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Ultra Clean Reports Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results

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HAYWARD, Calif., Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: UCTT), today reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 25, 2026.

Highlights for the Third Quarter 2026 were as follows:

Record revenue of $759 million, up 18% compared to Q2 2026 and up 49% compared to Q3 2025.GAAP gross margin of 16.9% and non-GAAP gross margin of 17.3%.GAAP EPS of $0.85 and non-GAAP EPS of $1.15.

“UCT delivered another strong quarter of growth and solid operational performance, as we responded with speed and agility to scale production and meet accelerating customer demand,” said James Xiao, CEO. “We are positioning UCT to capture more value from this next phase of AI-driven industry expansion by co-innovating with our customers, developing more advanced solutions, and executing with focus and discipline. Through UCT 3.0, we are building a more agile and efficient company that is well positioned to anticipate customer needs, accelerate innovation, and translate industry growth into lasting shareholder value.”

Third Quarter 2026 GAAP Financial Results
Total revenue was $759.0 million. Products contributed $681.9 million and Services added $77.1 million. Total gross margin was 16.9%, operating margin was 7.1%, and net income was $39.1 million or $0.85 per diluted share. This compares to total revenue of $644.9 million, gross margin of 16.1%, operating margin of 4.6%, and net income of $8.7 million or $0.19 per diluted share, in the prior quarter.

Third Quarter 2026 Non-GAAP Financial Results
On a non-GAAP basis, gross margin was 17.3%, operating margin was 9.0%, and net income was $53.2 million or $1.15 per diluted share. This compares to gross margin of 16.7%, operating margin of 7.0%, and net income of $32.3 million or $0.70 per diluted share, in the prior quarter.

Fourth Quarter 2026 Outlook
The Company expects revenue in the range of $800 million to $860 million. The Company expects GAAP diluted net income per share to be between $1.02 and $1.26, and non-GAAP diluted net income per share to be between $1.11 and $1.35.

Conference Call
The call will take place at 1:45 p.m. PT and can be accessed by dialing 1-800-836-8184 or 1-646-357-8785. No passcode is required. A replay of the call will be available by dialing 1-888-660-6345 or 1-646-517-4150 and entering the confirmation code 33664#. The Webcast will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at http://uct.com/investors/events/.

About Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc. 
Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc. is a leading developer and supplier of critical subsystems, components, parts, and ultra-high purity cleaning and analytical services, primarily for the semiconductor industry. Under its Products division, UCT offers its customers an integrated outsourced solution for major subassemblies, improved design-to-delivery cycle times, design for manufacturability, prototyping, and high-precision manufacturing. Under its Services Division, UCT offers its customers tool chamber parts cleaning and coating, as well as micro-contamination analytical services. Ultra Clean is headquartered in Hayward, California. Additional information is available at www.uct.com.

Use of Non-GAAP Measures
In addition to providing results that are determined in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”), management uses non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating margin and non-GAAP net income to evaluate the Company’s operating and financial results. We believe the presentation of non-GAAP results is useful to investors for analyzing our core business and business trends and comparing performance to prior periods, along with enhancing investors’ ability to view the Company’s results from management’s perspective. The presentation of this additional information should not be considered a substitute for results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Tables presenting reconciliations from GAAP results to non-GAAP results are included at the end of this press release.

The Company defines non-GAAP net income as net loss before amortization of intangible assets, stock-based compensation, restructuring charges, debt refinancing costs, legal-related costs, unrealized loss (gain) on foreign exchange, VAT settlement, and the tax effects of the foregoing adjustments.

A reconciliation of our guidance for non-GAAP net income per diluted share for the subsequent quarter is not available due to fluctuations in the geographic mix of our earnings from quarter to quarter, which impacts our tax rate and cannot be reasonably predicted or determined. As a result, such reconciliation is not available without unreasonable efforts and we are unable to determine the probable significance of the unavailable information.

Safe Harbor Statement 
The foregoing information contains, or may be deemed to contain, “forward-looking statements” (as defined in the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) which reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance. We use words such as “anticipates,” “projection,” “outlook,” “forecast,” “believes,” “plan,” “expect,” “future,” “intends,” “may,” “will,” “estimates,” “see,” “predicts,” “should” and similar expressions to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements included in this press release include our expectations about the semiconductor capital equipment market and outlook. All forward-looking statements address matters that involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, the Company’s actual results may differ materially from the results predicted or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors also include, among others, those identified in “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and elsewhere in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 26, 2025, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc. undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise unless required by law.

Contact:
Rhonda Bennetto
SVP Investor Relations
rbennetto@uct.com

 

 ULTRA CLEAN HOLDINGS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited; in millions, except per share data)

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 25, 2026

September 26, 2025

September 25, 2026

September 26, 2025

Revenues:

Products

$           681.9

$           445.0

$        1,720.3

$        1,356.9

Services

77.1

65.0

217.3

190.4

Total revenues

759.0

510.0

1,937.6

1,547.3

Cost of revenues:

Products

575.7

380.4

1,465.2

1,163.9

Services

54.9

47.4

155.9

137.8

Total cost of revenues

630.6

427.8

1,621.1

1,301.7

Gross profit

128.4

82.2

316.5

245.6

Operating expenses:

Research and development

8.8

7.8

26.1

23.2

Sales and marketing

15.9

15.1

47.8

45.5

General and administrative

50.0

48.7

148.1

144.1

Impairment of goodwill

—

—

—

151.1

Total operating expenses

74.7

71.6

222.0

363.9

Income (loss) from operations

53.7

10.6

94.5

(118.3)

Interest income

1.4

1.1

3.8

3.0

Interest expense

(1.5)

(9.9)

(9.8)

(29.9)

Other expense, net

(2.5)

(1.2)

(3.2)

(2.5)

Income (loss) before provision for income taxes

51.1

0.6

85.3

(147.7)

Provision for income taxes

10.3

8.7

47.5

23.3

Net income (loss)

40.8

(8.1)

37.8

(171.0)

Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests

1.7

2.8

7.9

6.9

Net income (loss) attributable to UCT

$             39.1

$           (10.9)

$             29.9

$         (177.9)

Net income (loss) per share attributable to UCT common stockholders:

Basic

$             0.86

$           (0.24)

$             0.66

$           (3.93)

Diluted

$             0.85

$           (0.24)

$             0.65

$           (3.93)

Shares used in computing net income (loss) per share:

Basic

45.4

45.4

45.3

45.2

Diluted

46.2

45.4

46.2

45.2

 

ULTRA CLEAN HOLDINGS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited; in millions)

September 25,
2026

December 26,
2025

ASSETS

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$                       270,9

$                      311,8

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses

272,4

208,8

Inventories

723,3

390,9

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

67,6

48,2

Total current assets

1 334,2

959,7

Property, plant and equipment, net

344,4

324,6

Goodwill

114,2

114,2

Intangible assets, net

136,4

156,8

Deferred tax assets, net

4,1

3,5

Operating lease right-of-use assets

156,3

157,2

Other non-current assets

14,8

13,0

Total assets

$                    2 104,4

$                   1 729,0

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Current liabilities:

Current portion of long-term debt

$                           —

$                          9,9

Accounts payable

335,2

194,9

Accrued compensation and related benefits

63,3

51,1

Operating lease liabilities

22,3

20,2

Other current liabilities

57,8

24,6

Total current liabilities

478,6

300,7

Long-term debt

635,1

467,0

Deferred tax liabilities

13,7

13,8

Operating lease liabilities

152,7

156,6

Other liabilities

11,0

6,8

Total liabilities

1 291,1

944,9

Equity:

UCT stockholders’ equity:

Common stock 

0,1

0,1

Additional paid-in capital

601,6

578,7

Common shares held in treasury

(88,7)

(48,4)

Retained earnings

219,1

189,2

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(4,6)

(8,6)

Total UCT stockholders’ equity

727,5

711,0

Noncontrolling interests

85,8

73,1

Total equity

813,3

784,1

Total liabilities and equity

$                    2 104,4

$                   1 729,0

 

ULTRA CLEAN HOLDINGS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited; in millions)

Nine Months Ended

September 25,
2026

September 26,
2025

(In millions)

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net income (loss)

$              37.8

$           (171.0)

Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization

37.5

35.5

Amortization of intangible assets

20.4

21.2

Stock-based compensation

17.2

14.4

Amortization of debt issuance costs

2.5

2.1

Loss on extinguishment of debt

3.4

—

Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment

1.2

0.7

Impairment of goodwill

—

151.1

Change in the fair value of financial instruments

—

(0.1)

Deferred income taxes

(0.6)

0.4

Changes in assets and liabilities:

Accounts receivable

(63.6)

41.6

Inventories

(332.4)

(1.2)

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

(16.0)

(6.3)

Other non-current assets

0.0

(1.0)

Accounts payable

131.1

(22.8)

Accrued compensation and related benefits

12.2

(0.6)

Income taxes payable

3.3

(12.1)

Operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities

(0.9)

10.2

Other liabilities

30.2

(4.6)

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

(116.7)

57.5

Cash flows from investing activities:

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

(45.3)

(40.2)

Proceeds from sale of equipment

0.1

3.2

Net cash used in investing activities

(45.2)

(37.0)

Cash flows from financing activities:

Proceeds from the issuance of common stock under at-the-market offering, net of commissions and fees

34.0

—

At-the-market offering costs for the issuance of common stock

(0.1)

—

Proceeds from the issuance of convertible notes

600.0

—

Borrowings on revolving credit facility

50.0

—

Proceeds from bank borrowings

—

59.3

Extinguishment of bank borrowings

—

(59.3)

Proceeds from issuance of common stock

1.1

1.1

Payment of debt issuance costs

(17.4)

(0.6)

Repurchase of common stock

(40.0)

(3.4)

Payment for capped call transactions

(25.1)

—

Principal payments on bank borrowings

(481.5)

(18.2)

Employees’ taxes paid upon vesting of restricted stock units

(4.3)

(1.1)

Payments of dividends to a joint venture shareholder

(0.1)

(0.1)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

116.6

(22.3)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

4.4

2.0

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

(40.9)

0.2

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

311.8

313.9

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$             270.9

$             314.1

 

ULTRA CLEAN HOLDINGS, INC.

REPORTABLE SEGMENTS

GAAP TO NON-GAAP RECONCILIATION 

(Unaudited; dollars in millions)

GAAP

Non-GAAP

Three Months Ended

Three Months Ended

September 25, 2026

September 25, 2026

Products

Services

Consolidated

Products

Services

Consolidated

Revenues

$           681.9

$             77.1

$           759.0

$            681.9

$              77.1

$            759.0

Gross profit

$           106.2

$             22.2

$           128.4

$            108.3

$              23.2

$            131.5

Gross margin

15.6 %

28.8 %

16.9 %

15.9 %

30.1 %

17.3 %

Income from operations

$             46.7

$              7.0

$             53.7

$              58.1

$              10.5

$              68.6

Operating margin

6.8 %

9.1 %

7.1 %

8.5 %

13.6 %

9.0 %

Three Months Ended

September 25, 2026

Products

Services

Consolidated

Reconciliation of GAAP Gross profit to Non-GAAP Gross profit (in millions)

Reported gross profit on a GAAP basis

$            106.2

$              22.2

$            128.4

Amortization of intangible assets (1)

1.3

1.0

2.3

Stock-based compensation expense (2)

0.6

—

0.6

Restructuring charges (3)

0.2

—

0.2

Non-GAAP gross profit

$            108.3

$              23.2

$            131.5

Reconciliation of GAAP Gross margin to Non-GAAP Gross margin

Reported gross margin on a GAAP basis

15.6 %

28.8 %

16.9 %

Amortization of intangible assets (1)

0.2 %

1.3 %

0.3 %

Stock-based compensation expense (2)

0.1 %

— %

0.1 %

Restructuring charges (3)

0.0 %

— %

0.0 %

Non-GAAP gross margin

15.9 %

30.1 %

17.3 %

Reconciliation of GAAP Income from operations to Non-GAAP Income from operations (in millions)

Reported income from operations on a GAAP basis

$              46.7

$                7.0

$              53.7

Amortization of intangible assets (1)

3.9

2.9

6.8

Stock-based compensation expense (2)

6.3

0.6

6.9

Restructuring charges (3)

0.6

0.0

0.6

Legal-related costs (4)

0.6

—

0.6

Non-GAAP income from operations

$              58.1

$              10.5

$              68.6

Reconciliation of GAAP Operating margin to Non-GAAP Operating margin

Reported operating margin on a GAAP basis

6.8 %

9.1 %

7.1 %

Amortization of intangible assets (1)

0.6 %

3.8 %

0.8 %

Stock-based compensation expense (2)

0.9 %

0.7 %

0.9 %

Restructuring charges (3)

0.1 %

— %

0.1 %

Legal-related costs (4)

0.1 %

— %

0.1 %

Non-GAAP operating margin

8.5 %

13.6 %

9.0 %

1

Amortization of intangible assets related to the Company’s business acquisitions                            

2

Represents compensation expense for stock granted to employees and directors                            

3

Represents costs associated with employee separation, severance, retention, and other expenses related to facility closures                            

4

Represents estimated costs related to certain legal proceedings and a cybersecurity incident

 

ULTRA CLEAN HOLDINGS, INC.

UNAUDITED RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP ADJUSTED RESULTS

Three Months Ended

September 25,
2026

September 26,
2025

June 26,
2026

Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income (Loss) to Non-GAAP Net Income (in millions)

Reported net income (loss) attributable to UCT on a GAAP basis

$           39.1

$         (10.9)

$          8.7

Amortization of intangible assets (1)

6.8

6.9

6.8

Stock-based compensation expense (2)

6.9

4.6

8.1

Restructuring charges (3)

0.6

7.1

0.7

Debt refinancing costs expensed (4)

—

1.1

0.7

Legal-related costs (5)

0.6

0.2

—

Unrealized loss (gain) on foreign exchange (6)

2.6

(2.4)

(1.9)

VAT settlement (7)

—

(0.2)

—

Income tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments (8)

(3.5)

(4.0)

(2.9)

Income tax effect of valuation allowance (9)

0.1

8.6

12.1

Non-GAAP net income attributable to UCT

$           53.2

$           11.0

$        32.3

Reconciliation of GAAP Income from operations to Non-GAAP Income from operations (in millions)

Reported income from operations on a GAAP basis

$           53.7

$           10.6

$        29.5

Amortization of intangible assets (1)

6.8

6.9

6.8

Stock-based compensation expense (2)

6.9

4.6

8.1

Restructuring charges (3)

0.6

7.1

0.7

Legal-related costs (5)

0.6

0.2

—

VAT settlement (7)

—

(0.2)

—

Non-GAAP income from operations

$           68.6

$           29.2

$        45.1

Reconciliation of GAAP Operating margin to Non-GAAP Operating margin

Reported operating margin on a GAAP basis

7.1 %

2.1 %

4.6 %

Amortization of intangible assets (1)

0.8 %

1.3 %

1.0 %

Stock-based compensation expense (2)

0.9 %

0.9 %

1.3 %

Restructuring charges (3)

0.1 %

1.4 %

0.1 %

Legal-related costs (5)

0.1 %

0.0 %

— %

VAT settlement (7)

— %

0.0 %

— %

Non-GAAP operating margin

9.0 %

5.7 %

7.0 %

Reconciliation of GAAP Gross profit to Non-GAAP Gross profit (in millions)

Reported gross profit on a GAAP basis

$         128.4

$           82.2

$      103.7

Amortization of intangible assets (1)

2.3

2.3

2.3

Stock-based compensation expense (2)

0.6

0.5

1.5

Restructuring charges (3)

0.2

2.1

0.1

VAT settlement (7)

—

(0.2)

—

Non-GAAP gross profit

$         131.5

$           86.9

$      107.6

Reconciliation of GAAP Gross margin to Non-GAAP Gross margin

Reported gross margin on a GAAP basis

16.9 %

16.1 %

16.1 %

Amortization of intangible assets (1)

0.3 %

0.4 %

0.4 %

Stock-based compensation expense (2)

0.1 %

0.1 %

0.2 %

Restructuring charges (3)

0.0 %

0.4 %

0.0 %

VAT settlement (7)

— %

0.0 %

— %

Non-GAAP gross margin

17.3 %

17.0 %

16.7 %

Reconciliation of GAAP Other income (expense), net to Non-GAAP Other income (expense), net (in millions)

Reported Other income (expense), net on a GAAP basis

$           (2.5)

$           (1.2)

$          0.6

Debt refinancing costs expensed (4)

—

1.1

0.7

Unrealized loss (gain) on foreign exchange (6)

2.6

(2.4)

(1.9)

Non-GAAP Other income (expense), net

$            0.1

$           (2.5)

$         (0.6)

Reconciliation of GAAP Income (Loss) Per Diluted Share to Non-GAAP Earnings Per Diluted Share

Reported net income (loss) on a GAAP basis

$           0.85

$         (0.24)

$        0.19

Amortization of intangible assets (1)

0.15

0.15

0.15

Stock-based compensation expense (2)

0.15

0.10

0.18

Restructuring charges (3)

0.01

0.16

0.01

Debt refinancing costs expensed (4)

—

0.02

0.01

Legal-related costs (5)

0.01

0.00

—

Unrealized loss (gain) on foreign exchange (6)

0.06

(0.05)

(0.04)

VAT settlement (7)

—

0.00

—

Income tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments (8)

(0.08)

(0.09)

(0.06)

Income tax effect of valuation allowance (9)

0.00

0.19

0.26

Impact of dilutive shares

0.00

0.00

0.00

Non-GAAP net earnings

$           1.15

$           0.24

$        0.70

Weighted average number of diluted shares (in millions) on a non-GAAP basis (10)

46.2

45.6

46.0

ULTRA CLEAN HOLDINGS, INC.

UNAUDITED RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP EFFECTIVE INCOME TAX RATE

Three Months Ended

September 25,
2026

September 26,
2025

June 26,
2026

Provision for income taxes on a GAAP basis

$           10.3

$            8.7

$        18.1

Income tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments (8)

3.5

4.0

2.9

Income tax effect of valuation allowance (9)

(0.1)

(8.6)

(12.1)

Non-GAAP provision for income taxes

$           13.7

$            4.1

$          8.9

Income before income taxes on a GAAP basis

$           51.1

$            0.6

$        30.0

Amortization of intangible assets (1)

6.8

6.9

6.8

Stock-based compensation expense (2)

6.9

4.6

8.1

Restructuring charges (3)

0.6

7.1

0.7

Debt refinancing costs expensed (4)

—

1.1

0.7

Legal-related costs (5)

0.6

0.2

—

Unrealized loss (gain) on foreign exchange (6)

2.6

(2.4)

(1.9)

VAT settlement (7)

—

(0.2)

—

Non-GAAP income before income taxes

$           68.6

$           17.9

$        44.4

Effective income tax rate on a GAAP basis

20.2 %

1450.0 %

60.3 %

Non-GAAP effective income tax rate

20.0 %

22.9 %

20.0 %

1    Amortization of intangible assets related to the Company’s business acquisitions

2    Represents compensation expense for stock granted to employees and directors

3    Represents costs associated with employee separation, severance, retention, and other expenses related to facility closures

4    Represents certain third party transaction costs related to the amended credit agreement and the previously capitalized costs of extinguished debt

5    Represents estimated costs related to certain legal proceedings and a cybersecurity incident

6    Represents unrealized foreign exchange gains and losses arising from the remeasurement of monetary assets and liabilities

7    Represents impact of value added tax ruling

8    Tax effect of items (1) through (7) above based on the non-GAAP tax rate

9    The Company’s GAAP tax expense is generally higher than the Company’s non-GAAP tax expense, primarily due to losses in the U.S. with full federal and state valuation allowances. The Company’s non-GAAP tax rate and resulting non-GAAP tax expense considers the tax implications as if there was no federal or state valuation allowance position in effect

10  Non-GAAP diluted weighted-average common shares are adjusted to reflect the dilutive impact of our convertible note based on the capped call cap price instead of the initial conversion price

 

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SOURCE Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc.

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AvePoint Set to Join S&P SmallCap 600

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NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AvePoint Inc. (NASD: AVPT) will replace LXP Industrial Trust (NYSE: LXP) in the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the opening of trading on Monday, November 2. Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board are acquiring LXP Industrial Trust in a deal expected to close soon, pending final closing conditions.

Following is a summary of the changes that will take place prior to the open of trading on the effective date:

Effective Date

Index Name

Action

Company Name

Ticker

GICS Sector

Nov 2, 2026

S&P SmallCap 600

Addition

AvePoint

AVPT

Information Technology

Nov 2, 2026

S&P SmallCap 600

Deletion

LXP Industrial Trust

LXP

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Archera Surpasses $5.6 Billion in Cloud and AI Spend Under Management, Closes Series C Led by Pivot Investment Partners, and Expands Insurance-Backed Cloud Commitments

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The round will help Archera expand its guaranteed cloud commitments, bringing insurance-backed financial protection to companies navigating unpredictable AI and cloud spending. The company has delivered more than $700 million in customer savings and now manages approximately $5.6 billion in annual cloud and AI spend.

BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As artificial intelligence makes cloud spending harder to predict, companies face an increasingly expensive choice: commit to long-term cloud and AI contracts to unlock significant discounts or preserve flexibility and leave savings on the table. Archera has raised a $15 million Series C to expand its Guaranteed Commitments and change that equation.

The cloud economics company today announced it closed its Series C funding round, led by Pivot Investment Partners, with participation from existing investors including HighSage Ventures. The financing brings Archera’s total funding to $38.3 million. It will support the expansion of Archera’s Guaranteed Commitments and its suite of free cloud cost tools, including its FinOps Agent and MCP.

Insurance-backed financial protection is central to Archera’s next phase of growth. Archera purchased a policy on a surplus lines basis from Crum & Forster Specialty Insurance Company to back its guarantee. This model helps businesses pursue cloud commitment savings while managing the financial risk of usage changes.

The company has delivered more than $700 million in savings to over 2,200 organizations, including PubNub, Art.com, and Astronomer. The thesis behind Archera is simple: companies shouldn’t have to predict AI’s future to commit and save money on today’s infrastructure.

Why Cloud and AI Commitments Need to Change

Cloud providers reward customers who commit to spending over one- to three-year periods with substantial discounts and access to capacity. Historically, those commitments have helped businesses reduce infrastructure costs. But AI is changing the risk and economics of that decision.

A new model launch can multiply GPU spending in months. A more efficient model, a shift in architecture, or a move to a different service can reduce it just as quickly. Long-term commitments that once looked financially sound can become expensive liabilities.

Companies are left choosing between overcommitting and risking unused spend, or undercommitting and missing out on available discounts. Many choose the latter, sacrificing potential savings to preserve flexibility.

Archera believes that the trade-off is unnecessary. Its Guaranteed Commitments provide resource-level cloud and AI discounts with terms as short as 30 days. If usage declines and a covered commitment goes unused, Archera covers the cost under the terms of its guarantee.

The result is a different way to approach cloud purchasing. Businesses can pursue deeper discounts and unlock capacity otherwise gated behind a commitment, without bearing the entire financial consequence when actual usage diverges from forecasts.

Turning Cloud Optimization Into a Financial Product

Traditional cloud cost management tools provide visibility, recommendations, automation, and forecasting, but they can’t eliminate the financial risk of unused commitments. Archera combines its free FinOps platform and Agent with a financial guarantee that addresses inaccurate forecasts.

“Every tool in this market is trying to forecast your cloud usage a little better. We think that’s the wrong bet,” said Aran Khanna, co-founder and CEO of Archera. “Nobody can forecast AI demand, not the customer, not the cloud provider. So instead of predicting it, we guarantee it, and we have purchased an insurance policy to back that guarantee. If covered usage drops, we address the unused commitment cost under the terms of our guarantee. That’s a new way to purchase cloud, not another dashboard, and it’s why we’ve been able to return $700 million to our customers.”

The approach positions cloud commitments as a financial risk decision, helping finance and engineering leaders manage budgets while adapting to changing technology.

Built for CFOs, CTOs, and the Teams Managing AI Costs

The approach addresses a growing challenge across finance and engineering: how to control infrastructure costs without constraining the business.

For CFOs: Capture commitment-level discounts while reducing exposure to eligible unused spend under the guarantee.For CTOs and engineering leaders: Preserve flexibility to adopt new AI models, change architectures, and scale workloads without letting past commitments dictate future decisions.For FinOps teams: Increase commitment coverage with a financial backstop when usage changes, without more back-and-forth with engineering teams to get perfect forecasts.For cloud partners and resellers: Give customers a differentiated way to pursue cloud savings that can be reinvested in new cloud services while managing commitment risk.

Archera’s platform connects to AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud billing data in read-only mode and analyzes actual usage. It then recommends and automates the purchasing of both native commitments and Archera Guaranteed Commitments.

Customers can evaluate their potential savings before making any purchasing decision. Commitments remain in the customer’s own cloud account, preserving end-to-end control over cloud purchasing strategy.

Archera earns when customers save through its guaranteed commitments, aligning its commercial model with the outcomes customers seek.

Customers Are Rethinking the Commitment Model

For organizations accustomed to treating cloud commitments as a single, high-stakes decision, Archera offers a more flexible approach.

“Working with Archera meant rethinking commitments as a spectrum rather than a single, high-stakes decision,” said James Hamilton, VP of Operations and Controller at PubNub. “This was a big mind shift for us. We needed to think about how our commitments could be broken up into a spectrum of purchases versus a single one-time buy.”

That flexibility is particularly valuable as companies adopt AI workloads, where technology choices and resource requirements can shift faster than traditional budgeting cycles.

Instead of making one large bet on future usage, businesses can take a more measured approach while still securing meaningful discounts.

A Series C to Expand Insurance-Backed Cloud Purchasing

Archera has been operating profitably at scale. It raised a Series C to support larger guarantees, expand its reach, serve more customers, and upgrade the insurance policies backing its guarantee to serve larger global clients.

The company plans to use the capital in three ways:

Accelerate go-to-market efforts.Expand its global partner network across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Japan, and Latin America.Serve more teams focused on AI-driven workloads.

“Archera has built a capital-efficient and differentiated business at the intersection of cloud infrastructure and risk management,” said Dinkar Jetley, co-founder and managing partner at Pivot Investment Partners. “The team pairs a deep understanding of the cloud ecosystem with a rigorous approach to underwriting, and the result is a compelling value proposition that a fast-growing roster of customers relies on as their cloud spend scales. We are privileged to have led this Series C round and look forward to working closely with Aran and the management team in the years ahead.”

Built by People Who Understand Cloud Infrastructure

Aran and Nikhil Khanna founded Archera in 2019. Aran previously planned capacity for Azure’s core compute and database services at Microsoft and was a founding member of AWS’s deep learning team leading launches, including SageMaker, DeepLens, and the Neuron SDK, behind Amazon’s Trainium and Inferentia AI chips.

His research on deep learning model efficiency has been cited more than 1,900 times, and he serves on the FinOps Foundation governing board.

As AI transforms infrastructure economics, Archera aims to make cloud savings more accessible without forcing businesses to assume unnecessary financial risk.

To explore potential savings, request a free assessment at Archera.ai.

Free savings assessment: https://app.archera.ai/savings-estimate?utm_source=forbes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=series-c-2026

Name: Sarah
Email Address: shiara@archera.ai
Phone Number: +13018255007

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Creative Technology Releases Creative XF1, a Hi-Res Extreme Fidelity Speaker that Elevates Every Listening Experience

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SYDNEY, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Creative Technology Ltd launches Creative XF1, a new Hi-Res speaker system designed for users who care about both sound quality and aesthetics, and want more vivid music, more cinematic movies, and more engaging listening. Creative XF1 offers sleek design, bi-amplified architecture, 72W RMS output, dual Hi-Res Audio certification, next-gen connectivity, and personalisation with the Creative Nexus app.

Creative XF1 brings out details in music that many compact 2.0 speakers in this price range do not reproduce, from the rasp in a voice to the rumbling bass under a game soundtrack. With a bespoke FEA-optimised 3-inch woofer, Creative XF1 adds extra punch and close-range clarity. The 72W RMS bi-amplified design delivers a clear, powerful sound that is easy on the ear.

“For many of us, the desktop has become the centre of work, entertainment and creation,” said Ernest Sim, CEO and Executive Chairman, Creative Technology Ltd. “Creative XF1 is built to deliver room-filling power with richer depth and clarity, so every note, voice and effect sounds closer, more vivid and more real at your desk.”

Besides advanced connectivity via Bluetooth® 6.0, USB audio, and AUX input, users can also connect a subwoofer for richer bass and an easy 2.1 upgrade.

Crafted by in-house audio specialists, the Creative Nexus app offers a 10-band parametric EQ and 120+ presets for different music genres and games. Users can personalise their sound for focused work, movie nights, gaming sessions, or unwinding, all from one intuitive interface.  

Pricing and availability

Creative XF1 is priced at A$339.95, and is available at creative.com.

About Creative
Since its founding in 1981, Creative Technology has been driven by a singular mission: to reimagine the way the world experiences sound. Creative introduced the groundbreaking Sound Blaster®, the invention that gave personal computers the gift of sound — and forever changed the landscape of PC multimedia.

Guided by a legacy of bold ideas and breakthrough technologies, Creative continues to lead at the intersection of engineering and imagination.

At its core, Creative remains committed to pushing the boundaries of what audio can achieve — enriching lives, elevating experiences, and defining what’s next in sound.

This announcement relates to products launched in Australia. Availability is subject to change without notice and may differ elsewhere in the world according to local factors and requirements. Creative, and the Creative logo, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Creative Technology Ltd in the United States and/or other countries. The Bluetooth® word mark and logo are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Creative Technology Ltd is under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

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