Technology
Yunji Announces Third Quarter 2024 Unaudited Financial Results
Published
2 years agoon
By
HANGZHOU, China, Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Yunji Inc. (“Yunji” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: YJ), a leading membership-based social e-commerce platform, today announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024[1].
Third Quarter 2024 Highlights
Total revenues in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB86.6 million (US$12.4 million), compared with RMB145.1 million in the same period of 2023. The change was primarily due to soft consumer confidence and the Company’s continued strategy to refine its product selection across all categories and optimize its selection of suppliers and merchants, which had a near-term impact on sales.Repeat purchase rate[2] in the twelve months ended September 30, 2024 was 72.7%.
Mr. Shanglue Xiao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yunji, said, “Our strategic collaborations with premium suppliers across the country have strengthened our portfolio of healthy and organic food products. The positive customer feedback validates our commitment to quality and reinforces our position in the health-conscious market segment”.
“We continue to exercise prudent capital allocation and expense management practices, while optimizing operational efficiency to support sustainable growth and create long-term value for our stakeholders,” said Mr. Yeqing Cui, Senior Financial Director of Yunji.
Third Quarter 2024 Unaudited Financial Results
Total revenues were RMB86.6 million (US$12.4 million), compared with RMB145.1 million in the same period of 2023. The change was primarily due to soft consumer confidence and the Company’s continued strategy to refine its product selection across all categories and optimize its selection of suppliers and merchants, which had a near-term impact on sales.
Revenues from sales of merchandise were RMB70.0 million (US$10.0 million), compared with RMB114.1 million in the same period of 2023.Revenues from the marketplace business were RMB14.8 million (US$2.1 million), compared with RMB28.7 million in the same period of 2023.Other revenues were RMB1.8 million (US$0.3 million), compared with RMB2.3 million in the same period of 2023.
Total cost of revenues decreased by 49.6% to RMB39.8 million (US$5.7 million), or 46.0% of total revenues, from RMB78.9 million, or 54.4% of total revenues, in the same period of 2023. The decrease was in line with the change in merchandise sales, for which revenues and cost of revenues are recognized on a gross basis. Total cost of revenues, which mainly comprises the costs related to the sales of merchandise, decreased accordingly in the third quarter of 2024.
Total operating expenses decreased by 24.0% to RMB73.9 million (US$10.6 million) from RMB97.2 million in the same period of 2023.
Fulfillment expenses decreased by 32.8% to RMB17.2 million (US$2.4 million), or 19.9% of total revenues, from RMB25.6 million, or 17.6% of total revenues, in the same period of 2023. The decrease was primarily due to (i) reduced warehousing and logistics expenses due to lower merchandise sales, and (ii) reduced personnel costs as a result of staffing structure refinements.Sales and marketing expenses decreased by 34.8% to RMB19.3 million (US$2.8 million), or 22.3% of total revenues, from RMB29.6 million, or 20.4% of total revenues, in the same period of 2023. The decrease was mainly due to the reduction in member management fees.Technology and content expenses decreased by 16.5% to RMB11.6 million (US$1.7 million), or 13.4% of total revenues, from RMB13.9 million, or 9.6% of total revenues, in the same period of 2023. The decrease was mainly due to the reduction in personnel costs as a result of staffing structure refinements.General and administrative expenses decreased by 8.2% to RMB25.8 million (US$3.7 million), or 29.8% of total revenues, from RMB28.1 million, or 19.4% of total revenues, in the same period of 2023. The decrease was mainly due to the reduction in professional service expenses, partially offset by an increase in an allowance for credit losses.
Loss from operations was RMB26.2 million (US$3.7 million), compared with RMB30.3 million in the same period of 2023.
Financial loss, net was RMB5.7 million (US$0.8 million), compared with financial loss, net of RMB1.9 million in the same period of 2023, primarily due to a decrease in the fair value changes of equity securities investments.
Net loss was RMB30.0 million (US$4.3 million), compared with RMB34.8 million in the same period of 2023.
Adjusted net loss (non-GAAP)[3] was RMB29.5 million (US$4.2 million), compared with RMB34.0 million in the same period of 2023.
Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders were both RMB0.02, compared with RMB0.02 in the same period of 2023.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In evaluating the business, the Company considers and uses adjusted net loss as a supplemental measure to review and assess operating performance. The presentation of this 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 net loss as net loss excluding share-based compensation.
The Company presents adjusted net loss because it is used by management to evaluate operating performance and formulate business plans. Adjusted net loss enables management to assess operating performance without considering the impact of share-based compensation recorded under ASC 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation.” The Company also believes that the use of this non-GAAP measure facilitates investors’ assessment of operating performance.
This non-GAAP financial measure is not defined under U.S. GAAP and is not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measure has limitations as an analytical tool. One of the key limitations of using adjusted net loss is that it does not reflect all items of income and expense that affect the Company’s operations. Share-based compensation has been and may continue to be incurred in Yunji’s business and is not reflected in the presentation of adjusted net loss. Further, this non-GAAP measure may differ from the non-GAAP information used by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore its 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 performance. Yunji encourages investors and others to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.
For more information on the non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to the Most Directly Comparable Financial Measures” set forth at the end of this press release.
Conference Call
The Company will host a conference call on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at 6:30 A.M. Eastern Time or 7:30 P.M. Beijing/Hong Kong Time to discuss its earnings. Listeners may access the call by dialing the following numbers:
International:
1-412-902-4272
United States Toll Free:
1-888-346-8982
Mainland China Toll Free:
4001-201203
Hong Kong Toll Free:
800-905945
Conference ID:
Yunji Inc.
A telephone replay of the call will be available after the conclusion of the conference call for one week.
Dial-in numbers for the replay are as follows:
United States Toll Free
1-877-344-7529
International
1-412-317-0088
Replay Access Code
1733849
Safe Harbor Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. Among other things, the quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Yunji’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Yunji may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (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 but not limited to statements about Yunji’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: Yunji’s growth strategies; its future business development, results of operations and financial condition; its ability to understand buyer needs and provide products and services to attract and retain buyers; its ability to maintain and enhance the recognition and reputation of its brand; its ability to rely on merchants and third-party logistics service providers to provide delivery services to buyers; its ability to maintain and improve quality control policies and measures; its ability to establish and maintain relationships with merchants; trends and competition in China’s e-commerce market; changes in its revenues and certain cost or expense items; the expected growth of China’s e-commerce market; PRC governmental policies and regulations relating to Yunji’s industry, and general economic and business conditions globally and in China and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Yunji’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 Yunji undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
About Yunji Inc.
Yunji Inc. is a leading social e-commerce platform in China that has pioneered a unique, membership-based model to leverage the power of social interactions. The Company’s e-commerce platform offers high-quality products at attractive prices across a wide variety of categories catering to the day-to-day needs of Chinese consumers. In addition, the Company uses advanced technologies including big data and artificial intelligence to optimize user experience and incentivize members to promote the platform as well as share products with their social contacts. Through deliberate product curation, centralized merchandise sourcing, and efficient supply chain management, Yunji has established itself as a trustworthy e-commerce platform with high-quality products and exclusive membership benefits, including discounted prices.
For more information, please visit https://investor.yunjiglobal.com/
Investor Relations Contact
Yunji Inc.
Investor Relations
Email: Yunji.IR@icrinc.com
Phone: +1 (646) 224-6957
ICR, LLC
Robin Yang
Email: Yunji.IR@icrinc.com
Phone: +1 (646) 224-6957
YUNJI INC.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)
As of
December 31,
2023
September 30,
2024
RMB
RMB
US$
ASSETS
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents
517,542
244,061
34,778
Restricted cash
27,169
24,313
3,465
Short-term investments
7,195
–
–
Accounts receivable, net (Allowance for
credit losses of RMB35,159 and
RMB33,786, respectively)
64,312
56,331
8,027
Advance to suppliers
14,058
12,114
1,726
Inventories, net
42,716
28,387
4,045
Amounts due from related parties
1,361
942
134
Prepaid expenses and other current assets[4]
(Allowance for credit losses of RMB13,017
and RMB25,117, respectively)
134,247
138,722
19,768
Total current assets
808,600
504,870
71,943
Non-current assets
Property and equipment, net
175,451
183,185
26,104
Land use rights, net[5]
–
175,541
25,014
Long-term investments
364,159
372,123
53,027
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net
16,507
15,035
2,142
Other non-current assets (Allowance for
credit losses of RMB22,213 and
RMB17,262, respectively)
189,067
161,954
23,078
Total non-current assets
745,184
907,838
129,365
Total assets
1,553,784
1,412,708
201,308
YUNJI INC.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (CONTINUED)
(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)
As of
December 31,
2023
September 30,
2024
RMB
RMB
US$
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’
EQUITY
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable
96,782
61,308
8,736
Deferred revenue
9,412
9,623
1,371
Incentive payables to members[6]
124,889
72,964
10,395
Member management fees payable
4,373
600
86
Other payable and accrued liabilities
109,200
101,354
14,443
Amounts due to related parties
3,535
2,257
322
Operating lease liabilities – current
3,376
3,849
549
Total current liabilities
351,567
251,955
35,902
Non-current liabilities
Operating lease liabilities
11,122
10,083
1,437
Total non-current liabilities
11,122
10,083
1,437
Total Liabilities
362,689
262,038
37,339
YUNJI INC.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (CONTINUED)
(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)
As of
December 31,
2023
September 30,
2024
RMB
RMB
US$
Shareholders’ equity
Ordinary shares
70
70
10
Less: Treasury stock
(116,108)
(116,045)
(16,536)
Additional paid-in capital
7,328,680
7,330,464
1,044,583
Statutory reserve
16,254
16,254
2,316
Accumulated other comprehensive income
85,291
81,122
11,560
Accumulated deficit
(6,123,971)
(6,162,055)
(878,086)
Total Yunji Inc. shareholders’ equity
1,190,216
1,149,810
163,847
Non-controlling interests
879
860
122
Total shareholders’ equity
1,191,095
1,150,670
163,969
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
1,553,784
1,412,708
201,308
YUNJI INC.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)
For the Three Months Ended
For the Nine Months Ended
September 30,
2023
September 30,
2024
September 30,
2023
September 30,
2024
RMB
RMB
US$
RMB
RMB
US$
Revenues:
Sales of merchandise, net
114,132
70,011
9,976
388,321
255,036
36,342
Marketplace revenue
28,703
14,848
2,116
95,929
60,015
8,552
Other revenues
2,354
1,832
261
6,812
5,477
780
Total revenues
145,189
86,691
12,353
491,062
320,528
45,674
Operating cost and expenses:
Cost of revenues
(78,868)
(39,760)
(5,666)
(253,161)
(161,071)
(22,952)
Fulfilment
(25,621)
(17,186)
(2,449)
(82,627)
(59,754)
(8,515)
Sales and marketing
(29,608)
(19,304)
(2,751)
(92,561)
(66,792)
(9,518)
Technology and content
(13,852)
(11,604)
(1,654)
(41,457)
(37,135)
(5,292)
General and administrative
(28,058)
(25,795)
(3,676)
(76,474)
(59,316)
(8,453)
Total operating cost and expenses
(176,007)
(113,649)
(16,196)
(546,280)
(384,068)
(54,730)
Other operating income
541
733
104
14,118
4,894
697
Loss from operations
(30,277)
(26,225)
(3,739)
(41,100)
(58,646)
(8,359)
Financial (loss)/income, net
(1,884)
(5,682)
(810)
(36,799)
19,911
2,837
Foreign exchange (loss)/income, net
(88)
2,405
343
(7,466)
4,735
675
Other non-operating income/(loss),
net
628
509
73
(2,436)
627
89
Loss before income tax expense, and
equity in loss of affiliates, net of tax
(31,621)
(28,993)
(4,133)
(87,801)
(33,373)
(4,758)
Income tax expense
(1,116)
(348)
(49)
(6,523)
(1,641)
(234)
Equity in loss of affiliates, net of tax
(2,059)
(704)
(100)
(4,945)
(3,063)
(437)
Net loss
(34,796)
(30,045)
(4,282)
(99,269)
(38,077)
(5,429)
Less: net loss attributable to non-
controlling interests shareholders
(1)
(19)
(3)
(2)
(20)
(3)
Net loss attributable to YUNJI INC.
(34,795)
(30,026)
(4,279)
(99,267)
(38,057)
(5,426)
YUNJI INC.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (CONTINUED)
(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)
For the Three Months Ended
For the Nine Months Ended
September 30,
2023
September 30,
2024
September 30,
2023
September 30,
2024
RMB
RMB
US$
RMB
RMB
US$
Net loss attributable to ordinary
shareholders
(34,795)
(30,026)
(4,279)
(99,267)
(38,057)
(5,426)
Net loss
(34,796)
(30,045)
(4,282)
(99,269)
(38,077)
(5,429)
Other comprehensive income/(loss)
Foreign currency translation
adjustment
3,424
(8,290)
(1,181)
32,480
(4,169)
(594)
Total comprehensive loss
(31,372)
(38,335)
(5,463)
(66,789)
(42,246)
(6,023)
Less: total comprehensive loss
attributable to non-controlling
interests shareholders
(1)
(19)
(3)
(2)
(20)
(3)
Total comprehensive loss
attributable to YUNJI INC.
(31,371)
(38,316)
(5,460)
(66,787)
(42,226)
(6,020)
Net loss attributable to ordinary
shareholders
(34,795)
(30,026)
(4,279)
(99,267)
(38,057)
(5,426)
Weighted average number of
ordinary shares used in computing
net loss per share, basic and diluted
1,966,929,108
1,967,086,032
1,967,086,032
1,972,493,551
1,967,062,401
1,967,062,401
Net loss per share attributable to
ordinary shareholders
Basic
(0.02)
(0.02)
–
(0.05)
(0.02)
–
Diluted
(0.02)
(0.02)
–
(0.05)
(0.02)
–
YUNJI INC.
NOTES TO UNAUDITED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)
For the Three Months Ended
For the Nine Months Ended
September 30,
2023
September 30,
2024
September 30,
2023
September 30,
2024
RMB
RMB
US$
RMB
RMB
US$
Share-based compensation expenses included in:
Technology and content
610
278
40
1,153
1,101
157
General and administrative
63
162
23
126
610
87
Fulfillment
76
21
3
(2,571)
57
8
Sales and marketing
95
35
5
(474)
79
11
Total
844
496
71
(1,766)
1,847
263
YUNJI INC.
RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP MEASURES TO THE MOST DIRECTLY COMPARABLE
FINANCIAL MEASURES
(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)
For the Three Months Ended
For the Nine Months Ended
September 30,
2023
September 30,
2024
September 30,
2023
September 30,
2024
RMB
RMB
US$
RMB
RMB
US$
Reconciliation of Net Loss to Adjusted Net Loss:
Net loss
(34,796)
(30,045)
(4,282)
(99,269)
(38,077)
(5,429)
Add: Share-based compensation
844
496
71
(1,766)
1,847
263
Adjusted net loss
(33,952)
(29,549)
(4,211)
(101,035)
(36,230)
(5,166)
1. This announcement contains translations of certain Renminbi (RMB) amounts into U.S. dollars (US$) at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, the translation of RMB into US$ has been made at RMB7.0176 to US$1.00, the exchange rate in effect as of September 30, 2024 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
2. “Repeat purchase rate” in a given period is calculated as the number of transacting members who purchased not less than twice divided by the total number of transacting members during such period. “Transacting member” in a given period refers to a member who successfully promotes Yunji’s products to generate at least one order or places at least one order on Yunji’s platform, regardless of whether any product in such order is ultimately sold or delivered or whether any product in such order is returned.
3. Adjusted net loss is a non-GAAP financial measure, which is defined as net loss excluding share-based compensation expense. See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to the Most Directly Comparable Financial Measures” set forth at the end of this press release.
4. As of September 30, 2024, Short-term loan receivables of amount RMB101,652 were included in the prepaid expenses and other current assets balance, which represent the principal and interest to be collected on loans provided by the Group to third-party companies.
5. In June 2024, the Company won the bid for a parcel of land located in Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou, China, covering approximately 10 thousand square meters (the “Hangzhou Land Parcel”) and entered into an agreement with the local government to acquire the land use right of the Hangzhou Land Parcel for an aggregate consideration of approximately RMB171.5 million. In July 2024, the Company obtained the certificate of the land use right and carried the land use right at cost less accumulated amortization and impairment losses, if any. The Company intends to construct a new office building on the Hangzhou Land Parcel to use it as its new headquarters and also lease offices to external parties. The total amount for the land acquisition and office building construction is expected to be approximately RMB600.0 million. The Company intends to fund the land acquisition and building construction through cash on hand and bank financing.
6. As of September 30, 2024, the decrease in incentive payables was mainly due to derecognition of long-aged payables to inactive members.
7. The Group, as one of the five co-defendants, was involved in an on-going legal proceeding that arose in the ordinary course of business (the “Case”). The plaintiff sought monetary damages jointly and severally from all co-defendants and the amount involved was approximately RMB23.1 million. On September 30, 2024, the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court concluded the appeal trial of the Case. The court’s ruling determined that the Group bore no additional liabilities beyond the outstanding accounts, including interests and fees, payable to the plaintiff. As of the date of this earnings release, the payment has been settled in full.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yunji-announces-third-quarter-2024-unaudited-financial-results-302312741.html
SOURCE Yunji Inc.
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today revealed the 2027 Best Places to Retire in the United States.
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View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-news–world-report-reveals-the-2027-best-places-to-retire-302920068.html
SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P.
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October 27, 2026By
Enterprises are deploying agents faster than they can verify them. HashiCorp Vault uses Agent Identity to give each agent a governed identity Verified agents still need limits on access. Vault extends its established secrets management to AI agents, built to enforce least-privilege access and enable real-time revocation when an agent attempts an unauthorized action Enterprises can’t scale agents they can’t see, test or account for. IBM watsonx Orchestrate is designed to unify discovery, containment, and evaluation across Amazon Bedrock, Microsoft Foundry and Google Gemini
ATLANTA, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At TechXchange 2026, IBM (NYSE: IBM) is announcing new capabilities to help developers, IT and security teams put AI agents to work across business systems with clear authority and accountability. IBM brings together agent discovery, verified identities, access controls and performance evaluation to help organizations understand who owns each agent, control what it can access, and trace its actions across existing applications and infrastructure.
According to Gartner, by 2028 the average Fortune 500 enterprise will use over 150,000 AI agents. But only 13% of organizations believe that they have the right AI agent governance in place [1]. Persistent credentials, unclear ownership and disconnected controls make it harder to govern agents as they interact with other agents, invoke tools and act across teams, platforms and clouds.
“The winners in enterprise AI are changing how their business runs, not simply adding more AI to it,” said Dinesh Nirmal, Senior Vice President, IBM Software. “For agents to take on real work across the systems a company depends on, it requires an AI operating model – one that connects agents to the business’s data, applications and infrastructure and runs them with the same discipline as its most critical systems. Build trust and control into that model, and agents stop being a technology and become a way of doing business.”
Today’s announcements extend IBM’s portfolio to deliver an AI operating model of four essential systems working together: agents, data, automation and hybrid infrastructure. This starts with the trust and control every agent needs – a verified identity, only the access it needs, and one place to discover, secure and evaluate agents regardless of where they were built.
Extending HashiCorp Vault to AI agents
HashiCorp Vault manages the secrets and credentials that applications and services use to access business systems. It provides that control through centrally managed secrets, automated rotation for supported credentials, and dynamically generated credentials that expire or can be revoked. These capabilities help reduce the time exposed credentials remain usable and limit access to the permissions configured for each role.
HashiCorp Vault already secures non-human identities for organizations including ABN AMRO, Adobe, athenahealth, BBVA, BlackRock, Canva, Duke Energy, Expedia, London Stock Exchange, Starbucks, Swiss Federal Railways and Target, across systems that process billions of dollars in transactions [2]. HashiCorp will now extend those capabilities to AI agents, issuing secured, short-lived credentials that limit each agent to what it needs.
Establishing agent identity and accountability
AI agents are a growing class of non-human identity, alongside applications and services. As they begin acting across business systems, enterprises need a clear record of who owns each agent and what authority it has been granted. HashiCorp is combining governed agent identity with credential controls to help organizations delegate work with defined authority and accountability.
When used with HashiCorp Vault, Agent Identity establishes the authoritative record for each agent, such as who owns it, its lifecycle status and the authority it has been granted. Built to extend existing identity and security investments, it shares relevant identity and authorization context with Vault’s credential controls – ultimately enforcing least-privilege access and enabling real-time revocation when an agent attempts an unauthorized action.
Controlling agent credentials and access
Identifying an agent is only the start. Enterprises also need to control the credentials it uses to reach databases, applications and cloud services – and how long those credentials remain valid. As agents invoke tools and act across business systems, their credentials become a critical security boundary. An agent with a long-lived, overprivileged credential can put systems and data at risk if it’s compromised or acts outside its intended task. Enterprises need to establish what each agent’s job is, limit the access it receives and revoke that access when circumstances change.
These controls extend beyond initial authentication. If an agent attempts to retrieve information or perform actions outside its approved permissions, the access can be denied and session revoked in real time to prevent unauthorized activity. Vault’s short-lived credentials and least-privilege controls can further restrict what an agent accesses and the duration of those permissions.
Additional capabilities include:
Vault 2.2 gives agents their own secured accounts, automatically renews their credentials and incorporates post-quantum encryption for quantum-era threats. Secure Hub (public preview) gives companies centralized visibility across their Vault environments to make it easier to understand operational health, usage and security resources.
At TechXchange, client speakers will share how they use Vault to secure enterprise applications, workloads and AI agents
athenahealth: Automating certificate management with Vault’s PKI engine. Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Applying IBM Verify and Vault to AI agent identity, just-in-time access, dynamic secrets and auditability. Optum: Using Vault Radar to detect exposed secrets and Boundary for just-in-time, identity-based access. Seven-Eleven Japan: Centralizing and encrypting secrets with Vault Enterprise and detecting hardcoded secrets with Vault Radar. Yum! Brands: Building an identity security platform with IBM Verify, with a look ahead to machine identities and secrets management.
“AI presents extraordinary opportunities to accelerate biomedical research and discovery, but realizing its potential requires a foundation of security, trust, and responsible governance,” said Shailesh M. Shenoy, Assistant Dean for Information Technology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “In my experience, technologies such as IBM Verify and HashiCorp Vault can play an important role in helping organizations establish the identity, access, and security controls needed to innovate with confidence.”
Managing agents across platforms
Identity tells organizations what an agent is. But they also need to see every agent they have, wherever it was built. IBM watsonx Orchestrate works across the AI ecosystem, not inside a single vendor’s platform, to give organizations one place to discover, secure and evaluate their agents. Capabilities include:
Discover (tech preview): Organizations can’t govern agents they don’t know exist. Orchestrate connects to platforms such as Amazon Bedrock, Microsoft Foundry and Google Gemini to find agents built in third-party environments, so teams can see and manage agents instead of adding them manually. This capability also extends to models and MCP servers. Contain (tech preview): One rogue agent can disrupt others and spread mistakes across the business. Orchestrate now runs agents in isolated sandboxes so a rogue agent can’t interfere with others. Teams also now have access to a kill switch to shut down any agent. Evaluate: Agents that aren’t tested and tracked can quietly drift off course and increase costs. Teams using Orchestrate can now test the quality, accuracy and compliance of agents, models and MCP servers before deployment, then monitor them in production. Built-in cost tracking shows each agent’s model and token use, so teams can spot what’s driving spend and fix it.
Orchestrate also works with Vault’s credential controls and Agent Identity to establish what each agent’s job is, govern its authority and enforce least-privilege credential access. Together, these controls help organizations authorize and audit agent actions and rapidly revoke trust and credentials when risk changes.
Connecting agents to the business
Once agents are authorized to use a company’s APIs and tools, they need to know what already exists, how systems connect, what can be reused safely and what their actions could affect. IBM Integration Intelligence Hub is built to provide that knowledge through its Unified Context Engine, so agents can fix problems like stuck messages or deploy an API using what’s already in place. Skills, approval policies and audit controls keep those actions in check. Instead of rebuilding for AI, organizations can put agents to work on the systems they already depend on.
Scaling agents with NVIDIA
Agent Identity and HashiCorp Vault integrate with NVIDIA OpenShell secure runtime software, the foundation of the NVIDIA OpenShell Architecture. Together, they pair a protected environment for agents to run in with a verified identity and short-lived credentials for every agent, so each action can be traced, limited and reviewed.
“Businesses need enforceable control over how agents operate and what they can access,” said John Fanelli, vice president, enterprise software, NVIDIA. “Our work with IBM combines NVIDIA OpenShell’s policy-governed runtime with Agent Identity and HashiCorp Vault to help enterprises scale AI agents with secure execution, verified identities and tightly scoped access to business systems.”
Responding to Emerging Security Threats
When new vulnerabilities are discovered, enterprises must quickly identify affected systems, determine required changes and deploy fixes without disrupting critical operations. In complex environments, this process often involves multiple teams, tools and processes.
IBM Concert integrates observability, optimization, incident management and security across applications, infrastructure and networks. With AI-powered insights and proof of exploitability, Concert helps teams to identify high-risk vulnerabilities, assess operational impact, and coordinate responses. These capabilities also help organizations address performance, manage costs and maintain resilience in hybrid environments.
HashiCorp Terraform provides an infrastructure context and governed workflows for change implementation. New features now generally available and in public preview, including Terraform policy, Terraform Developer Portal and Terraform remote MCP server, enable developers and AI agents to access approved configurations and implement infrastructure changes through established controls. Terraform powered by Infragraph also helps teams understand infrastructure relationships and dependencies for more informed decisions.
Together, these capabilities enable organizations to progress from identifying vulnerabilities to implementing and verifying remediation, while optimizing the visibility and governance essential for enterprise operations.
A comprehensive system intelligence and change orchestration layer for IBM Z
IBM Z Atlas maps a client’s entire z/OS stack across infrastructure, middleware, and applications, and then uses that intelligence to address the manual effort of tasks like patch management, regulatory response, and sharing system knowledge across teams, from systems programmers to application developers. Atlas addresses the leading cause of unplanned z/OS outages – changes that aren’t proven to be safe – by mapping how a change impacts the z/OS stack and testing and validating it. This design (in tech preview) accelerates clients’ modernization efforts by keeping experts in control and giving practitioners, in operations or development, the same shared Z system visibility to reduce risk.
Availability
HashiCorp Vault 2.2, Agent Identity, watsonx Orchestrate evaluate capabilities, IBM Concert, and HashiCorp Terraform policy are generally available. Secure Hub, Terraform Developer Portal, Terraform remote MCP server, and IBM Z Atlas are in public preview. IBM Integration Intelligence Hub and watsonx Orchestrate discover and contain capabilities are in tech preview.
Statements regarding IBM’s future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice and represent goals and objectives only.
Learn more
IBM TechXchange is IBM’s annual conference for developers and technology practitioners and brings together nearly 6,500 attendees from 85 countries. This year, the event incorporates HashiConf to bring together the HashiCorp community with practitioners from across IBM, Red Hat and Confluent. Attendees can choose from more than 1,000 sessions and experiences, including 180 hands-on labs, 260 client-led sessions and more than 50 certification exams. Speakers include American Airlines, Bradesco, Citi, CVS Health, Deutsche Bank, DoorDash, Hertz, and US Bancorp who will share how they are making AI enterprise ready.
Session livestream and replays will be available here: ibm.biz/txc26-livestream.
Supporting Materials
Strengthen security for agentic AI with new Vault, Verify, Boundary, and Secure Hub capabilities IBM Agent Identity now generally available: Building Trust for the Agentic Era Vault Enterprise 2.2 advances identity security, PKI, and cryptoagility Announcing the public preview of Secure Hub: govern Vault at scale IBM watsonx Orchestrate advances AI agent management with new capabilities IBM Integration Intelligence Hub gives AI the context to act, not just access IBM Concert platform advances the path to cross-domain agentic IT operations Terraform advances infrastructure lifecycle management for the agentic era Introducing IBM Z Atlas: Change Intelligence for IBM Z
[1]: Gartner Identifies Six Steps to Manage AI Agent Sprawl
[2]: HashiCorp Vault client stories
About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.
Media contacts:
Sarah Benchaita
IBM
sarah.benchaita@ibm.com
Kate Lehman
IBM
Kate.Lehman@ibm.com
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Technology
Three Blind Spots Leave Industrial Companies Exposed to Critical Mineral Shortages
Published
54 minutes agoon
October 27, 2026By
Boston Consulting Group Finds Industrial Companies Underestimate Their Critical Mineral Exposure, Which Also Limits Their Access to Public CapitalDemand for Key Minerals Is Projected at 120% to 250% of Forecast Supply Through 2040An Estimated $3.5 Trillion of Products Depend on Gallium, a “Mosquito Mineral” Traded in a Market Under $350 Million a YearSome Governments Have Deployed Less Than 10% of Their Critical Minerals Funds
BOSTON, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Industrial companies are underestimating their exposure to critical mineral shortages and missing a strategic opportunity as a result, according to new analysis from Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Three blind spots in the metrics that companies rely on hide where the risk sits, including what BCG calls “mosquito minerals,” so small by traded value that they never reach a risk register.
These are among the findings of Why Critical Mineral Shortages Are a CEO Issue, a BCG report released today. BCG’s proprietary model projects demand for key inputs, including rare earths, graphite, copper and lithium, at roughly 120% to 250% of forecast supply through 2040.
“Most industrials track exposure through spend and direct supplier data, and the minerals that can stop a production line are often the ones they spend almost nothing on,” said Tycho Möncks, a BCG managing director and partner and a coauthor of the report. “The question for CEOs and boards is not whether their company is exposed. It is. The question is whether they intend to live with that exposure or turn it into an advantage.”
Small Markets Can Stall Large Industries
Companies often start their risk assessment with the bill of materials, which points them toward high-volume metals such as copper and lithium. Mosquito minerals fall outside that view. Their traded value is tiny, but the value chains that depend on them are not.
Rare earths. The rare earths used in a fighter jet are worth less than the paint that coats the plane.Gallium. The global market is worth under $350 million a year, with production of only about 900 tons, yet BCG estimates about $3.5 trillion of final products depend on it.Arsenic. The upstream market is about $50 million worldwide, yet a single producer supplies roughly 60% of the ultra-high-purity grade used in 5G and 6G infrastructure, data center optics, radar systems, and defense electronics.Byproduct supply. Gallium, germanium and arsenic are recovered as byproducts of other mining and industrial processes, so the host metal’s market sets their supply. Even a sharp price spike may not bring new production.
Exposure Hides Below Tier One Suppliers
A company that buys almost no critical minerals directly can still be acutely exposed because minerals arrive embedded in motors, magnets, power modules, lasers and sensors. They also sit in the tools and processes used to make those components, from crucibles and catalysts to dies and the capital equipment itself.
Turbine blades, engine blocks and structural aerospace components, for example, are machined with cutting tools made of tungsten carbide bonded with cobalt. A manufacturer that has never bought either metal directly can still see production stop if those tools run short, a dependency that appears on no bill of materials.
Companies also tend to map where critical minerals are mined, but for some minerals the bottleneck is processing, not production. A map of where assets sit and a map of who owns them can look very different, so a change of supplier that looks like diversification may leave a company’s exposure unchanged.
Public Capital Is Committed but Largely Unspent
The three blind spots also lead to a strategic miss. The International Energy Agency reports that public finance commitments to critical minerals in advanced economies reached around $65 billion in 2025, more than four times the 2023 level. BCG’s review of government-backed vehicles found the flagship instruments barely deployed, with some countries having spent less than 10% of their allocated capital and others nothing.
These vehicles are designed to draw in private capital, and offtake requirements are typically the main eligibility gate. BCG argues that companies without a clear view of their own exposure cannot make a credible commitment, and so cannot qualify. The funds are not free money: they carry conditions such as reporting obligations and localization requirements, and they represent only about one tenth of the capital needed through 2040. But for industrial companies, BCG says, they are a way to build a competitive advantage.
Several of the companies that have reframed their approach and tapped public capital are industrial companies and trading firms, not miners, and BCG found that in each case the CEO and executive team led the process of identifying and correcting their blind spots.
“These blind spots have a cost beyond risk. The money is there, but it comes with offtake requirements, and a company cannot make a credible commitment without knowing its own exposure,” said Karthik Valluru, a BCG managing director and senior partner who coauthored the report. “Mapping that exposure properly is where the opportunity starts.”
Download the publication here:
https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/critical-minerals-risk-blind-spots
Media Contact:
Bruce Wraight
wraight.bruce@bcg.com
About Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group bridges the gap between ambition and outcomes for the world’s leading companies and organizations. We are built for this era of unprecedented change — bringing strategic clarity rooted in over 60 years of deep domain knowledge, combined with applied AI shaped by our practitioners. BCG works shoulder-to-shoulder with CEOs across industries and geographies to deliver transformative impact at scale: stronger returns, transferred capabilities, and change that sticks. For more information, visit bcg.com.
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SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
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