TWILIO INC (TWLO) FY 2023 MD&A
This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
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 our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to historical financial information, the following discussion contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current plans, expectations and beliefs that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Overview
We enable businesses of all sizes to revolutionize how they engage with their customers by delivering seamless, trusted and personalized customer experiences at scale. Our leading customer engagement platform comprises communications APIs that enable developers to embed numerous forms of messaging, voice, and email interactions into their customer-facing applications, as well as software products that target specific engagement needs, including our customer data platform, digital engagement centers, marketing campaigns and advanced account security solutions. This combination of flexible APIs and software solutions helps businesses of all sizes and across numerous industries to benefit from smarter and more streamlined engagement at every step of the customer journey, including reduced customer acquisition costs, lasting loyalty and increased customer value. Our platform, which combines our highly customizable communications APIs with customer data management capabilities, allows businesses to break down data silos and build a comprehensive single source for their customer data that is organized into unique profiles that are easily accessible by all their business teams. Empowered with this information and the insights it enables, businesses using our platform can provide robust, personalized and effective communications to their customers at every stage of their customer relationships. The value proposition of our offerings has become stronger and our
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products have become more strategic to our customers as more and more businesses have prioritized building more personalized and more differentiated customer engagement experiences through digital channels.
In February 2023, we began operating our business in two business units: Communications and Data & Applications, which has since been renamed Segment. Our Communications business consists of a variety of APIs and software solutions to optimize communications between our customers and their end users. Our key Communications offerings include Messaging, Voice, Email, Flex, Marketing Campaigns, and User Identity and Authentication. Our Segment business consists of software products that enable businesses to leverage their first-party data to create unique customer profiles and achieve more effective customer engagement. Our key Segment offerings are Segment and Engage. Together, our Communications and Segment products power our customer engagement platform. We believe that our two business units are complementary and address adjacent needs and related problems for our customers. Our goal is to create a flywheel for effective customer engagement by combining Segment’s user profiles with our rich Communications data to drive more personalized and intelligent customer interactions. We believe that our business unit structure enables each business unit to execute toward its respective goals with appropriate focus and independence, best positioning us to achieve our long-term plan of creating the leading customer engagement platform.
For a comprehensive overview of our business, our platform and our products refer to Part I, Item 1, “Business,” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, our revenue was $4.2 billion, $3.8 billion and $2.8 billion, respectively, and our net loss was $1.0 billion, $1.3 billion and $949.9 million, respectively. In the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, our 10 largest Active Customer Accounts generated an aggregate of 10%, 12% and 11% of our total revenue, respectively.
Recent Developments
Business Unit Reorganization. In February 2023, we began operating our business in two business units: Twilio Communications (“Communications”) and Twilio Data & Applications (“Data & Applications”). We determined that as of the end of the second quarter of 2023 we had two operating and reportable segments, Communications and Data & Applications, and that our segment measure of profitability was non-GAAP gross profit.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, we further modified the organization of our business units by moving our Flex and Marketing Campaigns products from the Data & Applications reportable segment into the Communications reportable segment. We also renamed our Data & Applications segment to Segment. The fourth quarter reorganization did not change our reportable segment structure; however, it changed the reporting unit structure within our operating segments. Reporting units are the level below the operating segment level at which we allocate and test goodwill. As a result of these changes, we reallocated goodwill to the newly formed reporting units after each reorganization. We were required to test goodwill for impairment immediately before and immediately after each time our reporting unit structure changed. In the second quarter of 2023, we performed a goodwill impairment assessment immediately before and immediately after the reorganization and the change in the reporting unit structure and concluded that goodwill was not impaired.
Prior to testing goodwill in the fourth quarter of 2023, we identified a change in Segment’s performance, which indicated that certain intangible assets in our Segment reportable segment may not be recoverable. We performed an impairment assessment, as required by the accounting guidance, and recorded a $285.7 million aggregate impairment loss related to Segment’s developed technology and customer relationship intangible assets. We engaged an external expert to assist us with the valuation analysis. The loss is recorded in the impairment of long-lived assets line item of our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023, included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
After the impairment loss was recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023, we performed a goodwill impairment assessment and concluded that goodwill was not impaired immediately before and immediately after the reorganization and the change in the reporting unit structure.
Further, in January 2024, our newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), who is also our Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”), began reviewing segment operating results using non-GAAP income from operations as the segment measure of profitability. As such, we have disclosed our segment related information to reflect management’s current view of the business.
Refer to Note 6, Note 8 and Note 12 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information on the restructuring, impairment and segment reporting.
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Share Repurchase Program. In February 2023, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program pursuant to which we may repurchase up to $1.0 billion in aggregate value of our common stock until the program expires on December 31, 2024. Repurchases under this program can be made through open market, private transactions or other means in compliance with applicable federal securities laws and could include repurchases pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 trading plans. We have discretion in determining the conditions under which shares may be repurchased from time to time.
In the year ended December 31, 2023, we repurchased $672.1 million in aggregate value, or 11.3 million shares, of our common stock under this program. As of December 31, 2023, approximately $327.9 million of the originally authorized amount remained available for future repurchases.
Workforce Reduction Plans. In February 2023, we announced a workforce restructuring plan (the “February 2023 Plan”) to eliminate approximately 17% of our workforce. The execution of the February 2023 Plan was substantially completed in the first quarter of 2023. In December 2023, we announced another restructuring plan (the “December 2023 Plan”) to further eliminate approximately 5% of our workforce. In the year ended December 31, 2023, the cumulative restructuring expenses incurred under the February 2023 Plan and December 2023 Plan were $165.7 million and were related to employee severance, benefits, vesting of equity awards and facilitation costs. The estimated remaining expenses related to both plans are not expected to be significant. For additional details refer to Note 7 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Sabbatical Program. In February 2023, we announced that we will be sunsetting our employee sabbatical program that we introduced effective July 1, 2022. The sabbatical program was intended to provide our tenured employees with a paid leave of four consecutive weeks after every three years of service. Employees who had accumulated more than three years of service as of the program’s effective date became eligible for their benefit immediately. As of December 31, 2023, the remaining liability of $5.5 million related to the accumulated benefits for employees who remain eligible under this program until its expiration. As of December 31, 2022, the accrued sabbatical liability was $30.7 million.
Remote-First Company. In 2022, we announced our decision to become a remote-first company, allowing our employees the flexibility to work remotely on a permanent basis. As part of our new operating strategy, we permanently closed several of our offices in 2022 and 2023. These office closures resulted in an impairment of several long-lived assets, including our operating lease assets, leasehold improvements and property and equipment. In the year ended December 31, 2023, we recorded a total impairment loss of $34.8 million related to our permanent office closures.
Impairment of Strategic Investment. In the first quarter of 2023, we recorded a $46.2 million impairment loss associated with one of our investments from 2021 to reduce its carrying amount to fair value.
Divestiture of IoT Assets. In the second quarter of 2023, we completed the sale of our IoT asset group for a stock consideration of $15.8 million. The loss on divestiture and related expenses recorded in the year ended December 31, 2023 were not significant.
Divestiture of ValueFirst Business. In the third quarter of 2023, we completed the sale of our ValueFirst business for a total cash sales price of $45.5 million, or $38.2 million in proceeds, net of cash divested. In the year ended December 31, 2023, we recorded a $28.8 million loss on divestiture and an additional $3.3 million in related expenses. For additional details refer to Note 5 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations
We are focused on profitable growth. To increase revenue and grow market share, we intend to further enhance our ISV relationships, improve our self-service capabilities, cross-sell our products, drive product innovation, expand internationally, and enhance Segment interoperability. We also intend to optimize our business and take measures to reduce costs, including simplifying our business processes, modernizing our infrastructure, focusing on self-service, leveraging AI, and implementing other initiatives targeted at improving efficiencies in our business. We are also conducting an operational review of our Segment business, which we expect to complete in March 2024.
Our revenue is primarily derived from usage-based fees, which can lead to variability in our results of operations and at times create differences between our forecasts and actual results. Our usage-based revenue is also more immediately impacted by changes in consumer spending and macroeconomic conditions than our subscription-based revenue.
Our gross margin is impacted by a number of factors, including the timing and extent of our investments in our operations; our product mix; our ability to manage our cloud infrastructure‑related and network service provider fees, including
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A2P SMS fees; the mix of U.S. revenue compared to international revenue; changes in foreign exchange rates; the timing of amortization of capitalized software development costs and acquired intangibles; and the extent to which we periodically choose to adjust prices of our products.
Our gross profit is impacted by our product mix. Our cost of revenue and gross profit are also impacted by changes in hosting fees and network service providers’ fees and our ability to pass these costs through to our customers. We also experience seasonal trends due to increased consumer activity in the fourth quarter, which may result in lower sequential revenue in the first quarter.
We are winding down our video product and the software component of our Zipwhip business in 2024, which we expect will negatively impact revenue growth rates in 2024.
We are also migrating part of Segment’s architecture to a new infrastructure provider in 2024, which we expect to allow us to recognize greater operational efficiency and scale up new AI-driven products and features. We expect this migration will take several quarters and result in overlapping expenses with our original and new vendors for much of 2024, which we expect to negatively impact Segment gross margins until we complete the migration.
We expect our recent workforce restructurings and recent office closures will reduce our operating expenses. We are also modifying our employee compensation program by introducing a new cash bonus program and reducing or eliminating our use of equity compensation for certain employees, which will primarily impact our expenses commencing in the first quarter of 2024.
Key Business Metrics
We review a number of operational and financial metrics, including Active Customer Accounts and Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate, to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate business plans and make strategic decisions.
The following table summarizes our year-over-year revenue growth and Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, and the number of Active Customer Accounts as of December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.
| Year Ended | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, | |||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||
| Active Customer Accounts | 305,000 | 290,000 | 256,000 | ||||||||
| Total Revenue (in thousands) | $ | 4,153,945 | $ | 3,826,321 | $ | 2,841,839 | |||||
| Total Revenue Growth Rate | 9 | % | 35 | % | 61 | % | |||||
| Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate | 103 | % | 121 | % | 131 | % |
Active Customer Accounts
We define an Active Customer Account at the end of any period as an individual account, as identified by a unique account identifier, for which we have recognized at least $5 of revenue in the last month of the period. A single organization may constitute multiple unique Active Customer Accounts if it has multiple account identifiers, each of which is treated as a separate Active Customer Account. Active Customer Accounts excludes customer accounts from Zipwhip, Inc. (“Zipwhip”). Communications Active Customer Accounts and Segment Active Customer Accounts are calculated using the same methodology, but using only revenue recognized from accounts in the respective segment. When presented in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, (i) the number of Active Customer Accounts is rounded down to the nearest thousand, (ii) the number of Communications Active Customer Accounts is rounded down to the nearest thousand, and (iii) the number of Segment Active Customer Accounts is rounded down to the nearest hundred.
We believe that the number of Active Customer Accounts, on an aggregate basis and at the segment level, is an important indicator of the growth of our business, the market acceptance of our platform and future revenue trends. We believe that use of our platform by customers at or above the $5 per month threshold is a stronger indicator of potential future engagement than trial usage of our platform or usage at levels below $5 per month. In the three years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, revenue from Active Customer Accounts represented over 99% of total revenue in each period.
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Dollar‑Based Net Expansion Rate
Our Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate compares the total revenue from all Active Customer Accounts and customer accounts from Zipwhip in a quarter to the same quarter in the prior year. To calculate the Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate, we first identify the cohort of Active Customer Accounts and customer accounts from Zipwhip that were Active Customer Accounts or customer accounts from Zipwhip in the same quarter of the prior year. The Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate is the quotient obtained by dividing the revenue generated from that cohort in a quarter, by the revenue generated from that same cohort in the corresponding quarter in the prior year. When we calculate Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate for periods longer than one quarter, we use the average of the applicable quarterly Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rates for each of the quarters in such period. Revenue from acquisitions does not impact the Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate calculation until the quarter following the one-year anniversary of the applicable acquisition, unless the acquisition closing date is the first day of a quarter. As a result, for the year ended December 31, 2023, our Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate excludes the contributions from acquisitions made after October 1, 2022. Revenue from divestitures does not impact the Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate calculation beginning in the quarter the divestiture closed, unless the divestiture closing date is the last day of a quarter. As a result, for the year ended December 31, 2023, our Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate excludes the contributions from divestitures made after December 31, 2022. Communications Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate and Segment Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate are calculated using the same methodology, but using only revenue attributable to the respective segment and Active Customer Accounts and customer accounts from Zipwhip for that respective segment.
We believe that measuring Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate, on an aggregate basis and at the segment level, provides an important indication of the performance of our efforts to increase revenue from existing customers. Our ability to drive growth and generate incremental revenue depends, in part, on our ability to maintain and grow our relationships with existing Active Customer Accounts and to increase their use of the platform. An important way in which we have historically tracked performance in this area is by measuring the Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate for Active Customer Accounts. Our Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate increases when such Active Customer Accounts increase their usage of a product, extend their usage of a product to new applications or adopt a new product. Our Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate decreases when such Active Customer Accounts cease or reduce their usage of a product or when we lower usage prices on a product. As our customers grow their businesses and extend the use of our platform, they sometimes create multiple customer accounts with us for operational or other reasons. As such, when we identify a significant customer organization (defined as a single customer organization generating more than 1% of revenue in a quarterly reporting period) that has created a new Active Customer Account, this new Active Customer Account is tied to, and revenue from this new Active Customer Account is included with, the original Active Customer Account for the purposes of calculating this metric.
Key Components of Statements of Operations
Revenue
Revenue. We recognize revenue from our products on either a usage basis or a subscription basis, depending on the nature of the product and the type of customer contract. Our reportable segments contain products that may follow either revenue recognition model.
The majority of our Communications segment revenue is derived from usage-based fees. The usage-based fees are earned when customers access our cloud-based platform and start using the products. Some examples of our usage-based products are Messaging and Voice. For Messaging products, we primarily charge fees related to the number of text messages sent or received. For Voice products, we primarily charge fees for minutes of call duration. Some examples of the subscription-based Communications products are Email, Marketing Campaigns and Flex. For these products we recognize revenue evenly over the contract term.
Our Segment segment revenue is derived from Segment and Engage products that are subscription-based. For these products we recognize revenue evenly over the contract term. When our usage-based products are embedded into our subscription-based products, we charge for each product separately on a usage or subscription basis, respectively, and record the revenue in the reportable segment in which each product resides.
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Most of our usage-based customers gain access to our products and solutions through our e-commerce self-service sign-up format, which requires an upfront prepayment via credit card that is drawn down as they use our products. Pricing is generally based on a publicly available, self-serve pricing matrix that generally allows customers to receive tiered discounts as their usage of our products increases. Many of our larger usage-based customers enter into contractual arrangements with us for a period of at least 12 months. These contracts may include negotiated terms and typically include minimum revenue commitments of varying durations. Usage-based customers subject to such contracts are typically invoiced monthly in arrears for products used. In the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we generated 71%, 73% and 72% of our revenue, respectively, from usage-based fees.
Subscription-based fees are earned in accordance with subscription pricing terms. For our subscription-based products, customers generally enter into negotiated contracts, which are typically one to three years in duration. Subscription customers are generally invoiced in advance at the start of the contract term. In the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we generated 29%, 27% and 28% of our revenue, respectively, from non-usage‑based fees.
Amounts that have been charged via credit card or invoiced are recorded in revenue, deferred revenue or customer deposits, depending on whether the revenue recognition criteria have been met. Our deferred revenue and customer deposits liability balance is not a meaningful indicator of our future revenue at any point in time because the number of contracts with our invoiced customers that contain terms requiring any form of prepayment is not significant.
We define U.S. revenue as revenue from customers with IP addresses or mailing addresses at the time of registration in the United States. We define international revenue as revenue from customers with IP addresses or mailing addresses at the time of registration outside of the United States.
Cost of Revenue and Gross Profit
Cost of Revenue. Cost of revenue consists primarily of fees paid to network service providers. Cost of revenue also includes cloud infrastructure fees, direct costs of personnel, such as salaries and stock‑based compensation for our customer support employees, and other non‑personnel costs, such as depreciation and amortization expense related to data centers and hosting equipment, and amortization of capitalized internal-use software development costs and acquired intangible assets. Costs of revenue are generally directly attributable to each segment. Certain costs of revenue are allocated to segments based on methodologies that best reflect the patterns of consumptions of these costs.
Our arrangements with network service providers require us to pay fees based on the volume of phone calls initiated or text messages sent, as well as the number of telephone numbers acquired by us to service our customers. Our arrangements with our cloud infrastructure providers require us to pay fees based on our server capacity consumption.
Gross Profit. Gross profit represents revenue less cost of revenue.
Operating Expenses
The most significant components of operating expenses are personnel costs, which consist of salaries, benefits, sales commissions and bonuses and stock‑based compensation. We also incur other non‑personnel costs related to our general overhead expenses.
Research and Development. Research and development expenses consist primarily of personnel costs, outsourced engineering services, cloud infrastructure fees for staging and development of our products, depreciation, amortization of capitalized internal-use software development costs and an allocation of our general overhead expenses. We capitalize the portion of our software development costs that meets the criteria for capitalization. Research and development expenses are generally directly attributable to each segment. Certain research and development expenses are allocated to segments based on methodologies that best reflect the patterns of consumptions of these costs. A small percentage of research and development costs, such as costs related to digital architecture and information security, are not allocated to segments because they support company-wide processes and are managed on a company-wide level.
We are focusing our research and development investment in the highest impact product areas for our future. We are investing strategically in alignment with our focus on building a trusted, leading customer engagement platform.
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Sales and Marketing. Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of personnel costs, including commissions and bonuses to our sales employees. Sales and marketing expenses also include expenditures related to advertising, marketing, brand awareness activities, costs related to our SIGNAL customer and developer conferences, credit card processing fees, professional services fees, depreciation, amortization of acquired intangible assets and an allocation of our general overhead expenses. Sales and marketing expenses are generally directly attributable to each segment. Certain sales and marketing expenses are allocated to segments based on methodologies that best reflect the patterns of consumptions of these costs. A small percentage of sales and marketing costs, such as costs related to corporate communications and global brand awareness, are not allocated to segments because they support company-wide processes and are managed on a company-wide level.
We focus our sales and marketing efforts on generating awareness of our company, platform and products, creating sales leads and establishing and promoting our brand, both domestically and internationally.
General and Administrative. General and administrative expenses consist primarily of personnel costs for our accounting, finance, legal, human resources and administrative support personnel. General and administrative expenses also include costs related to business acquisitions and dispositions, legal and other professional services fees, certain taxes, depreciation and amortization, charitable contributions and an allocation of our general overhead expenses. General and administrative expenses are allocated to each segment when they are directly attributable to each segment or are allocated to segments based on methodologies that best reflect the patterns of consumptions of these costs. A significant portion of general and administrative costs, such as costs related to corporate governance, legal and certain finance and accounting functions, support company-wide processes and are managed on a company-wide level and, therefore, are considered corporate costs and are not allocated to segments.
We expect that we will incur costs associated with supporting the growth of our business. We may also incur higher than usual losses related to deterioration of quality of certain financial assets caused by macroeconomic conditions.
Restructuring Costs. Restructuring costs consist primarily of personnel costs, such as employee severance payments, benefits and certain facilitation costs, associated with our workforce reductions, which are described in Note 6 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Restructuring costs also include stock-based compensation expense related to vesting of stock-based awards of the impacted employees.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets. Impairment of long-lived assets consists of impairment of intangible assets and certain operating right-of-use assets and the associated leasehold improvements and property and equipment when the carrying amounts exceed their respective fair values.
Other Expenses, Net
Our other expenses, net consist primarily of our share of losses from our equity method investment; impairment charges and gains and losses related to our strategic investments and marketable securities, including interest income; and debt-related costs, including interest expense.
(Provision for) Benefit From Income Taxes
Our (provision for) benefit from income taxes consists primarily of income taxes, withholding taxes in foreign jurisdictions in which the Company conducts business and tax benefits related to the release of valuation allowance from historically completed acquisitions.
The primary difference between our effective tax rate and the federal statutory rate relates to the valuation allowance the Company established on the federal, state and certain foreign net operating losses and credits.
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Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We use the following non‑GAAP financial information, collectively, to evaluate our ongoing operations and for internal planning and forecasting purposes. We believe that non‑GAAP financial information, when taken collectively, may be helpful to investors because it provides consistency and comparability with past financial performance, facilitates period‑to‑period comparisons of results of operations and assists in comparisons with other companies, many of which use similar non‑GAAP financial information to supplement their results of operations reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Non‑GAAP financial information is presented for supplemental informational purposes only, should not be considered a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with GAAP and may be different from similarly‑titled non‑GAAP measures used by other companies. Whenever we use a non‑GAAP financial measure, a reconciliation is provided to the most closely applicable financial measure stated in accordance with GAAP. The users of our consolidated financial statements are encouraged to review the related GAAP financial measures and the reconciliation of these non‑GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.
Non‑GAAP Gross Profit and Non‑GAAP Gross Margin
For the periods presented, we define non‑GAAP gross profit and non‑GAAP gross margin as GAAP gross profit and GAAP gross margin, respectively, adjusted to exclude, as applicable, certain expenses as presented in the table below:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||
| Reconciliation: | (In thousands) | ||||||||||
| GAAP gross profit | $ | 2,043,930 | $ | 1,813,577 | $ | 1,390,713 | |||||
| GAAP gross margin | 49 | % | 47 | % | 49 | % | |||||
| Non-GAAP adjustments: | |||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | 26,343 | 21,136 | 14,074 | ||||||||
| Amortization of acquired intangibles | 113,266 | 122,653 | 114,896 | ||||||||
| Payroll taxes related to stock-based compensation | 699 | 539 | — | ||||||||
| Non-GAAP gross profit | $ | 2,184,238 | $ | 1,957,905 | $ | 1,519,683 | |||||
| Non-GAAP gross margin | 53 | % | 51 | % | 53 | % |
Non‑GAAP Operating Expenses
For the periods presented, we define non‑GAAP operating expenses (including categories of operating expenses) as GAAP operating expenses (and categories of operating expenses) adjusted to exclude, as applicable, certain expenses as presented in the table below:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||
| Reconciliation: | (In thousands) | ||||||||||
| GAAP operating expenses | $ | 2,920,471 | $ | 3,018,885 | $ | 2,306,297 | |||||
| Non-GAAP adjustments: | |||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | (636,499) | (763,149) | (618,211) | ||||||||
| Amortization of acquired intangibles | (79,041) | (83,528) | (83,888) | ||||||||
| Acquisition and divestiture related expenses | (5,555) | (2,621) | (7,449) | ||||||||
| Loss on net assets divested | (32,277) | — | — | ||||||||
| Payroll taxes related to stock-based compensation | (12,286) | (23,293) | (48,417) | ||||||||
| Charitable contributions | (17,346) | (9,541) | (31,169) | ||||||||
| Restructuring costs | (165,733) | (76,636) | — | ||||||||
| Impairment of long-lived assets | (320,504) | (97,722) | — | ||||||||
| Non-GAAP operating expenses | $ | 1,651,230 | $ | 1,962,395 | $ | 1,517,163 |
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Non‑GAAP Income (Loss) from Operations and Non‑GAAP Operating Margin
For the periods presented, we define non‑GAAP income (loss) from operations and non‑GAAP operating margin as GAAP income (loss) from operations and GAAP operating margin, respectively, adjusted to exclude, as applicable, certain expenses as presented in the table below:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||
| Reconciliation: | (In thousands) | ||||||||||
| GAAP loss from operations | $ | (876,541) | $ | (1,205,308) | $ | (915,584) | |||||
| GAAP operating margin | (21) | % | (32) | % | (32) | % | |||||
| Non-GAAP adjustments: | |||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | 662,842 | 784,285 | 632,285 | ||||||||
| Amortization of acquired intangibles | 192,307 | 206,181 | 198,784 | ||||||||
| Acquisition and divestiture related expenses | 5,555 | 2,621 | 7,449 | ||||||||
| Loss on net assets divested | 32,277 | — | — | ||||||||
| Payroll taxes related to stock-based compensation | 12,985 | 23,832 | 48,417 | ||||||||
| Charitable contributions | 17,346 | 9,541 | 31,169 | ||||||||
| Restructuring costs | 165,733 | 76,636 | — | ||||||||
| Impairment of long-lived assets | 320,504 | 97,722 | — | ||||||||
| Non-GAAP income (loss) from operations | $ | 533,008 | $ | (4,490) | $ | 2,520 | |||||
| Non-GAAP operating margin | 13 | % | — | % | — | % |
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Results of Operations
The following table sets forth our results of operations for the periods presented. The period-to-period comparison of our historical results are not indicative of the results that may be expected in the future.
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||
| Consolidated Statements of Operations Data: | (In thousands, except share and per share amounts) | ||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 4,153,945 | $ | 3,826,321 | $ | 2,841,839 | |||||
| Cost of revenue (1) (2) | 2,110,015 | 2,012,744 | 1,451,126 | ||||||||
| Gross profit | 2,043,930 | 1,813,577 | 1,390,713 | ||||||||
| Operating expenses: | |||||||||||
| Research and development (1) (2) | 942,790 | 1,079,081 | 789,219 | ||||||||
| Sales and marketing (1) (2) | 1,022,985 | 1,248,032 | 1,044,618 | ||||||||
| General and administrative (1) (2) | 468,459 | 517,414 | 472,460 | ||||||||
| Restructuring costs (1) | 165,733 | 76,636 | — | ||||||||
| Impairment of long-lived assets | 320,504 | 97,722 | — | ||||||||
| Total operating expenses | 2,920,471 | 3,018,885 | 2,306,297 | ||||||||
| Loss from operations | (876,541) | (1,205,308) | (915,584) | ||||||||
| Other expenses, net: | |||||||||||
| Share of losses from equity method investment | (121,897) | (35,315) | — | ||||||||
| Impairment of strategic investments | (46,154) | — | — | ||||||||
| Other income (expenses), net | 47,863 | (3,009) | (45,345) | ||||||||
| Total other expenses, net | (120,188) | (38,324) | (45,345) | ||||||||
| Loss before (provision for) benefit from income taxes | (996,729) | (1,243,632) | (960,929) | ||||||||
| (Provision for) benefit from income taxes | (18,712) | (12,513) | 11,029 | ||||||||
| Net loss attributable to common stockholders | $ | (1,015,441) | $ | (1,256,145) | $ | (949,900) | |||||
| Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted | $ | (5.54) | $ | (6.86) | $ | (5.45) | |||||
| Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted | 183,327,844 | 182,994,038 | 174,180,465 |
__________________________________
(1) Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||
| (In thousands) | |||||||||||
| Cost of revenue | $ | 26,343 | $ | 21,136 | $ | 14,074 | |||||
| Research and development | 331,526 | 374,846 | 258,672 | ||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 183,389 | 240,109 | 213,351 | ||||||||
| General and administrative | 121,584 | 148,194 | 146,188 | ||||||||
| Restructuring costs | 13,015 | 14,275 | — | ||||||||
| Total | $ | 675,857 | $ | 798,560 | $ | 632,285 |
____________________________________
(2) Includes amortization of acquired intangibles as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||
| (In thousands) | |||||||||||
| Cost of revenue | $ | 113,266 | $ | 122,653 | $ | 114,896 | |||||
| Research and development | 1,913 | 1,680 | 1,260 | ||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 77,128 | 81,841 | 82,493 | ||||||||
| General and administrative | — | 7 | 135 | ||||||||
| Total | $ | 192,307 | $ | 206,181 | $ | 198,784 |
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The following table sets forth our results of operations for each of the periods presented as a percentage of our total revenue:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Consolidated Statements of Operations, as a percentage of revenue: ** | |||||||||
| Revenue | 100 | % | 100 | % | 100 | % | |||
| Cost of revenue | 51 | 53 | 51 | ||||||
| Gross profit | 49 | 47 | 49 | ||||||
| Operating expenses: | |||||||||
| Research and development | 23 | 28 | 28 | ||||||
| Sales and marketing | 25 | 33 | 37 | ||||||
| General and administrative | 11 | 14 | 17 | ||||||
| Restructuring costs | 4 | 2 | — | ||||||
| Impairment of long-lived assets | 8 | 3 | — | ||||||
| Total operating expenses | 70 | 79 | 81 | ||||||
| Loss from operations | (21) | (32) | (32) | ||||||
| Other expenses, net | |||||||||
| Share of losses from equity method investment | (3) | (1) | — | ||||||
| Impairment of strategic investments | (1) | — | — | ||||||
| Other income (expenses), net | 1 | * | (2) | ||||||
| Total other expenses, net | (3) | (1) | (2) | ||||||
| Loss before (provision for) benefit from income taxes | (24) | (33) | (34) | ||||||
| (Provision for) benefit from income taxes | * | * | * | ||||||
| Net loss attributable to common stockholders | (24 | %) | (33 | %) | (33 | %) |
____________________________________
* Less than 0.5% of revenue.
** Columns may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
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Comparison of Fiscal Years Ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021
Revenue
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2022 to 2023 Change | 2021 to 2022 Change | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Twilio Communications | $ | 3,858,693 | $ | 3,550,087 | $ | 2,640,874 | $ | 308,606 | 9 | % | $ | 909,213 | 34 | % | ||||||||||||
| Twilio Segment | 295,252 | 276,234 | 200,965 | 19,018 | 7 | % | 75,269 | 37 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Consolidated total revenue | $ | 4,153,945 | $ | 3,826,321 | $ | 2,841,839 | $ | 327,624 | 9 | % | $ | 984,482 | 35 | % |
2023 compared to 2022
In 2023, Communications revenue increased by $308.6 million, or 9%, compared to the same period last year. This increase was primarily attributable to a 5% increase in the number of Communications Active Customer Accounts from over 282,000 as of December 31, 2022, to over 297,000 as of December 31, 2023, as well as the increased usage of our products by our existing customers, as reflected in our Communications Dollar‑Based Net Expansion Rate of 103%. These increases were offset by a decrease of $59.8 million related to revenue from our ValueFirst and IoT businesses, which were divested during 2023.
In 2023, Segment revenue increased by $19.0 million, or 7%, compared to the same period last year. This increase was primarily attributable to a 4% increase in the number of Segment Active Customer Accounts from over 7,700 as of December 31, 2022 to over 8,000 as of December 31, 2023. Our Segment Dollar‑Based Net Expansion Rate was 97% for the year ended December 31, 2023, due to higher contraction and customer churn compared to the same period last year.
In 2023, consolidated total revenue increased by $327.6 million, or 9%, compared to the same period last year. This increase was primarily attributable to a 5% increase in the number of Active Customer Accounts, from over 290,000 as of December 31, 2022 to over 305,000 as of December 31, 2023, as well as the increased usage of our products by our existing customers, as reflected in our Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate of 103%.
In 2023, U.S. revenue and international revenue represented $2.8 billion, or 66%, and $1.4 billion, or 34%, of total revenue, respectively. In 2022, U.S. revenue and international revenue represented $2.5 billion, or 66%, and $1.3 billion, or 34%, of total revenue, respectively.
2022 compared to 2021
In 2022, Communications revenue increased by $909.2 million, or 34%, compared to the same period in the prior year. This increase was primarily attributable to a 13% increase in the number of Communications Active Customer Accounts from over 249,000 as of December 31, 2021, to over 282,000 as of December 31, 2022, as well as the increased usage of our products by our existing customers, as reflected in our Communications Dollar‑Based Net Expansion Rate of 121%.
In 2022, Segment revenue increased by $75.3 million, or 37%, compared to the same period in the prior year. This increase was primarily attributable to a 4% increase in the number of Segment Active Customer Accounts from over 7,400 as of December 31, 2021 to over 7,700 as of December 31, 2022. Our Segment Dollar‑Based Net Expansion Rate was 116% for the year ended December 31, 2022.
In 2022, consolidated total revenue increased by $984.5 million, or 35%, compared to the same period in the prior year. This increase was primarily attributable to a 13% increase in the number of Active Customer Accounts, from over 256,000 as of December 31, 2021, to over 290,000 as of December 31, 2022, as well as an increase in the usage of our products by our existing customers, as reflected in our Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate of 121%.
In 2022, U.S. revenue and international revenue represented $2.5 billion, or 66%, and $1.3 billion, or 34%, of total revenue, respectively. In 2021, U.S. revenue and international revenue represented $1.9 billion, or 68%, and $914.5 million, or 32%, of total revenue, respectively.
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Cost of Revenue and Gross Profit
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2022 to 2023 Change | 2021 to 2022 Change | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of revenue | $ | 2,110,015 | $ | 2,012,744 | $ | 1,451,126 | $ | 97,271 | 5 | % | $ | 561,618 | 39 | % | ||||||||||||
| Gross profit | $ | 2,043,930 | $ | 1,813,577 | $ | 1,390,713 | $ | 230,353 | 13 | % | $ | 422,864 | 30 | % |
2023 compared to 2022
In 2023, cost of revenue increased by $97.3 million, or 5%, compared to the same period last year. This increase was primarily attributable to a $51.4 million increase in network service providers’ costs, net of the impact of the hedging instruments, and a $28.7 million increase in hosting fees, which support the growth in usage of our products by our new and existing customers. The increase was also attributable to a $20.3 million increase in amortization of capitalized internal-use software development costs due to additional internal-use software projects placed in service in the current year.
In 2023, gross profit increased by $230.4 million, or 13%, compared to the same period last year. This increase was attributable to the factors impacting our revenue and cost of revenue, as described above.
2022 compared to 2021
In 2022, cost of revenue increased by $561.6 million, or 39%, compared to the same period in the prior year. The increase was primarily attributable to a $477.0 million increase in network service providers’ costs, net of the impact of hedging instruments, and a $40.8 million increase in hosting fees, which supported the growth in usage of our products by our new and existing customers.
In 2022, gross profit increased $422.9 million, or 30%, compared to the same period last year. This increase was attributable to the factors impacting our revenue and cost of revenue, as described above.
Operating Expenses
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2022 to 2023 Change | 2021 to 2022 Change | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Research and development | $ | 942,790 | $ | 1,079,081 | $ | 789,219 | $ | (136,291) | (13) | % | $ | 289,862 | 37 | % | ||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 1,022,985 | 1,248,032 | 1,044,618 | (225,047) | (18) | % | 203,414 | 19 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| General and administrative | 468,459 | 517,414 | 472,460 | (48,955) | (9) | % | 44,954 | 10 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Restructuring costs | 165,733 | 76,636 | — | 89,097 | 116 | % | 76,636 | 100 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Impairment of long-lived assets | 320,504 | 97,722 | — | 222,782 | 228 | % | 97,722 | 100 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 2,920,471 | $ | 3,018,885 | $ | 2,306,297 | $ | (98,414) | (3) | % | $ | 712,588 | 31 | % |
2023 compared to 2022
In 2023, research and development expenses decreased by $136.3 million, or 13%, compared to the same period last year. The decrease was primarily attributable to a $140.7 million decrease in total personnel costs, which was mostly driven by the restructuring of our workforce in September 2022, February 2023 and December 2023, that contributed to an 8% decrease in average research and development headcount in 2023. For further detail on the restructuring plans refer to Note 7 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In 2023, sales and marketing expenses decreased by $225.0 million, or 18%, compared to the same period last year. The decrease was primarily attributable to a $183.2 million decrease in total personnel costs, which was mostly driven by the restructuring of our workforce in September 2022, February 2023 and December 2023, that contributed to a 14% decrease in average sales and marketing headcount in 2023. Sales and marketing expenses also decreased due to a $21.5 million decrease in advertising expenses. For further detail on the restructuring plans refer to Note 7 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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In 2023, general and administrative expenses decreased by $49.0 million, or 9%, compared to the same period last year. The decrease was primarily attributable to a $78.1 million decrease in total personnel costs, which was mostly driven by the restructuring of our workforce in September 2022, February 2023 and December 2023, that contributed to a 21% decrease in average general and administrative headcount in 2023. These decreases were partially offset by a $32.3 million loss on divestiture related to the sale of our ValueFirst business and our IoT asset group. For further detail on the restructuring plans and divestitures, refer to Note 7 and Note 5, respectively, to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In 2023, restructuring costs increased by $89.1 million, or 116%, compared to the same period last year. The increase was primarily attributable to our restructuring activities under the February 2023 Plan and December 2023 Plan, which collectively had a more substantial financial impact than our restructuring activities undertaken in September 2022. For further detail refer to Note 7 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In 2023, impairment of long-lived assets increased by $222.8 million, or 228%, compared to the same period last year. The increase was primarily attributable to the impairment of Segment intangible assets of $285.7 million in 2023, as a result of the performance of our Segment segment described in detail in Note 6 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This increase was partially offset by a $62.9 million decrease in impairments of operating right-of-use assets and property and equipment due to fewer office closures in 2023 compared to 2022.
2022 compared to 2021
In 2022, research and development expenses increased by $289.9 million, or 37%, compared to the same period in the prior year. The increase was primarily attributable to a $264.4 million increase in personnel costs, net of capitalized costs, largely as a result of a 33% increase in average research and development headcount as we continued to focus on enhancing our Segment and Flex products and strengthening our platform infrastructure.
In 2022, sales and marketing expenses increased by $203.4 million, or 19%, compared to the same period in the prior year. The increase was primarily attributable to a $175.5 million increase in personnel costs, largely as a result of a 26% increase in average sales and marketing headcount as we continued to expand our sales efforts globally. The increase was also due to a $13.4 million increase in advertising expenses.
In 2022, general and administrative expenses increased by $45.0 million, or 10%, compared to the same period in the prior year. The increase was primarily attributable to a $32.0 million increase in personnel costs, comprised of a $29.9 million, or 20%, increase in personnel costs before stock-based compensation, and a $2.0 million increase in stock-based compensation. The increase in personnel costs were largely a result of a 21% increase in average general and administrative headcount to support the growth of our business globally. The increase was also attributable to a $28.3 million increase in our bad debt expense. These increases were partially offset by a $21.6 million decrease in charitable contribution expense that we made through Twilio.org.
In 2022, we incurred $76.6 million in restructuring costs as a result of restructuring activities undertaken in September 2022, as described in Note 7 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In 2022, we incurred $97.7 million in impairment charges related to our operating lease assets and other long-lived assets. The impairment charges were triggered by office closures in 2022 as described in Note 6 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Other Expenses, net
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2022 to 2023 Change | 2021 to 2022 Change | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Share of losses from equity method investment | $ | 121,897 | $ | 35,315 | $ | — | $ | 86,582 | 245 | % | $ | 35,315 | 100 | % | ||||||||||||
| Impairment of strategic investments | 46,154 | — | — | 46,154 | 100 | % | — | — | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Other (income) expenses, net | (47,863) | 3,009 | 45,345 | (50,872) | (1,691) | % | (42,336) | (93) | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Total other expenses, net | $ | 120,188 | $ | 38,324 | $ | 45,345 | $ | 81,864 | 214 | % | $ | (7,021) | (15) | % |
2023 compared to 2022
In 2023, other expenses, net, increased by $81.9 million, or 214%, compared to the same period last year. The increase was primarily attributable to a $86.6 million increase in our share of losses from our equity method investment and a $46.2 million increase related to an impairment of a strategic investment, partially offset by a $53.8 million increase in income related to our investments. For further detail refer to Notes 3 and 11 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2022 compared to 2021
In 2022, other expenses, net, decreased by $7.0 million, or 15%, compared to the same period in the prior year. The decrease was attributable to the $29.0 million loss from debt extinguishment in 2021 that did not recur in 2022, and a $13.3 million increase in interest income related to our investments, which was partially offset by a $35.3 million increase in our share of losses from our equity method investment. The net decrease in the remaining other expenses, net, categories were not significant either individually or in the aggregate. For further detail refer to Notes 3 and 11 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Segment Results of Operations
The following table presents the results for non-GAAP operating income (loss), as reviewed by our CODM, for each of our Communications and Segment segments for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2022 to 2023 Change | 2021 to 2022 Change | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Twilio Communications | $ | 841,990 | $ | 318,680 | $ | 276,496 | $ | 523,310 | 164 | % | $ | 42,184 | 15 | % | ||||||||||||
| Twilio Segment | $ | (72,430) | $ | (29,695) | $ | (13,006) | $ | (42,735) | 144 | % | $ | (16,689) | 128 | % |
2023 compared to 2022
In 2023, Communications non-GAAP income from operations increased by $523.3 million, or 164%, compared to the same period last year. The increase was driven by an increase in Communications revenue of $308.6 million, as described in the Revenue section above, and a decrease in Communications operating expenses, partially offset by an increase in Communications cost of revenue. The decrease in operating expenses was primarily attributable to a $254.1 million decrease in total Communications personnel costs, which was mainly due to the restructuring of our workforce in September 2022, February 2023 and December 2023, that contributed to a 16% decrease in average Communications headcount in 2023. The increase in Communications cost of revenue was primarily attributable to a $19.5 million increase in hosting fees and a $51.3 million increase in network service providers’ costs, net of the impact of hedging instruments, to support the increase in revenue due to the growth in usage of our products by our new and existing customers.
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In 2023, Segment non-GAAP loss from operations increased by $42.7 million, or 144%, compared to the same period last year. The increase was driven by an increase in Segment operating expenses and cost of revenue, partially offset by an increase in Segment revenue of $19.0 million, as described in the Revenue section above. The increase in operating expenses was primarily attributable to a $25.2 million increase in total Segment personnel costs, which was mainly due to a 12% increase in average Segment headcount in 2023, as we continued to focus on enhancing our Segment product and expanding our sales efforts. The increase in Segment cost of revenue was primarily attributable to a $9.2 million increase in hosting fees and a $4.9 million increase in amortization of capitalized internal-use software development costs.
2022 compared to 2021
In 2022, Communications non-GAAP income from operations increased by $42.2 million, or 15%, compared to the same period in the prior year. The increase was driven by an increase in Communications revenue of $909.2 million, as described in the Revenue section above, offset by an increase in Communications operating expenses and Communications cost of revenue. The increase in operating expenses was primarily attributable to a $259.6 million increase in Communications personnel costs, largely as a result of a 26% increase in average Communications headcount as we continued to focus on enhancing our products and expanding our sales efforts globally, a $24.9 million increase in bad debt expense, a $16.2 million increase in software subscription costs, and an $11.1 million increase in travel related expenses. The increase in Communications cost of revenue was primarily attributable to a $477.0 million increase in network service providers’ costs, including the impact of hedging instruments, a $30.7 million increase in hosting fees, and a $14.7 million increase in support costs, all of which supported the growth in usage of our products by new and existing customers. The net increase in the remaining operating expenses and cost of revenue categories were not significant either individually or in the aggregate.
In 2022, Segment non-GAAP loss from operations increased by $16.7 million, or 128%, compared to the same period in the prior year. The increase was driven by an increase in Segment operating expenses and Segment cost of revenue, offset by an increase in Segment revenue of $75.3 million, as described in the Revenue section above. The increase in operating expenses was primarily attributable to a $67.9 million increase in Segment personnel costs, largely as a result of a 50% increase in average Segment headcount as we continued to focus on enhancing our products and expanding our sales efforts globally, and a $9.1 million increase in advertising costs. The increase in Segment cost of revenue was primarily attributable to a $10.2 million increase in hosting fees and a $5.8 million increase in support costs.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $655.9 million and short-term marketable securities of $3.4 billion. Cash equivalents consist of money market funds. Short-term marketable securities consist primarily of U.S. treasury securities, non-U.S. government securities, high credit quality corporate debt securities and commercial paper. The cash and cash equivalents and short-term marketable securities are held for working capital purposes.
Our principal sources of liquidity have been (i) the net proceeds of $979.0 million, $1.4 billion and $1.8 billion, net of underwriting discounts and offering expenses paid by us, from our public equity offerings in June 2019, August 2020 and February 2021, respectively; (ii) the aggregate net proceeds of approximately $984.7 million, after deducting purchaser discounts and debt issuance costs paid by us, from the issuance of our 2029 Notes and 2031 Notes in March 2021 (each, as defined below); (iii) the net proceeds of $228.4 million, after deducting transaction costs paid by us, from settlement of our capped call arrangements in June 2021; and (iv) the payments received from customers using our products.
Our primary uses of cash include operating costs, such as personnel-related costs, network service provider costs, cloud infrastructure costs, facility-related spending, as well as, from time to time, acquisitions, investments and share repurchases. Our principal contractual and other commitments consist of obligations under our 2029 Notes and 2031 Notes, our operating leases for office space that we occupy, sublease or hold to sublease, and contractual commitments to our cloud infrastructure and network service providers. Refer to Note 10, Note 14 and Note 17(a) to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for discussions of our obligations and commitments related to leases, debt and other purchase obligations.
We may, from time to time, consider acquisitions of, or investments in, complementary businesses, products, services, capital infrastructure or technologies which might affect our liquidity requirements or cause us to secure additional financing or issue additional equity or debt securities. There can be no assurance that additional credit lines or financing instruments will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all.
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We believe that our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities balances, as well as the cash flows generated by our operations, will be sufficient to satisfy our anticipated cash needs for working capital and capital expenditure needs, including authorized share repurchases, for the next 12 months and beyond. However, our belief may prove to be incorrect, and we could utilize our available financial resources sooner than we currently expect. We may be required to seek additional equity or debt financing in order to meet our future capital requirements. In the event that additional financing is required from outside sources, we may not be able to raise it on terms acceptable to us, or at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital when desired, our business, results of operations and financial condition would be adversely affected. Our future capital requirements, the adequacy of our available funds and our cash from operations depend on many factors and are affected by various risks and uncertainties, including those set forth in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”
Share Repurchase Program
In February 2023, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program pursuant to which we may repurchase up to $1.0 billion in aggregate value of our common stock. Repurchases under the program will be made through open market, private transactions or other means in compliance with applicable federal securities laws, and could include repurchases pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 trading plans. We have discretion in determining the conditions under which shares may be repurchased from time to time. The program expires on December 31, 2024.
In the year ended December 31, 2023, we purchased $672.1 million in aggregate value, or 11.3 million shares, of our common stock on the open market under this program. As of December 31, 2023, approximately $327.9 million of the originally authorized amount remains available for future repurchases.
2029 Notes and 2031 Notes
In March 2021, we issued and sold $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of senior notes, consisting of $500.0 million principal amount of 3.625% notes due 2029 (the “2029 Notes”) and $500.0 million principal amount of 3.875% notes due 2031 (the “2031 Notes,” and together with the 2029 Notes, the “Notes”). These Notes are described in detail in Note 14 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash flows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||
| (In thousands) | |||||||||||
| Cash provided by (used in) operating activities | $ | 414,752 | $ | (254,368) | $ | (58,192) | |||||
| Cash provided by (used in) investing activities | 228,603 | (616,452) | (2,489,996) | ||||||||
| Cash (used in) provided by financing activities | (643,610) | 45,007 | 3,096,325 | ||||||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | 108 | 60 | (191) | ||||||||
| Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | $ | (147) | $ | (825,753) | $ | 547,946 |
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
In 2023, cash provided by operating activities consisted primarily of our net loss of $1.0 billion adjusted for non-cash items, including $675.9 million of stock-based compensation expense, $284.4 million of depreciation and amortization expense, $320.5 million of impairment of intangible assets and other long-lived assets, $72.9 million amortization of deferred commissions, $27.0 million of non-cash reduction in our operating right-of-use asset, $121.9 million of share of losses from equity method investments, $51.9 million of provision for bad debt and $230.6 million of cumulative changes in operating assets and liabilities. With respect to changes in operating assets and liabilities, accounts receivable and prepaid expenses increased $141.4 million primarily due to revenue growth, timing of cash receipts and pre-payments of our cloud infrastructure fees and certain operating expenses. Accounts payable and other current liabilities decreased $39.4 million primarily driven by lower personnel-related accruals due to lower headcount, including a $25.2 million decrease in the sabbatical benefit accrual driven by lower headcount and the sunsetting of the program. The impairment of intangible assets and other long lived assets is described further in Note 6 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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In 2022, cash used in operating activities consisted primarily of our net loss of $1.3 billion adjusted for non-cash items, including $798.6 million of stock-based compensation expense reflecting the impact of the September 2022 restructuring plan, $279.1 million of depreciation and amortization expense, $97.7 million of impairment of operating lease and other long-lived assets, $57.9 million of amortization of deferred commissions, $47.2 million of non-cash reduction in our operating right-of-use asset, $35.3 million of share of losses from equity method investments, $35.0 million of provision for bad debt, $33.2 million of net amortization of investment premium and discount and $396.6 million of cumulative changes in operating assets and liabilities. With respect to changes in operating assets and liabilities, accounts receivable and prepaid expenses increased $289.0 million primarily due to revenue growth, timing of cash receipts and pre-payments of our cloud infrastructure fees and certain operating expenses. Accounts payable and other current liabilities increased $105.8 million primarily due to increases in transaction volumes, and the impact from the then new sabbatical employee benefit that we introduced effective July 1, 2022. Operating lease liabilities decreased $54.5 million due to payments made against our operating lease obligations. Other long-term assets increased $146.5 million primarily due to an increase in the sales commissions balances related to the growth of our business. The impairment of operating lease and other long lived assets is described further in Note 6 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
In 2023, cash provided by investing activities was $228.6 million primarily consisting of $247.4 million of maturities and sales of marketable securities and other investments, net of purchases, and $38.2 million of proceeds from divestitures, net of cash divested, partially offset by $39.9 million related to capitalized software development costs and $11.3 million related to purchases of long-lived assets.
In 2022, cash used in investing activities was $616.5 million primarily consisting of $498.9 million of purchases of marketable securities and other investments, net of maturities and sales, $45.8 million related to capitalized software development costs, $37.4 million of net cash paid to acquire other businesses and $34.4 million related to purchases of long-lived assets.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
In 2023, cash used in financing activities was $643.6 million primarily consisting of $668.8 million of cash paid to repurchase 11.3 million shares of our common stock in the open market, including related costs, offset by $43.8 million in proceeds from stock options exercised by our employees and shares issued under our employee stock purchase plan.
In 2022, cash provided by financing activities was $45.0 million primarily consisting of $59.6 million in proceeds from stock options exercised by our employees and shares issued under our employee stock purchase plan, offset by $13.4 million in principal payments on debt and finance leases.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses and related disclosures. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our estimates are based on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Our actual results could differ from these estimates.
We believe that the accounting policies, assumptions and estimates associated with revenue recognition have the greatest potential impact on our consolidated financial statements. Therefore, we consider these to be our critical accounting policies and estimates.
See Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of our accounting policies.
Revenue Recognition
Revenue is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for those products or services. We enter into contracts that can include various combinations of products and services, which are generally capable of being distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations. Revenue is recognized net of allowances for credits and any taxes collected from customers, which are subsequently remitted to governmental authorities.
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Our revenue is derived from usage and non-usage based fees. Our usage-based fees are earned from certain of our Communications products when customers access our platform. Platform usage is considered a monthly series comprising one performance obligation and usage-based fees are recognized as revenue in the period in which the usage occurs.
Our subscription-based fees are derived from our software products, such as Segment, Engage, Flex, Email and Marketing Campaigns, and certain other non-usage-based contracts, such as with the sales of short codes and customer support. Non-usage-based contracts revenue is recognized on a ratable basis over the contractual term which is generally from one to three years.
Our arrangements do not contain general rights of return. However, credits may be issued on a case-by-case basis. Credits are accounted for as variable consideration, are estimated based on historical trends and are recorded against revenue. The contracts do not provide customers with the right to take possession of the software supporting the applications. Amounts that have been invoiced are recorded in accounts receivable and in revenue or deferred revenue depending on whether the revenue recognition criteria have been met.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
See Note 2(af) to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements not yet adopted.