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GWH earnings call analysis

ESS Tech, Inc.. AI-assisted transcript summaries focused on management tone, evasions, goalpost moving, catalysts, risks, and data-center exposure.

3 storedJun 10, 2026

Research summary and source transcript

readyJun 10, 2026

ESS Tech reported Q1 2026 revenue of $128,000, down from $599,000 in the prior year, reflecting a transition to its energy-based product offering and fewer equipment deliveries. The company improved its net loss by 12% year-over-year to $15.9 million and adjusted EBITDA loss by 31% to $10.3 million, driven by cost discipline and operational reset. While commercial momentum advanced with Project New Horizon (5 MW/50 MWh with SRP and Google), a $9.9 million AFRL contract, and a LiO partnership with Alsem Energy, revenue remains negligible, and near-term commercialization depends on multi-year pilot timelines.

Management knows that the Project New Horizon pilot with SRP and Google is progressing toward manufacturing start in 2026 and delivery in December 2027, with a 10-year energy storage agreement in place—a timeline and commercial structure not yet reflected in market expectations. Additionally, the independent validation of iron flow technology at Burbank Water and Power (21-month DEED program) and successful commissioning at Turlock Irrigation District provide de-risked, field-proven performance data that supports scalability but has not yet been priced into the stock. These real-world milestones, combined with the Alsem partnership expanding into short/medium duration storage, represent near-term validation that the market may not fully appreciate for 6–24 months.

Revenue growth from long-duration iron flow energy storage systems, commercial conversion of pilot projects (e.g., Project New Horizon), and cost discipline in operating expenses.

  • Technology validation at Burbank Water and Power and Turlock Irrigation District
  • Project New Horizon with SRP and Google (5 MW/50 MWh, delivery Dec 2027)
  • Cost reduction and operational reset driving improved EBITDA
  • Strategic partnership with Alsem Energy for short/medium duration storage
  • AFRL contract for $9.9 million energy storage system
  • Liquidity position and recent $15M registered direct offering
  • Detailed discussion of Project New Horizon as a 'landmark project' pairing SRP and Google
  • Emphasis on 21-month independent validation at Burbank Water and Power via APPA/DEED program
  • Enthusiasm about Alsem partnership expanding addressable market beyond long duration
  • Highlighting Turlock Irrigation District deployment as 'reliability critical infrastructure' use case
  • Pride in Volt Storage IP acquisition strengthening iron-salt battery platform

Management delivered a measured, detail-oriented presentation with specific timelines, project names, and technical validations. The tone was credible and grounded in achieved milestones (e.g., 21-month validation, commissioned systems), avoiding overpromising while highlighting progress. CFO provided precise financial reconciliations, and CEO tied operational milestones to commercialization strategy, reinforcing discipline and execution focus.

  • No clear dodged analyst question was detected by the local fallback; manual review should still check whether Q&A answers quantified conversion, margins, and guidance.
  • There may be a benchmark or metric-framing issue worth manual review, especially around adjusted metrics, timelines, or changed expectations.

ESS appears to be strengthening its competitive position through technology validation, strategic partnerships (Alsem, SRP/Google), and IP acquisition (Volt Storage), but near-term revenue generation remains unproven. The company is differentiating via safety, domestic sourcing, and long-duration focus, yet faces entrenched competition in the broader storage market. Competitive gains are plausible but not yet demonstrated at scale.

  • Q1 2026 revenue: $128,000 (vs. $599,000 in Q1 2025)
  • Q1 2026 net loss: $15.9 million (vs. $18 million in Q1 2025, 12% improvement)
  • Q1 2026 adjusted EBITDA loss: $10.3 million (vs. $15 million loss in Q1 2025, 31% improvement)
  • Q1 2026 unrestricted cash and cash equivalents: $15.5 million
  • Q1 2026 short-term investments: $6 million
  • Total liquidity (cash + short-term investments): $21.5 million
  • Manufacturing start for Project New Horizon in 2026
  • Delivery of Project New Horizon system to SRP in December 2027
  • Commissioning of 200 kW system at Wilsonville, OR facility in Q3 2026
  • Delivery of first 800 kW, 10-hour client system in first half of 2027
  • Progress on Alsem partnership for next-generation battery solutions
  • Continued execution toward SRP project milestones
  • Revenue remains minimal at $128,000 in Q1 2026, reflecting slow commercial conversion
  • Dependence on long-term pilot timelines (e.g., Project New Horizon delivery in Dec 2027)
  • History of losses and need for continued capital raises to sustain operations
  • Execution risk in scaling manufacturing and delivering complex energy storage systems
  • Competition from lithium ion and other storage technologies in expanding addressable market
  • Reliance on third-party suppliers and potential delays in manufacturing operations

ESS Tech has no direct data center exposure mentioned in the transcript. The company's focus is on utility-scale, industrial, and infrastructure projects (e.g., SRP, Turlock Irrigation District, AFRL). While the Alsem partnership targets short/medium duration storage that could theoretically serve data centers, no data center customers, use cases, or applications are referenced. Any data center impact is speculative and not supported by transcript evidence.

  • What is the expected revenue ramp from Project New Horizon and other pilots post-2027?
  • What are the specific milestones and timelines for the Alsem Energy partnership to generate revenue?
  • How much additional capital will be required to reach cash flow breakeven, and what are the potential sources?
  • What is the conversion rate from pilot projects (e.g., TID, Burbank) to paid commercial contracts?
  • How does ESS plan to compete on cost and performance against lithium ion in short/medium duration storage?
  • What are the key technical risks in scaling the energy-based architecture from 800 kW to 5 MW systems?

FY2026 Q1 earnings call transcript

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NYSE:GWH Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript Generated on 6/6/2026 Operator | Conference Operator: Good afternoon and welcome to the ESS Tech First Quarter 2026 Financial Results Conference Call. All lines have been placed on a listen-only mode, and the floor will be open for your questions following the presentation. During today's call, ESS may make statements relating to its future financial performance, anticipated growth strategies, and trends in its business. These may include statements regarding ESS's future financial metrics, potential future orders, ESS's potential pipeline, ESS's potential market opportunity, ESS's ability to achieve future goals, ESS's timing of launching manufacturing and manufacturing capacity, the future potential of ESS's technology, and the timing of manufacturing and delivery for Project New Horizon. These statements constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws and are based on management's current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including but not limited to barriers ESS faces in producing its energy storage products, ESS's projects being in the early stages of commercialization, aspects of its technology not having been fully field tested, ESS's inability to develop its business and effectively commercialize its energy storage products, ESS's dependence on third-party suppliers, delays in manufacturing operations, ESS's ability to control its costs and achieve its cost reduction strategy, ESS's history of losses, ESS's ability to raise capital in the near future, and other risks and uncertainties described more fully in the company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements made on this call. Except as required by law, ESS undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. In today's discussion, the company will reference adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure. A reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable GAAP measure is provided in the presentation accompanying this call and in our earnings release. A press release detailing these results was issued earlier today and is available in the investor relations section of the company's website at investors.essinc.com. Hosting today's call are Drew Buckley, Chief Executive Officer, and Kate Suhodolnik, Chief Financial Officer. I would now like to turn the call over to Drew Buckley. Please go ahead, sir.

Drew Buckley | Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Operator, and good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to ESS Tech's first quarter 2026 earnings conference call. We appreciate you joining us today. On today's call, I will provide a corporate overview, walk through our first quarter operational updates, and discuss the real-world technology validation we achieved during the quarter. Kate Sue Adalnick, our Chief Financial Officer, will then take you through our financial results for the quarter and our cash and financing position. I will then return with a closing summary before opening the call for your questions. ESS is a leading manufacturer of long-duration iron flow energy storage solutions. Our flagship energy-based product delivers 10- to 22-hour long-duration energy storage systems designed for 24-7 renewable power applications where lithium ion is too costly, unsafe, or inefficient. Our iron flow technology stores energy using iron, salt, and water with a chemistry that is inherently safe, durable, and U.S. sourced, providing a true alternative to lithium ion. Our open architecture, non-containerized design, is purpose-built for utility scale and large industrial and infrastructure projects. and we have scaled manufacturing capacity in place today to support deployment. Importantly, we have built a tier one pipeline anchored by flagship projects with Salt River Project, Google, and the US Air Force Research Laboratory through Concurrent Technologies Corporation, which I'll discuss in more detail on the next slide. The first quarter and subsequent period to date reflected meaningful progress across our three core priorities, commercial momentum, technology validation, and strengthening our balance sheet as we continue to execute on the operational reset we initiated coming into 2026. On the technology validation front, our iron flow technology was independently validated at Burbank Water and Power and successfully commissioned at Turlock Irrigation District during the quarter, both of which I will discuss in more detail on the next slide. In addition, we signed a letter of intent for strategic partnerships with LSIM Energy, pioneer in non-flammable high-performance sodium ion batteries to jointly develop next-generation battery solutions designed to address use cases traditionally served by lithium ion systems, but without the inherent thermal one-way risks associated with lithium chemistries. This solution does not require complex HVAC systems. It demonstrates high round-trip efficiency, employs fast charge and discharge capabilities, and offers a simpler, safer deployment profile for customers seeking superior stationary storage solutions. Importantly, this partnership marks ESS's entry into the short and medium duration battery energy storage segment, a market historically dominated by lithium ion and meaningfully expands the company's addressable market beyond its established position in long duration storage. While iron flow remains foundational to our long duration strategy, this partnership introduces a complementary chemistry that enables ESS to address short and medium duration applications, effectively extending our solution set across the full zero to 24 hour storage spectrum. Together, ESS and Alsem aim to deliver alternatives to lithium ion systems without the inherent thermal runway risks, offer high round trip efficiency, fast charge and discharge capabilities, and simplified system design that reduces the need for complex HVAC infrastructure. This strategic expansion positions ESS to compete across a significantly broader range of stationary storage applications and meaningfully increases the company's total addressable market. Also in the first quarter, we acquired the intellectual property and assets of Volt Storage, a pioneer in iron-salt battery technology. This transaction added Volt Storage's patents, technical development work, and key personnel to ESS's existing platform, meaningfully strengthening our intellectual property bits. On the commercial front, we appointed Randy Selesky, who brings more than 25 years of experience and deep ties in the energy storage industry as our Chief Commercial Officer, where he is leading our global commercial strategy, sales, marketing, product management, and business development initiatives. We announced our Project New Horizon collaboration framework with Salt River Project and Google for a 5-megawatt, 50-megawatt-hour pilot deploying ESS's energy-based technology at SRP's Crawford Crossing Energy and Research Center in Florence, Arizona. Manufacturing for Project New Horizon is expected to begin in 2026 with delivery targeted for December 2027, and the pilot will sell capacity to SRP under a 10-year energy storage agreement. This is a landmark project for ESS, pairing a leading public power utility with one of the world's largest hyperscale customers, validating both the commercial appetite for long-duration iron flow storage and the role of our energy base in supporting 24-7 carbon-free electricity. We were also awarded a $9.9 million contract with Concurrent Technologies Corporation and the United States Air Force Research Laboratory, for a large capacity energy storage system of up to 27 megawatt hours to support the US. This contract underscores the strategic value of ESS's domestically manufactured non-flammable iron flow technology in mission critical defense and remote infrastructure applications. On governance and leadership, we announced the appointments of myself as Chief Executive Officer, Kelly Goodman as Chief Strategy Officer, and General Counsel, and Kate Suladolnyk as Chief Financial Officer. This leadership reset continues to focus on governance, execution, and financial discipline. From a balance sheet perspective, in January, we closed a $15 million registered direct offering at $1.75 per share, priced at a premium to the prior day's closing. This financing supports general corporate purposes and working capital and provides an important runway as we execute against our commercialization priorities. We ended the first quarter with $15.5 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and $6 million in short-term investments for a total of $21.5 million in liquidity. Finally, we are engaging with International Investor Relations Specialist, MZ Group, to lead a comprehensive strategic IR and financial communications program across all key markets. This slide highlights two important technology validation milestones we achieved this quarter, both of which provide independent real-world support for the iron flow chemistry that underpins our commercial energy-based product. The American Public Power Association, or APPA, working with Burbank Water and Power, completed a 21-month utility demonstration of our iron battery system under APPA's Demonstration of Energy and Efficiency Developments, or DEED, program. The system was installed, energized, and operated for 21 months, co-located with a solar resource. The final report concluded that ESS's iron flow battery technology works as intended and that there is a clear use case for this battery technology and the utility's overall energy storage strategy. Importantly, the report validated our non-flammable iron saltwater chemistry, our domestic manufacturing approach, and the projected long operating life of our systems. We also successfully commissioned two ESS iron flow battery systems at Turlock Irrigation District, or TID, in California's Central Valley. This deployment is particularly distinctive because it features an innovative solar over canal configuration that pairs renewable generation with long duration storage and supports TID's water conservation objectives by reducing evaporation from active irrigation canals. It also demonstrates the suitability of iron flow technology in a reliability critical infrastructure use case. As noted at the bottom of the slide, these developments are demonstration projects, but they represent independent third-party validation of the iron flow chemistry that underpins our commercial energy-based products. Taken together with APPA report and the Project New Horizon framework, these reinforce our conviction that long-duration iron flow energy storage is ready to scale as a meaningful complement and alternative to lithium ions. I'd like to now turn to our technology roadmap, which we created to help visualize not only the progress that ESS has made so far, but the progress that we intend to make in the near future. This slide illustrates the path from our field-tested Iron Flow Foundation to delivery of the 5 megawatt, 50 megawatt-hour Project New Horizon system for Salt River Project at the end of 2027. Each milestone on this timeline represents a deliberate step in scaling our technology from validated demonstration into commercial deployment at utility scale. ESS deployments at commissioned sites through 2025 generated more than two gigawatt hours of transacted energy, providing extensive real-world data on the durability and operating profile of our iron flow chemistry. Building on that base, we launched our next generation energy-based architecture at the end of 2025 and, as I mentioned earlier, acquired the intellectual property and assets of Volt Storage in February of 2026, further strengthening our iron-salt battery technology platform. Where we sit today in the first quarter of 2026 marks an important inflection point. Our full-scale energy-based components have met the performance specifications required for the Salt River project pilot. This is a critical engineering milestone and underpins the timeline for the remainder of the program. Looking ahead, we plan to commission a 200-kilowatt energy-based system at our Wilsonville, Oregon facility by the third quarter to validate full system performance. In the first half of 2027, we expect to deliver our first 800-kilowatt, 10-hour client system ahead of delivery of the 5-megawatt, 50-megawatt-hour project New Horizons system to SRP at the end of 2027. Drew Nicholas, M.D.: : Taken together this roadmap reflects a clear milestone driven path from our field tested foundation to commercial delivery at utility scale with each step building on the last and demonstrating consistent execution on our commercialization strategy. Drew Nicholas, M.D.: : With that I will turn the call over to Kate to walk through our financial results.

Kate Suhodolnik | Chief Financial Officer

Kate Elswit- Thank you drew and good afternoon everyone. Our first quarter financial results reflect the continued cost discipline and operational reset that we have been undertaking for the past several months. Revenue for the first quarter of 2026 was $128,000 compared with $599,000 in the prior year period due to fewer deliveries of equipment to customers. This is consistent with our expectations given our transition to the energy-based product offering. Below the revenue line, our cost discipline drove meaningful year-over-year improvement. Cost of revenue decreased $1.6 million or 18% to $7.2 million compared with $8.7 million in the prior year period, reflecting fewer deliveries of equipment to customers given our transition to the energy-based product offering. Total operating expenses decreased $3.3 million or 33% to $6.7 million compared with $10 million in the prior year period. The decrease was primarily driven by a $1.7 million reduction in sales and marketing expenses and a $1.7 million reduction in general and administrative expenses, reflecting the continued cost-saving actions we have taken as part of our operational reset. Net loss for the first quarter of 2026 was $15.9 million compared to $18 million in the prior year period, an improvement of $2.1 million or 12%. Adjusted EBITDA improved by 4.7 million, or 31%, to a loss of 10.3 million compared with a loss of 15 million in the prior year period, consistent with the operating expense and net loss trends I just described. I will walk through the full reconciliation of GAAP net loss to adjusted EBITDA on the next slide. We define adjusted EBITDA as net loss before interest, stock-based compensation, depreciation and amortization, gain or loss on reevaluation of common stock warrant liabilities, financing costs, and other income or expense items that we believe are not indicative of our ongoing business operations. As I noted on the prior slide, GAAP net loss improved by 2.1 million year-over-year, and adjusted EBITDA improved by 4.7 million, or 31%, to a loss of 10.3 million from a loss of 15 million in the prior year period, consistent with the broader cost discipline reflected across the income statement. The full line item reconciliation is shown on this slide and in the financial tables included in our earnings press release. We ended the first quarter of 2026 with $15.5 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and $6 million in short-term investments for a total of $21.5 million compared with $22 million as of December 31, 2025. Including other liquid assets, total cash and liquid asset position at quarter end was $21.6 million compared with $22.1 million at year end 2025. Net cash used in operating activities for the first quarter of 2026 was $13.5 million compared with $18.2 million in the prior year period. As we have discussed, our $15 million registered direct offering supports general corporate purposes and working capital, and we remain focused on the strategic allocation of capital as we advance our operational and commercialization priorities. Across the business, we remain focused on expense control, liquidity, and maintaining financial flexibility as we support the company through its transition and commercialization efforts. With that, I will turn the call back over to Drew for closing remarks.

Drew Buckley | Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Kate. I want to summarize the key areas where we've made meaningful progress this quarter and where we are focused going forward. On commercial momentum and pipeline, we announced the Project New Horizon collaboration with Salt River Project and Google for a 5-megawatt, 50-megawatt-hour pilot, deploying our energy-based technology with manufacturing expected to begin in 2026 and delivery targeted for December 2027. We secured a $9.9 million contract for a large-capacity energy storage system to support a U.S. operations station, and we signed a letter of intent for a strategic partnership with Alsem Energy to develop next-generation battery solutions. We also improved our financial performance and balance sheet. Net loss improved 12% to $15.9 million in Q1 2026, compared with $18 million in Q1 2025. as total operating expenses decreased 33% to $6.7 million, compared with $10 million in Q1 2025. Adjusted EBITDA loss improved 31% year-over-year to $10.3 million, consistent with the cost discipline reflected across the rest of the income statement. We also strengthened our team in technology. Iron Flow technology was independently validated at Burbank Water and Power and successfully commissioned at Turlock Irrigation District. We acquired Bolt Storage's intellectual property and assets and appointed Randy Selesky as Chief Commercial Officer. We announced our new leadership team, myself as CEO, Kate as CFO, and Kelly Goodman as Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel. Taken together, these accomplishments better position ESS to convert growing demand for safe, long-duration, American-made energy storage into meaningful commercial progress. We remain focused on execution, capital discipline, and scalable commercial opportunities as we advance into the company's next phase. And we look forward to updating you on our continuing progress. Over the next 18 months, investors should watch several important de-risking milestones across our roadmap, including new commercial wins, pilot systems that generate data on performance and commercial viability and scale, progress on our 200 kilowatt and 800 kilowatt development path, and continued execution toward the SRP project targeted for 2027. As those milestones are achieved, we believe there may also be an opportunity to host an analyst day alongside a future pilot data release to provide the investment community with a deeper look at our technology, our roadmap, and our long-term market data. With a strengthened balance sheet, a refreshed leadership team, and over 500 megawatts of scaled manufacturing capacity in place to support our recent commercial wins, We are focused on executing and converting our pipeline into revenue. With that, I will turn the call back to the operator to begin the Q&A session.

Operator | Conference Operator

We will now begin the question and answer session. If you would like to ask a question, please press star one on your telephone keypad. To withdraw your question, press star one again. Please pick up your handset when asking a question. If you are muted locally, please remember to unmute your device. Please stand by while we compile our roster. There are no further questions at this time. I will now turn the call back to Drew Buckley for closing remarks.

Drew Buckley | Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Operator, and thank you everyone who joined us today. We appreciate your continued interest and support of ESS. As a reminder, our Investor Relations team is available to schedule one-on-one calls and to answer any follow-up questions you may have. You can reach out to Chris Tyson at MZGroup at gwh at mzgroup.us. We look forward to updating you on our continued progress next quarter and hope to see some of you at the upcoming Sudoti MicroCab Conference, which we will be attending on May 20th. Thank you again all and have a great afternoon. jsPDF 3.0.3 D:20260606090145-00'00'

Research summary and source transcript

readyJun 10, 2026

ESS Tech executed a deliberate transformation in 2025, shifting focus from legacy products to its Energy Base long-duration storage system while strengthening its balance sheet through multiple financing transactions. Commercial momentum is building with signed contracts from the U.S. Air Force ($9.9M), Google (as off-taker for Project New Horizon), and Salt River Project, though revenue recognition from these projects is not expected until 2027–2028. The company has reduced operating expenses by 33% year-over-year and improved adjusted EBITDA by 38%, indicating structural cost discipline, but remains pre-revenue at scale with no near-term revenue contribution from its core growth initiatives.

Management knows today that the Energy Base is being manufactured and validated for tier-one customers with signed agreements in place, including the U.S. Air Force contract underway and Project New Horizon with SRP and Google targeting delivery in December 2027. The market likely will not know for another 6–24 months whether these projects will be delivered on schedule, meet performance specifications, and convert into recurring revenue streams or follow-on orders—particularly given the long deployment timelines and the company’s history of execution delays. The true test of technology validation and customer satisfaction will only emerge post-installation, which is beyond the near-term horizon.

The business engine appears driven by: (1) successful deployment and performance of the Energy Base system in pilot projects (notably SRP/Project New Horizon and the U.S. Air Force installation), (2) conversion of pilot projects into follow-on orders or expanded contracts with tier-one customers (utilities, data centers, defense), and (3) scaling manufacturing capacity in Wilsonville, Oregon to support multi-megawatt-hour deliveries while maintaining structural cost discipline inherited from the 2025 organizational reset.

  • Progress on Project New Horizon with SRP and Google, including timeline for manufacturing in 2026 and delivery in December 2027
  • Status and implications of the $9.9 million U.S. Air Force/CTC contract for long-duration storage at Clear Space Force Station
  • Balance sheet strengthening through Yorkville financing, registered direct offering, ATM program, and debt repayment
  • Leadership and organizational changes, including new CFO, CSO/GC, CCO, and IP acquisition from Bolt Storage (referred to as 'Volt Storage' in transcript)
  • Focus on structural cost reductions in R&D, SG&A, and operating expenses as a foundation for future profitability
  • Long-duration storage market opportunity driven by AI data center demand and grid-scale clean energy targets
  • Description of the U.S. Air Force contract as a 'landmark win' demonstrating readiness for mission-critical defense applications
  • Characterization of Project New Horizon as a 'transformational partnership' with a 'major Southwest utility backed by one of the world's largest energy loads'
  • Emphasis on Google’s role as confirmed off-taker providing cost-sharing and multi-year operational testing
  • Pride in over 98% domestic content and positioning as 'one of the only American-made, American-sourced' long-duration storage solutions
  • Optimism about the team and technology being 'in place to execute' following leadership changes and IP acquisition

Management presents a direct and credible tone, grounding optimism in concrete milestones: signed contracts, specific timelines, named customers, and measurable financial improvements. Executives avoid vague claims, acknowledge the transition nature of 2025 results, and clearly separate legacy wind-down from future growth drivers. While expressing excitement about partnerships and technology, they qualify statements with phrases like 'we’re still in the planning phase' and 'nothing that I can update you on concrete for now,' demonstrating restraint. The focus on structural cost reductions, IP acquisition, and leadership stability reinforces credibility, and there is no evidence of overpromising or misleading forward-looking statements.

  • There may be at least one Q&A answer that needs manual review for a possible dodge or lack of numerical follow-through.
  • There may be a benchmark or metric-framing issue worth manual review, especially around adjusted metrics, timelines, or changed expectations.

ESS appears to be strengthening its competitive position through de-risked customer validation (U.S. Air Force, SRP/Google), a differentiated iron flow chemistry with unlimited cycling and 25-year life, and a U.S.-based supply chain with over 98% domestic content. The company is not yet winning broadly in the market due to minimal scale revenue, but it is gaining credibility in high-barrier segments (defense, utility, data center) where safety, duration, and sourcing matter. Without evidence of head-to-head wins against lithium-ion or flow battery competitors in commercial deployments, the position is best described as 'emerging contender' in long-duration storage rather than clear leader or laggard.

  • Full-year 2025 revenue: $1.6 million, down from $6.3 million in 2024, reflecting wind-down of legacy product lines
  • Gross loss for 2025: $27.7 million, an improvement of 39% compared to $45.4 million loss in 2024
  • Total operating expenses: $29.7 million in 2025, down 33% year-over-year from $44.4 million
  • Net loss for 2025: $63.4 million, compared to $86.2 million in 2024, an improvement of 26%
  • Adjusted EBITDA loss: $44.3 million in 2025, improved 38% year-over-year from $71.3 million loss in 2024
  • Liquidity position as of December 31, 2025: $14.5 million unrestricted cash + $7.5 million other liquid assets = $22 million total
  • Subsequent to year-end: $15 million registered direct offering in January 2026 at a premium to market
  • Yorkville financing: $40 million total, with $30 million drawn in 2025 and second $10 million tranche drawn in February 2026
  • Delivery of the U.S. Air Force long-duration energy storage system, expected to begin in 2026 and serve as a performance validation for defense and government customers
  • Completion and commissioning of Project New Horizon (5 MW/50 MWh) at SRP’s Copper Crossing facility by December 2027, with Google as off-taker
  • Potential follow-on project with SRP of much larger size, contingent on successful pilot execution and operational data by mid-2028
  • Conversion of the 10-year PPA for Project New Horizon into recurring revenue streams starting in 2028, depending on ownership structure decisions
  • Continued progress in balance sheet strength and liquidity management to fund operations through 2027–2028 revenue ramp
  • Revenue recognition from core growth projects (Air Force, SRP/Google) is not expected until 2027–2028, creating a prolonged period of minimal revenue and continued cash burn
  • Execution risk in manufacturing and delivering first-of-kind Energy Base systems at scale, with no prior commercial reference installations beyond pilot projects
  • Dependence on a small number of tier-one customers (SRP, Google, U.S. Air Force) for near-term validation, increasing concentration risk
  • Uncertainty around ownership structure and revenue recognition model for Project New Horizon (equipment sale vs. PPA), which could delay or alter cash flow timing
  • Potential for delays in follow-on orders even if pilot succeeds, given lengthy utility and defense procurement cycles
  • Ongoing need for additional capital to fund operations through 2027–2028, despite recent financing, if revenue ramp is slower than anticipated

ESS explicitly identifies AI data center demand as a long-term market driver, projecting a 165% increase in demand from AI data centers alone by 2030 and citing Google’s involvement in Project New Horizon as validation of its technology for hyperscaler applications. The company positions the Energy Base as suitable for data center use cases where lithium-ion is too costly, short in duration, or unsafe. However, there is no evidence of current data center deployments, signed contracts with data center operators beyond Google’s off-taker role in a utility-hosted project, or near-term revenue contribution from this segment. The impact remains indirect and speculative, contingent on successful pilot outcomes and broader market adoption beyond the initial SRP/Google collaboration.

  • What specific milestones must be achieved in 2026 to de-risk the 2027–2028 delivery timeline for Project New Horizon and the U.S. Air Force project?
  • How will revenue be recognized under the SRP agreement—equipment sale, PPA, or hybrid—and what are the implications for near-term cash flow and long-term profitability?
  • What is the expected gross margin profile for the Energy Base at scale, and how does it compare to legacy products and competitors?
  • Beyond the initial SRP/Google project, what is the pipeline of additional data center or utility-scale opportunities under active discussion, and what is their expected timeline to contract?
  • What are the key technical performance metrics (e.g., round-trip efficiency, degradation rate, availability) being validated in the pilot projects, and when will that data be shared?
  • How much additional capital does management estimate is needed to reach sustainable positive EBITDA, and what are the preferred sources (ATM, equity, debt) given current market conditions?
  • What portion of the $9.9 million Air Force contract has been recognized as revenue to date, and what is the expected schedule for remaining milestone payments?
  • How does the Bolt Storage (referred to as 'Volt Storage') IP acquisition specifically enhance the Energy Base’s technological advantage or reduce manufacturing risk?

FY2025 Q4 earnings call transcript

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NYSE:GWH Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Generated on 6/6/2026 Operator | Conference Operator: Good afternoon and welcome to the ESS Tech fourth quarter and full year 2025 financial results conference call. All lines have been placed on a listen-only mode and the floor will be open for your questions following the presentation. During today's call, we may make statements relating to our goals and objectives for future operations, financial and business trends, business prospects, future financial metrics, statements relating to timing for project new horizons manufacturing and delivery, potential future orders from customers, potential future partnerships, our future manufacturing capacity and management's expectations for future performance that constitute forward-looking statements under federal securities laws. Any such forward-looking statements reflect management expectations based upon currently available information and are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties that are more fully described in our SEC filings. Our actual results, performance, or achievements may differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or developments after the date of this call. On this call, we will also discuss financial measures derived from our financial statements that are not determined in accordance with US GAAP, including adjusted EBITDA, A reconciliation of each of the non-GAAP measures discussed on this call to the most directly comparable GAAP measure is presented in our earnings release and investor presentation posted on our website today. A press release detailing these results was issued this afternoon and is available in the investor relations section of our company's website, investors.essinc.com. Hosting today's call will be ESS's Chief Executive Officer, Drew Buckley, and Chief Financial Officer, Kate Suhodelnik. With that, I'll turn the call over to Mr.

Buckley. Drew Buckley | Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, operator, and good afternoon, everyone. Today, we'll walk through four areas, a company overview, our FY25 operational updates, our pipeline and go-forward strategy, and a financial review from Kate. Let's get started. ESS is a leading manufacturer of long-duration iron flow energy storage solutions, traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker GWH. Founded in 2011 with a mission to accelerate decarbonization safely and sustainably, ESS's iron flow technology uses iron, salt, and water, some of the most abundant and easy to source materials on earth, to store energy in a way that is safe, sustainable, and built to last. Our flagship product is the Energy Base, a 10 to 22 hour long duration energy storage system designed for applications where lithium ion is too costly, too short in duration, or simply not safe enough. The Energy Base is a non-containerized and open architecture system purpose-built for utility scale grids, hyperscaler data centers, industrial microgrids, and defense installations. Unlike lithium ion, our iron flow technology is designed to deliver unlimited cycling with zero capacity degradation over a 25-year life. All of our products are manufactured right here in Wilsonville, Oregon, with over 98% domestic content, making ESS one of the only American-made, American-sourced, long-duration storage solutions available today. We have scaled manufacturing capacity in place and a Tier 1 pipeline that includes Salt River Project, or SRP, Google, and the US Air Force. 2025 was a year of deliberate transformation. The headline is straightforward. ESS has executed on restructuring, made meaningful commercial progress, and significantly strengthened our balance sheet. Let me walk through the key milestones. On the commercial side, we were awarded a $9.9 million contract from Concurrent Technologies Corporation and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory for a long-duration energy storage system to be deployed at U.S. Clear Space Force Station in Alaska. This is a landmark win. It demonstrates that American-made iron flow storage is ready for mission-critical defense applications. We also announced Project New Horizon, a 5-megawatt, 50-megawatt hour system to be installed at SRP's Copper Crossing Energy and Research Center in Florence, Arizona. Google has been confirmed as an off-taker and will provide cost-sharing and multi-year operational testing. Manufacturing is expected to begin this year in 2026, with delivery targeted for December 2027. This is a transformational partnership, a major Southwest utility backed by one of the world's largest energy loads with significant sustainability and resiliency goals. On the leadership front, we made important changes. Kelly Goodman transitioned to the role of Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel, and Kate Suhodelnik was appointed as our permanent CFO. In February of 2026, we acquired the intellectual property and assets of Bolt Storage, a pioneer in iron salt battery technology. This acquisition deepens our technological moat and adds meaningful patent coverage in the long-duration iron flow space, in addition to highly valued human capital. Volt Storage gives us a further platform to continue building the strength of our leadership team. We appointed Randall Selesky, former Chief Commercial Officer of Volt Storage, as our new Chief Commercial Officer. Chief Operating Officer Gigas Trivedi will be departing ESS. We want to thank Mr. Trivedi for his contributions during his tenure, including his leadership during our strategic pivot to energy base, and we wish him well in his future endeavors. Brian Lesecki, our current Chief Information Officer, will serve as interim chief operating officer while we conduct a formal search process. On the balance sheet, we closed a $40 million financing transaction with Yorkville Advisors, launched an ATM equity offering program, raising approximately $8.6 million in gross proceeds, and to date have repaid approximately $28.5 million, or 95% of the first $30 million tranche under the Yorkville Promissory Note. In January 2026, we closed a $15 million registered direct offering priced at a premium to the market, and as of March 1st, we have drawn the second $10 million tranche under the Yorkville Promissory Note. We continue to see a large and growing long-duration energy storage market opportunity. Demand from AI data centers alone is projected to increase 165% by 2030, and the grid will need to deploy 8 terawatt hours of long-duration storage by 2040 to meet clean energy targets. We have the right team in place and the right technology to execute on our near and midterm objectives. With that, I'll turn it over to Kate to walk through the financials.

Kate Suhodelnik | Chief Financial Officer

Thank you, Drew. I'm pleased to be speaking with you today as ESS's CFO. Revenue for the full year 2025 was $1.6 million, down from $6.3 million in 2024. As Drew noted, this reflects the deliberate transition away from legacy product lines, the energy warehouse and energy center, as we refocus on the energy base. Revenue recognized during the year included deliveries of legacy units primarily to related parties, engineering services, and extended warranty revenue, partially offset by the wind down of active contracts for legacy business activities in connection with the shift to the energy base product offering. Gross loss for the year was 27.7 million, an improvement of 39% compared to a loss of 45.4 million in 2024. Total operating expenses decreased 33% year-over-year to $29.7 million, down from $44.4 million. This reduction reflects the organizational reset we undertook. Research and development expenses declined $3.5 million, sales and marketing declined $5.3 million, and G&A declined $5.9 million as we reduced personnel costs and streamlined operations. We made the smallest cut to R&D to prioritize investment in our product development. Net loss for the full year was 63.4 million compared to 86.2 million in 2024, an improvement of 26%. Adjusted EBITDA improved 38% year-over-year to a loss of 44.3 million from a loss of 71.3 million in 2024. The trajectory here is clear. Costs are coming down meaningfully, and as revenue ramps with the energy base in 2027 and beyond, we believe we are on the path to positive EBITDA. Compared with the prior year, we significantly improved adjusted EBITDA by $27 million. That improvement reflects the significant cost reduction work being done across every line of the business. The quality of those reductions is important. They are structural, not temporary, and they carry forward directly into the energy-based cost profile. Turning to the balance sheet and liquidity. As of December 31, 2025, we had $14.5 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and $7.5 million in other liquid assets for a combined liquidity position of $22 million. Accounts receivable was essentially zero and inventory was $0.1 million, consistent with the wind-down of legacy product lines. Subsequent to year-end, in January 2026, we closed a $15 million registered direct offering priced at a premium to the market. During 2025, we completed the $40 million Yorkville financing, receiving $30 million immediately and drawing on the second $10 million tranche in February 2026. We raised approximately $8.6 million through our ATM and have repaid approximately $28.5 million, or 95% of the first $30 million tranche under the Yorkville promissory note as of March 1st, 2026. We will continue strengthening the balance sheet and managing expenses so that we can execute our strategic priorities over the near and long term. With that, I'll turn the call back over to Drew.

Drew Buckley | Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Kate. Let me leave you with three takeaways from today's call. First, our commercial momentum is real and building. Google is confirmed as an off-taker on Project New Horizon, and the $9.9 million CTC and Air Force contract is underway. These are not promises. They are signed agreements with sophisticated counterparties. Second, our financial performance is improving across key metrics. Adjusted EBITDA improved 38% year over year, while operating expenses were down 33%. The organizational reset we undertook in 2025 is showing up in the numbers, and those savings are structural. Third, the team and technology are in place to execute. We have a permanent CEO, a permanent CFO, a new chief commercial officer with deep iron flow experience, and several other experienced senior employees joining the team. and a strengthened IP portfolio following the board storage acquisition. The energy base is the right product for the market, and we are ready to deliver. We look forward to updating you on our progress. And with that, we will now open for questions. Operator?

Operator | Conference Operator

Thank you. We will now begin the question and answer session. If you would like to ask a question, please press star followed by one on your telephone keypad. If for any reason at all you would like to remove that question, please press star followed by two. Again, to ask a question, please press star 1. The first question comes from Justin Clair with Roth Capital Partners.

You may proceed. Justin Clair | Analyst, Roth Capital Partners

Hi. Good afternoon. Thanks for taking our questions. So I wanted to first start off here. I was looking in the press release. It indicates that you're anticipating delivery for kind of the three key projects that you have to start in 2027. So just considering the timeline, how should we think about the outlook for the ramp up in revenues associated with those projects? Could we see any revenue in 2026? Or is it more likely a contribution in 2027? And then just should we anticipate any legacy unit sales in 2026?

Drew Buckley | Chief Executive Officer

Hey, Justin, it's true. Thanks for the question. Yeah, so our focus for 2026 will be commercializing the new product, the energy base, so that we can deliver for tier one customers that have signed up to take delivery in 27 and 28. Those customers alone represent revenues and megawatts installed that are multiples higher than the company's achieved on a cumulative basis since listing in 2021. So it's a really big deal for us, and we're really excited about it. The pipeline, to look at that for a second, it remains quite exciting. But we're going to take a pragmatic approach in 2026 to ensure that when we start shipping energy base, it's a product of the highest quality. So I would expect 2027 and 2028 when you see most of those revenues to come in.

Justin Clair | Analyst, Roth Capital Partners

Gotcha. Okay. That's helpful. And just on the Salt River project, wondering if you provide an update on how you're thinking about the ownership structure there. Are you intending to retain ownership of that project? And then I think there's a 10-year energy storage agreement there. So, you know, I think the completion date is December 2027. So then would we anticipate, you know, recurring revenues starting in the 2028 timeframe for that one?

Drew Buckley | Chief Executive Officer

Yeah, I think we're still in the planning phase for that and deciding how we want to. So the agreement in and of itself is a PPA agreement for 10 years, like you said. I think, you know, we're exploring avenues on how we want to complete that project overall from a sort of financial and structural perspective. So we've got a few ideas, nothing that I can update you on concrete for now. But as it stands, the contract is a 10-year PPA. So we would start recognizing revenues in 2028 on that. And we're looking at, you know, potential different options that we can take to make it more of an equipment sale versus just a PPA. But more we can update on you with that, you know, as we get closer.

Justin Clair | Analyst, Roth Capital Partners

Got it. Okay. Okay. And then associated with that project, how should we think about the potential for, you know, follow-on deployments? Would we need to see kind of the completion of the pilot project along with some operational data before you might see a follow-on? Or is there potential for something to move faster than that?

Drew Buckley | Chief Executive Officer

Yeah, so there's a follow-on potential project with SRP of a much larger size. I can't comment on their, the way that they're going to go about, you know, the RFP and the entire process for that. But our hope is to have that project operational and have some really good data by the middle of 2028 and to have the data, you know, good data by the middle of 2028 to be clear to put it in in the end of 2027 as of right now. And we think that's a good timeline to have it open for any follow-on opportunities. And again, that goes back to the idea of focusing on the pilot right now, making sure that we execute well and the technology and the product is of the highest quality to set ourselves up for success for this pilot. And then we think the future opportunities around that are really significant. And so what I could say is that with that execution, we think we'll be in a good spot to be in the process for that follow-on project.

Justin Clair | Analyst, Roth Capital Partners

Got it. Okay. And then so maybe just one more here, shifting gears. Sure. To, you know, the liquidity. I wonder if you just speak to plans to potentially repay the second tranche of the promissory notes or plans to use the ATM or contemplate an additional capital raise here. How do you feel about the balance sheet and the strategy going forward?

Drew Buckley | Chief Executive Officer

Yeah, absolutely. Our financial runway, it's significantly improved since our last conference call in November. The funds we've raised put the balance sheet in a much healthier position here. And we do have further capital needs, to your point, to support our plans in 2027 and beyond. But with the current cash we have on the balance sheet, there's no real rush. And we're trying to be much more thoughtful and strategic about how we're thinking about raising capital into the future. As you mentioned, we do have the ATM in place. But I wouldn't say that we're looking to tap that immediately. What we want to do overall is be very thoughtful and, you know, strategic about how we access capital into the future. And we feel like we have a pretty good handle on things and a good runway for now.

Justin Clair | Analyst, Roth Capital Partners

Okay.

Drew Buckley | Chief Executive Officer

I appreciate it. I'll pass it on. Thanks, Justin.

Operator | Conference Operator

Thank you. As a quick reminder, if you'd like to ask a question, please press star 1 on your telephone keypad. There are no other questions registered at this time, so I'll pass it back over to Drew Buckley for any additional remarks.

Drew Buckley | Chief Executive Officer

Thanks, Operator, and thank you all for joining us today. We're building something important at ESS, technology that the world genuinely needs, manufactured in America, with a team that is focused and fully aligned on execution. The commercial wins we've already seen in early 2026 give me confidence in what this year will bring. And we look forward to sharing more on our developing story at the upcoming 38th Annual Roth Conference on March 22nd to 24th in Dana Point, California. And if we were unable to address any of your questions today, please reach out to Chris Tyson at MZ Group. His contact details are on the back of today's presentation, and he will be happy to follow up.

Thank you. Operator | Conference Operator

This concludes today's conference call. Thank you for your participation. You may now disconnect your line. jsPDF 3.0.3 D:20260606090146-00'00'

Research summary and source transcript

readyJun 10, 2026

ESS Tech is transitioning from legacy energy warehouse/center products to its next-generation Iron Flow 'energy base' platform, with the SRP 50 MWh pilot representing the first commercial-scale deployment. Management emphasizes progress in customer engagement, capital raising, and operational readiness for 2026 delivery, but revenue remains minimal ($200k in Q3) and heavily dependent on future execution. The business remains pre-revenue at scale, with near-term value tied to milestone achievement rather than current financials.

Management knows today that the SRP 50 MWh energy-based pilot project is under active development with delivery expected within the next 18 months, and that successful field validation of this project could unlock follow-on opportunities in the 100-200 MWh range with major utilities and data center developers. The market likely does not yet know whether this pilot will perform as promised in real-world conditions over extended cycles, nor whether the claimed 20,000-cycle durability without fade will hold in deployment — factors that will only become evident through 2026-2027 field data. Until then, the technology’s commercial viability remains unproven at scale, creating a significant information gap between internal progress and external validation.

Successful deployment and field validation of the Iron Flow energy base platform; conversion of commercial pipeline (RFP activity) into signed contracts; scaling manufacturing capability for 2026+ delivery.

  • Energy base platform as the core focus for future revenue
  • SRP 50 MWh pilot as first commercial-scale deployment
  • Capital flexibility via Yorkville financing and ATM program
  • Engagement with utilities and IPPs for long-duration storage RFPs
  • Targeting 10-hour duration now, 16-hour by 2029
  • Operational discipline and cost control
  • Strong emphasis on the SRP project as a 'powerful validation' and 'first commercial-scale deployment'
  • Excitement about 100% of active opportunities being centered on the energy base platform
  • Optimism about growing RFP volume and strategic alignment with utilities, data centers, and industrial customers
  • Pride in progress made in 2025 on technology, capital, customers, and team
  • Anticipation for Investor Day in early 2026 to showcase roadmap

Management speaks with measured optimism and operational focus, avoiding overpromising while emphasizing concrete progress: capital secured, customer engagements advancing, and milestones defined. The tone is credible due to specificity around timelines (18-month delivery window, 2029 duration target), financial disclosures (non-GAAP basis, cash reconciliation), and acknowledgment of risks (transition phase, execution focus). There is no evident hype or vagueness; instead, language reflects a team executing a transition plan under constraints, which enhances credibility.

  • No clear dodged analyst question was detected by the local fallback; manual review should still check whether Q&A answers quantified conversion, margins, and guidance.
  • There may be a benchmark or metric-framing issue worth manual review, especially around adjusted metrics, timelines, or changed expectations.

ESS appears to be competing effectively in the emerging long-duration storage (>10 hours) niche, where lithium-ion is unsuitable, and is gaining traction with utilities seeking durable, sustainable solutions. However, without proven field performance or revenue at scale, it is not yet possible to assess whether ESS is winning or losing competitively — only that it is actively participating in the right segments and has credible technology differentiation. Competitive positioning remains unproven pending field validation.

  • Q3 2025 revenue: $200,000 (non-GAAP), down from $2.4M in Q2 2025
  • Q3 2025 net loss: $10.4 million ($0.73 per share)
  • Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments: $3.5 million as of end of Q3 2025
  • Yorkville financing: $40 million completed post-quarter, with $15M already repaid of $30M drawn
  • Remaining availability: $10 million from Yorkville promissory note
  • New ATM program: $75 million at-the-market equity facility
  • Delivery and field performance validation of the SRP 50 MWh energy-based pilot (expected within 18 months)
  • Conversion of RFP pipeline into signed contracts for 100-200 MWh projects
  • Successful scale-up of manufacturing capability for 2026 delivery
  • Demonstration of 20,000-cycle durability in real-world conditions
  • Execution of ATM program to fund growth without dilution pressure
  • Revenue remains negligible ($200k Q3) and highly dependent on future energy base deliveries
  • Unproven commercial performance of Iron Flow technology at scale (20,000-cycle claim not field-validated)
  • Dependence on successful SRP pilot execution to unlock follow-on orders
  • Capital intensity of scaling manufacturing and working capital needs for large projects
  • Execution risk in transitioning from development to volume production and delivery

Management explicitly identifies data center developers as a target customer segment for the energy base platform, noting that engagements with them are part of the growing commercial pipeline and are typically handled via bilateral conversations (not RFPs). The 10+ hour duration of the Iron Flow battery is positioned as essential for data center backup power where short-duration lithium-ion is insufficient. However, there is no evidence of current data center contracts, deployments, or revenue — only that they are part of the strategic opportunity set. Impact is currently speculative, contingent on successful pilot validation and conversion of pipeline interest into signed agreements.

  • What is the expected timeline for delivery and field acceptance testing of the SRP 50 MWh energy-based pilot?
  • What specific performance metrics (efficiency, degradation, availability) will be used to validate the SRP project?
  • What is the current status of manufacturing readiness and supply chain locking for 2026 delivery?
  • How many signed LOIs or MOUs exist for follow-on 100-200 MWh projects contingent on SRP success?
  • What is the projected cash burn rate and runway assuming no additional capital beyond the $30M Yorkville draw and ATM flexibility?
  • What are the key milestones for converting the commercial pipeline into signed contracts, and what is the expected timeline?

FY2025 Q3 earnings call transcript

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NYSE:GWH Q3 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Generated on 6/6/2026 Operator | Conference Operator: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by. At this time, all participants are in listen only mode. Later, we will conduct a question and answer session. At that time, if you have a question, you will need to press the star one on your push button phone. I would like to turn the conference over to Mary Horn.

Please proceed. Mary Horn | Director of Investor Relations

Welcome to ESS's third quarter fiscal year 2025 financial results conference call. Joining me on the call today from ESS or Kelly Goodman, interim CEO, and Kate Sudolnyk, interim CFO. Following management's prepared remarks, we will hold a Q&A session. Earlier today, ESS released financial results for the third quarter of 2025. The earnings release is available in the investor relations section of the company's website. As a reminder, the information presented today will include forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements about our growth prospects, partnerships, energy-based product, financial performance, capital raising, including under our ATM program, and strategy for 2025 and beyond, and the impact of regulatory and legislative developments. The forward-looking statements are also subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied during this call. In particular, those described in our risk factors set forth in more detail in our most recent periodic filings filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as the current uncertainty and unpredictability in our business, challenges with raising capital, issues with our partnerships, the markets, the economy, the current geopolitical situation, and the development and launch of the energy base. You should not rely on our forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. All forward-looking statements that we make on this call today are based on assumptions and beliefs as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by law. During the call, we will also present certain financial information on a non-GAAP basis. Management believes that non-GAAP financial measures taken in conjunction with U.S. GAAP financial measures provide useful information for both management and investors by excluding certain items that are not indicative of our core operating results. Management uses non-GAAP measures internally to understand, manage, and evaluate our business and make operating decisions. Reconciliations between U.S. GAAP and non-GAAP results are presented within our earnings relief. With that, I will turn the call over to Kelly.

Kelly Goodman | Interim CEO

Thank you, Mary, and good afternoon, everyone. Before we dive into the quarterly results, I want to take a moment to reaffirm who we are as a company and the value we deliver. ESS is a technology leader in long-duration energy storage. Our Iron Flow battery platform delivers safe, sustainable, non-flammable storage capable of 10 or more hours of discharge. Built with abundant U.S.-sourced materials, iron, salt, and water, our systems are designed to cycle over 20,000 times without capacity fade. That combination of durability, safety, and sustainability positions ESS to meet a critical market need as data centers expand, electrification accelerates, and utilities seek reliable, clean power upscale. Short duration and lithium ion technology simply cannot fill that gap cost-effectively or sustainably. We have built strong relationships with Tier 1 customers, including SB Energy, Honeywell, Portland General Electric, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, and most recently, Salt River Project. These partnerships validate our technology and highlight its readiness for real-world deployment giving ESS a strong foundation as we move from development into execution. The third quarter was an important continuation of the strategic plan we have been executing throughout 2025. We advanced key customer programs, strengthened our capital position, and laid the foundation for the delivery of our first energy-based system. Most notably, we announced a 50-megawatt-hour energy-based pilot project with Salt River Projects, or SRP, one of the nation's leading utilities and a recognized innovator in long-duration storage. This project represents the first commercial-scale deployment of our next-generation energy-based platform and is a powerful validation of our technology and our teams. Shortly after the SRP announcement, we completed a $40 million financing with Yorkville Advisors. That transaction reinforced our balance sheet and gave us the flexibility to move forward with confidence as we prepare for manufacturing and delivery in the next 18 months. Since closing that transaction, we have already repaid $15 million of the original $30 million drawn to date. For additional capital to support execution, we are launching a $75 million at-the-market equity program with a syndicate including Yorkville, BMO, Canaccord, Needham, and Stiefel. This is intended to provide efficient access to capital to support growth and execution as needed. As I step back and look at where we are, the progress this year has been clear and deliberate. We started 2025 with a focus on strengthening our leadership team and tightening our cost base. From there, we aligned our organization around the energy base, a product designed and manufactured in America to meet the growing need for 10 plus hour storage. Today, we are executing with customers who understand that long duration storage is essential to a decarbonized and resilient grid. We are particularly encouraged by the strength of our commercial pipeline. Since launching the energy base earlier this year, 100% of our active opportunities are centered on this platform, with RFP activity and proposal volume continuing to increase. These engagements are larger in scale, longer in duration, and more strategically aligned with the needs of major utilities, data center developers, and industrial customers. Looking forward, our focus over the next 18 months is on execution, building, delivering, and validating performance in the field. We are continuing to drive operational discipline, scale manufacturing capability, and demonstrate to customers that our technology delivers safe sustainable, long-duration energy storage at competitive cost. Finally, I am pleased to share that we plan to host an Investor Day in early 2026, where we will provide an in-depth look at our progress, the energy-based program, and our roadmap into 2026 and beyond. With that, I will turn it over to Kate for the financial update.

Kate Sudolnyk | Interim CFO

Thank you, Kelly, and good afternoon, everyone. Unless otherwise noted, all figures I'll reference are on a non-GAAP basis and reconciliations can be found in our earnings release. For the third quarter of 2025, we reported revenue of $200,000 compared to $2.4 million in the second quarter. The year-to-date trend reflects our ongoing transition from energy warehouse and energy center deliveries to the energy-based platform, which will become the foundation of our commercial activity going forward. Gap cost of revenues totaled $4.9 million, while operating expenses were $5.1 million, consistent with our commitment to disciplined cost control. Net loss for the quarter was $10.4 million, or 73 cents per share. We ended the quarter with cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments of $3.5 million, which, as a reminder, does not include the $30 million of proceeds from the Yorkville financing, which closed after quarter end. These funds provide a solid runway to continue advancing manufacturing readiness and support early project execution. As Kelly noted, we are launching a $75 million at the market program, which we view as an additional tool, not a requirement for accessing capital. With the funding we secured earlier this quarter, we have the flexibility to time any use of the ATM strategically based on market conditions and our progress toward key milestones. Together with continued cost control, this positions us to execute from a position of strength. Operationally, we continue to focus our resources on productization of the energy base, vendor optimization, and supply chain readiness for 2026 delivery. At the same time, we remain highly selective in spending, aligning every dollar to programs that directly support execution, delivery, or validation in the field. In summary, Q3 was another step forward in strengthening our financial and operational foundation. We have greater visibility, improved efficiency, and growing customer momentum, all key ingredients as we prepare for our next phase of growth. With that, I'll hand it back to Kelly for closing remarks.

Kelly Goodman | Interim CEO

Thank you, Kate. To close, ESS's priorities remain clear. One, deliver on customer commitments starting with SRP and our early energy-based programs. Two, execute with discipline, controlling costs, scaling responsibly, and ensuring operational excellence. Three, convert momentum into long-term growth, validating performance and building durable relationships with leading utilities and developers. We are proud of what the ESS team has achieved this year. The pieces we have put into place, technology, capital, customers, and people are setting the stage for the next chapter of growth and value creation. Thank you for your continued support. And with that, we will open the line for questions.

Operator | Conference Operator

Thank you. At this time, I would like to remind everyone in order to ask a question, press star and then the number one on your telephone keypad. We'll pause for just a quick moment to compile the Q&A roster. We have a question from Justin Clare of Roth Capital Partners. Your line is now open.

Justin Clare | Analyst, Roth Capital Partners

Hi, thanks for the time. So first, I wanted to start out with the energy-based product here. I was wondering if you could just talk about the scale of the projects that you're currently pursuing with the energy base and what kind of durations your customers might be looking for? And then also just in recent RFPs, could you talk about the technologies that you're most frequently competing against? Is this lithium ion potentially, or is it primarily alternative long duration technologies that you're seeing?

Kelly Goodman | Interim CEO

Sure. Thanks, Justin. This is Kelly. So to answer your questions in order, as far as scale, our strategy over the next couple years is to deliver projects similar in size to SRP, which is a 5 megawatt, 50-watt, megawatt-hour project, but projects that have a significant follow-on opportunity in the next couple years. So by that, I mean, you know, 100 megawatt or 200 megawatt project opportunities. As far as duration, Our current energy-based offering is a 10-hour duration. By 2029, we're targeting having a 16-hour battery. So that's sort of the duration we plan to offer in the later years. As far as RFPs and technologies, I would divide those into two buckets. We're seeing more and more RFPs that are specifically targeting long duration, like SRP. And by that, I mean technologies that offer more than 10 hours. So in those RFPs, we're competing against technologies that can actually offer more than what you see in the normal four-hour space. In other RFPs that are sort of storage agnostic, we are competing against lithium, other competitors that offer four-hour storage, but we're really pleased by what we're seeing as an emerging trend and recognition that longer duration, 10 plus hours will be needed.

Justin Clare | Analyst, Roth Capital Partners

Got it. Okay. Appreciate that. Thanks. And then I guess just following up for the RFPs that you are pursuing here, can you talk about the types of customers that are issuing these? So these utilities, IPPs, or are you participating in RFPs, you know, directly with data centers, whether it's behind the meter or front of the meter approach?

Kelly Goodman | Interim CEO

Sure. So in the RFP space, I would say the customers are either utilities or they are IPPs acting on behalf of the utility. We are not engaged in RFPs behind the meter, but rather, you know, for data centers and other customer hyperscalers like that, those are bilateral conversations.

Justin Clare | Analyst, Roth Capital Partners

Got it. Got it. Okay. And then just on the balance sheet here, so you've obviously raised a decent amount of capital and so wondering if you could just talk a little bit more about the use of proceeds for that capital in the near term and then just thinking about your liquidity needs, you know, how much runway does that capital provide you and how are you thinking about liquidity ahead?

Kate Sudolnyk | Interim CFO

Yeah, Justin, this is Kate. I'll take that one. I'm happy to give some more details as a lot has definitely changed in the last few weeks since the end of the quarter. As of today, we have roughly $30 million in cash on hand, and we still do have the ability to draw the remaining $10 million from Yorkville's promissory note at our discretion. So together with that and the new ATM program that we announced today, I think we feel we have significant flexibility to manage liquidity sort of on our terms as we need it over the coming months and quarters. You know, over the past 11 months, we've taken a lot of deliberate steps to streamline the company. We're really focused now, rather than on survival, which has been kind of our focus, on execution and really driving towards delivering on the SRP project, pursuing new opportunities, and as I mentioned, just really executing on those on those milestones as we move forward.

Justin Clare | Analyst, Roth Capital Partners

Okay, appreciate it.

Thank you. Operator | Conference Operator

Thank you. That seems like all the questions we have, so I'll pass it back over to the ESS team for any closing or further remarks.

Kelly Goodman | Interim CEO

Yeah, thanks for that. This is Kelly. Just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for joining. Thank you for the support and look forward to what's ahead of us.

Operator | Conference Operator

Thank you. That will conclude today's call. Thank you for your participation. You may now disconnect your line. jsPDF 3.0.3 D:20260606090147-00'00'