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Avantor® Reports First Quarter 2025 Results

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Net sales of $1.58 billion, decrease of 6%; organic decline of 2%Net income of $64.5 million; Adjusted EBITDA of $269.5 millionDiluted GAAP EPS of $0.09; adjusted EPS of $0.23Operating cash flow of $109.3 million; free cash flow of $82.1 millionAnnounces significant actions across the business to accelerate growth and enhance cost structure; increasing cost transformation target to $400 million in gross run-rate savings exiting 2027

RADNOR, Pa., April 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Avantor, Inc. (NYSE: AVTR), a leading global provider of mission-critical products and services to customers in the life sciences and advanced technology industries, today reported financial results for its first fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2025.

“Our first quarter results demonstrate disciplined execution and a continued focus on cost management in a dynamic macro environment,” said Michael Stubblefield, President and Chief Executive Officer. “While earnings and margin performance were in line with our plan, Lab Solutions revenue was impacted by reduced demand – particularly in our Education and Government end market – following recent policy changes. In our Bioscience Production segment, we delivered another quarter of growth in bioprocessing and order book momentum continues.”

“We are updating our full-year outlook to reflect ongoing funding and policy-related headwinds. While we are not satisfied with our current growth trajectory, we are implementing a comprehensive strategy to strengthen our Lab Solutions segment and are committed to moving with urgency to improve performance across the business. In addition, we are expanding our cost transformation initiative and now expect to deliver $400 million in gross run-rate savings exiting 2027.”

“With these actions to accelerate growth and enhance our cost structure, we remain confident in Avantor’s ability to drive long-term value creation,” Stubblefield concluded.

First Quarter 2025

For the three months ended March 31, 2025, net sales were $1,581.4 million, a decrease of 6% compared to the first quarter of 2024. Foreign currency translation had a negative impact of 1%, resulting in a sales decline of 2% on an organic basis.

Net income increased to $64.5 million from $60.4 million in the first quarter of 2024, and adjusted net income was $155.2 million as compared to $150.6 million in the comparable prior period. Net Income margin was 4.1%. Adjusted EBITDA was $269.5 million, and Adjusted EBITDA margin was 17.0%. Adjusted Operating Income was $242.8 million, and Adjusted Operating Income margin was 15.4%.

Diluted earnings per share on a GAAP basis was $0.09, while adjusted EPS was $0.23.

Operating cash flow was $109.3 million, while free cash flow was $82.1 million. Adjusted net leverage was 3.2x as of March 31, 2025.

First Quarter 2025 – Segment Results

Laboratory Solutions

Net sales were $1,065.0 million, a reported decrease of 8%, as compared to $1,157.1 million in the first quarter of 2024. Sales decreased by 3% on an organic basis.Adjusted Operating Income was $139.0 million as compared to $148.2 million in the comparable prior period. Adjusted Operating Income margin was 13.1%.

Bioscience Production

Net sales were $516.4 million, a reported decrease of 1%, as compared to $522.7 million in the first quarter of 2024. Sales were flat on an organic basis.Adjusted Operating Income was $123.4 million as compared to $126.9 million in the comparable prior period. Adjusted Operating Income margin was 23.9%.

Adjusted Operating Income is Avantor’s segment reporting profitability measure under generally accepted accounting principles and is used by management to measure and evaluate the performance of our Company’s business segments.

Conference Call
We will host a conference call to discuss our results today, April 25, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The live webcast and presentation, as well as a replay, will be available on the investor section of Avantor’s website.  

About Avantor
Avantor® is a leading life science tools company and global provider of mission-critical products and services to the life sciences and advanced technology industries. We work side-by-side with customers at every step of the scientific journey to enable breakthroughs in medicine, healthcare, and technology. Our portfolio is used in virtually every stage of the most important research, development and production activities at more than 300,000 customer locations in 180 countries. For more information, visit avantorsciences.com and find us on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Facebook.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To evaluate our performance, we monitor a number of key indicators. As appropriate, we supplement our results of operations determined in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) with certain non-GAAP financial measures that we believe are useful to investors, creditors and others in assessing our performance. These measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for reported GAAP results because they may include or exclude certain items as compared to similar GAAP-based measures, and such measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Rather, these measures should be considered as an additional way of viewing aspects of our operations that provide a more complete understanding of our business. We strongly encourage investors to review our consolidated financial statements included in reports filed with the SEC in their entirety and not rely solely on any one single financial measure or communication.

The non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release are sales growth (decline) on an organic basis, Adjusted Operating Income, Adjusted Operating Income margin, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted net income, adjusted EPS, adjusted net leverage, free cash flow and free cash flow conversion.

Organic net sales growth (decline) eliminates from our reported net sales change the impacts of revenues from acquisitions and divestitures that occurred in the last year and changes in foreign currency exchange rates. We believe that this measurement is useful to investors as a way to measure and evaluate our underlying commercial operating performance consistently across our segments and the periods presented. This measure is used by our management for the same reason.Adjusted Operating Income is our net income or loss adjusted for the following items: (i) interest expense, (ii) income tax expense, (iii) amortization of acquired intangible assets, (iv) losses on extinguishment of debt, (v) charges associated with the impairment of certain assets, (vi) gain on sale of business, and (vii) certain other adjustments. Adjusted Operating Income margin is Adjusted Operating Income divided by net sales as determined under GAAP. We believe that these measures are useful to investors as ways to analyze the underlying trends in our business consistently across the periods presented. These measures are used by our management for the same reason. Additionally, Adjusted Operating Income is our segment reporting profitability measure under GAAP.Adjusted EBITDA is our net income or loss adjusted for the following items: (i) interest expense, (ii) income tax expense, (iii) amortization of acquired intangible assets, (iv) depreciation expense, (v) losses on extinguishment of debt, (vi) charges associated with the impairment of certain assets, (vii) gain on sale of business, and (viii) certain other adjustments. Adjusted EBITDA margin is Adjusted EBITDA divided by net sales as determined under GAAP. We believe that these measures are useful to investors as ways to analyze the underlying trends in our business consistently across the periods presented. These measures are used by our management for the same reason.Adjusted net income is our net income or loss first adjusted for the following items: (i) amortization of acquired intangible assets, (ii) losses on extinguishment of debt, (iii) charges associated with the impairment of certain assets, (iv) gain on sale of business, and (v) certain other adjustments. From this amount, we then add or subtract an assumed incremental income tax impact on the above-noted pre-tax adjustments, using estimated tax rates, to arrive at Adjusted Net Income. We believe that this measure is useful to investors as a way to analyze the business consistently across the periods presented. This measure is used by our management for the same reason.Adjusted EPS is our adjusted net income divided by our diluted GAAP weighted average share count adjusted for anti-dilutive instruments. We believe that this measure is useful to investors as an additional way to analyze the underlying trends in our business consistently across the periods presented. This measure is used by our management for the same reason.Adjusted net leverage is equal to our gross debt, reduced by our cash and cash equivalents, divided by our trailing 12-month Adjusted EBITDA (excluding stock-based compensation expense and including the expected run-rate effect of cost synergies and the incremental results of completed acquisitions and divestitures as if those acquisitions and divestitures had occurred on the first day of the trailing 12-month period). We believe that this measure is useful to investors as a way to evaluate and measure the Company’s capital allocation strategies and the underlying trends in the business. This measure is used by our management for the same reason.Free cash flow is equal to our cash flows from operating activities, less capital expenditures, plus direct transaction costs and income taxes paid related to acquisitions and divestitures (as applicable) in the period. Free cash flow conversion is free cash flow divided by adjusted net income. We believe that these measures are useful to investors as they provide a view on the Company’s ability to generate cash for use in financing or investing activities. These measures are used by our management for the same reason.

Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in the tables accompanying this release.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements 
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created thereby under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements discuss our current expectations and projections relating to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, including our cost transformation initiative, objectives, future performance and business. These statements may be preceded by, followed by or include the words “aim,” “anticipate,” “assumption,” “believe,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “intend,” “likely,” “long-term,” “near-term,” “objective,” “opportunity,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “project,” “projection,” “prospects,” “seek,” “target,” “trend,” “can,” “could,” “may,” “should,” “would,” “will,” the negatives thereof and other words and terms of similar meaning.

Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions; they are not guarantees of performance. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. Although we believe that our assumptions made in connection with the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that the assumptions and expectations will prove to be correct. Factors that could contribute to these risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, the factors described in “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, as such risk factors may be updated from time to time in our periodic filings with the SEC.

All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. In addition, all forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligations to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise other than as required under the federal securities laws.

Investor Relations Contact
Allison Hosak
Senior Vice President, Global Communications
Avantor
908-329-7281
Allison.Hosak@avantorsciences.com

Media Contact
Eric Van Zanten
Head of External Communications
Avantor
610-529-6219
Eric.Vanzanten@avantorsciences.com 

Avantor, Inc. and subsidiaries

Unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations

(in millions, except per share data)

Three months ended
March 31,

2025

2024

Net sales

$       1,581.4

$      1,679.8

Cost of sales

1,046.5

1,109.3

Gross profit

534.9

570.5

Selling, general and administrative expenses

387.5

424.2

Operating income

147.4

146.3

Interest expense, net

(42.2)

(64.3)

Loss on extinguishment of debt

—

(2.5)

Other (expense) income, net

(19.5)

1.1

Income before income taxes

85.7

80.6

Income tax expense

(21.2)

(20.2)

Net income

$           64.5

$           60.4

Earnings per share:

Basic

$           0.09

$           0.09

Diluted

$           0.09

$           0.09

Weighted average shares outstanding:

Basic

681.1

678.1

Diluted

682.4

681.4

 

Avantor, Inc. and subsidiaries
Unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets

(in millions)

March 31, 2025

December 31, 2024

Assets

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$                  315.7

$                  261.9

Accounts receivable, net

1,096.3

1,034.5

Inventory

750.1

731.5

Other current assets

120.3

118.7

Total current assets

2,282.4

2,146.6

Property, plant and equipment, net

736.3

708.1

Other intangible assets, net

3,331.1

3,360.2

Goodwill, net

5,609.1

5,539.2

Other assets

367.5

360.4

Total assets

$             12,326.4

$             12,114.5

Liabilities and stockholders’ equity

Current liabilities:

Current portion of debt

$                  827.5

$                  821.1

Accounts payable

680.1

662.8

Employee-related liabilities

140.6

168.2

Accrued interest

39.3

48.6

Other current liabilities

346.9

306.8

Total current liabilities

2,034.4

2,007.5

Debt, net of current portion

3,279.2

3,234.7

Deferred income tax liabilities

550.0

557.3

Other liabilities

364.6

358.3

Total liabilities

6,228.2

6,157.8

Stockholders’ equity:

Common stock including paid-in capital

3,948.4

3,937.7

Accumulated earnings

2,267.5

2,203.0

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(117.7)

(184.0)

Total stockholders’ equity

6,098.2

5,956.7

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

$             12,326.4

$             12,114.5

 

Avantor, Inc. and subsidiaries
Unaudited condensed consolidated statements of cash flows

(in millions)

Three months ended March 31,

2025

2024

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net income

$           64.5

$           60.4

Reconciling adjustments:

Depreciation and amortization

99.7

99.6

Stock-based compensation expense

12.4

12.7

Provision for accounts receivable and inventory

12.0

24.0

Deferred income tax benefit

(12.4)

(17.9)

Amortization of deferred financing costs

2.2

3.0

Loss on extinguishment of debt

—

2.5

Foreign currency remeasurement loss

1.9

5.3

Pension termination charges

18.1

—

Changes in assets and liabilities:

Accounts receivable

(43.2)

2.7

Inventory

(17.6)

(11.0)

Accounts payable

8.2

(43.6)

Accrued interest

(9.3)

(9.5)

Other assets and liabilities

(29.1)

9.3

Other

1.9

4.1

Net cash provided by operating activities

109.3

141.6

Cash flows from investing activities:

Capital expenditures

(28.0)

(34.7)

Other

(0.9)

0.5

Net cash used in investing activities

(28.9)

(34.2)

Cash flows from financing activities:

Debt borrowings

—

41.2

Debt repayments

(31.3)

(210.3)

Proceeds received from exercise of stock options

2.6

45.5

Shares repurchased to satisfy employee tax obligations for vested stock-based awards

(4.9)

(6.6)

Net cash used in financing activities

(33.6)

(130.2)

Effect of currency rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

7.0

(5.7)

Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

53.8

(28.5)

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period

264.7

287.7

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period

$         318.5

$         259.2

 

Avantor, Inc. and subsidiaries

Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures

Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin

(dollars in millions, % based on net sales)

Three months ended March 31,

2025

2024

$

%

$

%

Net income

$          64.5

4.1 %

$          60.4

3.6 %

Amortization

73.9

4.7 %

75.3

4.5 %

Loss on extinguishment of debt

—

— %

2.5

0.1 %

Restructuring and severance charges1

4.4

0.3 %

23.2

1.4 %

Transformation expenses2

15.4

1.0 %

13.3

0.8 %

Other3

4.0

0.2 %

(0.5)

— %

Pension termination charges4

18.1

1.1 %

—

— %

Income tax benefit applicable to pretax adjustments

(25.1)

(1.6) %

(23.6)

(1.4) %

Adjusted net income

155.2

9.8 %

150.6

9.0 %

Interest expense, net

42.2

2.7 %

64.3

3.8 %

Depreciation

25.8

1.6 %

24.3

1.4 %

Income tax provision applicable to Adjusted Net income

46.3

2.9 %

43.8

2.6 %

Adjusted EBITDA

$        269.5

17.0 %

$        283.0

16.8 %

1.

Reflects the incremental expenses incurred in the period related to restructuring initiatives to increase profitability and productivity. Costs included in this caption are specific to employee severance, site-related exit costs, and contract termination costs. These expenses represent costs incurred to achieve the Company’s publicly-announced cost transformation initiative.

2.

Represents incremental expenses directly associated with the Company’s publicly-announced cost transformation initiative, primarily related to the cost of external advisors.

3.

Represents net foreign currency (gain) loss from financing activities, other stock-based compensation expense (benefit) and a purchase price adjustment related to the sale of our Clinical Services business in 2024.

4.

Represents pension termination charges related to termination of our U.S. Pension Plan.

 

Avantor, Inc. and subsidiaries

Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures (continued)

Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted Operating Income Margin

(dollars in millions, % based on net sales)

Three months ended March 31,

2025

2024

$

%

$

%

Net income

$          64.5

4.1 %

$          60.4

3.6 %

Interest expense, net

42.2

2.7 %

64.3

3.8 %

Income tax expense

21.2

1.3 %

20.2

1.2 %

Loss on extinguishment of debt

—

— %

2.5

0.1 %

Other (expense) income, net

19.5

1.2 %

(1.1)

— %

Operating income

147.4

9.3 %

146.3

8.7 %

Amortization

73.9

4.7 %

75.3

4.5 %

Restructuring and severance charges1

4.4

0.3 %

23.2

1.4 %

Transformation expenses2

15.4

1.0 %

13.3

0.8 %

Other3

1.7

0.1 %

0.3

— %

Adjusted Operating Income

$        242.8

15.4 %

$        258.4

15.4 %

1.

Reflects the incremental expenses incurred in the period related to restructuring initiatives to increase profitability and productivity. Costs included in this caption are specific to employee severance, site-related exit costs, and contract termination costs. These expenses represent costs incurred to achieve the Company’s publicly-announced cost transformation initiative.

2.

Represents incremental expenses directly associated with the Company’s publicly-announced cost transformation initiative, primarily related to the cost of external advisors.

3.

Represents other stock-based compensation expense (benefit) and a purchase price adjustment related to the sale of our Clinical Services business in 2024.

 

Avantor, Inc. and subsidiaries

Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures (continued)

Adjusted earnings per share

(shares in millions)

Three months ended March 31,

2025

2024

Diluted earnings per share (GAAP)

$           0.09

$           0.09

Dilutive impact of convertible instruments

—

—

Fully diluted earnings per share (non-GAAP)

0.09

0.09

Amortization

0.11

0.11

Restructuring and severance charges

0.01

0.03

Transformation expenses

0.02

0.02

Other

0.01

—

Pension termination charges

0.03

—

Income tax benefit applicable to pretax adjustments

(0.04)

(0.03)

Adjusted EPS (non-GAAP)

$           0.23

$           0.22

Weighted average diluted shares outstanding:

Share count for Adjusted EPS (non-GAAP)

682.4

681.4

 

Free cash flow

(in millions)

Three months ended March 31,

2025

2024

Net cash provided by operating activities

$         109.3

$         141.6

Capital expenditures

(28.0)

(34.7)

Divestiture-related transaction expenses and taxes paid

0.8

—

Free cash flow (non-GAAP)

$           82.1

$         106.9

 

Adjusted net leverage

(dollars in millions)

March 31, 2025

Total debt, gross

$      4,126.9

Less cash and cash equivalents

(315.7)

$      3,811.2

Trailing twelve months Adjusted EBITDA(1)

$      1,150.2

Trailing twelve months ongoing stock-based compensation expense

47.6

$      1,197.8

Adjusted net leverage (non-GAAP)

              3.2 x

1.

Represents the Adjusted EBITDA of Avantor for the trailing twelve-month period minus the results attributable to the divested business as if such divestiture had been completed on the 1st day of such trailing twelve-month period, as contemplated by our debt covenants.

 

Avantor, Inc. and subsidiaries

Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures (continued)

Net sales by segment

(in millions)

March 31,

Reconciliation of net sales growth (decline) to
organic net sales growth (decline)

Net sales
growth
(decline)

Foreign
currency
impact

Divestiture
impact

Organic
net sales
growth
(decline)

2025

2024

Three months ended:

Laboratory Solutions

$   1,065.0

$   1,157.1

$      (92.1)

$      (14.5)

$      (44.1)

$      (33.5)

Bioscience Production

516.4

522.7

(6.3)

(4.5)

—

(1.8)

Total

$   1,581.4

$   1,679.8

$      (98.4)

$      (19.0)

$      (44.1)

$      (35.3)

 

(dollars in millions, % based on net sales)

March 31,

Reconciliation of net sales growth (decline) to
organic net sales growth (decline)

Net sales
growth
(decline)

Foreign
currency
impact

Divestiture
impact

Organic
net sales
growth
(decline)

2025

2024

$

$

%

%

%

%

Three months ended:

Laboratory Solutions

$   1,065.0

$   1,157.1

(8.0) %

(1.3) %

(3.8) %

(2.9) %

Bioscience Production

516.4

522.7

(1.2) %

(0.9) %

— %

(0.3) %

Total

$   1,581.4

$   1,679.8

(5.9) %

(1.1) %

(2.6) %

(2.2) %

 

Adjusted Operating Income by segment

(dollars in millions, % represent Adjusted
Operating Income margin)

Three months ended March 31,

2025

2024

$

%

$

%

Laboratory Solutions

$        139.0

13.1 %

$        148.2

12.8 %

Bioscience Production

123.4

23.9 %

126.9

24.3 %

Corporate

(19.6)

— %

(16.7)

— %

Total

$        242.8

15.4 %

$        258.4

15.4 %

 

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New GASA Research: 71% of Adults Surveyed Across 13 Asian Markets Encountered Scams, with Estimated Losses of US$136.5 Billion

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By

Research highlights a gap between confidence in recognizing scams and actual outcomes ahead of the Global Anti-Scam Summit Asia 2026

BANGKOK, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — New research from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), developed in collaboration with Gogolook, the developer of Whoscall, reveals the scale and impact of scams across Asia. Among adults surveyed in 13 Asian markets, 71% encountered a scam in the past year. The study estimates that consumers across those markets lost a combined US$136.5 billion to scams over the same period.

The State of Scams in Asia 2026 report, based on a survey of 17,460 adults, also identifies a gap between confidence and outcomes. While 66% of respondents said they were confident in their ability to recognize scams, 62% of those who encountered one interacted with it. Among respondents who interacted with a scam, 26% lost money.

The findings are being released ahead of the Global Anti-Scam Summit Asia 2026, taking place in Bangkok on 10–11 November. Following previous editions in Taiwan and Singapore, the summit will be held in Thailand for the first time, bringing together leaders from across sectors to strengthen the region’s response to evolving scams.

Phone calls and messages remain major points of exposure

Phone calls were the most common channel through which respondents encountered scams (56%), followed by text messages (50%) and instant messaging apps (40%). Shopping, investment and employment scams were the scam types respondents most commonly interacted with.

“Phone and text message scams remain a major challenge across Asia. In Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia, more than six in ten respondents encountered scam calls. As scammers use AI-generated voices and increasingly convincing scripts, identifying suspicious numbers and warning users before they engage becomes even more important,” said Jeff Kuo, CEO of Gogolook. “Whoscall’s observations also suggest that scammers are adapting to tighter SIM registration and identity checks by using international and satellite numbers. That makes continued information sharing across markets essential.”

The harm extends beyond financial losses

The research estimates that consumers across the 13 markets lost US$136.5 billion to scams over the past 12 months. Among respondents who lost money, 51% said they had been scammed more than once.

The effects reached beyond the immediate financial loss. Among those who lost money, 72% reported an impact on their mental wellbeing, 77% experienced at least one emotional impact, and 58% experienced at least one financial impact affecting their everyday lives.

“One of the most striking findings is the gap between confidence and behavior. While 66% of respondents feel confident they can recognize scams, 62% of those who encountered one went on to interact with it. This shows why education is important but cannot be our only line of defense. We also need stronger safeguards that protect people throughout the scam journey.” said Brian D. Hanley, Director, Asia-Pacific Chapter, Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA).

Turning regional evidence into action

The findings will inform discussions at the Global Anti-Scam Summit Asia 2026, where representatives from government, law enforcement, financial services, technology, telecommunications, consumer protection and other sectors will explore ways to prevent and disrupt scams.

The research also points to public support for more proactive intervention. Across the markets surveyed, 71% supported allowing banks to block high-value transactions without a customer’s prior permission when they suspect a scam. Another 69% supported allowing telecom operators or messaging apps to block calls and messages they believe are malicious.

Reporting, however, does not always lead to recovery. While 85% of victims reported their scam experience, outcomes varied depending on where they reported it, and recovery and reimbursement remained limited.

Download the full State of Scams in Asia 2026 report here: https://gasa.org/knowledge-base/reports/state-of-scams-in-asia-2026

Registration for the Global Anti-Scam Summit Asia 2026 is open. For the programme and registration details, visit the summit website: https://gasa.org/global-anti-scam-summit-asia-2026

About the research

The State of Scams in Asia 2026 surveyed 17,460 adults across 13 Asian markets: China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Fieldwork was conducted between March 16 and April 13, 2026. The research was conducted by Opinium for the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and developed in collaboration with Gogolook, the developer of Whoscall.

About the Global Anti-Scam Alliance

The Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) is a nonprofit organization bringing together policymakers, law enforcement, consumer authorities, NGOs, the financial sector, telecommunications operators, internet platforms, cybersecurity organizations and other stakeholders to share knowledge and develop solutions to protect consumers from scams.
GASA Website: https://gasa.org/

About Gogolook

Gogolook is a leading TrustTech company established in 2012. With “Build for Trust” as its core value, Gogolook has expanded its business from Asia to Europe and the Americas. As a foundation member of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), Gogolook collaborates with law enforcement agencies and public-sector organizations, including the Taiwan National Police Agency, the Royal Thai Police, the Philippines Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, and the Royal Malaysia Police. These partnerships support its commitment to building a scam-free environment.
Gogolook Website: https://www.gogolook.com/

About Whoscall

Whoscall, developed by Gogolook, is a caller ID and digital anti-scam app designed to protect users from scams across various channels, including phone calls, text messages, social media, and links. With over 100 million downloads globally, it features the most comprehensive database in East and Southeast Asia, covering more than 2.6 billion phone numbers.
Whoscall Website: https://web.whoscall.com/en

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Voqalize Says Voice Is Becoming the Default Way People Use Software

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Voqalize is infrastructure for making software conversational. Existing applications, websites and AI agents can add a voice interface that listens, sees context, responds and acts, without being rebuilt.

BENGALURU, India, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Voqalize today said it gives existing applications, websites and AI agents a voice interface that can listen, see context, respond and act, without rebuilding the application. The company says teams can have it running in about an hour, either through Plug & Play, where Voqalize manages the AI agent and the voice experience, or through a developer integration into their own backend.

Imagine telling a clothing app: “I’ve got an outdoor wedding in Napa on the 20th. I need something under two hundred that goes with the shoes I bought in the spring.” The app pulls those shoes from your order history and lays out six options beside them. “Not the floral. Show me the second one in the navy.” It swaps the color and puts the shoes next to it. Then it adds: “You sent back a medium from this brand last time, so I picked the large. It arrives on the 17th.” You look it over and tap buy. That is the shift Voqalize is building for: voice not as input, but as an interface to software.

Fast facts

Apple’s iOS 27, released in September, lets Siri read what’s on a user’s screen and take actions inside appsGoogle reports that roughly one in five Gemini Live conversations now add a camera or screen share, with voice used in 63% of interactions across Gemini’s 1 billion-plus monthly usersA Censuswide survey of 700 business leaders and consumers for Voices, published Jan. 28, 2026, found that 55% of consumers say voice is their primary AI interface, while only 29% of companies have deployed customer-facing voice AI

Dictation Proved People Will Talk to Their Software

Dictation and notetaking apps are among the fastest-growing categories in consumer AI. Wispr, valued at $2 billion, and Granola, valued at $1.5 billion, have both built large user bases on a simple premise: people would rather talk than type, once the transcription is good enough. Wispr says the habit sticks. After six months, its average user writes 72% of their characters by voice.

The category is already moving past that original pitch. Wispr raised its most recent round on a case for going “beyond dictation.” Granola is expanding from a meeting notetaker into what it describes as a context layer for company AI. Superhuman acquired the notetaker Fathom in September. Talking to software stopped being the hard part. What people do with that voice next, and how directly it’s built into the products they already use, is where the category is headed.

“The next billion people coming online won’t type their way onto the internet. They’ll talk their way on, in whatever mix of languages they speak at home.” Sripathi Krishnan, Co-founder, Voqalize

Voice Is Moving From Typing Substitute to Default Interface

Voqalize’s argument is that voice is moving from a typing substitute into the default way people use an app: a running conversation, not a single dictated sentence, where the app listens, responds and can act on what’s on screen, with the interruptions and mid-task changes of direction that come with a real conversation. That mirrors a broader shift already underway on the phone line, where most current “voice AI” is still built around short, scripted calls that book an appointment or qualify a lead and then hang up. Apple’s iOS 27 and Google’s Gemini Live both point at the same shift: voice agents that can see a screen and act on it rather than just transcribe speech.

How Do You Add a Voice Interface to an Existing App?

An existing application or device connects through Voqalize rather than being rebuilt inside a new platform: Voqalize supplies the two-way voice channel and the ability to read and act on whatever is on screen. Businesses choose how much to hand over. With Plug & Play, Voqalize manages the AI agent and the voice experience. With a developer integration, businesses add Voqalize’s voice capabilities to their own backend while keeping control of their AI agent and workflows.

In some deployments, that voice is paired with a face on screen as well, so the person on the other end has something to talk to, not just a voice in the room. Sripathi Krishnan, the company’s co-founder, has argued that the harder part of that conversation may not be how fluently the agent talks, but how well it listens and knows when to stay quiet. Voqalize also works across Indic languages, because conversations in India often move between languages mid-sentence. A majority of Indian internet users already engage with content in Indic languages. Voice also makes software accessible across languages and across literacy and input constraints.

Building Toward Plug-and-Play Voice, Across Apps and Devices

Today, adding Voqalize to a product means connecting an existing application or device through a single interface, without rebuilding it inside a new platform. Voqalize says its near-term work is on extending that same one-connection model further, so that adding two-way voice to a new app, or to a device beyond the phone and the browser, becomes a plug-and-play step rather than a custom integration. That direction follows a broader move already visible in the industry: voice infrastructure is consolidating around shared frameworks instead of one-off builds, and AI tools are increasingly connecting to each other through standard connectors rather than custom code written for each pairing. Voqalize says it intends to be the layer that makes that same simplicity available for voice specifically, across whatever app or device a company is already building for.

“Soon people will judge an app by how well it understands them, the way you judge a shop by whether the person behind the counter gets what you mean.” Samkeet Jain, Co-founder, Voqalize

Voqalize is available today for teams adding a two-way voice interface to an existing product or AI agent. Early deployments include in-app assistants for mortgage servicing workflows, legal clause review, and authenticated banking support. Voqalize was also named one of the 30 products in YourStory’s Vibecode30 2026, a showcase of emerging AI-native builders in India.

About Voqalize Voqalize is a voice AI platform that makes it easy for businesses to add two-way voice conversations to their applications and AI agents across 60+ Global and Indic languages. With Plug & Play, Voqalize manages the AI agent and voice experience for you. With our developer integration, businesses can add Voqalize’s voice capabilities to their own backend while keeping control of their AI agent and workflows. Go ahead and build your next voice-enabled applications with us on voqalize.com.

Media Contact: Samkeet Jain / +91 8147514179 / Samkeet@voqalize.com 

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Sungrow Advances Integrated C&I Microgrid Solution to Southeast Asia

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As Southeast Asia’s manufacturing sector expands, businesses face growing pressure from rising electricity costs, power supply disruptions and increasingly complex energy demands. Sungrow, a globally leading PV inverter and energy storage system provider, has launched the Integrated C&I Microgrid Solution for Southeast Asia, bringing together PV inverters, energy storage systems, EV chargers, microgrid controllers and cloud platforms. The solution helps businesses access more economical, reliable, and cleaner power.

End-to-End Cost Optimization, Improving Overall Benefits by 12%

For businesses seeking to reduce energy costs without compromising power reliability, system sizing and energy dispatch are critical. Sungrow’s Integrated C&I Microgrid Solution is engineered to make clean energy a more cost-competitive choice for businesses.

Optimized System Sizing: 8,760-hour simulations and intelligent algorithms evaluate tens of thousands of system configurations to optimize the capacity of PV, storage and diesel generation, helping avoid overinvestment and undersized systems.Intelligent Energy Dispatch: PV generation and load forecasts are updated every five minutes. Based on these forecasts and real-time electricity prices, AI dynamically optimizes the dispatch of multiple energy sources, including PV, energy storage and diesel generation, helping businesses meet their energy needs at a lower cost. This boosts overall economic benefits by 12% and shortens project payback periods by 1–2 years.Flexible Market Participation: Open interfaces and support for major electricity market protocols enable participation in diverse market mechanisms and unlock additional revenue streams.

Industry-First Five-Layer Protection for Reliable Power

For factories and commercial facilities, power outages can halt equipment, disrupt production and prolong recovery. Reliable power for critical loads is essential to keeping operations running.

Sungrow’s Integrated C&I Microgrid Solution features an industry-first five-layer protection framework, with tailored control strategies for different levels of grid disturbance. It can withstand three times overload for 10 seconds and severe voltage disturbances, helping protect critical loads from supply disruptions. With seamless grid-to-off-grid switching with no interruption to loads and whole-site black-start capability in just 3 minutes, the solution helps ensure a reliable power supply and rapid recovery during grid disruptions.

Support Throughout the Project Lifecycle

From system design and deployment to long-term operation, Sungrow simplifies the entire project lifecycle with full-stack in-house technologies and global service support.

Simplified Design and Deployment: One-stop system design, plug-and-play installation and one-click cloud connection streamline the journey from planning to commissioning.Smarter Operations: Coordinated PV, storage, EV charging, microgrid control and cloud management enable flexible energy dispatch, unified cloud-based management and automatic fault alerts.Global Service Support: With more than 520 service locations, 24/7 technical support and global spare parts centers, Sungrow helps keep projects running reliably over the long term.

Real-World Applications: Powering Energy Independence

“Sungrow’s Integrated C&I Microgrid Solution has been deployed across multiple locations in Southeast Asia, addressing diverse energy challenges for businesses,” said Huang Wanfeng, director of the Smart Energy Products Department at Sungrow.

In the Solomon Islands, the Solomon Resort Hotel Microgrid enables reliable off-grid hotel operations while helping reduce annual CO₂ emissions by around 1,000 tonnes and fuel costs by an estimated USD 600,000–700,000. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, Sungrow’s microgrid solution helps address power supply challenges in industrial parks, reducing reliance on diesel generation.

With proven experience across diverse applications, Sungrow is committed to helping businesses across Southeast Asia build more reliable, cost-efficient and resilient energy systems.

Contact:
Luly Wang
luly.wang@sungrow-hq.com 

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