Alpha Teknova, Inc. supplies vital scientific reagents to the life sciences sector across both the United States and international markets. These crucial ...
Alpha Teknova, Inc. (NASDAQ: TKNO) is a leading provider of critical reagents and custom products for the life sciences industry, headquartered in Hollister, California. Founded in 1996 by Genentech scientist Ted Davis, the company was initially incorporated in California in 2000 and went public in June 2021. Teknova offers a ...Alpha Teknova, Inc. (NASDAQ: TKNO) is a leading provider of critical reagents and custom products for the life sciences industry, headquartered in Hollister, California. Founded in 1996 by Genentech scientist Ted Davis, the company was initially incorporated in California in 2000 and went public in June 2021. Teknova offers a comprehensive portfolio including agar plates, liquid cell culture media, buffers, cryopreservation media, microbial culture media, and water, as well as specialized solutions like the AAV-TEK product line for gene therapy process development. The company serves a diverse clientele: pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, CDMOs, in vitro diagnostic companies, and academic and government research institutions, both in the US and internationally. With 158 employees, Teknova operates from approximately 190,000 square feet of leased commercial, office, manufacturing, and warehouse space. Financially, the company has shown losses in recent periods; as of the latest TTM data, its market cap is around $342.6 million, with a P/S ratio of 7.84, negative EBITDA margins, and negative free cash flow. However, it maintains a strong current ratio of 4.485 and a quick ratio of 3.48, indicating good liquidity. Revenue per share is $0.815, but net income per share is negative at -$0.313. The company's R&D spending is about 5.1% of revenue, and SG&A is 63.1% of revenue, reflecting investment in growth. Key executives include President and CEO Stephen Gunstream, CFO Matthew Lowell, and co-manager executives like Steve Dearing and Liam McManimon. Teknova's mission is to accelerate clinical breakthroughs by providing high-quality, custom reagents, and they continue to expand their product lines and capabilities to support bioprocessing, bioproduction, and molecular diagnostics.
YoYYoY means Year-over-Year. It compares the latest annual value with the previous annual value to show long-term trend strength.
QoQQoQ means Quarter-over-Quarter. It compares the latest quarter with the immediately previous quarter to show short-term momentum changes.
RevenueThe total money that came through the front door from selling things, before paying a single bill. Think of it as the grand total of every credit card swipe from customers. (YoY compares this year to last year's performance, while QoQ compares the current three months to the previous three).
$40.5M
+7.4%
+10.0%
Net IncomeThe absolute bottom line. If the company paid every single supplier, employee, banker, and tax collector, this is the actual money left in their pocket at the end of the day.
$-17.3M
+35.5%
+30.4%
Gross MarginThe basic markup. If they sell a $100 pair of sneakers, this percentage tells you how much of that price tag is profit right after paying for the rubber and shoelaces, but before paying for things like store rent or TV commercials.
+33.2%
+73.2%
+27.0%
Operating MarginThe 'day job' efficiency score. Out of every dollar a customer spends, this shows how many cents the company keeps after making the product AND paying for all the everyday corporate overhead (like salaries, marketing, and keeping the lights on).
-41.9%
+39.5%
+38.9%
Net MarginThe final take-home percentage. When you strip away every conceivable cost, tax, and interest payment, this is the exact number of cents the company truly gets to keep from every dollar in sales.
-42.6%
+39.9%
+36.7%
Free Cash FlowThe holy grail of corporate cash. It's the spendable, physical money left over after the business pays for its daily operations AND buys the big, expensive upgrades (like new factories or servers) it needs to survive. This is the 'free' money they can use to pay dividends or buy back stock.
$-9.8M
+27.5%
+83.4%
FCF MarginThe ultimate cash conversion rate. It shows how good the company is at turning regular sales directly into cold, hard, spendable cash. A high percentage means the business is an absolute cash-printing machine.
-24.2%
+32.5%
+84.9%
Debt / EquityThe financial risk gauge. It compares how much of the company's empire was built using borrowed money (loans) versus the owners' own money (shareholders). A high number means they are heavily leveraged and playing a riskier game; a low number means they are playing it safe.
22.0%
-39.9%
+93.9%
Current RatioThe 12-month survival check. It simply compares the cash they have right now (plus things they can quickly turn into cash) against the immediate bills they absolutely must pay this year. A score above 1 means they have enough in the wallet to cover the upcoming bills without panicking.
4.58x
+20.0%
-2.3%
Total AssetsThe absolute size of the company's empire. It bundles together absolutely everything of value they own—from the cash in the register and the inventory in the warehouse, to the software patents in the vault and the factories on the ground.
Operator: Hello, and welcome to Alpha Teknova, Inc. first quarter 2026 financial results. After the speakers' presentation, there will be a question and answer session. To ask a question during the session, you will need to press 11 on your telephone. You would then hear an automated message advising your hand is raised. To withdraw your question, please press 11 again. I would now like to hand the conference over to Jennifer Henry. You may begin.
Jennifer Henry: Thank you, operator. Welcome to Alpha Teknova, Inc.'s first quarter 2026 earnings conference call. With me on today's call are Stephen Gunstream, Alpha Teknova, Inc.'s President and Chief Executive Officer, and Matthew C. Lowell, Alpha Teknova, Inc.'s Chief Financial Officer, who will make prepared remarks and then take your questions. As a reminder, the forward-looking statements that we make during this call, including those regarding business goals and expectations for the financial performance of the company, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events or results to differ. Additional information concerning these risk factors is included in the press release the company issued earlier today and they are more fully described in the company's various filings with the SEC. Today's comments reflect the company's current views, which could change as a result of new information, future events, or other factors, and the company does not obligate or commit itself to update its forward-looking statements except as required by law. The company's management believes that in addition to GAAP results, non-GAAP financial measures can provide meaningful insight when evaluating the company's financial performance and the effectiveness of its business strategies. We will therefore use non-GAAP financial measures for certain of our results during this call. Reconciliations of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures are included in the press release that we issued this afternoon, which is posted to Alpha Teknova, Inc.'s website and at sec.gov/edgar. Non-GAAP financial measures should always be considered only as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for or as superior to, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measures in this presentation may differ from similarly named non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. Please also be advised that the company has posted a supplemental slide deck to accompany today's prepared remarks. It can be accessed on the Investor Relations section of Alpha Teknova, Inc.'s website and on today's webcast. And now I will turn the call over to Stephen.
Stephen Gunstream: Thank you, Jennifer. Good afternoon, and thank you, everyone, for joining us for our first quarter 2026 earnings call. It was a relatively straightforward quarter for us across the board, with revenue and operating expenses delivering in line with or better than our expectations. Revenue grew 13% compared to the same period last year, led …