CEVA, Inc. (NASDAQ: CEVA), the leading licensor of wireless connectivity and smart sensing technologies and integrated IP solutions, today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2021.
Total revenue for the fourth quarter of 2021 was $34.1 million, an all-time record high and a 21% increase compared to $28.1 million reported for the fourth quarter of 2020. Fourth quarter 2021 licensing, non-recurring engineering (NRE) and related revenue was $21.3 million, an increase of 77% when compared to $12.1 million reported for the same quarter a year ago. Royalty revenue for the fourth quarter of 2021 was $12.7 million, a decrease of 21% when compared to $16.1 million reported for the fourth quarter of 2020. Non-GAAP licensing, NRE and related revenues for the fourth quarter of 2021 was $21.5 million and non-GAAP total revenue for the fourth quarter of 2021 was $34.2 million. Non-GAAP licensing, NRE and related revenues and non-GAAP total revenues for the fourth quarter of 2021, both included a $0.2 million purchase price allocation adjustment associated with the Intrinsix acquisition.
Gideon Wertheizer, Chief Executive Officer of CEVA, stated: “Our record fourth quarter revenue and strong overall performance highlight the incredible demand for our comprehensive IP and chip design portfolio. In licensing, we concluded strategic agreements in 5G Fixed Wireless Access, Wi-Fi 7, Edge AI and the first integrated IP solution agreement combining IP and Intrinsix chip design. Royalties were impacted by the continued ramp down of 4G smartphones by a large Tier 1 OEM, but our base station & IoT product category continued to thrive, with quarterly revenue up 21% year-over-year from more than 330 million CEVA-powered smart and connected devices.”
Mr. Wertheizer continued: “2021 was a transformative year for CEVA as we expanded our technology proposition to address the abundant opportunities for comprehensive solutions that involve the combination of IP and chip design. Our record year is the result of our long-term strategic mission to grow and diversify our business and customer base beyond handset modems. This can be clearly seen by secular growth in our base station & IoT royalties, which grew 28% year over year to $28.6 million, resulting from 1.3 billion CEVA-powered devices, which more than offset the ramp down of 4G smartphones by the large Tier 1 OEM. We continue forming tighter relationships with key customers that trust our excellence and are interested in expanding the scope of business beyond IP licensing toward integrated IP solutions, where we benefit from a higher revenue share. This is evident in our record licensing, NRE and related revenue, which grew 39% year-over-year to $72.8 million. Heading into 2022, we’re invigorated and excited to address the huge opportunities ahead for the Company, and ultimately drive more value for our shareholders.”
During the quarter, 20 IP license and NRE agreements were concluded, targeting a wide variety of smart and connected use cases, including 5G for fixed wireless access, next-generation Wi-Fi 7 for access points, Edge AI for ADAS, 3D audio headsets, wireless audio and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity for a broad range of IoT applications. Four agreements were with first-time customers. Geographically, seven of the deals signed were in China, six in the U.S., six in APAC, and one in Europe.
GAAP operating income for the fourth quarter was $1.6 million, as compared to a GAAP operating income of $2.4 million for the same period in 2020. GAAP net income for the fourth quarter of 2021 was $3.9 million, as compared to a GAAP net income of $0.6 million reported for the same period in 2020. GAAP diluted earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2021 was $0.17, as compared to a GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.03 for the same period in 2020.
Non-GAAP operating income for the fourth quarter of 2021 increased 8% to $7.2 million from $6.7 million reported for the fourth quarter of 2020. Non-GAAP net income and diluted earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2021 increased 13% and 10%, respectively, to $5.3 million and $0.22, respectively, from $4.7 million and $0.20 reported for the fourth quarter of 2020.
Non-GAAP operating income for the fourth quarter of 2021 excluded: (a) equity-based compensation expenses of $3.5 million, (b) the impact of the amortization of acquired intangibles of $1.6 million associated with the acquisition of the Intrinsix and Hillcrest Labs businesses and investments in NB-IoT and Immervision technologies, (c) $0.3 million of costs associated with the Intrinsix acquisition and (d) an addition of $0.2 million in licensing, NRE and related revenues associated with purchase price allocation for the Intrinsix acquisition. Non-GAAP operating income for the fourth quarter of 2020 excluded: (a) equity-based compensation expenses of $3.6 million and (b) the impact of the amortization of acquired intangibles of $0.8 million associated with the acquisition of the Hillcrest Labs business and investments in NB-IoT and Immervision technologies.
Non-GAAP net income and diluted earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2021 excluded: (a) equity-based compensation expenses, net of taxes, of $2.7 million, (b) the impact of the amortization of acquired intangibles, net of taxes, of $1.4 million associated with the acquisition of the Intrinsix and Hillcrest Labs businesses and investments in NB-IoT and Immervision technologies, (c) $0.3 million of costs associated with the Intrinsix acquisition, (d) $1.5 million of income, net of taxes associated with the reevaluation of an investment in another company, (e) $1.7 million of income tax benefit associated with the purchase price allocation related to the Intrinsix acquisition and (f) an addition of $0.2 million in licensing, NRE and related revenues associated with purchase price allocation for the Intrinsix acquisition. Non-GAAP net income and diluted earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2020 excluded: (a) equity-based compensation expense, net of taxes, of $3.4 million, and (b) the impact of the amortization of acquired intangible and other assets, net of taxes, of $0.7 million associated with the acquisition of the Hillcrest Labs business and investments in NB-IoT and Immervision technologies.
Full Year 2021 Review
Total revenue for 2021 was $122.7 million, an increase of 22%, when compared to $100.3 million reported for 2020. Licensing, NRE and related revenue for 2021 was a record $72.8 million, an increase of 39%, when compared to $52.5 million reported for 2020. Royalty revenue for 2021 was a record $49.9 million, representing an increase of 4%, as compared to $47.8 million reported for 2020.
GAAP operating income for 2021 was $3.5 million, as compared to a GAAP operating loss of $0.8 million reported for 2020. GAAP net income and diluted earnings per share for 2021 were $0.4 million and $0.02, respectively, compared to U.S GAAP net loss and diluted loss per share of $2.4 million and $0.11, respectively, reported for 2020.
Non-GAAP operating income for 2021 increased 43% to $22.7 million from $15.9 million reported for 2020. Non-GAAP net income and diluted earnings per share for 2021 were $15.3 million and $0.65, respectively, representing an increase of 11% and 8%, respectively, over $13.7 million and $0.60 reported for 2020.
Non-GAAP operating income for 2021 excluded (a) equity-based compensation expenses of $13.1 million, (b) the impact of the amortization of acquired intangibles of $4.3 million associated with the acquisition of the Intrinsix and Hillcrest Labs businesses and investments in NB-IoT and Immervision technologies, (c) $1.7 million of costs associated with the Intrinsix acquisition and (d) an addition of $0.2 million in licensing, NRE and related revenues associated with purchase price allocation for the Intrinsix acquisition. Non-GAAP operating income for 2020 excluded: (a) equity-based compensation expenses of $13.6 million and (b) the impact of the amortization of acquired intangibles of $3.0 million associated with the acquisition of the Hillcrest Labs business and investments in NB-IoT and Immervision technologies.
Non-GAAP net income and diluted earnings per share for 2021 excluded (a) equity-based compensation expenses, net of taxes, of $12.2 million, (b) the impact of the amortization of acquired intangibles, net of taxes, of $4.0 million associated with the acquisition of the Intrinsix and Hillcrest Labs businesses and investments in NB-IoT and Immervision technologies, (c) $1.7 million of costs associated with the Intrinsix acquisition, (d) $1.5 million of income, net of taxes associated with the reevaluation of an investment in another company (e) $1.7 million of income tax benefit associated with the purchase price allocation related to the Intrinsix acquisition and (f) an addition of $0.2 million in licensing, NRE and related revenues associated with purchase price allocation for the Intrinsix acquisition. Non-GAAP net income and diluted earnings per share for 2020 excluded (a) equity-based compensation expense, net of taxes, of $13.4 million, and (b) the impact of the amortization of acquired intangible assets, net of taxes, of $2.7 million associated with the acquisition of the Hillcrest Labs business, and investments in NB-IoT and Immervision technologies.
Yaniv Arieli, Chief Financial Officer of CEVA, stated: “2021 was a remarkable year for CEVA as our business continues to benefit from accelerated digitalization of everything. To expedite our growth and further exploit the opportunities for a broader offering of IP and chip design, we acquired Intrinsix Corp. With this acquisition, we also strengthened our presence in the U.S., gained access to the lucrative aerospace & defense markets and diversified our revenue streams geographically. At the end of the year, our balance sheet remains very strong, with our cash and cash equivalent balances, marketable securities and bank deposits of approximately $155 million, and no debt.”
About CEVA, Inc.
CEVA is the leading licensor of wireless connectivity and smart sensing technologies and integrated IP solutions for a smarter, safer, connected world. We provide Digital Signal Processors, AI engines, wireless platforms, cryptography cores and complementary software for sensor fusion, image enhancement, computer vision, voice input and artificial intelligence. These technologies are offered in combination with our Intrinsix IP integration services, helping our customers address their most complex and time-critical integrated circuit design projects. Leveraging our technologies and chip design skills, many of the world’s leading semiconductors, system companies and OEMs create power-efficient, intelligent, secure and connected devices for a range of end markets, including mobile, consumer, automotive, robotics, industrial, aerospace & defense and IoT.
Our DSP-based solutions include platforms for 5G baseband processing in mobile, IoT and infrastructure, advanced imaging and computer vision for any camera-enabled device, audio/voice/speech and ultra-low-power always-on/sensing applications for multiple IoT markets. For sensor fusion, our Hillcrest Labs sensor processing technologies provide a broad range of sensor fusion software and inertial measurement unit (“IMU”) solutions for markets including hearables, wearables, AR/VR, PC, robotics, remote controls and IoT. For wireless IoT, our platforms for Bluetooth (low energy and dual mode), Wi-Fi 4/5/6/6E (802.11n/ac/ax), Ultra-wideband (UWB) and NB-IoT are the most broadly licensed connectivity platforms in the industry.
CEVA is a sustainable and environmentally conscious company, adhering to our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. As such, we emphasize and focus on environmental preservation, recycling, the welfare of our employees and privacy – which we promote on a corporate level. At CEVA, we are committed to social responsibility, values of preservation and consciousness towards these purposes.
Visit us at www.ceva-dsp.com and follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
