greeksoup/ stock research

SES AI Corp.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 11 August 2026: letter to shareholders. Guidance figures: 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose to $5.1 million: The company reported second-quarter revenue of $5.1 million, against $6.7 million in Q1 2026 and $3.5 million in Q2 2025. Source
  • All four product lines contributed revenue: Management said this was the first quarter with revenue from every product line: ESS, drone battery cells, materials and Molecular Universe. Source
  • Gross margin rose to 22.6%: GAAP gross margin was 22.6%, against 18.1% in Q1 2026. Gross profit was $1.1 million on revenue of $5.1 million. Source
  • Korea cell revenue starts in Q4: Management expects revenue from NDAA-compliant cells made on the Korea line to contribute meaningfully from Q4 2026, accelerating in the first half of 2027. Source
  • First Search-in-a-Box module sold: Management said one Search-in-a-Box module was sold to one of the largest battery makers, and the full MU-3.0 workflow is being trialed with more customers. Source
  • GAAP net loss rose on earn-out: GAAP net loss was $17.8 million, or $0.05 per share, against $12.1 million in Q1 2026. The letter's figure differs from the $17.9 million in the statement of operations. Source

“SES is solving two of the most difficult challenges in energy storage: accelerating product development using AI4Materials and building a robust supply chain to manufacture these products.”

Qichao Hu, Founder, CEO and Chairman

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue Sourcefull-year 2026$30 million to $35 millionKept
Gross margin (blended, consolidated) Source2026approximately 15%Kept
Operating expense reduction Sourceyear over yearmore than 20%Kept
NDAA-compliant cell capacity (Korea line) Sourcefrom Q4 20261 million cells a year
Drone cell revenue (NDAA-compliant, Korea line) SourceQ4 2026 and first half of 2027begin contributing meaningfully in Q4 2026
Drone cell orders Sourceinto 2028orders well into 2028

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance kept: 2026 revenue guidance of $30 million to $35 million was reaffirmed, not raised or lowered. Source
  • New: Sol-Ark selected UZ Energy as a certified battery partner for its closed-loop compatibility with hybrid inverters. Source
  • New: Paul Diemer was appointed to the board of directors. Source
  • New: A framework agreement with Doroni was announced, under which SES will design and develop the complete battery pack for the H1-X eVTOL. Source
  • New: Molecular Universe MU-3.0 was released as an agentic workflow platform. Source

Revenue and gross margin

  • Revenue rose to $5.1 million: The company reported second-quarter revenue of $5.1 million, against $6.7 million in Q1 2026 and $3.5 million in Q2 2025. Source
  • All four product lines contributed revenue: Management said this was the first quarter with revenue from every product line: ESS, drone battery cells, materials and Molecular Universe. Source
  • Gross margin rose to 22.6%: GAAP gross margin was 22.6%, against 18.1% in Q1 2026. Gross profit was $1.1 million on revenue of $5.1 million. Source
  • ESS mix and pricing lifted margin: Management attributed the margin gain mainly to ESS products, citing a higher mix of international sales and continued pricing discipline. Source

Energy storage systems

  • ESS is the largest revenue unit: Management said ESS is its largest revenue-generating unit and is making progress, especially in the US market. Source
  • Edge-box systems use own-cell data: Management said its edge-box ESS systems are trained on the cells used in its hardware, enabling 1-to-1 matching and state-of-health and safety management. Source
  • ATG Epower distribution agreement: Announced last quarter, a $20 million, three-year agreement with ATG Epower, now US Energy Distributors, gives UZ Energy access to its distribution network. Source

“Our Q2 revenue grew by more than 40% compared to Q2 last year, while our gross margin improved from 18% to more than 22%, driven by our differentiated technology and robust supply chain.”

Qichao Hu, Founder, CEO and Chairman

Drones and unmanned systems

  • Korea cell revenue starts in Q4: Management expects revenue from NDAA-compliant cells made on the Korea line to contribute meaningfully from Q4 2026, accelerating in the first half of 2027. Source
  • Drone makers audit Korea line: Management said it hosted many of the largest American and allied drone makers for line audits, with more in the queue later this year. Source
  • Seeking more NDAA cell capacity: Management said it is seeking additional NDAA-compliant capacity for pouch and cylindrical cells, for drones and broader unmanned and mobility uses. Source

Molecular Universe and materials

  • First Search-in-a-Box module sold: Management said one Search-in-a-Box module was sold to one of the largest battery makers, and the full MU-3.0 workflow is being trialed with more customers. Source
  • Half a dozen customers in testing: Management said roughly half a dozen customers have progressed through second-phase testing of Molecular Universe materials. Source
  • Materials moved to pilot deployment: Management said some materials discovered by Molecular Universe completed testing and entered early-stage commercial pilot deployment. Source

“we believe that over the next 3 to 5 years, Molecular Universe will power the majority of product development, particularly in energy storage, before expanding into complex fluids and eventually other material applications.”

Qichao Hu, Founder, CEO and Chairman

Operating expenses and net loss

  • Operating expenses rose slightly: GAAP operating expenses were $20.3 million, against $19.1 million in Q1 2026. The increase was mainly a bad-debt provision on a legacy EV contract. Source
  • Operating expenses down 26% yearly: Management said operating expenses were down 26% year over year and that it remains confident of sustaining a reduction of more than 20%. Source
  • GAAP net loss rose on earn-out: GAAP net loss was $17.8 million, or $0.05 per share, against $12.1 million in Q1 2026. The letter's figure differs from the $17.9 million in the statement of operations. Source
  • Non-GAAP net loss widened: Non-GAAP net loss was $13.1 million, or $0.04 per share, against $11.1 million in Q1 2026, which management attributed to lower revenue and the bad-debt provision. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA loss widened: Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $14.6 million, compared with a loss of $12.8 million in the first quarter of 2026. Source

Liquidity and cash position

  • Cash and investments near $163 million: Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were approximately $163 million at the end of the second quarter. Source
  • Capital-light model kept as discipline: Management said its capital-light business model remains a core financial discipline. Source
  • Liquidity funds 2026 growth plans: Management said current liquidity provides a runway to fund operations and the 2026 growth initiatives. Source

Strategy and second-half priorities

  • Liquidity allows possible acquisitions: Management said liquidity gives flexibility to pursue inorganic growth, including M&A, that complements its multi-business platform, while maintaining financial discipline. Source
  • Second-half priorities listed: Management listed second-half priorities: scaling ESS and edge box distribution, converting drone qualifications into orders as Chungju ramp-up completes, and closing a materials supply agreement. Source
  • Drones, materials and MU to add revenue: Management said it expects increased contributions from drone cells, materials and Molecular Universe, as sales and marketing teams expand and the pipeline builds. Source

Board and team

  • New director brings power background: Paul Diemer previously led the Critical and Embedded Power group at Flex's Power business, which served data centers and industrial systems, and is now SVP at Generac. Source
  • Recruiting drone sales team: Management said it is recruiting a team with a proven record of selling to defense and commercial drone makers. Source
  • Building ESS team from data centers: Management said it is building out a team with experience at AI data center total solutions providers to deliver ESS growth. Source

Coming up, as management said on 11 August 2026

  • First materials supply agreement targeted: Management said it remains focused on converting the Molecular Universe pipeline into a first commercial supply agreement in the second half of 2026. Source
  • MU-4.0 release expected: Management expects to release Molecular Universe MU-4.0 later in 2026, with molecule generation and integration with autonomous lab hardware. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Korea NDAA-compliant cell capacity Source200,000 to 1,000,000 cells a year

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management said some investors may underestimate Molecular Universe when they focus mainly on near-term monetization. Source
  • External: Management acknowledged that competitors exist in AI for materials, while stating that its own solutions are more complete and secure. Source
  • Operational: Drone cell revenue depends on completing the Korea line scale-up from 200,000 to 1 million cells a year in about one month. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management tied the expected narrowing of the net loss to the cost reduction program taking full effect. 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.