appn-20231102
false000144168300014416832023-11-022023-11-02

 UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 2, 2023
Appian Corporation
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Delaware001-3809854-1956084
(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)
(Commission File Number)
(I.R.S. Employer
 Identification No.)
7950 Jones Branch Drive
McLean, VA
22102
(Address of principal executive offices)(Zip Code)
Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (703) 442-8844

Not Applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instructions A.2. below):
    Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
    Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:
Title of each classTrading symbolName of each exchange on which registered
Class A Common StockAPPNThe Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company   
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o 




Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

On November 2, 2023, Appian Corporation (the "Company") issued a press release announcing its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023, as well as information regarding a conference call to discuss these financial results and the Company's recent business highlights and financial outlook. The Company's press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

The information included in Item 2.02 of this Current Report on Form 8-K and Exhibit 99.1 attached hereto shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
Exhibit
Number
  Description
99.1  
104Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)



SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

Appian Corporation
Date: November 2, 2023
By:/s/ Mark Matheos
Mark Matheos
Chief Financial Officer

Document

Exhibit 99.1
https://cdn.kscope.io/b06918f7ecbfe4ab2780d796210e96bb-appian2021white-bluefielda.jpg

Appian Announces Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Third quarter cloud subscription revenue increased 27% year-over-year to $77.2 million

McLean, VA – November 2, 2023 Appian (Nasdaq: APPN) today announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023.

“Our private data-centric approach to AI is getting strong support from buyers,” said Matt Calkins, CEO & Founder.

Third Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights:

Revenue: Cloud subscription revenue was $77.2 million, up 27% compared to the third quarter of 2022. Total subscriptions revenue, which includes sales of our cloud subscriptions, on-premises term license subscriptions, and maintenance and support, increased 20% year-over-year to $103.8 million. Professional services revenue was $33.3 million, an increase of 6% compared to the third quarter of 2022. Total revenue was $137.1 million, up 16% compared to the third quarter of 2022. Cloud subscription revenue retention rate was 117% as of September 30, 2023.
Operating loss and non-GAAP operating loss: GAAP operating loss was $(15.2) million, compared to $(37.8) million for the third quarter of 2022. Non-GAAP operating loss was $(7.7) million, compared to $(24.6) million for the third quarter of 2022.
Net loss and non-GAAP net loss: GAAP net loss was $(22.3) million, compared to $(44.0) million for the third quarter of 2022. GAAP net loss per share was $(0.30) for the third quarter of 2023, compared to $(0.61) for the third quarter of 2022. Non-GAAP net loss was $(14.7) million, compared to $(30.9) million for the third quarter of 2022. Non-GAAP net loss per share was $(0.20), compared to the $(0.43) net loss per share for the third quarter of 2022. GAAP and non-GAAP net loss for the third quarter of 2023 included $4.3 million, or $(0.06) per share, of foreign currency exchange losses. GAAP and non-GAAP net loss for the third quarter of 2022 included $6.1 million, or $(0.08) per share, of foreign currency exchange losses. We do not forecast foreign exchange rate movements.
Adjusted EBITDA: Adjusted EBITDA loss was $(5.3) million, compared to adjusted EBITDA loss of $(22.9) million for the third quarter of 2022.
Balance sheet and cash flows: As of September 30, 2023, Appian had total cash, cash equivalents, and investments of $169.5 million. Net cash used by operating activities was $(65.0) million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, compared to $(43.7) million of net cash used by operating activities for the same period in 2022.

A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures has been provided in the tables following the financial statements in this press release. An explanation of these measures is also included below under the heading “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”




Recent Business Highlights:

Appian Named a Leader in the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Low - Code Application Platforms
Appian Ranked by Gartner #1 for Business Workflow Automation with Integration Use Case in Low-Code Report
2023 Appian AppMarket Solution Award Winners Deliver Business Impact through AI Process Automation
Announced Appian’s Case Management as a Service (CMaaS) for Public Sector
Appian Launches Connected Underwriting for Life Insurance in Partnership with Swiss Re
Appian AI Copilot Delivers Practical Value to Boost Developer Productivity
Appian is Transforming Business Registrations and Services in the Texas Secretary of State’s Office
Aon Transforms Reinsurance Claims Processing with Appian
Appian Appoints Randy Guard as Chief Marketing Officer

Financial Outlook:

As of November 2, 2023, guidance for 2023 is as follows:

Fourth Quarter 2023 Guidance:

Cloud subscription revenue is expected to be between $78.6 million and $79.6 million, representing year-over-year growth of 19% to 21%.
Total revenue is expected to be between $138.0 million and $143.0 million, representing a year-over-year increase of 10% to 14%.
Adjusted EBITDA loss is expected to be between $(16.1) million and $(12.1) million.
Non-GAAP net loss per share is expected to be between $(0.29) and $(0.24), assuming weighted average common shares outstanding of 73.3 million.

Full Year 2023 Guidance:

Cloud subscription revenue is expected to be between $300.0 million and $301.0 million, representing year-over-year growth of 27%.
Total revenue is expected to be between $538.0 million and $543.0 million, representing a year-over-year increase of 15% to 16%.
Adjusted EBITDA loss is expected to be between $(62.0) million and $(58.0) million.
Non-GAAP net loss per share is expected to be between $(1.13) and $(1.07), assuming weighted average common shares outstanding of 73.1 million.

Conference Call Details:

Appian will host a conference call today, November 2, 2023, at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss Appian's financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023 and business outlook.

To access the call, navigate to the following link(1). Once registered, participants can dial in using their phone with a dial in and PIN, or they can choose the Call Me option for instant dial to their phone. The live webcast of the conference call can also be accessed on the Investor Relations page of our website at http://investors.appian.com.

1 https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/48skn964/



About Appian

Appian is a software company that automates business processes. The Appian AI Process Platform includes everything you need to design, automate, and optimize even the most complex processes, from start to finish. The world's most innovative organizations trust Appian to improve their workflows, unify data, and optimize operations—resulting in better growth and superior customer experiences. For more information, visit www.appian.com. [Nasdaq: APPN]

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement its consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, Appian provides investors with certain non-GAAP financial performance measures. Appian uses these non-GAAP financial performance measures for financial and operational decision-making and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. Appian’s management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding Appian’s performance by excluding certain expenses that may not be indicative of our recurring core business operating results. Appian believes both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing Appian’s performance and when planning, forecasting, and analyzing future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management’s internal comparisons to historical performance as well as comparisons to competitors’ operating results. Appian believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors both because (1) they allow for greater transparency with respect to measures used by management in its financial and operational decision-making and (2) they are used by Appian’s institutional investors and the analyst community to help them analyze the health of Appian’s business.

The non-GAAP financial performance measures include non-GAAP net loss, non-GAAP net loss per share, and non-GAAP operating loss. These non-GAAP financial performance measures exclude the effect of stock-based compensation expense, certain litigation-related expenses consisting of legal and other professional fees associated with the Pegasystems cases (net of insurance reimbursements), amortization of the judgement preservation insurance (“JPI”) policy, and severance costs related to involuntary reductions in our workforce. While some of these items may be recurring in nature and should not be disregarded in evaluation of our earnings performance, it is useful to exclude such items when analyzing current results and trends compared to other periods as these items can vary significantly from period to period depending on specific underlying transactions or events that may occur. Therefore, while we may incur or recognize these types of expenses in the future, we believe removing these items for purposes of calculating the non-GAAP financial measures provides investors with a more focused presentation of our ongoing operating performance.

Appian also discusses adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial performance measure it believes offers a useful view of the overall operation of its businesses. The company defines adjusted EBITDA as net loss before (1) other (income) expenses, net, (2) interest expense, (3) income tax expense (benefit), (4) depreciation expense and amortization of intangible assets, (5) stock-based compensation expense, (6) litigation expenses (net of insurance reimbursements) directly associated with the Pegasystems cases, (7) JPI amortization, and (8) severance costs. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to adjusted EBITDA is net loss. Users should consider the limitations of using adjusted EBITDA, including the fact this measure does not provide a complete measure of our operating performance. Adjusted EBITDA is not intended to purport to be an alternate to net loss as a measure of operating performance or to cash flows from operating activities as a measure of liquidity.

The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or superior to the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, and Appian’s non-GAAP measures may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, see the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their nearest comparable GAAP measures at the end of this press release. Appian provides guidance ranges for non-GAAP net loss per share and adjusted EBITDA; however, we are not able to reconcile these amounts to their comparable GAAP financial measures without unreasonable efforts because certain information necessary to calculate such measures on a GAAP basis is unavailable, subject to high variability, dependent on future events outside of our control, and cannot be predicted. In addition, Appian believes such reconciliations could imply a degree of precision that might be confusing or misleading to investors. The actual effect of the reconciling items



that Appian may exclude from these non-GAAP expense numbers, when determined, may be significant to the calculation of the comparable GAAP measures.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding Appian’s future financial and business performance for the fourth quarter and full year 2023, future investment by Appian in its go-to-market initiatives, increased demand for the Appian AI-Powered Process platform, market opportunity and plans and objectives for future operations, including Appian’s ability to drive continued subscriptions revenue and total revenue growth, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “plan,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Appian has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that Appian believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives, and financial needs. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties associated with Appian’s ability to grow its business and manage its growth, Appian’s ability to sustain its revenue growth rate, continued market acceptance of Appian’s AI-Powered Process platform and adoption of low-code solutions to drive digital transformation, the fluctuation of Appian’s operating results due to the length and variability of its sales cycle, competition in the markets in which Appian operates, risks and uncertainties associated with the composition and concentration of Appian’s customer base and their demand for its platform and satisfaction with the services provided by Appian, the potential fluctuation of Appian’s future quarterly results of operations, Appian’s ability to shift its revenue towards subscriptions and away from professional services, Appian’s ability to operate in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, Appian’s strategic relationships with third parties and use of third-party licensed software and its platform’s compatibility with third-party applications, the timing of Appian’s recognition of subscriptions revenue which may delay the effect of near term changes in sales on its operating results, Appian’s ability to meet its financial covenants under its Credit Agreement, and the additional risks and uncertainties set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of Appian’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 16, 2023 and other reports that Appian has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Moreover, Appian operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for Appian’s management to predict all risks nor can Appian assess the impact of all factors on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements Appian may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, Appian cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, achievements, or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will occur. Appian is under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform these statements to actual results or revised expectations, except as required by law.


Investor Contact
Srinivas Anantha, CFA
703-442-8844
investors@appian.com

Media Contact
Ben Farrell
703-442-1067
ben.farrell@appian.com




APPIAN CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except par value and share data) 

As of
September 30, 2023December 31, 2022
(unaudited)
Assets
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents$130,761 $148,132 
Short-term investments and marketable securities38,726 47,863 
Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $2,268 and $2,125, respectively
133,548 165,964 
Deferred commissions, current31,107 30,196 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets51,230 28,093 
Restricted cash, current— 2,249 
Total current assets385,372 422,497 
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $22,972 and $18,864, respectively
42,444 41,855 
Goodwill25,991 26,349 
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $3,618 and $2,715, respectively
4,092 5,251 
Right-of-use assets for operating leases40,501 37,248 
Deferred commissions, net of current portion54,932 55,788 
Deferred tax assets2,688 1,940 
Other assets41,018 3,286 
Total assets$597,038 $594,214 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities
Accounts payable$5,956 $7,997 
Accrued expenses11,275 12,227 
Accrued compensation and related benefits33,866 40,718 
Deferred revenue194,602 194,768 
Debt65,431 2,740 
Operating lease liabilities11,003 8,681 
Other current liabilities1,119 3,121 
Total current liabilities323,252 270,252 
Long-term debt142,016 115,379 
Non-current operating lease liabilities60,339 57,225 
Deferred revenue3,243 5,556 
Deferred tax liabilities87 102 
Total liabilities528,937 448,514 
Stockholders’ equity
Class A common stock—par value $0.0001; 500,000,000 shares authorized and 41,726,634 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2023; 500,000,000 shares authorized and 41,320,091 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022
Class B common stock—par value $0.0001; 100,000,000 shares authorized and 31,497,396 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2023; 100,000,000 shares authorized and 31,497,796 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022
Additional paid-in capital588,029 561,390 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(10,049)(7,246)
Accumulated deficit(509,886)(408,451)
Total stockholders’ equity68,101 145,700 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity$597,038 $594,214 



APPIAN CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(in thousands, except per share data)

Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023202220232022
(unaudited)
Revenue
Subscriptions$103,803 $86,520 $296,554 $246,908 
Professional services33,291 31,356 103,490 95,297 
Total revenue137,094 117,876 400,044 342,205 
Cost of revenue
Subscriptions11,265 9,313 32,492 26,065 
Professional services24,804 24,447 76,515 72,011 
Total cost of revenue36,069 33,760 109,007 98,076 
Gross profit101,025 84,116 291,037 244,129 
Operating expenses
Sales and marketing55,667 54,912 181,338 157,104 
Research and development37,135 37,623 118,502 101,401 
General and administrative23,440 29,357 82,342 90,014 
Total operating expenses116,242 121,892 382,182 348,519 
Operating loss(15,217)(37,776)(91,145)(104,390)
Other non-operating expense
Other expense (income), net1,939 5,876 (4,637)12,815 
Interest expense4,917 89 12,790 222 
Total other non-operating expense6,856 5,965 8,153 13,037 
Loss before income taxes(22,073)(43,741)(99,298)(117,427)
Income tax expense (benefit)178 255 2,137 (924)
Net loss$(22,251)$(43,996)$(101,435)$(116,503)
Net loss per share:
Basic and diluted$(0.30)$(0.61)$(1.39)$(1.61)
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Basic and diluted73,178 72,503 73,032 72,372 





APPIAN CORPORATION
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION EXPENSE
(in thousands)

Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023202220232022
(unaudited)
Cost of revenue
Subscriptions$211 $284 $713 $712 
Professional services1,535 1,401 4,598 3,788 
Operating expenses
Sales and marketing3,245 2,667 8,462 6,721 
Research and development2,930 3,454 9,466 8,831 
General and administrative3,090 3,530 9,976 7,375 
Total stock-based compensation expense$11,011 $11,336 $33,215 $27,427 



APPIAN CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(unaudited, in thousands)

Nine Months Ended September 30,
20232022
Cash flows from operating activities
Net loss$(101,435)$(116,503)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used by operating activities
Stock-based compensation33,215 27,427 
Depreciation expense and amortization of intangible assets7,046 5,332 
Bad debt expense690 561 
Amortization of debt issuance costs342 — 
Deferred income taxes(808)(1,549)
Changes in assets and liabilities
Accounts receivable30,665 (9,114)
Prepaid expenses and other assets(61,555)(6,723)
Deferred commissions(56)(5,715)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses(657)(3,654)
Accrued compensation and related benefits(6,671)1,634 
Other current and non-current liabilities(2,026)(383)
Deferred revenue(3,186)15,414 
Operating lease assets and liabilities2,238 (685)
Net cash used by operating activities(102,198)(93,958)
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchases of investments(53,443)(31,214)
Proceeds from investments62,590 57,417 
Purchases of property and equipment(8,278)(5,861)
Net cash provided by investing activities869 20,342 
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings92,000 — 
Debt repayments(2,625)— 
Payments for debt issuance costs(411)— 
Payments for employee taxes related to the net share settlement of equity awards(7,240)— 
Proceeds from exercise of common stock options664 25,205 
Net cash provided by financing activities82,388 25,205 
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash(679)(1,694)
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash(19,620)(50,105)
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period150,381 103,960 
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period$130,761 $53,855 
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information
Cash paid for interest$11,960 $243 
Cash paid for income taxes$2,944 $749 
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities
Accrued capital expenditures$27 $317 



APPIAN CORPORATION
RECONCILIATION OF GAAP MEASURES TO NON-GAAP MEASURES
(unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)

GAAP MeasureStock-Based CompensationLitigation ExpensesJPI AmortizationSeverance CostsNon-GAAP Measure
Three Months Ended September 30, 2023
Subscriptions cost of revenue$11,265 $(211)$— $— $— $11,054 
Professional services cost of revenue24,804 (1,535)— — — 23,269 
Total cost of revenue36,069 (1,746)— — — 34,323 
Total operating expense116,242 (9,265)4,961 (1,485)— 110,453 
Operating loss(15,217)11,011 (4,961)1,485 — (7,682)
Income tax impact of above items178 88 — — — 266 
Net loss(22,251)11,099 (4,961)1,485 — (14,628)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted$(0.30)$0.15 $(0.07)$0.02 $— $(0.20)
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
Subscriptions cost of revenue$32,492 $(713)$— $— $(30)$31,749 
Professional services cost of revenue76,515 (4,598)— — (158)71,759 
Total cost of revenue109,007 (5,311)— — (188)103,508 
Total operating expense382,182 (27,904)2,772 (1,485)(6,111)349,454 
Operating loss(91,145)33,215 (2,772)1,485 6,299 (52,918)
Income tax impact of above items2,137 731 — — 139 3,007 
Net loss(101,435)33,946 (2,772)1,485 6,438 (62,338)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted$(1.39)$0.46 $(0.04)$0.02 $0.09 $(0.86)




GAAP MeasureStock-Based CompensationLitigation ExpensesNon-GAAP Measure
Three Months Ended September 30, 2022
Subscriptions cost of revenue$9,313 $(284)$— $9,029 
Professional services cost of revenue24,447 (1,401)— 23,046 
Total cost of revenue33,760 (1,685)— 32,075 
Total operating expense121,892 (9,651)(1,810)110,431 
Operating loss(37,776)11,336 1,810 (24,630)
Net loss(43,996)11,336 1,810 (30,850)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted$(0.61)$0.16 $0.02 $(0.43)
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022
Subscriptions cost of revenue$26,065 $(712)$— $25,353 
Professional services cost of revenue72,011 (3,788)— 68,223 
Total cost of revenue98,076 (4,500)— 93,576 
Total operating expense348,519 (22,927)(20,432)305,160 
Operating loss(104,390)27,427 20,432 (56,531)
Net loss(116,503)27,427 20,432 (68,644)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted$(1.61)$0.38 $0.28 $(0.95)

 Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2023202220232022
Reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA:
GAAP net loss$(22,251)$(43,996)$(101,435)$(116,503)
Other expense (income), net1,939 5,876 (4,637)12,815 
Interest expense4,917 89 12,790 222 
Income tax expense (benefit)178 255 2,137 (924)
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles2,340 1,759 7,046 5,332 
Stock-based compensation expense11,011 11,336 33,215 27,427 
Litigation expenses(4,961)1,810 (2,772)20,432 
JPI amortization1,485 — 1,485 — 
Severance costs— — 6,299 — 
Adjusted EBITDA$(5,342)$(22,871)$(45,872)$(51,199)