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Sprout Social Announces First Quarter 2023 Financial Results Above Guidance Range

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CHICAGO, May 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sprout Social, Inc. (“Sprout Social”, the “Company”) (Nasdaq: SPT), an industry-leading provider of cloud-based social media management software, today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2023.

“We are proud to deliver accelerating growth in key leading indicators, alongside record free cash flow,” said Justyn Howard, Sprout Social’s CEO and co-founder. “Customers that spend >$2,000 annually with us now account for greater than 95% of our ARR and delivered 35% ARR growth in Q1, building a strong foundation for accelerating ARR growth this year. Our pricing changes are performing well, our partnerships continue to strengthen and our multi-year investments in AI & automation each provide confidence into durable and efficient growth.”

First Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights

Revenue

  • Revenue was $75.2 million, up 31% compared to the first quarter of 2022.
  • ARR was $309.9 million, up 30% compared to the first quarter of 2022.
  • During Q1, we prioritized customer success and growth resources behind our highest tier customers, which we believe accelerated churn from non-core customers contributing <$2,000 in ARR by roughly $6 million. ARR from customers contributing >$2,000 in ARR grew >35% year-over-year and now represents >95% of total ARR.

Operating Loss

  • GAAP operating loss was ($11.9) million, compared to ($9.6) million in the first quarter of 2022.
  • Non-GAAP operating income was $1.7 million, compared to a Non-GAAP operating loss of ($1.2) million in the first quarter of 2022.

Net Loss

  • GAAP net loss was ($10.3) million, compared to ($9.8) million in the first quarter of 2022.
  • Non-GAAP net income was $3.4 million, compared to a Non-GAAP net loss of ($1.4) million in the first quarter of 2022.
  • GAAP net loss per share was ($0.19) based on 55.2 million weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding, compared to ($0.18) based on 54.3 million weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding in the first quarter of 2022.
  • Non-GAAP net income per share was $0.06 based on 55.2 million weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding, compared to Non-GAAP net loss per share of ($0.03) based on 54.3 million weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding in the first quarter of 2022.

Cash

  • Cash and equivalents and marketable securities totaled $187.2 million as of March 31, 2023, up from $185.8 million as of December 31, 2022.
  • Net cash generated by operating activities was $8.3 million, compared to $5.4 million in the first quarter of 2022.
  • Free cash flow was $7.9 million, compared to $5.1 million in the first quarter of 2022.

See “Customer Metrics” and “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for how Sprout Social defines customers, ARR, Non-GAAP operating income (loss), Non-GAAP net income (loss), Non-GAAP net income (loss) per share, free cash flow and the financial tables that accompany this release for reconciliations of these measures to their closest comparable GAAP measures.

Customer Metrics

  • Grew total number of customers to 33,861 as of March 31, 2023, up 3% compared to March 31, 2022.
  • Non-core customers contributing less than $2,000 in ARR was 10,350 as of March 31, 2023, down 31% compared to March 31, 2022.
  • ARR from non-core customers contributing less than $2,000 in ARR declined 31% year-over-year and now represents less than 5% of total ARR.
  • Grew number of customers contributing over $10,000 in ARR to 7,107 customers as of March 31, 2023, up 33% compared to March 31, 2022.
  • Grew number of customers contributing over $50,000 in ARR to 1,008 customers as of March 31, 2023, up 46% compared to March 31, 2022.

Recent Customer Highlights

  • During the fourth quarter, we had the opportunity to help new customers like Campbell Soup Company, Big Lots, Dave & Buster’s, Ohio Department of Health, Samsonite Europe, EmblemHealth Services and Pabst Brewing.
  • We executed growth deals with great brands and organizations like Universal Pictures, GE Power, Primera and Whirlpool UK.

Recent Business Highlights

Sprout Social recently:

  • Announced new artificial intelligence (AI) investments, starting with additions to listening, publishing, customer care and advocacy (here).
  • Released a commissioned Total Economic Impact study conducted by Forrester Consulting that found that a composite organization representative of interviewed Sprout Social customers achieved a return on investment (ROI) of 233% over three years (here).
  • Named a Forrester’s 2023 Program of the Year Award winner in the Sales category (here).

Second Quarter and 2023 Financial Outlook

For the second quarter of 2023, the Company currently expects:

  • Total revenue between $78.6 and $78.7 million, or growth of 28% year-over-year. Services revenue will be lower than the second quarter of 2022.
  • Non-GAAP operating loss between ($1.8) million and ($1.5) million.
  • Non-GAAP net loss per share of ($0.02) based on approximately 55.7 million weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding.

“We are pleased to deliver record non-GAAP operating margins and record free cash flow” said Joe Del Preto, CFO. “New business and expansion continue to outperform our expectations and we believe we’re positioned to build on this momentum. We are in the fortunate position today to increase our 2023 ARR and margin expansion targets.”

For the full year 2023, the Company currently expects:

  • Total revenue between $332.0 to $333.0 million, or growth of 31% year-over-year. Services revenue will be lower than 2022 levels.
  • Total 2023 ARR growth will exceed total reported revenue growth by at least 225bps, up from our prior forecast of at least 200bps and implying growth of greater than 33% year-over-year.
  • Non-GAAP operating income between $2.1 million and $2.4 million.
  • This range implies year-over-year Non-GAAP operating margin improvement of roughly 225bps to 235bps, up from our prior range of 210bps to 220bps year-over-year.
  • Non-GAAP net income per share of between $0.07 and $0.08 based on approximately 56.0 million weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding.

The Company’s second quarter and 2023 financial outlook is based on a number of assumptions that are subject to change and many of which are outside the Company’s control. If actual results vary from these assumptions, the Company’s expectations may change. There can be no assurance that the Company will achieve these results.

The Company does not provide guidance for operating loss, the most directly comparable GAAP measure to non-GAAP operating income (loss), net loss per share, the most directly comparable GAAP measure to non-GAAP net income (loss) per share, or operating margin, the most directly comparable GAAP measure to Non-GAAP operating margin, and similarly cannot provide a reconciliation between its forecasted non-GAAP operating income (loss), non-GAAP net income (loss) per share and non-GAAP operating margin and these comparable GAAP measures without unreasonable effort due to the unavailability of reliable estimates for certain items. These items are not within the Company’s control and may vary greatly between periods and could significantly impact future financial results.

Conference Call Information

The financial results and business highlights will be discussed on a conference call and webcast scheduled at 4:00 p.m. Central Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time) today, May 2, 2023. Online registration for this event conference call can be found at https://conferencingportals.com/event/WCLZyewU. The live webcast of the conference call can be accessed from Sprout Social’s investor relations website at http://investors.sproutsocial.com.

Following completion of the events, a webcast replay will also be available at http://investors.sproutsocial.com for 12 months.

About Sprout Social
Sprout Social is a global leader in social media management and analytics software. Sprout’s unified platform puts powerful social data into the hands of more than 30,000 brands so they can make strategic decisions that drive business growth and innovation. With a full suite of social media management solutions, Sprout offers comprehensive publishing and engagement functionality, customer care, connected workflows and AI-powered business intelligence. Sprout’s award-winning software operates across all major social media networks and digital platforms. For more information about Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT), visit sproutsocial.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

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. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “explore,” “intend,” “long-term model,” “may,” “might” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or the negative of these terms, and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. However, not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements may relate to our market size and growth strategy, our estimated and projected costs, margins, revenue, expenditures and customer and financial growth rates, our Q2 and 2023 financial outlook, our plans and objectives for future operations, growth, initiatives or strategies. By their nature, these statements are subject to numerous uncertainties and risks, including factors beyond our control, that could cause actual results, performance or achievement to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. These assumptions, uncertainties and risks include that, among others: we may not be able to sustain our revenue and customer growth rate in the future; price increases have and may continue to negatively impact demand for our products, customer acquisition and retention and reduce the total number of customers or customer additions; our business would be harmed by any significant interruptions, delays or outages in services from our platform, our API providers, or certain social media platforms; if we are unable to attract potential customers through unpaid channels, convert this traffic to free trials or convert free trials to paid subscriptions, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected; the effects and duration of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are unpredictable and may materially affect our customers and how we operate our business, and the duration and extent to which the pandemic continues to threaten our future results of operations; unstable market and economic conditions, such as recession risks, effects of inflation, labor shortages, supply chain issues, higher interest rates, the impacts of current and potential future bank failures and geopolitical impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, could adversely impact our business and that of our existing and prospective customers, which may result in reduced demand for our products; any cybersecurity-related attack, significant data breach or disruption of the information technology systems or networks on which we rely could negatively affect our business; and changing regulations relating to privacy, information security and data protection could increase our costs, affect or limit how we collect and use personal information and harm our brand. Additional risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements are included under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the SEC on February 22, 2023, as supplemented by our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023 to be filed with the SEC, as well as any future reports that we file with the SEC. Moreover, you should interpret many of the risks identified in those reports as being heightened as a result of the current instability in market and economic conditions. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements are made and are based on information available to Sprout Social at the time those statements are made and/or management’s good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events. Sprout Social assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, except as required by law.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We have provided in this press release certain financial information that has not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). Our management uses these non-GAAP financial measures internally in analyzing our 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 our financial results with other companies in our industry, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures. Non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP and should be read only in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of our historical non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures has been provided in the financial statement tables included in this press release, and investors are encouraged to review these reconciliations.

Non-GAAP gross profit. We define non-GAAP gross profit as GAAP gross profit, excluding stock-based compensation expense. We believe non-GAAP gross profit provides our management and investors consistency and comparability with our past financial performance and facilitates period-to-period comparisons of operations, as it eliminates the effect of stock-based compensation, which is often unrelated to overall operating performance.

Non-GAAP gross margin. We define non-GAAP gross margin as non-GAAP gross profit as a percentage of revenue.

Non-GAAP operating income (loss). We define non-GAAP operating income (loss) as GAAP loss from operations, excluding stock-based compensation expense. We believe non-GAAP operating income (loss) provides our management and investors consistency and comparability with our past financial performance and facilitates period-to-period comparisons of operations, as it eliminates the effect of stock-based compensation, which is often unrelated to overall operating performance.

Non-GAAP operating margin. We defined non-GAAP operating margin as non-GAAP operating income (loss) as a percentage of revenue.

Non-GAAP net income (loss). We define non-GAAP net income (loss) as GAAP net loss, excluding stock-based compensation expense. We believe non-GAAP net income (loss) provides our management and investors consistency and comparability with our past financial performance and facilitates period-to-period comparisons of operations, as this non-GAAP financial measure eliminates the effect of stock-based compensation, which is often unrelated to overall operating performance.

Non-GAAP net income (loss) per share. We define non-GAAP net income (loss) per share as GAAP net loss per share attributable to common shareholders, basic and diluted, excluding stock-based compensation expense. We believe non-GAAP net income (loss) per share provides our management and investors consistency and comparability with our past financial performance and facilitates period-to-period comparisons of operations, as this non-GAAP financial measure eliminates the effect of stock-based compensation, which is often unrelated to overall operating performance.

Free cash flow. We define free cash flow as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less expenditures for property and equipment. Free cash flow does not reflect our future contractual obligations or represent the total increase or decrease in our cash balance for a given period. We believe free cash flow is a useful indicator of liquidity that provides information to management and investors about the amount of cash used in our core operations that, after expenditures for property and equipment, is not available for strategic initiatives.

Free cash flow margin. We define free cash flow margin as free cash flow as a percentage of revenue.

Non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses, non-GAAP research and development expenses and non-GAAP general and administrative expenses. Non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses, non-GAAP research and development expenses and non-GAAP general and administrative expenses are defined as sales and marketing expenses, research and development expenses and general and administrative expenses, respectively, less stock-based compensation expense. We believe these non-GAAP measures provide our management and investors with insight into day-to-day operating expenses given that these measures eliminate the effect of stock-based compensation.

Customer Metrics

Annual recurring revenue (“ARR”). We define ARR as the annualized revenue run-rate of subscription agreements from all customers as of the last date of the specified period. We believe ARR is an indicator of the scale of our entire platform while mitigating fluctuations due to seasonality and contract term.

Number of customers. We define a customer as a unique account, multiple accounts containing a common non-personal email domain or multiple accounts governed by a single agreement or entity. We believe that the number of customers using our platform is an indicator not only of our market penetration, but also of our potential for future growth as our customers often expand their adoption of our platform over time based on an increased awareness of the value of our platform and products.

Number of customers contributing less than $2,000 in ARR. We define number of customers contributing less than $2,000 in ARR as those on a paid subscription plan that had less than $2,000 in ARR as of a period end. We view the number of customers that contribute less than $2,000 in ARR as a measure of our non-core customer base.

Number of customers contributing more than $2,000 in ARR. We define number of customers contributing more than $2,000 in ARR as those on a paid subscription plan that had more than $2,000 in ARR as of a period end. We view the number of customers that contribute more than $2,000 in ARR as a measure of our core customer base.

Number of customers contributing more than $10,000 in ARR. We define number of customers contributing more than $10,000 in ARR as those on a paid subscription plan that had more than $10,000 in ARR as of a period end. We view the number of customers that contribute more than $10,000 in ARR as a measure of our ability to scale with our customers and attract larger organizations. We believe this represents potential for future growth, including expanding within our current customer base.

Number of customers contributing more than $50,000 in ARR. We define number of customers contributing more than $50,000 in ARR as those on a paid subscription plan that had more than $50,000 in ARR as of a period end. We view the number of customers that contribute more than $50,000 in ARR as a measure of our ability to scale with large customers and attract sophisticated organizations. We believe this represents potential for future growth, including expanding within our current customer base.

Availability of Information on Sprout Social’s Website and Social Media Profiles

Investors and others should note that Sprout Social routinely announces material information to investors and the marketplace using SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls, webcasts and the Sprout Social Investors website. We also intend to use the social media profiles listed below as a means of disclosing information about us to our customers, investors and the public. While not all of the information that the Company posts to the Sprout Social Investors website or to social media profiles is of a material nature, some information could be deemed to be material. Accordingly, the Company encourages investors, the media, and others interested in Sprout Social to review the information that it shares at the Investors link located at the bottom of the page on www.sproutsocial.com and to regularly follow our social media profiles. Users may automatically receive email alerts and other information about Sprout Social when enrolling an email address by visiting “Email Alerts” in the “Shareholder Services” section of Sprout Social’s Investor website at https://investors.sproutsocial.com/.

Social Media Profiles:
www.twitter.com/SproutSocial
www.twitter.com/SproutSocialIR
www.facebook.com/SproutSocialInc
www.linkedin.com/company/sprout-social-inc-/
www.instagram.com/sproutsocial

Contact

Media:
Kaitlyn Gronek
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (773) 904-9674

Investors:
Jason Rechel
Twitter: @SproutSocialIR
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (312) 528-9166

Sprout Social, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
       
  Three Months Ended March 31,
    2023       2022  
Revenue      
Subscription $ 74,742     $ 56,780  
Professional services and other   470       649  
Total revenue   75,212       57,429  
Cost of revenue(1)      
Subscription   16,633       13,757  
Professional services and other   242       234  
Total cost of revenue   16,875       13,991  
Gross profit   58,337       43,438  
Operating expenses      
Research and development(1)   17,876       13,065  
Sales and marketing(1)   36,905       25,612  
General and administrative(1)   15,489       14,370  
Total operating expenses   70,270       53,047  
Loss from operations   (11,933 )     (9,609 )
Interest expense   (28 )     (71 )
Interest income   2,020       123  
Other (expense) income, net   (209 )     (108 )
Loss before income taxes   (10,150 )     (9,665 )
Income tax expense   102       90  
Net loss $ (10,252 )   $ (9,755 )
Net loss per share attributable to common shareholders, basic and diluted $ (0.19 )   $ (0.18 )
Weighted-average shares outstanding used to compute net loss per share, basic and diluted   55,176,425       54,277,676  
       
(1) Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows:      
   
  Three Months Ended March 31,
    2023       2022  
Cost of revenue $ 501     $ 448  
Research and development   3,602       1,725  
Sales and marketing   6,570       4,218  
General and administrative   2,983       2,001  
Total stock-based compensation expense $ 13,656     $ 8,392  
Sprout Social, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
       
   
  March 31, 2023   December 31, 2022
Assets      
Current assets      
Cash and cash equivalents $ 78,411     $ 79,917  
Marketable securities   99,050       92,929  
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $1,766 and $1,789 at
March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively
  36,699       35,833  
Deferred Commissions   21,707       20,369  
Prepaid expenses and other assets   10,567       6,418  
Total current assets   246,434       235,466  
Marketable securities, noncurrent   9,709       12,995  
Property and equipment, net   11,620       11,949  
Deferred commissions, net of current portion   20,201       19,638  
Operating lease, right-of-use asset   9,148       9,503  
Goodwill   9,012       2,299  
Intangible assets, net   3,440       2,006  
Other assets, net   66       64  
Total assets $ 309,630     $ 293,920  
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity      
Current liabilities      
Accounts payable $ 5,723     $ 4,988  
Deferred revenue   109,098       95,740  
Operating lease liability   3,580       3,499  
Accrued wages and payroll related benefits   13,335       14,257  
Accrued expenses and other   14,571       14,322  
Total current liabilities   146,307       132,806  
Deferred revenue, net of current portion   709       490  
Operating lease liability, net of current portion   17,369       18,287  
Other non-current liabilities   477        
Total liabilities   164,862       151,583  
       
Stockholders’ equity      
       
Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share; 1,000,000,000 shares authorized; 50,873,771 and 48,005,966 shares issued and outstanding, respectively, at March 31, 2023; 50,413,415 and 47,562,911 shares issued and outstanding, respectively, at December 31, 2022   4       4  
Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share; 25,000,000 shares authorized; 7,577,526 and 7,370,582 shares issued and outstanding, respectively, at March 31, 2023; 7,667,376 and 7,460,432 shares issued and outstanding, respectively, at December 31, 2022   1       1  
Additional paid-in capital   415,123       401,419  
Treasury stock, at cost   (33,832 )     (32,733 )
Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (291 )     (369 )
Accumulated deficit   (236,237 )     (225,985 )
Total stockholders’ equity   144,768       142,337  
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 309,630     $ 293,920  
Sprout Social, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
(in thousands)
       
  Three Months Ended March 31,
    2023       2022  
Cash flows from operating activities      
Net loss $ (10,252 )   $ (9,755 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities      
Depreciation of property and equipment   708       696  
Amortization of line of credit issuance costs         30  
Amortization of premium (accretion of discount) on marketable securities   (882 )     133  
Amortization of acquired intangible assets   366       261  
Amortization of deferred commissions   5,855       4,020  
Amortization of right-of-use operating lease asset   355       179  
Stock-based compensation expense   13,656       8,392  
Provision for accounts receivable allowances   353       91  
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, excluding impact from business acquisition      
Accounts receivable   (1,148 )     2,312  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets   (4,098 )     (2,868 )
Deferred commissions   (7,757 )     (6,317 )
Accounts payable and accrued expenses   (1,589 )     1,541  
Deferred revenue   13,554       7,338  
Lease liabilities   (837 )     (651 )
Net cash provided by operating activities   8,284       5,402  
Cash flows from investing activities      
Expenditures for property and equipment   (383 )     (313 )
Payments for business acquisition, net of cash acquired   (6,432 )      
Purchases of marketable securities   (30,078 )     (66,085 )
Proceeds from maturity of marketable securities   22,631       36,500  
Proceeds from sale of marketable securities   5,571        
Net cash used in investing activities   (8,691 )     (29,898 )
Cash flows from financing activities      
Payments for line of credit issuance costs         (23 )
Proceeds from exercise of stock options         6  
Employee taxes paid related to the net share settlement of stock-based award   (1,099 )     (939 )
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities   (1,099 )     (956 )
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents   (1,506 )     (25,452 )
Cash and cash equivalents      
Beginning of period   79,917       107,114  
End of period $ 78,411     $ 81,662  

The following schedule reflects our non-GAAP financial measures and reconciles our non-GAAP financial measures to the related GAAP financial measures (in thousands, except per share data):

       
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures      
  Three Months Ended March 31,
    2023       2022  
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP gross profit      
Gross profit $ 58,337     $ 43,438  
Stock-based compensation expense   501       448  
Non-GAAP gross profit $ 58,838     $ 43,886  

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP operating income (loss)

     
Loss from operations $ (11,933 )   $ (9,609 )
Stock-based compensation expense   13,656       8,392  
Non-GAAP operating income (loss) $ 1,723     $ (1,217 )
GAAP operating margin (16 %)   (17 %)
Non-GAAP operating margin 2 %   (2 %)
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP net income (loss)      
Net loss $ (10,252 )   $ (9,755 )
Stock-based compensation expense   13,656       8,392  
Non-GAAP net income (loss) $ 3,404     $ (1,363 )
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP net income (loss) per share      
Net loss per share attributable to common shareholders, basic and diluted $ (0.19 )   $ (0.18 )
Stock-based compensation expense   0.25       0.15  
Non-GAAP net income (loss) per share $ 0.06     $ (0.03 )
Reconciliation of free cash flow      
Net cash provided by operating activities $ 8,284     $ 5,402  
Expenditures for property and equipment   (383 )     (313 )
Free cash flow $ 7,901     $ 5,089  

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Artificial Intelligence

More than $9 Million Awarded to High School Scientists and Engineers at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair 2024

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more-than-$9-million-awarded-to-high-school-scientists-and-engineers-at-the-regeneron-international-science-and-engineering-fair-2024

Grace Sun, 16, receives $75,000 Top Award for a new kind of organic electrochemical transistor at the world’s largest pre-college science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competition.
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. and WASHINGTON, May 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) and Society for Science (the Society) announced that Grace Sun, 16, of Lexington, Kentucky, won the $75,000 top award, the George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award, named in honor of the pioneering drug researcher and Regeneron co-Founder, Board co-Chair, President and Chief Scientific Officer, in the 2024 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF), the world’s largest pre-college science and engineering competition. Other top prizes went to projects in second-order cone programming, microplastics filtration and multi-sensory therapy for dementia.

The top winners were honored during two award ceremonies: the Special Awards on May 16 and the Grand Awards Ceremony on the morning of May 17. In total, over $9 million USD was awarded to the finalists based on their projects’ creativity, innovation and depth of scientific inquiry. The competition featured nearly 2,000 young scientists representing 49 U.S. states and nearly 70 countries, regions and territories across the world.
Grace Sun, 16, of Lexington, Kentucky, won first place and received the $75,000 George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award for her research on building a better organic electrochemical transistor that she hopes will be used to develop new electronic devices that could help detect and treat serious illnesses like diabetes, epilepsy and organ failure. To overcome the problems that have previously prevented such devices from working effectively inside the body, Grace developed a new way of chemically treating their organic components, which greatly improved their laboratory performance.
Michelle Wei, 17, of San Jose, California, received one of two Regeneron Young Scientist Awards of $50,000 for her research to improve the speed and efficiency of a type of software that is useful in many fields such as machine learning, transportation and financial systems. Michelle’s new approach involved determining a quick approximate solution to the second-order cone programming problem, then splitting the initial cone into smaller cones, which enabled her new algorithm to greatly outperform previous approaches.
Krish Pai, 17, of Del Mar, California, received the second Regeneron Young Scientist Award of $50,000 for his machine-learning research to identify microbial genetic sequences that can be modified to biodegrade plastic. His new software, called Microby, scans databases of microorganisms and determines which ones can be changed genetically to biodegrade plastics. In tests, he identified two microorganisms that can be genetically modified to degrade plastic at a cost he believes would be ten times less than traditional recycling.
 “Congratulations to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair 2024 winners,” said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO, Society for Science and Executive Publisher, Science News. “I’m truly inspired by the ingenuity and determination shown by these remarkable students. Coming from around the world with diverse backgrounds and academic disciplines, these students have shown that it is possible to come together in unity to tackle some of the toughest challenges facing our world today, and I could not be prouder.”
Regeneron ISEF provides a global stage for the world’s best and brightest young scientists and engineers. Through this competition, Regeneron and the Society are fostering the next generation of STEM leaders who are pioneering solutions to improve our world. Since 2020, Regeneron has provided STEM experiences to approximately 2.4 million students, on track to meet its goal of 2.5 million by 2025.
“The talent, intelligence and potential of this year’s Regeneron ISEF finalists is truly inspiring, and I congratulate each on their remarkable achievements,” said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., co-Founder, Board co-Chair, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron. “Science competitions like ISEF were pivotal in shaping my own career and fueling my passion to fight back against disease. I look forward to seeing these students continue to push the boundaries of science and technology to create positive and sustainable change for all humanity.”
Other top honors from the competition include:
Justin Huang and Victoria Ou, both 17, of Woodlands, Texas, received the Gordon E. Moore Award for Positive Outcomes for Future Generations of $50,000 for their new prototype filtration system that uses ultrasonic waves to remove microscopic plastic particles from water. In lab tests, the acoustic force from the high-frequency sound waves removed between 84% and 94% of the suspended microplastic particles in a single pass. The students are now working to scale up and fine-tune their experimental system.
Ingrid Wai Hin Chan, 17, of Hong Kong, China received the Craig R. Barrett Award for Innovation of $10,000 for her research on using a multi-sensory therapy for dementia patients. Her mixed therapy app would allow patients to practice physical and cognitive skills through a personalized, immersive environment using virtual reality headsets. Ingrid conducted an eight-week study with six people living with dementia and found that the cognitive function of patients who used her prototype improved in several areas. She believes her app could serve as a viable option for dementia patients with limited access to in-person professional therapy.
Tanishka Balaji Aglave, 15, of Valrico, Florida, received the H. Robert Horvitz Prize for Fundamental Research of $10,000 for her investigation into a natural alternative treatment against citrus greening, a disease that threatens citrus farming in many parts of the world and is currently only treated with antibiotics. Tanishka injected the trunks of infected trees with an extract from the curry leaf tree, and found through tests that this potential method could effectively and sustainably manage citrus greening disease.
Maddux Alexander Springer, 18, of Honolulu, Hawaii, received the Peggy Scripps Award for Science Communication of $10,000 for his research into fibropapillomatosis (FP), a disease that is the primary cause of death in green sea turtles. Some turtles he studied in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, were stricken with a disease that causes internal and external tumors that inhibit their everyday lives. After analyzing the turtles’ diet of green algae, Maddux concluded that this disease, wastewater, invasive algae and the amino acid arginine all pose a grave risk to these endangered sea creatures.
Ria Kamat, 17, of Hackensack, New Jersey; Anna Oliva, 17, of Houston, TX; and Shuhan Luo, 18, of Worcester, MA, received the Dudley R. Herschbach SIYSS Award, which provides finalists an all-expense paid trip to attend the Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar during Nobel Week in Stockholm, Sweden.
Jack Shannon, 18, of Clane, Kildare, Ireland, and Nikhil Vemuri, 17, of Cary, North Carolina, received the EU Contest for Young Scientists Award. Their projects will represent Regeneron ISEF at the EU Contest for Young Scientists to be held this September in Katowice, Poland.
For more information about the top winners and access to visual assets visit:  https://www.societyforscience.org/isef-2024-media-kit.
The full list of Special Award ISEF 2024 Finalists can be found at https://www.societyforscience.org/press-release/regeneron-isef-2024-special-awards-winners.
In addition to the Top Award winners, more than 450 finalists received awards and prizes for their innovative research, including “First Award” winners, who each received a $5,000 prize.
The following lists the First Award winners for each of the 22 categories, from which the Top Awards were chosen:
Animal Sciences, sponsored by Society for ScienceMaddux Alexander Springer, Honolulu, Hawaii
Behavioral and Social Sciences, sponsored by Society for ScienceAndrew Y. Liang, San Jose, California
Biochemistry, sponsored by RegeneronAmy Hong Xiao, Garden City, New York
Biomedical and Health Sciences, sponsored by RegeneronRia Kamat, Hackensack, New Jersey; Kevin Xuan Lei, Shanghai, China
Biomedical Engineering, sponsored by Alfred E. Mann CharitiesAyush Garg, Dublin, California; Divij Motwani, Palo Alto, California; Akash Ashish Pai, Portland, Oregon
Cellular and Molecular Biology, sponsored by RegeneronLara and Maya Sarah Hammoud, Beverly Hills, Michigan
Chemistry, sponsored by Society for ScienceAkilan Sankaran, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Arjun Suresh Malpani and Siddharth Daniel D’costa, Portland, Oregon
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, sponsored by RegeneronKun-Hyung Roh, Bronx, New York
Earth and Environmental Sciences, sponsored by Google.orgNikhil Vemuri, Durham, North Carolina; Justin Yizhou Huang and Victoria Ou, The Woodlands, Texas
Embedded Systems, sponsored by HPChloe Rae and Sophie Rose Filion, Welland, Ontario, Canada
Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design, sponsored by Siemens EnergyAlia Wahban, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics, sponsored by Howmet Aerospace FoundationChiyo Nakatsuji, Bunkyoku, Tokyo, Japan; Kevin Shen, Olympia, Washington
Environmental Engineering, sponsored by JacobsKrish Pai, San Diego, California; Jack Shannon, Clane, Kildare, Ireland
Materials Science, sponsored by Howmet Aerospace FoundationGrace Sun, Lexington, Kentucky
Mathematics, sponsored by Akamai FoundationAnna Oliva, Houston, Texas
Microbiology, sponsored by Schattner FoundationMatthew Chang, Irvine, California
Physics and Astronomy, sponsored by Richard F. Caris Charitable Trust IIHarini Thiagarajan and Vishal Ranganath Yalla, Bothell, Washington; Shuhan Luo, Worcester, Massachusetts
Plant Sciences, sponsored by Society for SciencePauline Estrada, Fresno, California; Tanishka Balaji Aglave, Dover, Florida
Robotics and Intelligent Machines, sponsored by RegeneronMichal Lajciak, Dubnica nad Vahom, Trenciansky kraj, Slovakia; Anthony Efthimiadis, Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Systems Software, sponsored by MicrosoftMichelle Wei, San Jose, California
Technology Enhances the Arts, sponsored by Society for ScienceAnant Khandelwal, Sritan Motati and Siddhant Sood, Alexandria, Virginia
Translational Medical Science, sponsored by RegeneronZheng-Chi Lee, West Lafayette, Indiana; Ingrid Wai Hin Chan, Hong Kong, China
The full list of all award-winning ISEF 2024 finalists is available here: https://www.societyforscience.org/press-release/regeneron-isef-2024-full-awards.
View all the finalists’ research here: https://projectboard.world/isef.
About the Regeneron International Science and Engineering FairThe Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF), a program of Society for Science for over 70 years, is the world’s largest global science competition for high school students. Through a global network of local, regional and national science fairs, millions of students are encouraged to explore their passion for scientific inquiry. Each spring, a group of these students is selected as finalists and offered the opportunity to compete for approximately U.S. $9 million in awards and scholarships.
In 2019, Regeneron became the title sponsor of ISEF to help reward and celebrate the best and brightest young minds globally and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM to positively impact the world. Regeneron ISEF is supported by a community of additional sponsors, including Akamai Foundation, Alfred E. Mann Charities, Aramco, Caltech, Google.org, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Howmet Aerospace Foundation, HP, , Jacobs, King Abdulaziz & his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, Microsoft, National Geographic Society, Richard F. Caris Charitable Trust II, Rise, an initiative of Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust, Schattner Foundation, Siemens Energy, Annenburg Foundation, Ballmer Group, Broadcom Foundation, Cesco Linguistic Services, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Edison International, Insaco, Oracle Academy, The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation and US Army ROTC. Many are entrepreneurs across a wide range of industries. Learn more at https://www.societyforscience.org/isef/.
About Society for ScienceSociety for Science is a champion for science, dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement. Established in 1921, Society for Science is best known for its award-winning journalism through Science News and Science News Explores, its world-class science research competitions for students, including the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair and the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, and its outreach and equity programming that seeks to ensure that all students have an opportunity to pursue a career in STEM. A 501(c)(3) membership organization, Society for Science is committed to inform, educate and inspire. Learn more at www.societyforscience.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (Society4Science).
About RegeneronRegeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading biotechnology company that invents, develops and commercializes life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. Founded and led by physician-scientists, our unique ability to repeatedly and consistently translate science into medicine has led to numerous approved treatments and product candidates in development, most of which were homegrown in our laboratories. Our medicines and pipeline are designed to help patients with eye diseases, allergic and inflammatory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, hematologic conditions, infectious diseases and rare diseases. 
Regeneron believes that operating as a good corporate citizen is crucial to delivering on our mission. We approach corporate responsibility with three goals in mind: to improve the lives of people with serious diseases, to foster a culture of integrity and excellence and to build sustainable communities. Regeneron is proud to be included on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the Civic 50 list of the most “community-minded” companies in the U.S. Throughout the year, Regeneron empowers and supports employees to give back through our volunteering, pro bono and matching gift programs. Our most significant philanthropic commitments are in the area of early science education, including the Regeneron Science Talent Search and the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
For more information, please visit www.Regeneron.com or follow Regeneron on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or X.
More information about the top winners and access to visual assets visit:  https://www.societyforscience.org/isef-2024-media-kit.
Media ContactsJoseph Brown, [email protected]
Gayle Kansagor, Society for [email protected]
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J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital, Blue Horizon Advisors and United Al Saqer Announce Winner of Inaugural 2024 Life Sciences Innovation Summit

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In conjunction with Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week 2024
ABU DHABI, UAE, May 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital, Blue Horizon Advisors and United Al Saqer Group announced today Rayees Rahman of Harmonic Discovery as the winner of the inaugural J.P. Morgan Asset Management: Life Sciences Innovation Summit. Harmonic Discovery is a precision pharmacology company applying its generative chemistry platform to advance next-generation kinase inhibitors.

In partnership with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the Summit took place on May 14-15, 2024 at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and showcased the 11 innovative finalists, as well as highlighted existing innovators and opportunities in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The event also featured keynote speeches from Dr. Laurie Glimcher of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dr. Shahrukh Hashmi of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, and Dr. David Ho of Columbia University Medical Center and provided attendees networking opportunities to gain valuable insights into the future of life sciences innovation. 
In addition, the jury designated Chun-Hao Huang of Algen Biotechnologies as honourable mention. Algen Biotechnologies is a platform therapeutics and drug discovery company using world-leading CRISPR and AI to find treatments for cancer, inflammation and metabolic diseases.
The winners were selected by an esteemed, international panel of judges, which included:Laurie Glimcher, MD, President and CEO at Dana-Farber Cancer InstituteJorge Guzman, MD, CEO at Cleveland Clinic Abu DhabiProf. Shahrukh Khurshid Hashmi, MD, Director of Research, Department of Health, Abu DhabiYasmine Hayek Kobeissi, PhD, CQF, BSc., Executive Director at Blue Horizon AdvisorsAnya Schiess, Managing Partner at J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private CapitalWalid Zaher, PhD, Co-Founder and CEO, Carexso
Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Executive Director of the Research and Innovation Centre at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi said: “Under the directives of the UAE’s wise leadership, and renowned for its world-leading medical infrastructure, Abu Dhabi stands at the forefront of healthcare excellence, offering an unparalleled opportunity for advancement in healthcare for global partners. It was our utmost pleasure hosting the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Life Sciences Innovation Summit 2024 on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week and we commend the winners for their pioneering efforts in driving impactful advancements in healthcare; their dedication to innovation not only transforms the landscape of medicine, but also holds the promise of improving lives worldwide.” 
Stephen Squinto, PhD, Chief Investment Officer, J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital said: “We are thrilled with the level of biotech passion and innovation that we observed at this year’s Summit in Abu Dhabi. The energy was truly palpable we are thrilled to announce Rayees Rahman as the winner of our first Life Sciences Innovation Summit. Harmonic Discovery’s approach embodies the next generation of drug discovery and development. We appreciate the time and effort of all participants and cannot wait for our next event in the region.”
Nabil Kobeissi, Chief Executive Officer of Blue Horizon Advisors, said: “As the main sponsor, we are committed to nurturing and fostering the growth of all 11 finalists in this vibrant biotech ecosystem. This Summit marks the beginning of a transformative journey, and we are confident that it will pave the way for a flourishing hub in the region. We are also pleased to announce that we will commit to invest in and partner with the winner, Harmonic Discovery, to support its future growth in the region.”
Sponsors for the event included J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital, J.P. Morgan Commercial Bank, Blue Horizon Advisors, United Al Saqer Group, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Salam Capital. The Summit organisation, logistics and finalist recruitment were facilitated by Lyfebulb.
Of importance, at the Summit, Mr. Mohamed Al Breiki, Executive Director of Sustainable Development at Masdar City, announced that Masdar City Free Zone would award all 11 Finalists complimentary business licenses to further support their establishment in the region. Masdar City is one of the world’s most sustainable urban developments and innovation hubs with a growing focus on life science entrepreneurship in Abu Dhabi.

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Congregating in the Lion City for a Win-Win Future of Intelligent Computing at the Global Data Center Facility Summit 2024

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SINGAPORE, May 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On May 17, 2024, the Global Data Center Facility Summit 2024 was held in Singapore with the theme of “Power the Digital Era Forward.” At the summit, over 600 data center industry leaders, technical experts, and ecosystem partners gathered to discuss new trends and opportunities of the global data center industry in the intelligent computing era. The attendees also got to experience all-scenario, all-ecosystem, and all-service end-to-end (E2E) solutions, share innovative practices of green data centers in the Asia Pacific and Europe, and experience the exhibition vehicle to unveil the mystery of Outdoor PowerPOD that features one power system per container. By fully embracing the intelligent computing era, Huawei strives to power the digital era forward.

Seizing Opportunities Brought by AI and Jointly Building Green & Reliable Computing Infrastructure
At the opening speech, Charles Yang, Senior Vice President of Huawei and President of Marketing, Sales and Services, Huawei Digital Power, noted that since ChatGPT ushered in the AI era, large models keep pushing the limits of computing power and the intelligent computing industry is witnessing an unprecedented construction boom. As predicted, 100 GW will be added to the global data center installed capacity and the market value will exceed US$600 billion in the next five years.
According to Charles, with opportunities come challenges. The primary challenge concerning the data center industry is reliability and electricity. Data centers are scaling up from the MW-level to the GW-level. E2E reliability of data centers is becoming even more important than ever. In response to the opportunities, Huawei will work with customers and partners to expand the industry space.
Steering Data Centers to the AI Era with Product + Service + Ecosystem
During the summit, Sun Xiaofeng, President of Huawei Data Center Facility & Critical Power Business, delivered a speech titled “Power the Digital Era Forward. ” He stated that as AI large models are penetrating, the surging compute demands drive the expansive growth in data center.
To address the challenges, Huawei strives to build product + service + ecosystem E2E data center solutions that feature fast deployment, flexible cooling, green energy, and ultimate reliability.
Fast deployment: Data centers are fully modularized and prefabricated to ensure high quality and efficient construction.Flexible cooling: Air-liquid fusion and integrated cooling source emerges as the optimal cooling architecture for intelligent computing.Green energy: New generation-grid-load-storage integrated solution is built to ensure the sound operations of intelligent computing centers.Ultimate reliability: Data centers are safeguarded through reliable products and preventive protection.Currently, Huawei’s global service network covers more than 170 countries with over 1800 professional engineers, providing 24/7 technical support. With N+ flagship service centers, Huawei has built a one-hour service radius for its customers.
The ecosystem is a key part for a win-win future of intelligent computing. Huawei works with partners to develop comprehensive E2E solutions and provide customers with one-stop data center services.
During the summit, Huawei and the ASEAN Centre for Energy released a white paper on “Building Next Generation Data Center Facility in ASEAN.” The document provides insights into the status quo, challenges, and trends of data centers in the ASEAN region, and emphasizes that efficient and energy-saving products and solutions should be applied. It also proposes future-oriented policy recommendations for data center markets.
In the ecosystem exhibition area, Huawei showcased scenario-based solutions for large-, medium-, and small-sized data centers, and demonstrated data center consulting, design, integrated development, and delivery capabilities with dozens of ecosystem partners including CIMC, Weichai, CSCEC, and Huashi.
On a special note, the Huawei Outdoor PowerPOD exhibition vehicle made its global debut. The Huawei Outdoor PowerPOD features one power system per container, outdoor deployment, plug-and-play, and high protection rating and reliability. It has become the preferred choice for decoupling the power supply architecture.
A single tree cannot make a forest.
AI is presenting great opportunities. By delving into the industry, aggregating partner ecosystems, and making innovations applicable to transformations, Huawei will continue to help customers build reliable computing infrastructure, accelerating the industry to embrace AI and powering the digital era forward.
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