SR
Serve Robotics Inc. /DE/ (SERV)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q2 2025 revenue was $642k, up 46% QoQ and ahead of S&P consensus by ~$17k; Primary EPS (S&P basis) missed by ~$0.02 while GAAP EPS was -$0.36 reflecting continued investment and expansion . Consensus values marked with asterisks are from S&P Global.*
- Delivery volume rose ~78% QoQ, daily active robots more than doubled to 160, and daily supply hours reached 1,723; Atlanta launched and Chicago was announced for the coming weeks .
- Q3 revenue guidance set at $600–$700k with near-term mix headwinds from a concluded non-recurring software services contract and variable branding revenue, while annualized $60–$80M revenue at full utilization of 2,000 robots was reiterated (2026 timing) .
- Liquidity remained strong with $183M in cash and marketable securities, supporting self-funding of fleet expansion and enabling operating leverage over time .
- Strategic catalysts included the Vayu Robotics acquisition to accelerate foundation model-based autonomy and a new national partner (Little Caesars) that strengthens pizza-focused use cases .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Fleet and utilization ramp: Daily active robots rose to 160 (from 73) and daily supply hours to 1,723, enabling ~78% QoQ delivery volume growth; “we expect to more than double our current robot fleet by Q3 and also launch in Chicago” .
- Market/merchant expansion: Atlanta launch, LA/Miami footprint expansions, and merchant partners rose to 2,500+; “we now have over 2,500 merchant partners… more than eightfold increase compared to this time last year” .
- Strategic tech positioning: Vayu acquisition to fuse real and simulated data for safer, faster navigation; “positioned to train more capable models… unlocking safer, faster, and more generalizable navigation” .
What Went Wrong
- Losses widened with scale-up: GAAP net loss was -$20.85M vs -$13.22M in Q1, and adjusted EBITDA declined to -$14.94M; gross loss was -$2.86M despite revenue growth .
- Near-term revenue mix headwinds: Q3 software revenue expected to dip due to conclusion of a non-recurring contract, and branding revenue variability anticipated to lower Q3 vs Q2 .
- EPS miss versus S&P consensus: Primary EPS (S&P basis) -$0.24* vs -$0.218* consensus; the gap reflects investment phase intensity and early-stage operations [GetEstimates; see Estimates Context].
Financial Results
Consolidated Results vs Prior Periods
Segment Revenue Breakdown
KPIs and Operating Scale
Results vs S&P Global Consensus (Q2 2025)
Values marked with * are retrieved from S&P Global.
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “We delivered revenue growth of nearly 46% sequentially… We exceeded our own expectations with nearly 80% growth in delivery volume versus Q1.” — Ali Kashani, CEO .
- “Average daily operating hours per robot rose more than 20% QoQ to 10.8… Robot intervention rates decreased 25% QoQ, lowering variable cost per delivery.” — Brian Read, CFO .
- “We expect to more than double our current robot fleet by Q3 and also launch in Chicago as well as in another East Coast Metro market.” — Ali Kashani, CEO .
- “We are confident reiterating our projected annualized revenue run rate of $60–$80 million once our 2,000 robot fleet is fully deployed and reaches target utilization.” — Brian Read, CFO .
Q&A Highlights
- Hardware roadmap: Gen3 designed for rapid scale; no near-term Gen4 platform shift; focus on incremental cost-downs and reliability improvements .
- 2026 outlook: No formal 2026 guidance yet; priority is deploying 2,000 robots and then pivoting to utilization and operating efficiency to reach $60–$80M annualized revenue .
- Talent strategy: Operations headcount up ~50% QoQ; R&D/software headcount to nearly double in 2H to drive AI/autonomy advances .
- Tariff impact: “Fluid” but immaterial currently; BOM reductions offset exposure .
- Competitive landscape: Emphasis on demonstrated scale, partners, and autonomy performance; “I wouldn’t trade positions with anyone else” — CEO .
Estimates Context
- Q2 2025: Revenue beat (
$17k), Primary EPS miss ($0.02). Continued investment phase likely keeps EPS below consensus near-term; Q3 guide aligns with S&P revenue consensus range . Consensus values marked with asterisks are from S&P Global.* - Multi-quarter view (S&P):
- Q1 2025 Primary EPS: -$0.16* vs consensus -$0.213*; Revenue: $440,465* vs $486,810* (below consensus).
- Q2 2025 Primary EPS: -$0.24* vs -$0.218*; Revenue: $642,000* vs $624,850* (above consensus).
- Q3 2025 Primary EPS: -$0.40* vs -$0.32*; Revenue: $687,000* vs $691,120* (slight miss).
Values marked with * are retrieved from S&P Global.
Where estimates may need to adjust: As the company scales fleet and enters new markets, near-term mix shifts (software/branding) introduce variability, while delivery revenue grows; analysts may reweight models toward delivery-driven growth and adjust non-GAAP vs GAAP EPS assumptions given elevated stock-based comp and expansion costs .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Near-term: Revenue growth continues but with mix variability; Q3 guide $600–$700k suggests delivery growth offset by software/branding timing; monitor execution on Chicago launch and fleet doubling in Q3 for upside on utilization KPIs .
- Medium-term: Reiterated $60–$80M annualized revenue at full utilization (2026) anchors the thesis; liquidity ($183M) supports self-funding expansion and operating leverage progression .
- Autonomy moat: Vayu acquisition strengthens foundation-model autonomy and simulation, potentially accelerating safety, reliability, and geographic generalization — a structural driver of unit economics improvement .
- Merchant/partner flywheel: Little Caesars adds a scaled pizza category use case; merchant base 2,500+ with LA penetration (18% households) and Doha pilot underscores broader TAM and platform reach .
- Cost-downs offset risks: BOM reductions and supply diversification mitigate tariff risk; continued R&D/software headcount investments aim to translate data scale into autonomy gains and cost per delivery reductions .
- Watch list: Gross loss and EBITDA trends as density improves; recurring software traction post non-recurring contract conclusion; branding monetization and ad pipeline maturation .
- Trading implications: The narrative is growth-at-scale with tech differentiation; stock-sensitive milestones include Chicago/East Coast launches, KPI acceleration (active robots, supply hours, intervention rate), and evidence of operating leverage improving through 2026 .
Values marked with * are retrieved from S&P Global.