Revenue of $64.0 million grows 19% year-over-year
MeridianLink, Inc. (NYSE: MLNK), a leading provider of modern software platforms for financial institutions and consumer reporting agencies, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.
“2021 was a momentous year for the company, and we are immensely proud of our track record of proven results, including 19% year-over-year revenue growth and 38% adjusted EBITDA margins for Q4,” said Nicolaas Vlok, chief executive officer of MeridianLink. “Our solid performance in Q4 and throughout the year highlights the trust that financial institutions and consumer reporting agencies place in our solutions as a key driver of their growth acceleration and rapid digitalization. We are in the right place at the right time to help new and existing customers fuel future growth, and I am confident that the coming year will bring many more opportunities.”
Quarterly Financial Highlights:
- Revenue of $64.0 million, an increase of 19% year-over-year
- Operating income of $7.8 million, or 12% of revenue and Non-GAAP operating profit of $11.7 million, or 18% of revenue
- Adjusted EBITDA of $24.6 million, or 38% of revenue
- Cash flow from operations of $20.8 million, and Free Cash Flow of $19.4 million
Business and Operating Highlights:
- The company exceeded guidance again in Q4, with GAAP Revenue up 19% year-over-year to $64.0 million and 38% Adjusted EBITDA margins
- MeridianLink saw strong momentum in the fourth quarter on the consumer side of the business, up 23% year-over-year, with growth driven, in part, by the reinvestment of the mortgage-related upside into the consumer business over the last several quarters
- The company launched MeridianLink Engage, a unique and comprehensive end-to-end consumer lending, account, and card marketing automation solution, in beta in Q4 and expanded to general availability in January 2022
Business Outlook
Based on information as of today, March 10, 2022, the Company issues first quarter financial guidance and initiates full year 2022 financial guidance as follows:
First Quarter Fiscal 2022:
- Revenue is expected to be in the range of $68.3 million to $69.3 million
- Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in the range of $26.5 million to $27.5 million
Full Year 2022:
- Revenue is expected to be in the range of $288.0 million to $292.0 million
- Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in the range of $112.0 million to $116.0 million
Conference Call Information
MeridianLink will hold a conference call to discuss our fourth quarter and fiscal year 2021 results today, March 10, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time). The conference call can be accessed by dialing (877) 284-4396 from the United States and Canada or (873) 415-0298 internationally with conference ID 4345428. A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed from the investor relations page of MeridianLink’s website at ir.meridianlink.com. An archived replay of the webcast will be available at the same website following the conclusion of the call. A telephonic replay will be available until approximately 8:59 p.m. Pacific Time (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time) on Thursday, March 17, 2022, at (800) 585-8367 from the United States and Canada or (416) 621-4642 internationally with conference ID 4345428.
For More Information:
Press Contacts
Becky Frost
(714) 784-5839
media@meridianlink.com
Investor Relations Contact
Erik Schneider
(714) 332-6357
InvestorRelations@meridianlink.com
About MeridianLink
MeridianLink® (NYSE: MLNK) is a leading provider of cloud-based software solutions for financial institutions, including banks, credit unions, mortgage lenders, specialty lending providers and consumer reporting agencies. Headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, MeridianLink provides services to more than 1,900 customers, including a majority of the financial institutions on Forbes’ 2021 lists of America’s Best Credit Unions and Banks. Further information can be found at www.meridianlink.com.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement the financial measures presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, we provide certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin; non-GAAP operating income (loss); non-GAAP net income (loss); non-GAAP cost of revenue; non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses; non-GAAP research and development expenses; non-GAAP general and administrative expenses; and free cash flow. The presentation of these financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. Rather, we believe that these non-GAAP financial measures, when viewed in addition to and not in lieu of our reported GAAP financial results, provide investors with additional meaningful information to assess our financial performance and trends, enable comparison of financial results between periods, and allow for greater transparency with respect to key metrics utilized internally in analyzing and operating our business. The following definitions are provided:
- Adjusted EBITDA: net income (loss) before interest expense, taxes, depreciation, amortization, share-based compensation expense, employer payroll taxes on employee stock transactions, certain expenses associated with our IPO, sponsor and third-party acquisition related costs, losses resulting from early repayment of debt, lease termination charges, and deferred revenue reductions from purchase accounting
- Non-GAAP operating income: GAAP income (loss) from operations, excluding the impact of share-based compensation, employer payroll taxes on employee stock transactions, and sponsor and third-party acquisition-related costs
- Non-GAAP net income: GAAP net income (loss), excluding the impact of share-based compensation, employer payroll taxes on employee stock transactions, and sponsor and third-party acquisition-related costs
- Non-GAAP cost of revenue: GAAP cost of revenue, excluding the impact of share-based compensation, employer payroll taxes on employee stock transactions, and amortization of developed technology
- Non-GAAP operating expenses: GAAP operating expenses, excluding the impact of share-based compensation and employer payroll taxes on employee stock transactions
- Free cash flow: GAAP cash flow from operating activities plus GAAP purchases of property and equipment (Capital Expenditures) and capitalized costs related to developed technology (Capitalized Software)
Reconciliations to comparable GAAP financial measures are available in the accompanying schedules, which are posted as part of this earnings release on our website. No reconciliation is provided with respect to certain forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures as the GAAP measures are not accessible on a forward-looking basis. We cannot reliably predict all necessary components or their impact to reconcile such financial measures without unreasonable effort. The events necessitating a non-GAAP adjustment are inherently unpredictable and may have a significant impact on our future GAAP financial results.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains, and our above-referenced conference call and webcast will contain, statements which are not historical facts and are considered forward-looking 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. Generally, these statements can be identified by the use of words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “projects,” “seeks,” “should,” “will,” and variations of such words or similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Further, statements describing our strategy, outlook, guidance, plans, intentions, or goals are also forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect our predictions, expectations, or forecasts, including, but not limited to, statements regarding, and guidance with respect to, our future financial and operational performance, our strategic initiatives, our development or delivery of new or enhanced solutions, our market size and growth opportunities, and our competitive positioning. Actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a variety of risks and factors that are beyond our control including, without limitation, risks related to our business and industry, as well as those set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in our final prospectus filed on July 28, 2021, and our other SEC filings. Additional information will also be set forth in Item 1A. Risk Factors, or elsewhere, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. Any forward-looking statement contained herein or provided on the related conference call is based on reasonable assumptions as of the date hereof. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. We undertake no obligation, other than as required by applicable law, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
| Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands, except share/unit and per share/unit data) | |||
| Assets | December 31, 2021 | December 31, 2020 | |
| Current assets: | |||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $113,645 | $37,739 | |
| Restricted cash | – | 2,142 | |
| Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts | 24,913 | 22,358 | |
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 9,398 | 5,812 | |
| Related party receivable from sellers of MeridianLink | – | 4,123 | |
| Total current assets | 147,956 | 72,174 | |
| Property and equipment, net | 5,989 | 7,600 | |
| Intangible assets, net | 298,597 | 328,032 | |
| Deferred tax assets, net | 4,286 | 9,484 | |
| Goodwill | 564,799 | 542,965 | |
| Other assets | 4,266 | 3,450 | |
| Total assets | $1,025,893 | $963,705 | |
| Liabilities, Preferred Units, and Stockholders’ Equity/Members’ Deficit | |||
| Current liabilities: | |||
| Accounts payable | $2,335 | $2,257 | |
| Accrued liabilities | 24,667 | 21,070 | |
| Deferred revenue | 14,707 | 10,873 | |
| TazWorks, LLC purchase liability | – | 85,646 | |
| Related party liability due to sellers of MeridianLink | — | 30,000 | |
| Current portion of long-term debt, net of debt issuance costs | 2,139 | 2,955 | |
| Total current liabilities | 43,848 | 152,801 | |
| Long-term debt, net of debt issuance costs | 425,371 | 516,877 | |
| Deferred rent | 396 | 543 | |
| Total liabilities | 469,615 | 670,221 | |
| Commitments and contingencies | |||
| Class A preferred units, no par value; unlimited units authorized, 319,913 units issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020; liquidation preference of $402,607 at December 31, 2020 | – | 319,913 | |
| Stockholders’ Equity/Members’ Deficit | |||
| Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized at December 31, 2021; zero shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2021 | – | – | |
| Common stock, $0.001 par value; 600,000,000 shares authorized, 79,734,984 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2021 | 88 | – | |
| Class B common units, no par value; unlimited units authorized, 51,492,805 units issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020 | – | – | |
| Additional paid-in capital | 596,542 | 3,909 | |
| Accumulated deficit | (40,352) | (30,338) | |
| Total stockholders’ equity/members’ deficit | 556,278 | (26,429) | |
| Total liabilities, preferred units, and stockholders’ equity/members’ deficit | $1,025,893 | $963,705 | |
| Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands, except share/unit and per share/unit data) | |||||||
| Three months ended December 31, | Year ended December 31, | ||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| Revenues, net | $64,024 | $53,933 | $267,676 | $199,340 | |||
| Cost of revenues: | |||||||
| Subscription and services | 19,025 | 13,571 | 77,103 | 49,480 | |||
| Amortization of developed technology | 3,329 | 2,457 | 12,519 | 8,874 | |||
| Total cost of revenues | 22,354 | 16,028 | 89,622 | 58,354 | |||
| Gross profit | 41,670 | 37,905 | 178,054 | 140,986 | |||
| Operating expenses: | |||||||
| General and administrative | 21,057 | 14,347 | 85,160 | 54,640 | |||
| Research and development | 8,529 | 5,109 | 36,336 | 18,691 | |||
| Sales and marketing | 4,305 | 2,866 | 18,122 | 9,371 | |||
| Loss on termination of financing obligation due to related party | – | 5,755 | – | 5,755 | |||
| Impairment of trademarks | – | 5,362 | – | 5,362 | |||
| Acquisition related costs | – | 1,579 | 781 | 1,579 | |||
| Total operating expenses | 33,891 | 35,018 | 140,399 | 95,398 | |||
| Operating income | 7,779 | 2,887 | 37,655 | 45,588 | |||
| Other (income) expense, net: | |||||||
| Other income | (10) | (24) | (49) | (41) | |||
| Interest expense, net | 5,542 | 8,653 | 32,615 | 34,686 | |||
| Loss on debt repayment and extinguishment | 5,593 | – | 9,944 | – | |||
| Total other expense, net | 11,125 | 8,629 | 42,510 | 34,645 | |||
| Income (loss) before provision for income taxes | (3,346) | (5,742) | (4,855) | 10,943 | |||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | (133) | (1,653) | 5,141 | 1,792 | |||
| Net income (loss) | (3,213) | (4,089) | (9,996) | 9,151 | |||
| Class A preferred return | – | (8,931) | (20,944) | (34,411) | |||
| Net loss attributable to common stockholders | (3,213) | (13,020) | (30,940) | (25,260) | |||
| Weighted average common stock outstanding – basic and diluted | 79,596,418 | 51,393,573 | 63,813,770 | 51,153,041 | |||
| Net loss per share – basic and diluted | (0.04) | (0.25) | (0.48) | (0.49) | |||
| Net Revenues by Major Source (unaudited) (in thousands) | |||||||
| Three months ended December 31, | Year ended December 31, | ||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| Subscription fees | $55,757 | $47,460 | $235,489 | $177,039 | |||
| Professional services | 5,895 | 4,914 | 22,707 | 16,301 | |||
| Other | 2,372 | 1,559 | 9,480 | 6,000 | |||
| Total | 64,024 | 53,933 | 267,676 | 199,340 | |||
| Net Revenues by Solution Type (unaudited) (in thousands) | |||||||
| Three months ended December 31, | Year ended December 31, | ||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| Lending Software Solutions | $43,759 | $37,054 | $176,793 | $133,754 | |||
| Data Verification Software Solutions | 20,265 | 16,879 | 90,883 | 65,586 | |||
| Total(1) | $64,024 | $53,933 | $267,676 | $199,340 | |||
| % Growth attributable to: | |||||||
| TCI and TazWorks | 13% | 21% | |||||
| Lending software solutions | 9% | 12% | |||||
| Data Verification Software Contribution | (3)% | 1% | |||||
| Total % Growth | 19% | 34% | |||||
| (1)% Revenue related to mortgage loan market: | |||||||
| Lending software solutions | 9% | 12% | 9% | 12% | |||
| Data verification software | 68% | 94% | 70% | 93% | |||
| Total % revenue related to mortgage loan market | 27% | 38% | 30% | 39% | |||
| Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands) | |||
| Year Ended December 31, | |||
| Assets | 2021 | 2020 | |
| Cash flows from operating activities: | |||
| Net income (loss) | $(9,996) | $9,151 | |
| Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities: | |||
| Depreciation and amortization | 50,453 | 40,199 | |
| Amortization of debt issuance costs | 3,413 | 1,758 | |
| Share-based compensation expense | 30,736 | 2,841 | |
| Loss on disposal of fixed assets and termination of financing obligation | 524 | 5,823 | |
| Impairment of trademarks | – | 5,362 | |
| Loss on sublease liability | 405 | – | |
| Loss on debt repayment and extinguishment | 9,944 | – | |
| Other adjustments | (18) | – | |
| Deferred income taxes | 4,926 | 1,555 | |
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | |||
| Accounts receivable | 1,619 | (3,184) | |
| Prepaid expenses and other assets | (5,726) | (2,058) | |
| Accounts payable | 117 | 1,536 | |
| Accrued liabilities | (302) | 2,650 | |
| Deferred revenue | 3,834 | 1,923 | |
| Deferred rent | (94) | (77) | |
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $89,835 | $67,479 | |
| Cash flows from investing activities: | |||
| Acquisition, net of cash acquired – Teledata Communications, Inc. | – | (103,055) | |
| Acquisition, net of cash acquired – TazWorks, LLC | (84,605) | – | |
| Acquisition, net of cash and restricted cash acquired – Saylent Technologies, Inc. | (35,945) | – | |
| Capitalized software additions | (4,906) | (3,196) | |
| Purchases of property and equipment | (843) | (4,141) | |
| Net cash used in investing activities | $(126,299) | $(115,392) | |
| Cash flows from financing activities: | |||
| Repurchases of Class A Units | (54) | (907) | |
| Repurchases of Class B Units | (1,887) | (2,167) | |
| Proceeds from initial public offering, net of underwriters’ discounts and commissions | 247,307 | – | |
| Proceeds from exercise of stock options | 1,714 | – | |
| Payment due to effect of corporate conversion | (6) | – | |
| Proceeds from long-term debt | 535,000 | – | |
| Principal payments of long-term debt | (631,255) | (4,156) | |
| Payments of debt issuance costs | (7,207) | – | |
| Payments of financing obligation due to related party | – | (2,187) | |
| Payments of Class A cumulative preferred return | (12) | (136) | |
| Payments of deferred offering costs | (4,790) | (423) | |
| Payment to sellers of Saylent Technologies, Inc. | (775) | – | |
| Payment to sellers of Teledata Communications, Inc | (2,142) | – | |
| Holdback payment to sellers of MeridianLink | (25,665) | – | |
| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | 110,228 | (9,976) | |
| Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | 73,764 | (57,889) | |
| Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period | 39,881 | 97,770 | |
| Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period | $113,645 | $39,881 | |
| Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | |||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $113,645 | $37,739 | |
| Restricted cash | – | $2,142 | |
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | $113,645 | $39,881 | |
| Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information: | |||
| Cash paid for interest | 29,242 | 33,179 | |
| Cash paid for income taxes | 306 | 137 | |
| Non-cash investing and financing activities: | |||
| Effect of corporate conversion | 319,868 | – | |
| Related party receivable net against holdback payment to prior shareholders | 4,335 | – | |
| Deferred offering costs in prepaid expenses and other current assets at December 31, 2020 offsetting payments of deferred offering costs | 423 | – | |
| Share-based compensation expense capitalized to software additions | 111 | – | |
| Vesting of restricted stock awards and RSUs | 94 | – | |
| Debt issuance costs included in accrued expenses | 90 | – | |
| Purchases of property and equipment included in accounts payable and accrued expenses | 81 | 98 | |
| Payable to seller in connection with acquisition of TazWorks | – | 85,646 | |
| Deferred offering costs included in accounts payable and accrued expenses | – | 572 | |
| Vesting of Class B Units | – | 74 | |
| Reconciliation from GAAP to Non-GAAP Results (unaudited) (in thousands, except share/unit and per share/unit data) (unaudited) | |||||||
| Three months ended December 31, | Year ended December 31, | ||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| Operating Income (loss) | $7,779 | $2,887 | $37,655 | $45,588 | |||
| Add: Share-based compensation expense | 3,901 | 783 | 30,736 | 2,841 | |||
| Add: Employer payroll taxes on employee stock transactions | 16 | – | 95 | – | |||
| Add: sponsor and third-party acquisition related costs | 25 | 2,079 | 2,348 | 3,579 | |||
| Non-GAAP operating income | 11,721 | 5,749 | 70,834 | 52,008 | |||
| Non-GAAP operating margin | 18% | 11% | 26% | 26% | |||
| Three months ended December 31, | Year ended December 31, | ||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| Net income (loss) | (3,213) | (4,089) | (9,996) | 9,151 | |||
| Add: share-based compensation expense | 3,901 | 783 | 30,736 | 2,841 | |||
| Add: Employer payroll taxes on employee stock transactions | 16 | – | 95 | – | |||
| Add: sponsor and third-party acquisition related costs | 25 | 2,079 | 2,348 | 3,579 | |||
| Non-GAAP net income (loss) | 729 | (1,227) | 23,183 | 15,571 | |||
| Non-GAAP basic net income (loss) per share | 0.01 | (0.02) | 0.36 | 0.30 | |||
| Non-GAAP diluted net income (loss) per share | 0.01 | (0.02) | 0.35 | 0.29 | |||
| Weighted average shares used to compute Non-GAAP basic net income per share | 79,596,418 | 51,393,573 | 63,813,770 | 51,153,041 | |||
| Weighted average shares used to compute Non-GAAP diluted net income per share | 82,358,079 | 54,080,648 | 67,130,479 | 53,840,116 | |||
| Non-GAAP net income (loss) margin | 1% | (2)% | 9% | 8% | |||
| Three months ended December 31, | Year ended December 31, | ||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| Net income (loss) | $(3,213) | $(4,089) | $(9,996) | $9,151 | |||
| Interest expense | 5,542 | 8,653 | 32,615 | 34,686 | |||
| Taxes | (133) | (1,653) | 5,141 | 1,792 | |||
| Depreciation and amortization | 12,799 | 10,670 | 50,453 | 40,199 | |||
| Share-based compensation expense | 3,901 | 783 | 30,736 | 2,841 | |||
| Employer payroll taxes on employee stock transactions | 16 | – | 95 | – | |||
| Expenses associated with IPO | – | 395 | 424 | 395 | |||
| Sponsor and third-party acquisition related costs | 25 | 2,079 | 2,348 | 3,579 | |||
| Loss on debt repayment | 5,593 | – | 9,944 | – | |||
| Deferred revenue reduction from purchase accounting | 109 | 334 | 733 | 851 | |||
| Impairment of trademarks | – | 5,362 | – | 5,362 | |||
| Lease termination charges | – | 5,755 | 879 | 5,755 | |||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $24,639 | $28,289 | $123,372 | $104,611 | |||
| Adjusted EBITDA Margin | 38% | 52% | 46% | 52% | |||
| Three months ended December 31, | Year ended December 31, | ||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| Cost of revenue | $22,354 | $16,028 | $89,622 | $58,354 | |||
| Less: Share-based compensation expense | 1,017 | 71 | 6,478 | 180 | |||
| Less: Employer payroll taxes on employee stock transactions | – | – | 3 | – | |||
| Less: amortization of developed technology | 3,329 | 2,457 | 12,519 | 8,874 | |||
| Non-GAAP cost of revenue | 18,008 | 13,500 | 70,622 | 49,300 | |||
| As a % of revenue | 28% | 25% | 26% | 25% | |||
| Three months ended December 31, | Year ended December 31, | ||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| General & administrative | $21,057 | $14,347 | $85,160 | $54,640 | |||
| Less: Share-based compensation expense | 1,694 | 498 | 14,558 | 1,952 | |||
| Less: Employer payroll taxes on employee stock transactions | 14 | – | 73 | – | |||
| Less: depreciation expense | 560 | 531 | 2,303 | 2,515 | |||
| Less: amortization of intangibles | 8,910 | 7,682 | 35,631 | 28,810 | |||
| Non-GAAP general & administrative | 9,879 | 5,636 | 32,595 | 21,363 | |||
| As a % of revenue | 15% | 10% | 12% | 11% | |||
| Three months ended December 31, | Year ended December 31, | ||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| Research and development | $8,529 | $5,109 | $36,336 | $18,691 | |||
| Less: share-based compensation expense | 1,095 | 92 | 7,453 | 339 | |||
| Less: Employer payroll taxes on employee stock transactions | – | – | 8 | – | |||
| Non-GAAP research and development | 7,434 | 5,017 | 28,875 | 18,352 | |||
| As a % of revenue | 12% | 9% | 11% | 9% | |||
| Three months ended December 31, | Year ended December 31, | ||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| Sales and marketing | $4,305 | $2,866 | $18,122 | $9,371 | |||
| Less: share-based compensation expense | 95 | 122 | 2,247 | 370 | |||
| Less: Employer payroll taxes on employee stock transactions | 2 | – | 11 | – | |||
| Non-GAAP sales and marketing | 4,208 | 2,744 | 15,864 | 9,001 | |||
| As a % of revenue | 7% | 5% | 6% | 5% | |||
| Three months ended December 31, | Year ended December 31, | ||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $20,823 | $12,298 | $89,835 | $67,479 | |||
| Less: Capital expenditures | 151 | 738 | 843 | 4,141 | |||
| Less: Capitalized software | 1,316 | 1,033 | 4,906 | 3,196 | |||
| Free cash flow | $19,356 | $10,527 | $84,086 | $60,142 | |||
