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VNET Reports Unaudited Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

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BEIJING, Nov. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — VNET Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: VNET) (“VNET” or the “Company”), a leading carrier- and cloud-neutral internet data center services provider in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

“We achieved strong third quarter results mainly driven by our wholesale IDC business,” said Josh Sheng Chen, Founder, Executive Chairperson and interim Chief Executive Officer of VNET. “Our wholesale IDC business maintained its strong growth momentum as we capitalized on rising AI-driven demand. We also continued attracting high-quality customers during the third quarter, with six new order wins totaling 84MW. Notably, we won a new wholesale order from an Internet customer for 32MW at our Huailai IDC Campus, one of our green computing clusters in Hebei province. Moving forward, we will continue to develop our high-performance data centers and green business, providing reliable, premium IDC services to meet market demand. Propelling VNET’s high-quality, sustainable development remains our priority as we strive to deliver value to all of our stakeholders.” 

Qiyu Wang, Chief Financial Officer of VNET, commented, “In the third quarter, we remained focused on high-quality revenue businesses with high margins. Our total net revenues increased by 12.4% year over year to RMB2.12 billion, mainly driven by remarkable wholesale revenue growth of 86.4% year over year. Our adjusted EBITDA also grew by 17.1% year over year to RMB594.8 million in the third quarter of 2024. We previously reported adjusted EBITDA for the third quarter of 2023 at RMB507.9 million. Such figure included VAT surplus deduction benefit of RMB13.3 million, which is now considered non-continuable due to the termination of preferential tax policies since January 1, 2024 (the “Discontinued VAT Benefits”).  The year-over-year growth in adjusted EBITDA would be 20.2% if the Discontinued VAT Benefits were excluded from the adjusted EBITDA calculation for the same period last year. We also aim to enter a definitive agreement with one of China’s leading insurance companies by the end of 2024 to form a pre-REITs fund. The fund will feature the first and second phases of our Taicang IDC Campus as the underlying assets, with us retaining approximately a 51% interest in the fund. This will further strengthen our cash reserves and support our sustainable development. Looking ahead, we will continue strengthening our core capabilities and capitalizing on AI-driven opportunities to create long-term shareholder value.”

Third Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights

Total net revenues increased by 12.4% to RMB2.12 billion (US$302.2 million) from RMB1.89 billion in the same period of 2023.Net revenues from the IDC business[1] increased by 18.4% to RMB1.50 billion (US$213.5 million) from RMB1.27 billion in the same period of 2023.Net revenues from the wholesale IDC business (“wholesale revenues”) increased by 86.4% to RMB523.0 million (US$74.5 million) from RMB280.6 million in the same period of 2023.Net revenues from the retail IDC business (“retail revenues”) decreased slightly by 1.0% to RMB975.5 million (US$139.0 million) from RMB984.9 million in the same period of 2023.Net revenues from the non-IDC business[2] increased by 0.2% to RMB622.3 million (US$88.7 million) from RMB621.4 million in the same period of 2023.Adjusted cash gross profit (non-GAAP) increased by 16.6% to RMB860.7 million (US$122.6 million) from RMB738.4 million in the same period of 2023. Adjusted cash gross margin (non-GAAP) was 40.6%, compared with 39.1% in the same period of 2023.Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) increased by 17.1% to RMB594.8 million (US$84.8 million) from RMB507.9 million in the same period of 2023. Such figure in the third quarter of 2023 included Discontinued VAT Benefits of RMB13.3 million. The year-over-year growth in adjusted EBITDA would be 20.2% if the Discontinued VAT Benefits were excluded from the adjusted EBITDA calculation for the same period last year. Adjusted EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) was 28.0%, compared with 26.9% in the same period of 2023.Net income increased by RMB372.0 million and RMB260.3 million to RMB332.2 million (US$47.3 million) in the third quarter, compared with a net loss of RMB39.9 million in the same period of 2023 and a net income of RMB71.8 million in the second quarter of 2024, respectively.

Third Quarter 2024 Operational Highlights

Wholesale IDC Business[3]

Capacity in service was 358MW as of September 30, 2024, compared with 332MW as of June 30, 2024, and 290MW as of September 30, 2023. Capacity under construction was 297MW as of September 30, 2024.Capacity utilized by customers reached 279MW as of September 30, 2024, compared with 252MW as of June 30, 2024, and 161MW as of September 30, 2023. The sequential increase during the third quarter of 2024 was 27MW, which was mainly contributed by the E-JS Campus 02 C data center and the N-OR06 data center.Utilization rate[4] of wholesale capacity was 78.0% as of September 30, 2024, compared with 75.9% as of June 30, 2024, and 55.4% as of September 30, 2023.Utilization rate of mature wholesale capacity[5] was 95.6% as of September 30, 2024, compared with 94.9% as of June 30, 2024, and 94.4% as of September 30, 2023.Utilization rate of ramp-up wholesale capacity[6] was 46.4% as of September 30, 2024, compared with 45.7% as of June 30, 2024, and 18.4% as of September 30, 2023.Total capacity committed[7] was 352MW as of September 30, 2024, compared with 326MW as of June 30, 2024, and 236MW as of September 30, 2023.Commitment rate[8] for capacity in service was 98.2% as of September 30, 2024, compared with 98.1% as of June 30, 2024, and 81.3% as of September 30, 2023.Total capacity pre-committed[9] was 262MW and pre-commitment rate[10] for capacity under construction was 88.4% as of September 30, 2024.

Retail IDC Business[11]

Capacity in service was 52,250 cabinets as of September 30, 2024, compared with 52,177 cabinets as of June 30, 2024, and 52,200 cabinets as of September 30, 2023.Capacity utilized by customers reached 32,950 cabinets as of September 30, 2024, compared with 33,253 cabinets as of June 30, 2024, and 33,845 cabinets as of September 30, 2023.Utilization rate of retail capacity was 63.1% as of September 30, 2024, compared with 63.7% as of June 30, 2024, and 64.8% as of September 30, 2023.Utilization rate of mature retail capacity[12] was 69.5% as of September 30, 2024, compared with 72.5% as of June 30, 2024, and 73.1% as of September 30, 2023.Utilization rate of ramp-up retail capacity[13] was 16.8% as of September 30, 2024, compared with 12.7% as of June 30, 2024, and 18.7% as of September 30, 2023.Monthly recurring revenue (MRR) per retail cabinet was RMB8,788 in the third quarter of 2024, compared with RMB8,753 in the second quarter of 2024 and RMB8,845 in the third quarter of 2023.

[1] IDC business refers to managed hosting services, consisting of the wholesale IDC business and the retail IDC business. Beginning in the first quarter of 2024, our IDC business was subdivided into wholesale IDC business and retail IDC business according to the nature and scale of our data center projects. Prior to 2024, the subdivision was based on customer contract types.

[2] Non-IDC business consists of cloud services and VPN services.

[3] For wholesale IDC business, certain projects hosted in our E-JS02 data center with an aggregate of 27MW capacity were excluded and are expected to be continuously excluded from in-service wholesale due to pending commercial discussion with the client. Such projects were included as in-service wholesale from the first quarter of 2021 to the fourth quarter of 2023, given that such projects had been delivered to the client based on the terms of the MOU.

[4] Utilization rate is calculated by dividing capacity utilized by customers by the capacity in service.

[5] Mature wholesale capacity refers to wholesale data centers in which utilization rate is at or above 80%.

[6] Ramp-up wholesale capacity refers to wholesale data centers in which utilization rate is below 80%.

[7] Total capacity committed is the capacity committed to customers pursuant to customer agreements remaining in effect.

[8] Commitment rate is calculated by total capacity committed divided by total capacity in service.

[9] Total capacity pre-committed is the capacity under construction which is pre-committed to customers pursuant to customer agreements remaining in effect.

[10] Pre-commitment rate is calculated by total capacity pre-committed divided by total capacity under construction.

[11] For retail IDC business, since the first quarter of 2024, we have excluded a certain number of reserved cabinets from the capacity in service. Reserved cabinets refer to those that have not been utilized on a large scale, those that are planned to be closed, or those that are planned to be further upgraded. As of September 30, 2023, June 30, 2024, and September 30, 2024, 4,426, 4,150, and 4,150 reserved cabinets, respectively, were excluded from the calculation of utilization rate of retail IDC business capacity.

[12] Mature retail capacity refers to retail data centers that came into service prior to the past 24 months.

[13] Ramp-up retail capacity refers to retail data centers that came into service within the past 24 months, or mature retail data centers that have undergone improvements within the past 24 months.

Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

TOTAL NET REVENUES: Total net revenues in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB2.12 billion (US$302.2 million), representing an increase of 12.4% from RMB1.89 billion in the same period of 2023. The year-over-year increase was mainly driven by the continued growth of our wholesale IDC business.

Net revenues from IDC business increased by 18.4% to RMB1.50 billion (US$213.5 million) from RMB1.27 billion in the same period of 2023. The year-over-year increase was mainly driven by an increase in wholesale revenues.

Wholesale revenues increased by 86.4% to RMB523.0 million (US$74.5 million) from RMB280.6 million in the same period of 2023.Retail revenues decreased to RMB975.5 million (US$139.0 million) from RMB984.9 million in the same period of 2023.

Net revenues from non-IDC business increased by 0.2% to RMB622.3 million (US$88.7 million) from RMB621.4 million in the same period of 2023.

GROSS PROFIT: Gross profit in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB491.7 million (US$70.1 million), representing an increase of 60.4% from RMB306.5 million in the same period of 2023. Gross margin in the third quarter of 2024 was 23.2%, compared with 16.2% in the same period of 2023. The year-over-year increase was primarily attributable to a reduction in depreciation expense due to the change in the estimated useful lives of property and equipment starting from January 1, 2024.

ADJUSTED CASH GROSS PROFIT (non-GAAP), which excludes depreciation, amortization, and share-based compensation expenses, was RMB860.7 million (US$122.6 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared with RMB738.4 million in the same period of 2023. Adjusted cash gross margin (non-GAAP) in the third quarter of 2024 was 40.6%, compared with 39.1% in the same period of 2023.

OPERATING EXPENSES: Total operating expenses in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB300.3 million (US$42.8 million), compared with RMB274.3 million in the same period of 2023. 

Sales and marketing expenses were RMB60.7 million (US$8.7 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared with RMB64.1 million in the same period of 2023.

Research and development expenses were RMB53.1 million (US$7.6 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared with RMB80.7 million in the same period of 2023.

General and administrative expenses were RMB132.5 million (US$18.9 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared with RMB137.9 million in the same period of 2023.

ADJUSTED OPERATING EXPENSES (non-GAAP), which exclude share-based compensation expenses, were RMB293.6 million (US$41.8 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared with RMB264.8 million in the same period of 2023. As a percentage of total net revenues, adjusted operating expenses (non-GAAP) in the third quarter of 2024 were 13.8%, compared with 14.0% in the same period of 2023.

ADJUSTED EBITDA (non-GAAP): Adjusted EBITDA in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB594.8 million (US$84.8 million), representing an increase of 17.1% from RMB507.9 million in the same period of 2023. Such figure in the third quarter of 2023 included Discontinued VAT Benefits of RMB13.3 million. The year-over-year growth in adjusted EBITDA would be 20.2% if the Discontinued VAT Benefits were excluded from the adjusted EBITDA calculation for the same period last year). Adjusted EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) in the third quarter of 2024 was 28.0%, compared with 26.9% in the same period of 2023.

NET INCOME/LOSS ATTRIBUTABLE TO VNET GROUP, INC.: Net income attributable to VNET Group, Inc. in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB317.6 million (US$45.3 million), compared with a net loss attributable to VNET Group, Inc. of RMB50.5 million in the same period of 2023. The year-over-year increase was mainly due to a gain in debt extinguishment.

EARNINGS PER SHARE: Basic and diluted earnings per share in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB0.20 (US$0.03) and RMB0.05 (US$0.01), respectively, which represents the equivalent to RMB1.20 (US$0.18) and RMB0.30 (US$0.06) per American depositary share (“ADS”). Each ADS represents six Class A ordinary shares. Diluted earnings per share is calculated using adjusted net income attributable to ordinary shareholders divided by the weighted average number of diluted shares outstanding.

LIQUIDITY: As of September 30, 2024, the aggregate amount of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments was RMB2.10 billion (US$298.9 million).

Total short-term debt consisting of short-term bank borrowings and the current portion of long-term borrowings was RMB1.87 billion (US$266.4 million). Total long-term debt was RMB8.88 billion (US$1.26 billion), comprised of long-term borrowings of RMB7.08 billion (US$1.0 billion) and convertible promissory notes of RMB1.79 billion (US$255.6 million).

Net cash generated from operating activities in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB760.4 million (US$108.4 million), compared with RMB454.3 million in the same period of 2023. During the third quarter of 2024, the Company obtained new debt financing, refinancing facilities and other financings of RMB0.95 billion (US$134.7 million).

Recent Development

The Company plans to sign a definitive agreement by the end of 2024 on a pre-REITs project with one of China’s leading insurance companies, under which the Company will form a pre-REITs fund (the “Fund”) to feature the first and second phases of our Taicang IDC Campus as the underlying assets with approximately 210MW total IT capacity and RMB5.74 billion estimated value.

The Company is expected to own approximately 51% interest in the Fund and sell the remaining 49% interest to the insurance company, the consideration of which would be approximately RMB1.15 billion, calculated based on the assets and liabilities of the fund at the establishment date. 

After the completion of this transaction, VNET intends to consolidate the Fund for financial reporting purpose, while operating the Taicang IDC project to offer stable and premium infrastructure services. The financial results of the Fund’s underlying assets are expected to be consolidated into the Company’s financial statement.

Business Outlook

The Company increased its full year 2024 guidance for total net revenues and adjusted EBITDA. Specifically, the Company now expects total net revenues for 2024 to be between RMB8,000 million to RMB8,100 million, representing year-over-year growth of 7.9% to 9.3%, and adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) to be in the range of RMB2,280 million to RMB2,300 million, representing year-over-year growth of 11.8% to 12.8%. Such figure in the third quarter of 2023 adjusted EBITDA included Discontinued VAT Benefits of RMB13.3 million. The year-over-year growth in adjusted EBITDA would be 16.4% to 17.4% if the Discontinued VAT Benefits were excluded from the adjusted EBITDA calculation for the same period last year.

The forecast reflects the Company’s current and preliminary views on the market and its operational conditions and is subject to change.

Conference Call

The Company’s management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 PM U.S. Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, or 9:00 AM Beijing Time on Thursday, November 21, 2024.

For participants who wish to join the call, please access the links provided below to complete the online registration process.

English line:
https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10043189-1ej64l.html

Chinese line (listen-only mode): 
https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10043190-a2lrfs.html

Participants can choose between the English and Chinese options for pre-registration above. Please note that the Chinese option will be in listen-only mode. Upon registration, each participant will receive an email containing details for the conference call, including dial-in numbers, a conference call passcode and a unique access PIN, which will be used to join the conference call. 

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company’s investor relations website at http://ir.vnet.com.

A replay of the conference call will be accessible through November 28, 2024, by dialing the following numbers: 

US/Canada:  

1 855 883 1031

Mainland China: 

400 1209 216

Hong Kong, China:  

800 930 639

International:   

+61 7 3107 6325

Reply PIN (English line): 

10043189

Reply PIN (Chinese line):   

10043190

               

Non-GAAP Disclosure

In evaluating its business, VNET considers and uses the following non-GAAP measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as a supplemental measure to review and assess its operating performance: adjusted cash gross profit, adjusted cash gross margin, adjusted operating expenses, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures 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. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned “Reconciliations of GAAP and non-GAAP results” set forth at the end of this press release.

The non-GAAP financial measures are provided as additional information to help investors compare business trends among different reporting periods on a consistent basis and to enhance investors’ overall understanding of the Company’s current financial performance and prospects for the future. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, U.S. GAAP results. In addition, the Company’s calculation of the non-GAAP financial measures may be different from the calculation used by other companies, and therefore comparability may be limited.

Exchange Rate

This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars (“USD”) at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise stated, all translations from RMB to USD were made at the rate of RMB7.0176 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate in effect on September 30, 2024, in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. The Company makes no representation that the RMB or USD amounts referred could be converted into USD or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all. For analytical presentation, all percentages are calculated using the numbers presented in the financial statements contained in this earnings release.

Statement Regarding Unaudited Condensed Financial Information

The unaudited financial information set forth above is preliminary and subject to potential adjustments. Adjustments to the consolidated financial statements may be identified when audit work has been performed for the Company’s year-end audit, which could result in significant differences from this preliminary unaudited condensed financial information.

About VNET

VNET Group, Inc. is a leading carrier- and cloud-neutral internet data center services provider in China. VNET provides hosting and related services, including IDC services, cloud services, and business VPN services to improve the reliability, security, and speed of its customers’ internet infrastructure. Customers may locate their servers and equipment in VNET’s data centers and connect to China’s internet backbone. VNET operates in more than 30 cities throughout China, servicing a diversified and loyal base of over 7,500 hosting and related enterprise customers that span numerous industries ranging from internet companies to government entities and blue-chip enterprises to small- to mid-sized enterprises.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “target,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Among other things, quotations from management in this announcement as well as VNET’s strategic and operational plans, including the plan to sign a definitive agreement on a pre-REITs project, contain forward-looking statements. VNET may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports 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 VNET’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: VNET’s goals and strategies; VNET’s liquidity conditions; VNET’s expansion plans; the expected growth of the data center services market; expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, VNET’s services; VNET’s expectations regarding keeping and strengthening its relationships with customers; VNET’s plans to invest in research and development to enhance its solution and service offerings; and general economic and business conditions in the regions where VNET provides solutions and services. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in VNET’s reports filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and VNET undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

Investor Relations Contact:

Xinyuan Liu
Tel: +86 10 8456 2121
Email: ir@vnet.com

 

 

 

 VNET GROUP, INC. 

 CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS 

 (Amount in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”) and US dollars (“US$”)) 

 As of 

 As of  

December 31, 2023

September 30, 2024

 RMB 

 RMB 

 US$ 

 Assets 

 Current assets: 

 Cash and cash equivalents 

2,243,537

1,524,819

217,285

 Restricted cash 

2,854,568

556,266

79,267

 Accounts and notes receivable, net 

1,715,975

1,861,828

265,308

 Short-term Investments 

356,820

15,879

2,263

 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 

2,375,341

2,665,924

379,891

 Amounts due from related parties 

277,237

317,619

45,260

 Total current assets 

9,823,478

6,942,335

989,274

 Non-current assets: 

 Property and equipment, net 

13,024,393

15,153,253

2,159,321

 Intangible assets, net 

1,383,406

1,347,751

192,053

 Land use rights, net 

602,503

588,846

83,910

 Operating lease right-of-use assets, net 

4,012,329

4,412,834

628,824

 Restricted cash 

882

882

126

 Deferred tax assets, net 

247,644

309,390

44,088

 Long-term investments, net 

757,949

798,638

113,805

 Other non-current assets 

533,319

371,501

52,938

 Total non-current assets 

20,562,425

22,983,095

3,275,065

 Total assets 

30,385,903

29,925,430

4,264,339

 Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity 

 Current liabilities: 

 Short-term bank borrowings 

30,000

552,270

78,698

 Accounts and notes payable 

696,177

728,361

103,791

 Accrued expenses and other payables 

2,783,102

2,527,584

360,178

 Advances from customers 

1,605,247

1,752,935

249,791

 Deferred revenue 

95,477

87,354

12,448

 Income taxes payable 

35,197

51,554

7,346

 Amounts due to related parties 

356,080

354,903

50,573

 Current portion of long-term borrowings 

723,325

1,317,343

187,720

 Current portion of finance lease liabilities  

115,806

107,785

15,359

 Current portion of deferred government grants 

8,062

8,538

1,217

 Current portion of operating lease liabilities  

780,164

874,957

124,680

 Convertible promissory notes 

4,208,495

 Total current liabilities 

11,437,132

8,363,584

1,191,801

 Non-current liabilities: 

 Long-term borrowings 

5,113,521

7,082,026

1,009,181

 Convertible promissory notes 

1,769,946

1,793,894

255,628

 Non-current portion of finance lease liabilities  

1,159,525

1,169,573

166,663

 Unrecognized tax benefits 

98,457

98,457

14,030

 Deferred tax liabilities 

688,362

703,390

100,232

 Deferred government grants 

145,112

265,941

37,896

 Non-current portion of operating lease liabilities 

3,270,759

3,587,701

511,243

 Derivative liability 

188,706

 Total non-current liabilities 

12,434,388

14,700,982

2,094,873

 Shareholders’ equity 

 Ordinary shares  

107

109

16

 Additional paid-in capital 

17,291,312

17,256,955

2,459,096

 Accumulated other comprehensive loss 

(14,343)

(16,088)

(2,293)

 Statutory reserves 

80,615

94,276

13,434

 Accumulated deficit 

(11,016,323)

(10,835,688)

(1,544,073)

 Treasury stock 

(326,953)

(163,073)

(23,238)

 Total VNET Group, Inc. shareholders’

equity 

6,014,415

6,336,491

902,942

 Noncontrolling interest 

499,968

524,373

74,723

 Total shareholders’ equity 

6,514,383

6,860,864

977,665

 Total liabilities and shareholders’

equity 

30,385,903

29,925,430

4,264,339

 

 

 VNET GROUP, INC. 

 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS 

 (Amount in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”) and US dollars (“US$”) except for number of shares and per share data) 

 Three months ended  

 Nine months ended  

September 30, 2023

June 30, 2024

September 30, 2024

September 30, 2023

September 30, 2024

 RMB 

 RMB 

 RMB 

 US$ 

 RMB 

 RMB 

 US$ 

 Net revenues 

1,886,924

1,993,760

2,120,794

302,211

5,514,450

6,012,680

856,800

 Cost of revenues 

(1,580,446)

(1,568,865)

(1,629,111)

(232,146)

(4,512,843)

(4,685,381)

(667,661)

 Gross profit 

306,478

424,895

491,683

70,065

1,001,607

1,327,299

189,139

 Operating income (expenses) 

 Operating income 

26,706

11,767

1,677

73,980

15,716

2,240

 Sales and marketing expenses 

(64,077)

(58,225)

(60,700)

(8,650)

(192,921)

(190,668)

(27,170)

 Research and development expenses 

(80,673)

(61,998)

(53,127)

(7,571)

(241,549)

(190,514)

(27,148)

 General and administrative expenses 

(137,931)

(107,297)

(132,482)

(18,879)

(393,395)

(466,076)

(66,415)

 Allowance for doubtful debt 

(18,316)

(2,753)

(65,731)

(9,367)

(7,034)

(63,309)

(9,021)

 Total operating expenses 

(274,291)

(230,273)

(300,273)

(42,790)

(760,919)

(894,851)

(127,514)

 Operating profit 

32,187

194,622

191,410

27,275

240,688

432,448

61,625

 Interest income 

12,887

5,449

4,218

601

28,606

21,796

3,106

 Interest expense 

(91,800)

(92,172)

(93,996)

(13,394)

(233,295)

(323,850)

(46,148)

 Impairment of long-term investments 

(11,115)

(11,115)

 Other income 

7,536

30,475

15,584

2,221

22,892

50,873

7,249

 Other expenses 

(10,975)

(6,900)

(8,783)

(1,252)

(14,887)

(17,105)

(2,437)

 Changes in the fair value of financial liabilities 

266

712

(7,107)

(1,013)

21,718

(2,537)

(362)

 Gain on debt extinguishment 

246,175

35,080

246,175

35,080

 Foreign exchange gain (loss) 

24,606

(4,387)

14,833

2,114

(168,391)

(17,915)

(2,553)

 (Loss) income before income taxes and

gain from equity method investments 

(36,408)

127,799

362,334

51,632

(113,784)

389,885

55,560

 Income tax expenses 

(6,317)

(59,149)

(31,149)

(4,439)

(63,748)

(151,682)

(21,615)

 Gain from equity method investments 

2,842

3,199

965

138

3,651

6,770

965

 Net (loss) income 

(39,883)

71,849

332,150

47,331

(173,881)

244,973

34,910

 Net income attributable to noncontrolling

interest 

(10,579)

(8,174)

(14,524)

(2,070)

(27,167)

(50,677)

(7,221)

 Net (loss) income attributable to the

VNET Group, Inc. 

(50,462)

63,675

317,626

45,261

(201,048)

194,296

27,689

 (Loss) earnings per share 

 Basic 

(0.06)

0.04

0.20

0.03

(0.23)

0.12

0.02

 Diluted 

(0.06)

0.04

0.05

0.01

(0.24)

(0.02)

(0.00)

 Shares used in (loss) earnings per share

computation 

 Basic* 

889,058,872

1,594,662,099

1,602,860,426

1,602,860,426

888,724,901

1,588,659,647

1,588,659,647

 Diluted* 

889,058,872

1,595,517,338

1,740,565,086

1,740,565,086

899,884,241

1,725,023,283

1,725,023,283

(Loss) earnings per ADS (6 ordinary shares equal to 1 ADS)

Basic

(0.36)

0.24

1.20

0.18

(1.38)

0.72

0.12

Diluted

(0.36)

0.24

0.30

0.06

(1.44)

(0.12)

(0.02)

 * Shares used in (loss) earnings per share/ADS computation were computed under weighted average method. 

 

 

 VNET GROUP, INC. 

 RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP AND NON-GAAP RESULTS  

 (Amount in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”) and US dollars (“US$”)) 

 Three months ended  

 Nine months ended  

September 30, 2023

June 30, 2024

September 30, 2024

September 30, 2023

September 30, 2024

 RMB 

 RMB 

 RMB 

 US$ 

 RMB 

 RMB 

 US$ 

 Gross profit 

306,478

424,895

491,683

70,065

1,001,607

1,327,299

189,139

 Plus: depreciation and amortization 

431,933

364,616

368,764

52,548

1,233,983

1,085,984

154,751

 Plus: share-based compensation

expenses 

(2,190)

234

33

234

33

 Adjusted cash gross profit 

738,411

787,321

860,681

122,646

2,235,590

2,413,517

343,923

 Adjusted cash gross margin 

39.1 %

39.5 %

40.6 %

40.6 %

40.5 %

40.1 %

40.1 %

 Operating expenses 

(274,291)

(230,273)

(300,273)

(42,790)

(760,919)

(894,851)

(127,514)

 Plus: share-based compensation

expenses 

9,475

(12,962)

6,709

956

25,817

105,428

15,023

 Adjusted operating expenses 

(264,816)*

(243,235)

(293,564)

(41,834)

(735,102)

(789,423)

(112,491)

 Operating profit 

32,187*

194,622

191,410

27,275

240,688

432,448

61,625

 Plus: depreciation and amortization 

466,285

394,334

396,428

56,491

1,332,649

1,170,313

166,768

 Plus: share-based compensation

expenses 

9,475

(15,152)

6,943

989

25,817

105,662

15,057

 Adjusted EBITDA 

507,947*

573,804

594,781

84,755

1,599,154

1,708,423

243,450

 Adjusted EBITDA margin 

26.9 %

28.8 %

28.0 %

28.0 %

29.0 %

28.4 %

28.4 %

* Included VAT surplus deduction benefit of RMB13.3 million, which is now considered non-continuable due to the termination of preferential tax policies since January 1, 2024.

 

 

 VNET GROUP, INC. 

 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS 

 (Amount in thousands of Renminbi (“RMB”) and US dollars (“US$”)) 

 Three months ended  

September 30, 2023

June 30, 2024

September 30, 2024

 RMB 

 RMB 

 RMB 

 US$ 

 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 

 Net (loss) income 

(39,883)

71,849

332,150

47,331

 Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash generated from operating activities: 

     Depreciation and amortization 

461,603

388,711

393,719

56,105

     Share-based compensation expenses 

9,475

(15,152)

6,943

989

     Others 

130,633

101,890

(107,550)

(15,326)

 Changes in operating assets and liabilities 

     Accounts and notes receivable 

(70,896)

142,469

(138,968)

(19,803)

     Prepaid expenses and other current assets 

(48,380)

(79,893)

116,055

16,538

     Accounts and notes payable 

21,763

(47,018)

8,463

1,206

     Accrued expenses and other payables 

(54,577)

(61,463)

65,481

9,329

     Deferred revenue 

36,008

(14,000)

2,300

328

     Advances from customers 

124,816

(63,305)

222,083

31,647

     Others 

(116,249)

(18,884)

(140,310)

(19,994)

 Net cash generated from operating activities 

454,313

405,204

760,366

108,350

 CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES 

 Purchases of property and equipment 

(946,444)

(998,489)

(1,426,892)

(203,330)

 Purchases of intangible assets 

(18,228)

(7,594)

(33,806)

(4,817)

 Proceeds from (payments for) investments 

144,516

(138,224)

92,426

13,171

 Proceeds from other investing activities 

70,010

117,209

31,762

4,526

 Net cash used in investing activities 

(750,146)

(1,027,098)

(1,336,510)

(190,450)

 CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES 

 Proceeds from bank borrowings 

756,101

690,848

745,534

106,238

 Repayments of bank borrowings 

(78,050)

(533,324)

(129,893)

(18,510)

 Repayments of 2025 Convertible Notes 

(148,842)

 Payments for finance leases  

(30,366)

(9,586)

(27,669)

(3,943)

 Proceeds from (payments for) other financing activities  

216,711

516,493

(59,645)

(8,499)

 Net cash generated from financing activities 

715,554

664,431

528,327

75,286

 Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on

cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash  

(12,476)

3,370

(6,049)

(862)

 Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash

equivalents and restricted cash 

407,245

45,907

(53,866)

(7,676)

 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at

beginning of period 

2,616,969

2,089,926

2,135,833

304,354

 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at

end of period 

3,024,214

2,135,833

2,081,967

296,678

 

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vnet-reports-unaudited-third-quarter-2024-financial-results-302311297.html

SOURCE VNET Group, Inc.

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Federal Court Issues Preliminary Injunction Against OpenAI, Sam Altman, and Sir Jony Ive; iyO Alleges Trade Secret Theft by Altman’s Hardware Chief

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SAN FRANCISCO, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On Thursday, April 23, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted iyO Inc. a preliminary injunction against OpenAI, Sam Altman, Sir Jony Ive, and io Products. The ruling, where the Court found that iyO was likely to succeed on the merits of its trademark claim, officially bars the defendants from using the “io” name for their hardware while iyO’s federal lawsuit proceeds.

Federal court bars OpenAI, Sam Altman, and Jony Ive from using ‘io’ name as iyO alleges trade secret theft.

Amended Complaint: Trade Secret Theft and Corporate Espionage
The ruling caps a year of escalating legal action. On March 13, 2026, iyO amended its federal complaint to include trade secret theft claims against the defendants and Tang Yew Tan — former Apple VP of Product Design, co-founder of io Products, and current Chief Hardware Officer at OpenAI.

The amended complaint outlines a highly coordinated timeline of alleged misappropriation:

May 2024: Just 11 days after iyO’s viral TED talk was published, Tan pre-ordered the iyO One. Nine days later, he contacted iyO’s Design and Manufacturing Lead, Dan Sargent, to schedule a dinner meeting for early June.

June 2024: Forensic analysis of Sargent’s company laptop revealed that in the days leading up to the dinner with Tan, Sargent downloaded 33 highly secret files, accessed dormant intellectual property folders, and exported 17 CAD files into cross-platform formats unused by iyO. These files were renamed with obfuscated strings (e.g., “grgrgege.x_t”) and exported outside of business hours. Sargent has since admitted to bringing iyO prototypes to show Tan.

May 2025: Barely 11 months after the dinner, OpenAI announced a $6.5 billion acquisition of io Products, a company built on what iyO alleges is its proprietary technology.

Following the acquisition announcement, iyO CEO Jason Rugolo confronted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who refused to cease use of the “io” name and threatened to sue Rugolo for using iyO’s own federally registered trademark.

Statement from iyO Leadership
“Sam, Jony, and Tang investigated us,” said Jason Rugolo, founder and CEO of iyO. “Then targeted us opportunistically, trying to eliminate us with a fancy $6.5 billion press release during our fundraise using a copy of our name. This week, a federal judge said: not so fast.”

iyO’s lawsuit asserts nine causes of action, including trade secret misappropriation, trademark infringement, intentional interference, and unfair competition. The company is seeking injunctive relief, compensatory and exemplary damages, disgorgement of profits, and a constructive trust over any portion of the $6.5 billion acquisition value attributable to the alleged stolen intellectual property and brand infringement.

ABOUT IYO
iyO began its mission inside Google X in 2018 to make natural language computing as commonplace as cellular phones. Spinning out as an independent venture-backed startup in 2021, iyO developed the iyO One, the iyO yO, and the recently announced iyO Wand, which are revolutionary screenless computer form factors that allow users to interact with AI and the internet through voice alone. iyO is headquartered in Redwood City, CA.

WEBSITE
www.iyo.ai 

IYO INC.
2606 SPRING STREET
REDWOOD CITY, CA 94063
UNITED STATES

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
©2026 IYO INC.

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SOURCE iyO, Inc.

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Pudu Robotics Inaugurates U.S. Headquarters in Dallas, Accelerating Long-Term Growth in the Americas

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DALLAS, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pudu Robotics, a global leader in commercial service robotics, officially opened a new U.S. headquarters in Dallas, Texas, on April 23 as part of its global strategic expansion. The new facility is set to enhance Pudu’s regional capabilities and underscores the company’s long-term commitment to the Americas, marking a new phase of scaled, structured business development.

Dallas Unlocks Greater Efficiency and Regional Coordination

As a central hub for nationwide and cross regional operations across the Americas, Dallas brings strong strategic advantages. The area offers well-developed logistics and supply chain infrastructure, a business friendly environment, and access to a broad base of enterprise customers. Its central location will allow Pudu more efficient coverage across both North America and South America. As Pudu transitions into a phase of rapid, scalable growth in the Americas, its new centralized headquarters, which is located in Richardson’s Sherman Tech Center and combines a modern office space, product showroom, and on site warehousing, will enhance support management, operations, and long term regional coordination.

Meanwhile, as part of its broader infrastructure optimization, the company has also transitioned its Santa Clara office into a streamlined logistics support function outpost and established a dual warehouse system on both coasts to support nationwide delivery in the U.S.

Pudu in the Americas – A Growing Footprint Across Diverse Industries

Since entering the U.S. market in 2018, Pudu has steadily expanded its footprint across the Americas to a point of deep, localized operations. To date, nearly 15,000 Pudu robots have been deployed across the Americas, driving regional revenue growth of 285% year over year, bringing the company to a phase of large scale commercialization.

This rapid adoption is fueled by Pudu’s comprehensive product matrix, which addresses the specific labor and efficiency needs of the American market across four core categories:

Service Delivery: Led by the industry-favorite BellaBot and the newly enhanced BellaBot Pro, which have become the gold standard for hospitality and retail interaction.Commercial Cleaning: Featuring the best-selling PUDU CC1 series, the PUDU MT1 series designed for large-scale dry cleaning, and the recently launched PUDU BG1 series—an AI-native large scrubber-dryer robot built for heavy-duty environments.Industrial Delivery: The PUDU T-series robots provide versatile logistics support with payload capacities ranging from 150kg to 600kg, streamlining warehouse and factory workflows.General embodied AI: Represented by the advanced PUDU D5 series, pushing the boundaries of how robots interact with and adapt to complex human environments.

Partnerships with local distributors have also accelerated, achieving 63.6% YoY growth, with a rapidly expanding client base across diverse industries, including food and beverage, healthcare, industrial logistics and warehousing, real estate and property services, retail, and entertainment, sports and more. The company’s robots have enjoyed strong adoption by global industry leaders, including Walmart, Accenture, NASA, Norwegian Cruise Line, Honeywell, top automotive brands, and others.

This growth is matched by organizational development. Since entering the U.S. market in 2018, a initial team has flourished into a multi functional organization of professionals, with localized sales, after sales service, solutions, and marketing capabilities that enable stronger customer support and execution.

Building a Global Future Based on a Strategy of Localization

Looking ahead, Pudu will continue expanding its presence across key sectors including retail, logistics, food service, healthcare, and commercial cleaning, while bringing its service delivery, commercial cleaning, industrial delivery, and general embodied AI robotics solutions into broader industry scenarios.

“We are building for the long-term in the Americas with a localized approach,” said Raymond Pan, General Manager of the Americas at Pudu Robotics. “Our ambition over the next five years is to serve one million people across the U.S . Our new headquarters and infrastructure optimization provide a foundation for this ambition, alongside continuing investment in localized products, enhancing our local supply chain, and strengthening our partner ecosystem.”

Pudu has established itself as a global leader in service robotics, with more than 120,000 units shipped worldwide, operations spanning over 80 countries and regions, and 23% market share in commercial service robotics—ranking No. 1 globally per Frost & Sullivan’s “Market Research on Global Commercial Service Robotics (2023)”. Going forward, Pudu will accelerate its development and localization efforts across the Americas, while, at the same time, continuing to scale its presence in other key international markets as part of its global expansion strategy.

About Pudu Robotics

Pudu Robotics, a global leader in the commercial service robotics, committed to establishing a global intelligent robotics infrastructure that will serve 10 billion people worldwide.

Pudu Robotics has achieved full-stack proprietary R&D in core technologies, including navigation algorithms, multi-robot scheduling, swarm control, motion controllers, and integrated joint modules. Built on three core technologies—Embodied Navigation, Embodied Manipulation, and Embodied Interaction—Pudu Robotics has pioneered an “One Brain, Multiple Embodiments” architecture, establishing a comprehensive product portfolio that includes specialized, semi-humanoid, and humanoid robots.

Currently, Pudu offers four major product lines: service delivery, commercial cleaning, industrial delivery and general embodied AI. Its solutions are widely deployed across industries such as retail, hospitality, manufacturing, real estate and property services, healthcare, entertainment and sport, education, and public services.

To date, Pudu Robotics has shipped over 120,000 units globally, with a presence in more than 80 countries and regions.

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/pudu-robotics-inaugurates-us-headquarters-in-dallas-accelerating-long-term-growth-in-the-americas-302754097.html

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KuCoin Hosts HEXAGON BLOCK PARTY at Hong Kong Web3 Festival, Headlined by DJ Don Diablo and Rooted in Shared Values of Community and Connection

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Headlined by internationally renowned DJ Don Diablo, the event brought together guests from the Web3 and fintech communities for an immersive evening experience.

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — KuCoin, a leading global crypto platform built on trust, and the exclusive Crypto Exchange and Payments Partner for Tomorrowland Winter and Tomorrowland Belgium (2026-2028), brought the spirit of global electronic music culture to Asia with the HEXAGON BLOCK PARTY in Hong Kong on April 22, which it co-hosted with Finoverse.

Headlined by internationally renowned DJ Don Diablo, the event welcomed guests from across the Web3, fintech, and broader innovation communities, creating an immersive gathering shaped by shared energy, conversation, and in-person connection. Building on KuCoin’s recent Tomorrowland Winter activation, which highlighted a shared belief that trust can be strengthened through community, creativity, and cultural experience, the event carried that momentum forward in Hong Kong through a similar spirit of openness, energy, and human connection. 

Held in the heart of Hong Kong, HEXAGON BLOCK PARTY was designed as more than an evening celebration. By combining world-class music with a culturally driven atmosphere, the event offered a welcoming space for founders, builders, creators, and community participants to come together in a more human and experience-led setting. It reflected a shared belief that meaningful community is built not only through ideas and technology, but also through moments of creativity, openness, and collective experience.

The event aimed to create a cultural touchpoint in Hong Kong that resonated beyond the venue itself. The event served as a space where ideas, creativity, and communities could converge, bringing together guests across Web3, fintech, and digital culture through a shared experience rooted in openness, energy, and connection.

As the global partnership between KuCoin and Tomorrowland continues, the journey moves forward to Tomorrowland Belgium in July 2026, where KuCoin will once again collaborate with Tomorrowland to create new experiences at the intersection of music, culture, and Web3, further expanding the role of digital assets in real-world cultural moments.

About KuCoin

Founded in 2017, KuCoin is a leading global crypto platform built on trust and security, serving over 40 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Known for its reliability and user-first approach, the platform combines advanced technology, deep liquidity, and strong security safeguards to deliver a seamless trading experience. KuCoin provides access to 1,500+ digital assets through a broad product suite and remains committed to building transparent, compliant, and user-centric digital asset infrastructure for the future of finance, backed by SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Certifications. In recent years, we have built a strong global compliance foundation, marked by key milestones including AUSTRAC registration in Australia, a MiCA license in Europe, and regulatory progress in other markets. 

Learn more at www.kucoin.com.

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SOURCE KuCoin

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