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Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue fell 48% year over year: Revenue was $20 million, against $39 million a year earlier. Management attributed the decline primarily to ongoing program rationalization under its restructuring. First quarter revenue was $19 million. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA loss widened: Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $36 million, against a loss of $25 million a year earlier. The first quarter 2026 figure was a loss of $42 million. Source
  • University labs commissioned under NSF network: Caltech, Northwestern and the University of Maryland commissioned autonomous labs from Ginkgo under the NSF's roughly $400 million national cloud-lab network. Source
  • Nebula in ramp mode: Management describes Nebula as in ramp mode, adding new protocols to the system weekly as it scales. Source
  • ADME-One signs 17 customers: Management says ADME-One costs 10X less than WuXi, with work done in Boston, and signed 17 customers in its first six weeks. Source
  • Cash and securities fell to $302 million: Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $302 million at June 30, 2026, against $373 million at March 31, 2026. Source

“Autonomous labs are increasingly becoming necessary national infrastructure for American science,”

Jason Kelly, Co-founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Total cash burn SourceFull year 2026($150)-($125) millionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance kept: The full-year 2026 total cash burn range was reaffirmed without change. Source
  • New: Autonomous lab build awards from NSF-funded universities were not in the first quarter release. Source
  • New: The company introduced its ADME-One pharma service, which the first quarter release did not mention. Source
  • New: At-the-market equity sales appear in the 2026 cash flow statement; the first quarter release showed no such proceeds. Source
  • Ended: The Biosecurity business divestiture was completed April 3, 2026; its results now sit in discontinued operations and the company reports one segment.

Results and revenue decline

  • Revenue fell 48% year over year: Revenue was $20 million, against $39 million a year earlier. Management attributed the decline primarily to ongoing program rationalization under its restructuring. First quarter revenue was $19 million. Source
  • Continuing net loss widened slightly: GAAP net loss from continuing operations was $57 million, against $53 million a year earlier. Loss per share from continuing operations was $0.92. Source
  • Total loss per share narrowed: Total net loss per share was $0.75, against $1.10 a year earlier. Discontinued operations contributed income in the quarter. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA loss widened: Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $36 million, against a loss of $25 million a year earlier. The first quarter 2026 figure was a loss of $42 million. Source

Autonomous lab build contracts

  • University labs commissioned under NSF network: Caltech, Northwestern and the University of Maryland commissioned autonomous labs from Ginkgo under the NSF's roughly $400 million national cloud-lab network. Source
  • MIT Cloud Laboratory grant: MIT Media Lab received a grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to build a Cloud Laboratory for Learning, supported by Ginkgo RACs. Source
  • PNNL instrument lab under way: Ginkgo has begun work on a $47 million autonomous lab with 97 instruments for the EMSL facility at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Source
  • Federal funding behind the push: Management cited White House backing of $5 billion through the Genesis Mission for autonomous laboratories. Source

“We're using that same infrastructure to bring high-value R&D back onshore to the U.S.,”

Jason Kelly, Co-founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks

Nebula scale and robot capacity

  • Nebula in ramp mode: Management describes Nebula as in ramp mode, adding new protocols to the system weekly as it scales. Source
  • Over 100 robots run experiments: More than 100 robots run experiments around the clock for the Cloud Lab, Datapoints and Solutions businesses. Source

ADME-One and pharma services

  • ADME-One signs 17 customers: Management says ADME-One costs 10X less than WuXi, with work done in Boston, and signed 17 customers in its first six weeks. Source
  • Positioning for US biopharma R&D: Management said it believes it is well positioned to provide core next-gen R&D infrastructure and services to U.S.-based biopharma companies. Source

Costs and operating expenses

  • Restructuring charges fell to zero: No restructuring charges were recorded in the quarter, against $3.6 million a year earlier. Total operating expenses were $78.7 million, against $97.3 million. Source
  • R&D and G&A spending declined: Research and development expense was $46.2 million, against $53.4 million, and G&A was $30.8 million, against $35.0 million. First quarter R&D was $49.9 million. Source
  • Lower cost of other revenue: Cost of other revenue was $1.7 million, against $5.4 million a year earlier. Source
  • Lower stock-based and D&A charges: Stock-based compensation was $8.0 million, against $18.8 million. Depreciation and amortization was $12.3 million, against $15.2 million. Source

Cash, burn and equity issuance

  • Cash and securities fell to $302 million: Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $302 million at June 30, 2026, against $373 million at March 31, 2026. Source
  • Six-month operating cash use rose: Net cash used in continuing operations was $88.6 million for the six months, against $81.3 million. Discontinued operations used $2.4 million, against $10.5 million. Source
  • At-the-market equity sales: Proceeds from the at-the-market offering were $17.0 million for the six months, with $0.6 million of issuance costs. Source
  • Weighted share count increased: Weighted average common shares were 62.1 million in the quarter, against 54.9 million a year earlier. Source

Other income and discontinued items

  • Equity-method investment loss: The company recorded a $4.7 million loss on an equity method investment, which carried a $7.6 million balance at June 30, 2026. Source
  • Discontinued operations gave income: Net income from discontinued operations was $10.6 million, against a $7.1 million loss a year earlier. Source
  • Interest income fell: Net interest income was $3.2 million, against $6.1 million a year earlier. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 August 2026

  • More RAC capabilities coming: Management expects further RAC capabilities soon: automated nano-scale chemistry, multistep synthesis, safety-seq and biochemical screens. Source
  • Nebula device count rising in Q3: Management said it is increasing the total number of devices housed in Nebula's RACs during the third quarter. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Research and development expense, Q2 2026 Source$46.2 million
ADME-One customers signed Source17 customers in first 6 weeks

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management attributes the revenue decline to program rationalization that continues under restructuring. Source
  • Operational: Facilities the company is not occupying carry ongoing cost, shown net of any sublease income. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management restated the 2026 total cash burn range it gave earlier, without a new figure. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.