Research Solutions Reports Fiscal First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

ENCINO, Calif., Nov. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Research Solutions, Inc. (OTCQB: RSSS), a provider of workflow efficiency solutions for R&D-driven organizations, reported financial results for its fiscal first quarter ended September 30, 2018.

Fiscal First Quarter 2019 Highlights vs. Year-Ago Quarter

    --  Total revenue increased 3% to $7.0 million.
    --  Platform revenue up 52% to $589,000, with a 48% increase in total
        Platform deployments to 239. Annual recurring revenue up 54% to $2.4
        million.
    --  Transaction revenue up slightly to $6.4 million, with customer count up
        6% to 1,084.
    --  Total gross margin up 210 basis points to 28.0%.
    --  Net loss from continuing operations was $0.2 million, or $(0.01) per
        share, compared to a net loss of $0.8 million, or $(0.04) per share.

Management Commentary

"Fiscal 2019 began on a strong note with continued momentum in our Platform business, which helped drive consolidated gross margin higher on a sequential basis for the third straight quarter," said Peter Derycz, president and CEO of Research Solutions. "The value of the Platform is also growing, as reflected by our annual recurring revenue that has reached nearly $2.5 million. Unique enhancements like near-daily innovation produced by our 'Gadget Factory' is also helping drive value and strong customer retention.

"At the beginning of our second fiscal quarter, we launched version 2.2 of our Platform, which features new self-registration capabilities that allow for more efficient lead generation and frictionless sign-ups. We believe this upgrade will increase the pace of deployments and provide important analytics that will drive more efficient sales and marketing campaigns. In fact, we have already received a few hundred self sign-ups since the launch despite no marketing campaigns, including various enterprise inquiries. The release of version 2.2 also included the introduction of our Reference Manager gadget. Reference and citation management is an activity that most of the scientific community engages in, and we're excited to bring this ground-breaking gadget to life after months of R&D. Given our continued Platform momentum, and a new sales and marketing strategy underway, we expect fiscal 2019 to be another successful year for our business."

Fiscal First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Total revenue increased 3% to $7.0 million compared to $6.7 million in the same year-ago quarter.

Platform subscription revenue increased 52% to $589,000 compared to $388,000 in the year-ago quarter. The increase was due to a 48% increase in the total number of paid Platform deployments to 239. The quarter ended with annual recurring revenue up 54% to $2.4 million (see the company's definition of annual recurring revenue below).

Transaction revenue increased slightly to $6.4 million compared to the same year-ago quarter. Total active customers increased 6% from 1,022 to 1,084, and transaction count declined slightly from 205,000 to 202,000 (see the company's definition of active customer accounts and transactions below).

Total gross margin increased 210 basis points to 28.0% from 25.9% in the same year-ago quarter. The increase was primarily driven by a 320 basis point increase in Platform gross margin and the continued revenue mix shift to the higher-margin Platform business.

Total operating expenses improved to $2.2 million compared to $2.6 million in the same year-ago quarter. The decrease was primarily due to the continued optimization and transformation of sales and marketing resources, lower stock-based compensation expenses, and a handful of open positions.

Net loss from continuing operations improved to $0.2 million, or $(0.01) per share, compared to a net loss of $0.8 million, or $(0.04) per share, in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBITDA totaled $(0.1) million compared to $(0.5) million in the year-ago quarter (see definition and further discussion about the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP term, below).

Cash and cash equivalents at September 30, 2018, amounted to $4.5 million compared to $4.9 million at June 30, 2018. There were no outstanding borrowings under the company's $2.5 million revolving line of credit. Apart from a $0.2 million office lease liability due to new accounting guidance for leases, the company had no long-term liabilities or other debt.

Further details about these results are available in the company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q, which is available in the investor relations section of the company's website at www.researchsolutions.com.

Conference Call

Research Solutions President and CEO Peter Derycz and CFO Alan Urban will host an investor conference call to discuss these results and the company's outlook, followed by a question and answer period.

Date: Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Time: 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (2:00 p.m. Pacific time)
Toll-free dial-in number: 1-855-327-6837
International dial-in number: 1-631-891-4304
Conference ID: 10005768

Please call the conference telephone number 5-10 minutes prior to the start time. An operator will register your name and organization. If you have any difficulty connecting with the conference call, please contact Liolios at 1-949-574-3860.

The conference call will be broadcast live and available for replay here and via the investor relations section of the company's website at www.researchsolutions.com.

A replay of the conference call will be available after 8:00 p.m. Eastern time on the same day through November 28, 2018.

Toll-free replay number: 1-844-512-2921
International replay number: 1-412-317-6671
Replay ID: 10005768



     
              Fiscal First Quarter 2018 Financial and Operational Summary Tables vs. Year-Ago Quarter




                                                                                                    
        
     Quarter Ended Sept. 30,


                                                                                                                              2018           2017 
     
        Change    
        
              %
                                                                                                                                                                     Change




     Revenue:


          
            Platforms                                                                                             $589,013       $387,945          $201,068             51.8%


          
            Transactions                                                                                         6,363,508      6,359,895             3,613              0.1%




     Total Revenue                                                                                                   6,952,521      6,747,840           204,681              3.0%





     Gross Profit:


          
            Platforms                                                                                              480,754        303,958           176,796             58.2%


          
            Transactions                                                                                         1,467,201      1,445,481            21,720              1.5%




     Total Gross Profit                                                                                              1,947,955      1,749,439           198,516             11.3%





     Gross profit as a % of revenue:


          
            Platforms                                                                                                81.6%         78.4%             3.3%


          
            Transactions                                                                                             23.1%         22.7%             0.3%



     Total Gross Profit                                                                                                  28.0%         25.9%             2.1%





     Operating Expenses:


          
            Sales and marketing                                                                                    431,417        678,963         (247,546)           -36.5%


          
            Technology and product development                                                                     499,795        452,816            46,979             10.4%


          
            General and administrative                                                                           1,118,611      1,131,402          (12,791)            -1.1%


          
            Depreciation and amortization                                                                           11,115         40,568          (29,453)           -72.6%


          
            Stock-based compensation                                                                               115,909        286,242         (170,333)           -59.5%


          
            Foreign currency translation loss                                                                        4,980       (12,387)           17,367            140.2%



     Total Operating Expenses                                                                                        2,181,827      2,577,604         (395,777)           -15.4%






     Income (loss) from operations                                                                                   (233,872)     (828,165)          594,293             71.8%





     Other Income (Expenses):


          
            Interest expense                                                                                                     (3,000)            3,000            100.0%


          
            Other income (expense)                                                                                  23,485         12,802            10,683             83.4%


          
            Provision for income taxes                                                                             (9,221)      (11,751)            2,530             21.5%


          
            Gain on sale of discontinued operations                                                                 41,720         57,149          (15,429)           -27.0%




     Total Other Income (Expenses):                                                                                     55,984         55,200               784              1.4%





     Net income (loss)                                                                                              $(177,888)    $(772,965)          595,077             77.0%

                                                                                                                                                                            ===




     Adjusted EBITDA                                                                                                $(101,868)    $(513,742)         $411,874             80.2%





     Platforms:


          
            ARR (Annual recurring revenue)                                                                      $2,448,293     $1,590,830          $857,463             53.9%


          
            Deployments                                                                                                239            161                78             48.4%


          
            ASP (Average sales price)                                                                              $10,244         $9,881              $363              3.7%





     Transactions:


          
            Transaction count                                                                                      202,212        205,066           (2,854)            -1.4%


          
            Corporate customers                                                                                        845            806                39              4.8%


          
            Academic customers                                                                                         239            216                23             10.6%


          
            Total customers                                                                                          1,084          1,022                62              6.1%

Active Customer Accounts, Transactions and Annual Recurring Revenue

The company defines active customer accounts as the sum of the total quantity of customers per month for each month in the period divided by the respective number of months in the period. The quantity of customers per month is defined as customers with at least one transaction during the month.

A transaction is an order for a unit of copyrighted content fulfilled or managed in the Platform.

The company defines annual recurring revenue as the value of contracted Platform subscription recurring revenue normalized to a one-year period.

Use of Non-GAAP Measure - Adjusted EBITDA

Research Solutions' management evaluates and makes operating decisions using various financial metrics. In addition to the company's GAAP results, management also considers the non-GAAP measure of Adjusted EBITDA. Management believes that this non-GAAP measure provides useful information about the company's operating results.

The tables below provide a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income (loss), plus interest expense, other income (expense), foreign currency transaction loss, provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, gain on sale of discontinued operations, and other potential adjustments that may arise.

Set forth below is a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss):


                                                                                           Quarter Ended Sept. 30,


                                                                                     2018        2017        
         
      Change




     
     Net Income (loss)                                           $(177,888) $(772,965)   $595,077


                          
     Add (deduct):


                          
     Interest expense                                                   3,000                   (3,000)


                          
     Other income (expense)                               (23,485)   (12,802)                 (10,683)


                          
     Foreign currency translation loss                       4,980    (12,387)                   17,367


                          
     Provision for income taxes                              9,221      11,751                   (2,530)


                          
     Depreciation and amortization                          11,115      40,568                  (29,453)


                          
     Stock-based compensation                              115,909     286,242                 (170,333)


                          
     Gain on sale of discontinued operations              (41,720)   (57,149)                   15,429



                          
     Adjusted EBITDA                                    $(101,868) $(513,742)                 $411,874

About Research Solutions

Research Solutions, Inc. (OTCQB: RSSS) provides workflow efficiency solutions for R&D-driven organizations in life sciences, technology and academia worldwide. Our Software-as-a-Service platform provides tools or "Gadgets" that allow users to discover, access, manage and collaborate around science, technology and medical (STM) content and data. Our customers range from 70 percent of the top 25 global pharmaceutical companies to emerging small and medium-sized businesses. We generate recurring revenue from subscriptions to our SaaS platform and transactional revenue from the sale of STM content. For more information, visit www.researchsolutions.com.

Important Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters discussed in this press release may be forward-looking statements. Such matters involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including the following: changes in economic conditions; general competitive factors; acceptance of the company's products in the market; the company's success in obtaining new customers and new Platform deployments; the company's success in technology and product development; the company's ability to execute its business model and strategic plans, and all the risks and related information described from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including the financial statements and related information contained in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission Annual Report on Form 10-K and interim Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The company assumes no obligation to update the cautionary information in this release.


                                               
              
          Research Solutions, Inc. and Subsidiaries


                                                 
              
          Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets




                                                                                   September 30
                                                                                             ,                          June 30,


                                                                                           2018                              2018


                                                                             (unaudited)



                                
              
                Assets



     
                Current assets:



     Cash and cash equivalents                                                                   $
              4,527,027           $
           4,908,180


      Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $105,683 and
       $115,040, respectively                                                                               4,051,236                    4,251,251



     Prepaid expenses and other current assets                                                               262,764                      326,887



     Prepaid royalties                                                                                       255,403                       93,336



     Total current assets                                                                                  9,096,430                    9,579,654





     
                Other assets:


      Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of
       $762,933 and $749,923, respectively                                                                     49,328                       59,043



     Deposits and other assets                                                                                14,432                       14,372


      Right of use asset, net of accumulated amortization of
       $184,035 and $155,698, respectively                                                                    278,986                      307,324




     
                Total assets                                                                   $
              9,439,176           $
           9,960,393

                                                                                                                                                ===



                       Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity



     
                Current liabilities:



     Accounts payable and accrued expenses                                                       $
              4,366,542           $
           4,686,946



     Deferred revenue                                                                                      1,635,527                    1,665,746



     Lease liability, current portion                                                                        122,087                      119,786



     Total current liabilities                                                                             6,124,156                    6,472,478





     
                Long-term liabilities:



     Lease liability, long-term portion                                                                      177,167                      208,513



     
                Total liabilities                                                                        6,301,323                    6,680,991






     
                Commitments and contingencies





     
                Stockholders' equity
                :


      Preferred stock; $0.001 par value; 20,000,000 shares
       authorized; no shares issued and outstanding


      Common stock; $0.001 par value; 100,000,000 shares
       authorized; 24,155,676 and 24,016,999  shares issued and
       outstanding, respectively                                                                               24,156                       24,017



     Additional paid-in capital                                                                           22,945,261                   22,904,691



     Accumulated deficit                                                                                (19,732,487)                (19,554,599)



     Accumulated other comprehensive loss                                                                   (99,077)                    (94,707)




     Total stockholders' equity                                                                            3,137,853                    3,279,402



                   Total liabilities and stockholders' equity                                     $
              9,439,176           $
           9,960,393

                                                                                                                                                ===


                                         
              
                Research Solutions, Inc. and Subsidiaries


                       
              
                Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Other Comprehensive Loss


                                                        
              
                (Unaudited)




                                                                                                                          Three Months Ended


                                                                                                                          September 30
               ,



                                                                                                          2018                               2017

                                                                                                                                             ---




     Revenue:



     Platforms                                                                                                    $
              589,013                         $
          387,945



     Transactions                                                                                                         6,363,508                               6,359,895




     Total revenue                                                                                                        6,952,521                               6,747,840






     Cost of revenue:



     Platforms                                                                                                              108,259                                  83,987



     Transactions                                                                                                         4,896,307                               4,914,414




     Total cost of revenue                                                                                                5,004,566                               4,998,401




     Gross profit                                                                                                         1,947,955                               1,749,439






     
                Operating expenses:



     Selling, general and administrative                                                                                  2,170,712                               2,537,036



     Depreciation and amortization                                                                                           11,115                                  40,568



     Total operating expenses                                                                                             2,181,827                               2,577,604




     Loss from operations                                                                                                 (233,872)                              (828,165)






     
                Other income (expenses):



     Interest expense                                                                                                                              (3,000)



     Other income                                                                                                            23,485                                  12,802



     Total other income                                                                                                      23,485                                   9,802






     Loss from operations before provision for income taxes                                                               (210,387)                              (818,363)



     Provision for income taxes                                                                                             (9,221)                               (11,751)






     Loss from continuing operations                                                                                      (219,608)                              (830,114)





     Gain from sale of discontinued operations                                                                               41,720                                  57,149





     Net loss                                                                                                             (177,888)                              (772,965)





     
                Other comprehensive income (loss):                                                                        (4,370)                                (8,951)


     Foreign currency translation




     Comprehensive loss                                                                                         $
              (182,258)                      $
          (781,916)

                                                                                                                                                                          ===




     Loss per common share:



     Loss per share from continuing operations, basic and diluted                                                  $
              (0.01)                         $
          (0.04)



     Income per share from discontinued operations, basic and diluted                            
              $                                    
           $                 -



     Net loss per share, basic and diluted                                                                         $
              (0.01)                         $
          (0.04)



     Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted                                                       23,644,787                              23,380,437

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SOURCE Research Solutions, Inc.