Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. (DNA)

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those discussed in Item 1A “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in our 2025 Annual Report.

Overview

Our mission is to make biology easier to engineer.

Ginkgo currently sells cell engineering biological R&D services and tools to government and commercial customers across a range of industries.

Cell Engineering

Ginkgo offers biological R&D services on our platform to enable our customers to bring their products to market. Historically, Ginkgo’s primary service offering has been cell engineering R&D services (solutions) where Ginkgo performs technical activities. In 2024, Ginkgo expanded its service offering to include services that provide our customers cell engineering tools for biological R&D, where Ginkgo enables its customers to conduct certain in-house R&D activities themselves. Our services are designed to offer customers better results on the dimensions of probability of success, speed, or cost – and ideally on all three.

The fundamental advantage of our cell engineering platform over traditional cell engineering done by hand at our customers’ labs is that our platform improves with scale while in-house cell engineering in our customers' labs largely does not. Compounding and mutually reinforcing improvements of our laboratory automation and software infrastructure—our Autonomous Lab—and our reusable data assets enable us to improve our services with each successive project.

Our Autonomous Lab is a flexible wet lab built from our RAC systems capable of large scale data generation; it powers generative AI and ML tools that enable more successful biological R&D. We now offer services providing such data generation, AI and automation tools directly to Ginkgo customers. Our data assets comprise best practices for cell engineering, along with sequences and host cells that have been honed through dozens of programs and can be directly reusable for our cell engineering solutions. We now offer licenses to our host cells and other intellectual property assets, such as our broad metagenomic library.

Cell engineering tools offerings

We charge customers fees for the services we provide in our cell engineering tools offerings. Fees for our automation solutions (RAC systems) are typically earned over a period that covers design, build, and deployment and range from six to twelve months. In addition, we offer support services for our RAC systems with fixed fees covering the support periods.

Fees for our Datapoints services are typically earned over a shorter period of time (weeks to months) than for cell engineering solutions, which may be multi-year programs. A typical deliverable for a Datapoints program is a data package. Fees for cell engineering solutions programs are typically structured as a fixed fee for a fixed scope of work.

Cell engineering solutions

Our cell engineering solutions are typically scoped and delivered as a program ranging in duration from several months to several years. A typical deliverable for the program would comprise an enzyme sequence, or an engineered strain or cell line and its associated bioprocess. For each of these programs, we generate economic value in two primary ways.

First, we charge service fees for Autonomous Lab services, in much the same way that cloud computing companies charge usage fees for utilization of computing capacity or CROs charge for services. R&D is inherently risky and our customers recognize that this is a cost they will incur regardless of success and whether they are working on the program in-house or with a partner. Typically, service fees for a program include a fixed fee for a fixed scope of work and may also include payments contingent upon hitting certain technical milestones. If we are able to deliver program results with less work

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through the use of Codebase assets and/or generative AI tools, then we can achieve the same revenue with lower cost or in a shorter duration. Service fees provide a strong foundation of revenue that is independent of any commercialization efforts by our partners.

Second, as the key enabling technology for our customers’ products, we have historically negotiated a value share with our customers (in the form of royalties, milestones, and/or equity interests) in order to align our economics with the success of the programs enabled by our platform. Because we typically do not incur material downstream costs (e.g., manufacturing or product development, which our customers manage), these value share payments flow through with minimal incremental costs. We have structured a variety of value sharing mechanisms, including royalties, lump-sum milestones, and equity payments. As Ginkgo has matured, we have shifted our downstream value towards milestone payments and commercial royalties rather than equity. In addition, commencing in the second quarter of 2024, we announced changes in prospective commercial terms, including the removal of downstream value share from certain program types.

This flexible business model allows for more predictable near-term revenue in up-front research fees and technical milestones without sacrificing our ability to create long-term value with asymmetric upside through downstream value share (typically in the form of a royalty stream, milestone, and/or equity share). As we add more programs to the platform over time, we expect downstream value share to contribute income, which could in turn grow our overall margins and cash flow profile for our cell engineering solutions. The realization of potential revenue related to downstream value in the form of potential future milestone payments and royalties and/or equity consideration is dependent upon a number of factors, including our ability to successfully develop engineered cells, bioprocesses, data packages, or other deliverables, and the product development and commercialization success of our customers.

Discontinued Operations

On April 3, 2026, the Company completed a divestiture of its Biosecurity business, which was previously reported as a separate segment, whereby the Purchaser issued to the Company shares of common equity of the Purchaser representing a minority interest in the Purchaser in exchange for substantially all of the Company’s operations comprising its Biosecurity business (see Note 2 of our condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for further details).

The Company is presenting the financial results for the former Biosecurity business within discontinued operations for all periods presented within its accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations and cash flows and the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2025 reflect the transferred Biosecurity assets as held for sale. Prior to the Biosecurity Divestiture, the Biosecurity business provided services to government customers working to identify, monitor, prevent and mitigate biological threats.

Components of Results of Operations

Revenue

We generate revenue primarily through service and license agreements for our tools and solutions offerings. Under our automation solutions agreements we typically provide services related to the design, build, and deployment of our RAC systems as well as ongoing support services. Datapoints agreements typically include fixed fees for services related to producing a data package for our customers and are earned over a shorter time period than legacy cell engineering solutions projects. Under our solutions agreements, we typically provide R&D services for cell programming with the goal of producing an engineered cell that meets a mutually agreed specification. Our customers obtain license rights to the output of our services, which are primarily the optimized strains or cell lines, in order to manufacture and commercialize products derived from that licensed strain or cell line. Generally, the terms of these agreements provide that we receive some combination of: (1) service fees in the form of (i) upfront payments upon consummation of the agreement or other fixed payments, (ii) reimbursement for costs incurred for R&D services and (iii) milestone payments upon the achievement of specified technical criteria, plus (2) downstream value share payments in the form of (i) milestone payments upon the achievement of specified commercial criteria, (ii) royalties on sales of products from or comprising engineered organisms arising from the collaboration or licensing agreement and/or (iii) royalties related to cost of goods sold reductions realized by our customers. Royalties did not comprise a material amount of our revenue during any of the periods presented.

Revenue has historically included transactions with Platform Ventures and Legacy Structured Partnerships where we received non-cash consideration in the form of equity interests and financial instruments that are convertible into equity upon a triggering event. We view the upfront non-cash consideration as prepayments for licenses which will be granted in the future as we complete mutually agreed upon technical development plans. In these instances, we also receive cash consideration for the R&D services performed by us on a fixed fee or cost-plus basis. We are not compensated through

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additional milestone or royalty payments under these arrangements. As we perform R&D services under the mutually agreed upon development plans, we recognize a reduction in the prefunded obligation on a cost-plus basis. In some cases we issued the customer a prepaid cell engineering services credit in exchange for the upfront non-cash consideration, which can and has been drawn down as payment for R&D services performed under mutually agreed upon development plans. These arrangements are further described in Notes 6, 7, and 15 of our condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Downstream value share in the form of equity interest appreciation is not recognized as revenue but is expected to contribute to future cash flows upon liquidation, the amount and timing of which is inherently unpredictable. The initial fair market value of the equity interests received may also decrease after contract inception and the amount of cash proceeds eventually realized may be less than the revenue recognized. Equity investments are accounted for under the equity method, cost method or are carried at fair value.

As Ginkgo has matured, we have shifted our downstream value towards milestone payments and commercial royalties rather than equity. In addition, commencing in the second quarter of 2024, we announced changes in prospective commercial terms, including the removal of downstream value share from certain program types.

Costs and Operating Expenses

Cost of Other Revenue

Cost of other revenue consists of costs related to our cell engineering tools offerings, including Datapoints and lab automation solutions. Such costs primarily include hardware, software, materials and labor. Costs associated with our end-to-end cell engineering solutions offering are included in research and development expenses.

Research and Development Expenses

The nature of our business, an

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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Further, this section of this Form 10-K generally discusses 2025 and 2024 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2025 and 2024. For discussion related to 2023 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2024 and 2023 that are not

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included in this Form 10-K, please refer to Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2024 Form 10-K, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on February 25, 2025. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those discussed in Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Overview

Our mission is to make biology easier to engineer.

Ginkgo sells services to government and commercial customers in two business segments: cell engineering, where we provide tools and biological R&D services across a range of industries, and biosecurity, where we provide services to customers who are working to identify, monitor, prevent, mitigate, and ultimately protect humanity from biological threats. An overview of these two business segments is provided below.

Cell Engineering

Ginkgo does not make end products; instead, we offer biological R&D services on our platform to enable our customers to bring their products to market. Historically, Ginkgo’s primary service offering has been cell engineering R&D services (solutions) where Ginkgo performs technical activities. In 2024, Ginkgo expanded its service offering to include services that provide our customers cell engineering tools for biological R&D, where Ginkgo enables its customers to conduct certain in-house R&D activities themselves. Our services are designed to offer customers better results on the dimensions of probability of success, speed, or cost – and ideally on all three.

The fundamental advantage of our cell engineering platform over traditional cell engineering done by hand at our customers’ labs is that our platform improves with scale while in-house cell engineering in our customers' labs largely does not. Compounding and mutually reinforcing improvements of our laboratory automation and software infrastructure—our Autonomous Lab—and our reusable data assets enable us to improve our services with each successive project.

Our Autonomous Lab is a flexible wet lab built from our Reconfigurable Automation Cart (“RAC”) systems capable of large scale data generation; it powers generative AI and machine learning (“ML”) tools that enable more successful biological R&D. We now offer services providing such data generation, AI and automation tools directly to Ginkgo customers. Our data assets comprise best practices for cell engineering, along with sequences and host cells that have been honed through dozens of programs and can be directly reusable for our cell engineering solutions. We now offer licenses to our host cells and other IP assets, such as our broad metagenomic library.

Cell engineering tools offerings

We charge customers fees for the services we provide in our cell engineering tools offerings. Fees for our automation solutions (RAC systems) are typically earned over a period that covers design, build, and deployment and range from six to twelve months. In addition, we offer support services for our RAC systems with fixed fees covering the support periods.

Fees for our Datapoints services are typically earned over a shorter period of time (weeks to months) than for cell engineering solutions, which may be multi-year programs. A typical deliverable for a Datapoints program is a data package. Fees for cell engineering solutions programs are typically structured as a fixed fee for a fixed scope of work.

Cell engineering solutions

Our cell engineering solutions are typically scoped and delivered as a program ranging in duration from several months to several years. A typical deliverable for the program would comprise an enzyme sequence, or an engineered strain or cell line and its associated bioprocess. For each of these programs, we generate economic value in two primary ways.

First, we charge service fees for Autonomous Lab services, in much the same way that cloud computing companies charge usage fees for utilization of computing capacity or CROs charge for services. R&D is inherently risky and our customers recognize that this is a cost they will incur regardless of success and whether they are working on the program in-house or with a partner. Typically, service fees for a program include a fixed fee for a fixed scope of work and may also include payments contingent upon hitting certain technical milestones. If we are able to deliver program results with less work through the use of Codebase assets and/or generative AI tools, then we can achieve the same revenue with lower cost or in

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a shorter duration. Service fees provide a strong foundation of revenue that is independent of any commercialization efforts by our partners.

Second, as the key enabling technology for our customers’ products, we have historically negotiated a value share with our customers (in the form of royalties, milestones, and/or equity interests) in order to align our economics with the success of the programs enabled by our platform. Because we typically do not incur material downstream costs (e.g., manufacturing or product development, which our customers manage), these value share payments flow through with approximately 100% contribution margin. We have structured a variety of value sharing mechanisms, including royalties, lump-sum milestones, and equity payments. As Ginkgo has matured, we have shifted our downstream value towards milestone payments and commercial royalties rather than equity. In addition, commencing in the second quarter of 2024, we announced changes in prospective commercial terms, including the removal of downstream value share from certain program types.

This flexible business model allows for more predictable near-term revenue in up-front research fees and technical milestones without sacrificing our ability to create long-term value with asymmetric upside through downstream value share (typically in the form of a royalty stream, milestone, and/or equity share). As we add more programs to the platform over time, we expect downstream value share to contribute income, which could in turn grow our overall margins and cash flow profile for our cell engineering solutions. The realization of potential revenue related to downstream value in the form of potential future milestone payments and royalties and/or equity consideration is dependent upon a number of factors, including our ability to successfully develop engineered cells, bioprocesses, data packages, or other deliverables, and the product development and commercialization success of our customers.

Biosecurity

With a mission to make biology easier to engineer, we have always recognized the need to invest in biosecurity as a key component of our platform. We are building the future bioeconomy with our customers and partners, and we envision the future of biosecurity as a global immune system equipped with the capabilities to rapidly and reliably identify, monitor, prevent, and mitigate biological threats. The first, critical step in realizing this future is to build a robust early warning system for biological threats—this is the primary focus of Ginkgo’s Biosecurity business.

Our primary biosecurity customers are governments. We currently provide biosecurity services via two core offerings as introduced in early 2024:

•Canopy, which helps our customers generate high value genomic data from strategically positioned nodes (like airports and border checkpoints) via end-to-end biomonitoring programs; and

•Horizon, our digital surveillance, analytics and insights platform that detects and monitors biothreats worldwide.

Our recent strategic business and asset acquisitions are described in detail in Note 4 of our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Key Business Metrics

In the past, we reported New Programs, Current Active Programs and Cumulative Programs as our key business metrics. We have undertaken a strategic review of these metrics, including in light of our new service offerings and our restructuring plan announced and commenced in the second quarter of 2024, and, beginning with the three months ending December 31, 2024, we no longer rely on New Programs, Current Active Programs and Cumulative Programs as key business metrics. We may in the future report on key business metrics, which metrics may change or be substituted for additional or different metrics as our business develops.

Components of Results of Operations

Revenue

Cell Engineering Revenue

We generate Cell Engineering revenue primarily through service and license agreements for our tools and solutions offerings. Under our automation solutions agreements we typically provide services related to the design, build, and deployment of our RAC systems as well as ongoing support services. Datapoints agreements typically include fixed fees for services related to producing a data package for our customers and are earned over a shorter time period than legacy

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cell engineering solutions projects. Under our solutions agreements, we typically provide R&D services for cell programming with the goal of producing an engineered cell that meets a mutually agreed specification. Our customers obtain license rights to the output of our services, which are primarily the optimized strains or cell lines, in order to manufacture and commercialize products derived from that licensed strain or cell line. Generally, the terms of these agreements provide that we receive some combination of: (1) service fees in the form of (i) upfront payments upon consummation of the agreement or other fixed payments, (ii) reimbursement for costs incurred for R&D services and (iii) milestone payments upon the achievement of specified technical criteria, plus (2) downstream value share payments in the form of (i) milestone payments upon the achievement of specified commercial criteria, (ii) royalties on sales of products from or comprising engineered organisms arising from the collaboration or licensing agreement and/or (iii) royalties related to cost of goods sold reductions realized by our customers. Royalties did not comprise a material amount of our revenue during any of the periods presented.

Cell Engineering revenue has historically included transactions with Platform Ventures and Legacy Structured Partnerships where we received non-cash consideration in the form of equity interests and financial instruments that are convertible into equity upon a triggering event. We view the upfront non-cash consideration as prepayments for licenses which will be granted in the future as we complete mutually agreed upon technical development plans. In these instances, we also receive cash consideration for the R&D services performed by us on a fixed fee or cost-plus basis. We are not compensated through additional milestone or royalty payments under these arrangements. As we perform R&D services under the mutually agreed upon development plans, we recognize a reduction in the prefunded obligation on a cost-plus basis. In some cases we issued the customer a

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