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Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings Inc

For the period ended Mar 31, 2024. Filed May 9, 2024.

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A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.

Mar 31, 2024 · Filed May 9, 2024

DNA$12.37+9.6%Stored close · as of Nov 9, 2026

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Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

  1. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Business

The mission of Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. (“Ginkgo” or the “Company”) is to make biology easier to engineer. The Company designs custom cells for customers across multiple markets. Since inception, the Company has devoted its efforts to improving its platform for programming cells to enable customers to leverage biology to create impactful products across a range of industries. The Company’s platform comprises (i) equipment, robotic automation, software, data pipelines and tools, and standard operating procedures for high throughput cell engineering, fermentation, and analytics (referred to collectively as the “Foundry”), (ii) a library of proprietary biological assets and associated performance data (referred to collectively as “Codebase”), and (iii) the Company’s team of expert users, developers and operators of the Foundry and Codebase.

With a mission to make biology easier to engineer, the Company has recognized the need to invest in biosecurity as a key component of its platform. The Company’s Biosecurity business is building a global infrastructure for biosecurity to empower governments, communities, and public health leaders to prevent, detect and respond to a wide variety of biological threats.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial reporting. Accordingly, certain detailed disclosures which would normally be included with annual financial statements have been omitted. In the opinion of management, all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation have been made. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company's 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses, and the disclosure of contingent liabilities in the consolidated financial statements. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and other market-specific or relevant assumptions that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Reported amounts and disclosures reflect the overall economic conditions that management believes are most likely to occur, and the anticipated measures management intends to take. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. All revisions to accounting estimates are recognized in the period in which the estimates are revised.

Significant Accounting Policies

There have been no new or material changes to the Company’s significant accounting policies during the three months ended March 31, 2024 as compared to the significant accounting policies described in Note 2 to the Company's 2023 consolidated financial statements included in the Company's 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

There were no new recently issued accounting pronouncements that are of significance or potential significance to the Company from those disclosed within Note 2 to the Company's 2023 consolidated financial statements included in the 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

  1. Acquisitions

On October 3, 2023, and in connection with the Zymergen Bankruptcy, as defined and discussed in the Company’s 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement with Zymergen (the “Zymergen APA”) as the stalking horse bidder under Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to acquire exclusive rights to substantially all of Zymergen’s intellectual property assets and certain other assets.

On January 18, 2024 (the “Closing Date”), the Company, through certain of its affiliates, completed its acquisition of substantially all of Zymergen’s assets under the Zymergen APA, and on February 5, 2024, Zymergen’s plan of liquidation was confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court. All of the Company’s interests in the Zymergen entities were extinguished and terminated as of February 23, 2024. The acquisition under the Zymergen APA was accounted for as a business combination in accordance with ASC 805 and was not material to the Company's consolidated financial statements. The total cash purchase price was $6.2 million, with $5.4 million paid at closing and $0.8 million released from escrow. The allocation of the purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date primarily includes $19.9 million of operating lease right-of-use assets, $6.0 million of property and equipment, and $19.9 million of operating lease liabilities. No goodwill or intangible assets were recognized. Transaction costs associated with the Zymergen APA werenot material for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

In the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company issued 13.1 million shares of Class A common stock to acquire certain assets, which did not meet the definition of a business for accounting purposes. The assets acquired consisted of intellectual property with an aggregate estimated fair value of $16.9 million, all of which was expensed as in-process research and development in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss during the period, as the assets did not have an alternative use.

  1. Fair Value Measurements

The following tables present information about the Company’s financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in thousands):

ClassificationTotalLevel 1Level 2Level 3
Assets:
Money market fundsCash and cash equivalents$816,947$816,947$—$—
Synlogic, Inc. warrants (1)Investments304—304—
Marketable equity securitiesInvestments22,20922,209——
Notes receivablePrepaid expenses and other assets12,795——12,795
Notes receivableOther non-current assets14,475—12,1302,345
Total assets$866,730$839,156$12,434$15,140
Liabilities:
Public WarrantsWarrant liabilities$3,105$3,105$—$—
Private Placement Warrants (3)Warrant liabilities1,655—1181,537
Contingent considerationAccrued expenses and other current liabilities15,320——15,320
Contingent considerationOther non-current liabilities5,274——5,274
Total liabilities$25,354$3,105$118$22,131
ClassificationTotalLevel 1Level 2Level 3
Assets:
Money market fundsCash and cash equivalents$913,729$913,729$—$—
Synlogic, Inc. warrants (1)Investments654—654—
Marketable equity securities (2)Investments19,19018,401789—
Notes receivablePrepaid expenses and other12,293——12,293
Notes receivableOther non-current assets13,601—11,7651,836
Total assets$959,467$932,130$13,208$14,129
Liabilities:
Public WarrantsWarrant liabilities$3,794$3,794$—$—
Private Placement Warrants (3)Warrant liabilities1,906—601,846
Contingent considerationAccrued expenses and other current liabilities18,468——18,468
Contingent considerationOther non-current liabilities5,805——5,805
Total liabilities$29,973$3,794$60$26,119

(1)The fair value of Synlogic, Inc. warrants is calculated as the quoted price of the underlying common stock, less the unpaid exercise price of the warrants.

(2)Marketable equity securities classified as Level 2 reflect a discount for lack of marketability due to regulatory sales restrictions.

(3)The fair value of Private Placement Warrants classified as Level 2 is equivalent to that of Public Warrants as the transfer of Private Placement Warrants to anyone other than the initial purchasers or any of their permitted transferees results in the Private Placement Warrants having substantially the same terms as the Public Warrants.

Transfers to and from Levels 1, 2 and 3 are recognized at the end of the reporting period in which a change in valuation technique or methodology occurs. During the three months ended March 31, 2024, transfers from Level 2 to Level 1 occurred due to lapse of regulatory sales restrictions on marketable equity securities. Additionally, as of March 31, 2024, a portion of the Private Placement Warrants' estimated fair value was transferred from Level 3 to Level 2 as a result of the Private Placement Warrants having substantially the same terms as the Public Warrants when transferred to anyone other than the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees, leading the Company to determine their fair value to be equivalent to that of the Public Warrants. There were no other transfers between Levels 1, 2, or 3 during the three months ended March 31, 2024 or 2023.

Notes Receivable

For all of its notes receivable, the Company has elected the fair value option, for which changes in fair value are recorded in other income, net in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company held a senior secured note in the principal amount of $11.8 million and a convertible promissory note in the principal amount of $10.0 million, both issued by Bolt Threads, Inc. (“Bolt Threads”). The senior secured note bears interest at 12% per annum, is due December 31, 2027 and is included in other non-current assets at its estimated fair value. The convertible promissory note bears interest at 8% per annum, is convertible into equity securities of Bolt Threads upon a qualified financing, a non-qualified financing, or special purpose acquisition company transaction, at a conversion price equal to 80% of the price paid per share under the conversion scenario, or is otherwise payable on demand any time after the maturity date of October 4, 2024. The convertible promissory note is included in prepaid expenses and other current assets at its estimated fair value.

The Company used the yield method to value the senior secured note. Under this method, the estimated future cash flows, consisting of principal and interest payments, are discounted to present value using an applicable market yield or discount rate. Increases or decreases in the market yield or discount rate would result in a decrease or increase, respectively, in the fair value measurement. The market yield is determined using a corporate bond yield curve corresponding to the credit rating category of the issuer. The fair value of the senior secured note is based on observable market inputs, which represents a Level 2 measurement within the fair value hierarchy.

In addition to the convertible promissory note issued by Bolt Threads, the Company holds a series of convertible debt instruments issued by customers as payment for Cell Engineering services. The Company used a scenario-based method to value the convertible debt instruments issued by customers and by Bolt Threads. Under this method, future cash flows are evaluated under various payoff scenarios, probability-weighted, and discounted to present value. The significant unobservable (Level 3) inputs used in the fair value measurement as of March 31, 2024 were scenario probabilities of between 5% and 85%, a discount rate of 17% and estimated time to event date of up totwo years. The significant unobservable (Level 3) inputs used in the fair value measurement as of December 31, 2023 were scenario probabilities of between 5% and 85%, a discount rate of 17% and estimated time to event date ofone totwo years. Significant changes in these inputs could have resulted in a significantly lower or higher fair value measurement. As of March 31, 2024, the convertible debt instruments had an unpaid principal balance of $21.9 million and a fair value of $15.1 million. As of December 31, 2023, the convertible debt instruments had an unpaid principal balance of $21.0 million and a fair value of $14.1 million.

The following table provides a reconciliation of notes receivable measured at fair value using Level 3 significant unobservable inputs for the three months ended March 31 (in thousands):

20242023
Balance at January 1,$14,129$7,660
Additions501,998
Change in fair value961(1,565)
Balance at March 31,$15,140$8,093

Warrant Liabilities

In connection with the Company's merger with Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp. (“SRNG”) on September 16, 2021, the Company assumed 34.5 million publicly-traded warrants (“Public Warrants”) and 17.3 million private placement warrants (the “Private Placement Warrants”) previously issued in connection with SRNG’s initial public offering. The fair value of the Public Warrants is based on the observable quoted price of such warrants on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). The fair value of the Private Placement Warrants is estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which is considered to be a Level 3 fair value measurement. The primary unobservable input used in the valuation of the Private Placement Warrants is expected stock-price volatility. The Company estimated the volatility of its Private Placement Warrants using a Monte-Carlo simulation of the redeemable Public Warrants that assumes optimal exercise of the Company's redemption option at the earliest possible date. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon yield curve for a maturity similar to the expected remaining life of the warrants. The expected life of the warrants is assumed to be equivalent to their remaining contractual term. The dividend yield is based on the historical rate, which the Company anticipates remaining at zero.

The following table provides quantitative information regarding Level 3 inputs used in the recurring valuation of the Private Placement Warrants as of their measurement dates:

March 31, 2024December 31, 2023
Exercise price$11.50$11.50
Stock price$1.16$1.69
Volatility87.8 %70.5 %
Term (in years)2.462.71
Risk-free interest rate4.54 %4.01 %

The following table provides a reconciliation of the Private Placement Warrants measured at fair value using Level 3 significant unobservable inputs for the three months ended March 31 (in thousands):

20242023
Balance at January 1,$1,846$3,860
Change in fair value(309)(503)
Balance at March 31,$1,537$3,357

Contingent Consideration

In connection with various business acquisitions, the Company is required to make contingent earnout payments payable upon the achievement of certain technical, commercial and/or performance milestones. The Company also issued restricted stock in connection with acquisitions, which is subject to vesting conditions and is classified as contingent consideration liability.

The Company can settle a majority of its contingent consideration liabilities in cash or shares of Class A common stock at the Company’s election with the remainder payable in cash. During the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company settled $2.8 million in contingent consideration liabilities through payment of $0.9 million in cash and vesting of 1.2 million shares of restricted stock valued at $1.9 million. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company settled $2.3 million in contingent consideration liability related to restricted stock that was contingent on the filing of a registration statement to register the shares issued as purchase consideration for acquisitions. Of that amount, $1.4 million was recorded as an increase to the acquired intangible asset with an offset to additional paid-in-capital as the contingent consideration liability was deemed not probable until the filing of the registration statement.

The fair value of contingent consideration related to earnout payments from acquisitions was estimated using unobservable (Level 3) inputs as illustrated in the table below. The fair value of contingent consideration related to restricted stock was estimated using the quoted price of Ginkgo's Class A common stock, an estimate of the number of shares expected to vest, probability of vesting, and a discount rate. Material increases or decreases in these inputs could result in a higher or lower fair value measurement. Changes in the fair value of contingent consideration are recorded in general and administrative expense in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

The following table provides quantitative information regarding Level 3 inputs used in the fair value measurements of contingent consideration liabilities as of the periods presented:

March 31, 2024 · December 31, 2023
Contingent Consideration LiabilityValuation TechniqueUnobservable InputRangeRange
Earnout payments (FGen and Dutch DNA acquisitions)Probability-weighted present valueProbability of payment10% - 80%10% - 100%
Discount rate15.8%13.4%
Earnout payments (Dutch DNA acquisition)Discounted cash flowProjected years of payments2028 - 20312025 - 2028
Discount rate10.5%10.3%

The following table provides a reconciliation of the contingent consideration measured at fair value using Level 3 significant unobservable inputs (in thousands):

20242023
Balance at January 1,$24,273$24,473
Change in fair value(926)5,177
Settlements and payments(2,753)(864)
Balance at March 31,$20,594$28,786

Nonrecurring Fair Value Measurements

The Company measures the fair value of certain assets, including investments in privately held companies without readily determinable fair values, on a nonrecurring basis when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable and when observable price changes occur for the identical or similar security of the same issuer.

The fair value of non-marketable equity securities is classified within Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy when the Company estimates fair value using unobservable inputs to measure the amount of the impairment loss. The fair value of non-marketable equity securities is classified within Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy when the Company estimates fair value using the observable transaction price paid by third party investors for the identical or similar security of the same issuer.

During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company received a total purchase amount of $11.0 million in Simple Agreement for Future Equity (“SAFEs”) from customers as prepayment for Cell Engineering services. The Company used a scenario-based method to value the SAFEs as of each contract inception date, which resulted in total fair value of $4.5 million. Under the scenario-based method, future cash flows were evaluated under qualified financing and dissolution scenarios with partial recovery and no recovery in dissolution. The cash flows under each scenario were probability-weighted and discounted to present value. The significant unobservable (Level 3) inputs used in the fair value measurement were scenario probabilities of 20% to 60%, a discount rate of 14% and estimated time to event date ofone totwo years.

During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded impairment losses of $5.2 million and $1.8 million, respectively, related to SAFEs. The fair value was generally estimated using the scenario-based method, whereby various payout scenarios were probability weighted and discounted to present value.

  1. Investments and Equity Method Investments

The Company partners with other investors to form business ventures, including Motif FoodWorks, Inc. (“Motif”), Allonnia, LLC (“Allonnia”), Arcaea, LLC (“Arcaea”), Verb Biotics, LLC (“Verb”), BiomEdit, LLC (“BiomEdit”) and Ayana Bio, LLC (“Ayana”) (collectively “Platform Ventures”). The Company also partners with existing entities, including Genomatica, Inc. (“Genomatica”) and Synlogic, Inc. (“Synlogic”) (collectively, “Legacy Structured Partnerships”) with complementary assets for high potential synthetic biology applications. The Company holds equity interests in these Platform Ventures and Legacy Structured Partnerships. The Company also holds equity interests in other public and private companies as a result of entering into collaboration and license revenue arrangements with these entities.

The Company accounts for its investments in Platform Ventures under the equity method. The Company's marketable equity securities consist of Synlogic common stock, Synlogic warrants and the shares of common stock of other publicly traded companies. Marketable equity securities are measured at fair value with changes in fair value recorded in other income (expense) in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The Company’s non-marketable equity securities consist of preferred stock of Genomatica and preferred and common stock of other privately held companies without readily determinable fair values. Non-marketable equity securities are initially recorded using the measurement alternative at cost and subsequently adjusted for any impairment and observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar security of the same issuer. Impairment losses and adjustments from observable price changes are recorded in loss on investments in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

The Company also holds investments in early-stage synthetic biology product companies via SAFEs. The Company enters into SAFE agreements in conjunction with a revenue contract with a customer under which the Company grants the customer a prepaid Cell Engineering services credit equal to the principal amount of the SAFE (the “Purchase Amount”), which may be used and drawn down as payment for the Company’s research and development services. The SAFEs will automatically convert into shares of preferred stock equal to the Purchase Amount divided by the discount price, which is calculated as the price per share sold in a qualified equity financing multiplied by a discount rate. The SAFEs also provide the Company with the right to future equity of the entity in a liquidation scenario or the cash-out amount in liquidation and dissolution scenarios or at the election of the SAFE issuer prior to an agreed outside date. The Company initially records SAFEs at fair value (see Note 3) and adjusts the carrying amount of the instrument at each reporting period for any impairments.

Investments consisted of the following (in thousands):

As of March 31,As of December 31,
20242023
Investments:
SAFEs$18,686$23,898
Non-marketable equity securities22,93722,938
Marketable equity securities21,45217,563
Genomatica preferred stock11,88511,885
Synlogic common stock7571,627
Synlogic warrants304654
Total$76,021$78,565

Loss on investments and equity method investments consisted of the following (in thousands):

Three Months Ended March 31,
20242023
Gain (loss) on investments:
Synlogic common stock$(871)$(812)
Synlogic warrants(350)(326)
Marketable equity securities3,889(3,421)
SAFEs(5,212)(1,811)
Total$(2,544)$(6,370)
Gain (loss) on equity method investments:
BiomEdit$—$(1,462)
Other—13
Total$—$(1,449)

The components of loss on investments for each period were as follows (in thousands):

Three Months Ended March 31,
20242023
Impairment charges$(5,212)$(1,811)
Ongoing mark-to-market adjustments on marketable equity securities2,668(4,559)
Total loss on investments$(2,544)$(6,370)

The carrying value for non-marketable equity securities accounted for using the fair value measurement alternative and held as of March 31, 2024, including cumulative unrealized losses, were as follows (in thousands):

As of March 31, 2024
Total initial cost$114,701
Impairment charges(59,566)
Downward adjustments from observable price changes(1,627)
Carrying value$53,508
  1. Variable Interest Entities

With respect to the Company’s investments in Motif, Allonnia, Genomatica, Arcaea, BiomEdit, Verb and Ayana (collectively, the “Unconsolidated VIEs”), the Company has concluded these entities represent variable interest entities (“VIEs”). While the Company has board representation on certain of these entities and is involved in the ongoing development activities of these entities via its participation on such entities’ joint steering committees (“JSC”), the Company has concluded that it is not the primary beneficiary of these entities because: (i) the Company does not control the board of directors of any of the Unconsolidated VIEs, and no voting or consent agreements exist between the Company and other members of each respective board of directors or other investors, (ii) the holders of preferred security interests in the Unconsolidated VIEs hold certain rights that require their consent prior to taking certain actions, which include certain significant operating and financing decisions, and (iii) the Company’s representation on the JSC of each respective entity does not give it control over the development activities of any of the Unconsolidated VIEs, as all JSC decisions are made by consensus and there are no agreements in place that would require any of the entities to vote in alignment with the Company. As the Company’s involvement in the Unconsolidated VIEs does not give it the power to control the decisions with respect to their development or other activities, which are their most significant activities, the Company has concluded that it is not the primary beneficiary of the Unconsolidated VIEs.

Additionally, the Company holds equity interests in certain privately-held companies that are not consolidated as the Company is not the primary beneficiary. As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the maximum risk of loss related to the Company’s VIEs was limited to the carrying value of its investments in such entities.

Refer to Note 4 for additional details on the Company’s investments and equity method investments.

  1. Supplemental Financial Information

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

The reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheet to the totals shown within the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows is as follows (in thousands):

As of March 31,
20242023
Cash and cash equivalents$840,440$1,206,086
Restricted cash included in prepaid expenses and other current assets (1)3,3288,149
Restricted cash included in other non-current assets (1)43,44544,433
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash$887,213$1,258,668

(1)Includes cash balances collateralizing letters of credit associated with the Company’s facility leases and customer prepayments requiring segregation and restrictions in its use in accordance with the customer agreement.

Supplemental cash flow information

The following table presents non-cash investing and financing activities (in thousands):

Three Months Ended March 31,
20242023
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment included in accounts payable and accrued expenses$7,886$8,247
Convertible financial instruments received for Cell Engineering services—4,478
Equity securities and warrants received for Cell Engineering services—12,493
Common stock issued as settlement of contingent consideration liability1,8772,262

Property, Plant, and Equipment, net

Property, plant, and equipment, net consisted of the following (in thousands):

As of March 31,As of December 31,
20242023
Lab equipment$152,105$147,185
Leasehold improvements76,14671,564
Buildings and facilities47,57247,034
Construction in progress22,73115,830
Computer equipment and software14,95014,780
Furniture and fixtures6,5156,458
Land6,0606,060
Total property, plant, and equipment326,079308,911
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization(130,087)(120,718)
Property, plant, and equipment, net$195,992$188,193

Capitalization

The following table presents the Company’s authorized, issued, and outstanding common stock as of the dates indicated (in thousands):

AuthorizedIssuedOutstanding
Common stock as of March 31, 2024:
Class A10,500,0001,669,6281,554,178
Class B4,500,000382,399359,446
Class C800,000120,000120,000
15,800,0002,172,0272,033,624
Common stock as of December 31, 2023:
Class A10,500,0001,639,8851,525,058
Class B4,500,000379,108356,257
Class C800,000120,000120,000
15,800,0002,138,9932,001,315
  1. Goodwill and Intangible Assets, net

All goodwill is allocated to the Cell Engineering reporting unit and segment identified in Note 11. Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill consisted of the following (in thousands):

Balance as of December 31, 2023$49,238
Impact of foreign currency translation(1,329)
Balance as of March 31, 2024$47,909

Intangible assets, net consisted of the following (in thousands):

GrossCarryingValue (1)AccumulatedAmortization (1)NetCarryingValueWeighted AverageAmortization Period
March 31, 2024:
Developed technology$103,099$(25,763)$77,3368.6
Customer relationships380(309)710.4
Assembled workforce190(190)—0
Total intangible assets$103,669$(26,262)$77,407
December 31, 2023:
Developed technology$105,279$(22,663)$82,6168.8
Customer relationships380(261)1190.9
Assembled workforce190(184)60.3
Total intangible assets$105,849$(23,108)$82,741

(1)Gross carrying value and accumulated amortization include the impact of cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments.

Amortization expense was $3.4 million and $4.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. As of March 31, 2024, estimated future amortization expense for identifiable intangible assets is as follows (in thousands):

Remainder of 2024$10,179
202513,478
202613,478
202710,403
20283,296
Thereafter26,573
Total$77,407
  1. Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Proceedings

From time to time, the Company may in the ordinary course of business be named as a defendant in lawsuits, indemnity claims and other legal proceedings. The Company accrues for a loss contingency when it concludes that the likelihood of a loss is probable and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. The Company adjusts its accruals from time to time as it receives additional information. The Company does not believe any pending litigation to be material, or that the outcome of any such pending litigation, in management’s judgment based on information currently available, would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.

  1. Stock-Based Compensation

The following table summarizes stock-based compensation expense by financial statement line item in the Company’s condensed consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss for the periods presented (in thousands):

Three Months Ended March 31,
20242023
Research and development$23,192$46,500
General and administrative17,59026,486
Total$40,782$72,986

The Company grants stock-based incentive awards pursuant to the 2021 Incentive Award Plan (the “2021 Plan”) and the 2022 Inducement Plan (the “2022 Inducement Plan”). As of March 31, 2024, there were approximately 173.2 million shares and 3.1 million shares available for future issuance under the 2021 Plan and 2022 Inducement Plan, respectively.

Stock Options

A summary of stock option activity for the three months ended March 31, 2024 is presented below:

Number ofShares (1) (in thousands)WeightedAverageExercisePriceper ShareWeightedAverageRemainingContractualTerm(in years)AggregateIntrinsicValue (2)(in thousands)
Outstanding as of December 31, 20236,049$0.89
Exercised(3,405)0.02
Outstanding as of March 31, 20242,6442.016.55$768
Exercisable as of March 31, 20241,5231.894.68768

(1)Excludes 1.5 million shares underlying options issued outside the accounting for compensation awards under ASC 718.

(2)The aggregate intrinsic value is calculated as the difference between the Company's closing stock price on the last trading day of the quarter and the exercise prices, multiplied by the number of in-the-money stock options.

The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 was $3.9 million and $1.5 million, respectively.

As of March 31, 2024, there was $0.5 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to stock options recognizable over a weighted-average period of 0.7 years.

Restricted Stock Units

A summary of the restricted stock units (“RSU”) activity for the three months ended March 31, 2024 is presented below:

Number ofShares(in thousands)WeightedAverageGrant DateFair Value
Nonvested as of December 31, 2023152,168$3.15
Granted103,4801.21
Vested(14,683)4.36
Forfeited(2,260)2.97
Nonvested as of March 31, 2024238,7052.24

The weighted average grant date fair value of RSUs granted during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 was $1.21 and $1.32, respectively.

As of March 31, 2024, there was $395.8 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to RSUs recognizable over a weighted-average period of 3.2 years.

Earnouts

Earnout shares represent equity awards in the form of RSUs and restricted stock awards (“RSAs”) that were granted to existing shareholders of the Company as of the closing date of the Company's merger with SRNG on September 16, 2021 (the “Closing Date”). The earnout shares are subject to the same terms and conditions as the underlying awards (including with respect to vesting and termination-related provisions). Additionally, the earnout shares are subject to a market condition that will be met when the trading price of the Company's common stock is greater than or equal to $12.50, $15.00, $17.50 and $20.00 for any 20 trading days within any period of 30 consecutive trading days, on or before the fifth anniversary of the Closing Date (collectively, the “Earnout Targets”). The first Earnout Target of $12.50 per share was met on November 15, 2021.

A summary of activity during the three months ended March 31, 2024 for the earnout shares is presented below:

Number ofShares(in thousands)WeightedAverageGrant DateFair Value
Nonvested as of December 31, 202322,610$12.78
Vested(89)13.34
Forfeited(17)12.92
Nonvested as of March 31, 202422,50412.78

As of March 31, 2024, there was $2.5 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to earnout shares recognizable over a weighted-average period of 1.1 years.

  1. Revenue Recognition

Disaggregation of Revenue

The following table sets forth the percentage of Cell Engineering revenues by industry based on total Cell Engineering revenue:

Three Months Ended March 31,
20242023
Pharma and biotech28%30%
Agriculture2827
Food and nutrition1716
Government and defense165
Industrial and environment1012
Consumer and technology110
Total Cell Engineering revenue100%100%

For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company’s revenue from customers within the United States comprised 70% and 84%, respectively, of total revenue.

Contract Balances

The Company recognizes a contract asset when the Company transfers goods or services to a customer before the customer pays consideration or before payment is due, excluding any amounts presented as accounts receivable. The Company hadno contract asset balances as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

Contract liabilities, or deferred revenue, primarily consist of payments received in advance of performance under the contract or when the Company has an unconditional right to consideration under the terms of the contract before it transfers goods or services to the customer. The Company’s collaborative arrangements with its investees and related parties typically include upfront payments consisting of cash or non-cash consideration for future research and development services and non-cash consideration in the form of convertible financial instruments and equity securities for licenses that will be transferred in the future. The Company records the upfront cash payments and fair value of the convertible financial instruments and equity securities as deferred revenue.

The Company also invoices customers based on contractual billing schedules, which results in the recording of deferred revenue to the extent payment is received prior to the Company’s performance of the related services. Contract liabilities are recognized as revenue as (or when) the Company performs under the contract.

During the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company recognized $13.8 million of revenue that was included in the contract liabilities balance of $202.5 million as of December 31, 2023. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company recognized $24.4 million of revenue that was included in the contract liabilities balance of $222.6 million as of December 31, 2022.

Performance Obligations

The aggregate amount of the transaction price that was allocated to performance obligations that have not yet been satisfied or are partially satisfied as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 was $96.9 million and $110.0 million, respectively. The Company has elected the practical expedient not to provide the remaining performance obligation disclosures related to contracts for which the Company recognizes revenue on a cost-plus basis in the amount to which it has the right to invoice, and for contracts with a term of one year or less. As of March 31, 2024, of the performance obligations not yet satisfied or partially satisfied, nearly all is expected to be recognized as revenue during the years 2024 to 2027.

  1. Segment Information

The Company has identifiedtwo operating and reportable segments: Cell Engineering and Biosecurity. The following table presents summary results of the Company’s reportable segments for the periods indicated (in thousands):

Three Months Ended March 31,
20242023
Revenue:
Cell Engineering$27,889$34,096
Biosecurity10,05546,606
Total revenue37,94480,702
Segment cost of revenue:
Biosecurity9,20222,375
Segment research and development expense:
Cell Engineering100,10198,522
Biosecurity120567
Total segment research and development expense100,22199,089
Segment general and administrative expense:
Cell Engineering40,23261,692
Biosecurity11,95113,956
Total segment general and administrative expense52,18375,648
Segment operating (loss) income:
Cell Engineering(112,444)(126,118)
Biosecurity(11,218)9,708
Total segment operating loss(123,662)(116,410)
Operating expenses not allocated to segments:
Stock-based compensation (1)42,39775,200
Depreciation and amortization12,86918,958
Change in fair value of contingent consideration liability(926)5,177
Loss from operations$(178,002)$(215,745)

(1)Includes $1.6 million and $2.2 million in employer payroll taxes for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

  1. Net Loss per Share

The Company computes net loss per share using the two-class method required for participating securities. The earnings per share amounts are the same for the different classes of common stock because the holders of each class are legally entitled to equal per share distributions whether through dividends or liquidation. The calculation of basic and diluted earnings per common share are as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts):

Three Months Ended March 31,
20242023
Numerator:
Net loss, basic$(165,911)$(204,969)
Change in fair value of contingent consideration common shares liability464611
Net loss, diluted$(166,375)$(205,580)
Denominator:
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic2,004,4601,914,963
Effect of dilutive securities:
Contingent consideration common shares8761,674
Weighted average common shares outstanding, diluted2,005,3361,916,637
Basic net loss per share$(0.08)$(0.11)
Diluted net loss per share$(0.08)$(0.11)

The following potential common shares, presented based on amounts outstanding at each period end, were excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share for the periods presented because including them would have been anti-dilutive (in thousands):

As of March 31,
20242023
Unvested RSUs238,705197,108
Earnout shares (1)152,135156,457
Warrants to purchase Class A common stock51,82551,825
Outstanding stock options4,16511,588
Escrow shares (2)731—
447,561416,978

(1)Represents earnout shares for which the service-based and/or market-based vesting conditions have not been satisfied.

(2)Represents restricted common stock issued in connection with asset acquisitions, held in escrow for indemnification purposes, and subject to forfeiture.

  1. Related Parties

The Company’s significant transactions with its related parties are primarily comprised of revenue generating activities under collaboration and license agreements.

Significant related party transactions included in the condensed consolidated balance sheet are summarized below (in thousands):

As of March 31,As of December 31,
20242023
Accounts receivable:
Ayana Bio$277$233
Allonnia71322
BiomEdit21—
Verb Biotics161
Arcaea—126
$370$742
Deferred revenue, current and non-current:
Motif FoodWorks$45,426$45,426
Allonnia36,05636,062
Arcaea33,06633,066
BiomEdit7,8777,712
Genomatica1,6492,018
Ayana Bio18256
Other equity investees—139
$124,256$124,479

Significant related party transactions included in the condensed consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss are summarized below (in thousands):

Three Months Ended March 31,
20242023
Cell Engineering revenue:
Genomatica$369$1,209
Ayana Bio147451
Allonnia5986
Motif FoodWorks19—
Arcaea—1,462
BiomEdit—908
Verb Biotics—437
Other equity investees139150
$733$4,703

Refer to Note 4 for additional details on the Company’s investments and equity method investments held in its related parties.

  1. Subsequent Events

On May 9, 2024, in connection with the Company’s plans to reduce operational expenditures, management approved a plan for restructuring actions, including an expected reduction in labor expenses and a planned consolidation of certain of its facilities. Initial headcount reductions are expected to commence in the second quarter of 2024 and be substantially completed in 2025, subject to local laws. The aggregate expected costs and overall timing for completion of the restructuring plan is not yet known.

On April 10, 2024, the Company acquired platform assets, including fully sequenced and isolated strains, unique gene sequences, and relevant functional data and metadata, as well as a development pipeline from AgBiome, Inc. These assets will be integrated into the Company’s Ag Biologicals Services, established with the acquisition of a Bayer agricultural biologicals R&D facility in 2022, and expands Ginkgo’s proprietary unified metagenomics database. The acquisition was completed with the issuance of unregistered Class A common stock with registration rights and a price protection provision that requires the issuance of additional shares should the price per Class A common shares decline by more than a specified threshold prior to registration of the shares or 6 months, whichever is sooner. The Company has not yet completed its accounting for the acquisition.

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The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.