api-ex991

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – (Globe Newswire) – Agora, Inc. (NASDAQ: API) (“Agora”), a pioneer and leading platform for real-time engagement APIs, today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021.

“We have been a public company for one year now. Looking back at the past year, we are very proud to have helped people around the world stay connected during this challenging period. Together with developers on our platform, we are changing the way people work and study, and how people play and live their lives,” said Tony Zhao, founder, chairman and CEO of Agora. “I would like to thank our developers, customers, and partners for their trust in Agora. We will continue to invest in enabling meaningful human connections and creating more real-time engagement possibilities.”

Total revenues were $42.3 million in the second quarter of 2021, an increase of 24.9% from $33.9 million in the same period last year, primarily due to increased usage of our video and voice products as a result of our business expansion and usage growth in emerging use cases.

Cost of revenues was $16.5 million in the second quarter of 2021, an increase of 44.8% from $11.4 million in the same period last year, primarily due to increase in bandwidth and co-location costs and depreciation of servers and network equipment as we continue to scale our business.

Gross profit was $25.9 million in the second quarter of 2021, an increase of 14.8% from $22.5 million in the same period last year. Gross margin was 61.1% in the second quarter of 2021, a decrease of 5.3% from 66.4% in the same period last year, primarily due to international expansion to regions with higher infrastructure costs and capacity expansion in anticipation of future usage growth.

Operating expenses were $45.3 million in the second quarter of 2021, an increase of 123.9% from $20.2 million in the same period last year.

Other operating income was $0.3 million in the second quarter of 2021, compared to $0.8 million in the same period last year, primarily due to less VAT related deductions.

Loss from operations was $19.1 million in the second quarter of 2021, compared to income from operations of $3.1 million in the same period last year.

Interest and investment income were $3.4 million in the second quarter of 2021, compared to $0.1 million in the same period last year, primarily due to an increase in the average balance of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments due to proceeds from our initial public offering and concurrent private placement in the second quarter of 2020 and the private placement in the first quarter of 2021, as well as fair value change in equity investments of $1.3 million in the second quarter of 2021.

Income taxes were $0.4 million in the second quarter of 2021, compared to $0.2 million in the same period last year.

Net loss was $15.4 million in the second quarter of 2021, compared to net income of $3.0 million in the same period last year.

Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders for the quarter was $15.4 million, compared to net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of $157.8 million in the same period last year, primarily due to accretion of preferred shares to redemption value before the completion of our initial public offering.

Net loss per American Depositary Share (“ADS”)¹ was $0.14, compared to net loss of $4.60 per ADS in the same period last year.

Based on currently available information, Agora has adjusted the previous guidance and now expects total revenues for the year ending December 31, 2021 to be between $159 million and $161 million. This outlook reflects the company’s current and preliminary views on the market and operational conditions, and the outlook ranges for year 2021 reflect various assumptions that are subject to change based on uncertainties such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the new regulation on K12 academic tutoring sector in China.

Agora will host a conference call to discuss the financial results at 6 p.m. Pacific Time / 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the same day. Details for the conference call are as follows:

Direct Event online registration: http://apac.directeventreg.com/registration/event/8897989

Please register in advance of the conference using the link provided above. Upon registering, you will be provided with participant dial-in numbers, Direct Event passcode and unique registrant ID.

A digital recording of the conference call will be available for replay two hours after the call’s completion (dial-in number: US 18554525696, International +61 2 81990299; same conference ID as shown above).

Please visit Agora’s investor relations website at https://investor.agora.io/investor-relations on August 9, 2021 to view the earnings release and accompanying slides prior to the conference call.

Agora has provided in this press release financial information that has not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP). Agora uses these non-GAAP financial measures internally in analyzing its financial results and believes that use of these non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors as an additional tool to evaluate ongoing operating results and trends and in comparing Agora’s financial results with other companies in its industry, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures. Besides free cash flow (as defined below), each of these non-GAAP financial measures represents the corresponding GAAP financial measure before share-based compensation expenses, acquisition related expenses, amortization expense of acquired intangible assets and income tax related to acquired intangible assets. We believe that such non-GAAP financial measures help identify underlying trends in our business that could otherwise be distorted by the effect of such share-based compensation expenses, acquisition related expenses, amortization expense of acquired intangible assets and income tax related to acquired intangible assets that we include in cost of revenues, total operating expenses and net income (loss). We believe that all such non-GAAP financial measures also provide useful information about our operating results, enhance the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by our management in its financial and operational decision-making.

Non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable GAAP financial measures and should be read only in conjunction with Agora’s consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of Agora’s historical non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures has been provided in the tables captioned “Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures” included at the end of this press release, and investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation.

Definitions of Agora’s non-GAAP financial measures included in this press release are presented below.

Agora defines non-GAAP net income (loss) as net income (loss) adjusted to exclude share-based compensation expense, acquisition related expenses, amortization expense of acquired intangible assets and income tax related to acquired intangible assets.

Agora defines Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before exchange gain (loss), interest and investment income, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, and adjusted to exclude the effects of share-based compensation expense, acquisition related expenses, amortization expense of acquired intangible assets and income tax related to acquired intangible assets.

Agora defines free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property and equipment. Agora considers free cash flow to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors regarding net cash provided by operating activities and cash used for investments in property and equipment required to maintain and grow the business.

Agora also uses other operating metrics included in this press release and defined below to assess the performance of its business.

Agora defines an active customer at the end of any particular period as an organization or individual developer from which Agora generated more than $100 of revenue during the preceding 12 months. Agora counts customers based on unique customer account identifiers. Generally, one software application uses the same customer account identifier throughout its life cycle while one account may be used for multiple applications.

Agora calculates Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate for a trailing 12-month period by first identifying all customers in the prior 12-month period, and then calculating the quotient from dividing the revenue generated from such customers in the trailing 12-month period by the revenue generated from the same group of customers in the prior 12-month period. Constant Currency Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate is calculated the same way as Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate but using fixed exchange rates based on the daily average

exchange rates prevailing during the prior 12-month period to remove the impact of foreign currency translations. Agora believes Constant Currency Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate facilitates operating performance comparisons on a period-to-period basis as Agora does not consider the impact of foreign currency fluctuations to be indicative of its core operating performance.

Agora adopted ASU 2016-02, Leases (“ASC 842”) beginning January 1, 2021 and elected to use the modified retrospective method with the optional transition that allows for a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings recorded on January 1, 2021, with no adjustments to prior periods presented. No cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings was required. Upon adoption of ASC 842 on January 1, 2021, Agora recognized right of use assets as well as lease liabilities of $6.5 million for operating leases. Agora does not have any finance leases. The adoption of the new guidance did not have a material effect on our results of operations, financial condition or liquidity.

This press release contains ‘‘forward-looking statements’’ within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical or current fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements regarding Agora’s financial outlook, beliefs and expectations. Forward-looking statements include statements containing words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “project,” “will” and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. Among other things, the Financial Outlook in this announcement contain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Agora’s current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties. Agora’s actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks related to the growth of the RTE-PaaS market; Agora’s ability to manage its growth and expand its operations; the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global markets and Agora’s business, operations and customers; Agora’s ability to attract new developers and convert them into customers; Agora’s ability to retain existing customers and expand their usage of Agora’s platform and products; Agora’s ability to drive popularity of existing use cases and enable new use cases, including through quality enhancements and introduction of new products, features and functionalities; Agora’s fluctuating operating results; competition; the effect of broader technological and market trends on Agora’s business and prospects; general economic conditions and their impact on customer and end-user demand; and other risks and uncertainties included under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, the final prospectus related to the IPO filed with the SEC on June 26, 2020. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this

cautionary statement, and Agora undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

Agora’s mission is to make real-time engagement ubiquitous, allowing everyone to interact with anyone, in any app, anytime and anywhere. Agora’s cloud platform provides developers simple, flexible and powerful application programming interfaces, or APIs, to embed real-time video, voice and chat experiences into their applications. Agora maintains dual headquarters in Shanghai, China and Santa Clara, California.

	As of			As of
	June 30,			December 31,
	2021			2020
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		160,460			111,218
Short-term investments		666,178			524,220
Accounts receivable, net		33,382			27,840
Prepayments and other current assets		8,205			7,459
Contract assets		884			—
Total current assets		869,109			670,737
Property and equipment, net		18,703			16,754
Operating lease right-of-use assets		6,080			—
Intangible assets		7,785			209
Goodwill		56,142			3,089
Long-term investments		26,532			—
Deferred tax assets		516			511
Other non-current assets		2,257			1,604
Total assets		987,124			692,904

Liabilities and shareholders' equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		6,100			7,721
Advances from customers		7,915			1,339
Taxes payable		1,698			2,172
Current operating lease liabilities		2,743			—
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		75,263			25,075
Total current liabilities		93,719			36,307
Long-term payable		571			82
Long-term operating lease liabilities		3,204			—
Deferred tax liabilities		1,157			52
Total liabilities		98,651			36,441

Shareholders' equity:
Class A ordinary shares		37			33
Class B ordinary shares		8			8
Additional paid-in-capital		1,080,043			818,428
Accumulated other comprehensive income		2,417			1,941
Accumulated deficit		(194,032	)		(163,947	)
Total shareholders' equity		888,473			656,463
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity		987,124			692,904

	Three Month Ended						Six Month Ended
	June 30,						June 30,
	2021			2020			2021			2020
Real-time engagement service revenues		40,357			33,672			79,844			69,118
Other revenues		1,976			232			2,714			346
Total revenues		42,333			33,904			82,558			69,464
Cost of revenues		16,474			11,377			33,327			22,459
Gross profit		25,859			22,527			49,231			47,005
Operating expenses:
Research and development		27,003			10,919			52,219			22,607
Sales and marketing		11,009			5,913			19,744			11,915
General and administrative		7,271			3,396			12,992			6,941
Total operating expenses		45,283			20,228			84,955			41,463
Other operating income		342			770			630			793
(Loss) income from operations		(19,082	)		3,069			(35,094	)		6,335
Exchange gain (loss)		676			7			(19	)		—
Interest and investment income		3,437			120			5,474			217
(Loss) income before income taxes		(14,969	)		3,196			(29,639	)		6,552
Income taxes		(425	)		(190	)		(446	)		(559	)
Net (loss) income		(15,394	)		3,006			(30,085	)		5,993
Less: cumulative undeclared dividends on convertible redeemable preferred shares		—			(3,316	)		—			(6,715	)
Less: accretion on convertible redeemable preferred shares to redemption value		—			(157,502	)		—			(193,466	)
Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders		(15,394	)		(157,812	)		(30,085	)		(194,188	)
Other comprehensive loss:
Foreign currency translation adjustments		513			31			389			(470	)
Unrealized gain on available-for-sale debt securities		87			—			87			—
Total comprehensive loss attributable to ordinary shareholders		(14,794	)		(157,781	)		(29,609	)		(194,658	)

Net loss per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders, basic and diluted		(0.14	)		(4.60	)		(0.28	)		(6.04	)

Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders, basic and diluted		441,449,908			137,167,618			436,570,420			128,524,877

Share-based compensation expenses* included in:
Cost of revenues		171			118			304			234
Research and development expenses		5,420			1,169			9,180			2,290
Sales and marketing expenses		1,321			492			2,277			1,056
General and administrative expenses		1,612			1,040			2,838			1,911

* In the fourth quarter of 2020, Agora formally implemented the Venture Partners Plan, which was a new incentive plan that can be settled in shares or cash at the discretion of the plan administrator. Therefore, $1.2M, $1.1M and $1.1M accrued in the first, second and third quarter of 2020, respectively, was reclassified from cash bonus expenses to share-based compensation expenses to reflect the costs related to the new incentive plan.

	Three Month Ended						Six Month Ended
	June 30,						June 30,
	2021			2020			2021			2020
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net (loss) income		(15,394	)		3,006			(30,085	)		5,993
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash (used in) generated from operating activities:
Share-based compensation expense		8,524			2,819			14,599			5,491
Depreciation of property and equipment		2,084			1,005			3,983			1,750
Amortization of intangible assets		574			—			781			—
Deferred tax expense		(84	)		—			(114	)		—
Amortization of right-of-use asset and interest on lease liabilities		947			—			1,742			—
Change in the fair value of investments		(1,230	)		—			(1,280	)		—
Interest income on available-for-sale debt securities		(93	)		—			(93	)		—
Changes in assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisition:
Accounts receivable		1,603			3,320			(4,830	)		(12,126	)
Contract assets		(48	)		—			(176	)		—
Prepayments and other current assets		249			(980	)		(553	)		(3,146	)
Other non-current assets		(105	)		(17	)		45			2
Accounts payable		(4,328	)		(3,236	)		135			1,552
Advances from customers		(194	)		184			(170	)		46
Taxes payable		(125	)		(631	)		(565	)		(399	)
Operating lease liabilities		(796	)		—			(1,823	)		—
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		90			1,981			7,336			7,368
Net cash (used in) generated from operating activities		(8,326	)		7,451			(11,068	)		6,531
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of short-term investments		(196,966	)		—			(390,447	)		—
Proceeds from sale and maturity of short-term investments		200,078			—			250,078			—
Purchase of property and equipment		(3,209	)		(3,825	)		(8,442	)		(6,321	)
Purchase of intangible assets		(37	)		—			(202	)		—
Purchase of long-term investment		(26,352	)		—			(26,352	)		—
Cash paid for acquisition, net of cash received		(14,309	)		—			(15,728	)		—
Net cash used in investing activities		(40,795	)		(3,825	)		(191,093	)		(6,321	)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from the private placement, net of issuance costs paid		(50	)		—			249,950			—
Proceeds from issuance of Series C+ convertible redeemable preferred shares, net of issuance costs of nil		—			—			—			50,000
Proceeds from the IPO and concurrent private placement, net of underwriter discounts and commissions and other offering costs paid		—			485,555			—			485,324
Proceeds from exercise of employees’ share options		418			—			1,453			—
Net cash provided by financing activities		368			485,555			251,403			535,324
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		(241	)		20			76			(283	)
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		(48,994	)		489,201			49,318			535,251
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period *		209,610			151,733			111,298			105,683
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period **		160,616			640,934			160,616			640,934
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Income taxes paid		966			724			966			724
Cash payments included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities		796			—			1,822			—
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for operating lease obligations		1,076			—			1,489			—
Non-cash financing and investing activities:
Payables for acquisition		—			—			39,441			—
Proceeds receivable from exercise of employees’ share options		156			—			156			—
Payables for property and equipment		331			921			331			921
Accretion to redemption value of convertible redeemable preferred shares		—			157,502			—			193,466
Payables for deferred initial public offering cost		—			1,690			—			1,690

* includes restricted cash balance		156			80			80			80
** includes restricted cash balance		156			80			156			80

	Three Month Ended						Six Month Ended
	June 30,						June 30,
	2021			2020			2021			2020
GAAP net (loss) income		(15,394	)		3,006			(30,085	)		5,993
Add:
Share-based compensation expense		8,524			2,819			14,599			5,491
Acquisition related expenses		577			—			4,699			—
Amortization expense of acquired intangible assets		556			—			748			—
Income tax related to acquired intangible assets		(84	)		—			(114	)		—
Non-GAAP net (loss) income		(5,821	)		5,825			(10,153	)		11,484

Net (loss) income		(15,394	)		3,006			(30,085	)		5,993
Excluding:
Exchange gain (loss)		676			7			(19	)		—
Interest and investment income		3,437			120			5,474			217
Income taxes		(425	)		(190	)		(446	)		(559	)
Depreciation of property and equipment		2,084			1,005			3,983			1,750
Share-based compensation expense		8,524			2,819			14,599			5,491
Acquisition related expenses		577			—			4,699			—
Amortization expense of acquired intangible assets		556			—			748			—
Adjusted EBITDA		(7,341	)		6,893			(11,065	)		13,576

Net cash (used in) generated from operating activities		(8,326	)		7,451			(11,068	)		6,531
Purchase of property and equipment		(3,209	)		(3,825	)		(8,442	)		(6,321	)
Free Cash Flow		(11,535	)		3,626			(19,510	)		210
Net cash used in investing activities		(40,795	)		(3,825	)		(191,093	)		(6,321	)
Net cash provided by financing activities		368			485,555			251,403			535,324