareholders, basic

(0.06)

(0.43)

(0.06)

(0.66)

(1.11)

(0.15)

Net loss per share for ordinary shareholders, diluted

(0.06)

(0.43)

(0.06)

(0.66)

(1.11)

(0.15)


(i) Each senior convertible preferred share shall be convertible, at any time and from time to time from and after the applicable original issue date. The original conversion price for each senior

convertible preferred share shall be US$0.3433 per Class A ordinary share for the subscription in 2021. 

The conversion price down round feature is triggered when the Company provides for a lower conversion price in subsequent convertible preferred offerings. The provision of a lower

conversion price results in the repricing of existing convertible preferred offerings to match any such lower stated conversion rate.

At the closing of 2022 subscription in July 2022, the conversion price for each senior convertible preferred share issued were adjusted to US$0.14 per Class A ordinary shares. In August

2023, Joy Capital exercised its warrants to purchase senior convertible preferred shares and the Company issued senior convertible preferred shares to Joy Capital at conversion price of

US$0.0457 per Class A ordinary shares. The conversion price for each senior convertible preferred share outstanding as of the date were further adjusted to US$0.0457 per Class A ordinary

share. On March 26, 2024, the Company issued senior convertible preferred shares to Xin Gao Group Limited at conversion price of US$0.004858 per Class A ordinary share. As a result, the

conversion price for each senior convertible preferred share outstanding as of the date was further adjusted to US$0.004858 per Class A ordinary share.

The Company determined that, the reduction of the conversion price for senior convertible preferred shares in July 2022, August 2023 and March 2024 triggered the down round feature

operative within the then existing senior convertible preferred shares. The fair value impact related to the reduction in the conversion price of the senior convertible preferred shares in July

2022, August 2023 and March 2024, amounting to RMB755.6 million, RMB278.8 million and RMB1,781.5 million respectively, was recorded as a charge to accumulated deficit and a credit to

additional paid in capital in permanent equity.

 

 

Uxin Limited

Unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheets 

(In thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

As of March 31,

As of March 31,

2023

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

ASSETS

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

92,713

23,339

3,232

Restricted cash

618

594

82

Accounts receivable, net

790

2,089

289

Loans recognized as a result of payments under

guarantees, net of provision for credit losses of

RMB10,337 and RMB7,995 as of March 31,

2023 and 2024, respectively

Other receivables, net of provision for credit

losses of RMB26,541 and RMB22,739 as of

March 31, 2023 and 2024, respectively

15,345

18,080

2,504

Inventory, net

110,893

110,494

15,303

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

61,390

71,787

9,942

Total current assets

281,749

226,383

31,352

Non-current assets

Property, equipment and software, net

63,725

74,243

10,283

Long-term investments

288,712

279,300

38,683

Other non-current assets

268

37

Finance lease right-of-use assets, net (i)

1,339,537

185,524

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net 

84,461

168,418

23,326

Total non-current assets

436,898

1,861,766

257,853

Total assets

718,647

2,088,149

289,205

LIABILITIES, MEZZANINE EQUITY AND

SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

Current liabilities

Accounts payable

80,668

80,745

11,182

Warrant liabilities

8

Other payables and other current liabilities

336,835

370,802

51,355

Current portion of operating lease liabilities

7,667

12,310

1,705

Current portion of finance lease liabilities (i)

51,160

7,086

Short-term borrowing

20,000

78,181

10,828

Current portion of long-term debt

158,736

291,950

40,435

Total current liabilities

603,914

885,148

122,591

Non-current liabilities

Long-term borrowings

291,950

Consideration payable to WeBank

58,559

Finance lease liabilities (i)

1,191,246

164,986

Operating lease liabilities

77,462

154,846

21,446

Long-term debt

264,560

Total non-current liabilities

692,531

1,346,092

186,432

Total liabilities

1,296,445

2,231,240

309,023

Mezzanine equity

Senior convertible preferred shares (US$0.0001

par value,1,720,000,000 and 9,900,000,000

shares authorized as of March 31, 2023 and

2024, respectively; 1,151,221,338 and nil

shares issued and outstanding as of March 31,

2023 and 2024, respectively) (iii)

1,245,721

Subscription receivable from preferred shareholders

(550,074)

Redeemable non-controlling interests (ii)

149,991

20,774

Total Mezzanine equity

695,647

149,991

20,774

Shareholders’ deficit

Ordinary shares

806

39,806

5,513

Additional paid-in capital

15,451,803

18,928,837

2,621,613

Subscription receivable from shareholders

(107,879)

(14,941)

Accumulated other comprehensive income

220,185

225,090

31,175

Accumulated deficit

(16,946,064)

(19,378,705)

(2,683,920)

Total Uxin’s shareholders’ deficit

(1,273,270)

(292,851)

(40,560)

Non-controlling interests

(175)

(231)

(32)

Total shareholders’ deficit

(1,273,445)

(293,082)

(40,592)

Total liabilities, mezzanine equity and

shareholders’ deficit

718,647

2,088,149

289,205

(i) On September 24, 2021, a subsidiary of the Company, Youxin (Hefei) Automobile Intelligent Remanufacturing Co., Ltd.

(“UXIN Hefei”) entered into a lease and purchase agreement with Hefei Construction Investment North City Industrial

Investment Co., Ltd (“Hefei Construction  Investment”) to set up an inspection and reconditioning center (the “IRC”) in Hefei.

Pursuant to the agreement, Hefei Construction Investment was responsible for the construction of the IRC and we will lease the

IRC including the respective land use right after the completion of its construction with a 10-year lease term and a purchase

option of the underlying assets. The IRC was completed and  transferred to the Company on September 20, 2023.

(ii) On October 23, 2023, Hefei Construction Investment completed the transfer of the first-year rent of the IRC in Hefei into

its investment of RMB147.1 million in UXIN Hefei and acquired 12.02% equity interests of UXIN Hefei with certain

preferential rights.  The investment was recognized as redeemable non-controlling interests.

(iii) On March 26, 2024, the Company entered into definitive agreements with Xin Gao Group Limited (“Xin Gao”) and issued

1,440,922,190 senior convertible preferred shares at conversion price of US$0.004858 per Class A ordinary shares for an

aggregate amount of US$7.0 million. As Xin Gao is controlled by Mr. Kun Dai, the Chairman of the Board of Directors and

Chief Executive Officer of Company and the fair value of the senior convertible preferred shares is higher than the consideration

received from Xin Gao, a share-based compensation expense of US$4.0 million (equivalent to RMB28.7 million) equal to the

difference between the fair value of the preferred shares issued and the consideration received was recorded in general and

administrative expenses in March 2024. 

On March 27, 2024, as agreed by all the preferred shareholders, all of the Company’s 2,810,961,908 outstanding senior

convertible preferred shares were converted into 54,960,889,255 Class A ordinary shares.

 

 

* Share-based compensation charges included are as follows:

For the three months ended March 31,

 For the twelve months ended March 31,

2023

2024

2023

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Sales and marketing

408

1,516

1,444

200

General and administrative

9,830

40,388

5,594

44,088

72,942

10,102

Research and development

474

1,709

1,420

197

 

 

Uxin Limited

Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP And Non-GAAP Results 

(In thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

For the three months ended March 31,

 For the twelve months ended March 31,

2023

2024

2023

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Net loss, net of tax

(79,796)

(142,720)

(19,769)

(137,169)

(369,542)

(51,182)

Add: Income tax expense

81

12

2

366

311

43

Interest income

(146)

(8)

(1)

(603)

(169)

(23)

Interest expenses

5,676

23,970

3,320

21,243

62,598

8,670

Depreciation

5,900

15,760

2,183

32,111

46,671

6,464

EBITDA

(68,285)

(102,986)

(14,265)

(84,052)

(260,131)

(36,028)

Add: Share-based compensation expenses

10,712

40,388

5,594

47,313

75,806

10,499

– Sales and marketing

408

1,516

1,444

200

– General and administrative

9,830

40,388

5,594

44,088

72,942

10,102

– Research and development

474

1,709

1,420

197

Other income

(907)

(622)

(86)

(17,088)

(15,870)

(2,198)

Other expenses

18,317

4,086

566

24,153

5,941

823

Foreign exchange (gains)/losses

(122)

(511)

(71)

2,457

(1,525)

(211)

Structure realignment cost

13,948

1,932

13,948

1,932

Equity in loss of affiliates, net of tax   

5,951

824

5,951

824

Dividend from long-term investment 

(10,374)

(11,970)

(1,658)

Fair value impact of the issuance of senior

convertible preferred shares

(507)

(242,733)

11,776

1,631

Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA

(40,792)

(39,746)

(5,506)

(280,324)

(176,074)

(24,386)

For the three months ended March 31,

 For the twelve months ended March 31,

2023

2024

2023

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Net loss attributable to ordinary

shareholders

(79,787)

(1,925,803)

(266,724)

(892,792)

(2,432,641)

(336,918)

Add: Share-based compensation expenses

10,712

40,388

5,594

47,313

75,806

10,499

– Sales and marketing

408

1,516

1,444

200

– General and administrative

9,830

40,388

5,594

44,088

72,942

10,102

– Research and development

474

1,709

1,420

197

Fair value impact of the issuance of senior

convertible preferred shares

(507)

(242,733)

11,776

1,631

Add: accretion on redeemable non-

controlling interests

1,650

229

2,901

402

Deemed dividend to preferred

shareholders due to triggering of a down

round feature

1,781,454

246,729

755,635

2,060,254

285,342

Non-GAAP adjusted net loss attributable

to ordinary shareholders

(69,582)

(102,311)

(14,172)

(332,577)

(281,904)

(39,044)

Net loss per share for ordinary shareholders –

basic

(0.06)

(0.43)

(0.06)

(0.66)

(1.11)

(0.15)

Net loss per share for ordinary shareholders – 

diluted

(0.06)

(0.43)

(0.06)

(0.66)

(1.11)

(0.15)

Non-GAAP adjusted net loss to ordinary

shareholders per share – basic and diluted

(0.05)

(0.02)

(0.25)

(0.13)

(0.02)

Weighted average shares outstanding – basic

1,419,079,968

4,465,415,461

4,465,415,461

1,344,536,565

2,185,363,635

2,185,363,635

Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted

1,419,079,968

4,465,415,461

4,465,415,461

1,344,536,565

2,185,363,635

2,185,363,635

Note: The conversion of Renminbi (RMB) into U.S. dollars (USD) is based on the certified exchange rate of USD1.00 = RMB7.2203 as of March 29, 2024 set forth in the H.10

statistical release of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

 

 

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Huawei Cloud Strengthens Thailand’s Insurance Industry with Next-Generation Digital Technologies

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BANGKOK, April 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Huawei Cloud Thailand in collaboration with The Thai Life Assurance Association, hosted an executive forum bringing together more than 30 senior executives and technology leaders from leading insurance companies. The initiative reflects Huawei Cloud’s commitment to strengthening its role as a strategic partner in advancing Thailand’s digital and AI-driven economy, supporting insurance companies in accelerating secure, flexible, and scalable digital transformation through cloud-native infrastructure, advanced database technologies, and industry-specific solutions.

The event served as a platform for industry leaders to exchange insights on the future of the insurance industry in the era of cloud and AI-driven innovation, while exploring how cloud and AI technologies can modernize core insurance systems and enhance operational stability and resilience.

Driving the Future of Digital Insurance

As the insurance industry continues to accelerate its digital transformation, insurers are under increasing pressure to modernize legacy systems in order to support real-time services, rapidly growing data volumes, and evolving customer expectations.

Huawei Insurance Day event aims to position Huawei Cloud as a Strategic Digital Transformation Partner for the insurance industry, helping insurance companies build secure, scalable, and resilient digital infrastructures that can support long-term business growth.

During the event, Huawei Cloud showcased its end-to-end capabilities for the insurance sector, including cloud infrastructure, cloud-native databases, and specialized industry solutions designed to support mission-critical insurance systems.

Key Solutions for Insurance Digital Transformation

Digital Core Insurance Solution
A modernization solution that transform insurance companies migrate from legacy system such as AS/400 systems to cloud-native architectures with A next-generation core insurance architecture that enables insurers to rapidly launch new products, enhance system flexibility, simplifying maintenance and improve overall customer experience.

GaussDB for Mission-Critical Insurance Systems
Huawei’s enterprise-grade database that has been trusted by large financial organization globally, including Thailand. GaussDB designed to support critical workloads with high reliability, security and performance across multiple data centers on Huawei Cloud.

Piyatida Itiravivongs, President of Huawei Cloud Thailand said:

“Digital transformation has become a strategic priority for the insurance industry. Huawei Cloud is committed to supporting insurers in building a strong digital service by combining cloud infrastructure, advanced database technologies, and industry-specific solutions to improve operational efficiency and deliver better customer experiences.”

Meanwhile, Huang Hu, Solution Architect of Sinosoft, said:

“Sinosoft has extensive experience in developing technology platforms for the insurance industry. Through our collaboration with Huawei Cloud, we have successfully modernized insurance systems by adopting cloud-based architectures, helping organizations enhance the performance and stability of their core insurance platforms while supporting long-term business growth.

The success of these projects demonstrates the strong synergy between Sinosoft’s insurance technology expertise and Huawei Cloud’s advanced cloud infrastructure. We hope the experience and case studies shared at this event will provide valuable insights for insurance companies in Thailand as they accelerate their journey toward digital insurance.”

Thailand’s insurance industry is entering a new era in which digital technologies play an increasingly important role in enhancing operational efficiency and improving customer services. Forums such as this provide a valuable platform for industry stakeholders to exchange knowledge and perspectives on emerging technologies and innovations in cloud and digital infrastructure. Such knowledge sharing supports insurance companies in Thailand as they prepare for the ongoing evolution of the digital insurance landscape.

Huawei Cloud will continue to invest in cloud innovation to support the financial services and insurance sectors with secure, reliable, and scalable technologies, enabling sustainable business growth in the digital economy.

About Huawei Cloud Thailand

Huawei Cloud Thailand is a leading cloud service provider committed to accelerating Thailand’s digital transformation under the mission of “In Thailand, For Thailand.” According to the latest report from Gartner, Huawei Cloud is ranked No.2 by revenue in Thailand’s Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) market, solidifying its position as one of the most trusted and fastest-growing international cloud providers in the country.

As the first international public cloud vendor to establish local data centers in Thailand, Huawei Cloud now operates three Availability Zones, ensuring high reliability and low-latency connectivity for local users. Leveraging Huawei’s 30-plus years of expertise in ICT infrastructure, it integrates cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud-Native 2.0, and Big Data technologies to empower over 40 government agencies and thousands of enterprises across the Kingdom. By building a robust digital ecosystem and fostering local talent, Huawei Cloud aims to drive Thailand’s “Digital Economy” forward, bringing cloud and intelligence to every corner of the country for a fully connected, intelligent future.

For more information, please visit Huawei Cloud Thailand online at
https://www.huaweicloud.com/intl/th-th/ or follow us on:
https://www.facebook.com/HuaweiCloudTH
https://www.youtube.com/@HuaweiCloudAPAC

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Breakthrough Prize Foundation Announces Winner of the 11th Annual Breakthrough Junior Challenge

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Matea Cañizarez, Age 18, of Quito, Ecuador, Receives Top Honors and $400,000 in Education Prizes for her Original Video Explaining Quark-Gluon Plasma

SAN FRANCISCO, April 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Breakthrough Prize Foundation today announced Ecuador-based student Matea Cañizarez as the winner of the 11th annual Breakthrough Junior Challenge, a global competition that empowers young people to creatively communicate complex ideas in the life sciences, physics, and mathematics.

The Breakthrough Junior Challenge will provide $400,000 in educational awards to Matea and her teacher, Roberto Procel. As the student winner, Matea will be granted a $250,000 college scholarship. In recognition of his work as a science teacher, Mr. Procel will receive a $50,000 award. The prize package also includes a cutting-edge science laboratory, designed by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and valued at $100,000, to be installed at Colegio Johannes Kepler, Matea’s current school, located in Quito, Ecuador. 

Matea was honored alongside the 2026 Breakthrough Prize laureates at The Breakthrough Prize Ceremony in Los Angeles on April 18, 2026.

“It’s exhilarating to meet bright, curious young people like Matea,” said Julia Milner, co-founder of the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, “And to see them pursuing their passion for ideas and communicating it to others makes me truly hopeful for the future,” said Julia Milner, co-founder of the Breakthrough Prize.

Matea’s winning entry explains quark-gluon plasma, an extreme state of matter that existed just after the Big Bang, in which quarks and gluons move freely instead of being bound inside protons and neutrons. Her short video can be seen here. This was Matea’s first entry to the Breakthrough Junior Prize, and she is currently applying for college next fall.

“Coming from a rural town in Ecuador, my passion for science was not a given. I am humbled by the honor of winning the Breakthrough Junior Challenge and hope to work in the service of society and nature by making the most of this opportunity,” said Matea.

“Congratulations on your beautiful video explaining the quark-gluon plasma,” said David Gross, winner of the 2026 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, whose theories led directly to the discovery of the phenomenon in Matea’s video. Gross continued, “Very exciting, very well done, and I hope you stay in physics and help us understand even better the properties of the quark-gluon plasma in the laboratory, in the early Universe, and perhaps in the core of neutron stars.”

The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a global program designed to showcase and advance young people’s understanding of science and core scientific principles, spark enthusiasm for STEM fields, encourage pursuit of STEM careers, and engage the broader public in fundamental scientific concepts. Each year, students ages 13 to 18 are invited to produce original videos of up to two minutes that explain a concept or theory in life sciences, physics, or mathematics.

Entries are judged on how effectively participants communicate complex scientific ideas in clear, compelling, and creative ways.

“Seeing students take on complex topics and explain them with enthusiasm and creativity is inspiring,” said Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy and Vision Steward of TED. “Their work is a reminder that when young people are given access and opportunity to explore their interests, they can achieve great things.”

This year, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge attracted more than 2,500 applicants from around the world. Submissions were narrowed down to 30 semifinalists, which represented the top submissions after two rounds of judging: first, a mandatory peer review, followed by an evaluation panel of judges. Sixteen finalists were selected in December 2025.

Celebrating its 11th year, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge has reached a global community of more than 100,000 students, parents, and educators, drawing upwards of 30,000 applications from students in over 200 countries, including Canada, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Singapore, and the United States. Since its launch, the program has distributed more than $2.5 million in college scholarships, invested $1 million in state-of-the-art science laboratories, and awarded $500,000 to exceptional science and mathematics teachers. Winning submissions have explored subjects ranging from  Mechanogenetic Cellular Engineering, Einstein’s Theory of RelativityCircadian Rhythms, Neutrino Astronomy, and more. Challenge alumni have continued their academic journeys at top-tier universities such as MIT, Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford.

This year’s Selection Committee was comprised of: Thea Booysen, MsC, social media director for neurologist Dr. Richard Isaacson and founder of MadeByHuman; Rachel Crane, space and science correspondent, CNN; Pascale Ehrenfreund, PhD, president, Committee on Space Research COSPAR; Dennis Gaitsgory, professor, Max Planck Institute for Mathematics, and Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics Laureate; John Grunsfelt, PhD astronaut, associate administrator for science, chief scientist at NASA Headquarters; Mae Jemison, physician, former astronaut, entrepreneur; Jeffery W. Kelly, professor of chemistry, Scripps Research Institute and Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences laureate; Scott Kelly, retired NASA astronaut; Salman Khan, founder and CEO, Khan Academy; Ijad Madisch, CEO, co-founder, ResearchGate; Samaya Nissanke, University of Amsterdam, Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics laureate; Nicole Stott, NASA astronaut, and co-founder of the Space for Art Foundation; Andrew Strominger, professor of physics, Harvard University, and Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics laureate; Terence Tao, UCLA professor and Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics laureate; Esther Wojcicki, founder, Palo Alto High Media Arts Center; Richard Youle, National Institutes of Health, and Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences laureate; and S. Pete Worden, chairman, Breakthrough Prize Foundation.

Partners

The Breakthrough Junior Challenge
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge, co-founded by Julia and Yuri Milner, is a global science video competition, aiming to develop and demonstrate young people’s knowledge of science and scientific principles and communications skills; generate excitement in these fields; support STEM career choices; and engage the imagination and interest of the public-at-large in key concepts of fundamental science.

The Breakthrough Prize
The Breakthrough Prize, renowned as the “Oscars of Science,” recognizes the world’s top scientists. Each prize is $3 million and presented in the fields of Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics (one per year) and Mathematics (one per year). In addition, up to three New Horizons in Physics Prizes, up to three New Horizons in Mathematics Prizes and up to three Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prizes are given out to early-career researchers each year. Laureates attend a gala award ceremony designed to celebrate their achievements and inspire the next generation of scientists.

The Breakthrough Prizes were founded by Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, Julia and Yuri Milner, and Anne Wojcicki. The Prizes have been sponsored by the personal foundations established by Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, Julia and Yuri Milner and Anne Wojcicki. Selection Committees composed of previous Breakthrough Prize laureates in each field choose the winners. Information on the Breakthrough Prize is available at breakthroughprize.org.

About Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Since 2008, Khan Academy has provided an education safety net, a free platform designed to provide global access to high-quality learning for students and free resources for teachers. Khan Academy partners with more than 600 school districts in the United States and works with school systems in countries around the world, providing tools that personalize education. Khan Academy is at the forefront of using AI in education to support students while ensuring educators remain at the heart of the classroom. Worldwide, more than 200 million registered learners have used Khan Academy in 190 countries and more than 50 languages. For more information, please see research findings about Khan Academy and our press center.

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL)
The Breakthrough Prize Lab for the winning student’s school is designed in partnership with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL). Founded in 1890, CSHL, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, powers transformational discoveries in cancer, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, plant biology, and quantitative biology. Through world-renowned science and education divisions, CSHL nurtures a culture of curiosity, discovery, and innovation to make lives better. CSHL’s DNA Learning Center (DNALC) is the largest provider of hands-on instruction in genetics and biotechnology, reaching nearly 40,000 middle and high school students through field trips, day camps, summer camps, mentored research projects, and teacher training. For more than a century, CSHL has been a powerful and productive environment for developing, connecting, and sharing world-changing ideas. For more information, visit www.cshl.edu<http://www.cshl.edu/>>.

Contact
For more information, including competition rules, video submission guidelines and queries, go to: breakthroughjuniorchallenge.org.

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SOURCE Breakthrough Prize

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Penn Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia team awarded Breakthrough Prize for developing gene therapy for inherited blindness

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LOS ANGELES, April 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Their discovery started with a group of blind dogs living at a vet school. Now, the work has been awarded the prestigious Breakthrough Prize at the “Oscars of Science.”

Today, Jean Bennett, MD, PHD, and Albert Maguire, MD, both emeritus professors of Ophthalmology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and Katherine High, MD, an emeritus professor of Pediatrics and the founding director of the Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), received the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for their work in developing the first FDA-approved gene therapy for an inherited condition, which dramatically improves sight in people with a form of blindness called Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA).

Their work blazed a trail for the more than 140 gene therapy trials for retinal conditions, including macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, diseases that collectively impact about 30 million people in the US. Eighty more trials are currently underway.

“Even 20 years ago, treating people with gene therapy was seen by some as an impossibility,” said Jonathan Epstein, MD, dean of the Perelman School of Medicine and executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System. “But this group of incredible physician-scientists persisted and created something that is providing sight to people who would have been completely blind as early as kindergarten. Their belief in the power of life-changing science has led to breathtaking results and richly deserved global recognition.”

The Breakthrough Prizes are called the “Oscars of Science” for their high-profile celebration of research and support from celebrities spanning numerous areas of pop culture. Created in 2012 by Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, Yuri and Julia Milner, and Anne Wojcicki, the prizes are given out in five categories including Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics, and Math, each with an accompanying $3 million award.

This year’s accolade now means that nine Penn-affiliated researchers have received the Breakthrough Prize, tied for the most with Harvard University. The prior Penn Medicine award winners are Carl June, PhD (2024), Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, and Katalin Karikó, PhD (2022), and Virginia M.Y. Lee, PhD (2019). Additionally, Penn faculty members Charles Kane, PhD, and Eugene Mele, PhD, won the prize for Physics in 2019. Mathew Madhavacheril, PhD, an assistant professor of Physics and Astronomy in Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences, also received recognition at this year’s Breakthrough Prize ceremony when he was honored with the New Horizons in Physics award, given to researchers early in their careers.

“Science is rarely a straight path, and those who make the most profound discoveries are resilient and persistent, overcoming obstacles along the way,” said J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, president of the University of Pennsylvania. “That is exactly what I see in this year’s awardees, and it has been true of all our remarkable faculty who have been recognized for scientific breakthroughs. Whether they are discovering what lies beneath Alzheimer’s Disease, curing cancer by engineering a patients’ own immune cells, or reversing blindness—they have persisted with imagination and rigor. Their steadfastness has pushed the boundaries of what medicine can achieve.”

“Developing cell and gene therapies has long been a top priority for our organization,” said Madeline Bell, CHOP’s CEO. “This breakthrough is the result of decades of investment and collaboration, and reflects our commitment to translating scientific discoveries into therapies that will transform patients’ lives. It has paved the way for many more cell and gene therapy innovations and has given hope to families around the world.”

“They can see!”

Bennett and Maguire met and married during medical school in the 1980s. It was then that they both became intrigued by the concept of genetic therapy, the practice of replacing a mutated or faulty gene with a functional copy, and started dreaming of treating inherited forms of blindness with the technique, which at that time remained the stuff of science fiction.

It was “like thinking you wanted to go to the moon in 1950,” Maguire said many years later.

Both Bennett and Maguire joined Penn’s Scheie Eye Institute in the 1990s and began working on their ideas with lab mice. They learned that the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine housed a group of blind dogs who had a condition similar to the human disease: Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). People born with a mutation on the RPE65 gene have poor vision starting at birth and often progress rapidly to complete blindness, usually by their 20s, but sometimes in early childhood.

The pair developed a therapy that used a virus as a transport, carrying a piece of DNA into cells that would then correct the faulty, blindness-causing proteins formed by the bad gene. The idea: Once the proteins were set right, some sight might return. First, they tested the therapy by injecting it into a single eye in each of three dogs.

It wasn’t long until they knew whether it worked. Bennett recalls receiving an excited phone call from a technician at the lab, who exclaimed, “They can see!”

Sure enough, the dogs were twirling around, using their treated eyes to see. Before treatment, the dogs had bumped and tripped through an obstacle course set up to test their sight. After the full treatment, the course was an easy task for the dogs.

A knock on the door

In parallel with Bennett and Maguire’s dreams of gene therapy, High was also working to bring the field forward. Like Bennett and Maguire, she had achieved long-term reversal of a serious genetic disease in a dog model: In her case, for hemophilia, a life-threatening bleeding disorder. High had advanced these studies from success in dogs to initial clinical trials in humans, delivering the donated gene into skeletal muscle and the liver.

The work was promising, but the human immune response to the gene delivery vessel—which was derived from a virus in the same way Bennett and Maguire’s therapy was—prevented sustained benefits from the therapeutic gene. At the same time, companies and investors, discouraged by high profile negative events, began to turn away from gene therapy. Progress stalled. 

But with support from CHOP, High founded the Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics (CCMT) in 2004. She recruited experts in all aspects of clinical gene therapy, including specialized knowledge in the manufacturing and release of gene therapy vectors, which are the particles that deliver a healthy copy of a defective gene to patients.

After vector production was set up at CHOP, High went to Bennett’s office and knocked on the door with a proposition to start a clinical trial in humans. In 2007, Maguire, who was then a surgeon in Pediatric Ophthalmology at CHOP, administered an injection of the experimental therapy at CHOP into a clinical trial participant – a 26-year-old woman—for the first time. Her twin, with the same condition, received the treatment shortly after.

When the team assessed the treatment of the 37 eligible participants from the original clinical trials, 72 percent reported the maximum possible improvement in a test of low-light conditions, which simulates night vision. Amid these, many reported improved peripheral and central vision, too. One patient, who could only detect changes in light, was suddenly able to navigate walking through Philadelphia at night, unaided, and could make out the clock on City Hall. Another patient was able to see a star for the first time in her life just six days after the procedure.

In 2017, the therapy—by then manufactured by Spark Therapeutics, a spinout from CHOP, and called Luxturna—received approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It became the first FDA approval of a genetic therapy for an inherited disease. Today, hundreds of people around the world have successfully received the treatment.

A celebration of decades of work

Today’s celebration in Los Angeles marks a celebratory milestone in roughly 40 years of work led by Bennett, Maguire, and High that has inspired others in the now vibrant field of gene therapy. In fact, a treatment stemming from High’s original work with hemophilia received FDA approval in 2024.

“We always just did what we thought you were supposed to do if you were a doctor: Find treatments for diseases,” said Maguire. “Both my father and Jean’s worked in science, and it seemed normal to try to push the envelope.”

“I think the only surprise for us was that things worked out so well,” Bennett said. “For every success, there are usually so many failures. That’s just the nature of science. But our team hit on something that has helped so many people and helped progress the field, and we’re really grateful for our part in that.”

High described the journey between the start of her collaboration with Bennett and Maguire in 2005 and the FDA approval in 2017 as “an arduous one.”

“At times, it seemed that the number of obstacles we needed to overcome to reach regulatory approval was never-ending,” High said. “Working without the benefit of the guidelines and precedents we now have today, we sought to solve each day’s problems so that the program would have a tomorrow. It was a bold and uncertain investment of time, effort, and resources. Few were willing to take on the risks, but it ultimately paid off, and it helped build the foundation of modern gene therapy.”

About Penn Medicine:
Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, excellence in patient care, and community service.

The organization consists of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Penn’s Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine, founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school.

The Perelman School of Medicine is consistently among the nation’s top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with more than $588 million awarded in the 2024 fiscal year. Home to a proud history of “firsts,” Penn Medicine teams have pioneered discoveries that have shaped modern medicine, including CAR T cell therapy for cancer and the Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System cares for patients in facilities and their homes stretching from the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania to the New Jersey shore. UPHS facilities include the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Chester County Hospital, Doylestown Health, Lancaster General Health, Princeton Health, and Pennsylvania Hospital—the nation’s first hospital, chartered in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Penn Medicine at Home, GSPP Rehabilitation, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others.

Penn Medicine is a $13.7 billion enterprise powered by more than 50,000 talented faculty and staff.

About Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia:
A non-profit, charitable organization, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation’s first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, the hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. The institution has a well-established history of providing advanced pediatric care close to home through its CHOP Care Network, which includes more than 50 primary care practices, specialty care and surgical centers, urgent care centers, and community hospital alliances throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. CHOP also operates the Middleman Family Pavilion and its dedicated pediatric emergency department in King of Prussia, the Behavioral Health and Crisis Center (including a 24/7 Crisis Response Center) and the Center for Advanced Behavioral Healthcare, a mental health outpatient facility. Its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit www.chop.edu. 

Media Contacts:

CHOP PR Contact:
Ashley Moore
Moorea1@chop.edu
267-426-6071

Penn Medicine PR Contact:
Frank Otto
Frank.Otto@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
267-693-2999

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SOURCE Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

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