01—Abstract
Summary
Summary of the 10-K filed February 25, 2020. Cited figures are marked; the original filing is the authoritative source.
Datadog's first annual report as a public company covers fiscal 2019, a year of strong top-line acceleration and a sharp step-up in investment.
Revenue reached $362.8 milliona, up 83% from $198.1 million in 2018, and grew 97% in 2018 versus 2017. Growth came mostly from existing customers, and the company ended 2019 with about 10,500 customers, 858 of which had ARR of $100,000 or more (up from 453). Gross margin was about 75% (gross profit $273.8 million), down roughly 2 points on cloud hosting investments.
The company remains unprofitable on a GAAP basis, with an operating loss of $20.1 millionb and a net loss of $16.7 million (EPS of -$0.12), though losses narrowed as a percentage of revenue, and free cash flow turned slightly positive at $0.8 million. The balance sheet was transformed by the September 2019 IPO at $27.00 per share, which raised roughly $706 million in net proceeds. Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled about $774 million at year-end, and working capital was $703.7 million.
Deferred revenue of $138.5 millionc, with $134.1 million current, provides good forward revenue visibility, and remaining performance obligations rose to $243.8 million from $127.1 million. Management expects revenue growth to decelerate as the business scales. Headcount grew to 1,403 from 886, and sales and marketing remains the largest expense line at 40% of revenue.
Key investor risks include the dual-class structure, under which Class B holders control about 97% of voting power, and the lock-up expirations starting in March 2020, which could pressure the stock. The filing also flags reliance on third-party cloud hosting providers (AWS, GCP, Azure), intense competition from larger incumbents and cloud providers, GDPR and CCPA compliance exposure, Brexit uncertainty, and the company's status as an emerging growth company. A January 2020 commitment to purchase at least $21.0 milliond of Microsoft Azure services through January 2023 adds to its committed spending.
02—Key points
Key Highlights
- Revenue grew 83% year over year to $362.8 million in 2019, following 97% growth in 2018, with about 60% of 2018 growth from existing customers.
- Gross margin of about 75% (gross profit $273.8 million) declined roughly 2 points, driven by third-party cloud hosting investments.
- GAAP operating loss narrowed to $(20.1) million and net loss was $(16.7) million, or $(0.12) per share, compared with $(10.8) million in 2018.
- Free cash flow was $0.8 million, improving from $(5.0) million in 2018, while operating cash flow reached $24.2 million.
- The September 2019 IPO raised about $706 million in net proceeds, leaving $774 million in cash and marketable securities and $703.7 million of working capital.
- Customer metrics improved: about 10,500 customers, 858 with ARR of $100,000 or more (up from 453), and about 60% of customers using more than one product (up from about 25%).
- Dual-class structure gives Class B holders about 97% of voting power, and substantial lock-up expirations begin in March 2020, both key considerations for public investors.
03—One dollar
Follow one dollar
For each $1.00 of revenue in FY2019, Datadog lost $0.05.
- Revenue$362.8M100.0%
- Cost of revenue−$88.9M24.5%
- Gross profit$273.8M75.5%
- Operating costs−$294.0M81.0%
- Operating income−$20.1M5.6%
- Interest, other & tax$3.4M0.9%
- Net income−$16.7M4.6%
04—Financials
Financial Highlights
Figures from 10-KFY2019filed February 25, 2020Financial Statements
FY2019 against FY2018
| Line item | FY2019FY2018 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $362.78M$198.08M | +83.2% |
| Cost of Revenue | $88.95M$46.53M | +91.2% |
| Gross Profit | $273.83M$151.55M | +80.7% |
| R&D Expenses | $111.42M$55.18M | +101.9% |
| Operating Expenses | $293.97M$162.58M | +80.8% |
| Operating Income | -$20.14M-$11.03M | −82.5% |
| Interest Expense | $32K— | — |
| Net Income | -$16.71M-$10.76M | −55.3% |
| EPS (Basic) | $-0.12$-0.15 | +20.0% |
| EPS (Diluted) | $-0.12$-0.15 | +20.0% |
| Shares Outstanding (Basic) | 139.87M70.95M | +97.1% |
| Shares Outstanding (Diluted) | 139.87M70.95M | +97.1% |
05—Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast is Datadog growing and is that growth expected to continue?
Revenue rose 83% to $362.8 million in 2019 after 97% growth in 2018. Management explicitly expects the growth rate to decline as the business scales, even as absolute revenue keeps increasing.
Is Datadog profitable?
No, on a GAAP basis. The company posted a 2019 net loss of $16.7 million and an operating loss of $20.1 million, though both narrowed relative to revenue. Free cash flow was slightly positive at $0.8 million, and operating cash flow was $24.2 million, helped by deferred revenue growth of $67.8 million.
How strong is the balance sheet after the IPO?
Very strong for near-term needs. Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities total about $774 million, and management believes this is sufficient for at least the next 12 months. Deferred revenue of $138.5 million and remaining performance obligations of $243.8 million add visibility.
What are the main risks for public shareholders?
Key risks include the dual-class structure that concentrates voting control, lock-up expirations starting March 2020 that could add selling pressure, intense competition from larger vendors and cloud providers, reliance on third-party hosting, and compliance exposure under GDPR, CCPA and Brexit-related changes.
What is driving gross margin pressure and cloud spending commitments?
Gross margin declined about 2 points because of timing and amount of investments to expand third-party cloud capacity, mainly hosting costs, which rose $35.2 million. In January 2020 the company also committed to buy at least $21.0 million of Microsoft Azure services through January 2023, which is not included in the contractual obligations table.
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