Connect with us

Technology

IAS Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results

Published

2 years ago

on

Fourth quarter revenue increased 14% to $134.3 million

Fourth quarter net income of $10.2 million at an 8% margin; fourth quarter adjusted EBITDA increased 19% to $47.5 million at a 35% margin

NEW YORK, Feb. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Integral Ad Science Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: IAS), a leading global media measurement and optimization platform, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2023.

“We ended 2023 with strong fourth quarter performance across optimization and measurement with revenue growth of 16% and 18%, respectively,” said Lisa Utzschneider, CEO of IAS. “Social media revenue increased 37% in the fourth quarter as marketers trusted IAS to maximize their advertising spend globally, particularly in short-form video. In 2024, we will continue to invest in data science and innovate with AI to empower marketers with actionable data to drive superior results. We expect to deliver double-digit revenue growth for the full year.”  

Fourth Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights

Total revenue was $134.3 million, a 14% increase compared to $117.4 million in the prior-year period.Optimization revenue was $63.6 million, a 16% increase compared to $55.1 million in the prior-year period.Measurement revenue was $52.6 million, an 18% increase compared to $44.7 million in the prior-year period.Publisher revenue was $18.1 million, a 2% increase compared to $17.6 million in the prior-year period.International revenue, excluding the Americas, was $43.3 million, a 16% increase compared to $37.3 million in the prior-year period, or 32% of total revenue for the fourth quarter of 2023.Gross profit was $106.0 million, an 11% increase compared to $95.5 million in the prior-year period. Gross profit margin was 79% for the fourth quarter of 2023.Net income was $10.2 million, or $0.06 per basic and diluted share, compared to $11.5 million, or $0.07 per basic and diluted share, in the prior-year-period. Net income margin was 8% for the fourth quarter of 2023.Adjusted EBITDA* was $47.5 million, a 19% increase compared to $40.0 million in the prior-year period. Adjusted EBITDA* margin was 35% for the fourth quarter of 2023.

Full Year 2023 Financial Highlights

Total revenue was $474.4 million, a 16% increase compared to $408.3 million in the prior year.Optimization revenue was $224.5 million, an 18% increase compared to $190.6 million in the prior year.Measurement revenue was $186.0 million, a 20% increase compared to $154.9 million in the prior year.Publisher revenue was $63.8 million, a 2% increase compared to $62.8 million in the prior year.International revenue, excluding the Americas, was $146.8 million, a 14% increase compared to $129.1 million in the prior year, or 31% of total revenue for the full year 2023.Gross profit was $375.0 million, a 13% increase compared to $332.6 million in the prior year. Gross profit margin was 79% for the full year 2023.Net income was $7.2 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, compared to $15.4 million, or $0.10 per basic and diluted share, in the prior year. Net income margin was 2% for the full year 2023.Adjusted EBITDA* was $159.5 million, a 26% increase compared to $126.6 million in the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA* margin was 34% for the full year 2023.Cash and cash equivalents were $124.8 million at December 31, 2023.

Recent Business Highlights

Meta Expansion – In February, IAS announced the availability of its AI-driven Total Media Quality (TMQ) brand safety and suitability measurement product across Facebook and Instagram Feed and Reels. IAS’s new post-bid brand safety and suitability expansion with Meta gives advertisers increased transparency into whether their campaigns are appearing next to safe and suitable content.IAS MRC Continuing Accreditation for Measurement of Meta Platforms – In January, IAS received continuing accreditation from the MRC for viewability measurement of Meta, including impressions and two-second video viewability, on Facebook Feed and Instagram Feed and Stories.YouTube TMQ Expansion – During the fourth quarter, IAS expanded its partnership to YouTube Shorts to offer its brand safety and suitability measurement product to advertisers for YouTube Shorts inventory, as part of its existing Total Media Quality for YouTube product suite.X Expansion – In February, IAS expanded its partnership with X to all U.S. advertisers. IAS classifies all vertical video ad adjacencies for brand safety and suitability aligned to the GARM framework, giving advertisers maximum control over where their ads appear on the X vertical video feed.Quality Attention Expansion – In January, IAS announced the general availability of its Quality Attention measurement product. Quality Attention uses advanced machine learning technology, actionable data from Lumen Research’s eye-tracking technology, and a variety of signals obtained as part of IAS’s core technology.

Financial Outlook

“We reported profitable growth in the fourth quarter with a 14% revenue increase at a 35% adjusted EBITDA* margin,” said Tania Secor, CFO of IAS. “As we move through 2024, we expect to ramp both revenue growth and profitability from forecasted first quarter levels as we expand availability and customer adoption of new products. We also plan to maintain our strong financial profile and healthy balance sheet.”

IAS is introducing the following financial outlook for the first quarter and full year 2024:

First Quarter Ending March 31, 2024:

Total revenue of $111 million to $113 millionAdjusted EBITDA* of $28 million to $30 million

Year Ending December 31, 2024:

Total revenue of $530 million to $540 millionAdjusted EBITDA* of $171 million to $179 million

* See “Supplemental Disclosure Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Information” section herein for an explanation of Non-GAAP measures. IAS is unable to provide a reconciliation for forward-looking guidance of Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss), the most closely comparable GAAP measure, because certain material reconciling items, such as depreciation and amortization, interest expense, income tax expense (benefit), restructuring and severance costs, and acquisition and integration costs, cannot be estimated due to factors outside of IAS’s control and could have a material impact on the reported results. However, IAS estimates stock-based compensation expense for the first quarter of 2024 in the range of $14 million to $16 million and for the full year 2024 in the range of $72 million to $76 million. A reconciliation is not available without unreasonable effort.

 

INTEGRAL AD SCIENCE HOLDING CORP.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 

(IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE DATA)

December 31, 2023

December 31, 2022

ASSETS

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$      124,759

$        86,877

Restricted cash

54

45

Accounts receivable, net

74,609

67,884

Unbilled receivables

46,548

41,550

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

18,959

24,761

Due from related party

—

29

Total current assets

264,929

221,146

Property and equipment, net

3,769

2,412

Internal use software, net

40,301

23,642

Intangible assets, net

178,908

217,558

Goodwill

675,282

674,094

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net

21,668

22,787

Deferred tax asset, net

2,465

2,020

Other long-term assets

4,402

5,024

Total assets

$   1,191,724

$   1,168,683

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Current liabilities:

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

$        72,232

$        60,799

Operating lease liabilities, current

9,435

6,749

Due to related party

121

122

Deferred revenue

682

99

Total current liabilities

82,470

67,769

Deferred tax liability, net

20,367

45,495

Long-term debt

153,725

223,262

Operating lease liabilities, non-current

19,523

22,875

Other long-term liabilities

6,183

1,066

Total liabilities

282,268

360,467

Commitments and Contingencies

Stockholders’ Equity

Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized at December 31, 2023; 0
     shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2023 and 2022

—

—

Common Stock, $0.001 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized at December 31, 2023,
     158,757,620 and 153,990,128 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2023 and
     2022, respectively

159

154

Additional paid-in-capital

901,259

810,186

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(916)

(2,899)

Accumulated earnings

8,954

775

Total stockholders’ equity

909,456

808,216

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

$   1,191,724

$   1,168,683

 

INTEGRAL AD SCIENCE HOLDING CORP.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(UNAUDITED)

Three months ended December 31,

Year ended December 31,

(IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE AND PER SHARE DATA)

2023

2022

2023

2022

Revenue

$       134,295

$       117,435

$      474,369

$      408,348

Operating expenses:

Cost of revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization shown below)

28,252

21,891

99,352

75,755

Sales and marketing

30,423

28,325

117,989

106,286

Technology and development

19,056

22,280

72,906

76,351

General and administrative

25,961

23,572

111,634

79,654

Depreciation and amortization

14,593

12,811

54,966

50,396

Foreign exchange (gain) loss, net

(501)

1,246

430

4,749

Total operating expenses

117,784

110,125

457,277

393,191

Operating income

16,511

7,310

17,092

15,157

Interest expense, net

(2,489)

(3,194)

(12,236)

(9,053)

Employee retention tax credit

—

—

—

6,981

Net income before income taxes

14,022

4,116

4,856

13,085

(Provision) benefit from income taxes

(3,858)

7,371

2,382

2,288

Net income

$         10,164

$         11,487

$          7,238

$        15,373

Net income per share:

Basic

$             0.06

$             0.07

$           0.05

$           0.10

Diluted

$             0.06

$             0.07

$           0.04

$           0.10

Weighted average shares outstanding:

Basic

158,243,619

153,792,438

156,272,335

154,699,694

Diluted

163,060,805

155,288,725

161,723,131

157,258,083

Other comprehensive income:

Foreign currency translation adjustments

2,772

8,634

1,983

(2,584)

Total comprehensive income

$         12,936

$         20,121

$          9,221

$        12,789

 

INTEGRAL AD SCIENCE HOLDING CORP.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’/MEMBERS’ EQUITY

Members’ Interest

Common Stock

(IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT UNITS
AND SHARES DATA)

Units

Amount

Shares

Amount

Additional

paid-in

capital

Accumulated

other

comprehensive

income (loss)

Accumulated
earnings

(deficit)

Total members’/
stockholders’ 
equity

Balances at January 1, 2021

134,039,494

$            553,717

—

$                     —

$                     —

$               4,523

$          (126,761)

$            431,479

Repurchase of units

(99,946)

(413)

—

—

—

—

(791)

(1,204)

Units vested

17,486

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

Option exercises

246,369

1,075

—

—

3,360

—

—

4,435

Foreign currency translation
adjustment

—

—

—

—

—

(4,838)

—

(4,838)

Net loss prior to corporate conversion

—

—

—

—

—

—

(37,832)

(37,832)

Conversion to Delaware corporation

(134,203,403)

(554,379)

134,203,403

134

388,860

—

165,385

—

Rounding units/shares as a result of
corporate conversion

—

—

(17)

—

—

—

—

—

Stock-based compensation

—

—

—

—

55,222

—

—

55,222

RSUs vested

—

—

26,931

—

150

—

—

150

Issuance of common stock in
connection with initial public offering

—

—

16,821,330

17

274,340

—

—

274,357

Issuance of common stock for Publica
acquisition

—

—

2,888,889

3

49,628

—

—

49,631

Issuance of common stock for Context
acquisition

—

—

457,959

—

10,391

—

—

10,391

Net loss

—

—

—

—

—

—

(14,600)

(14,600)

Balances at December 31, 2021

—

$                     —

154,398,495

$                  154

$            781,951

$                 (315)

$            (14,600)

$            767,190

RSUs vested

—

—

1,084,966

1

—

—

—

1

Option exercises

—

—

1,586,728

2

7,153

—

—

7,155

Stock-based compensation

—

—

—

—

44,733

—

—

44,733

Foreign currency translation
adjustment

—

—

—

—

—

(2,584)

—

(2,584)

Repurchase of common stock

—

—

(3,080,061)

(3)

(23,652)

—

—

(23,655)

Net income

—

—

—

—

—

—

15,373

15,373

Balances at December 31, 2022

—

$                     —

153,990,128

$                  154

$            810,186

$              (2,899)

$                  775

$            808,216

RSUs and MSUs vested

—

—

3,492,130

4

—

—

—

4

Option exercises

—

—

1,001,793

1

7,988

—

—

7,989

ESPP purchase

—

—

273,569

—

2,306

—

—

2,306

Stock-based compensation

—

—

—

—

80,779

—

—

80,779

Foreign currency translation adjustment

—

—

—

—

—

1,983

—

1,983

Adoption of ASC 326, net of tax

—

—

—

—

—

—

941

941

Net income

—

—

—

—

—

—

7,238

7,238

Balances at December 31, 2023

—

$                     —

158,757,620

$                  159

$            901,259

$                 (916)

$               8,954

$            909,456

 

INTEGRAL AD SCIENCE HOLDING CORP.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Year ended December 31,

(IN THOUSANDS)

2023

2022

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net income

$          7,238

$        15,373

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization

54,966

50,396

Stock-based compensation

81,103

44,752

Foreign exchange (gain) loss, net

(484)

5,233

Deferred tax benefit

(21,531)

(8,880)

Amortization of debt issuance costs

463

464

Allowance for credit losses

3,816

1,837

Employee retention tax credit

—

(6,981)

Impairment of assets

33

974

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

Increase in accounts receivable

(8,148)

(18,581)

Increase in unbilled receivables

(4,685)

(5,830)

Decrease (increase) in prepaid expenses and other current assets

6,418

(10,641)

Increase in operating leases, net

(29)

(852)

Decrease (increase) in other long-term assets

375

(1,057)

Increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses and other long-term liabilities

11,478

6,286

Increase (decrease) in deferred revenue

582

(88)

Increase in due to/from related party

28

62

Net cash provided by operating activities

131,623

72,467

Cash flows from investing activities:

Payment for acquisitions, net of acquired cash

(966)

(1,603)

Purchase of property and equipment

(1,975)

(2,016)

Acquisition and development of internal use software and other

(31,777)

(14,673)

Net cash used in investing activities

(34,718)

(18,292)

Cash flows from financing activities:

Repayment of long-term debt

(145,000)

(35,000)

Repayment of short-term debt

—

(1,816)

Proceeds from the Revolver

75,000

15,000

Proceeds from exercise of stock options

7,989

7,155

Payments for repurchase of common stock

—

(23,655)

Cash received from Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)

3,160

845

Net cash used in financing activities

(58,851)

(37,471)

Net increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash

38,054

16,704

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents, and restricted cash

(435)

(3,111)

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, at beginning of year

89,671

76,078

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, at end of year

$      127,290

$        89,671

Supplemental Disclosures:

Cash paid during the year for:

Interest

$        11,229

$          8,511

Taxes

$        10,985

$        16,396

Non-cash investing and financing activities:

Property and equipment acquired included in accounts payable

$             431

$               97

Internal use software acquired included in accounts payable

$          1,444

$          1,517

Lease liabilities arising from right of use assets

$          6,282

$        29,624

Supplemental Disclosure Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Information

We use supplemental measures of our performance, which are derived from our consolidated financial information, but which are not presented in our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA is the primary financial performance measure used by management to evaluate our business and monitor ongoing results of operations. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as income/loss before depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, interest expense, income taxes, restructuring and severance costs, acquisition and integration costs, foreign exchange gains and losses, and other one-time, non-recurring costs. Adjusted EBITDA margin represents the adjusted EBITDA for the applicable period divided by the revenue for that period presented in accordance with GAAP.

We use non-GAAP financial measures to supplement financial information presented on a GAAP basis. We believe that excluding certain items from our GAAP results allows management to better understand our consolidated financial performance from period to period and better project our future consolidated financial performance as forecasts are developed at a level of detail different from that used to prepare GAAP-based financial measures. Moreover, we believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide our shareholders with useful information to help them evaluate our operating results by facilitating an enhanced understanding of our operating performance and enabling them to make more meaningful period-to-period comparisons. Although we believe these measures are useful to investors and analysts for the same reasons they are useful to management, these measures are not a substitute for, or superior to, U.S. GAAP financial measures or disclosures. Our non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. Other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate non-GAAP financial measures differently than we do, limiting the usefulness of those measures for comparative purposes.

Reconciliation of historical Adjusted EBITDA and corresponding margin to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, net income/loss and corresponding margin are presented below. We encourage you to review the reconciliations in conjunction with the presentation of the non-GAAP financial measures for each of the periods presented. In future fiscal periods, we may exclude such items and may incur income and expenses similar to these excluded items.

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA

Three months ended December 31,

Year ended December 31,

(in thousands, except percentages)

2023

2022

2023

2022

Net income

$       10,164

$       11,487

$         7,238

$      15,373

Depreciation and amortization

14,593

12,811

54,966

50,396

Stock-based compensation

15,462

11,645

81,103

44,752

Interest expense, net

2,489

3,194

12,236

9,053

Provision (benefit) from income taxes

3,858

(7,371)

(2,382)

(2,288)

Restructuring and severance costs

1,054

5,904

4,028

10,321

Acquisition and integration costs

—

118

—

97

Foreign exchange (gain) loss, net

(501)

1,246

430

4,798

Employee retention tax credit

—

—

—

(6,981)

Offering costs, impairments and other costs

396

1,003

1,913

1,058

Adjusted EBITDA

$       47,515

$       40,037

$     159,532

$    126,579

Revenue

$     134,295

$     117,435

$     474,369

$    408,348

Net income margin

8 %

10 %

2 %

4 %

Adjusted EBITDA margin

35 %

34 %

34 %

31 %

 

Stock-Based Compensation 

Three months ended December 31,

Year ended December 31,

(in thousands)

2023

2022

2023

2022

Cost of revenue

$             124

$             249

$             452

$             507

Sales and marketing

5,512

2,871

23,371

13,520

Technology and development

4,104

2,958

17,538

9,937

General and administrative

5,722

5,567

39,742

20,788

Total stock-based compensation

$         15,462

$         11,645

$         81,103

$         44,752

Conference Call and Webcast Information
IAS will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss its fourth quarter and full year 2023 financial results today at 5:00 p.m. ET. To access the live webcast and conference call dial-in, please register under the “News & Events” section of IAS’s investor relations website. A replay will be available on IAS’s investor relations website following the live call: https://investors.integralads.com.

About Integral Ad Science
Integral Ad Science (IAS) is a leading global media measurement and optimization platform that delivers the industry’s most actionable data to drive superior results for the world’s largest advertisers, publishers, and media platforms. IAS’s software provides comprehensive and enriched data that ensures ads are seen by real people in safe and suitable environments, while improving return on ad spend for advertisers and yield for publishers. Our mission is to be the global benchmark for trust, safety, and transparency in digital media quality. For more information, visit integralads.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This earnings press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations and projections relating to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “believe,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “can have,” “likely,” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. For example, all statements we make relating to our estimated and projected costs, expenditures, cash flows, growth rates and financial results or our plans and objectives for future operations, growth initiatives or strategies are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that we expected, including: (i) the adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition, and prospects from various macroeconomic factors, including instability in geopolitical or market conditions; (ii) our failure to innovate or make the right investment decisions; (iii) our ability to provide digital or cross-platform analytics; (iv) our failure to maintain or achieve industry accreditation standards; (v) our dependence on integrations with advertising platforms, demand side providers (“DSPs”) and proprietary platforms that we do not control; (vi) our ability to compete successfully with our current or future competitors in an intensely competitive market; (vii) our inability to use software licensed from third parties; (viii) our international expansion; (ix) our ability to expand into new channels; (x) our ability to sustain our profitability and revenue growth rate; (xi) risks that our customers do not pay or choose to dispute their invoices; (xii) risks of material changes to revenue share agreements with certain DSPs; (xiii) our dependence on the overall demand for advertising; (xiv) our ability to effectively manage our growth; (xv) the impact that any acquisitions we have completed in the past and may consummate in the future, strategic investments, or alliances may have on our business, financial condition, and results of operations; (xvi) our ability to successfully execute our international plans; (xvii) the risks associated with the seasonality of our market; (xviii) our ability to maintain high impression volumes; (xix) the difficulty in evaluating our future prospects given our short operating history; (xx) uncertainty in how the market for buying digital advertising verification solutions will evolve; (xxi) interruption by man-made problems such as terrorism, computer viruses, or social disruptions; (xxii) the risk of failures in the systems and infrastructure supporting our solutions and operations; (xxiii) our ability to avoid operational, technical, and performance issues with our platform; (xxiv) risks associated with any unauthorized access to user, customer, or inventory and third-party provider data; (xxv) our ability to provide the non-proprietary technology, software, products, and services that we use; (xxvi) the risk that we are sued by third parties for alleged infringement, misappropriation, or other violation of their proprietary rights; (xxvii) our ability to obtain, maintain, protect, or enforce intellectual property and proprietary rights that are important to our business; (xxviii) our involvement in lawsuits to protect or enforce our intellectual property; (xxix) risks that our employees, consultants, or advisors have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of their current or former employers; (xxx) risks that our trademarks and trade names are not adequately protected; (xxxi) the impact of unforeseen changes to privacy and data protection laws and regulation on digital advertising; (xxxii) our ability to maintain our corporate culture; (xxxiii) public health outbreaks, epidemics, pandemics, or other public health crises; (xxxiv) risks posed by earthquakes, fires, floods, and other natural catastrophic events; (xxxv) the risk that a perceived failure to comply with laws and industry self-regulation may damage our reputation; and (xxxvi) other factors disclosed in our filings with the SEC. Given these factors, as well as other variables that may affect our operating results, you should not rely on forward-looking statements, assume that past financial performance will be a reliable indicator of future performance, or use historical trends to anticipate results or trends in future periods.

We derive many of our forward-looking statements from our operating budgets and forecasts, which are based on many detailed assumptions. While we believe that our assumptions are reasonable, we caution that it is very difficult to predict the impact of known factors, and it is impossible for us to anticipate all factors that could affect our actual results. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward- looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.

Investor Contact:
Jonathan Schaffer / Lauren Hartman
ir@integralads.com

Media Contact:
press@integralads.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ias-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2023-financial-results-302073075.html

SOURCE Integral Ad Science, Inc.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

MARIANA MINERALS RESTARTS UTAH COPPER MINE AS THE WORLD’S ONLY AUTONOMOUS-FIRST MINE AND REFINERY

Published

3 hours ago

on

April 27, 2026

By

Software-first minerals company integrates autonomous haulage, drilling, and robotic sensing across mining and refining under a single AI operating platform

SAN JUAN COUNTY, Utah, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Mariana Minerals, the world’s only software-first, vertically integrated minerals company, today announced the restart of mining operations at Copper One in southeastern Utah. The restart marks a milestone in mining history: Copper One becomes the world’s first mine to deploy autonomous tools across all three operational domains (mining, refining, and capital project execution) unified under a single operating system.

Mariana acquired Lisbon Valley Mining Company in Q4 2025, gaining control of a roughly 10,000-acre permitted land package that has produced high-purity copper cathode since 2009. While refinery operations continued uninterrupted, mining was paused in late 2024. Mining operations resume this month with autonomous systems and autonomous orchestration active from day one.

“Copper One will be the first mine where delivering end-to-end autonomy is the priority, where it’s being rapidly deployed across mining and refining operations and coordinated by our internal software stack. That’s what MarianaOS makes possible. We chose to prove it here because the stakes are real: the U.S. has a structural copper deficit, and the window to close it is narrowing. We’re producing now and ramping output aggressively, with the primary goal of achieving fully-autonomous mining operations,” said Turner Caldwell, Co-Founder & CEO, Mariana Minerals.

MarianaOS: An Autonomy-First Mining Operating System
What makes Copper One unprecedented is not any single piece of autonomous equipment, but the intelligence layer coordinating them. MarianaOS integrates three core subsystems, MineOS, PlantOS, and CapitalProjectOS, into a unified platform spanning project execution through copper production.

On the mining side, Copper One will begin with integrating three best-in-class autonomous equipment platforms. Pronto’s turnkey Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) uses camera-based machine learning and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to enable fully driverless haul truck operation, with OEM-agnostic retrofit capability across mixed fleets. Sandvik’s AutoMine® platform enables autonomous production drilling, allowing operators to simultaneously monitor multiple surface machine operations from a remote-operations control center. And Boston Dynamics’ Spot quadruped robots autonomously patrol the open pit, heap leach pad, and solvent extraction-electrowinning (SX-EW) refinery infrastructure. All of these data feed directly into MineOS, enabling fleet-wide optimization and continuous improvement.

PlantOS extends autonomous operations into refining by integrating real-time sensor data across the entire refining process (solution chemistry, flow rates, temperature, and electrowinning cell performance) into a unified control system. Machine learning models predict process drift, automatically adjust reagent dosing, and flags maintenance needs before they impact output. The result is a continuously optimized refinery that operates with minimal human intervention.

CapitalProjectOS redefines how capital-intensive infrastructure projects are planned and executed. Traditional projects often take a decade or more and frequently suffer from chronic cost overruns. CapitalProjectOS integrates process development, engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning data into a single platform that enables real-time progress tracking, predictive risk modeling, and automated schedule optimization. At Copper One, CapitalProjectOS is managing the expansion roadmap to scale output to 50,000 metric tons per year, coordinating heap leach pad expansions, refinery upgrades, and autonomous equipment deployment in parallel.

Built to Move Fast
While Mariana is actively constructing and developing greenfield projects – with the goal of compressing engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning timelines leveraging CapitalProjectOS – Copper One is uniquely positioned to accelerate deployment of MarianaOS at scale. With an existing open pit mine, heap leach pad, and SX-EW refining infrastructure already in place, Mariana will rapidly ramp production that would take years to replicate elsewhere.

Mariana’s longer-term plan is to scale Copper One output to 50,000 metric tons per year of high-purity copper cathode by 2030, leveraging additional proven deposits on the property and integrating copper scrap recycling.

A Critical Supply Gap
The U.S. currently imports approximately 50% of its refined copper. With domestic demand projected to nearly double by 2035 — driven by AI data centers, defense systems, EVs, and grid modernization — the supply gap is a national security issue. The Trump Administration’s Section 232 investigation cited copper imports as a direct concern, and the Pentagon has identified critical minerals vulnerability as a threat to the defense industrial base.

Domestic operations like Copper One, and the step-change in productivity that autonomous operations deliver, have become strategically essential.

About Mariana Minerals
Mariana engineers, builds, and operates mines and refineries, using proprietary AI and machine learning tools to accelerate project execution and optimize production across critically needed metals. Copper One is Mariana’s second active project, alongside Lithium One, the world’s first GWh-scale lithium extraction facility from oil and gas produced water, currently under construction in East Texas. Mariana has raised $120 million in total capital, including a Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz with participation from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Khosla Ventures, and strategic investors.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mariana-minerals-restarts-utah-copper-mine-as-the-worlds-only-autonomous-first-mine-and-refinery-302753491.html

SOURCE Mariana Minerals

Continue Reading

Technology

State CISOs Report Lower Confidence Across the Public Sector Cyber Ecosystem, 2026 NASCIO-Deloitte Survey Finds

Published

3 hours ago

on

April 27, 2026

By

The 2026 National Association of Chief Information Officers – Deloitte biennial cybersecurity study finds state officials face increasingly sophisticated threats, including new artificial intelligence-enabled tactics, and highlights steps CISOs are taking to better protect public data and critical digital services

NEW YORK, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 

Key takeaways

The survey of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) from all 50 states and two territories found that just 26% of state CISOs are “extremely” or “very” confident that their state’s information assets are protected from cyber threats, down from 48% in 2022.Implementing effectiveness metrics is now CISOs’ top priority: 49% named it a top cybersecurity initiative in 2026, up from 15% in 2022.Nearly all state CISOs (94%) said they are involved in developing Generative AI security policies and 84% are involved in Generative AI strategy development.Budget pressure is rising with 16% of CISOs reporting their budgets have been cut, up from none in 2024.The percentage of CISOs who described themselves as “not very confident” in the ability of local government and public higher education to secure public data rose significantly, from 35% in 2022 to 63% in 2026.

Why this decline in confidence matters
States share data and systems with counties, cities, and public colleges and universities, so a vulnerability in one network can cascade, exposing personal information, disrupting essential services and driving costly incident response. As attackers adopt AI-enabled tactics, the urgency is growing for faster coordination, clearer policy and stronger baseline defenses across the public sector. This may explain why roughly one-fifth of CISOs indicated that their states were moving toward a “whole-of-state” approach to cybersecurity.

Metrics reporting becomes CISOs’ top priority
Top priorities for CISOs have shifted since the 2024 survey. When asked to identify their states’ top cybersecurity initiatives for 2026, half of CISOs named implementing effectiveness metrics (49%, up from 25% in 2024 and 15% in 2022). Capturing the effectiveness of cyber spending can be difficult, but without metrics, it is challenging to show the benefits of investments. Tracking operational, compliance and risk-based key performance indicators, such as incident response time and phishing click rate, can help demonstrate the return on cyber investment.

AI both accelerates threats and becomes a frontline defense
AI is accelerating the scale and sophistication of attacks targeting public sector systems, making it easier and cheaper for adversaries to generate and automate cyberattacks. CISOs also point to an emerging threat toolkit, including deepfakes that can fool people and evade detection, AI agents that probe for weaknesses and adapt, and AI-driven ransomware-as-a-service operations.

At the same time, CISOs describe AI as a practical way to keep pace, using it to triage security alerts, summarize events, and explore faster report creation, threat identification and training. Several states are already utilizing Generative AI in core security operations, including security information and event management (SIEM) and security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR). The report also underscores how central CISOs have become to state AI efforts.

Key quotes
“We’re seeing more states move toward a ‘whole-of-state’ cybersecurity approach where the state helps extend protection beyond state agencies to local governments, public education and other critical entities that can become an entry point for attackers. At its core, it’s about scaling capabilities through shared services and better collaboration so a weakness in one part of the ecosystem doesn’t become a statewide incident. Many states are looking to scale capabilities through security operations centers and regional support, so counties, cities and schools can benefit from the same cyber-defense muscle as the enterprise.”

Mike Wyatt, Stale local and higher education cyber risk leader, Deloitte

“It’s an encouraging development that state CISOs are being placed at the center of Generative AI security. They are helping shape the strategy, establishing security policies and reviewing proposed use cases. By being involved from the beginning, CISOs are helping governments move faster without sacrificing safeguards because security and governance complement each other. We’re also seeing CISOs explore practical uses of AI to strengthen day-to-day defense, while putting clearer guardrails around responsible uses.”

Meredith Ward, deputy executive director, NASCIO

Additional data
To read the 2026 NASCIO-Deloitte report in its entirety, click here.

About NASCIO
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers is the premier network and resource for state CIOs and a leading advocate for technology policy at all levels of government. NASCIO represents state chief information officers and information technology executives from the states, territories, and the District of Columbia. For more information about NASCIO visit www.nascio.org.

As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte & Touche LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of our legal structure. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/state-cisos-report-lower-confidence-across-the-public-sector-cyber-ecosystem-2026-nascio-deloitte-survey-finds-302751899.html

SOURCE Deloitte

Continue Reading

Technology

Duck Creek Kicks Off Formation ’26 as Strong Fiscal Momentum Signals Accelerating Demand for its Intelligent Core Insurance Platform

Published

3 hours ago

on

April 27, 2026

By

Company highlights double-digit SaaS growth, global expansion, and launch of its new agentic AI platform as industry leaders gather in Orlando

BOSTON, April 27, 2026 /CNW/ — Duck Creek Technologies, the intelligent core of insurance, today kicks off Formation ’26: Agents of Innovation, its flagship user conference, as the company builds strong momentum in the first half of fiscal 2026, marked by double-digit year-over-year SaaS ARR growth fueled by new logos and expansion across its global customer base.

Duck Creek’s strong start to fiscal 2026 reflects this demand, with double-digit new customer wins and existing customer expansions across its core, specialty, and AI-powered solutions. Adoption of Duck Creek’s intelligent cloud continues to scale globally. Insurers are selecting Duck Creek for its enterprise depth including policy, billing, claims, rating, loss control, reinsurance, distribution management, and payments solutions to operate faster, more accurately, and maintain regulatory compliance.

“We are expanding our leadership in insurance technology with more than 370 customers globally. Including 33 of the top 50 North American insurers,” said Hardeep Gulati, Chief Executive Officer of Duck Creek. “Insurers modernizing their core systems are looking for more from their technology. They need a trusted partner like Duck Creek with proven enterprise scale and speed-to-value to help them drive profitable impact and growth. At Formation, we are excited to announce our new agentic platform that will help further improve the combined ratios for insurers with more than $150B in premium flowing through Duck Creek annually.”

Formation ’26 will bring together more than 800 insurance professionals, ecosystem partners, and industry leaders to explore how technology is transforming the insurance lifecycle. The event underscores growing market demand for intelligent, cloud-native platforms that enable insurers to accelerate cloud migration, product development, and automate core insurance workflows to accelerate decision-making and improve operational agility. A highlight of the event will be Duck Creek unveiling its agentic AI platform and showcasing live demonstrations of agentic applications and agents.

Formation ’26 will feature a distinguished lineup of guest speakers joining Gulati during his keynote, including Stephen Lord, Global CIO of AXIS Capital, and Monti Saroya, Senior Managing Director and Co-Head of the Flagship Fund at Vista Equity Partners. Together, they will share perspectives on large-scale transformation, AI adoption, and the future of agentic insurance.

The conference will also include a customer panel moderated by Chief Operating Officer Chris McCloskey, featuring leaders from Core Specialty, Europ Assistance, and Arbella Insurance, who will discuss their transformation journeys and business outcomes achieved through modern core systems. An analyst panel moderated by SVP of Sales William Magowan will bring together experts from AM Best, Celent, and Datos Insights to provide an external view on market trends and innovation benchmarks.

Customer Momentum

Millers Mutual Insurance advanced its modernization strategy with Duck Creek OnDemand, implementing Policy, Billing, and Reinsurance Clarity to modernize its core systems and support continued growth in the multifamily housing insurance market.Anchor Group Management Inc. partnered with Duck Creek to modernize its insurance payments infrastructure, enabling more streamlined billing processes and improved digital payment experiences for policyholders.Frankenmuth Insurance adopted Duck Creek OnDemand Distribution Management to transform how it manages agencies and producers, increasing visibility, improving operational efficiency, and strengthening collaboration across its distribution network.Indigo Insurance turned to Duck Creek OnDemand to accelerate its modernization strategy and support rapid growth, gaining a scalable cloud-based core platform designed to bring new products to market faster.Encova Insurance went live on an upgraded Duck Creek OnDemand Distribution Management system, unifying agency operations across lines of business, streamlining onboarding, and improving the overall agent experience.New Zealand’s Medical Assurance Society (MAS) selected Duck Creek’s full suite of core solutions delivered via OnDemand to modernize its general insurance business, enhance member experiences, and support a broader digital and data-driven transformation.Country-Wide Insurance selected Duck Creek Clarity to strengthen its data and analytics capabilities, enabling real-time insights and preparing for its upcoming OnDemand go-live with Active Delivery.Fortegra selected Duck Creek Reinsurance and Duck Creek Clarity to modernize financial operations, improve portfolio transparency, and support continued growth across products, geographies, and distribution models.Duck Creek secured more than a dozen additional new customer engagements across commercial specialty and personal lines.

Industry Recognition

Named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SaaS P&C Insurance Core Platforms North America, marking the seventh consecutive year the company has been recognized as a Leader.Named a Leader in the Everest Group 2025 Underwriting Orchestration Products PEAK Matrix Assessment, recognizing Duck Creek’s strength in delivering AI-driven underwriting, integrated core workflows, and measurable value across global P&C carriers.Featured in Everest Group’s 2026 Voice of the Customer Report for Insurance CXOPs, outperforming both core system peers and the market average, with customers citing strengths in seamless implementation, deep core system integration, and enterprise scalability and more.Received the 2025 IDC FinTech Real Results Award for Insurance Transformation for measurable customer outcomes.

About Duck Creek

Duck Creek is the intelligent core that leading insurers choose to build on. Purpose-built for property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance, Duck Creek unifies the full insurance lifecycle on a single platform with one data foundation. As an agentic platform, it connects intelligence across underwriting, policy, billing, claims, and payments workflows where decisions are made and compliance is non-negotiable. Duck Creek enables carriers to launch products faster, adapt quickly to change, and grow with precision and confidence. Solutions are available individually or as a full suite via Duck Creek OnDemand. Visit www.duckcreek.com and follow Duck Creek on LinkedIn and X.

Media Contacts:  
Marianne Dempsey / Tara Stred  
duckcreek@threeringsinc.com

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duck-creek-kicks-off-formation-26-as-strong-fiscal-momentum-signals-accelerating-demand-for-its-intelligent-core-insurance-platform-302753478.html

SOURCE Duck Creek Technologies, Inc.

Continue Reading

Trending