BLACKLINE, INC. (BL)
SIC breadcrumb: Services > Business Services > SIC 7372 Services-Prepackaged Software
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1666134. Latest filing source: 0001628280-26-011915.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Business
Read BL's verbatim Item 1 Business section from its latest 10-K: Business.
Risk Factors
Read BL's verbatim Item 1A Risk Factors from its latest 10-K: Risk Factors.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 700,427,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-26 |
| Net income | 24,518,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-26 |
| Assets | 1,759,519,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-26 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-26. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001666134.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 128,034,000 | 175,603,000 | 227,788,000 | 288,976,000 | 351,737,000 | 425,706,000 | 522,938,000 | 589,996,000 | 653,336,000 | 700,427,000 | ||
| Net income | -26,337,000 | -33,408,000 | -28,714,000 | -32,535,000 | -46,911,000 | -115,161,000 | -29,391,000 | 52,833,000 | 161,174,000 | 24,518,000 | ||
| Operating income | -23,183,000 | -30,409,000 | -29,836,000 | -27,899,000 | -19,891,000 | -38,614,000 | -56,198,000 | 14,348,000 | 18,536,000 | 25,552,000 | ||
| Gross profit | 97,823,000 | 134,218,000 | 176,914,000 | 230,001,000 | 282,765,000 | 327,835,000 | 393,553,000 | 443,203,000 | 491,371,000 | 527,042,000 | ||
| Diluted EPS | -0.62 | -0.64 | -0.53 | -0.59 | -0.83 | -1.97 | -0.49 | 0.81 | 1.45 | 0.39 | ||
| Operating cash flow | -4,808,000 | 6,424,000 | 16,140,000 | 29,724,000 | 54,735,000 | 80,093,000 | 56,013,000 | 126,613,000 | 190,836,000 | 169,567,000 | ||
| Capital expenditures | 1,724,000 | 4,002,000 | 6,284,000 | 4,632,000 | 6,513,000 | 8,729,000 | 10,974,000 | 5,953,000 | 2,126,000 | 8,074,000 | ||
| Share buybacks | 225,000 | 29,000 | 0.00 | 235,543,000 | ||||||||
| Assets | 420,437,000 | 460,813,000 | 493,481,000 | 1,014,552,000 | 1,113,505,000 | 1,817,578,000 | 1,943,656,000 | 2,100,765,000 | 1,825,036,000 | 1,759,519,000 | ||
| Liabilities | 129,027,000 | 143,508,000 | 169,827,000 | 611,034,000 | 678,911,000 | 1,463,843,000 | 1,807,893,000 | 1,809,821,000 | 1,341,884,000 | 1,388,072,000 | ||
| Stockholders' equity | 308,042,000 | 315,913,000 | 319,267,000 | 398,613,000 | 422,070,000 | 325,036,000 | 111,868,000 | 260,881,000 | 446,669,000 | 332,326,000 | ||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 22,118,000 | 31,104,000 | 46,181,000 | 120,232,000 | 367,413,000 | 539,739,000 | 200,968,000 | 271,117,000 | 885,915,000 | 390,034,000 | ||
| Free cash flow | -6,532,000 | 2,422,000 | 9,856,000 | 25,092,000 | 48,222,000 | 71,364,000 | 45,039,000 | 120,660,000 | 188,710,000 | 161,493,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | -20.57% | -19.02% | -12.61% | -11.26% | -13.34% | -27.05% | -5.62% | 8.95% | 24.67% | 3.50% | ||
| Operating margin | -18.11% | -17.32% | -13.10% | -9.65% | -5.66% | -9.07% | -10.75% | 2.43% | 2.84% | 3.65% | ||
| Return on equity | -8.55% | -10.58% | -8.99% | -8.16% | -11.11% | -35.43% | -26.27% | 20.25% | 36.08% | 7.38% | ||
| Return on assets | -6.26% | -7.25% | -5.82% | -3.21% | -4.21% | -6.34% | -1.51% | 2.51% | 8.83% | 1.39% | ||
| Liabilities / equity | 0.42 | 0.45 | 0.53 | 1.53 | 1.61 | 4.50 | 16.16 | 6.94 | 3.00 | 4.18 | ||
| Current ratio | 1.51 | 1.40 | 1.39 | 3.49 | 2.78 | 4.18 | 3.40 | 2.19 | 2.59 | 1.47 |
Industry Peer Context
Net margin peer context
Operating margin peer context
ROE peer context
ROA peer context
Financial Bridges
Income statement bridge from reported figures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Revenue: accession 0001628280-26-011915; concept RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax; source concepts us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax | Gross profit: accession 0001628280-26-011915; concept GrossProfit; source concepts us-gaap:GrossProfit | Operating income: accession 0001628280-26-011915; concept OperatingIncomeLoss; source concepts us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss | Net income: accession 0001628280-26-011915; concept NetIncomeLoss; source concepts us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss
Free cash flow = operating cash flow - capital expenditures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Operating cash flow: accession 0001628280-26-011915; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities | Capital expenditures: accession 0001628280-26-011915; concept PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment | Free cash flow: accession 0001628280-26-011915; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
Financial Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-011915; filed 2026-02-26. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-011915; filed 2026-02-26. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-011915; filed 2026-02-26. Concept: OperatingIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-011915; filed 2026-02-26. Concept: GrossProfit. Source concepts: us-gaap:GrossProfit.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-011915; filed 2026-02-26. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-011915; filed 2026-02-26. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-011915; filed 2026-02-26. Concept: PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-011915; filed 2026-02-26. Concept: PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-011915; filed 2026-02-26. Concept: Assets. Source concepts: us-gaap:Assets.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-011915; filed 2026-02-26. Concept: Liabilities. Source concepts: us-gaap:Liabilities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-011915; filed 2026-02-26. Concept: StockholdersEquity. Source concepts: us-gaap:StockholdersEquity.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-011915; filed 2026-02-26. Concept: CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue. Source concepts: us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-011915; filed 2026-02-26. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-05-07. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001666134.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-Q2 | 2022-06-30 | -0.18 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2022-Q3 | 2022-09-30 | -0.34 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2023-03-31 | -0.20 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-06-30 | 144,574,000 | 30,849,000 | 0.45 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 150,708,000 | 11,923,000 | 0.19 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 155,730,000 | 22,069,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 157,461,000 | 10,829,000 | 0.17 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 160,506,000 | 76,690,000 | 0.22 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 165,909,000 | 17,238,000 | 0.27 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 169,460,000 | 56,417,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 166,931,000 | 6,055,000 | 0.10 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 172,025,000 | 8,292,000 | 0.13 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 178,290,000 | 5,285,000 | 0.09 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 183,181,000 | 4,886,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 183,155,000 | 8,126,000 | 0.13 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0001628280-26-032255; filed 2026-05-07. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0001628280-26-032255; filed 2026-05-07. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0001628280-26-032255; filed 2026-05-07. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0001628280-26-032255.
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with the financial statements and related notes that are included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 26, 2026 (“Annual Report on Form 10-K”). This discussion contains forward-looking statements based upon current plans, expectations and beliefs that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, those discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Overview
We offer a future-ready platform that drives digital finance transformation by empowering organizations with accurate, efficient, and intelligent financial operations. Built on the Studio360 platform, BlackLine unifies data, streamlines processes, and delivers real-time insights through automation and intelligence powered by Verity - a comprehensive suite of embedded, auditable AI capabilities that provides finance and accounting teams with a new digital workforce.
We are a holding company and conduct our operations through our wholly-owned subsidiary, BlackLine Systems, Inc.
At March 31, 2026, we had 4,301 customers, exclusive of on-premise software. Additionally, we continue to build strategic relationships with technology vendors, professional services firms, business process outsourcers, and resellers.
Our cloud-based solutions, delivered by our BlackLine Studio360 Platform, include Account Reconciliations, Transaction Matching, Task Management, Reporting & Analysis, Journal Entry, Journals Risk Analyser, Account Analysis, Consolidation, Compliance, Smart Close for SAP, Cash Application, Credit & Risk Management, Collections Management, Disputes & Deductions Management, Team & Task Management, AR Intelligence, Electronic Invoicing & Payments, Intercompany Create, Intercompany Balance & Resolve, and Intercompany Net & Settle.
In September 2025, we launched Verity, a comprehensive suite of AI capabilities that provides finance and accounting teams with a digital workforce of embedded and auditable AI. Verity is integrated throughout our solutions and supports a broad range of use cases across our customers’ financial operations, offering flexible capabilities that help deliver best practices across end-to-end record-to-report and invoice-to-cash processes.
We derived approximately 95% of our revenue from subscriptions to our cloud-based software platform and approximately 5% from professional services for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. Our subscription contracts have initial non-cancellable terms of one year to three years with renewal options. The majority of new contracts in 2025 and during the quarter ended March 31, 2026 carried an initial non-cancellable term of three years. In 2025, we updated our pricing model to reflect the value of our solutions based on factors such as product mix, organization size, and volumetrics (e.g. number of transactions or entities). We typically invoice subscription fees annually in advance, which are initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized ratably over the contract term. First-year subscription fees are generally payable within 30 days of contract execution, with subsequent fees due upon renewal.
Professional services consist primarily of implementation and consulting services. Our products are available for immediate use upon granting customer access. We typically assist customers with implementation and provide consulting services to help them optimize the use of our solutions. We invoice customers for our consulting services on a time-and-materials basis and recognize that revenue as services are performed. A limited number of our customers are provided professional services for a fixed fee, for which we invoice in advance. The fee is initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized on a proportional-performance basis as the services are rendered.
We sell our solutions primarily through our direct sales force, which leverages our relationships with technology vendors, professional services firms, and business process outsourcers. Our solutions integrate with SAP’s ERP systems, and SAP resells our product as SAP SolEx, for which we receive a percentage of the related revenues. We also maintain a strategic agreement with Google Cloud through which we jointly engage in selling and go-to-market activities to bring enhanced automation capabilities to customers.
Our ability to maximize the lifetime value of our customer relationships depends, in part, on the willingness of customers to purchase additional licenses and products from us. Our sales and customer success teams focus on
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maintaining high satisfaction and educating customers on the value of our full product portfolio to support account expansion.
The length of our sales cycle depends on the size of a potential customer and contract, as well as the type of solution or product being purchased. Sales cycles for global enterprise customers are generally longer than those for mid-size customers, and cycle duration increases for larger or more strategic products, such as our Intercompany solutions. As we focus on increasing average contract size and expanding adoption of strategic products, we expect the sales cycle to lengthen and remain less predictable which may contribute to variability in period-to-period results.
We have historically signed a high percentage of agreements with new customers, as well as renewal agreements with existing customers, in the fourth quarter of each year and usually during the last month of the quarter. Because most contracts have annual terms, agreements entered into late in the year typically renew during the same period in subsequent years. While this seasonality is reflected in our billings and bookings, the impact on overall revenue is minimal due to our ratable revenue recognition model.
For the quarters ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, we had revenues totaling $183.2 million and $166.9 million, respectively. We generated net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. of $8.1 million and $6.1 million for the quarters ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively.
Global Macroeconomic Factors
Our operating results may vary due to the impact of industry or global economic conditions on us or our customers. General macroeconomic conditions, such as political conflicts, recession, inflation or rising interest rates, an economic downturn in the U.S. or internationally, adverse business conditions and liquidity concerns, have and could continue to adversely affect demand for our products and make it difficult to accurately forecast and plan our future business activities. As a result of economic uncertainty, we have seen customers delay and defer purchasing decisions, which has adversely impacted our near-term demand.
Key Metrics
We regularly review a number of metrics, including the following key metrics, to evaluate our business and performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate financial projections, and make strategic decisions.
| Mar. 31, 2025 | Jun. 30, 2025 | Sep. 30, 2025 | Dec. 31, 2025 | Mar. 31, 2026 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dollar-based net revenue retention rate | 104 | % | 105 | % | 103 | % | 105 | % | 105 | % | |||||||
| Platform pricing ARR as a percentage of eligible ARR | — | — | — | 11 | % | 13 | % | ||||||||||
| Number of customers | 4,455 | 4,451 | 4,424 | 4,394 | 4,301 |
Dollar-based net revenue retention rate. We believe that dollar-based net revenue retention rate is an important metric to measure the long-term value of customer agreements and our ability to retain and grow our relationships with existing customers over time. We calculate dollar-based net revenue retention rate as the implied monthly subscription and support revenue at the end of a period for the base set of customers from which we generated subscription revenue in the year prior to the calculation, divided by the implied monthly subscription and support revenue one year prior to the date of calculation for that same customer base. This calculation does not reflect implied monthly subscription and support revenue for new customers added during the one-year period but does include the effect of customers who terminated during the period. We define implied monthly subscription and support revenue as the total amount of minimum subscription and support revenue contractually committed to, under each of our customer agreements over the entire term of the agreement, divided by the number of months in the term of the agreement. At March 31, 2026, our dollar-based net revenue retention rate remained consistent from the year ended December 31, 2025, reflecting continued customer engagement and retention, despite the impact of unfavorable foreign exchange rates. Our ability to maximize the lifetime value of our customer relationships will depend, in part, on the willingness of the customer to purchase additional products from us. We rely on our customer success and sales teams to support and grow our existing customers by maintaining high customer satisfaction and educating the customer on the value our products provide.
Platform pricing ARR as a percentage of eligible ARR. Platform pricing ARR as a percentage of eligible ARR is calculated as platform annual recurring revenue divided by our eligible annual recurring revenue. We define eligible ARR as total annual recurring revenue, excluding revenue from SAP SolEx and the public sector.
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Management believes that this metric is useful for tracking the progress of the new pricing strategy launched in 2025.
Number of customers. We believe that our ability to expand our customer base is an indicator of our market penetration and the growth of our business. We define a customer as a company that contributes to our subscription and support revenue as of the measurement date. In situations where an organization has multiple subsidiaries or divisions, each entity that is invoiced as a separate entity is treated as a separate customer. However, where an existing customer requests its invoice be divided for the sole purpose of restructuring its internal billing arrangement without any incremental increase in revenue, such customer continues to be treated as a single customer. For the quarters ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, no single customer accounted for more than 10% of our total revenues.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to our results determined in accordance with GAAP, we believe the non-GAAP measures below are useful to us and our investors in evaluating our business. These non-GAAP financial measures are useful because they provide consistency and comparability with our past performance, facilitate period-to-period comparisons of operations and facilitate comparisons with other peer companies, many of which use similar non-GAAP financial measures to supplement their GAAP results.
| Quarter Ended March 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2025 | |||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||
| GAAP gross profit | $ | 139,150 | $ | 126,007 | ||
| GAAP gross margin | 76.0 | % | 75.5 | % | ||
| GAAP operating income | $ | 6,235 | $ | 3,575 | ||
| GAAP operating margin | 3.4 | % | 2.1 | % | ||
| GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 8,126 | $ | 6,055 | ||
| Diluted net income per share attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 0.13 | $ | 0.10 |
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Latest 10-K MD&A
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with the financial statements and the related notes set forth in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” The following discussion also contains forward-looking statements, which are based upon current plans, expectations, and beliefs. These statements involve risks and uncertainties. See Part I, “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the forward-looking statements contained below and Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” for a discussion of certain risks that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in such forward-looking statements.
This discussion and analysis deals with comparisons of material changes in the consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024. For the comparison of fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023, see Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Part II, Item 7 of our 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 21, 2025.
Overview
We provide a unified, scalable, and flexible platform tailored to the evolving needs of the Office of the CFO and deliver a purpose-built suite of applications that address critical processes, including record-to-report and invoice-to-cash. Our software and services provide critical technology and industry-leading practices that deliver accurate, efficient, and intelligent financial operations. We are a holding company and conduct our operations through our wholly-owned subsidiary, BlackLine Systems.
At December 31, 2025, we had 4,394 customers, exclusive of on-premise software. Additionally, we continue to build strategic relationships with technology vendors, professional services firms, business process outsourcers, and resellers.
Our cloud-based solutions, delivered by our BlackLine Studio360 Platform, include Account Reconciliations, Transaction Matching, Task Management, Reporting & Analysis, Journal Entry, Journals Risk Analyser, Account Analysis, Consolidation, Compliance, Smart Close for SAP, Cash Application, Credit & Risk Management, Collections Management, Disputes & Deductions Management, Team & Task Management, AR Intelligence, Electronic Invoicing & Payments, Intercompany Create, Intercompany Balance & Resolve, and Intercompany Net & Settle.
In September 2025, we launched Verity, a comprehensive suite of AI capabilities that provides finance and accounting teams with a digital workforce of embedded and auditable AI. Verity is integrated throughout our solutions and supports a broad range of use cases across our customers’ financial operations, offering flexible capabilities that help deliver best practices across end-to-end record-to-report and invoice-to-cash processes.
We derived approximately 95% of our revenue from subscriptions to our cloud-based software platform and approximately 5% from professional services for the year ended December 31, 2025. Our subscription contracts have initial non-cancellable terms of one year to three years with renewal options. The majority of new contracts in 2025 and 2024 carried an initial non-cancellable term of three years. In 2025, we updated our pricing model to reflect the value of our solutions based on factors such as product mix, organization size, and volumetrics (e.g. number of transactions or entities). We typically invoice subscription fees annually in advance, which are initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized ratably over the contract term. First-year subscription fees are generally payable within 30 days of contract execution, with subsequent fees due upon renewal.
Professional services consist primarily of implementation and consulting services. Our products are available for immediate use upon granting customer access. We typically assist customers with implementation and provide consulting services to help them optimize the use of our solutions. We invoice customers for our consulting services
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on a time-and-materials basis and recognize that revenue as services are performed. A limited number of our customers are provided professional services for a fixed fee, for which we invoice in advance. The fee is initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized on a proportional-performance basis as the services are rendered.
We sell our solutions primarily through our direct sales force, which leverages our relationships with technology vendors, professional services firms, and business process outsourcers. Our solutions integrate with SAP’s ERP systems, and SAP resells our product as SAP SolEx, for which we receive a percentage of the related revenues. We also maintain a strategic agreement with Google Cloud through which we jointly engage in selling and go-to-market activities to bring enhanced automation capabilities to customers.
Our ability to maximize the lifetime value of our customer relationships depends, in part, on the willingness of customers to purchase additional licenses and products from us. Our sales and customer success teams focus on maintaining high satisfaction and educating customers on the value of our full product portfolio to support account expansion.
The length of our sales cycle depends on the size of a potential customer and contract, as well as the type of solution or product being purchased. Sales cycles for global enterprise customers are generally longer than those for mid-size customers, and cycle duration increases for larger or more strategic products, such as our Intercompany solutions. As we focus on increasing average contract size and expanding adoption of strategic products, we expect the sales cycle to lengthen and remain less predictable which may contribute to variability in period-to-period results.
We have historically signed a high percentage of agreements with new customers, as well as renewal agreements with existing customers, in the fourth quarter of each year and usually during the last month of the quarter. Because most contracts have annual terms, agreements entered into late in the year typically renew during the same period in subsequent years. While this seasonality is reflected in our billings and bookings, the impact on overall revenue is minimal due to our ratable revenue recognition model.
For the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, we had revenues totaling $700.4 million, $653.3 million, and $590.0 million, respectively. We generated net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. of $24.5 million, $161.2 million, and $52.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
Global Macroeconomic Factors
Our operating results may vary due to the impact of industry or global economic changes on us or our customers. General macroeconomic conditions, such as a recession, inflation or rising interest rates, an economic downturn in the U.S. or internationally, adverse business conditions and liquidity concerns, have and could continue to adversely affect demand for our products and make it difficult to accurately forecast and plan our future business activities. As a result of economic uncertainty, we have seen customers delay and defer purchasing decisions, which has adversely impacted our near-term demand.
WiseLayer Acquisition
On December 15, 2025, we acquired WL for total purchase consideration of $23.7 million, comprising $18.3 million in cash and $5.4 million in common stock issued at closing. The acquisition was driven by WL’s unique value proposition in developing a digital workforce of AI-powered agents to automate complex, judgment-based finance and accounting processes. Transaction-related costs, which include, but are not limited to, accounting, legal, and advisory fees, totaled $1.2 million and were expensed as incurred during the year ended December 31, 2025.
We accounted for the transaction as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting. The total purchase price was allocated to the tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their respective estimated fair values on the acquisition date. The purchase consideration allocation is preliminary as of the filing date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.
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Restructuring Costs
Fiscal 2025 Restructuring Programs
On March 4, 2025, we initiated a global restructuring program that was designed to reduce our workforce by approximately 130 total positions, or 7%. During September 2025 and December 2025, we approved additional workforce reductions of 25 and 75 positions, respectively, including the planned closure of selected facilities (the “Fiscal 2025 restructuring programs”). All of the actions are part of our global restructuring program to align resources with strategic priorities and enhance operational efficiency through talent optimization.
Fiscal 2023 Restructuring Program
On August 23, 2023, we announced a restructuring plan that was designed to support our growth, scale, and profitability objectives. As part of the restructuring, we reduced our global workforce by approximately 166 total positions, or 9.0%. Restructuring costs related to the August 2023 restructuring consisted of one-time termination benefits. Refer to “Note 12 - Restructuring Costs” for additional information.
Key Metrics
We regularly review a number of metrics, including the following key metrics, to evaluate our business and performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate financial projections, and make strategic decisions.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| Dollar-based net revenue retention rate | 105 | % | 102 | % | 106 | % | ||
| Platform pricing ARR as a percentage of eligible ARR | 11 | % | — | — | ||||
| Number of customers | 4,394 | 4,443 | 4,398 |
Dollar-based net revenue retention rate. We believe that dollar-based net revenue retention rate is an important metric to measure the long-term value of customer agreements and our ability to retain and grow our relationships with existing customers over time. We calculate dollar-based net revenue retention rate as the implied monthly subscription and support revenue at the end of a period for the base set of customers from which we generated subscription revenue in the year prior to the calculation, divided by the implied monthly subscription and support revenue one year prior to the date of calculation for that same customer base. This calculation does not reflect implied monthly subscription and support revenue for new customers added during the one-year period but does include the effect of customers who terminated during the period. We define implied monthly subscription and support revenue as the total amount of minimum subscription and support revenue contractually committed to, under each of our customer agreements over the entire term of the agreement, divided by the number of months in the term of the agreement. At December 31, 2025, our dollar-based net revenue retention rate increased from the year ended December 31, 2024 due to the impact of favorable foreign exchange rates and account expansion with existing customers, particularly those adopting our platform pricing model. Our ability to maximize the lifetime value of our customer relationships will depend, in part, on the willingness of the customer to purchase additional licenses and products from us. We rely on our customer success and sales teams to support and grow our existing customers by maintaining high customer satisfaction and educating the customer on the value our products provide.
Platform pricing ARR as a percentage of eligible ARR. Platform pricing ARR as a percentage of eligible ARR is calculated as platform annual recurring revenue divided by our eligible annual recurring revenue. We define eligible ARR as total annual recurring revenue, excluding revenue from SAP SolEx and the public sector. Management believes that this metric is useful for tracking the progress of the new pricing strategy launched in 2025.
Number of customers. We believe that our ability to expand our customer base is an indicator of our market penetration and the growth of our business. We define a customer as a company that contributes to our subscription and support revenue as of the measurement date. In situations where an organization has multiple subsidiaries or divisions, each entity that is invoiced as a separate entity is treated as a separate customer. However, where an existing customer requests its invoice be divided for the sole purpose of restructuring its internal billing arrangement without any incremental increase in revenue, such customer continues to be treated as a single customer. For the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, no single customer accounted for more than 10% of our total revenues.
Users. Effective during the quarter ended December 31, 2025, we ceased using “users” as a key metric following the introduction of an updated pricing model that is based on other factors, including product mix, customer size, and volumetrics, such as transactions or entities.
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Key Components of our Results of Operations
Revenues
Subscription and support. Our subscription contracts have initial non-cancellable terms of one year to three years with renewal options. The majority of new contracts in 2025 and 2024 had an initial non-cancellable term of three years. Fees are based on a number of factors, including the solutions subscribed to by the customer. The first year of subscription fees are typically payable within 30 days after execution of a contract, and thereafter upon renewal. We initially record the subscription fees as deferred revenue and recognize revenue ratably over the term of the contract. At any time during the subscription period, customers may add products. Additional fees are payable for the remainder of the initial or renewed contract term. Customers may only reduce their subscription to products upon renewal of their arrangement. Revenues from subscriptions to our cloud-based software platform composed approximately 95% of our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025.
Subscription and support revenues also include revenues associated with sales of on-premise software licenses and related support, but we no longer develop any new applications or functionality for our legacy on-premise software, and anticipate that this component of our revenues will continue to decline relative to total revenue.
Professional services. We offer our customers implementation and consulting services. With the exception of our intercompany accounting solutions acquired from the FourQ Acquisition, our product offerings are available for immediate use on our platform after granting access to a new customer. We typically help customers implement our solutions, and we also provide consulting and training services to help customers optimize the use of our products. These services are considered distinct performance obligations. Professional services do not result in significant customization of the subscription service. We apply the practical expedient to recognize professional services revenue when we have the right to invoice based on time and materials incurred. A limited number of our customers are provided professional services for a fixed fee, which is initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized on a proportional-performance basis as the services are rendered. Professional services revenues composed approximately 5% of our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025.
For a description of our revenue accounting policies, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Estimates.”
Cost of Revenues
Subscription and support cost of revenues. Subscription and support cost of revenues primarily consist of amortization of acquired developed technology costs, salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation associated with our hosting operations and support personnel, amortization of capitalized internal-use software costs, cloud hosting costs, and data center costs related to hosting our cloud-based software. We also allocate a portion of overhead to subscription and support cost of revenues.
Professional services costs of revenues. Costs associated with providing professional services primarily consist of salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation associated with our implementation personnel. These costs are expensed as incurred when the services are performed. We also allocate a portion of overhead to professional services cost of revenues.
Operating Expenses
Sales and marketing. Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of compensation and employee benefits, including stock-based compensation of sales and marketing personnel and related sales support teams, sales and partner commissions, marketing events, advertising costs, computer software-related costs, travel, trade shows, other marketing materials, transaction-related costs, and allocated overhead. Sales and marketing expenses also include amortization of customer relationship intangible assets and impairment of cloud computing implementation costs. We defer sales and partner commissions and amortize them over an estimated period of benefit of five years. We expect a decrease in sales and marketing expenses as a percentage of revenue in 2026 as we continue to rationalize our sales initiatives and improve productivity.
Research and development. Research and development expenses are comprised primarily of salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation associated with our engineering, product and quality assurance personnel, and transaction-related costs. Research and development expenses also include third-party contractors and supplies, computer software-related costs and allocated overhead. Other than software development costs that qualify for capitalization, as discussed above, research and development costs are expensed as incurred. We expect a modest increase in research and development as a percentage of revenue in 2026 as we further invest in strategic initiatives, including AI, to accelerate our growth.
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General and administrative. General and administrative expenses consist primarily of personnel costs associated with our executive, finance, legal, human resources, compliance, and other administrative personnel, as well as accounting and legal professional fees, other corporate-related expenses and allocated overhead. General and administrative expenses also include amortization of trade name intangible assets, the change in the fair value of contingent consideration, if any, transaction-related costs, and impairment of cloud computing implementation costs. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange, we expect general and administrative costs to remain consistent in 2026.
Restructuring costs. Restructuring costs consist of one-time termination benefits. Refer to “Note 12 - Restructuring Costs” for additional information.
Interest income. Interest income primarily consists of earnings on our cash and cash equivalents and our marketable securities.
Interest expense. Interest expense consists primarily of interest expense associated with our 2026 and 2029 Notes.
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes. We are subject to federal and state income taxes in the U.S. and taxes in foreign jurisdictions. We use the liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under the liability method, deferred taxes are determined based on the temporary differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities, using tax rates expected to be in effect during the years in which the bases differences are expected to reverse.
We record a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets to the extent that realization of the deferred tax assets, including consideration of our deferred tax liabilities, is not more likely than not. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we determined that the BlackLine K.K. valuation allowance was no longer required. This determination was based on an evaluation of positive and negative factors, including, but not limited to, our achievement of adjusted pre-tax income resulting in a three-year cumulative income position and our projections of future pre-tax income. We have also recorded a valuation allowance against certain other foreign deferred tax assets. Refer to “Results of Operations—Provision for (benefit from) income taxes” for additional information.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to our results determined in accordance with GAAP, we believe the non-GAAP measures below are useful to us and our investors in evaluating our business. These non-GAAP financial measures are useful because they provide consistency and comparability with our past performance, facilitate period-to-period comparisons of operations and facilitate comparisons with other peer companies, many of which use similar non-GAAP financial measures to supplement their GAAP results.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||
| GAAP gross profit | $ | 527,042 | $ | 491,371 | ||
| GAAP gross margin | 75.2 | % | 75.2 | % | ||
| GAAP operating income | $ | 25,552 | $ | 18,536 | ||
| GAAP operating margin | 3.6 | % | 2.8 | % | ||
| GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 24,518 | $ | 161,174 | ||
| Diluted net income per share attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 0.39 | $ | 1.45 |
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||
| Non-GAAP gross profit | $ | 557,187 | $ | 518,239 | ||
| Non-GAAP gross margin | 79.5 | % | 79.3 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP operating income | $ | 156,279 | $ | 126,807 | ||
| Non-GAAP operating margin | 22.3 | % | 19.4 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 157,035 | $ | 162,067 | ||
| Diluted non-GAAP net income per share attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 2.13 | $ | 2.18 |
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Non-GAAP Gross Profit and Non-GAAP Gross Margin. Non-GAAP gross profit is defined as GAAP revenues less GAAP cost of revenue adjusted for amortization of acquired developed technology, stock-based compensation, and transaction-related costs (including, but not limited to, accounting, legal, and advisory fees related to the transaction, as well as transaction-related retention bonuses). Non-GAAP gross margin is defined as non-GAAP gross profit divided by GAAP revenues. We believe that presenting non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin is useful to investors as it eliminates the impact of certain non-cash expenses and allows a direct comparison between periods.
Non-GAAP Income from Operations and Non-GAAP Operating Margin. Non-GAAP income from operations is defined as GAAP income from operations adjusted for amortization of intangible assets, stock-based compensation, change in fair value of contingent consideration, transaction-related costs, restructuring costs, and legal settlement gains or costs. Non-GAAP operating margin is defined as non-GAAP income from operations divided by GAAP revenues. We believe that presenting non-GAAP income from operations and non-GAAP operating margin is useful to investors as it eliminates the impact of items that have been impacted by our acquisitions and other related costs in order to allow a direct comparison of income from operations between all periods presented.
Non-GAAP Net Income Attributable to BlackLine and Diluted Non-GAAP Net Income Per Share Attributable to BlackLine, Inc. Non-GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine is defined as GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine adjusted for the income tax effects of acquisitions, stock-based compensation shortfalls and windfalls, and the discrete tax impact of other non-GAAP adjustments, amortization of intangible assets, stock-based compensation, amortization of debt issuance costs from our 0.00% Convertible Senior Notes due in 2026 (the “2026 Notes”) and 1.00% Convertible Senior Notes due in 2029 (the “2029 Notes” and, together with the 2026 Notes, the “Notes” or “convertible senior notes”), change in fair value of contingent consideration, transaction-related costs, restructuring costs, legal settlement gains or costs, adjustment to the redeemable non-controlling interest to the redemption amount, and gain on extinguishment of convertible senior notes. Diluted non-GAAP net income per share attributable to BlackLine, Inc. includes the adjustment for shares resulting from the elimination of stock-based compensation. We believe that presenting non-GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine is useful to investors as it eliminates the impact of items that have been impacted by our acquisitions and other related costs to allow a direct comparison of net income between all periods presented.
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Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The following table presents a reconciliation of gross profit, gross margin, operating income, operating margin, and net income, the most comparable GAAP measures, to non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP operating margin, and non-GAAP net income:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||
| Non-GAAP Gross Profit: | ||||||
| Gross profit | $ | 527,042 | $ | 491,371 | ||
| Amortization of acquired developed technology | 12,905 | 13,370 | ||||
| Stock-based compensation | 17,232 | 13,347 | ||||
| Transaction-related costs | 8 | 151 | ||||
| Total non-GAAP gross profit | $ | 557,187 | $ | 518,239 | ||
| Gross margin | 75.2 | % | 75.2 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP gross margin | 79.5 | % | 79.3 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP Operating Income: | ||||||
| Operating income | $ | 25,552 | $ | 18,536 | ||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 14,168 | 19,886 | ||||
| Stock-based compensation | 96,325 | 86,097 | ||||
| Transaction-related costs | 4,780 | 568 | ||||
| Restructuring and legal settlement costs | 15,454 | 1,720 | ||||
| Total non-GAAP operating income | $ | 156,279 | $ | 126,807 | ||
| GAAP operating margin | 3.6 | % | 2.8 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP operating margin | 22.3 | % | 19.4 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP Net Income Attributable to BlackLine, Inc.: | ||||||
| Net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 24,518 | $ | 161,174 | ||
| Benefit from income taxes | (782) | (50,948) | ||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 14,168 | 19,886 | ||||
| Stock-based compensation | 95,850 | 85,654 | ||||
| Amortization of debt issuance costs | 3,394 | 4,486 | ||||
| Transaction-related costs | 4,780 | 568 | ||||
| Restructuring and legal settlement costs | 15,454 | 1,720 | ||||
| Adjustment to redeemable non-controlling interest | (347) | 4,639 | ||||
| Gain on extinguishment of convertible senior notes | — | (65,112) | ||||
| Total non-GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 157,035 | $ | 162,067 |
Results of Operations
The following tables set forth selected historical consolidated statements of operations data, which should be read in conjunction with Critical Accounting Estimates, Liquidity and Capital Resources, and Contractual Obligations and Commitments included in this Item 7, as well as Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk and the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||
| Revenues | ||||||
| Subscription and support | $ | 662,928 | $ | 619,287 | ||
| Professional services | 37,499 | 34,049 | ||||
| Total revenues | 700,427 | 653,336 | ||||
| Cost of revenues | ||||||
| Subscription and support | 144,038 | 135,308 | ||||
| Professional services | 29,347 | 26,657 | ||||
| Total cost of revenues | 173,385 | 161,965 | ||||
| Gross profit | 527,042 | 491,371 | ||||
| Operating expenses | ||||||
| Sales and marketing | 258,930 | 248,347 | ||||
| Research and development | 109,202 | 100,973 | ||||
| General and administrative | 118,732 | 121,795 | ||||
| Restructuring costs | 14,626 | 1,720 | ||||
| Total operating expenses | 501,490 | 472,835 | ||||
| Income from operations | 25,552 | 18,536 | ||||
| Other income (expense) | ||||||
| Interest income | 32,825 | 49,808 | ||||
| Interest expense | (10,149) | (8,758) | ||||
| Gain on extinguishment of convertible senior notes | — | 65,112 | ||||
| Other income, net | 22,676 | 106,162 | ||||
| Income before income taxes | 48,228 | 124,698 | ||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | 20,971 | (43,067) | ||||
| Net income | 27,257 | 167,765 | ||||
| Net income attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest | 3,086 | 1,952 | ||||
| Adjustment attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest | (347) | 4,639 | ||||
| Net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 24,518 | $ | 161,174 |
Revenues
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Subscription and support | $ | 662,928 | $ | 619,287 | $ | 43,641 | 7 | % | ||||||
| Professional services | 37,499 | 34,049 | 3,450 | 10 | % | |||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 700,427 | $ | 653,336 | $ | 47,091 | 7 | % |
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||
| Dollar-based net revenue retention rate | 105 | % | 102 | % | |
| Platform pricing ARR as a percentage of eligible ARR | 11 | % | — | ||
| Number of customers | 4,394 | 4,443 |
The increase in revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, was primarily driven by revenue from product expansion from existing customers and bookings from new customers. The total number of customers at December 31, 2025 remained relatively flat as compared to December 31, 2024.
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Cost of revenues
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Subscription and support | $ | 144,038 | $ | 135,308 | $ | 8,730 | 6 | % | ||||||
| Professional services | 29,347 | 26,657 | 2,690 | 10 | % | |||||||||
| Total cost of revenues | $ | 173,385 | $ | 161,965 | $ | 11,420 | 7 | % | ||||||
| Gross margin | 75.2 | % | 75.2 | % |
The increase in total cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, was primarily due to the following:
•$6.6 million increase in computer software expenses due to upgrades to support business growth and penetration in the public sector and overseas markets;
•$3.8 million increase in amortization of developed technology due to net additions to software placed into service;
•$1.5 million increase in professional fees; and
•$1.5 million increase in employee compensation and benefits; partially offset by
•$2.2 million decrease in depreciation and amortization due to certain assets becoming fully amortized in prior periods and an overall operational shift from traditional data centers to a cloud environment.
Sales and marketing
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | $ | 258,930 | $ | 248,347 | $ | 10,583 | 4 | % | ||||||
| Percentage of total revenues | 37.0 | % | 38.0 | % |
The increase in sales and marketing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, was primarily due to the following:
•$13.7 million increase in employee compensation and benefits;
•$1.1 million increase in computer software expenses to support internal automation and scalability initiatives; and
•$1.0 million increase in digital marketing expenses, partially offset by streamlined marketing efforts; partially offset by
•$5.3 million decrease in depreciation and amortization due to certain assets becoming fully amortized in prior periods.
Research and development
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Research and development, gross | $ | 134,977 | $ | 126,643 | $ | 8,334 | 7 | % | ||||||
| Capitalized internally-developed software costs | (25,775) | (25,670) | (105) | — | % | |||||||||
| Research and development, net | $ | 109,202 | $ | 100,973 | $ | 8,229 | 8 | % | ||||||
| Percentage of total revenues | 15.6 | % | 15.5 | % |
The increase in research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, was primarily due to the following:
•$8.0 million increase in employee compensation and benefits, partially offset by a decrease in average compensation per employee due to an increase in offshore headcount; and
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•$1.2 million increase in computer software expenses due to higher spend on cloud hosting services, as well as upgrades to support business growth; partially offset by
•$1.9 million decrease in professional fees.
We remain committed to innovation and investing in AI to enhance our platform and business.
General and administrative
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| General and administrative | $ | 118,732 | $ | 121,795 | $ | (3,063) | (3 | %) | ||||||
| Percentage of total revenues | 17.0 | % | 18.6 | % |
The decrease in general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, was primarily due to the following:
•$8.2 million decrease primarily due to a favorable change in foreign currency, net of the impact of foreign currency forward contracts; and
•$0.5 million decrease in employee compensation and benefits; partially offset by
•$5.1 million increase in advisory and legal-related expenses; and
•$0.7 million increase in computer software expenses due to higher spend to enhance automation and support scalability of our operations.
Restructuring costs
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | $ | % | ||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | |||||||||||||
| Restructuring costs | $ | 14,626 | $ | 1,720 | $ | 12,906 | N/M |
Restructuring costs of $14.6 million were incurred during the year ended December 31, 2025, primarily related to one-time termination benefits under the Fiscal 2025 restructuring programs, while restructuring costs of $1.7 million were incurred during the year ended December 31, 2024 related to one-time termination benefits under the Fiscal 2023 restructuring program. Refer to “Note 12 - Restructuring Costs” for additional information.
Interest income
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Interest income | $ | 32,825 | $ | 49,808 | $ | (16,983) | (34 | %) |
The decrease in interest income during the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, was primarily due to decreased average balances on our investments, as well as a decrease in average interest rates on our investments and cash balances.
Interest expense
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Interest expense | $ | 10,149 | $ | 8,758 | $ | 1,391 | 16 | % |
The increase in interest expense during the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, was primarily due to the cash interest expense and amortization of debt issuance costs related to our 2029 Notes issued in May 2024, partially offset by a decrease in interest expense from the partial repurchase of our 2026 Notes and the repayment of our 2024 Notes in August 2024. Refer to “Note 11 - Convertible Senior
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Notes” for additional information. We do not expect interest expense to fluctuate significantly over the next 12 months as the interest rates on our Notes are fixed.
Gain on extinguishment of convertible senior notes
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Gain on extinguishment of convertible senior notes | $ | — | $ | 65,112 | $ | (65,112) | (100 | %) |
The gain on extinguishment of convertible senior notes during the year ended December 31, 2024 resulted from the partial repurchase of our 2026 Notes in May 2024. Refer to “Note 11 - Convertible Senior Notes” for additional information.
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | $ | 20,971 | $ | (43,067) | $ | 64,038 | (149 | %) |
For the year ended December 31, 2025, our annual estimated effective tax rate differed from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% primarily as a result of non-deductible officer compensation, stock-based compensation shortfalls, changes in the mix of profitable foreign jurisdictions, and changes in our valuation allowance for income taxes. For the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, we recorded $21.0 million in income tax expense and $43.1 million in income tax benefit, respectively. The increase in income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, resulted primarily from the 2024 release of the $89.1 million U.S. valuation allowance, as compared with the 2025 release of $2.3 million of the BlackLine K.K. valuation allowance, increases in non-deductible officer compensation and stock-based compensation shortfalls, and changes in the mix of profitable foreign jurisdictions.
On July 4, 2025, the legislation formally titled “An Act to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Title II of H. Con. Res. 14” and commonly referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (“OBBB”) was enacted. The OBBB adjusted a number of provisions affecting businesses, including the immediate expensing of domestic research and development costs, limitations on deductions for interest expense, and accelerated fixed asset depreciation. The OBBB provisions did not have a material impact on our effective tax rate; however, several timing provisions results in significant 2025 cash savings.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
At December 31, 2025, our principal sources of liquidity were an aggregate of $778.2 million of cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities, which primarily consist of short-term, money market mutual funds, U.S. treasury securities, commercial paper, and corporate bonds.
We believe our existing cash and cash equivalents, investments in marketable securities, and cash from operations will be sufficient to meet our working capital needs, capital expenditures, financing obligations, and share repurchases for at least the next 12 months.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
Convertible senior notes and capped calls
We had $905.2 million aggregate principal amount of Notes outstanding at December 31, 2025, of which $230.2 million is due in March 2026. We plan to, and believe we are able to, make all expected principal and interest payments in the next 12 months.
In connection with the offering of the 2029 Notes, we entered into privately-negotiated capped call transactions (the “2029 Capped Calls” and together with the 2026 Capped Calls (as defined below), the “Capped Calls”) with certain counterparties covering, subject to anti-dilution adjustments, approximately 9.9 million shares of our common stock, and are generally expected to offset the potential economic dilution of our common stock upon any conversions of the 2029 Notes up to the initial cap price. The 2029 Capped Calls have an initial strike price of $68.47 per share subject to certain adjustments, which corresponds to the initial conversion price of the 2029 Notes
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and an initial cap price of $92.17 per share, subject to certain adjustments. At December 31, 2025, all of the 2029 Capped Calls remained outstanding.
In connection with the offering of the 2026 Notes, we entered into privately-negotiated capped call transactions (the “2026 Capped Calls”) with certain counterparties covering, subject to anti-dilution adjustments, approximately 6.9 million shares of our common stock, and are generally expected to offset the potential economic dilution of our common stock upon any conversions of the 2026 Notes up to the initial cap price. The 2026 Capped Calls have an initial strike price of $166.23 per share subject to certain adjustments, which corresponds to the initial conversion price of the 2026 Notes and an initial cap price of $233.31 per share, subject to certain adjustments. At December 31, 2025, all of the 2026 Capped Calls remained outstanding.
Lease Liabilities
At December 31, 2025, we have obligations totaling $24.3 million related to existing property and equipment leases.
Purchase Obligations
Purchase obligations represent our most significant contractual obligations in the ordinary course of business for which we have not received the related goods or services, in whole or in part. At December 31, 2025, we have $176 million of contractual obligations, with approximately $60 million payable within 12 months, and have additional contractual obligations with other vendors that are individually immaterial and which we can readily settle given our liquidity position and capital resources.
Unrecognized Tax Liabilities
At December 31, 2025, while we have liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits of $22.0 million, due to their nature, there is a high degree of uncertainty regarding the timing of future cash outflows and other events that extinguish these liabilities.
OBBB
The OBBB provisions did not have a material impact on our effective tax rate, but several timing provisions resulted in significant 2025 cash tax savings. Refer to “Note 14 – “Income Taxes” for additional information.
Letters of Credit
Commitments under letters of credit at December 31, 2025 were scheduled to expire as follows (in thousands):
| Total | Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | Thereafter | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letters of credit | $ | 354 | $ | — | $ | 354 | $ | — | $ | — |
Letters of credit are maintained pursuant to certain of our lease arrangements. The letters of credit remain in effect at varying levels through the terms of the related agreements.
Repurchase Program
On November 17, 2024, our Board authorized the repurchase of up to $200 million of our common stock. On September 4, 2025, our Board approved an increase to our stock buyback program of an additional $200 million, for a total overall authorization to repurchase up to $400 million of our common stock. Our Board also approved the elimination of the expiration date of the program, which was previously set to expire on March 31, 2027.
Repurchases may be made from time to time through open market repurchases or through privately-negotiated transactions subject to market conditions, applicable legal requirements and other relevant factors. Open market repurchases may be structured to occur in accordance with the requirements of Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We may also, from time to time, enter into Rule 10b5-1 plans to facilitate repurchases of its shares under this authorization. The repurchase program does not obligate us to acquire any particular amount of our common stock, and it may be suspended at any time in our discretion. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased may depend on a variety of factors, including price, general business and market conditions, and alternative investment opportunities.
We repurchased and retired approximately 4.5 million shares of common stock for $235.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2025. At December 31, 2025, $164.5 million of buyback capacity remained under this program.
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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As part of our ongoing business, we do not have any relationships with other entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities that have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes. We are therefore not exposed to any financing, liquidity, market or credit risk that could arise if we had engaged in those types of relationships.
In the ordinary course of business, we may provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to customers, vendors, investors, directors and officers with respect to certain matters, including, but not limited to, losses arising out of our breach of such agreements, services to be provided by us, or from intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties. These indemnification provisions may survive termination of the underlying agreement and the maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification provisions may not be subject to maximum loss clauses. The maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification provisions is indeterminable. We have never paid a material claim, nor have we been sued in connection with these indemnification arrangements. At December 31, 2025, we have not accrued a liability for these indemnification arrangements because the likelihood of incurring a payment obligation, if any, in connection with these indemnification arrangements is not probable or reasonably estimable.
Future Capital Requirements
Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including our growth rate, strategic relationships and international operations, the timing and extent of spending to support research and development efforts, future merger and acquisition activities, repurchase or refinancing of our existing indebtedness, repurchases of our common stock, and the continuing market acceptance of our solutions. From time to time, we have required, and may in the future require or opportunistically raise, additional equity or debt financing. Sales of additional equity or equity-linked securities could result in dilution to our stockholders. If we raise funds by borrowing from third parties, the terms of those financing arrangements would require us to incur interest expense and may include negative covenants or other restrictions on our business that could impair our operating flexibility. We can provide no assurance that financing will be available at all or, if available, that we would be able to obtain financing on terms favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional capital when needed, we would be required to curtail our operating activities and capital expenditures, and our business operating results and financial condition would be adversely affected.
Cash Flows
The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 169,567 | $ | 190,836 | ||
| Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | $ | (425,289) | $ | 924,440 | ||
| Net cash used in financing activities | $ | (240,113) | $ | (500,145) |
Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities
Our cash flows provided by operating activities are primarily driven by net income, and cash generated from collections in accordance with our subscription-based revenue model wherein billings occur in advance of revenue recognition, adjusted for significant non-cash activity. Non-cash activity primarily includes depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, non-cash lease expense, amortization of debt issuance costs, accretion of premiums on marketable securities, and deferred taxes.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, cash provided by operating activities was $169.6 million, resulting from net non-cash expenses of $152.5 million and net income of $27.3 million, partially offset by net cash outflow from changes in our operating assets and liabilities of $10.2 million. The $10.2 million net cash outflow from changes in our operating assets and liabilities reflected primarily the following:
•$38.2 million increase in accounts receivable primarily due to billings outpacing cash collections from customers;
•$5.9 million decrease in operating lease liabilities; and
•$3.7 million increase in other assets primarily due to net increase in prepaid commissions and capitalization related to strategic IT projects and software upgrades.
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These changes in our operating assets and liabilities were partially offset by the following:
•$29.2 million increase in deferred revenue primarily due to the higher bookings in 2025 coupled with timing of billings for subscription and support;
•$5.3 million increase in accounts payable due to timing of payments; and
•$3.2 million increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities. This was primarily driven by costs for employee termination benefits and other exit activities related to our Fiscal 2025 restructuring programs and increased accrued commissions, partially offset by decreased bonus accruals.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, cash provided by operating activities was $190.8 million, resulting from net income of $167.8 million, net cash flow provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities of $16.8 million, and net non-cash expenses of $6.3 million. The $16.8 million net cash flow provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities reflected primarily the following:
•$19.0 million increase in deferred revenue was primarily driven by customer and user growth, and timing of collections for subscription and support;
•$7.1 million increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities primarily due to annual bonus accruals, cloud-based data storage services, and timing of foreign tax payments;
•$2.7 million net decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets primarily due to a decrease in accrued interest and amortization of prepaid balances, partially offset by the timing of tax payments and prepaid cloud-based data storage costs to support our suite of solutions; and
•$2.5 million decrease in other assets due to a net decrease in prepaid commissions, partially offset by cloud computing costs.
These changes in our operating assets and liabilities were partially offset by the following:
•$7.6 million increase in accounts receivable primarily due to increased sales, partially offset by customer payments;
•$6.0 million decrease in operating lease liabilities; and
•$1.1 million decrease in accounts payable due to timing of payments.
Net Cash Provided By (Used In) Investing Activities
Our investing activities consist primarily of investments in, and maturities and sales of marketable securities, capitalized software development costs, business acquisitions, and capital expenditures for property and equipment.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, cash used in investing activities was $425.3 million, primarily as a result of the following:
•$374.4 million of purchases of marketable securities, net of proceeds from maturities and sales;
•$26.6 million for capitalized software development costs;
•$16.2 million paid for the WL Acquisition, net of cash acquired; and
•$8.1 million in purchases of property and equipment.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, cash provided by investing activities was $924.4 million, primarily as a result of the following:
•$951.3 million of proceeds from maturities and sales, net of purchases of marketable securities; partially offset by
•$24.7 million for capitalized software development costs; and
•$2.1 million in purchases of property and equipment.
Net Cash Used In Financing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2025, cash used in financing activities was $240.1 million, primarily as a result of the following:
•$235.5 million for repurchases of common stock; and
•$16.9 million for acquisitions of common stock for tax withholding obligations; partially offset by
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•$7.2 million of proceeds from the employee stock purchase plan; and
•$5.2 million of proceeds from exercises of stock options.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, cash used in financing activities was $500.1 million, primarily as a result of the following:
•$848.5 million for the partial repurchase of the 2026 Notes;
•$250.0 million for the repayment of the 2024 Notes with cash on hand;
•$59.7 million for the purchase of the associated Capped Calls for the 2029 Notes; and
•$17.5 million for acquisitions of common stock for tax withholding obligations; partially offset by
•$662.0 million of proceeds, net of debt issuance costs, from the issuance of the 2029 Notes;
•$7.6 million of proceeds from exercises of stock options; and
•$7.0 million of proceeds from the employee stock purchase plan.
Backlog
We enter into both single and multi-year subscription contracts for our solutions. The timing of our invoices to the customer is a negotiated term and thus varies among our subscription contracts. For multi-year agreements, it is common to invoice an initial amount at contract signing followed by subsequent annual invoices. Backlog represents remaining revenue to be recognized under a non-cancelable contract with customers. At December 31, 2025 and 2024, we had backlog of approximately $1.1 billion and $879.4 million, respectively. We expect backlog will change from period to period for several reasons, including the timing and duration of customer agreements, varying billing cycles of subscription agreements, and the timing and duration of customer renewals. Because revenue for any period is a function of revenue recognized from deferred revenue under contracts in existence at the beginning of the period, as well as contract renewals and new customer contracts during the period, backlog at the beginning of any period is not necessarily indicative of future revenue performance. We do not utilize backlog as a key management metric internally.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our estimates are based on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Our actual results could differ from these estimates.
We believe that the following critical accounting policies and estimates involve a greater degree of judgment or complexity than our other accounting policies and estimates, and are essential to a full understanding and evaluation of our consolidated financial condition and results of operations. Refer to “Note 2 - Basis of Presentation, Significant Accounting Policies, and Recently-Issued Accounting Pronouncements” of the accompanying notes to our consolidated financial statements for additional information.
Deferred Customer Acquisition Costs
We recognize an asset for the incremental and recoverable costs of obtaining a contract with a customer if we expect the benefit of those costs to be one year or longer. We have determined that certain sales incentive programs to our employees (“deferred customer contract acquisition costs”) and our partners (“partner referral fees”) meet the requirements to be capitalized. Deferred customer acquisition costs related to new revenue contracts and upsells are deferred and then amortized on a straight-line basis over the expected period of benefit that we have determined to be five years, based upon both the product turnover rate and estimated customer life, which involves some level of judgment in terms of the inherent assumptions used. Partner referral fees are deferred and then amortized on a straight-line basis over a period ranging from one year to five years. Deferred customer acquisition costs and partner referral fees are included within other assets in the consolidated balance sheets. There were no impairment losses in relation to the costs capitalized for the periods presented.
Capitalized Software Costs
We account for the costs of computer software obtained or developed for internal use in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other. We capitalize certain implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract. These capitalized costs exclude training costs,
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project management costs, and data migration costs. We capitalize certain costs in the development of our SaaS subscription solutions when (i) the preliminary project stage is completed, (ii) management has authorized further funding for the completion of the project, and (iii) it is probable that the project will be completed and performed as intended. These capitalized costs include estimated personnel and related expenses for employees as well as costs of third-party contractors who are directly associated with and who devote time to internal-use software projects and, when material, interest costs incurred during the development. Capitalization of these costs ceases once the project is substantially complete and the software is ready for its intended purpose. Costs incurred for significant upgrades and enhancements to our SaaS software solutions are also capitalized. Costs incurred for post-configuration training, maintenance and minor modifications or enhancements are expensed as incurred. Capitalized software development costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over an estimated useful life of three years.
Business Combinations
The results of businesses acquired in business combinations are included in our consolidated financial statements from the date of the acquisition. Purchase accounting results in assets and liabilities of an acquired business being recorded at their estimated fair values on the acquisition date. Any excess consideration over the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill.
We perform valuations of assets acquired and liabilities assumed and allocate the purchase price to its respective assets and liabilities. Determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed requires our management to use significant judgment and estimates, including the selection of valuation methodologies, estimates of future revenue, costs and cash flows, discount rates, and selection of comparable companies. We engage the assistance of valuation specialists in concluding on fair value measurements in connection with determining fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations.
Contingent consideration, if any, payable in cash arising from business combinations is recorded at fair value as a liability on the acquisition date and remeasured at each reporting date. Changes in fair value are recorded in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Determining the fair value of the contingent consideration each period requires management to make assumptions and judgments. These estimates involve inherent uncertainties, and if different assumptions had been used, the fair value of contingent consideration could have been materially different from the amounts recorded. The significant inputs used in the fair value measurement of contingent consideration was the amount and timing of new and incremental combined bookings from FourQ and BlackLine, and revenues from a specified FourQ customer over a three-year period subsequent to the acquisition.
Significant changes in these estimates and the periods in which they are generated would significantly impact the fair value of the contingent consideration liability. At January 26, 2025, the financial performance milestones were not met, and we were no longer obligated to pay the contingent consideration of $73.2 million.
Transaction-related costs incurred by us are expensed as incurred and are included in general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of operations.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Refer to “Note 2 - Basis of Presentation, Significant Accounting Policies, and Recently-Issued Accounting Pronouncements” contained in the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a full description of the recent accounting pronouncements, and our expectation of their impact, if any, on our results of operations and financial condition.
MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001666134-25-000003.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with the financial statements and the related notes set forth in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” The following discussion also contains forward-looking statements, which are based upon current plans, expectations,
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and beliefs. These statements involve risks and uncertainties. See Part I, “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the forward-looking statements contained below and Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” for a discussion of certain risks that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in such forward-looking statements.
This discussion and analysis deals with comparisons of material changes in the consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023. For the comparison of fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022, see Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Part II, Item 7 of our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 23, 2024.
Overview
We provide a unified, scalable, and flexible platform tailored to the evolving needs of the Office of the CFO and deliver purpose-built applications that address critical processes, including financial close & consolidation, intercompany accounting, and invoice-to-cash. Our software and services provide the critical technology and industry-leading practices that deliver accurate, efficient, and intelligent financial operations. We are a holding company and conduct our operations through our wholly-owned subsidiary, BlackLine Systems.
At December 31, 2024, we had 397,477 individual users across 4,443 customers. Additionally, we continue to build strategic relationships with technology vendors, professional services firms, business process outsourcers, and resellers.
Our cloud-based applications, increasingly powered by our BlackLine Studio360 Platform, include Account Reconciliations, Transaction Matching, Task Management, Financial Reporting Analytics, Journal Entry, Variance Analysis, Compliance, Smart Close for SAP, Cash Application, Credit & Risk Management, Collections Management, Disputes & Deductions Management, Team & Task Management, AR Intelligence, Electronic Invoicing & Payments, Intercompany Create, Intercompany Balance & Resolve, and Intercompany Net & Settle. These applications address many use cases across our customers’ financial operations and include comprehensive and flexible solutions that deliver best practices for end-to-end record-to-report and invoice-to-cash processes.
We derived approximately 95% of our revenue from subscriptions to our cloud-based software platform and approximately 5% from professional services for the year ended December 31, 2024. Our subscription contracts have initial non-cancellable terms of one year to three years with renewal options. The majority of new contracts in 2024 and 2023 had an initial term of three years. We price our subscriptions based on a number of factors, primarily the number of users having access to the products and the number of products purchased by the customer. We typically invoice customers annually in advance for subscriptions, which is initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized ratably over the term of the customer contract. The first year of subscription fees are typically payable within 30 days after execution of a contract, and thereafter upon renewal.
Professional services consist primarily of implementation and consulting services. With the exception of our intercompany accounting solutions acquired as part of our acquisition of FourQ, our product offerings are available for immediate use on our platform after granting access to a new customer. We typically help customers implement our solutions, and we also provide consulting services to help customers optimize the use of our products. We invoice customers for our consulting services on a time-and-materials basis and recognize that revenue as services are performed. A limited number of our customers are provided professional services for a fixed fee which we invoice in advance and is initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized on a proportional-performance basis as the services are rendered.
We sell our solutions primarily through our direct sales force, which leverages our relationships with technology vendors, professional services firms and business process outsourcers. In particular, our solution integrates with SAP’s ERP solutions, and SAP is part of the reseller channel that we use in the ordinary course of business. SAP has the ability to resell our solutions as SolEx, for which we receive a percentage of the revenues. We also have an agreement with Google Cloud in which we collaborate with them on joint selling and go-to-market activities and bring enhanced automation solutions for finance and accounting to new and existing customers.
Our ability to maximize the lifetime value of our customer relationships will depend, in part, on the willingness of customers to purchase additional user licenses and products from us. We rely on our sales and customer success teams to support and grow our existing customers by maintaining high customer satisfaction and educating customers on the value all our products provide.
The length of our sales cycle depends on the size of a potential customer and contract, as well as the type of solution or product being purchased. The sales cycle for our global enterprise customers is generally longer than that of our mid-size customers. In addition, the length of the sales cycle tends to increase for larger contracts and for more complex, strategic products like Intercompany Financial Management. As we continue to focus on
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increasing our average contract size and selling more strategic products, we expect our sales cycle to lengthen and become less predictable, which could cause variability in our results for any particular period.
We have historically signed a high percentage of agreements with new customers, as well as renewal agreements with existing customers, in the fourth quarter of each year and usually during the last month of the quarter. This can be attributed to buying patterns typical in the software industry. As the terms of most of our customer agreements are measured in full year increments, agreements initially entered into during the fourth quarter or last month of any quarter will generally come up for renewal at that same time in subsequent years. This seasonality is reflected in our revenues, though the impact to overall annual or quarterly revenues is nominal due to the fact that we recognize subscription revenue ratably over the term of the customer contract.
For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, we had revenues totaling $653.3 million, $590.0 million, and $522.9 million, respectively. We generated net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. of $161.2 million and $52.8 million and incurred a net loss attributable to BlackLine, Inc. of $29.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively.
Global Macroeconomic Factors
Our operating results may vary based on the impact of changes in our industry or the global economy on us or our customers. General macroeconomic conditions, such as a recession, inflation or rising interest rates, an economic downturn in the U.S. or internationally, adverse business conditions and liquidity concerns, or bank failures or instability in the financial services sector, has and could continue to adversely affect demand for our products and make it difficult to accurately forecast and plan our future business activities. As a result of economic uncertainty, we have seen customers delay and defer purchasing decisions, which has adversely impacted our near-term demand.
Acquisition of Data Interconnect
On September 12, 2023, we completed the DI Acquisition for cash consideration of $11.4 million, which was paid at the closing of the acquisition. The DI Acquisition enhances our existing accounts receivable automation solution capabilities through EIPP. Transaction-related costs, which include, but are not limited to, accounting, legal, and advisory fees related to the transaction, totaled approximately $1.2 million and were expensed as incurred during the year ended December 31, 2023.
BlackLine accounted for the transaction as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting. The total purchase price was allocated to the tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their respective estimated fair values on the acquisition date and the purchase price allocation was final.
Acquisition of FourQ
On January 26, 2022, we completed the FourQ Acquisition and paid cash consideration of $160.2 million upon closing of the acquisition. In addition, we agreed to pay a maximum of $73.2 million of contingent consideration if certain earnout conditions were met. At December 31, 2024, the related liability for the FourQ Acquisition was zero. As of the filing date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the financial performance milestones were not met, and we are no longer obligated to pay the contingent consideration of $73.2 million.
Restructuring Costs
Fiscal 2023 Restructuring Program
On August 23, 2023, we announced a restructuring plan that was designed to support our growth, scale, and profitability objectives. As part of the restructuring, we reduced our global workforce by approximately 9.0%, or 166 total employee positions. Restructuring costs related to the August 2023 restructuring consisted of one-time termination benefits. Refer to “Note 12 - Restructuring Costs” for additional information.
Fiscal 2022 Restructuring Program
On December 7, 2022, we announced our decision to commit to a restructuring plan that was designed to focus on key growth priorities. Restructuring costs related to the December 2022 restructuring consisted of one-time termination benefits. Refer to “Note 12 - Restructuring Costs” for additional information.
Key Metrics
We regularly review a number of metrics, including the following key metrics, to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate financial projections, and make strategic decisions.
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| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| Dollar-based net revenue retention rate | 102 | % | 106 | % | 107 | % | ||
| Number of customers | 4,443 | 4,398 | 4,188 | |||||
| Number of users | 397,477 | 386,814 | 366,522 |
Dollar-based net revenue retention rate. We believe that dollar-based net revenue retention rate is an important metric to measure the long-term value of customer agreements and our ability to retain and grow our relationships with existing customers over time. We calculate dollar-based net revenue retention rate as the implied monthly subscription and support revenue at the end of a period for the base set of customers from which we generated subscription revenue in the year prior to the calculation, divided by the implied monthly subscription and support revenue one year prior to the date of calculation for that same customer base. This calculation does not reflect implied monthly subscription and support revenue for new customers added during the one-year period but does include the effect of customers who terminated during the period. We define implied monthly subscription and support revenue as the total amount of minimum subscription and support revenue contractually committed to, under each of our customer agreements over the entire term of the agreement, divided by the number of months in the term of the agreement. At December 31, 2024, our dollar-based net revenue retention rate declined from the year ended December 31, 2023 due to the adverse impact of foreign exchange rates, higher attrition, and a more moderate rate of acquiring customer accounts. Our ability to maximize the lifetime value of our customer relationships will depend, in part, on the willingness of the customer to purchase additional user licenses and products from us. We rely on our customer success and sales teams to support and grow our existing customers by maintaining high customer satisfaction and educating the customer on the value our products provide.
Number of customers. We believe that our ability to expand our customer base is an indicator of our market penetration and the growth of our business. We define a customer as a company that contributes to our subscription and support revenue as of the measurement date. In situations where an organization has multiple subsidiaries or divisions, each entity that is invoiced as a separate entity is treated as a separate customer. However, where an existing customer requests its invoice be divided for the sole purpose of restructuring its internal billing arrangement without any incremental increase in revenue, such customer continues to be treated as a single customer. For the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, no single customer accounted for more than 10% of our total revenues.
Number of users. Since our customers generally pay fees based on the number of users on our platform within their organization, we believe the total number of users is an indicator of the growth of our business. While the fees for the majority of the products we sell are user-based, we are seeing an increasing volume of transactions for our non-user based strategic products, such as eInvoicing & Payments, Transaction Matching, Intercompany, and BlackLine Cash Application.
Key Components of our Results of Operations
Revenues
Subscription and support. Our subscription contracts have initial non-cancellable terms of one year to three years with renewal options. The majority of new contracts in 2024 and 2023 had an initial term of three years. Fees are based on a number of factors, including the solutions subscribed to by the customer and the number of users having access to the solutions. The first year of subscription fees are typically payable within 30 days after execution of a contract, and thereafter upon renewal. We initially record the subscription fees as deferred revenue and recognize revenue ratably over the term of the contract. At any time during the subscription period, customers may increase their number of users and add products. Additional fees are payable for the remainder of the initial or renewed contract term. Customers may only reduce their number of users or subscription to products upon renewal of their arrangement. Revenues from subscriptions to our cloud-based software platform composed approximately 95% of our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Subscription and support revenues also include revenues associated with sales of on-premise software licenses and related support, but we no longer develop any new applications or functionality for our legacy on-premise software, and anticipate that this component of our revenues will continue to decline relative to total revenue.
Professional services. We offer our customers implementation and consulting services. With the exception of our intercompany accounting solutions acquired from the FourQ Acquisition, our product offerings are available for immediate use on our platform after granting access to a new customer. We typically help customers implement our solutions, and we also provide consulting and training services to help customers optimize the use of our products.
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These services are considered distinct performance obligations. Professional services do not result in significant customization of the subscription service. We apply the practical expedient to recognize professional services revenue when we have the right to invoice based on time and materials incurred. A limited number of our customers are provided professional services for a fixed fee, which is initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized on a proportional-performance basis as the services are rendered. Professional services revenues composed approximately 5% of our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024.
For a description of our revenue accounting policies, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Estimates.”
Cost of Revenues
Subscription and support cost of revenues. Subscription and support cost of revenues primarily consist of amortization of acquired developed technology costs, salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation associated with our hosting operations and support personnel, amortization of capitalized internal-use software costs, cloud hosting costs, and data center costs related to hosting our cloud-based software. We also allocate a portion of overhead to subscription and support cost of revenues.
Professional services costs of revenues. Costs associated with providing professional services primarily consist of salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation associated with our implementation personnel. These costs are expensed as incurred when the services are performed. We also allocate a portion of overhead to professional services cost of revenues.
Operating Expenses
Sales and marketing. Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of compensation and employee benefits, including stock-based compensation of sales and marketing personnel and related sales support teams, sales and partner commissions, marketing events, advertising costs, computer software-related costs, travel, trade shows, other marketing materials, transaction-related costs, and allocated overhead. Sales and marketing expenses also include amortization of customer relationship intangible assets and impairment of cloud computing implementation costs. We defer sales and partner commissions and amortize them over an estimated period of benefit of five years. We expect a decline in sales and marketing expenses as a percentage of revenue in 2025 as we leverage efficiencies in sales support and further improve productivity.
Research and development. Research and development expenses are comprised primarily of salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation associated with our engineering, product and quality assurance personnel, and transaction-related costs. Research and development expenses also include third-party contractors and supplies, computer software-related costs and allocated overhead. Other than software development costs that qualify for capitalization, as discussed above, research and development costs are expensed as incurred. We expect research and development costs to remain consistent in 2025 as we execute our product roadmap and invest in strategic initiatives, including AI.
General and administrative. General and administrative expenses consist primarily of personnel costs associated with our executive, finance, legal, human resources, compliance, and other administrative personnel, as well as accounting and legal professional fees, other corporate-related expenses and allocated overhead. General and administrative expenses also include amortization of trade name intangible assets, the change in the fair value of contingent consideration, transaction-related costs, and impairment of cloud computing implementation costs. We expect general and administrative costs to remain consistent in 2025, with targeted investments in corporate IT to support innovation and automation initiatives.
Restructuring costs. Restructuring costs consist of one-time termination benefits. Refer to “Note 12 - Restructuring Costs” for additional information.
Interest income. Interest income primarily consists of earnings on our cash and cash equivalents and our marketable securities.
Interest expense. Interest expense consists primarily of interest expense associated with our Notes issued in May 2024, March 2021, and August 2019.
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes.
We are subject to federal and state income taxes in the United States and taxes in foreign jurisdictions. We use the liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under the liability method, deferred taxes are determined
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based on the temporary differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities, using tax rates expected to be in effect during the years in which the bases differences are expected to reverse.
We record a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets to the extent that realization of the deferred tax assets, including consideration of our deferred tax liabilities, is not more likely than not. During the quarter ended December 31, 2024, we determined that a U.S. valuation allowance was no longer required. This determination was based on an evaluation of positive and negative factors, including, but not limited to, our achievement of adjusted pre-tax income resulting in a three-year cumulative income position as of December 31, 2024, our full utilization of our federal net operating loss carryforward during 2024, and our projections of future pre-tax income. Based upon our assessment of all available evidence, we concluded that it is more likely than not that the remaining deferred tax assets will be realized. We recognized an income tax benefit of $43.1 million in 2024, including $89.1 million related to the reversal of the previously-recorded valuation allowance. We have also recorded a valuation allowance against certain foreign deferred tax assets.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to our results determined in accordance with GAAP, we believe the non-GAAP measures below are useful to us and our investors in evaluating our business. These non-GAAP financial measures are useful because they provide consistency and comparability with our past performance, facilitate period-to-period comparisons of operations and facilitate comparisons with other peer companies, many of which use similar non-GAAP financial measures to supplement their GAAP results.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||
| GAAP gross profit | $ | 491,371 | $ | 443,203 | ||
| GAAP gross margin | 75.2 | % | 75.1 | % | ||
| GAAP operating income | $ | 18,536 | $ | 14,348 | ||
| GAAP operating margin | 2.8 | % | 2.4 | % | ||
| GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 161,174 | $ | 52,833 | ||
| Diluted net income per share attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 1.45 | $ | 0.81 |
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||
| Non-GAAP gross profit | $ | 518,239 | $ | 468,559 | ||
| Non-GAAP gross margin | 79.3 | % | 79.4 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP operating income | $ | 126,807 | $ | 97,517 | ||
| Non-GAAP operating margin | 19.4 | % | 16.5 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 162,067 | $ | 145,195 | ||
| Diluted non-GAAP net income per share attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 2.18 | $ | 1.96 |
Non-GAAP Gross Profit and Non-GAAP Gross Margin. Non-GAAP gross profit is defined as GAAP revenues less GAAP cost of revenue adjusted for amortization of acquired developed technology, stock-based compensation, and transaction-related costs (including, but not limited to, accounting, legal, and advisory fees related to the transaction, as well as transaction-related retention bonuses). Non-GAAP gross margin is defined as non-GAAP gross profit divided by GAAP revenues. We believe that presenting non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin is useful to investors as it eliminates the impact of certain non-cash expenses and allows a direct comparison between periods.
Non-GAAP Income (Loss) from Operations and Non-GAAP Operating Margin. Non-GAAP income (loss) from operations is defined as GAAP income (loss) from operations adjusted for amortization of intangible assets, stock-based compensation, change in fair value of contingent consideration, transaction-related costs, legal settlement gains or costs, and restructuring costs. Non-GAAP operating margin is defined as non-GAAP income (loss) from operations divided by GAAP revenues. We believe that presenting non-GAAP income (loss) from operations and non-GAAP operating margin is useful to investors as it eliminates the impact of items that have been impacted by
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our acquisitions and other related costs in order to allow a direct comparison of income (loss) from operations between all periods presented.
Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss) Attributable to BlackLine and Diluted Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss) Per Share Attributable to BlackLine, Inc. Non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to BlackLine is defined as GAAP net income (loss) attributable to BlackLine adjusted for the impact of the provision for (benefit from) income taxes related to acquisitions, amortization of intangible assets, stock-based compensation, amortization of debt issuance costs from our 0.125% Convertible Senior Notes paid in 2024 (the “2024 Notes”), 0.00% Convertible Senior Notes due in 2026 (the “2026 Notes”), and 1.00% Convertible Senior Notes due in 2029 (the “2029 Notes” and, together with the 2024 and 2026 Notes, the “Notes” or “convertible senior notes”), change in fair value of contingent consideration, transaction-related costs, legal settlement gains or costs, restructuring costs, adjustment to the redeemable non-controlling interest to the redemption amount, and gain on extinguishment of convertible senior notes. Diluted non-GAAP net income (loss) per share attributable to BlackLine, Inc. includes the adjustment for shares resulting from the elimination of stock-based compensation. We believe that presenting non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to BlackLine is useful to investors as it eliminates the impact of items that have been impacted by our acquisitions and other related costs to allow a direct comparison of net income (loss) between all periods presented.
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Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The following table presents a reconciliation of gross profit, gross margin, operating income, operating margin, and net income, the most comparable GAAP measures, to non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP operating margin, and non-GAAP net income:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||
| Non-GAAP Gross Profit: | ||||||
| Gross profit | $ | 491,371 | $ | 443,203 | ||
| Amortization of acquired developed technology | 13,370 | 12,438 | ||||
| Stock-based compensation | 13,347 | 12,440 | ||||
| Transaction-related costs | 151 | 478 | ||||
| Total non-GAAP gross profit | $ | 518,239 | $ | 468,559 | ||
| Gross margin | 75.2 | % | 75.1 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP gross margin | 79.3 | % | 79.4 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP Operating Income: | ||||||
| Operating income | $ | 18,536 | $ | 14,348 | ||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 19,886 | 20,608 | ||||
| Stock-based compensation | 86,097 | 80,068 | ||||
| Change in fair value of contingent consideration | — | (33,549) | ||||
| Transaction-related costs | 568 | 5,078 | ||||
| Restructuring costs | 1,720 | 10,964 | ||||
| Total non-GAAP operating income | $ | 126,807 | $ | 97,517 | ||
| GAAP operating margin | 2.8 | % | 2.4 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP operating margin | 19.4 | % | 16.5 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP Net Income Attributable to BlackLine, Inc.: | ||||||
| Net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 161,174 | $ | 52,833 | ||
| Benefit from income taxes | (50,948) | (1,196) | ||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 19,886 | 20,608 | ||||
| Stock-based compensation | 85,654 | 79,588 | ||||
| Amortization of debt issuance costs | 4,486 | 5,535 | ||||
| Change in fair value of contingent consideration | — | (33,549) | ||||
| Transaction-related costs | 568 | 5,078 | ||||
| Restructuring costs | 1,720 | 10,964 | ||||
| Adjustment to redeemable non-controlling interest | 4,639 | 5,334 | ||||
| Gain on extinguishment of convertible senior notes | (65,112) | — | ||||
| Total non-GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 162,067 | $ | 145,195 |
Results of Operations
The following tables set forth selected historical consolidated statements of operations data, which should be read in conjunction with Critical Accounting Estimates, Liquidity and Capital Resources, and Contractual Obligations and Commitments included in this Item 7, as well as Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk and the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
On August 23, 2023 and December 7, 2022, respectively, we announced our decision to commit to restructuring plans designed to focus on key growth priorities. Refer to “Note 12 - Restructuring Costs” for additional information on these events.
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| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||
| Revenues | ||||||
| Subscription and support | $ | 619,287 | $ | 555,516 | ||
| Professional services | 34,049 | 34,480 | ||||
| Total revenues | 653,336 | 589,996 | ||||
| Cost of revenues | ||||||
| Subscription and support | 135,308 | 121,308 | ||||
| Professional services | 26,657 | 25,485 | ||||
| Total cost of revenues | 161,965 | 146,793 | ||||
| Gross profit | 491,371 | 443,203 | ||||
| Operating expenses | ||||||
| Sales and marketing | 248,347 | 243,154 | ||||
| Research and development | 100,973 | 103,207 | ||||
| General and administrative | 121,795 | 71,530 | ||||
| Restructuring costs | 1,720 | 10,964 | ||||
| Total operating expenses | 472,835 | 428,855 | ||||
| Income from operations | 18,536 | 14,348 | ||||
| Other income (expense) | ||||||
| Interest income | 49,808 | 52,059 | ||||
| Interest expense | (8,758) | (5,898) | ||||
| Gain on extinguishment of convertible senior notes | 65,112 | — | ||||
| Other income, net | 106,162 | 46,161 | ||||
| Income before income taxes | 124,698 | 60,509 | ||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | (43,067) | 1,450 | ||||
| Net income | 167,765 | 59,059 | ||||
| Net income attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest | 1,952 | 892 | ||||
| Adjustment attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest | 4,639 | 5,334 | ||||
| Net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 161,174 | $ | 52,833 |
Revenues
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Subscription and support | $ | 619,287 | $ | 555,516 | $ | 63,771 | 11 | % | ||||||
| Professional services | 34,049 | 34,480 | (431) | (1 | %) | |||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 653,336 | $ | 589,996 | $ | 63,340 | 11 | % |
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||
| Dollar-based net revenue retention rate | 102 | % | 106 | % | |
| Number of customers | 4,443 | 4,398 | |||
| Number of users | 397,477 | 386,814 |
The increase in revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, was primarily driven by revenue from existing customers, which also grew from additional users and product expansion. The total number of customers and users increased by 1% and 3%, respectively, as compared to December 31, 2023.
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Cost of revenues
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Subscription and support | $ | 135,308 | $ | 121,308 | $ | 14,000 | 12 | % | ||||||
| Professional services | 26,657 | 25,485 | 1,172 | 5 | % | |||||||||
| Total cost of revenues | $ | 161,965 | $ | 146,793 | $ | 15,172 | 10 | % | ||||||
| Gross margin | 75.2 | % | 75.1 | % |
The increase in total cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, was primarily due to the following:
•$10.8 million increase in computer software expenses due to higher spend on cloud hosting services as customers continue to migrate to GCP, as well as upgrades to support business growth;
•$3.5 million increase in amortization of developed technology due to net additions of software placed into service; and
•$2.0 million increase in employee compensation and benefits driven primarily by an increase in average compensation per employee, partially offset by a decrease in average headcount; partially offset by
•$1.0 million decrease in depreciation and amortization due to certain assets being fully amortized; and
•$0.8 million decrease in professional fees.
Sales and marketing
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | $ | 248,347 | $ | 243,154 | $ | 5,193 | 2 | % | ||||||
| Percentage of total revenues | 38.0 | % | 41.2 | % |
The increase in sales and marketing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, was primarily due to the following:
•$2.0 million increase in employee compensation and benefits driven primarily by an increase in average compensation per employee, partially offset by a decrease in average headcount;
•$1.8 million increase in professional fees;
•$1.2 million increase in costs related to strategic internal projects;
•$1.2 million increase in computer software expenses to support automation and scalability; and
•$0.8 million increase in sales-related events held in-person compared to virtual events in the prior year; partially offset by
•$1.1 million decrease in marketing expenses due to streamlined marketing efforts; and
•$0.9 million decrease in depreciation and amortization due to certain assets being fully amortized.
Research and development
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Research and development, gross | $ | 126,643 | $ | 124,546 | $ | 2,097 | 2 | % | ||||||
| Capitalized internally-developed software costs | (25,670) | (21,339) | (4,331) | 20 | % | |||||||||
| Research and development, net | $ | 100,973 | $ | 103,207 | $ | (2,234) | (2 | %) | ||||||
| Percentage of total revenues | 15.5 | % | 17.5 | % |
The decrease in research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, was primarily due to the following:
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•$4.3 million increase in capitalized software costs due to a focus on the development of new solution offerings and initiatives, cloud-based solutions, and enhancements to the overall platform user experience. Collectively, these increases resulted in a decrease in net expenses;
•$2.5 million decrease in transaction-related costs related to the FourQ Acquisition; and
•$0.5 million decrease in professional fees; partially offset by
•$4.6 million increase in employee compensation and benefits driven primarily by an increase in bonuses; and
•$0.6 million increase in rent expense for additional leasehold facilities.
We remain committed to innovation and investing in artificial intelligence to enhance our platform and business.
General and administrative
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| General and administrative | $ | 121,795 | $ | 71,530 | $ | 50,265 | 70 | % | ||||||
| Percentage of total revenues | 18.6 | % | 12.1 | % |
The increase in general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, was primarily due to the following:
•$33.5 million increase due to the decrease in the fair value of FourQ contingent consideration recorded in the year ended December 31, 2023 (refer to “Note 8 - Fair Value Measurements”);
•$16.8 million increase in employee compensation and benefits primarily related to an increase in average headcount and average compensation per employee that includes strategic initiatives to support long-term growth;
•$4.5 million increase due to net foreign currency losses resulting from the weakening of multiple currencies against the U.S. Dollar; and
•$0.6 million increase in computer software expenses to support automation and scalability; partially offset by
•$2.8 million decrease in costs related to the Data Interconnect Acquisition and internal strategic projects;
•$2.0 million decrease in professional fees; and
•$1.1 million decrease in depreciation and amortization primarily due to certain assets being fully amortized.
Restructuring costs
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Restructuring costs | $ | 1,720 | $ | 10,964 | $ | (9,244) | (84 | %) |
The decrease in restructuring costs during the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, was primarily due to lower additional one-time termination benefits for the fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022 restructuring programs. Refer to “Note 12 - Restructuring Costs” for additional information.
Interest income
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Interest income | $ | 49,808 | $ | 52,059 | $ | (2,251) | (4 | %) |
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The decrease in interest income during the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, was due to a decrease in average balances, partially offset by an increase in average interest rates on our investments and cash balances.
Interest expense
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Interest expense | $ | 8,758 | $ | 5,898 | $ | 2,860 | 48 | % |
The increase in interest expense during the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, was primarily due to the amortization of debt issuance costs and cash interest expense related to our 2029 Notes issued in May 2024, partially offset by a decrease in interest expense resulting from the partial repurchase of our 2026 Notes and the repayment of our 2024 Notes in August 2024. Refer to “Note 11 - Convertible Senior Notes” for additional information. We do not expect interest expense to fluctuate significantly over the next 12 months as the interest rates on our Notes are fixed.
Gain on extinguishment of convertible senior notes
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | ||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | |||||||||||||
| Gain on extinguishment of convertible senior notes | $ | 65,112 | $ | — | $ | 65,112 | N/M |
The gain on extinguishment of convertible senior notes during the year ended December 31, 2024 resulted from the partial repurchase of our 2026 Notes in May 2024. Refer to “Note 11 - Convertible Senior Notes” for additional information.
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | ||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | |||||||||||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | $ | (43,067) | $ | 1,450 | $ | (44,517) | N/M |
We are subject to federal and state income taxes in the U.S. and taxes in foreign jurisdictions. During the quarter ended December 31, 2024, we determined that our U.S. deferred tax asset valuation allowance was no longer required. This determination was based on an evaluation of positive and negative factors, including, but not limited to, our achievement of pre-tax income during the quarter ended June 30, 2023 and each subsequent quarter since, our full utilization of our federal net operating loss carryforward during 2024, and our projections of future pre-tax income. For the year ended December 31, 2024, our annual estimated effective tax rate differed from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% primarily as a result of the $89.1 million release of our U.S. valuation allowance, along with state and foreign taxes. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we recorded $43.1 million in income tax benefit and $1.5 million in income tax expense, respectively. The decrease in income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, resulted primarily from the 2024 release of $89.1 million of the 2023 U.S. valuation allowance, partially offset by our 2024 current and deferred federal and state income taxes of $44.6 million, and changes in the mix of profitable foreign jurisdictions.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
At December 31, 2024, our principal sources of liquidity were an aggregate of $885.9 million of cash and cash equivalents. Our cash equivalents consist of short-term, money market mutual funds.
We believe our existing cash and cash equivalents and cash from operations will be sufficient to meet our working capital needs, capital expenditures, financing obligations, and share repurchases, if any, for at least the next 12 months.
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Contractual Obligations and Commitments
Convertible senior notes and capped calls
We had $905.2 million aggregate principal amount of Notes outstanding at December 31, 2024. We plan to, and believe we are able to, make all expected interest payments in the next 12 months.
In connection with the offering of the 2026 Notes, we entered into privately-negotiated capped call transactions (the “2026 Capped Calls”) with certain counterparties covering, subject to anti-dilution adjustments, approximately 6.9 million shares of our common stock, and are generally expected to offset the potential economic dilution of our common stock upon any conversions of the 2026 Notes up to the initial cap price. The 2026 Capped Calls have an initial strike price of $166.23 per share subject to certain adjustments, which corresponds to the initial conversion price of the 2026 Notes and an initial cap price of $233.31 per share, subject to certain adjustments. As of December 31, 2024, all of the 2026 Capped Calls remained outstanding.
In connection with the offering of the 2029 Notes, we entered into privately-negotiated capped call transactions (the “2029 Capped Calls” and together with the 2026 Capped Calls, the “Capped Calls”) with certain counterparties covering, subject to anti-dilution adjustments, approximately 9.9 million shares of our common stock and are generally expected to offset the potential economic dilution of our common stock upon any conversions of the 2029 Notes up to the initial cap price. The 2029 Capped Calls have an initial strike price of $68.47 per share subject to certain adjustments, which corresponds to the initial conversion price of the 2029 Notes and an initial cap price of $92.17 per share, subject to certain adjustments. As of December 31, 2024, all of the 2029 Capped Calls remained outstanding.
Lease Liabilities
As of December 31, 2024, we have obligations totaling $23.9 million related to existing property and equipment leases.
Purchase Obligations
Purchase obligations represent our most significant contractual obligations in the ordinary course of business for which we have not received the related goods or services, in whole or in part. At December 31, 2024, we have $216 million of contractual obligations related to eleven commitments, with $60 million payable within 12 months, and have additional contractual obligations with other vendors that are individually immaterial and which we can readily settle given our liquidity position and capital resources.
Contingent Consideration
As a condition of the FourQ Acquisition, we agreed to pay a maximum of $73.2 million of contingent consideration between January 2022 and January 2025 if certain financial performance milestones were met. At December 31, 2024, the related liability for the FourQ Acquisition was zero. As of the filing date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the financial performance milestones were not met, and we are no longer obligated to pay the contingent consideration of $73.2 million. Refer to “Note 16 - Contingent Consideration” for additional information.
Unrecognized Tax Liabilities
At December 31, 2024, while we have liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits of $18.7 million, due to their nature, there is a high degree of uncertainty regarding the timing of future cash outflows and other events that extinguish these liabilities.
Letters of Credit
Commitments under letters of credit at December 31, 2024 were scheduled to expire as follows (in thousands):
| Total | Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | Thereafter | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letters of credit | $ | 603 | $ | 32 | $ | 403 | $ | 168 | $ | — |
Letters of credit are maintained pursuant to certain of our lease arrangements. The letters of credit remain in effect at varying levels through the terms of the related agreements.
Repurchase Program
On November 17, 2024, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $200.0 million of our common stock. The authorization will expire at the end of the first quarter of fiscal year 2027. Repurchases may be made from time to time through open market repurchases or through privately-negotiated transactions subject to market conditions, applicable legal requirements and other relevant factors. Open market repurchases may be structured to occur in accordance with the requirements of Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
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amended. We may also, from time to time, enter into Rule 10b5-1 plans to facilitate repurchases of its shares under this authorization. The repurchase program does not obligate us to acquire any particular amount of our common stock, and it may be suspended at any time in our discretion. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased may depend on a variety of factors, including price, general business and market conditions, and alternative investment opportunities.
As of December 31, 2024, we have not repurchased any shares under the repurchase program.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As part of our ongoing business, we do not have any relationships with other entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities that have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes. We are therefore not exposed to any financing, liquidity, market or credit risk that could arise if we had engaged in those types of relationships.
In the ordinary course of business, we may provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to customers, vendors, investors, directors and officers with respect to certain matters, including, but not limited to, losses arising out of our breach of such agreements, services to be provided by us, or from intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties. These indemnification provisions may survive termination of the underlying agreement and the maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification provisions may not be subject to maximum loss clauses. The maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification provisions is indeterminable. We have never paid a material claim, nor have we been sued in connection with these indemnification arrangements. At December 31, 2024, we have not accrued a liability for these indemnification arrangements because the likelihood of incurring a payment obligation, if any, in connection with these indemnification arrangements is not probable or reasonably estimable.
Future Capital Requirements
Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including our growth rate, strategic relationships and international operations, the timing and extent of spending to support research and development efforts, future merger and acquisition activities, repurchase or refinancing of our existing indebtedness, repurchases of our common stock, and the continuing market acceptance of our solutions. From time to time, we have required, and may in the future require or opportunistically raise, additional equity or debt financing. Sales of additional equity or equity-linked securities could result in dilution to our stockholders. If we raise funds by borrowing from third parties, the terms of those financing arrangements would require us to incur interest expense and may include negative covenants or other restrictions on our business that could impair our operating flexibility. We can provide no assurance that financing will be available at all or, if available, that we would be able to obtain financing on terms favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional capital when needed, we would be required to curtail our operating activities and capital expenditures, and our business operating results and financial condition would be adversely affected.
Cash Flows
The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 190,836 | $ | 126,613 | ||
| Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | $ | 924,440 | $ | (62,483) | ||
| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | $ | (500,145) | $ | 6,146 |
Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities
Our cash flows provided by operating activities are primarily influenced by our net income, as applicable, and cash generated from collections in accordance with our subscription-based revenue model wherein billings occur in advance of revenue recognition, as well as the substantial amount of non-cash charges that we incur. Non-cash activities primarily include stock-based compensation, a gain on extinguishment from the partial repurchase of our 2026 Notes, deferred taxes, depreciation and amortization, accretion of discounts on marketable securities, changes in fair value of contingent consideration, non-cash lease expense, and amortization of debt issuance costs.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, cash provided by operating activities was $190.8 million, resulting from net income of $167.8 million, net cash flow provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities of $16.8
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million, and net non-cash expenses of $6.3 million. The $16.8 million net cash flow provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities reflected primarily the following:
•$19.0 million increase in deferred revenue was primarily driven by customer and user growth, and timing of collections for subscription and support;
•$7.1 million increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities primarily due to annual bonus accruals, cloud-based data storage services, and timing of foreign tax payments;
•$2.7 million net decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets primarily due to a decrease in accrued interest and amortization of prepaid balances, partially offset by the timing of tax payments and prepaid cloud-based data storage costs to support our suite of solutions; and
•$2.5 million decrease in other assets due to a net decrease in prepaid commissions, partially offset by cloud computing costs.
These changes in our operating assets and liabilities were partially offset by the following:
•$7.6 million increase in accounts receivable primarily due to increased sales, partially offset by customer payments;
•$6.0 million decrease in operating lease liabilities; and
•$1.1 million decrease in accounts payable due to timing of payments.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, cash provided by operating activities was $126.6 million, resulting from net non-cash expenses of $71.9 million and net income of $59.1 million, partially offset by a net cash outflow from changes in operating assets and liabilities of $4.4 million. The $4.4 million net cash outflow from changes in our operating assets and liabilities reflected the following:
•$20.9 million increase in accounts receivable due to increased sales, partially offset by customer payments;
•$7.2 million decrease in operating lease liabilities;
•$6.6 million increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets primarily due to increased insurance and software subscriptions, higher accrued interest, and increased capitalized commissions, partially offset by amortization of prepaid balances and interest received;
•$5.1 million decrease in accounts payable due to timing of payments;
•$2.4 million paid for the 2013 Acquisition contingent consideration in excess of the acquisition date fair value (refer to “Note 16 - Contingent Consideration” for additional information);
•$2.3 million decrease in other long-term liabilities primarily related to the FourQ Acquisition; and
•$0.6 million increase in other assets due to increased prepaid commissions, partially offset by related amortization.
These changes in our operating assets and liabilities were partially offset by a $41.3 million increase in deferred revenue primarily due to customer and user growth and timing of collections.
Net Cash Provided By (Used In) Investing Activities
Our investing activities consist primarily of investments in, and maturities and sales of marketable securities, capitalized software development costs, acquisitions of business entities, and capital expenditures for property and equipment.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, cash provided by investing activities was $924.4 million, primarily as a result of the following:
•$951.3 million of proceeds from maturities and sales, net of purchases of marketable securities; partially offset by
•$24.7 million for capitalized software development costs; and
•$2.1 million in purchases of property and equipment.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, cash used in investing activities was $62.5 million as a result of the following:
•$23.5 million of purchases of marketable securities, net of proceeds from maturities;
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•$21.6 million in capitalized software development costs;
•$11.4 million paid for the DI Acquisition, net of cash acquired; and
•$6.0 million in purchases of property and equipment.
Net Cash Provided By (Used In) Financing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2024, cash used in financing activities was $500.1 million, primarily as a result of the following:
•$848.5 million for the partial repurchase of the 2026 Notes;
•$250.0 million for the repayment of the 2024 Notes with cash on hand;
•$59.7 million for the purchase of the associated Capped Calls for the 2029 Notes; and
•$17.5 million for acquisitions of common stock for tax withholding obligations; partially offset by
•$662.0 million of proceeds, net of debt issuance costs, from the issuance of the 2029 Notes;
•$7.6 million of proceeds from exercises of stock options; and
•$7.0 million of proceeds from the employee stock purchase plan.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, cash provided by financing activities was $6.1 million, primarily as a result of the following:
•$19.8 million of proceeds from exercises of stock options; and
•$8.0 million of proceeds from the employee stock purchase plan.
These changes in our financing activities were partially offset by the following:
•$15.0 million of acquisitions of common stock for tax withholding obligations;
•$5.6 million paid for the 2013 Acquisition contingent consideration (refer to “Note 16 - Contingent Consideration” for additional information); and
•$1.0 million for finance lease payments.
Backlog
We enter into both single and multi-year subscription contracts for our solutions. The timing of our invoices to the customer is a negotiated term and thus varies among our subscription contracts. For multi-year agreements, it is common to invoice an initial amount at contract signing followed by subsequent annual invoices. Backlog represents remaining revenue to be recognized under a non-cancelable contract with customers. At December 31, 2024 and 2023, we had backlog of approximately $879.4 million and $842.7 million, respectively. We expect backlog will change from period to period for several reasons, including the timing and duration of customer agreements, varying billing cycles of subscription agreements, and the timing and duration of customer renewals. Because revenue for any period is a function of revenue recognized from deferred revenue under contracts in existence at the beginning of the period, as well as contract renewals and new customer contracts during the period, backlog at the beginning of any period is not necessarily indicative of future revenue performance. We do not utilize backlog as a key management metric internally.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our estimates are based on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Our actual results could differ from these estimates.
We believe that the following critical accounting policies and estimates involve a greater degree of judgment or complexity than our other accounting policies and estimates, and are essential to a full understanding and evaluation of our consolidated financial condition and results of operations. Refer to “Note 2 - Basis of Presentation, Significant Accounting Policies, and Recently-Issued Accounting Pronouncements” of the accompanying notes to our consolidated financial statements for additional information.
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Deferred Customer Acquisition Costs
We recognize an asset for the incremental and recoverable costs of obtaining a contract with a customer if we expect the benefit of those costs to be one year or longer. We have determined that certain sales incentive programs to our employees (“deferred customer contract acquisition costs”) and our partners (“partner referral fees”) meet the requirements to be capitalized. Deferred customer acquisition costs related to new revenue contracts and upsells are deferred and then amortized on a straight-line basis over the expected period of benefit that we have determined to be five years, based upon both the product turnover rate and estimated customer life, which involves some level of judgment in terms of the inherent assumptions used. Partner referral fees are deferred and then amortized on a straight-line basis over a period ranging from one year to five years. Deferred customer acquisition costs and partner referral fees are included within other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. There were no impairment losses in relation to the costs capitalized for the periods presented.
Capitalized Software Costs
We account for the costs of computer software obtained or developed for internal use in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other. We capitalize certain implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract. These capitalized costs exclude training costs, project management costs, and data migration costs. We capitalize certain costs in the development of our SaaS subscription solutions when (i) the preliminary project stage is completed, (ii) management has authorized further funding for the completion of the project, and (iii) it is probable that the project will be completed and performed as intended. These capitalized costs include estimated personnel and related expenses for employees as well as costs of third-party contractors who are directly associated with and who devote time to internal-use software projects and, when material, interest costs incurred during the development. Capitalization of these costs ceases once the project is substantially complete and the software is ready for its intended purpose. Costs incurred for significant upgrades and enhancements to our SaaS software solutions are also capitalized. Costs incurred for post-configuration training, maintenance and minor modifications or enhancements are expensed as incurred. Capitalized software development costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over an estimated useful life of three years.
Business Combinations
The results of businesses acquired in business combinations are included in our consolidated financial statements from the date of the acquisition. Purchase accounting results in assets and liabilities of an acquired business being recorded at their estimated fair values on the acquisition date. Any excess consideration over the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill.
We perform valuations of assets acquired and liabilities assumed and allocate the purchase price to its respective assets and liabilities. Determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed requires our management to use significant judgment and estimates, including the selection of valuation methodologies, estimates of future revenue, costs and cash flows, discount rates, and selection of comparable companies. We engage the assistance of valuation specialists in concluding on fair value measurements in connection with determining fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations.
Contingent consideration payable in cash arising from business combinations is recorded at fair value as a liability on the acquisition date and remeasured at each reporting date. Changes in fair value are recorded in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Determining the fair value of the contingent consideration each period requires management to make assumptions and judgments. These estimates involve inherent uncertainties, and if different assumptions had been used, the fair value of contingent consideration could have been materially different from the amounts recorded. The significant inputs used in the fair value measurement of contingent consideration was the amount and timing of new and incremental combined bookings from FourQ and BlackLine, and revenues from a specified FourQ customer over a three-year period subsequent to the acquisition.
Significant changes in these estimates and the periods in which they are generated would significantly impact the fair value of the contingent consideration liability. As of the filing date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the financial performance milestones were not met, and we are no longer obligated to pay the contingent consideration of $73.2 million. Refer to “Note 16 - Contingent Consideration” for additional information.
Transaction-related costs incurred by us are expensed as incurred and are included in general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of operations.
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Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Refer to “Note 2 - Basis of Presentation, Significant Accounting Policies, and Recently-Issued Accounting Pronouncements” contained in the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a full description of the recent accounting pronouncements, and our expectation of their impact, if any, on our results of operations and financial condition.
FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001666134-24-000003.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with the financial statements and the related notes set forth in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” The following discussion also contains forward-looking statements, which are based upon current plans, expectations, and beliefs. These statements involve risks and uncertainties. See Part I, “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the forward-looking statements contained below and Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” for a discussion of certain risks that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in such forward-looking statements.
This discussion and analysis deals with comparisons of material changes in the consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022. For the comparison of fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2021, see Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Part II, Item 7 of our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 23, 2023.
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Overview
We have created comprehensive cloud-based solutions designed to transform and modernize accounting and finance operations for midsize and enterprise organizations in all industries globally. Our secure, scalable solutions transform critical processes, including financial close, intercompany accounting, invoice-to-cash, and consolidation. By introducing software that unifies critical data and enables process orchestration and automation, we empower accounting and finance professionals to improve the integrity of their financial reporting, reduce time spent on manual work, accelerate cash flows, and redeploy resources to focus on analysis and business partnership.
At December 31, 2023, we had 386,814 individual users across 4,398 customers. Additionally, we continue to build strategic relationships with technology vendors, professional services firms, business process outsourcers, and resellers.
We are a holding company and conduct our operations through our wholly-owned subsidiary, BlackLine Systems, Inc. (“BlackLine Systems”). On September 3, 2013, we acquired BlackLine Systems, and outside investors acquired a controlling interest in us, which we refer to as the “2013 Acquisition.” The 2013 Acquisition was accounted for as a business combination under GAAP and resulted in a change in accounting basis as of the date of the 2013 Acquisition.
Our cloud-based solutions include Account Reconciliations, Transaction Matching, Task Management, Financial Reporting Analytics, Journal Entry, Variance Analysis, Consolidation Integrity Manager, Compliance, Smart Close for SAP, BlackLine Cash Application, Credit & Risk Management, Collections Management, Disputes & Deductions Management, Team & Task Management, AR Intelligence, Electronic Invoicing & Compliance, Intercompany Create, Intercompany Balance and Resolve, and Intercompany Net and Settle. These solutions are offered to customers as scalable solutions that support critical record-to-report and invoice-to-cash processes.
We derived approximately 94% of our revenue from subscriptions to our cloud-based software platform and approximately 6% from professional services for the year ended December 31, 2023. Our subscription contracts have initial non-cancellable terms of one year to three years with renewal options. The majority of new contracts in 2023 and 2022 had an initial term of three years. We price our subscriptions based on a number of factors, primarily the number of users having access to the products and the number of products purchased by the customer. We typically invoice customers annually in advance for subscriptions, which is initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized ratably over the term of the customer contract. The first year of subscription fees are typically payable within 30 days after execution of a contract, and thereafter upon renewal.
Professional services consist primarily of implementation and consulting services. With the exception of our intercompany accounting solutions acquired from the FourQ Acquisition, our product offerings are available for immediate use on our platform after granting access to a new customer. We typically help customers implement our solutions, and we also provide consulting services to help customers optimize the use of our products. We invoice customers for our consulting services on a time-and-materials basis and recognize that revenue as services are performed. A limited number of our customers are provided professional services for a fixed fee which we invoice in advance and is initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized on a proportional-performance basis as the services are rendered.
We sell our solutions primarily through our direct sales force, which leverages our relationships with technology vendors, professional services firms and business process outsourcers. In particular, our solution integrates with SAP’s ERP solutions, and SAP is part of the reseller channel that we use in the ordinary course of business. SAP has the ability to resell our solutions as SolEx, for which we receive a percentage of the revenues. We also have an agreement with Google Cloud in which we collaborate with them on joint selling and go-to-market activities and bring enhanced automation solutions for finance and accounting to new and existing customers.
Our ability to maximize the lifetime value of our customer relationships will depend, in part, on the willingness of customers to purchase additional user licenses and products from us. We rely on our sales and customer success teams to support and grow our existing customers by maintaining high customer satisfaction and educating customers on the value all our products provide.
The length of our sales cycle depends on the size of a potential customer and contract, as well as the type of solution or product being purchased. The sales cycle for our global enterprise customers is generally longer than that of our midsize customers. In addition, the length of the sales cycle tends to increase for larger contracts and for more complex, strategic products like Intercompany Financial Management. As we continue to focus on increasing our average contract size and selling more strategic products, we expect our sales cycle to lengthen and become less predictable, which could cause variability in our results for any particular period.
We have historically signed a high percentage of agreements with new customers, as well as renewal agreements with existing customers, in the fourth quarter of each year and usually during the last month of the
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quarter. This can be attributed to buying patterns typical in the software industry. As the terms of most of our customer agreements are measured in full year increments, agreements initially entered into during the fourth quarter or last month of any quarter will generally come up for renewal at that same time in subsequent years. This seasonality is reflected in our revenues, though the impact to overall annual or quarterly revenues is minimal due to the fact that we recognize subscription revenue ratably over the term of the customer contract.
For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, we had revenues totaling $590.0 million, $522.9 million, and $425.7 million, respectively. We generated net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. of $52.8 million and incurred net losses attributable to BlackLine, Inc. of $29.4 million, and $115.2 million, for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.
Global Macroeconomic Factors
Our operating results may vary based on the impact of changes in our industry or the global economy on us or our customers. General macroeconomic conditions, such as a recession or rising inflation rates, an economic downturn in the U.S. or internationally, adverse business conditions and liquidity concerns, or bank failures or instability in the financial services sector, has and could continue to adversely affect demand for our products and make it difficult to accurately forecast and plan our future business activities. In recent quarters, as a result of economic uncertainty, we have seen customers delay and defer purchasing decisions, which has adversely impacted our near-term demand.
Acquisition of Data Interconnect
On September 12, 2023, we completed the DI Acquisition for cash consideration of $11.4 million, which was paid at the closing of the acquisition. The DI Acquisition enhances our existing accounts receivable automation solution capabilities through EIPP. Transaction-related costs, which include, but are not limited to, accounting, legal, and advisory fees related to the transaction, totaled approximately $1.2 million and were expensed as incurred during the year ended December 31, 2023.
BlackLine accounted for the transaction as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting. The total purchase price was allocated to the tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their respective estimated fair values on the acquisition date. The purchase price allocation was finalized as of the filing date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Acquisition of FourQ
On January 26, 2022, we completed the FourQ Acquisition and paid with cash consideration of $160.2 million upon closing of the acquisition. In addition, upon certain earnout conditions being met, contingent cash consideration of up to $73.2 million is payable. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, and due to a revision of estimates, we decreased the fair value of the FourQ contingent consideration and reversed expense of $33.5 million and $22.4 million, respectively. Refer to “Note 16 - Contingent Consideration” for additional information.
With the FourQ Acquisition, we seek to enhance our existing intercompany accounting automation capabilities by driving end-to-end automation of traditionally manual intercompany accounting processes and further accelerating our larger, long-term plan for transforming and modernizing finance and accounting. This acquisition was not a significant acquisition under Regulation S-X, and the purchase accounting allocation is final.
Restructuring Costs
Fiscal 2023 Restructuring Program
On August 23, 2023, we announced a restructuring plan that is designed to support our growth, scale, and profitability objectives. As part of the restructuring, we reduced our global workforce by approximately 9.0%, or 166 total employee positions. Restructuring costs related to the August 2023 restructuring consisted of one-time termination benefits that were primarily incurred in the third quarter of fiscal 2023. Refer to “Note 12 - Restructuring Costs” for additional information.
We anticipate annual gross cost savings of approximately $28.0 million to be realized from the restructuring plan by year-end 2024. We expect to make selective investments designed to enable growth while balancing our efforts to drive cost efficiency.
Fiscal 2022 Restructuring Program
On December 7, 2022, we announced our decision to commit to a restructuring plan that was designed to focus on key growth priorities. Restructuring costs related to the December 2022 restructuring consisted of one-time termination benefits that were primarily incurred in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 and the first quarter of fiscal 2023. Refer to “Note 12 - Restructuring Costs” for additional information.
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Key Metrics
We regularly review a number of metrics, including the following key metrics, to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate financial projections, and make strategic decisions.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
| Dollar-based net revenue retention rate | 106 | % | 107 | % | 109 | % | ||
| Number of customers | 4,398 | 4,188 | 3,825 | |||||
| Number of users | 386,814 | 366,522 | 328,389 |
Dollar-based net revenue retention rate. We believe that dollar-based net revenue retention rate is an important metric to measure the long-term value of customer agreements and our ability to retain and grow our relationships with existing customers over time. We calculate dollar-based net revenue retention rate as the implied monthly subscription and support revenue at the end of a period for the base set of customers from which we generated subscription revenue in the year prior to the calculation, divided by the implied monthly subscription and support revenue one year prior to the date of calculation for that same customer base. This calculation does not reflect implied monthly subscription and support revenue for new customers added during the one-year period but does include the effect of customers who terminated during the period. We define implied monthly subscription and support revenue as the total amount of minimum subscription and support revenue contractually committed to, under each of our customer agreements over the entire term of the agreement, divided by the number of months in the term of the agreement. At December 31, 2023, our dollar-based net revenue retention rate declined marginally from the year ended December 31, 2022 due to a more moderate pace of acquiring customer accounts. Our ability to maximize the lifetime value of our customer relationships will depend, in part, on the willingness of the customer to purchase additional user licenses and products from us. We rely on our customer success and sales teams to support and grow our existing customers by maintaining high customer satisfaction and educating the customer on the value all our products provide.
Number of customers. We believe that our ability to expand our customer base is an indicator of our market penetration and the growth of our business. We define a customer as a company that contributes to our subscription and support revenue as of the measurement date. In situations where an organization has multiple subsidiaries or divisions, each entity that is invoiced as a separate entity is treated as a separate customer. However, where an existing customer requests its invoice be divided for the sole purpose of restructuring its internal billing arrangement without any incremental increase in revenue, such customer continues to be treated as a single customer. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, no single customer accounted for more than 10% of our total revenues.
Number of users. Since our customers generally pay fees based on the number of users of our platform within their organization, we believe the total number of users is an indicator of the growth of our business. While the fees for the majority of the products we sell are user-based, we are seeing an increasing volume of transactions for our non-user based strategic products, such as EIPP, Transaction Matching, Intercompany, and BlackLine Cash Application.
Key Components of our Results of Operations
Revenues
Subscription and support. Our subscription contracts have initial non-cancellable terms of one year to three years with renewal options. The majority of new contracts in 2023 and 2022 had an initial term of three years. Fees are based on a number of factors, including the solutions subscribed to by the customer and the number of users having access to the solutions. The first year of subscription fees are typically payable within 30 days after execution of a contract, and thereafter upon renewal. We initially record the subscription fees as deferred revenue and recognize revenue ratably over the term of the contract. At any time during the subscription period, customers may increase their number of users and add products. Additional fees are payable for the remainder of the initial or renewed contract term. Customers may only reduce their number of users or subscription to products upon renewal of their arrangement. Revenues from subscriptions to our cloud-based software platform composed approximately 94% of our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Subscription and support revenues also include revenues associated with sales of on-premise software licenses and related support, but we no longer develop any new applications or functionality for our legacy on-premise software, and anticipate that this component of our revenues will continue to decline relative to total revenue.
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Professional services. We offer our customers implementation and consulting services. With the exception of our intercompany accounting solutions acquired from the FourQ Acquisition, our product offerings are available for immediate use on our platform after granting access to a new customer. We typically help customers implement our solutions, and we also provide consulting and training services to help customers optimize the use of our products. These services are considered distinct performance obligations. Professional services do not result in significant customization of the subscription service. We apply the practical expedient to recognize professional services revenue when we have the right to invoice based on time and materials incurred. A limited number of our customers are provided professional services for a fixed fee, which is initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized on a proportional-performance basis as the services are rendered. Professional services revenues composed approximately 6% of our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023.
For a description of our revenue accounting policies, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Estimates.”
Cost of Revenues
Subscription and support cost of revenues. Subscription and support cost of revenues primarily consists of amortization of acquired developed technology costs, salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation associated with our hosting operations and support personnel, amortization of capitalized internal-use software costs, and data center costs related to hosting our cloud-based software. We also allocate a portion of overhead to subscription and support cost of revenues.
Professional services costs of revenues. Costs associated with providing professional services primarily consist of salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation associated with our implementation personnel. These costs are expensed as incurred when the services are performed. We also allocate a portion of overhead to professional services cost of revenues.
Operating Expenses
Sales and marketing. Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of compensation and employee benefits, including stock-based compensation of sales and marketing personnel and related sales support teams, sales and partner commissions, marketing events, advertising costs, computer software-related costs, travel, trade shows, other marketing materials, transaction-related costs, and allocated overhead. Sales and marketing expenses also include amortization of customer relationship intangible assets and impairment of cloud computing implementation costs. We defer sales and partner commissions and amortize them over an estimated period of benefit of five years. We expect sales and marketing expenses to increase in 2024 primarily due to investments in strategic initiatives to support sales enablement, product, and partner initiatives.
Research and development. Research and development expenses are comprised primarily of salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation associated with our engineering, product and quality assurance personnel, and transaction-related costs. Research and development expenses also include third-party contractors and supplies, computer software-related costs and allocated overhead. Other than software development costs that qualify for capitalization, as discussed above, research and development costs are expensed as incurred. We expect research and development costs to increase in 2024 due to incremental headcount primarily to support our 2024 product roadmap and investments in strategic initiatives, including AI.
General and administrative. General and administrative expenses consist primarily of personnel costs associated with our executive, finance, legal, human resources, compliance, and other administrative personnel, as well as accounting and legal professional fees, other corporate-related expenses and allocated overhead. General and administrative expenses also include amortization of trade name intangible assets, the change in the fair value of contingent consideration, transaction-related costs, and impairment of cloud computing implementation costs. We expect general and administrative costs to increase in 2024 for strategic initiatives and for investments primarily in corporate IT to support scale and automation activities.
Restructuring costs. Restructuring costs consist of one-time termination benefits. Refer to “Note 12 - Restructuring Costs” for additional information.
Interest income. Interest income primarily consists of earnings on our cash and cash equivalents and our marketable securities.
Interest expense. Interest expense consists primarily of interest expense associated with our Notes issued in August 2019 and March 2021.
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes.
We are subject to federal and state income taxes in the United States and taxes in foreign jurisdictions. We use the liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under the liability method, deferred taxes are determined
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based on the temporary differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities, using tax rates expected to be in effect during the years in which the bases differences are expected to reverse.
We record a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets to the extent that realization of the deferred tax assets, including consideration of our deferred tax liabilities, is not more likely than not. For the year ended December 31, 2023, for both federal and state income taxes, we have recorded a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets because of our cumulative operating losses since inception, as we believe that the realization of the deferred tax assets is currently not more likely than not. We have also recorded a valuation allowance against certain foreign deferred tax assets.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to our results determined in accordance with GAAP, we believe the non-GAAP measures below are useful to us and our investors in evaluating our business. These non-GAAP financial measures are useful because they provide consistency and comparability with our past performance, facilitate period-to-period comparisons of operations and facilitate comparisons with other peer companies, many of which use similar non-GAAP financial measures to supplement their GAAP results.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||
| GAAP gross profit | $ | 443,203 | $ | 393,553 | ||
| GAAP gross margin | 75.1 | % | 75.3 | % | ||
| GAAP operating income (loss) | $ | 14,348 | $ | (56,198) | ||
| GAAP operating margin | 2.4 | % | (10.7 | %) | ||
| GAAP net income (loss) attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 52,833 | $ | (29,391) | ||
| Diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 0.81 | $ | (0.49) |
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||
| Non-GAAP gross profit | $ | 468,559 | $ | 414,818 | ||
| Non-GAAP gross margin | 79.4 | % | 79.3 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP operating income | $ | 97,517 | $ | 31,998 | ||
| Non-GAAP operating margin | 16.5 | % | 6.1 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 145,195 | $ | 46,243 | ||
| Diluted non-GAAP net income per share attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 1.96 | $ | 0.64 |
Non-GAAP Gross Profit and Non-GAAP Gross Margin. Non-GAAP gross profit is defined as GAAP revenues less GAAP cost of revenue adjusted for amortization of acquired developed technology, transaction-related costs (including, but not limited to, accounting, legal, and advisory fees related to the transaction, as well as transaction-related retention bonuses), and stock-based compensation. Non-GAAP gross margin is defined as non-GAAP gross profit divided by GAAP revenues. We believe that presenting non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin is useful to investors as it eliminates the impact of certain non-cash expenses and allows a direct comparison between periods.
Non-GAAP Income (Loss) from Operations and Non-GAAP Operating Margin. Non-GAAP income (loss) from operations is defined as GAAP income (loss) from operations adjusted for amortization of intangible assets, stock-based compensation, change in fair value of contingent consideration, transaction-related costs, legal settlement gains or costs, impairment of cloud computing implementation costs and restructuring costs. Non-GAAP operating margin is defined as non-GAAP income from operations divided by GAAP revenues. We believe that presenting non-GAAP income (loss) from operations and non-GAAP operating margin is useful to investors as it eliminates the impact of items that have been impacted by BlackLine’s acquisitions and other related costs in order to allow a direct comparison of income (loss) from operations between all periods presented.
Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss) Attributable to BlackLine and Diluted Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss) Per Share Attributable to BlackLine, Inc. Non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to BlackLine is defined as GAAP net income
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(loss) attributable to BlackLine adjusted for the impact of the provision for (benefit from) income taxes related to acquisitions, amortization of intangible assets, stock-based compensation, amortization of debt issuance costs from our convertible notes, change in fair value of contingent consideration, transaction-related costs, legal settlement gains or costs, impairment of cloud computing implementation costs, restructuring costs, and the adjustment to the redeemable non-controlling interest to the redemption amount. Diluted non-GAAP net income per share attributable to BlackLine, Inc. includes the adjustment for shares resulting from the elimination of stock-based compensation. We believe that presenting non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to BlackLine is useful to investors as it eliminates the impact of items that have been impacted by our acquisitions and other related costs to allow a direct comparison of net income (loss) between all periods presented.
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The following table presents a reconciliation of gross profit, gross margin, and net income (loss), the most comparable GAAP measures, to non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, and non-GAAP net income:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||
| Non-GAAP Gross Profit: | ||||||
| Gross profit | $ | 443,203 | $ | 393,553 | ||
| Amortization of acquired developed technology | 12,438 | 11,315 | ||||
| Stock-based compensation(1) | 12,440 | 8,595 | ||||
| Transaction-related costs | 478 | 1,355 | ||||
| Total non-GAAP gross profit | $ | 468,559 | $ | 414,818 | ||
| Gross margin | 75.1 | % | 75.3 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP gross margin | 79.4 | % | 79.3 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP Operating Income: | ||||||
| Operating income (loss) | $ | 14,348 | $ | (56,198) | ||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 20,608 | 19,731 | ||||
| Stock-based compensation(1) | 80,068 | 75,884 | ||||
| Change in fair value of contingent consideration | (33,549) | (35,130) | ||||
| Transaction-related costs | 5,078 | 16,831 | ||||
| Legal settlement costs | — | 1,709 | ||||
| Impairment of cloud computing implementation costs | — | 5,330 | ||||
| Restructuring costs | 10,964 | 3,841 | ||||
| Total non-GAAP operating income | $ | 97,517 | $ | 31,998 | ||
| GAAP operating margin | 2.4 | % | (10.7 | %) | ||
| Non-GAAP operating margin | 16.5 | % | 6.1 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP Net Income Attributable to BlackLine, Inc.: | ||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 52,833 | $ | (29,391) | ||
| Benefit from income taxes | (1,196) | (13,634) | ||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 20,608 | 19,731 | ||||
| Stock-based compensation(1) | 79,588 | 75,576 | ||||
| Amortization of debt issuance costs | 5,535 | 5,511 | ||||
| Change in fair value of contingent consideration | (33,549) | (35,130) | ||||
| Transaction-related costs | 5,078 | 16,831 | ||||
| Legal settlement costs | — | 1,709 | ||||
| Impairment of cloud computing implementation costs | — | 5,330 | ||||
| Restructuring costs | 10,964 | 3,841 | ||||
| Adjustment to redeemable non-controlling interest | 5,334 | (4,131) | ||||
| Total non-GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 145,195 | $ | 46,243 |
(1) Beginning in 2023, includes amortization related to stock-based compensation that was capitalized in capitalized software development costs in previous periods and totaled $2.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.
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Results of Operations
The following tables set forth selected historical consolidated statements of operations data, which should be read in conjunction with Critical Accounting Estimates, Liquidity and Capital Resources, and Contractual Obligations and Commitments included in this Item 7, as well as Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk and the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
On August 23, 2023 and December 7, 2022, respectively, we announced our decision to commit to restructuring plans designed to focus on key growth priorities. Refer to “Note 12 - Restructuring Costs” for additional information on these events.
Consolidated statements of operations information was as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||
| Revenues | ||||||
| Subscription and support | $ | 555,516 | $ | 491,187 | ||
| Professional services | 34,480 | 31,751 | ||||
| Total revenues | 589,996 | 522,938 | ||||
| Cost of revenues | ||||||
| Subscription and support | 121,308 | 102,132 | ||||
| Professional services | 25,485 | 27,253 | ||||
| Total cost of revenues | 146,793 | 129,385 | ||||
| Gross profit | 443,203 | 393,553 | ||||
| Operating expenses | ||||||
| Sales and marketing | 243,154 | 256,862 | ||||
| Research and development | 103,207 | 108,893 | ||||
| General and administrative | 71,530 | 80,155 | ||||
| Restructuring costs | 10,964 | 3,841 | ||||
| Total operating expenses | 428,855 | 449,751 | ||||
| Income (loss) from operations | 14,348 | (56,198) | ||||
| Other income (expense) | ||||||
| Interest income | 52,059 | 14,637 | ||||
| Interest expense | (5,898) | (5,850) | ||||
| Other income, net | 46,161 | 8,787 | ||||
| Income (loss) before income taxes | 60,509 | (47,411) | ||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | 1,450 | (13,520) | ||||
| Net income (loss) | 59,059 | (33,891) | ||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest | 892 | (369) | ||||
| Adjustment attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest | 5,334 | (4,131) | ||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 52,833 | $ | (29,391) |
Revenues
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Subscription and support | $ | 555,516 | $ | 491,187 | $ | 64,329 | 13 | % | ||||||
| Professional services | 34,480 | 31,751 | 2,729 | 9 | % | |||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 589,996 | $ | 522,938 | $ | 67,058 | 13 | % |
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| Year Ended December 31, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Dollar-based net revenue retention rate | 106 | % | 107 | % | |
| Number of customers | 4,398 | 4,188 | |||
| Number of users | 386,814 | 366,522 |
The increase in revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, was primarily due to a net increase in the number of customers and users. The total number of customers and total number of users increased by 5% and 6%, respectively, during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Cost of revenues
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Subscription and support | $ | 121,308 | $ | 102,132 | $ | 19,176 | 19 | % | ||||||
| Professional services | 25,485 | 27,253 | (1,768) | (6) | % | |||||||||
| Total cost of revenues | $ | 146,793 | $ | 129,385 | $ | 17,408 | 13 | % | ||||||
| Gross margin | 75.1 | % | 75.3 | % |
The increase in cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, was primarily due to the following:
•$10.6 million net increase in computer software-related costs and data center expenses primarily due to higher spend on cloud hosting services related to the migration of new and existing customers to the Google Cloud Platform, as well as an increase in cloud hosting services;
•$5.5 million increase in amortization of developed technology due to net additions to software placed into service;
•$1.4 million increase in depreciation and amortization primarily due to the addition of developed technology from the FourQ Acquisition and DI Acquisition;
•$0.6 million increase in salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation; and
•$0.4 million increase in travel and entertainment; partially offset by
•$0.9 million decrease in transaction-related costs related to the FourQ Acquisition; and
•$0.3 million decrease in professional fees.
Sales and marketing
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | $ | 243,154 | $ | 256,862 | $ | (13,708) | (5) | % | ||||||
| Percentage of total revenues | 41.2 | % | 49.1 | % |
The decrease in sales and marketing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, was primarily due to the following:
•$13.6 million decrease in salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation;
•$3.4 million decrease from impairment of cloud computing implementation costs that were incurred in the prior year comparable period;
•$2.0 million decrease in transaction-related costs related to the FourQ Acquisition; and
•$1.0 million decrease in professional fees; partially offset by
•$5.7 million increase in marketing expenses due to an increase in-person events, as well as costs related to digital marketing, our BeyondTheBlack events, and other user conferences; and
•$1.0 million increase in travel and entertainment due to an increase in-person events.
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Research and development
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Research and development, gross | $ | 124,546 | $ | 128,514 | $ | (3,968) | (3) | % | ||||||
| Capitalized internally developed software costs | (21,339) | (19,621) | (1,718) | 9 | % | |||||||||
| Research and development, net | $ | 103,207 | $ | 108,893 | $ | (5,686) | (5) | % | ||||||
| Percentage of total revenues | 17.5 | % | 20.8 | % |
The decrease in research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, was primarily due to the following:
•$4.9 million decrease in transaction-related costs related to the FourQ Acquisition;
•$1.8 million decrease in professional fees; and
•$1.7 million increase in capitalized software costs due to new significant and enhanced functionality of our solutions, as well as increased capitalized costs due to higher headcount. Collectively, these increases resulted in a decrease in net expenses; partially offset by
•$1.5 million increase in computer software-related costs driven by business growth;
•$1.1 million increase in depreciation and amortization; and
•$0.3 million increase in salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation.
General and administrative
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| General and administrative | $ | 71,530 | $ | 80,155 | $ | (8,625) | (11) | % | ||||||
| Percentage of total revenues | 12.1 | % | 15.3 | % |
The decrease in general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, was primarily due to the following:
•$3.9 million decrease in transaction-related costs due to the FourQ Acquisition that occurred in the year ended December 31, 2022, partially offset by transaction-related costs incurred primarily for the Data Interconnect Acquisition in the year ended December 31, 2023;
•$3.5 million decrease in professional fees associated with recruiting, legal, outside consultants, and accounting;
•$3.0 million decrease due to net foreign currency gains due to the strengthening of the U.S. Dollar compared to multiple currencies;
•$2.0 million decrease from the impairment of cloud computing implementation costs that were incurred in the prior year comparable period;
•$1.7 million decrease from legal settlement costs that were incurred in the prior year comparable period;
•$0.6 million decrease in depreciation and amortization; and
•$0.4 million decrease in office expenses; partially offset by
•$3.8 million increase in salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation;
•$1.6 million net increase from the change in fair value of contingent consideration attributed to the following:
◦$33.5 million decrease related to the FourQ Acquisition in the year ended December 31, 2023;
◦$35.1 million decrease due to $22.4 million related to the FourQ Acquisition and $14.4 million related to the Rimilia Acquisition, partially offset by an increase of $1.7 million for the 2013 Acquisition (refer to “Note 16 - Contingent Consideration” for additional information);
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•$0.6 million increase in travel and entertainment; and
•$0.5 million increase in computer software-related costs.
Restructuring costs
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Restructuring costs | $ | 10,964 | $ | 3,841 | $ | 7,123 | 185 | % |
The increase in restructuring costs during the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, was due to one-time termination benefits related to the fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022 restructuring programs. Refer to “Note 12 - Restructuring Costs” for additional information.
Interest income
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | ||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | |||||||||||||
| Interest income | $ | 52,059 | $ | 14,637 | $ | 37,422 | NM |
The increase in interest income during the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, was primarily due to increased average interest rates on our investments and cash balances.
Interest expense
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Interest expense | $ | 5,898 | $ | 5,850 | $ | 48 | 1 | % |
Interest expense during the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, was essentially flat and consisted of interest expense on our Notes. We do not expect interest expense to fluctuate significantly over the next 12 months as the interest rates on our Notes are fixed.
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | $ | 1,450 | $ | (13,520) | $ | 14,970 | (111) | % |
We are subject to federal and state income taxes in the U.S. and taxes in foreign jurisdictions. For the year ended December 31, 2023, our annual estimated effective tax rate differed from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% primarily as a result of state taxes, foreign taxes, and changes in our valuation allowance for domestic and foreign income taxes. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we recorded $1.5 million in income tax expense and $13.5 million in income tax benefit, respectively. The increase in income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, resulted primarily from the 2022 release of $14.2 million of U.S. valuation allowance associated with acquired FourQ deferred tax liabilities, as compared with the 2023 release of $1.7 million of existing UK valuation allowance associated with acquired net deferred tax liabilities from DI. The increase in 2023 tax expense is also associated with the increase in federal and state income taxes due to 2023 U.S. profitability and changes in the mix of profitable foreign jurisdictions. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we continued to maintain a full valuation allowance on our U.S. federal and state net deferred tax assets as it was more likely than not that those deferred tax assets will not be realized.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
At December 31, 2023, our principal sources of liquidity were an aggregate of $1.2 billion of cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities, which primarily consist of short-term, money market mutual funds, commercial paper, U.S. treasury securities, corporate bonds, and U.S. government agencies. We had $1.4 billion
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aggregate principal amount of Notes outstanding at December 31, 2023, of which $250.0 million is due within the next 12 months. We plan to and believe we are able to make all expected principal and interest payments in the next 12 months.
We believe our existing cash and cash equivalents, investments in marketable securities and cash from operations will be sufficient to meet our working capital needs, capital expenditures, and financing obligations for at least the next 12 months.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
Notes Payable
In connection with the offering of the 2024 Notes, we entered into privately-negotiated capped call transactions (the “2024 Capped Calls”) with certain counterparties covering, subject to anti-dilution adjustments, approximately 3.4 million shares of our common stock and are generally expected to offset the potential economic dilution of our common stock up to the initial cap price. The 2024 Capped Calls have an initial strike price of $73.40 per share - subject to certain adjustments, which corresponds to the initial conversion price of the 2024 Notes - and an initial cap price of $106.76 per share, subject to certain adjustments. As of December 31, 2023, all of the 2024 Capped Calls remained outstanding.
In connection with the offering of the 2026 Notes, we entered into privately-negotiated capped call transactions (the “2026 Capped Calls”) with certain counterparties covering, subject to anti-dilution adjustments, approximately 6.9 million shares of our common stock and are generally expected to offset the potential economic dilution of our common stock up to the initial cap price. The 2026 Capped Calls have an initial strike price of $166.23 per share - subject to certain adjustments, which corresponds to the initial conversion price of the 2026 Notes - and an initial cap price of $233.31 per share, subject to certain adjustments. As of December 31, 2023, all of the 2026 Capped Calls remained outstanding.
Lease Liabilities
As of December 31, 2023, we have obligations totaling $20.6 million related to existing property and equipment leases.
Purchase Obligations
Purchase obligations represent our most significant contractual obligations in the ordinary course of business for which we have not received the related goods or services, in whole or in part. At December 31, 2023, we have $46.4 million of contractual obligations related to nine commitments, with $22.8 million payable within 12 months, and have additional contractual obligations with other vendors that are individually immaterial and which we can readily settle given our liquidity position and capital resources.
Contingent Consideration
We are potentially obligated to pay a maximum of $73.2 million of contingent consideration between January 2022 and January 2025 related to our FourQ Acquisition if certain financial performance milestones are met. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, and due to a revision of estimates, we decreased the fair value of the FourQ contingent consideration by $33.5 million and $22.4 million, respectively. Decreases in the fair value of contingent consideration are recorded as reversals of expense within general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Refer to “Note 16 - Contingent Consideration” for additional information.
Unrecognized Tax Liabilities
At December 31, 2023, while we have liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits of $7.1 million, due to their nature, there is a high degree of uncertainty regarding the timing of future cash outflows and other events that extinguish these liabilities.
Letters of Credit
Commitments under letters of credit at December 31, 2023 were scheduled to expire as follows (in thousands):
| Total | Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | Thereafter | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letters of credit | $ | 461 | $ | — | $ | 34 | $ | 427 | $ | — |
Letters of credit are maintained pursuant to certain of our lease arrangements. The letters of credit remain in effect at varying levels through the terms of the related agreements.
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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As part of our ongoing business, we do not have any relationships with other entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities that have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes. We are therefore not exposed to any financing, liquidity, market or credit risk that could arise if we had engaged in those types of relationships.
In the ordinary course of business, we may provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to customers, vendors, investors, directors and officers with respect to certain matters, including, but not limited to, losses arising out of our breach of such agreements, services to be provided by us, or from intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties. These indemnification provisions may survive termination of the underlying agreement and the maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification provisions may not be subject to maximum loss clauses. The maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification provisions is indeterminable. We have never paid a material claim, nor have we been sued in connection with these indemnification arrangements. At December 31, 2023, we have not accrued a liability for these indemnification arrangements because the likelihood of incurring a payment obligation, if any, in connection with these indemnification arrangements is not probable or reasonably estimable.
Future Capital Requirements
Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including our growth rate, strategic relationships and international operations, the timing and extent of spending to support research and development efforts, future merger and acquisition activity, repurchase or refinancing of our existing indebtedness, and the continuing market acceptance of our solutions. From time to time, we have required, and may in the future require or opportunistically raise, additional equity or debt financing. Sales of additional equity or equity-linked securities could result in dilution to our stockholders. If we raise funds by borrowing from third parties, the terms of those financing arrangements would require us to incur interest expense and may include negative covenants or other restrictions on our business that could impair our operating flexibility. We can provide no assurance that financing will be available at all or, if available, that we would be able to obtain financing on terms favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional capital when needed, we would be required to curtail our operating activities and capital expenditures, and our business operating results and financial condition would be adversely affected.
Cash Flows
The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 126,613 | $ | 56,013 | ||
| Net cash used in investing activities | $ | (62,483) | $ | (395,615) | ||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | $ | 6,146 | $ | 1,436 |
Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities
Our cash flows provided by operating activities are primarily influenced by our net income, as applicable, and cash generated from collections in accordance with our subscription-based revenue model wherein billings occur in advance of revenue recognition, as well as the substantial amount of non-cash charges that we incur. Non-cash activities primarily include depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, changes in fair value of contingent consideration, non-cash lease expense, amortization of debt issuance costs, accretion of premiums on marketable securities, and deferred taxes.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, cash provided by operating activities was $126.6 million, resulting from net non-cash expenses of $71.9 million and net income of $59.1 million, partially offset by a net cash outflow from changes in operating assets and liabilities of $4.4 million. The $4.4 million net cash outflow from changes in our operating assets and liabilities reflected the following:
•$20.9 million increase in accounts receivable due to increased sales, partially offset by customer payments;
•$7.2 million decrease in operating lease liabilities;
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•$6.6 million increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets primarily due to increased insurance and software subscriptions, higher accrued interest, and increased capitalized commissions, partially offset by amortization of prepaid balances and interest received;
•$5.1 million decrease in accounts payable due to timing of payments;
•$2.4 million paid for the 2013 Acquisition contingent consideration in excess of the acquisition date fair value (refer to “Note 16 - Contingent Consideration” for additional information);
•$2.3 million decrease in other long-term liabilities primarily related to the FourQ Acquisition; and
•$0.6 million increase in other assets due to increased prepaid commissions, partially offset by related amortization.
These changes in our operating assets and liabilities were partially offset by a $41.3 million increase in deferred revenue primarily due to customer and user growth and timing of collections.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, cash provided by operating activities was $56.0 million, resulting from net non-cash expenses of $75.4 million and net cash flow provided by changes in operating assets and liabilities of $14.5 million, partially offset by our net loss of $33.9 million. The $14.5 million of net cash flows provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities reflected the following:
•$36.6 million increase in deferred revenue as a result of the growth of our customer and user bases, as reflected by greater billings for our subscription and support services;
•$5.9 million increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities related to increased bonuses, commissions, and payroll taxes due to increased headcount and higher sales, as well as an increase in accrued restructuring;
•$5.8 million increase in other long-term liabilities primarily related to the acquisition of FourQ; and
•$4.4 million increase in accounts payable.
These changes in our operating assets and liabilities were partially offset by the following:
•$23.0 million increase in accounts receivable;
•$10.1 million increase in other assets due to increased prepaid commissions, partially offset by related amortization; and
•$6.9 million decrease in operating lease liabilities.
Net Cash Used In Investing Activities
Our investing activities consist primarily of investments in and maturities of marketable securities, capitalized software development costs, acquisitions of business entities, and capital expenditures for property and equipment.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, cash used in investing activities was $62.5 million as a result of the following:
•$23.5 million of purchases of marketable securities, net of proceeds from maturities;
•$21.6 million in capitalized software development costs;
•$11.4 million paid for the DI Acquisition, net of cash acquired; and
•$6.0 million in purchases of property and equipment.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, cash used in investing activities was $395.6 million as a result of the following:
•$207.7 million of purchases of marketable securities, net of proceeds from maturities;
•$157.7 million, net of cash acquired, paid for the acquisition of FourQ;
•$19.2 million in capitalized software development costs; and
•$11.0 million in purchases of property and equipment.
Net Cash Provided By Financing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2023, cash provided by financing activities was $6.1 million primarily as a result of the following:
•$19.8 million of proceeds from exercises of stock options; and
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•$8.0 million of proceeds from the employee stock purchase plan.
These changes in our financing activities were partially offset by the following:
•$15.0 million of acquisitions of common stock for tax withholding obligations;
•$5.6 million paid for the 2013 Acquisition contingent consideration (refer to “Note 16 - Contingent Consideration” for additional information); and
•$1.0 million for finance lease payments.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, cash provided by financing activities was $1.4 million primarily as a result of the following:
•$7.0 million of proceeds from the employee stock purchase plan; and
•$4.7 million of proceeds from exercises of stock options.
These changes in our financing activities were partially offset by the following:
•$9.5 million of acquisitions of common stock for tax withholding obligations.
Backlog
We enter into both single and multi-year subscription contracts for our solutions. The timing of our invoices to the customer is a negotiated term and thus varies among our subscription contracts. For multi-year agreements, it is common to invoice an initial amount at contract signing followed by subsequent annual invoices. Backlog represents remaining revenue to be recognized under a non-cancelable contract with customers. At December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had backlog of approximately $842.7 million and $772.9 million, respectively. We expect backlog will change from period to period for several reasons, including the timing and duration of customer agreements, varying billing cycles of subscription agreements, and the timing and duration of customer renewals. Because revenue for any period is a function of revenue recognized from deferred revenue under contracts in existence at the beginning of the period, as well as contract renewals and new customer contracts during the period, backlog at the beginning of any period is not necessarily indicative of future revenue performance. We do not utilize backlog as a key management metric internally.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our estimates are based on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Our actual results could differ from these estimates.
We believe that the following critical accounting policies and estimates involve a greater degree of judgment or complexity than our other accounting policies and estimates, and are essential to a full understanding and evaluation of our consolidated financial condition and results of operations. Refer to “Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” of the accompanying notes to our consolidated financial statements for additional information.
Deferred Customer Acquisition Costs
We recognize an asset for the incremental and recoverable costs of obtaining a contract with a customer if we expect the benefit of those costs to be one year or longer. We have determined that certain sales incentive programs to our employees (“deferred customer contract acquisition costs”) and our partners (“partner referral fees”) meet the requirements to be capitalized. Deferred customer acquisition costs related to new revenue contracts and upsells are deferred and then amortized on a straight-line basis over the expected period of benefit that we have determined to be five years, based upon both the product turnover rate and estimated customer life, which involves some level of judgment in terms of the inherent assumptions used. Partner referral fees are deferred and then amortized on a straight-line basis over a period ranging from one year to five years. Deferred customer acquisition costs and partner referral fees are included within other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. There were no impairment losses in relation to the costs capitalized for the periods presented.
Capitalized Software Costs
We account for the costs of computer software obtained or developed for internal use in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other. We capitalize certain implementation
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costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract. These capitalized costs exclude training costs, project management costs, and data migration costs. We capitalize certain costs in the development of our SaaS subscription solutions when (i) the preliminary project stage is completed, (ii) management has authorized further funding for the completion of the project and (iii) it is probable that the project will be completed and performed as intended. These capitalized costs include estimated personnel and related expenses for employees as well as costs of third-party contractors who are directly associated with and who devote time to internal-use software projects and, when material, interest costs incurred during the development. Capitalization of these costs ceases once the project is substantially complete and the software is ready for its intended purpose. Costs incurred for significant upgrades and enhancements to our SaaS software solutions are also capitalized. Costs incurred for post-configuration training, maintenance and minor modifications or enhancements are expensed as incurred. Capitalized software development costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over an estimated useful life of three years.
Business Combinations
The results of businesses acquired in business combinations are included in our consolidated financial statements from the date of the acquisition. Purchase accounting results in assets and liabilities of an acquired business being recorded at their estimated fair values on the acquisition date. Any excess consideration over the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill.
We perform valuations of assets acquired and liabilities assumed and allocate the purchase price to its respective assets and liabilities. Determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed requires our management to use significant judgment and estimates, including the selection of valuation methodologies, estimates of future revenue, costs and cash flows, discount rates, and selection of comparable companies. We engage the assistance of valuation specialists in concluding on fair value measurements in connection with determining fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations.
Contingent consideration payable in cash arising from business combinations is recorded at fair value as a liability on the acquisition date and remeasured at each reporting date. Changes in fair value are recorded in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Determining the fair value of the contingent consideration each period requires management to make assumptions and judgments. These estimates involve inherent uncertainties, and if different assumptions had been used, the fair value of contingent consideration could have been materially different from the amounts recorded. The significant inputs used in the fair value measurement of contingent consideration were as follows:
•the likelihood that we would realize a tax benefit from the use of net operating losses generated from the stock option exercises concurrent with the 2013 Acquisition;
•the amount and timing of Rimilia ARR in the second year subsequent to the acquisition;
•the amount and timing of new and incremental combined bookings from FourQ and BlackLine, and revenues from a specified FourQ customer over a three-year period subsequent to the acquisition date.
Significant changes in these estimates and the periods in which they are generated would significantly impact the fair value of the contingent consideration liability. Due to a revision of estimates related to all contingent consideration payable, we decreased their fair values and reversed expense of $33.5 million and $35.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Refer to “Note 16 - Contingent Consideration” for additional information.
Transaction-related costs incurred by us are expensed as incurred and are included in general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of operations.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Refer to “Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” contained in the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a full description of the recent accounting pronouncements, and our expectation of their impact, if any, on our financial position and results of operations.
FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001666134-23-000003.
Item 7 Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with the financial statements and the related notes set forth in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” The following discussion also contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. See Part I, “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the forward-looking statements contained below and Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” for a discussion of certain risks that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in such forward-looking statements.
This discussion and analysis deals with comparisons of material changes in the consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2021. For the comparison of fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020, see the Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Part II, Item 7 of our 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 25, 2022 and as amended in the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed on March 24, 2022.
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Overview
We have created a comprehensive cloud-based software platform designed to transform and modernize accounting and finance operations for organizations of all types and sizes. Our secure, scalable platform supports critical accounting processes, such as intercompany accounting, certain types of data matching, the financial close, account reconciliations, and controls assurance. By introducing software to automate these processes and to enable them to function continuously, we empower our customers to improve the integrity of their financial reporting, increase efficiency in their accounting and finance processes and enhance real-time visibility into their operations.
At December 31, 2022, we had 366,522 individual users across 4,188 customers. Additionally, we continue to build strategic relationships with technology vendors, professional services firms, business process outsourcers, and resellers.
We are a holding company and conduct our operations through our wholly-owned subsidiary, BlackLine Systems, Inc. (“BlackLine Systems”). On September 3, 2013, we acquired BlackLine Systems, and outside investors acquired a controlling interest in us, which we refer to as the “2013 Acquisition.” The 2013 Acquisition was accounted for as a business combination under GAAP and resulted in a change in accounting basis as of the date of the 2013 Acquisition.
Our cloud-based products include Account Reconciliations, Transaction Matching, Task Management, Journal Entry, Variance Analysis, Consolidation Integrity Manager, Compliance, BlackLine Cash Application, Credit & Risk Management, Collections Management, Disputes & Deductions, Team & Task Management, AR Intelligence, Intercompany Create Functionality, Intercompany Processing, and Netting and Settlement. These products are offered to customers as scalable solutions that support critical accounting processes, such as the financial close, account reconciliations, cash application, intercompany accounting, and compliance.
We derived approximately 94% of our revenue primarily from subscriptions to our cloud-based software platform and approximately 6% from professional services for the year ended December 31, 2022. Our subscription contracts have initial non-cancellable terms of one year to three years with renewal options. Approximately two-thirds of new contracts in 2022 had an initial term of three years. We price our subscriptions based on a number of factors, primarily the number of users having access to the products and the number of products purchased by the customer. Subscription revenue is recognized ratably over the term of the customer contract. The first year of subscription fees are typically payable within 30 days after execution of a contract, and thereafter upon renewal.
Professional services consist of implementation and consulting services. Although our platform is ready to use immediately after a new customer has access to it, we typically help customers implement our solutions. We also provide consulting services to help customers optimize the use of our products. We charge customers for our consulting services on a time-and-materials basis and we recognize that revenue as services are performed. A limited number of our customers are provided professional services for a fixed fee, which is initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized on a proportional-performance basis as the services are performed.
We typically invoice customers annually in advance for subscriptions. We also invoice fixed fee implementations in advance and professional services on a time-and-materials basis. We record amounts invoiced for portions of annual subscription periods that have not occurred or services that have not been performed as deferred revenue on our consolidated balance sheet.
We sell our solutions primarily through our direct sales force, which leverages our relationships with technology vendors, professional services firms and business process outsourcers. In particular, our solution integrates with SAP’s enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) solutions, and SAP is part of the reseller channel that we use in the ordinary course of business. SAP has the ability to resell our solutions, as an SAP solution-extension (“SolEx”), for which we receive a percentage of the revenues. In the first quarter of 2022, we entered into an agreement with Google Cloud in which the two companies will collaborate on joint selling and go-to-market activities and bring enhanced automation solutions for finance and accounting to new and existing customers.
Our ability to maximize the lifetime value of our customer relationships will depend, in part, on the willingness of customers to purchase additional user licenses and products from us. We rely on our sales and customer success teams to support and grow our existing customers by maintaining high customer satisfaction and educating customers on the value all our products provide.
The length of our sales cycle depends on the size of a potential customer and contract, as well as the type of solution or product being purchased. The sales cycle for our global enterprise customers is generally longer than that of our mid-market customers. In addition, the length of the sales cycle tends to increase for larger contracts and for more complex, strategic products like Intercompany Financial Management. As we continue to focus on increasing our average contract size and selling more strategic products, we expect our sales cycle to lengthen and become less predictable, which could cause variability in our results for any particular period.
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We have historically signed a high percentage of agreements with new customers, as well as renewal agreements with existing customers, in the fourth quarter of each year and usually during the last month of the quarter. This can be attributed to buying patterns typical in the software industry. As the terms of most of our customer agreements are measured in full year increments, agreements initially entered into during the fourth quarter or last month of any quarter will generally come up for renewal at that same time in subsequent years. This seasonality is reflected in our revenues, though the impact to overall annual or quarterly revenues is minimal due to the fact that we recognize subscription revenue ratably over the term of the customer contract.
For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, we had revenues totaling $522.9 million, $425.7 million, and $351.7 million, respectively, and we incurred net losses attributable to BlackLine, Inc. of $29.4 million, $115.2 million, and $46.9 million, respectively.
Global Macroeconomic Factors
Our operating results may vary based on the impact of changes in our industry or the global economy on us or our customers. General macroeconomic conditions, such as a recession or rising inflation rates or an economic downturn in the United States or internationally, could adversely affect demand for our products and make it difficult to accurately forecast and plan our future business activities. In recent quarters, as a result of economic uncertainty, we have seen customers delay purchasing decisions, which has adversely impacted our near term demand.
In addition, any further impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, operating results, and overall financial performance remains uncertain and depends on certain developments, including the pandemic's duration and geographic spread, and the distribution and efficacy of vaccines, among others. We are and will continue to actively monitor the situation and may take further actions that alter our business operations, as may be required by federal, state, or local authorities, or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, customers, partners, suppliers, and stockholders.
Acquisition of Rimilia
On October 2, 2020, we completed the acquisition (the “Rimilia Acquisition”) of Rimilia Holdings Ltd. (“Rimilia”) for consideration of $120.0 million payable at the closing of the acquisition with additional cash payments of up to $30.0 million payable upon certain earnout conditions being met. We funded the Rimilia Acquisition on September 30, 2020 with existing cash on-hand, in advance of the closing.
The acquisition extends our capabilities into accounts receivable automation through enabling cash application and collection solutions, and accelerating our larger, long-term plan for transforming and modernizing finance and accounting. This acquisition was not a significant acquisition under Regulation S-X.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, Rimilia did not meet specified annual recurring revenue thresholds, which relieved the Company of its obligation to pay the contingent consideration, and accordingly, the related liability for the Rimilia Acquisition was reduced to zero.
Acquisition of FourQ
On January 26, 2022, we completed the acquisition (the "FourQ Acquisition") of FourQ Systems, Inc. ("FourQ") for cash consideration of $160.2 million payable at the closing of the acquisition. In addition, there are contingent cash consideration payments of up to $73.2 million payable upon certain earnout conditions being met. We funded the FourQ Acquisition with existing cash on-hand.
With the FourQ Acquisition, we seek to enhance our existing intercompany accounting automation capabilities by driving end-to-end automation of traditionally manual intercompany accounting processes and further accelerating our larger, long-term plan for transforming and modernizing finance and accounting. This acquisition was not a significant acquisition under Regulation S-X.
Key Metrics
We regularly review a number of metrics, including the following key metrics, to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate financial projections, and make strategic decisions.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Dollar-based net revenue retention rate | 107 | % | 109 | % | 106 | % | ||
| Number of customers | 4,188 | 3,825 | 3,433 | |||||
| Number of users | 366,522 | 328,389 | 291,873 |
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Dollar-based net revenue retention rate. We believe that dollar-based net revenue retention rate is an important metric to measure the long-term value of customer agreements and our ability to retain and grow our relationships with existing customers over time. We calculate dollar-based net revenue retention rate as the implied monthly subscription and support revenue at the end of a period for the base set of customers from which we generated subscription revenue in the year prior to the calculation, divided by the implied monthly subscription and support revenue one year prior to the date of calculation for that same customer base. This calculation does not reflect implied monthly subscription and support revenue for new customers added during the one-year period but does include the effect of customers who terminated during the period. We define implied monthly subscription and support revenue as the total amount of minimum subscription and support revenue contractually committed to, under each of our customer agreements over the entire term of the agreement, divided by the number of months in the term of the agreement. At December 31, 2022, our dollar-based net revenue retention rate decreased primarily due to foreign currency headwinds and slower net growth in existing customer accounts. Our ability to maximize the lifetime value of our customer relationships will depend, in part, on the willingness of the customer to purchase additional user licenses and products from us. We rely on our customer success and sales teams to support and grow our existing customers by maintaining high customer satisfaction and educating the customer on the value all our products provide.
Number of customers. We believe that our ability to expand our customer base is an indicator of our market penetration and the growth of our business. We define a customer as a company that contributes to our subscription and support revenue as of the measurement date. In situations where an organization has multiple subsidiaries or divisions, each entity that is invoiced as a separate entity is treated as a separate customer. However, where an existing customer requests its invoice be divided for the sole purpose of restructuring its internal billing arrangement without any incremental increase in revenue, such customer continues to be treated as a single customer. For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, no single customer accounted for more than 10% of our total revenues.
Number of users. Since our customers generally pay fees based on the number of users of our platform within their organization, we believe the total number of users is an indicator of the growth of our business. While the fees for the majority of the products we sell are user-based, we are seeing an increasing volume of transactions for our non-user based strategic products, such as Transaction Matching, Intercompany, and BlackLine Cash Application.
Key Components of our Results of Operations
Revenues
Subscription and support. Our subscription contracts have initial non-cancellable terms of one year to three years with renewal options. Approximately two-thirds of new contracts in 2022 had an initial term of three years. Fees are based on a number of factors, including the solutions subscribed to by the customer and the number of users having access to the solutions. The first year of subscription fees are typically payable within 30 days after execution of a contract, and thereafter upon renewal. We initially record the subscription fees as deferred revenue and recognize revenue ratably over the term of the contract. At any time during the subscription period, customers may increase their number of users and add products. Additional fees are payable for the remainder of the initial or renewed contract term. Customers may only reduce their number of users or subscription to products upon renewal of their arrangement. Revenues from subscriptions to our cloud-based software platform composed approximately 94% of our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Subscription and support revenues also include revenues associated with sales of on-premise software licenses and related support, but we no longer develop any new applications or functionality for our legacy on-premise software, and anticipate that this component of our revenues will continue to decline relative to total revenue.
Professional services. We offer our customers implementation and consulting services. Although our platform is ready to use immediately after a new customer has access to it, we typically help customers implement our solutions. We also provide consulting and training services to help customers optimize the use of our products. These services are considered distinct performance obligations. Professional services do not result in significant customization of the subscription service. We apply the practical expedient to recognize professional services revenue when we have the right to invoice based on time and materials incurred. A limited number of our customers are provided professional services for a fixed fee, which is initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized on a proportional-performance basis as the services are performed. Professional services revenues composed approximately 6% of our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022.
For a description of our revenue accounting policies, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Estimates.”
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Cost of Revenues
Subscription and support cost of revenues. Subscription and support cost of revenues primarily consists of amortization of acquired developed technology costs, salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation associated with our hosting operations and support personnel, amortization of capitalized internal-use software costs, and data center costs related to hosting our cloud-based software. We also allocate a portion of overhead to subscription and support cost of revenues.
Professional services costs of revenues. Costs associated with providing professional services primarily consist of salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation associated with our implementation personnel. These costs are expensed as incurred when the services are performed. We also allocate a portion of overhead to professional services cost of revenues.
Operating Expenses
Sales and marketing. Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of compensation and employee benefits, including stock-based compensation of sales and marketing personnel and related sales support teams, sales and partner commissions, marketing events, advertising costs, computer software-related costs, travel, trade shows, other marketing materials, transaction-related costs, and allocated overhead. Sales and marketing expenses also include amortization of customer relationship intangible assets and impairment of cloud computing implementation costs. We defer sales and partner commissions and amortize them over an estimated period of benefit of five years. We expect the annual trend in sales and marketing expenses to continue to increase as we expand our direct sales teams and increase sales through our strategic relationships and resellers.
Research and development. Research and development expenses are comprised primarily of salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation associated with our engineering, product and quality assurance personnel, and transaction-related costs. Research and development expenses also include third-party contractors and supplies, computer software-related costs and allocated overhead. Other than software development costs that qualify for capitalization, as discussed above, research and development costs are expensed as incurred. We expect research and development costs to increase as we develop new solutions and make improvements to our existing platform.
General and administrative. General and administrative expenses consist primarily of personnel costs associated with our executive, finance, legal, human resources, compliance, and other administrative personnel, as well as accounting and legal professional fees, other corporate-related expenses and allocated overhead. General and administrative expenses also include amortization of covenant not to compete and trade name intangible assets, the change in the fair value of contingent consideration, transaction-related costs, and impairment of cloud computing implementation costs.
Restructuring Costs. Restructuring costs consist of one-time termination benefits. Refer to "Note 12 - Restructuring Costs" for additional information on these costs.
Interest Income. Interest income primarily consists of earnings on our cash and cash equivalents and our marketable securities.
Interest Expense. Interest expense consists primarily of interest expense associated with our Convertible Senior Notes (the “Notes”) issued in August 2019 and March 2021.
Provision for (Benefit from) Income Taxes. We are subject to federal and state income taxes in the United States and taxes in foreign jurisdictions. We use the liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under the liability method, deferred taxes are determined based on the temporary differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities, using tax rates expected to be in effect during the years in which the bases differences are expected to reverse.
We record a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets to the extent that realization of the deferred tax assets, including consideration of our deferred tax liabilities, is not more likely than not. For the year ended December 31, 2022, for both federal and state income taxes, we have recorded a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets because of our cumulative operating losses since inception, as we believe that the realization of the deferred tax assets is currently not more likely than not. We have also recorded a valuation allowance against certain foreign deferred tax assets.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to our results determined in accordance with GAAP, we believe the non-GAAP measures below are useful to us and our investors in evaluating our business. These non-GAAP financial measures are useful because they provide consistency and comparability with our past performance, facilitate period-to-period comparisons of
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operations and facilitate comparisons with other peer companies, many of which use similar non-GAAP financial measures to supplement their GAAP results.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||
| GAAP gross profit | $ | 393,553 | $ | 327,835 | ||
| GAAP gross margin | 75.3 | % | 77.0 | % | ||
| GAAP net loss attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | (29,391) | $ | (115,161) |
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||
| Non-GAAP gross profit | $ | 414,818 | $ | 338,930 | ||
| Non-GAAP gross margin | 79.3 | % | 79.6 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 46,243 | $ | 36,535 |
Non-GAAP Gross Profit and Non-GAAP Gross Margin. Non-GAAP gross profit is defined as GAAP revenues less GAAP cost of revenue adjusted for the amortization of acquired developed technology, transaction-related costs (including, but not limited to, accounting, legal, and advisory fees related to the transaction, as well as transaction-related retention bonuses) and stock-based compensation. Non-GAAP gross margin is defined as non-GAAP gross profit divided by GAAP revenues. We believe that presenting non-GAAP gross margin is useful to investors as it eliminates the impact of certain non-cash expenses and allows a direct comparison of gross margin between periods.
Non-GAAP Net Income (loss) attributable to BlackLine and Diluted Non-GAAP Net Income (loss) attributable to BlackLine, Inc. per share. Non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to BlackLine is defined as GAAP net income (loss) attributable to BlackLine adjusted for the impact of the provision for (benefit from) income taxes related to acquisitions, amortization of intangible assets, stock-based compensation, the amortization of debt discount and issuance costs from our convertible notes, the change in the fair value of contingent consideration, transaction-related costs, legal settlement gains or costs, impairment of cloud computing implementation costs, restructuring costs, adjustment to the value of the redeemable non-controlling interest to the redemption amount, and loss on extinguishment of convertible senior notes. Diluted non-GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. per share includes the adjustment for shares resulting from the elimination of stock-based compensation. We believe that presenting non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to BlackLine is useful to investors as it eliminates the impact of items that have been impacted by our acquisitions and other related costs in order to allow a direct comparison of net loss between all periods presented.
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Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The following table presents a reconciliation of gross profit, gross margin, and net loss, the most comparable GAAP measures to non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin and non-GAAP net income:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||
| Non-GAAP Gross Profit: | ||||||
| Gross profit | $ | 393,553 | $ | 327,835 | ||
| Amortization of acquired developed technology | 11,315 | 2,685 | ||||
| Stock-based compensation | 8,595 | 8,410 | ||||
| Transaction-related costs | 1,355 | — | ||||
| Total non-GAAP gross profit | $ | 414,818 | $ | 338,930 | ||
| Gross margin | 75.3 | % | 77.0 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP gross margin | 79.3 | % | 79.6 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP Net Income Attributable to BlackLine, Inc.: | ||||||
| Net loss attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | (29,391) | $ | (115,161) | ||
| Benefit from income taxes related to acquisitions | (13,634) | (961) | ||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 19,731 | 10,479 | ||||
| Stock-based compensation | 75,576 | 65,723 | ||||
| Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs | 5,511 | 55,538 | ||||
| Change in fair value of contingent consideration | (35,130) | (2,758) | ||||
| Transaction-related costs | 16,831 | 1,586 | ||||
| Legal settlement costs | 1,709 | — | ||||
| Impairment of cloud computing implementation costs | 5,330 | — | ||||
| Restructuring costs | 3,841 | — | ||||
| Adjustment to redeemable non-controlling interest | (4,131) | 15,077 | ||||
| Loss on extinguishment of convertible senior notes | — | 7,012 | ||||
| Total non-GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 46,243 | $ | 36,535 |
Results of Operations
The following tables set forth selected historical consolidated statements of operations data, which should be read in conjunction with Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates, Liquidity and Capital Resources, and Contractual Obligations and Commitments included in this Item 7, as well as Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk and the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
On December 7, 2022, we announced our decision to commit to a restructuring plan that was designed to focus on key growth priorities. Refer to "Note 12 - Restructuring Costs" for additional information on this event.
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Consolidated statements of operations information was as follows (in thousands):
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||
| Revenues | ||||||
| Subscription and support | $ | 491,187 | $ | 398,633 | ||
| Professional services | 31,751 | 27,073 | ||||
| Total revenues | 522,938 | 425,706 | ||||
| Cost of revenues | ||||||
| Subscription and support | 102,132 | 71,979 | ||||
| Professional services | 27,253 | 25,892 | ||||
| Total cost of revenues | 129,385 | 97,871 | ||||
| Gross profit | 393,553 | 327,835 | ||||
| Operating expenses | ||||||
| Sales and marketing | 256,862 | 202,620 | ||||
| Research and development | 108,893 | 77,322 | ||||
| General and administrative | 80,155 | 86,507 | ||||
| Restructuring costs | 3,841 | — | ||||
| Total operating expenses | 449,751 | 366,449 | ||||
| Loss from operations | (56,198) | (38,614) | ||||
| Other income (expense) | ||||||
| Interest income | 14,637 | 700 | ||||
| Interest expense | (5,850) | (62,945) | ||||
| Other expense, net | 8,787 | (62,245) | ||||
| Loss before income taxes | (47,411) | (100,859) | ||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | (13,520) | 135 | ||||
| Net loss | (33,891) | (100,994) | ||||
| Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest | (369) | (910) | ||||
| Adjustment attributable to non-controlling interest | (4,131) | 15,077 | ||||
| Net loss attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | (29,391) | $ | (115,161) |
Revenues
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Subscription and support | $ | 491,187 | $ | 398,633 | $ | 92,554 | 23 | % | ||||||
| Professional services | 31,751 | 27,073 | 4,678 | 17 | % | |||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 522,938 | $ | 425,706 | $ | 97,232 | 23 | % |
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||
| Dollar-based net revenue retention rate | 107 | % | 109 | % | |
| Number of customers | 4,188 | 3,825 | |||
| Number of users | 366,522 | 328,389 |
The increase in revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, was primarily due to an increase in the number of customers, an increase in the number of users added by existing customers, and an increase in non-user based strategic product sales. The total number of customers and users increased by 9% and 12%, respectively, during the year ended December 31, 2022.
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Cost of revenues
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Subscription and support | $ | 102,132 | $ | 71,979 | $ | 30,153 | 42 | % | ||||||
| Professional services | 27,253 | 25,892 | 1,361 | 5 | % | |||||||||
| Total cost of revenues | $ | 129,385 | $ | 97,871 | $ | 31,514 | 32 | % | ||||||
| Gross margin | 75.3 | % | 77.0 | % |
The increase in cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, was primarily due to the following:
•$9.8 million increase in depreciation and amortization primarily due to the addition of developed technology from the FourQ Acquisition;
•$7.1 million net increase in computer software and data center expenses primarily due to higher spend on cloud hosting services related to the migration of new and existing customers to the Google Cloud Platform, as well as an increase in cloud hosting services;
•$4.9 million increase in salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation driven primarily by higher average cost of revenues-related headcount;
•$4.6 million increase in amortization of developed technology due to net additions to software placed into service;
•$3.7 million increase in professional fees; and
•$1.4 million in transaction-related costs related to the FourQ acquisition.
Sales and marketing
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | $ | 256,862 | $ | 202,620 | $ | 54,242 | 27 | % | ||||||
| Percentage of total revenues | 49.1 | % | 47.6 | % |
The increase in sales and marketing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, was primarily due to the following:
•$40.9 million increase in salaries, sales commissions, stock-based compensation and incentives driven primarily by higher headcount and increased commissions from revenue growth in sales of our solutions;
•$3.4 million impairment of cloud computing implementation costs incurred in the year ended December 31, 2022;
•$2.8 million increase in travel-related expenses;
•$2.1 million increase in trade show expenses;
•$2.6 million increase in computer software-related costs primarily due to the increase in average headcount and planned expansion to promote workforce productivity; and
•$2.4 million in transaction-related costs incurred in connection with the FourQ Acquisition in the year ended December 31, 2022.
Research and development
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Research and development, gross | $ | 128,514 | $ | 92,323 | $ | 36,191 | 39 | % | ||||||
| Capitalized internally developed software costs | (19,621) | (15,001) | (4,620) | 31 | % | |||||||||
| Research and development, net | $ | 108,893 | $ | 77,322 | $ | 31,571 | 41 | % | ||||||
| Percentage of total revenues | 20.8 | % | 18.2 | % |
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The increase in research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, was primarily due to the following:
•$21.6 million increase in salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation driven primarily by an increase in average headcount;
•$7.8 million in transaction-related costs incurred in connection with the FourQ Acquisition in the year ended December 31, 2022;
•$3.2 million increase in professional fees to augment existing resources; and
•$2.2 million increase in computer software-related costs; partially offset by
•$4.6 million increase in capitalized software costs due to new significant and enhanced functionality of our solutions, as well as increased capitalized costs due to higher headcount. Collectively, these increases resulted in a decrease in net expenses.
General and administrative
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| General and administrative | $ | 80,155 | $ | 86,507 | $ | (6,352) | (7) | % | ||||||
| Percentage of total revenues | 15.3 | % | 20.3 | % |
The decrease in general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, was primarily due to the following:
•$32.4 million decrease in the fair value of contingent consideration (refer to Note 8 - “Fair Value Measurements”); partially offset by
•$11.4 million increase in salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation due to an increase in average headcount;
•$6.2 million increase in professional fees to support FourQ and other strategic initiatives, as well as increased recruiting fees;
•$3.7 million in transaction-related costs incurred in connection with the FourQ Acquisition in the year ended December 31, 2022;
•$2.0 million impairment of cloud computing implementation costs incurred in the year ended December 31, 2022; and
•$1.7 million in legal settlement costs incurred in the year ended December 31, 2022.
Restructuring costs
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | ||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | |||||||||||||
| Restructuring costs | $ | 3,841 | $ | — | $ | 3,841 | NM |
The increase in restructuring costs during the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, was due to a planned workforce reduction and consisted of one-time termination benefits. The restructuring plan included elimination of approximately 5% of our workforce. We recorded an aggregate restructuring charge of $3.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2022, of which a significant portion was paid in the same quarter from existing cash operations. Refer to "Note 12 - Restructuring Costs" for additional information.
Interest income
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | ||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | |||||||||||||
| Interest income | $ | 14,637 | $ | 700 | $ | 13,937 | NM |
The increase in interest income during the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, was primarily due to increased average interest rates on our investments and cash balances.
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Interest expense
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Interest expense | $ | 5,850 | $ | 62,945 | $ | (57,095) | (91) | % |
The decrease in interest expense during the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, was due to the elimination of the debt discount amortization on the 2024 Notes and the 2026 Notes, and a loss of $7.0 million on the partial extinguishment of the 2024 Notes in the quarter ended June 30, 2021 that did not recur in the current year.
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | ||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | |||||||||||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | $ | (13,520) | $ | 135 | $ | (13,655) | NM |
We are subject to federal and state income taxes in the United States and taxes in foreign jurisdictions. For the year ended December 31, 2022, our annual estimated effective tax rate differed from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% primarily as a result of state taxes, foreign taxes, and changes in our valuation allowance for domestic income taxes. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we recorded $13.5 million in income tax benefit and $0.1 million in income tax expense, respectively. The increase in income tax benefit for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, resulted primarily from a partial release of $14.2 million of existing valuation allowance as net deferred tax liabilities acquired from FourQ are a source of taxable income to support recognition of existing BlackLine deferred tax assets. The tax benefit was partially offset by the non-recognition of 2022 tax benefits associated with certain UK operations and changes in the mix of profitable foreign jurisdictions. For the year ended December 31, 2022, we continued to maintain a full valuation allowance on our U.S. federal and state net deferred tax assets as it was more likely than not that those deferred tax assets will not be realized.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
At December 31, 2022, our principal sources of liquidity were an aggregate of $1.1 billion of cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities, which primarily consist of short-term, investment-grade U.S. treasury securities. We had $1.4 billion aggregate principal amount of Notes outstanding at December 31, 2022.
We believe our existing cash and cash equivalents, investments in marketable securities and cash from operations will be sufficient to meet our working capital needs, capital expenditures and financing obligations for at least the next 12 months.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
Notes Payable
In connection with the offering of the 2024 Notes, we entered into the 2024 Capped Calls with certain counterparties covering, subject to anti-dilution adjustments, approximately 3.4 million shares of our common stock and are generally expected to offset the potential economic dilution of our common stock up to the initial cap price. The 2024 Capped Calls have an initial strike price of $73.40 per share, subject to certain adjustments, which corresponds to the initial conversion price of the 2024 Notes, and an initial cap price of $106.76 per share, subject to certain adjustments. As of December 31, 2022, all of the 2024 Capped Calls remained outstanding.
In connection with the offering of the 2026 Notes, we entered into the 2026 Capped Calls with certain counterparties covering, subject to anti-dilution adjustments, approximately 6.9 million shares of our common stock and are generally expected to offset the potential economic dilution of our common stock up to the initial cap price. The 2026 Capped Calls have an initial strike price of $166.23 per share - subject to certain adjustments, which corresponds to the initial conversion price of the 2026 Notes - and an initial cap price of $233.31 per share, subject to certain adjustments. As of December 31, 2022, all of the 2026 Capped Calls remained outstanding.
Lease Liabilities
As of December 31, 2022, we have obligations totaling $17.0 million related to existing property and equipment leases.
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At December 31, 2022, the Company had one lease obligation totaling approximately $0.8 million that commenced in the first quarter of 2023 with a lease term of approximately twenty-four months.
Purchase Obligations
Purchase obligations represent our most significant contractual obligations in the ordinary course of business for which we have not received the related goods or services, in whole or in part. As at December 31, 2022, we have $42.2 million of contractual obligations related to four commitments, with $7.3 million payable within 12 months, and have additional contractual obligations with other vendors that are collectively immaterial and which we can readily settle given our liquidity position and capital resources.
Contingent Consideration
We are obligated to pay a maximum of $8.0 million of contingent consideration related to our 2013 Acquisition on or before November 15, 2023 since we realized taxable income for the year ended December 31, 2022. In addition, we are potentially obligated to pay a maximum of $73.2 million of contingent consideration over the next three years related to our FourQ Acquisition if certain financial performance milestones are met.
Unrecognized Tax Liabilities
At December 31, 2022, while we have liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits of $5.5 million, due to their nature, there is a high degree of uncertainty regarding the timing of future cash outflows and other events that extinguish these liabilities.
Letters of Credit
Commitments under letters of credit at December 31, 2022 were scheduled to expire as follows (in thousands):
| Total | Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | Thereafter | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letters of credit | $ | 333 | $ | — | $ | 33 | $ | 239 | $ | 61 |
Letters of credit are maintained pursuant to certain of our lease arrangements. The letters of credit remain in effect at varying levels through the terms of the related agreements.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As part of our ongoing business, we do not have any relationships with other entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities that have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes. We are therefore not exposed to any financing, liquidity, market or credit risk that could arise if we had engaged in those types of relationships.
In the ordinary course of business, we may provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to customers, vendors, investors, directors and officers with respect to certain matters, including, but not limited to, losses arising out of our breach of such agreements, services to be provided by us, or from intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties. These indemnification provisions may survive termination of the underlying agreement and the maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification provisions may not be subject to maximum loss clauses. The maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification provisions is indeterminable. We have never paid a material claim, nor have we been sued in connection with these indemnification arrangements. At December 31, 2022, we had not accrued a liability for these indemnification arrangements because the likelihood of incurring a payment obligation, if any, in connection with these indemnification arrangements is not probable or reasonably estimable.
Future Capital Requirements
Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including our growth rate, the expansion of our direct sales force, strategic relationships and international operations, the timing and extent of spending to support research and development efforts and strategic transactions and the continuing market acceptance of our solutions. From time to time, we have required, and may in the future require or opportunistically raise, additional equity or debt financing. Sales of additional equity or equity-linked securities could result in dilution to our stockholders. If we raise funds by borrowing from third parties, the terms of those financing arrangements would require us to incur interest expense and may include negative covenants or other restrictions on our business that could impair our operating flexibility. We can provide no assurance that financing will be available at all or, if available, that we would be able to obtain financing on terms favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional capital when needed, we would be required to curtail our operating activities and capital expenditures, and our business operating results and financial condition would be adversely affected.
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Cash Flows
The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 56,013 | $ | 80,093 | ||
| Net cash used in investing activities | $ | (395,615) | $ | (506,941) | ||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | $ | 1,436 | $ | 599,240 |
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities
Our net loss and cash flows from operating activities are primarily driven by net increases in headcount and our continued investments in our infrastructure to support long-term growth. In recent periods, our net loss has generally been significantly greater than our use of cash for operating activities due to our subscription-based revenue model in which billings occur in advance of revenue recognition, as well as the substantial amount of non-cash charges which we incur. Non-cash charges primarily include depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, change in fair value of contingent consideration, loss on extinguishment of convertible notes, non-cash lease expense, impairment of cloud computing costs, amortization of debt discount and issuance costs, and deferred taxes.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, cash provided by operating activities was $56.0 million, resulting from net non-cash expenses of $75.4 million and net cash flow provided by changes in operating assets and liabilities of $14.5 million, partially offset by our net loss of $33.9 million. The $14.5 million of net cash flows provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities reflected the following:
•$36.6 million increase in deferred revenue as a result of the growth of our customer and user bases, as reflected by greater billings for our subscription and support services;
•$5.9 million increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities related to increased bonuses, commissions, and payroll taxes due to increased headcount and higher sales, as well as an increase in accrued restructuring;
•$5.8 million increase in other long-term liabilities primarily related to the acquisition of FourQ; and
•$4.4 million increase in accounts payable.
These changes in our operating assets and liabilities were partially offset by the following:
•$23.0 million increase in accounts receivable;
•$10.1 million increase in other assets due to increased prepaid commissions, partially offset by related amortization; and
•$6.9 million decrease in operating lease liabilities.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, cash provided by operations was $80.1 million, resulting from net non-cash expenses of $156.5 million, partially offset by our net loss of $101.0 million and net cash flow provided by changes in operating assets and liabilities of $24.6 million. The $24.6 million of net cash flows provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities reflected the following:
•$51.6 million increase in deferred revenue as a result of the growth of our customer and user bases as reflected by greater billings for our subscription and support services;
•$14.9 million increase in accrued bonuses, commissions and payroll taxes due to increased headcount and higher sales; and
•$4.0 million increase in accounts payable.
These changes in our operating assets and liabilities were partially offset by the following:
•$22.5 million increase in increased prepaid commissions partially offset by related amortization;
•$14.3 million increase in accounts receivable, unbilled balances and advance billings;
•$5.2 million decrease in operating lease liabilities; and
•$4.0 million increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets.
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Net Cash Provided Used In Investing Activities
Our investing activities consist primarily of purchases, maturities, and sales of marketable securities; capitalized software development costs; and capital expenditures for property and equipment.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, cash used in investing activities was $395.6 million as a result of the following:
•$207.7 million of purchases of marketable securities, net of proceeds from maturities;
•$157.7 million, net of cash acquired, paid for the acquisition of FourQ;
•$19.2 million in capitalized software development costs; and
•$11.0 million in purchases of property and equipment.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, cash used in investing activities was $506.9 million as a result of the following:
•$483.7 million of purchases of marketable securities, net of proceeds from maturities;
•$14.5 million in capitalized software development costs; and
•$8.7 million in purchases of property and equipment.
Net Cash Provided By Financing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2022, cash provided by financing activities was $1.4 million primarily as a result of the following:
•$7.0 million of proceeds from the employee stock purchase plan; and
•$4.7 million of proceeds from exercises of stock options.
These changes in our financing activities were partially offset by the following:
•$9.5 million of acquisitions of common stock for tax withholding obligations.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, cash provided by financing activities was $599.2 million as a result of the following:
•$594.2 million proceeds from the issuance of the 2026 Notes, net of the partial repurchase of the 2024 Notes and the purchase of the associated 2026 Capped Calls;
•$11.4 million of proceeds from exercises of stock options;
•$9.0 million of proceeds from the employee stock purchase plan; and
•$2.2 million of investment from redeemable non-controlling interest.
These changes in our financing activities were partially offset by the following:
•$17.0 million of acquisitions of common stock for tax withholding obligations.
Backlog
We enter into both single and multi-year subscription contracts for our solutions. The timing of our invoices to the customer is a negotiated term and thus varies among our subscription contracts. For multi-year agreements, it is common to invoice an initial amount at contract signing followed by subsequent annual invoices. At any point in the contract term, there can be amounts that we have not yet been contractually able to invoice. Until such time as these amounts are invoiced, they are not recorded in revenues, deferred revenue or elsewhere in our consolidated financial statements and are considered by us to be backlog. At December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had backlog of approximately $772.9 million and $596.3 million, respectively. We expect backlog will change from period to period for several reasons, including the timing and duration of customer agreements, varying billing cycles of subscription agreements, and the timing and duration of customer renewals. Because revenue for any period is a function of revenue recognized from deferred revenue under contracts in existence at the beginning of the period, as well as contract renewals and new customer contracts during the period, backlog at the beginning of any period is not necessarily indicative of future revenue performance. We do not utilize backlog as a key management metric internally.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP
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requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our estimates are based on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Our actual results could differ from these estimates.
We believe that the following critical accounting policies involve a greater degree of judgment or complexity than our other accounting policies. Accordingly, these are the policies we believe are the most critical to a full understanding and evaluation of our consolidated financial condition and results of operations. Refer to “Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies” of the accompanying notes to our consolidated financial statements for additional information.
Deferred Customer Acquisition Costs
We recognize an asset for the incremental and recoverable costs of obtaining a contract with a customer if we expect the benefit of those costs to be one year or longer. We have determined that certain sales incentive programs to our employees ("deferred customer contract acquisition costs") and our partners ("partner referral fees") meet the requirements to be capitalized. Deferred customer acquisition costs related to new revenue contracts and upsells are deferred and then amortized straight line over the expected period of benefit that we have determined to be five years, based upon both the product turnover rate and estimated customer life, which involves some level of judgment in terms of the inherent assumptions used. Partner referral fees are deferred and then amortized on a straight-line basis over the related contractual period, as the fees for renewals are commensurate with fees incurred for the initial contract. Deferred customer acquisition costs and partner referral fees are included within other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. There were no impairment losses in relation to the costs capitalized for the periods presented.
Capitalized Software Costs
We account for the costs of computer software obtained or developed for internal use in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other. We capitalize certain implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract. These capitalized costs exclude training costs, project management costs, and data migration costs. We capitalize certain costs in the development of our SaaS subscription solutions when (i) the preliminary project stage is completed, (ii) management has authorized further funding for the completion of the project and (iii) it is probable that the project will be completed and performed as intended. These capitalized costs include estimated personnel and related expenses for employees as well as costs of third-party contractors who are directly associated with and who devote time to internal-use software projects and, when material, interest costs incurred during the development. Capitalization of these costs ceases once the project is substantially complete and the software is ready for its intended purpose. Costs incurred for significant upgrades and enhancements to our SaaS software solutions are also capitalized. Costs incurred for post-configuration training, maintenance and minor modifications or enhancements are expensed as incurred. Capitalized software development costs are amortized using the straight-line method over an estimated useful life of three years.
Business Combinations
The results of businesses acquired in business combinations are included in our consolidated financial statements from the date of the acquisition. Purchase accounting results in assets and liabilities of an acquired business being recorded at their estimated fair values on the acquisition date. Any excess consideration over the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill.
We perform valuations of assets acquired and liabilities assumed and allocate the purchase price to its respective assets and liabilities. Determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed requires our management to use significant judgment and estimates, including the selection of valuation methodologies, estimates of future revenue, costs and cash flows, discount rates, and selection of comparable companies. We engage the assistance of valuation specialists in concluding on fair value measurements in connection with determining fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations.
Contingent consideration payable in cash arising from business combinations is recorded at fair value as a liability on the acquisition date and remeasured at each reporting date. Changes in fair value are recorded in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Determining the fair value of the contingent consideration each period requires management to make assumptions and judgments. These estimates involve inherent uncertainties, and if different assumptions had been used, the fair value of contingent consideration
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could have been materially different from the amounts recorded. The significant inputs used in the fair value measurement of contingent consideration are as follows:
•the likelihood that the Company will realize a tax benefit from the use of net operating losses generated from the stock option exercises concurrent with the 2013 Acquisition;
•the amount and timing of Rimilia ARR in the second year subsequent to the acquisition;
•the amount and timing of new and incremental combined bookings from FourQ and BlackLine, and revenues from a specified FourQ customer over a three-year period subsequent to the acquisition date.
Significant changes in these estimates and the periods in which they are generated would significantly impact the fair value of the contingent consideration liability.
Transaction-related costs incurred by the Company are expensed as incurred and are included in general and administrative expenses in the Company's consolidated statements of operations.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Refer to "Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies" Recently Issued Accounting Standards of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a description of recent accounting pronouncements, including the expected dates of adoption and estimated effects on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001666134-22-000003.
Item 7 Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with the financial statements and the related notes set forth in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” The following discussion also contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. See Part I, “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the forward-looking statements contained below and Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” for a discussion of certain risks that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in such forward-looking statements.
This discussion and analysis deals with comparisons of material changes in the consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020. For the comparison of fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2019, see the Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Part II, Item 7 of our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 25, 2021.
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Overview
We have created a comprehensive cloud-based software platform designed to transform and modernize accounting and finance operations for organizations of all types and sizes. Our secure, scalable platform supports critical accounting processes such as the financial close, account reconciliations, intercompany accounting, and controls assurance. By introducing software to automate these processes and to enable them to function continuously, we empower our customers to improve the integrity of their financial reporting, increase efficiency in their accounting and finance processes and enhance real-time visibility into their operations.
At December 31, 2021, we had 328,389 individual users across 3,825 customers. Additionally, we continue to build strategic relationships with technology vendors, professional services firms, business process outsourcers, and resellers.
We are a holding company and conduct our operations through our wholly-owned subsidiary, BlackLine Systems, Inc. (“BlackLine Systems”). BlackLine Systems funded its business with investments from our founder and cash flows from operations until September 3, 2013. On September 3, 2013, we acquired BlackLine Systems, and Silver Lake Sumeru and Iconiq acquired a controlling interest in us, which we refer to as the “2013 Acquisition.” The 2013 Acquisition was accounted for as a business combination under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) and resulted in a change in accounting basis as of the date of the 2013 Acquisition.
Our cloud-based products include Account Reconciliations, Transaction Matching, Task Management, Journal Entry, Variance Analysis, Consolidation Integrity Manager, Compliance, Cash Application, Credit & Risk Management, Collections Management, Disputes & Deductions, Team & Task Management, AR Intelligence, Intercompany Workflow, Intercompany Processing, and Netting and Settlement. These products are offered to customers as scalable solutions that support critical accounting processes, such as the financial close, account reconciliations, cash application, intercompany accounting, and compliance.
We derived approximately 94% of our revenue from subscriptions to our cloud-based software platform and approximately 6% from professional services for the year ended December 31, 2021. The majority of subscriptions are sold through one-year non-cancellable contracts, with a growing percentage of subscriptions sold through three-year contracts. We price our subscriptions based on a number of factors, primarily the number of users having access to the products and the number of products purchased by the customer. Subscription revenue is recognized ratably over the term of the customer contract. The first year of subscription fees are typically payable within 30 days after execution of a contract, and thereafter upon renewal.
Professional services consist of implementation and consulting services. Although our platform is ready to use immediately after a new customer has access to it, we typically help customers implement our solutions. We also provide consulting services to help customers optimize the use of our products. We charge customers for our consulting services on a time-and-materials basis and we recognize that revenue as services are performed. A limited number of our customers are provided professional services for a fixed fee, which is initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized on a proportional-performance basis as the services are performed.
We typically invoice customers annually in advance for subscriptions. We also invoice fixed fee implementation in advance and professional services on a time-and-materials basis for professional services. We record amounts invoiced for portions of annual subscription periods that have not occurred or services that have not been performed as deferred revenue on our consolidated balance sheet.
We sell our solutions primarily through our direct sales force, which leverages our relationships with technology vendors, professional services firms and business process outsourcers. In particular, our solution integrates with SAP’s ERP solutions. In the fourth quarter of 2018, SAP became part of the reseller channel that we use in the ordinary course of business such that SAP has the ability to resell our solutions, as an SAP solution-extension (“SolEx”), for which we receive a percentage of the revenues. In the first quarter of 2022, we entered into an agreement with Google Cloud in which the two companies will collaborate on joint selling and go-to-market activities and bring enhanced automation solutions for finance and accounting to new and existing customers.
Our ability to maximize the lifetime value of our customer relationships will depend, in part, on the willingness of customers to purchase additional user licenses and products from us. We rely on our sales and customer success teams to support and grow our existing customers by maintaining high customer satisfaction and educating customers on the value all our products provide.
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The length of our sales cycle depends on the size of a potential customer and contract, as well as the type of solution or product being purchased. The sales cycle for our global enterprise customers is generally longer than that of our mid-market customers. In addition, the length of the sales cycle tends to increase for larger contracts and for more complex, strategic products like Intercompany Hub. As we continue to focus on increasing our average contract size and selling more strategic products, we expect our sales cycle to lengthen and become less predictable, which could cause variability in our results for any particular period.
We have historically signed a high percentage of agreements with new customers, as well as renewal agreements with existing customers, in the fourth quarter of each year and usually during the last month of the quarter. This can be attributed to buying patterns typical in the software industry. As the terms of most of our customer agreements are measured in full year increments, agreements initially entered into during the fourth quarter or last month of any quarter will generally come up for renewal at that same time in subsequent years. This seasonality is reflected in our revenues, though the impact to overall annual or quarterly revenues is minimal due to the fact that we recognize subscription revenue ratably over the term of the customer contract.
For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, we had revenues totaling $425.7 million, $351.7 million, and $289.0 million, respectively, and we incurred net losses attributable to BlackLine, Inc. of $115.2 million, $46.9 million, and $32.5 million, respectively.
COVID-19 Update
In December 2019, the emergence of a novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, was reported and in March 2020, the World Health Organization characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic. We responded to the pandemic by creating an executive task force to monitor the COVID-19 situation daily, immediately restricted non-essential travel and enabled work-from-home protocols. Shortly thereafter, and in line with guidance provided by government agencies and international organizations, we restricted all travel, mandated a work-from-home policy across our global workforce, and moved all in-person customer-facing events to virtual formats. We expect these restrictions to stay in effect during the first half of 2022. We also responded with COVID-19 customer-relief programs to help our community of global accounting and finance professionals in these challenging times. We have offered free access to our entire training library. We also offered the Task Management and Reporting modules complimentary for six months to existing customers to enable a more effective remote close. In addition, we announced complimentary coaching sessions with our existing customers. We have been recognized by The Stevie International Business Awards and the CEO World Awards for our commitment to helping ensure business continuity and fostering well-being for both customers and employees in response to, and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
We have continued to see purchasing decisions being deferred due to COVID-19 and a reduction on new business pipeline and large deals. We further expect delays in deals arising out of our SAP partnership, all which will impact our customers and prospects, and our financial results for fiscal 2022. We have also seen a decrease in travel-related expenses and advertising and trade show expenses.
The broader implications of the global emergence of COVID-19 on our business, operating results, and overall financial performance remain uncertain and depend on certain developments, including the duration and spread of the virus and any current and subsequent variants of the virus, the impact on our customers and our sales cycles, the impact on our partners and employees, and the impact on the economic environment and financial markets, all of which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. We are conducting business as usual with certain limitations to employee travel, employee work locations, and marketing events, among other modifications. We have observed other companies taking precautionary and preemptive actions to address COVID-19, and the effects it has had and is expected to have on business and the economy. During the year ended December 31, 2021, certain new and existing customers halted or decreased investment in infrastructure, and we observed certain of our current and potential customers take actions to reduce operating expenses and moderate cash flows, including by delaying sales and requesting extended billing and payment terms. The risk of a cybersecurity incident occurring has increased since the start of the pandemic as more companies and individuals are working remotely and through less secure network connections. As a result, we have increased our investments in network security to help mitigate against such an incident. We cannot provide assurances that our preventative efforts will be successful. We will continue to actively monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and may take further actions that alter our business operations, as may be required by federal, state, or local authorities, or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, customers, partners, suppliers, and stockholders.
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Acquisition of Rimilia
On October 2, 2020, we completed the acquisition (the “Rimilia Acquisition”) of Rimilia Holdings Ltd. (“Rimilia”) for consideration of $120.0 million payable at the closing of the acquisition with additional cash payments of up to $30.0 million payable upon certain earnout conditions being met. We funded the Rimilia Acquisition on September 30, 2020 with existing cash on-hand, in advance of the closing. See Note 5, "Business Combinations," of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding consideration paid for this acquisition.
The acquisition extends our capabilities into accounts receivable automation through enabling cash application and collection solutions, and accelerating our larger, long-term plan for transforming and modernizing finance and accounting. This acquisition was not a significant acquisition under Regulation S-X.
Acquisition of FourQ
On January 26, 2022, we completed the acquisition (the "FourQ Acquisition") of FourQ Systems, Inc. ("FourQ") for consideration of $165.0 million payable at the closing of the acquisition with additional payments of up to $75.0 million over the next three years subject to certain financial performance milestones. The fair value estimate of contingent consideration is in the early stages of analysis. The purchase price is also subject to certain post-closing purchase price adjustments, including working capital adjustments. We funded the FourQ Acquisition with existing cash on-hand.
With the FourQ Acquisition, we seek to enhance our existing intercompany accounting automation capabilities by driving end-to-end automation of traditionally manual intercompany accounting processes and further accelerating our larger, long-term plan for transforming and modernizing finance and accounting. This acquisition was not a significant acquisition under Regulation S-X.
Key Metrics
We regularly review a number of metrics, including the following key metrics, to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate financial projections, and make strategic decisions. Each of the metrics below exclude the impact of on-premise software.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||
| Dollar-based net revenue retention rate | 109 | % | 106 | % | 110 | % | ||
| Number of customers | 3,825 | 3,433 | 3,024 | |||||
| Number of users | 328,389 | 291,873 | 267,621 |
Dollar-based net revenue retention rate. We believe that dollar-based net revenue retention rate is an important metric to measure the long-term value of customer agreements and our ability to retain and grow our relationships with existing customers over time. We calculate dollar-based net revenue retention rate as the implied monthly subscription and support revenue at the end of a period for the base set of customers from which we generated subscription revenue in the year prior to the calculation, divided by the implied monthly subscription and support revenue one year prior to the date of calculation for that same customer base. This calculation does not reflect implied monthly subscription and support revenue for new customers added during the one-year period but does include the effect of customers who terminated during the period. We define implied monthly subscription and support revenue as the total amount of minimum subscription and support revenue contractually committed to, under each of our customer agreements over the entire term of the agreement, divided by the number of months in the term of the agreement. At December 31, 2021, our dollar-based net revenue retention rate increased primarily due to higher net growth in existing customer accounts. Our ability to maximize the lifetime value of our customer relationships will depend, in part, on the willingness of the customer to purchase additional user licenses and products from us. We rely on our customer success and sales teams to support and grow our existing customers by maintaining high customer satisfaction and educating the customer on the value all our products provide.
Number of customers. We believe that our ability to expand our customer base is an indicator of our market penetration and the growth of our business. We define a customer as an entity with an active subscription agreement as of the measurement date. In situations where an organization has multiple subsidiaries or divisions, each entity that is invoiced as a separate entity is treated as a separate customer. However, where an existing customer requests its invoice be divided for the sole purpose of restructuring its internal billing arrangement without
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any incremental increase in revenue, such customer continues to be treated as a single customer. For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, no single customer accounted for more than 10% of our total revenues.
Number of users. Since our customers generally pay fees based on the number of users of our platform within their organization, we believe the total number of users is an indicator of the growth of our business. We are also beginning to sell an increasing number of non-user based strategic products, such as Transaction Matching, Cash Application, and Intercompany Hub.
Key Components of our Results of Operations
Revenues
Subscription and support. The majority of subscriptions are sold through one-year non-cancellable contracts and a growing percentage of subscriptions are sold through three-year contracts. Fees are based on a number of factors, including the solutions subscribed to by the customer and the number of users having access to the solutions. The first year of subscription fees are typically payable within 30 days after execution of a contract, and thereafter upon renewal. We initially record the subscription fees as deferred revenue and recognize revenue ratably over the term of the contract. At any time during the subscription period, customers may increase their number of users and add products. Additional fees are payable for the remainder of the initial or renewed contract term. Customers may only reduce their number of users or subscription to products upon renewal of their arrangement. Revenues from subscriptions to our cloud-based software platform composed approximately 94% of our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Subscription and support revenues also include revenues associated with sales of on-premise software licenses and related support, but we no longer develop any new applications or functionality for our legacy on-premise software, and anticipate that this component of our revenues will continue to decline relative to total revenue.
Professional services. We offer our customers implementation and consulting services. Although our platform is ready to use immediately after a new customer has access to it, we typically help customers implement our solutions. We also provide consulting and training services to help customers optimize the use of our products. These services are considered distinct performance obligations. Professional services do not result in significant customization of the subscription service. We apply the practical expedient to recognize professional services revenue when we have the right to invoice based on time and materials incurred. A limited number of our customers are provided professional services for a fixed fee, which is initially recorded as deferred revenue and recognized on a proportional-performance basis as the services are performed. Professional services revenues composed approximately 6% of our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2021.
For a description of our revenue accounting policies, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Estimates.”
Cost of Revenues
Subscription and support cost of revenues. Subscription and support cost of revenues primarily consists of amortization of acquired developed technology costs, salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation associated with our hosting operations and support personnel, data center costs related to hosting our cloud-based software, and amortization of capitalized internal-use software costs. We also allocate a portion of overhead to subscription and support cost of revenues.
Professional services costs of revenues. Costs associated with providing professional services primarily consist of salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation associated with our implementation personnel. These costs are expensed as incurred when the services are performed. We also allocate a portion of overhead to professional services cost of revenues.
Operating Expenses
Sales and marketing. Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of personnel costs of our sales and marketing employees, including salaries, sales commissions and incentives, benefits and stock-based compensation expense, travel and related costs, commissions paid in connection with our strategic relationships,
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outside consulting fees, marketing programs, including lead generation, costs of our annual conference, advertising, and trade shows, other event expenses, and allocated overhead costs. Sales and marketing expenses also include amortization of customer relationship intangible assets. We defer sales and partner commissions and amortize them over an estimated period of benefit of five years. We expect the annual trend in sales and marketing expenses to continue to increase as we expand our direct sales teams and increase sales through our strategic relationships and resellers.
Research and development. Research and development expenses consist primarily of salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation associated with our engineering, product and quality assurance personnel and allocated overhead costs. Research and development expenses also include the cost of third-party contractors. Other than internal-use software development costs that qualify for capitalization, research and development costs are expensed as incurred. We expect research and development costs to increase as we develop new solutions and make improvements to our existing platform.
General and administrative. General and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation associated with our executive, finance, legal, human resources, compliance, and other administrative personnel, accounting, auditing and legal professional services fees, recruitment costs, other corporate-related expenses, transaction-related costs, and allocated overhead costs. General and administrative expenses also include amortization of a covenant not to compete and trade name intangible assets, and the change in fair value of contingent consideration. We expect that general and administrative expenses will increase as we incur the costs of compliance associated with being a publicly-traded company, including legal, audit and consulting fees.
Interest Income
Interest income primarily consists of earnings on our cash and cash equivalents and our marketable securities.
Interest Expense
Interest expense consists primarily of interest expense associated with our Convertible Senior Notes (the “Notes”) issued in August 2019.
Provision for (Benefit from) Income Taxes
We are subject to federal and state income taxes in the United States and taxes in foreign jurisdictions. We use the liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under the liability method, deferred taxes are determined based on the temporary differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities, using tax rates expected to be in effect during the years in which the bases differences are expected to reverse.
We record a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets to the extent that realization of the deferred tax assets, including consideration of our deferred tax liabilities, is not more likely than not. For the year ended December 31, 2021, for both federal and state income taxes, we have recorded a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets because of our cumulative operating losses since inception, as we believe that the realization of the deferred tax assets is currently not more likely than not. We have also recorded a valuation allowance against certain foreign deferred tax assets.
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Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to our results determined in accordance with GAAP, we believe the non-GAAP measures below are useful to us and our investors in evaluating our business. These non-GAAP financial measures are useful because they provide consistency and comparability with our past performance, facilitate period-to-period comparisons of operations and facilitate comparisons with other peer companies, many of which use similar non-GAAP financial measures to supplement their GAAP results.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||
| GAAP gross profit | $ | 327,835 | $ | 282,765 | ||
| GAAP gross margin | 77.0 | % | 80.4 | % | ||
| GAAP net loss attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | (115,161) | $ | (46,911) |
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||
| Non-GAAP gross profit | $ | 338,930 | $ | 290,853 | ||
| Non-GAAP gross margin | 79.6 | % | 82.7 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 36,535 | $ | 46,100 |
Non-GAAP Gross Profit and Non-GAAP Gross Margin. Non-GAAP gross profit is defined as GAAP revenues less GAAP cost of revenue adjusted for the amortization of acquired developed technology and stock-based compensation. Non-GAAP gross margin is defined as non-GAAP gross profit divided by GAAP revenues. We believe that presenting non-GAAP gross margin is useful to investors as it eliminates the impact of certain non-cash expenses and allows a direct comparison of gross margin between periods.
Non-GAAP Net Income (loss) attributable to BlackLine. Non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to BlackLine is defined as GAAP net loss attributable to BlackLine adjusted for the impact of the provision for (benefit from) income taxes related to acquisitions, amortization of intangible assets, stock-based compensation, the amortization of debt discount and issuance costs from our convertible notes, the change in the fair value of contingent consideration, transaction-related costs, legal settlement gains, loss on extinguishment of convertible senior notes, and the adjustment to the value of the redeemable non-controlling interest to the redemption amount. We believe that presenting non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to BlackLine is useful to investors as it eliminates the impact of items that have been impacted by the Company’s acquisitions and other related costs in order to allow a direct comparison of net loss between all periods presented.
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Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The following table presents a reconciliation of gross profit, gross margin, and net loss, the most comparable GAAP measures to non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin and non-GAAP net income:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||
| Non-GAAP Gross Profit: | ||||||
| Gross profit | $ | 327,835 | $ | 282,765 | ||
| Amortization of acquired developed technology | 2,685 | 1,192 | ||||
| Stock-based compensation | 8,410 | 6,896 | ||||
| Total non-GAAP gross profit | $ | 338,930 | $ | 290,853 | ||
| Gross margin | 77.0 | % | 80.4 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP gross margin | 79.6 | % | 82.7 | % | ||
| Non-GAAP Net Income Attributable to BlackLine, Inc.: | ||||||
| Net loss attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | (115,161) | $ | (46,911) | ||
| Benefit from income taxes related to acquisitions | (961) | (669) | ||||
| Amortization of intangible assets | 10,479 | 7,679 | ||||
| Stock-based compensation | 65,723 | 49,690 | ||||
| Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs | 55,538 | 22,689 | ||||
| Change in fair value of contingent consideration | (2,758) | 28 | ||||
| Transaction-related costs | 1,586 | 4,736 | ||||
| Loss on extinguishment of convertible senior notes | 7,012 | — | ||||
| Adjustment to redeemable non-controlling interest | 15,077 | 8,858 | ||||
| Total non-GAAP net income attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | 36,535 | $ | 46,100 |
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Results of Operations
The following tables set forth selected historical consolidated statements of operations data, which should be read in conjunction with Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates, Liquidity and Capital Resources, and Contractual Obligations and Commitments included in this Item 7, as well as Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk and the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Consolidated statements of operations information was as follows (in thousands):
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||
| Revenues | ||||||
| Subscription and support | $ | 398,633 | $ | 328,559 | ||
| Professional services | 27,073 | 23,178 | ||||
| Total revenues | 425,706 | 351,737 | ||||
| Cost of revenues | ||||||
| Subscription and support | 71,979 | 47,919 | ||||
| Professional services | 25,892 | 21,053 | ||||
| Total cost of revenues | 97,871 | 68,972 | ||||
| Gross profit | 327,835 | 282,765 | ||||
| Operating expenses | ||||||
| Sales and marketing | 202,620 | 174,581 | ||||
| Research and development | 77,322 | 56,464 | ||||
| General and administrative | 86,507 | 71,611 | ||||
| Total operating expenses | 366,449 | 302,656 | ||||
| Loss from operations | (38,614) | (19,891) | ||||
| Other income (expense) | ||||||
| Interest income | 700 | 4,502 | ||||
| Interest expense | (62,945) | (23,311) | ||||
| Other expense, net | (62,245) | (18,809) | ||||
| Loss before income taxes | (100,859) | (38,700) | ||||
| Provision for income taxes | 135 | 702 | ||||
| Net loss | (100,994) | (39,402) | ||||
| Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest | (910) | (1,349) | ||||
| Adjustment attributable to non-controlling interest | 15,077 | 8,858 | ||||
| Net loss attributable to BlackLine, Inc. | $ | (115,161) | $ | (46,911) |
Revenues
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Subscription and support | $ | 398,633 | $ | 328,559 | $ | 70,074 | 21 | % | ||||||
| Professional services | 27,073 | 23,178 | 3,895 | 17 | % | |||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 425,706 | $ | 351,737 | $ | 73,969 | 21 | % |
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| Year Ended December 31, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| Dollar-based net revenue retention rate | 109 | % | 106 | % | |
| Number of customers | 3,825 | 3,433 | |||
| Number of users | 328,389 | 291,873 |
The increase in revenues for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, was primarily due to an increase in the number of customers, an increase in the number of users added by existing customers, and an increase in non-user based strategic product sales. The total number of customers and users increased by 11% and 13%, respectively, during the year ended December 31, 2021.
Cost of revenues
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Subscription and support | $ | 71,979 | $ | 47,919 | $ | 24,060 | 50 | % | ||||||
| Professional services | 25,892 | 21,053 | 4,839 | 23 | % | |||||||||
| Total cost of revenues | $ | 97,871 | $ | 68,972 | $ | 28,899 | 42 | % | ||||||
| Gross margin | 77.0 | % | 80.4 | % |
The increase in cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, was primarily due to the following:
•$11.8 million increase in infrastructure expenses due to higher spend on cloud hosting services related to the migration of new and existing customers to the Google Cloud Platform, and an increase in cloud hosting services in connection with the Rimilia acquisition, as well as international expansion.
•$10.2 million increase in salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation driven primarily by 30% higher average cost of revenues-related headcount from the year ended December 31, 2020 to the year ended December 31, 2021;
•$2.6 million increase in amortization of developed technology due to net additions of software placed into service;
•$2.5 million increase in depreciation and amortization mainly due to the addition of developed technology from the Rimilia acquisition; and
•$1.7 million increase in professional services expense due to an increase in consulting services,
Sales and marketing
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | $ | 202,620 | $ | 174,581 | $ | 28,039 | 16 | % | ||||||
| Percentage of total revenues | 47.6 | % | 49.6 | % |
The increase in sales and marketing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, was primarily due to the following:
•$23.3 million increase in salaries, sales commissions, and stock-based compensation driven primarily by higher headcount and increased commissions from revenue growth in sales of our solutions. Sales and marketing average headcount increased 12% from the year ended December 31, 2020 to the year ended December 31, 2021; and
•$3.5 million increase in advertising and trade shows driven by further virtual events, online marketing and direct mail;
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Research and development
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Research and development, gross | $ | 92,323 | $ | 67,283 | $ | 25,040 | 37 | % | ||||||
| Capitalized internally developed software costs | (15,001) | (10,819) | (4,182) | 39 | % | |||||||||
| Research and development, net | $ | 77,322 | $ | 56,464 | $ | 20,858 | 37 | % | ||||||
| Percentage of total revenues | 18.2 | % | 16.1 | % |
The increase in research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, was primarily due to the following:
•$22.1 million increase in salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation driven primarily by 31% higher average headcount from the year ended December 31, 2020 to the year ended December 31, 2021;
•$1.6 million increase in computer software due primarily to greater spend on cloud hosting services related to the development of technology of the Google Cloud Platform, as well as purchases of additional software licenses driven by higher average research and development headcount; and
•$1.0 million increase in professional services expense, partially offset by
•$4.2 million increase in capitalized software costs due to significant new and enhanced functionality of our solutions, as well as increased capitalized labor costs due to higher headcount. Collectively, these increases resulted in a decrease in net expenses.
General and administrative
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| General and administrative | $ | 86,507 | $ | 71,611 | $ | 14,896 | 21 | % | ||||||
| Percentage of total revenues | 20.3 | % | 20.4 | % |
The increase in general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, was primarily due to the following:
•$17.8 million increase in salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation driven primarily by 23% higher average headcount from the year ended December 31, 2020 to the year ended December 31, 2021;
•$1.8 million increase in foreign currency losses due to the strengthening of the US dollar against multiple currencies, partially offset by;
•$1.1 million increase in computer software due primarily to greater spend on a variety of software licenses and productivity tools as well as increased employee base, partially offset by;
•$2.8 million net decrease in the fair value of the contingent consideration liability primarily related to the Rimilia Acquisition; and
•transaction-related costs of $1.6 million in the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to $4.7 million in the year ended December 31, 2020.
Interest income
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Interest income | $ | 700 | $ | 4,502 | $ | (3,802) | (84) | % |
The decrease in interest income during the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, was primarily due to a decrease in average interest rates, partially offset by an increase in
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average cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities balances in the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020.
Interest expense
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Interest expense | $ | 62,945 | $ | 23,311 | $ | 39,634 | 170 | % |
The increase in interest expense during the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, was primarily due to $41.2 million in amortization of the debt discount on the 2026 Notes and a $7.0 million loss on the partial extinguishment of the 2024 Notes, partially offset by a $8.6 million decrease in amortization of the debt discount on the 2024 Notes due to the partial repurchase.
Provision for income taxes
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||
| Provision for income taxes | $ | 135 | $ | 702 | $ | (567) | (81) | % |
We are subject to federal and state income taxes in the United States and taxes in foreign jurisdictions. For the year ended December 31, 2021, our annual estimated effective tax rate differed from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% primarily as a result of state taxes, foreign taxes, and changes in our valuation allowance for domestic income taxes. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we recorded $0.1 million and $0.7 million in income tax expense, respectively. The decrease in income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, was attributable to 2021 tax benefits associated with our international operations. For the year ended December 31, 2021, we continued to maintain a full valuation allowance on our U.S. federal and state net deferred tax assets as it was more likely than not that those deferred tax assets will not be realized.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
At December 31, 2021, our principal sources of liquidity were an aggregate of $1.2 billion of cash and cash
equivalents and marketable securities, which primarily consist of short-term, investment-grade U.S. treasury
securities. We had $1.4 billion aggregate principal amount of Notes outstanding at December 31, 2021.
We believe our existing cash and cash equivalents, investments in marketable securities and cash from operations will be sufficient to meet our working capital needs, capital expenditures and financing obligations for at least the next 12 months.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
Notes Payable
During the quarter ended December 31, 2021, the Stock Price Condition allowing holders of the 2024 Notes to convert was met. As a result, holders have the option to convert their 2024 Notes at any time during the calendar quarter ending March 31, 2022. We have the ability to settle the 2024 Notes in cash, shares of our common stock, or a combination of cash and shares of our common stock at our election. From January 1, 2022, through the date of this filing, we have not received any conversion requests for our 2024 Notes. It is our current intent to settle any such conversions through combination settlement, which involves repayment of the principal portion in cash and any excess conversion value over the principal amount in shares of our common stock.
In connection with the offering of the 2024 Notes, we entered into the 2024 Capped Calls with certain
counterparties covering, subject to anti-dilution adjustments, approximately 3.4 million shares of our common stock
and are generally expected to offset the potential economic dilution of our common stock up to the initial cap price.
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The 2024 Capped Calls have an initial strike price of $73.40 per share, subject to certain adjustments, which corresponds to the initial conversion price of the 2024 Notes, and an initial cap price of $106.76 per share, subject to certain adjustments. As of December 31, 2021, all of the 2024 Capped Calls remained outstanding.
In connection with the offering of the 2026 Notes, we entered into the 2026 Capped Calls with certain
counterparties covering, subject to anti-dilution adjustments, approximately 6.9 million shares of our common stock
and are generally expected to offset the potential economic dilution of our common stock up to the initial cap price.
The 2026 Capped Calls have an initial strike price of $166.23 per share - subject to certain adjustments, which
corresponds to the initial conversion price of the 2026 Notes - and an initial cap price of $233.31 per share, subject to certain adjustments. As of December 31, 2021, all of the 2026 Capped Calls remained outstanding.
Lease Liabilities
As of December 31, 2021, we have obligations totaling $19.4 million related to existing property and equipment leases. For one of our existing leases, we estimate that, in readiness for our occupancy, we have remaining leasehold improvements to complete of $5.6 million at December 31, 2021.
In addition, at December 31, 2021, the Company has two lease obligations totaling $1.1 million that commenced in the first quarter of 2022 with lease terms of approximately ten months and twenty-six months.
Purchase Obligations
Purchase obligations represent our most significant contractual obligations in the ordinary course of business for which we have not received the related goods or services, in whole or in part. As at December 31, 2021, we have $58.2 million of contractual obligations related to three commitments, with $9.8 million payable within 12 months, and have additional contractual obligations with other vendors that are collectively immaterial and which we can readily settle given our liquidity position and capital resources.
Contingent Consideration
We are required to pay up to a maximum of $8.0 million of contingent consideration related to our 2013
Acquisition should we realize a tax benefit from the use of net operating losses generated from the stock option exercises concurrent with the 2013 Acquisition and up to a maximum of $15.0 million of contingent consideration related to the Rimilia Acquisition if certain Rimilia Annual Recurring Revenue ("ARR") thresholds are met during the second year subsequent to the acquisition date.
We are also required to pay up to a maximum of $75.0 million of contingent consideration over the next three years related to our FourQ Acquisition should we meet certain financial performance milestones.
Unrecognized Tax Liabilities
At December 31, 2021, while we have liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits of $4.3 million, due to their nature, there is a high degree of uncertainty regarding the timing of future cash outflows and other events that extinguish these liabilities.
Letters of Credit
Commitments under letters of credit at December 31, 2021 were scheduled to expire as follows (in thousands):
| Total | Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | Thereafter | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letters of credit | $ | 287 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 35 | $ | 252 |
Letters of credit are maintained pursuant to certain of our lease arrangements. The letters of credit remain in effect at varying levels through the terms of the related agreements.
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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As part of our ongoing business, we do not have any relationships with other entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities that have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes. We are therefore not exposed to any financing, liquidity, market or credit risk that could arise if we had engaged in those types of relationships.
In the ordinary course of business, we may provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to customers, vendors, investors, directors and officers with respect to certain matters, including, but not limited to, losses arising out of our breach of such agreements, services to be provided by us, or from intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties. These indemnification provisions may survive termination of the underlying agreement and the maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification provisions may not be subject to maximum loss clauses. The maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification provisions is indeterminable. We have never paid a material claim, nor have we been sued in connection with these indemnification arrangements. At December 31, 2021, we had not accrued a liability for these indemnification arrangements because the likelihood of incurring a payment obligation, if any, in connection with these indemnification arrangements is not probable or reasonably estimable.
Future Capital Requirements
Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including our growth rate, the expansion of our
direct sales force, strategic relationships and international operations, the timing and extent of spending to support
research and development efforts and strategic transactions and the continuing market acceptance of our solutions.
From time to time, we have required, and may in the future require or opportunistically raise, additional equity or
debt financing. Sales of additional equity or equity-linked securities could result in dilution to our stockholders. If we
raise funds by borrowing from third parties, the terms of those financing arrangements would require us to incur
interest expense and may include negative covenants or other restrictions on our business that could impair our
operating flexibility. We can provide no assurance that financing will be available at all or, if available, that we would
be able to obtain financing on terms favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional capital when needed, we
would be required to curtail our operating activities and capital expenditures, and our business operating results and
financial condition would be adversely affected.
Historical Cash Flows
The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 80,093 | $ | 54,735 | ||
| Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | $ | (506,941) | $ | 173,594 | ||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | $ | 599,240 | $ | 18,862 |
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities
Our net loss and cash flows from operating activities are significantly influenced by our investments in
headcount and infrastructure to support anticipated growth. In recent periods, our net loss has generally been
significantly greater than our use of cash for operating activities due to our subscription-based revenue model in
which billings occur in advance of revenue recognition, as well as the substantial amount of non-cash charges
which we incur. Non-cash charges primarily include depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation,
change in fair value of contingent consideration, loss on extinguishment of convertible notes, non-cash lease
expense, amortization of debt discount and issuance costs, and deferred taxes.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, cash provided by operations was $80.1 million, resulting from net non-cash expenses of $156.5 million, partially offset by our net loss of $101.0 million and net cash flow provided by changes in operating assets and liabilities of $24.6 million. The $24.6 million of net cash flows provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities reflected the following:
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•$51.6 million increase in deferred revenue as a result of the growth of our customer and user bases as reflected by greater billings for our subscription and support services;
•$14.9 million increase in accrued bonuses, commissions and payroll taxes due to increased headcount and higher sales; and
•$4.0 million increase in accounts payable.
These changes in our operating assets and liabilities were partially offset by the following:
•$22.5 million increase in increased prepaid commissions partially offset by related amortization;
•$14.3 million increase in accounts receivable, unbilled balances and advance billings;
•$5.2 million decrease in operating lease liabilities; and
•$4.0 million increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets;
For the year ended December 31, 2020, cash provided by operations was $54.7 million, resulting from net non-cash expenses of $97.5 million, partially offset by our net loss of $39.4 million and net cash flow used as a result of changes in operating assets and liabilities of $3.4 million. The $3.4 million of net cash flows used as a result of changes in our operating assets and liabilities reflected the following:
•$12.4 million increase in other assets primarily related to increased prepaid commissions net of related amortization and increased implementation costs for cloud computing arrangements;
•$5.7 million increase in accounts receivable;
•$5.3 million increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets;
•$5.0 million decrease in operating lease liabilities; and
•$4.4 million decrease in accounts payable.
These changes in our operating assets and liabilities were partially offset by the following:
•$26.4 million increase in deferred revenue as a result of the growth of our customer and user bases as reflected by greater billings for our subscription and support services; and
•$3.1 million increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities.
Net Cash Provided By (Used In) Investing Activities
Our investing activities consist primarily of purchases of, and maturities and sales of, marketable securities,
capitalized software development costs, and capital expenditures for property and equipment.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, cash used in investing activities was $506.9 million as a result of the following:
•$483.7 million of purchases of marketable securities, net of proceeds from maturities;
•$14.5 million in capitalized software development costs; and
•$8.7 million in purchases of property and equipment.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, cash provided by investing activities was $173.6 million as a result of the following:
•$312.4 million of proceeds from maturities and sales of marketable securities, net of purchases;
These changes in our investing activities were partially offset by the following:
•$119.3 million in cash paid for an acquisition, net of cash acquired;
•$10.6 million in capitalized software development costs;
•$6.5 million in purchases of property and equipment; and
•$2.3 million in purchases of intangible assets related to the purchase of a defensive patent.
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Net Cash Provided By Financing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2021, cash provided by financing activities was $599.2 million as a result of the following:
•$594.2 million proceeds from the issuance of the 2026 Notes, net of the partial repurchase of the 2024 Notes and the purchase of the associated 2026 Capped Calls;
•$11.4 million of proceeds from exercises of stock options;
•$9.0 million of proceeds from the employee stock purchase plan; and
•$2.2 million of investment from redeemable non-controlling interest.
These changes in our financing activities were partially offset by the following:
•$17.0 million of acquisitions of common stock for tax withholding obligations.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, cash provided by financing activities was $18.9 million as a result of the following:
•$20.6 million of proceeds from exercises of stock options; and
•$7.0 million of proceeds from the employee stock purchase plan.
These changes in our financing activities were partially offset by the following:
•$8.2 million of acquisitions of common stock for tax withholding obligations.
Backlog
We enter into both single and multi-year subscription contracts for our solutions. The timing of our invoices to the customer is a negotiated term and thus varies among our subscription contracts. For multi-year agreements, it is common to invoice an initial amount at contract signing followed by subsequent annual invoices. At any point in the contract term, there can be amounts that we have not yet been contractually able to invoice. Until such time as these amounts are invoiced, they are not recorded in revenues, deferred revenue or elsewhere in our consolidated financial statements and are considered by us to be backlog. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, we had backlog of approximately $596.3 million and $468.6 million, respectively. We expect backlog will change from period to period for several reasons, including the timing and duration of customer agreements, varying billing cycles of subscription agreements, and the timing and duration of customer renewals. Because revenue for any period is a function of revenue recognized from deferred revenue under contracts in existence at the beginning of the period, as well as contract renewals and new customer contracts during the period, backlog at the beginning of any period is not necessarily indicative of future revenue performance. We do not utilize backlog as a key management metric internally.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our estimates are based on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Our actual results could differ from these estimates.
We believe that the following critical accounting policies involve a greater degree of judgment or complexity than our other accounting policies. Accordingly, these are the policies we believe are the most critical to a full understanding and evaluation of our consolidated financial condition and results of operations. See “Significant Accounting Policies” in Note 2 of the accompanying notes to our consolidated financial statements for additional information.
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Deferred Customer Acquisition Costs
We recognize an asset for the incremental and recoverable costs of obtaining a contract with a customer if we expect the benefit of those costs to be one year or longer. We have determined that certain sales incentive programs to our employees ("deferred customer contract acquisition costs") and our partners ("partner referral fees") meet the requirements to be capitalized. Deferred customer acquisition costs related to new revenue contracts and upsells are deferred and then amortized straight line over the expected period of benefit that we have determined to be five years, based upon both the product turnover rate and estimated customer life which involves some level of judgement in terms of the inherent assumptions used. Partner referral fees are deferred and then amortized on a straight-line basis over the related contractual period, as the fees for renewals are commensurate with fees incurred for the initial contract. Deferred customer acquisition costs and partner referral fees are included within other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. There were no impairment losses in relation to the costs capitalized for the periods presented.
Capitalized Software Costs
We account for the costs of computer software obtained or developed for internal use in accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (“ASC 350”). We capitalize certain implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract. These capitalized costs exclude training costs, project management costs, and data migration costs. We capitalize certain costs in the development of our SaaS subscription solutions when (i) the preliminary project stage is completed, (ii) management has authorized further funding for the completion of the project and (iii) it is probable that the project will be completed and performed as intended. These capitalized costs include estimated personnel and related expenses for employees as well as costs of third-party contractors who are directly associated with and who devote time to internal-use software projects and, when material, interest costs incurred during the development. Capitalization of these costs ceases once the project is substantially complete and the software is ready for its intended purpose. Costs incurred for significant upgrades and enhancements to our SaaS software solutions are also capitalized. Costs incurred for post-configuration training, maintenance and minor modifications or enhancements are expensed as incurred. Capitalized software development costs are amortized using the straight-line method over an estimated useful life of three years.
Business Combinations
The results of businesses acquired in business combinations are included in our consolidated financial statements from the date of the acquisition. Purchase accounting results in assets and liabilities of an acquired business being recorded at their estimated fair values on the acquisition date. Any excess consideration over the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill.
We perform valuations of assets acquired and liabilities assumed and allocate the purchase price to its respective assets and liabilities. Determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed requires our management to use significant judgment and estimates, including the selection of valuation methodologies, estimates of future revenue, costs and cash flows, discount rates, and selection of comparable companies. We engage the assistance of valuation specialists in concluding on fair value measurements in connection with determining fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations.
Contingent consideration payable in cash arising from business combinations is recorded at fair value as a liability on the acquisition date and remeasured at each reporting date. Changes in fair value are recorded in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Determining the fair value of the contingent consideration each period requires management to make assumptions and judgments. These estimates involve inherent uncertainties, and if different assumptions had been used, the fair value of contingent consideration could have been materially different from the amounts recorded. The significant inputs used in the fair value measurement of contingent consideration are the amount and timing of Rimilia ARR in the second year subsequent to the acquisition. Significant changes in the estimated ARR and the periods in which they are generated would significantly impact the fair value of the contingent consideration liability.
Transaction-related costs incurred by the Company are expensed as incurred and are included in general and administrative expenses in the Company's consolidated statements of operations.
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Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 2, "Significant Accounting Policies—Recently Issued Accounting Standards,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a description of recent accounting pronouncements, including the expected dates of adoption and estimated effects on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.