Schrodinger, Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call
What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 new, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.
Key takeaways
- ACV rose 12 percent: ACV was $28.4 million, up 12 percent, and $201 million on a trailing four-quarter basis. The February release gave a first-quarter ACV range of $24 million to $28 million. Source
- Drug discovery revenue more than doubled: Drug discovery revenue was $22.9 million, against $10.2 million a year earlier. The company cited accelerated recognition of deferred revenue and the discontinuation of one collaboration program. Source
- Software revenue down 21 percent: Software revenue was $35.6 million, down from $45.0 million, as the company accelerates its shift from on-premise licenses to hosted software licensing. Source
- Operating expenses down 4 percent: Total operating expenses were $78.3 million, against $82.0 million a year earlier. Source
- Cash and securities total $406 million: Cash, restricted cash and marketable securities were $406 million at March 31, 2026, against $402.3 million at December 31, 2025, per the February release. Source
- Operating cash flow negative: Operating activities used $14.8 million of cash, against $144.1 million provided in the first quarter of 2025. Source
- Ajax sale to Lilly up to $2.3 billion: Ajax Therapeutics was sold to Lilly for up to $2.3 billion in cash, including an upfront payment and milestone payments. Schrödinger holds an approximately six percent equity stake. Source
- SGR-3515 early Phase 1 data: Preliminary Phase 1 data for SGR-3515 were presented at AACR. The drug was generally well tolerated on an intermittent schedule, with a 65 percent disease control rate at 100 mg or higher. Source
“ACV growth of 12 percent was driven by usage scale-ups and new deployments; we are also pleased with our progress transitioning customers to hosted licensing.”
Ramy Farid, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Schrödinger
Guidance
| Area | Period | Figure | Against last quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACV Source | fiscal year 2026 | $218 million to $228 million, representing 10-15% growth over 2025 | Kept |
| Drug discovery revenue Source | fiscal year 2026 | $55 million to $65 million | Kept |
| Operating expenses Source | fiscal year 2026 | less than 2025 | Kept |
| ACV, exclusive of contribution ACV Source | second quarter of 2026 | $19 million to $23 million | New |
What changed from last quarter
- Guidance kept: Full-year 2026 ACV, drug discovery revenue and operating expense guidance were maintained from the February 25, 2026 release. Source
- New guidance: Second-quarter 2026 ACV range of $19 million to $23 million, excluding contribution ACV, was given for the first time. Source
- New: Bunsen, an agentic AI co-scientist, was announced, with an early-access version planned for summer release. Source
- New: Ajax Therapeutics, co-founded by Schrödinger, announced its sale to Lilly in April, with up to $2.3 billion in cash. Source
- New: Contribution revenue and cost of revenue are now presented separately from software and drug discovery. Prior periods were reclassified to match. Source
- Ended: One collaboration program was discontinued, which the company cited as a driver of first-quarter drug discovery revenue. Source
Results and growth drivers
- ACV rose 12 percent: ACV was $28.4 million, up 12 percent, and $201 million on a trailing four-quarter basis. The February release gave a first-quarter ACV range of $24 million to $28 million. Source
- Total revenue fell 2 percent: Total revenue was $58.6 million, down 2 percent from $59.6 million, as software revenue declined and drug discovery revenue rose. Source
- Drug discovery revenue more than doubled: Drug discovery revenue was $22.9 million, against $10.2 million a year earlier. The company cited accelerated recognition of deferred revenue and the discontinuation of one collaboration program. Source
- Net loss little changed: Net loss was $60.0 million, or $0.81 per share basic and diluted, against $59.8 million, or $0.82 per share, a year earlier. Source
- Funding climate described as improving: Management said the biopharmaceutical funding environment is improving and cited the depth of customer engagement with the computational platform. Source
Software revenue and hosted transition
- Software revenue down 21 percent: Software revenue was $35.6 million, down from $45.0 million, as the company accelerates its shift from on-premise licenses to hosted software licensing. Source
- Software gross margin at 69 percent: Software gross margin was 69 percent, against 81 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025 and 74 percent for full-year 2025, per the February release. Source
- Transition lowers near-term GAAP revenue: The February release said the shift to hosted licensing would bring short-to-medium term declines in software revenue, with no change to ACV or cash flow.
- Hosted share of software revenue: Hosted revenue was 23 percent of software revenue in 2025, up from 20 percent in 2024, per the February release. This release does not give a hosted share.
“We also continue to see the impact of our platform through the success of our co-founded companies.”
Ramy Farid, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Schrödinger
Segments and contribution revenue
- Contribution revenue fell on grant end: Contribution revenue was $0.1 million, against $4.3 million a year earlier, primarily because the predictive toxicology grant was completed. Source
- Cost of revenue by segment: Cost of revenue was $10.9 million for software, $16.3 million for drug discovery and $1.9 million for contribution, $29.0 million in total. Source
- Contribution now reported separately: Contribution revenue and cost of revenue are shown apart from software and drug discovery. Prior periods were reclassified to match this presentation. Source
Costs and operating expenses
- Operating expenses down 4 percent: Total operating expenses were $78.3 million, against $82.0 million a year earlier. Source
- Research spend lower, sales spend higher: R&D was $43.8 million, down from $45.8 million. Sales and marketing rose to $11.6 million from $10.4 million. G&A fell to $22.9 million from $25.8 million. Source
- Equity investment valuation in other expense: Other expenses were $10.8 million. The release shows a $13.5 million change in fair value of equity investments within that line. Source
- Reorganization cost of $0.6 million: Reorganization expense was $0.6 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $(37.7) million, against $(37.3) million a year earlier. Source
“Lilly’s announced acquisition of Ajax Therapeutics, in which we have an approximately six percent equity stake, marks another multi-billion dollar acquisition of a Schrödinger co-discovered molecule.”
Ramy Farid, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Schrödinger
Cash, balance sheet and cash flow
- Cash and securities total $406 million: Cash, restricted cash and marketable securities were $406 million at March 31, 2026, against $402.3 million at December 31, 2025, per the February release. Source
- Operating cash flow negative: Operating activities used $14.8 million of cash, against $144.1 million provided in the first quarter of 2025. Source
- Receivables and deferred revenue decline: Accounts receivable fell to $27.3 million from $83.0 million. Deferred revenue was $103.1 million current and $59.0 million long-term, down from $112.9 million and $78.9 million. Source
- Equity stake sales bring in cash: Disposition and sale of equity investments brought $20.3 million in net proceeds. Equity investments were carried at $39.8 million, against $73.6 million at December 31, 2025. Source
Pipeline and therapeutics portfolio
- Ajax sale to Lilly up to $2.3 billion: Ajax Therapeutics was sold to Lilly for up to $2.3 billion in cash, including an upfront payment and milestone payments. Schrödinger holds an approximately six percent equity stake. Source
- SGR-3515 early Phase 1 data: Preliminary Phase 1 data for SGR-3515 were presented at AACR. The drug was generally well tolerated on an intermittent schedule, with a 65 percent disease control rate at 100 mg or higher. Source
- SGR-1505 responses in Waldenström: SGR-1505 data presented at ASH showed general tolerability and clinical activity in relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies, with a 100 percent response rate in Waldenström macroglobulinemia. Source
- Seeking partners for two programs: Schrödinger is exploring strategic partnerships to advance SGR-1505 and SGR-3515 through mid- and late-stage development. Source
- Structure aleniglipron Phase 2 results: Collaborator Structure Therapeutics reported positive topline Phase 2 results for aleniglipron, an oral GLP-1 agonist for obesity. Schrödinger holds an equity stake in Structure. Source
Platform, Bunsen and research output
- Bunsen AI co-scientist this summer: Bunsen autonomously runs complex molecular discovery workflows. An early-access version is planned for summer release to expand the user base. Source
- Partner papers on predictive methods: In April, Schrödinger and Bristol Myers Squibb published SARM1 inhibitors identified with a FEP+ workflow. In March, Schrödinger and Lilly published an antibody viscosity simulation method. Source
- Internal teams using Bunsen: Materials science and therapeutics teams have used Bunsen internally to raise productivity across research projects. Source
Coming up, as management said on 5 May 2026
- Bunsen early-access release: An early-access version of Bunsen is planned for release this summer. Source
- Second-quarter ACV range: Second-quarter 2026 ACV is expected to be $19 million to $23 million, exclusive of contribution ACV. Source
- Partnering for two clinical programs: Management is exploring partnerships for mid- and late-stage development of SGR-1505 and SGR-3515. Source
Figures management reported
| Figure | Reported |
|---|---|
| Research and development expense Source | $43.8 million, down from $45.8 million |
| Pipeline milestone: Ajax sale to Lilly Source | up to $2.3 billion in cash |
| SGR-3515 trial readout: disease control rate Source | 65% at doses of 100 mg or higher |
| SGR-1505 trial readout: response rate in WM Source | 100% |
| Collaborator Phase 2 topline: aleniglipron Source | positive topline results |
Risks management discussed
- Financial: Software revenue declined as customers move to hosted licensing, which recognizes revenue ratably rather than upfront. Source
- Financial: Other expenses include changes in fair value of equity investments, which move period to period with the valuation of those stakes. Source
- Operational: The company recorded restructuring costs in the quarter, covering severance and related employee costs. Source
Earlier plans management reported on
- Not stated: Management maintained the full-year 2026 ACV, drug discovery revenue and operating expense guidance first issued in February. Source
- Not stated: The release describes the software revenue decline as reflecting the planned accelerated transition to hosted licensing. 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.