VTEX current report, Q1 FY2022

VTEX Form 6-K Summary

Business context and reporting period

VTEX, an enterprise digital commerce software-as-a-service platform, reported unaudited fourth-quarter and full-year 2021 results for the periods ended December 31, 2021. The company filed the Form 6-K on February 24, 2022. Results are presented under IFRS, with selected non-GAAP and foreign-exchange-neutral measures.

  • More than 2,400 customers and 3,200 active online stores across 38 countries at year-end.
  • Headcount increased 67.3% year over year to 1,727.
  • Key product initiatives included FastStore, live shopping, conversational commerce, social commerce, in-store functionality, logistics analytics and developer-platform enhancements.

Revenue, profit, cash flow, margins, debt and liquidity

MetricQ4 2021Q4 2020FY 2021FY 2020
GMV$2.906 billion$2.534 billion$9.666 billion$7.489 billion
Revenue$37.1 million$29.1 million$125.8 million$98.7 million
Revenue growth, FX-neutral29.5%78.1%29.8%95.3%
Subscription revenue$34.5 million$27.7 million$118.5 million$93.4 million
IFRS gross profit$23.4 million$17.2 million$76.2 million$63.8 million
Non-GAAP subscription gross margin69.9%64.6%68.2%70.3%
IFRS operating income (loss)$(13.1) million$(2.1) million$(65.9) million$6.5 million
Non-GAAP operating income (loss)$(10.9) million$0.1 million$(43.1) million$10.6 million
Net income (loss)$(10.6) million$(4.3) million$(60.5) million$(0.8) million
Non-GAAP free cash flow$(21.3) million$2.4 million$(54.8) million$9.5 million

At December 31, 2021, cash and cash equivalents were $121.0 million, compared with $58.6 million at December 31, 2020. Marketable securities and short-term investments totaled $177.2 million, compared with $17.0 million. Total current assets were $349.5 million and total current liabilities were $58.9 million.

Reported loans and financing were $3.3 million, consisting of $2.1 million current and $1.2 million non-current. Lease liabilities totaled $6.0 million. The filing does not provide a separate net debt measure.

Material changes versus the prior comparable period

  • Q4 revenue increased 27.5% in U.S. dollars and 29.5% on an FX-neutral basis; full-year revenue increased 27.5% and 29.8%, respectively.
  • Q4 GMV increased 14.7% in U.S. dollars and 16.1% on an FX-neutral basis; full-year GMV increased 29.1% and 31.1%, respectively.
  • Subscription gross profit increased to $24.1 million in Q4 from $17.9 million, while non-GAAP subscription gross margin improved to 69.9% from 64.6%, reflecting hosting-cost efficiencies.
  • Operating expenses rose substantially, driven primarily by increased sales and marketing and research and development investments. Non-GAAP operating loss was $10.9 million in Q4 versus income of $0.1 million in the prior-year quarter.
  • Full-year IFRS operating results shifted from a $6.5 million profit in 2020 to a $65.9 million loss in 2021, and full-year net loss increased from $0.8 million to $60.5 million.
  • Full-year operating cash flow declined from $11.2 million provided to $53.0 million used. Investing cash outflow increased to $166.8 million, mainly reflecting purchases of short-term investments, acquisitions and capital expenditures.
  • Financing cash inflow of $283.7 million, including $296.3 million of net IPO proceeds, contributed to the increase in cash and liquidity.
  • Net revenue retention was 105.1% in 2021 versus 171.9% in 2020, partly reflecting the reopening of physical stores and the unusually strong prior-year benefit from pandemic-related closures.

Guidance, outlook, commentary and risks

Management expects continued growth in Latin American online commerce, strong new-store additions from the implementation backlog and continued growth from existing stores. The company expects to benefit from investments made over the preceding 18 months while pursuing operating-margin expansion in 2022.

  • Q1 2022 revenue target: $33.0 million to $33.5 million, implying approximately 30% FX-neutral year-over-year growth at the midpoint.
  • Full-year 2022 revenue target: $158 million to $162 million, representing 29% to 31% FX-neutral year-over-year growth based on fourth-quarter 2021 exchange rates.
  • Management plans to continue investing in growth, market share, product development and international expansion.
  • Risks include foreign-exchange movements, the uncertain economic environment, execution of the implementation backlog, continued investment requirements and the possibility that actual results differ materially from forward-looking targets.
  • The financial information in the release was unaudited and was expressly stated not to constitute an interim financial report under IAS 34 or a financial statement under IAS 1.
  • Non-GAAP measures are not IFRS measures and may not be comparable with similarly labeled measures used by other companies.

Important facts for investors to verify

  • Whether revenue growth and operating-margin expansion meet the 2022 targets while the company continues to invest heavily in sales, marketing and research and development.
  • The sustainability of the 69.9% Q4 non-GAAP subscription gross margin and the effect of hosting-cost efficiencies.
  • Cash burn, free cash flow and liquidity after considering the company’s growth investments, acquisitions and working-capital requirements.
  • The composition and investment risk of the $177.2 million in marketable securities and short-term investments.
  • Progress in converting the implementation backlog into new stores and recurring subscription revenue.
  • Trends in net revenue retention, same-store sales and international revenue mix as physical commerce normalizes.
  • The reconciliation and continuing impact of share-based compensation, acquisition-related amortization and other non-GAAP adjustments.