LIGHTPATH TECHNOLOGIES INC

There have been no material changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates during the six months ended December 31, 2023 from those disclosed in Item 7.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2023.

How We Operate

We have continuing sales of two basic types: sales via ad-hoc purchase orders of mostly standard product configurations (our “turns” business) and the more challenging and potentially more rewarding business of customer product development. In this latter type of business, we work with customers to help them determine optical specifications and even create certain optical designs for them, including complex, multi-component, integrated designs that we call “engineered solutions.” These engineered solutions are often based on existing reference designs we have demonstrated, that then get further customized to the customer’s specific needs. This is followed by “sampling” small numbers of the product for the customers’ test and evaluation. Thereafter, should a customer conclude that our specification or design is the best solution to their product need; we negotiate and “win” a contract (sometimes called a “design win”) – whether of a “blanket purchase order” type or a supply agreement. The strategy is to create an annuity revenue stream that leverages our engineering capabilities and makes the best use of our production capacity, as compared to the turns business, which is unpredictable and uneven. A key business objective is to convert as much of our business to the design win and annuity model as is possible. We face several challenges in doing so:

Despite these challenges to winning more “annuity” and “engineered solutions” business, we nevertheless believe we can be successful in procuring this business because of our unique capabilities in optical design engineering and manufacturing. Additionally, we believe that we offer value to some customers as a source of supply in the U.S. should they be unwilling to commit to purchase their supply of a critical component from foreign production sources. For information regarding revenue recognition related to our various revenue streams, refer toCritical Accounting Policies and Estimates in our Annual Report on Form 10-K dated June 30, 2023.

Our Key Performance Indicators:

Typically, on a weekly basis, management reviews a number of performance indicators, both qualitative and quantitative. These indicators change from time to time as the opportunities and challenges in the business change. These indicators are used to determine tactical operating actions and changes. We believe that our non-financial production indicators, such as those noted, are proprietary information.

Financial indicators that are considered key and reviewed regularly are as follows:

These indicators are also used to determine tactical operating actions and changes and are discussed in more detail below. Management continues to evaluate these key indicators as we transition to our new strategic plan, and is implementing certain changes and updates as further described below.

Sales Backlog

We believe our sales growth has been and continues to be our best indicator of success. Our best view into the efficacy of our sales efforts is in our “order book.” Our order book equates to sales “backlog.” It has a quantitative and a qualitative aspect: quantitatively, our backlog’s prospective dollar value and qualitatively, what percent of the backlog is scheduled by the customer for date-certain delivery. We evaluate our total backlog, which includes all firm orders requested by a customer that are reasonably believed to remain in the backlog and be converted into revenues. This includes customer purchase orders and may include amounts under supply contracts if they meet the aforementioned criteria. Generally, a higher total backlog is better for us.

Our total backlog at December 31, 2023 was approximately $21.2 million, a decrease of 28%, as compared to $29.4 million as of December 31, 2022. Compared to the end of fiscal 2023, our total backlog decreased by 2% during the first half of fiscal 2024. Backlog change rates for the last five fiscal quarters are:

The decrease in backlog during the first half of fiscal 2024 is primarily due shipments against several annual and multi-year contract renewals, which orders were added to the backlog in prior periods. Shipments during the first half of fiscal 2024 were partially offset by the following: (i) a significant contract renewal for advanced infrared optics for a critical international military program, which renewal represented a 40% increase in dollar value as compared to the previous order; and (ii) a significant contract awarded to Visimid by a defense customer in December 2023. In previous years we have typically received a significant contract renewal from our largest customer for infrared products made of Germanium during the second fiscal quarter. However, as previously disclosed we have decided to reduce the amount of optics we produce from Germanium, both to reduce our risk of supply chain disruption, and more importantly, to work with customers to convert their systems to use optics made of our own BlackDiamond materials. As such, in second quarter of fiscal 2024 we have not booked our typical annual renewal order for Germanium optics with this customer. Instead, we continue to work with this customer, as well as other customers to convert their systems to use BlackDiamond optics. The timing of multi-year contract renewals are not always consistent and, thus, backlog levels may increase substantially when annual and multi-year orders are received, and decrease as shipments are made against these orders.We anticipate that our existing annual and multi-year contracts will be renewed in future quarters.

Markets continue to experience growing demand for infrared products used in the industrial, defense and first responder sectors. Demand for infrared products continues to be fueled by interest in lenses made with our proprietary BD6 and our new BDNL4 materials. With the global supply of germanium currently concentrated in Russia and China, ongoing global events are generating renewed interest in germanium alternatives such as our proprietary BlackDiamond materials, and other materials we are currently developing under an exclusive license with the Naval Research Lab. While the process of converting those systems over is progressing, it is not an immediate transition and as a result we may experience a short term adverse impact on our revenues and backlog as we decrease the orders for optics made of Germanium, before we start receiving the new orders for optics made of BlackDiamond.

As we have outlined in our strategic direction, we do not expect to see significant growth in our visible components product group in the near future. Competition in that product group has grown substantially over the last few years, and some of our new molding capabilities and technologies such as free-form molded optics, might take longer than anticipated to reach full commercialization, depending on economic conditions and technology trends in the area of AR/VR.

In addition, order bookings for both visible and infrared components and assemblies continue to be slow in China. Domestic sales in China have also been adversely impacted by the economic downturn in China, which continues to negatively impact revenue and bookings in that region.

Revenue by Product Group

We previously organized our products in three groups: precision molded optics (“PMO”), infrared, and specialty products. Revenues from product development agreements for engineering services were included in specialty products. With our strategic transition into more value-added solutions, and the addition of Visimid in July 2023, we reorganized our products into four product groups: infrared components, visible components, assemblies and modules, and engineering services. Assemblies and modules were previously included in PMO, infrared or specialty products, depending on the lens type. We also previously presented the number of units sold by product group, however this is no longer a measure that we focus on internally, as our focus moves toward engineered solutions.

The following table sets forth revenue for our four product groups for the three and six-month periods ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:

Three months ended December 31, 2023

Our revenue decreased by 14% in the second quarter of fiscal 2024, as compared to the same quarter of the prior fiscal year, driven by a decrease in sales of visible components.

Revenue generated by the infrared components product group for the second quarter of fiscal 2024 was $3.6 million, an increase of 9%, as compared to same quarter of the prior fiscal year. The increase in revenue is primarily due to an increase in sales to customers in the defense industry, including an increase in shipments against an annual contract for an international military program. This contract was also renewed during the first quarter of fiscal 2024 for a higher dollar value than the previous contract.

Revenue from the visible components product group for the second quarter of fiscal 2024 was $2.7 million, a decrease of 31%, as compared to the same quarter of the prior fiscal year. The decrease in revenue is primarily due to a decrease in sales to customers in the defense industry, as well as a decrease in sales through catalog and distribution channels in the U.S. and in Europe. Sales to customers in the telecommunications industry in China also decreased.

Revenue from assemblies and modules decreased by 20% for the second quarter of fiscal 2024, as compared to the same quarter of the prior fiscal year. The majority of the decrease is due to timing of shipments against a multi-year contract with a defense customer. This decrease was partially offset by the addition of Visimid revenue of approximately $146,000.

Revenue from engineering services was flat for the second quarter of fiscal 2024, as compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year.

Six months ended December 31, 2023

Our revenue decreased by 3% in the first half of fiscal 2024, as compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year, driven by a decrease in sales of visible components.

Revenue generated by the infrared components product group for the first half of fiscal 2024 was $7.4 million, an increase of 14%, as compared to same period of the prior fiscal year. The increase in revenue is primarily due to an increase sales to customers in the defense industry, including an increase in shipments against an annual contract for an international military program. This contract was also renewed during the first quarter of fiscal 2024 for a higher dollar value than the previous contract.

Revenue from the visible components product group for the first half of fiscal 2024 was $5.4 million, a decrease of 25%, as compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year. The decrease in revenue is primarily due to a decrease in sales to customers in the defense industry, as well as a decrease in sales through catalog and distribution channels in the U.S. and in Europe. Sales to customers in the telecommunications industry in China also decreased.

Revenue from assemblies and modules increased by 7% for the first half of fiscal 2024, as compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year, primarily due to the addition of Visimid revenue of approximately $281,000, partially offset by a decrease in shipments against a multi-year contract with a defense customer due to timing.

Revenue from engineering services increased by $253,000, as compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year. Approximately $186,000 of this increase is due to the addition of Visimid revenue. The remaining increase is driven by revenue from one of our space-related funded research contracts.

Other Key Indicators

Other key indicators include various operating metrics, some of which are qualitative and others are quantitative. These indicators change from time to time as the opportunities and challenges in the business change. They are mostly non-financial indicators, such as evaluating the pipeline of sales opportunities, on time delivery trends, production yield rates by major product line, and the output and yield data from significant intermediary manufacturing processes that support the production of the finished shippable product. The data from these reports is used to determine tactical operating actions and changes. Management also assesses business performance and makes business decisions regarding our operations using certain non-GAAP measures. These non-GAAP measures are described in more detail below under the heading “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”