Benson Hill Announces Second Quarter 2023 Financial Results

• Reported revenues increased 16 percent year-over-year to approximately $109 million, including a 53 percent increase in proprietary revenues.
• Reported gross profit was $3 million ($6.1 million when excluding an approximate $3.1 million impact from open mark-to-market timing differences).
• Management announced an additional expected $10 million in annualized operating cost reductions in 2024.
• The Company ended the second quarter with $118 million of cash restricted cash, and marketable securities.
• Management modifies its 2023 guidance for lower operating expenses, lower capital expenditures, and narrowing the range for consolidated gross profit.

Benson Hill, Inc. (NYSE: BHIL, the “Company” or “Benson Hill”), a food tech company unlocking the natural genetic diversity of plants, today announced operating and financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2023.

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Benson Hill, Inc. (NYSE: BHIL, the “Company” or “Benson Hill”), a food tech company unlocking the natural genetic diversity of plants, today announced operating and financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2023. (Graphic: Business Wire)

“Our team performed well and delivered solid second quarter results that support the outlook for a strong year in 2023,” said Deanie Elsner, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Benson Hill. “After nearly two months as interim CEO and more than four years on the Company’s Board of Directors, I continue to be impressed with our competitive advantages in technology, innovation pipeline, and the strength of the talent here. However, in light of the evolving market conditions, the time is right to initiate a broad strategic review to identify the most effective ways to unlock the Company’s full potential behind our technology platform and innovation pipeline.”

Second Quarter Results Compared to the Same Period of 2022

The following financial results exclude the completed divestiture of the Fresh business on June 30, 2023. The impact of open mark-to-market timing differences on the statement of operations and reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures can be found in the accompanying financial tables.

• Reported revenues were $109 million, an increase of $15.4 million, or 16.5 percent. Strong customer demand and greater availability of proprietary soy ingredients, meal and edible oil products resulted in a 52.8 percent increase in proprietary revenues to $18.6 million. Non-proprietary revenues increased 11 percent due to a continuation of favorable soy and yellow pea commodity prices and strong operational execution. Reported revenues included an unfavorable $0.3 million impact from open mark-to-market timing differences.
• Gross profit was $3 million, a decrease of $2.8 million. Excluding an unfavorable impact of $3.1 million from open mark-to-market timing differences, gross profit increased by $5.6 million to $6.1 million and gross margins were 5.6 percent. Favorable top line growth was partially offset by continued inflationary and supply chain pressures.
• Operating expenses were $40.4 million, an increase of $8.1 million. The increase was driven by a $19.2 million impairment of the carrying value of goodwill. Excluding the recorded impairment, operating expenses declined by $11.1 million to $21.2 million.
• Selling, general and administrative expenses were $10.9 million, a decrease of $9.4 million or 46.5 percent due to a $6.2 million decrease in non-cash stock-based compensation.
• R&D expenses were $10.3 million, a decrease of $1.7 million or 14.1 percent.
• Inclusive of open mark-to-market timing differences and impairment of goodwill, net loss from continuing operations, net of income taxes, was $49.1 million, an increase in the reported loss by $24 million. Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $16.1 million compared to a loss of $14 million. Excluding the impact of open mark-to-market timing differences, the Adjusted EBITDA loss in the quarter was $13 million compared to a loss of $19.2 million.
• Cash, restricted cash, and marketable securities of $117.9 million were on hand as of June 30, 2023.

First Six-Month Results Compared to the Same Period of 2022

• Revenues were $243.7 million, an increase of $83.9 million, or 52.5 percent. Proprietary revenues were $43.9 million, an increase of 67.3 percent. Reported revenues included a favorable $6.5 million impact from open mark-to-market timing differences.
• Gross profit was $12.5 million, an increase in profitability of $15.7 million, which includes a $2.1 million impact related to favorable open mark-to-market timing differences.
• Operating expenses were $69.2 million, an increase of $4.4 million, or 6.7 percent, which includes a $19.2 million impairment of the carrying value of goodwill and a one-time $6.2 million decrease in non-cash stock-based compensation. Excluding these one-time and non-cash items, operating expenses declined by 13.3 percent to $56.2 million and included cost reductions realized through the Company’s Liquidity Improvement Plan.
• Inclusive of the mark-to-market timing differences and impairment of goodwill, the reported net loss from continuing operations, net of income taxes, was $54 million compared to a net loss of $42.5 million. Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $26.8 million compared to a loss of $45.1 million.

2023 Outlook

Excludes the Fresh business which was divested on June 30, 2023 and was classified as discontinued operations until its divestiture.

Management reaffirmed its guidance for proprietary revenues from $100 million to $110 million, a 40 percent to 50 percent increase over the prior year. Non-proprietary revenues are expected to decline moderately on a year-over-year basis in favor of proprietary products, which continues to set the expectation for consolidated revenues to be in the range of $390 million to $430 million.

Consolidated gross profit is now expected to be $20 million to $25 million compared to the prior guidance of $20 million to $30 million. This represents a more than doubling of gross profit compared to the prior year, driven by anticipated increases in proprietary sales, a greater contribution from partnership and licensing agreements, and favorable soy commodity markets for non-proprietary product sales. This outlook includes assumptions for a continuation of inflationary pressures and challenges in supply chain logistics.

The Company is taking additional actions to reduce operating expenses by $10 million annually in 2024. The operating expense savings from the Liquidity Improvement Plan are now expected to be approximately $33 million, an increase in savings from the previously disclosed $23 million target. Management now expects to realize $15 million of operating expense savings in 2023 compared to the original $10 million target announced earlier this year. Including an unfavorable net impact of $12 million from one-time and non-cash expenses in the second quarter, management expects operating expenses in 2023 to be $122 million to $127 million and a net loss from continuing operations of $127 million to $137 million. Guidance for Adjusted EBITDA loss remains unchanged at $53 million to $58 million. Capital expenditures are expected to decline by approximately $5 million to a range of $15 million to $20 million. Guidance for free cash flow loss remains unchanged at $110 million to $118 million, given the uncertainty regarding the use of cash during the fall harvest.

Elsner added, “We are taking steps from a position of strength to ensure that we create the most value for shareholders and best orient our business to capture the opportunities ahead. Specifically, we are reducing additional costs across the organization, and the Board has retained Lazard Frères & Co. LLC to help the Company explore strategic alternatives. The Company is also exploring joint venture opportunities, partnerships with strategic and financial investors, asset sales, and licensing opportunities. We are meeting the latest challenges head on and continue to be adaptable in our approach to increasing shareholder value.”

Webcast

An earnings conference call webcast will begin at 8:30 a.m. ET today. The link to participate is available on the Investor Relations page of the Company’s website.

About Benson Hill

Benson Hill moves food forward with the CropOS^® platform, a cutting-edge food innovation engine that combines data science and machine learning with biology and genetics. Benson Hill empowers innovators to unlock nature’s genetic diversity from plant to plate, with the purpose of creating nutritious, great-tasting food and ingredient options that are both widely accessible and sustainable. More information can be found at bensonhill.com or on Twitter at @bensonhillinc.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In this press release, the Company includes references to non-GAAP performance measures. The Company uses these non-GAAP financial measures to facilitate management’s financial and operational decision-making, including evaluation of the Company’s historical operating results. The Company’s management believes these non-GAAP measures are useful in evaluating the Company’s operating performance and are similar measures reported by publicly listed U.S. competitors, and regularly used by securities analysts, institutional investors, and other interested parties in analyzing operating performance and prospects. These non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way of viewing aspects of the Company’s operations that, when viewed with GAAP results and the reconciliations to corresponding GAAP financial measures, may provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting the Company’s business. By referencing these non-GAAP measures, the Company’s management intends to provide investors with a meaningful, consistent comparison of the Company’s performance for the periods presented. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered supplemental to, and not a substitute for, financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. The Company’s definition of these non-GAAP measures may differ from similarly titled measures of performance used by other companies in other industries or within the same industry. In addition, the Company has and may in the future modify how it calculates non-GAAP performance measures. Because non-GAAP financial measures exclude the effect of items that will increase or decrease the Company’s reported results of operations, management strongly encourages investors to review the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in the tables accompanying this press release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or the Company’s future financial or operating performance and may be identified by words such as “may,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “will,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “predict,” or similar words, as well as the negative of such statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions made by the Company as of the date hereof and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding the Company’s current guidance regarding certain expected 2023 financial and operating results, including guidance regarding consolidated, proprietary and non-proprietary revenues, anticipated contribution from partnership and licensing agreements, margins, consolidated gross profit, net loss from continuing operations, Adjusted EBITDA, run rate cash savings, operating expenses, and free cash flow; statements regarding the Company’s current expectations and assumptions regarding the industries and markets in which it operates, and macro-economic trends, including regarding commodity markets and inflationary pressures; projections of market opportunity and supply chain constraints; statements regarding the Company’s Liquidity Improvement Plan and other cost-saving measures, actions to implement such plan, and the anticipated benefits of such plans; expectations regarding revenue and gross profit mix; the Company’s ability to identify and evaluate its strategic alternatives and effect potential strategic opportunities in ways that maximize shareholder value; expectations regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern; statements regarding the execution of the Company’s business plan, the strategic review of the Company’s business, and the Company’s executive leadership transition;; expectations regarding future costs and uses of free cash flow; expectations regarding the unwinding of mark-to-market timing differences and the Company’s assessment of its futures contracts; any financial or other information based upon or otherwise incorporating judgments or estimates relating to future performance, events or expectations; expectations regarding the Company’s hedging and other risk management strategies, including expectations about future sales and purchases that relate to the Company’s mark-to-market adjustments and the fair valuation of futures contracts; the Company’s strategies, positioning, resources, capabilities, and expectations for future performance; estimates and forecasts of financial and other performance metrics; the Company’s outlook and financial and other guidance. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations and guidance include, but are not limited to: risks associated with the Company’s Liquidity Improvement Plan and other cost saving measures, including potentially adverse impacts on the Company’s business and prospects even if such plan are successful; the risk that the Company’s actions relating to its Liquidity Improvement Plan and other cost saving measures may be insufficient to achieve the objectives of such plans; liquidity and other risks relating to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern; risks associated with the Company’s ability to grow and achieve growth profitably, including continued access to the capital resources necessary for growth; the risk that the Company will be unable to renegotiate or retire any of its existing debt by entering into an amended or new facility in a timely manner, on favorable terms, or at all; risks relating to the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Company’s shelf registration statement, including its at-the-market facility, or otherwise failing to raise equity or other capital to supplement its cash needs; risks associated with the Company’s execution of its executive leadership transition, including, among others, risks relating to maintaining key employee, customer, partner and supplier relationships; risks relating to the Company’s hedging and other risk management strategies, including expectations about future sales and purchases that relate to the Company’s mark-to-market adjustments and the fair valuation of futures contracts; the risk that the Company will not realize the anticipated benefits of the divestiture of the Fresh business; risks associated with managing capital resources; risks associated with maintaining relationships with customers and suppliers and developing and maintaining partnering and licensing relationships; risks associated with changing industry conditions and consumer preferences; risks associated with the Company’s ability to generally execute on its business strategy; risks associated with the effects of global and regional economic, agricultural, financial and commodities market, political, social and health conditions; risks associated with the Company’s transition to becoming a public company; the effectiveness of the Company’s risk management strategies; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in our filings with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements are also subject to the risks and other issues described above under “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures,” which could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations included in the Company’s forward-looking statements included in this press release. Nothing in this press release should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved, including without limitation, any expectations about our operational and financial performance or achievements. There may be additional risks about which the Company is presently unaware or that the Company currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. The reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The Company expressly disclaims any duty to update these forward-looking statements, except as otherwise required by law.

Benson Hill, Inc.

Material Items Included in Consolidated Revenues and Cost of Sales

(In Thousands)

Currently, the Company does not seek cash flow hedge accounting treatment for its derivative financial instruments; thus changes in fair value are reflected in current earnings.

Mark-to-market timing difference comprises the estimated net temporary impact resulting from unrealized period-end gains/losses associated with the fair valuation of futures contracts associated with the Company’s committed future operating capacity. These mark-to-market timing differences are not indicative of the Company’s operating performance.

The table below summarizes the pre-tax gains and losses related to derivatives and contract assets and liabilities:

• See Adjusted EBITDA reconciliation in the accompanying financial tables.

Benson Hill, Inc.

Non-GAAP Reconciliation

(In Thousands)

This press release contains financial measures not derived in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Reconciliations to the most comparable GAAP measures are provided below. The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as net loss from continuing operations excluding income taxes, interest, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation, changes in fair value of warrants and conversion option, goodwill, and long-lived asset impairment, restructuring-related costs (including severance costs) and the impact of significant non-recurring items. The Company defines free cash flow as net cash used in (provided by) operating activities minus capital expenditures.

Adjustments to reconcile net loss from our continuing operations to Adjusted EBITDA are as follows:

Adjustments to reconcile estimated 2023 net loss from continuing operations to estimated Adjusted EBITDA are as follows:

Adjustments to reconcile the estimated 2023 free cash flow are as follows:

* Categories such as income tax expense (benefit) and changes in fair value of warrants and conversion option, and significant non-recurring items may impact the actual full-year non-GAAP reconciliation for both Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow. These amounts cannot be estimated at this time.

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