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    Weave Communications Inc (WEAV)

    Q4 2024 Earnings Summary

    Reported on Mar 13, 2025 (After Market Close)
    Pre-Earnings Price$16.89Last close (Feb 20, 2025)
    Post-Earnings Price$15.71Open (Feb 21, 2025)
    Price Change
    $-1.18(-6.99%)
    • Weave's investments in growth initiatives, including specialty medical markets, partnerships, payments, and AI, are showing strong early traction ("green shoots"), and the company expects growth acceleration in the second half of 2025 due to these initiatives.
    • Average Selling Prices (ASPs) are increasing as new sales are more biased towards higher-end bundles that include AI products like Call Intelligence, leading to potential higher revenues and margins.
    • Net Revenue Retention (NRR) is expected to continue improving in 2025, driven by improvements in payments and upsells, indicating strong potential for increased revenue from existing customers.
    • Guidance implies a slowdown in growth due to difficult year-over-year comparisons in Q2 2025. The company expects total revenue for Q1 2025 to be in the range of $54 million to $55 million, with total revenue for the full year 2025 expected to be $232 million to $237 million. This suggests a potential deceleration compared to previous growth rates. Additionally, the company acknowledges that Q2 will be their toughest year-over-year comparison of 2025 due to the significant pricing updates that occurred in Q2 of 2024.
    • Increased investments in multiple growth areas may pressure margins and profitability in the near term. The company plans to invest in payments, AI, specialty medical verticals, mid-market, and partnerships in 2025. While these investments aim to drive future growth, they may lead to higher operating expenses. As noted, "2025 will be the first year that we will be required to comply with Section 404 (b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act," which will increase compliance and audit fees compared to 2024.
    • Challenges in monetizing new AI products could limit incremental revenue growth. While the company has introduced AI-powered solutions like Call Intelligence, they are currently included in existing bundles or sold as upsells. The cautious approach to pricing these AI products may limit their revenue potential. As stated, "We do not anticipate the same magnitude of price changes in 2025 as we implemented in 2024... we will take advantage of some price increase this year... but we're trying to be very careful and cautious in how we balance those".
    MetricYoY ChangeReason

    Total Revenue

    18.6% increase

    Total revenue rose to $54.169 million in Q4 2024 from the previous period, driven primarily by the continued acquisition of new customer locations—a key growth lever previously noted in earlier quarters—and strong platform demand.

    Subscription and Payment Processing Revenue

    19% increase

    The segment increased from $43.73 million to $52.12 million in Q4 2024, reflecting the same underlying trend seen in past periods where new customer additions boosted recurring revenue growth through subscriptions and payment processing services.

    Gross Profit

    Margin improved to 72%

    Gross profit reached $39.044 million with an implied margin of about 72%, benefiting from the higher revenue base and improved operational efficiency that built on previous quarter trends of margin expansion, cost management, and the leverage of high-margin recurring revenue streams.

    Sales & Marketing Expenses

    20% increase (from $18.291M to $21.934M)

    The significant rise in sales and marketing expenses reflects increased investment in personnel—driving higher stock‐based compensation, commissions, and bonuses—and greater spending on demand generation initiatives (similar to earlier quarters’ trends), underlining continued strategic focus on expanding market penetration.

    R&D Expenses

    18% increase (from $9.133M to $10.76M)

    The rise in R&D spending is largely due to enhanced investment in platform development, marked by higher headcount, salary adjustments, and stock‐based compensation, echoing similar cost drivers observed in previous periods aimed at supporting product innovation and infrastructure improvements.

    Net Loss

    Improved by approximately 4.7% (from $(7.039)M to $(6.711)M)

    Although expenses increased across several categories, the net loss improvement reflects the offsetting impact of robust revenue growth and enhanced gross margins, following a pattern seen in previous quarters where operational efficiency and higher recurring revenue helped narrow the net loss gap.

    MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange

    Total Revenue

    Q4 2024

    $52.6 million to $53.6 million

    no current guidance

    no current guidance

    Non-GAAP Operating Income

    Q4 2024

    $0.9 million to $1.9 million

    no current guidance

    no current guidance

    Total Revenue

    FY 2024

    $202.7 million to $203.7 million

    no current guidance

    no current guidance

    Non-GAAP Operating Income

    FY 2024

    positive

    no current guidance

    no current guidance

    Weighted Average Share Count

    FY 2024

    Approximately 71.6 million shares

    no current guidance

    no current guidance

    Total Revenue

    Q1 2025

    no prior guidance

    $54 million to $55 million

    no prior guidance

    Non-GAAP Operating Income

    Q1 2025

    no prior guidance

    negative $0.7 million to positive $0.3 million

    no prior guidance

    Total Revenue

    FY 2025

    no prior guidance

    $232 million to $237 million

    no prior guidance

    Non-GAAP Operating Income

    FY 2025

    no prior guidance

    $2 million to $6 million

    no prior guidance

    Weighted Average Share Count

    FY 2025

    no prior guidance

    Approximately 75.9 million shares

    no prior guidance

    MetricPeriodGuidanceActualPerformance
    Total Revenue
    Q4 2024
    $52.6M to $53.6M
    $54.169M
    Beat
    Total Revenue
    FY 2024
    $202.7M to $203.7M
    $204.314M (sum of Q1: $47.173M+ Q2: $50.586M+ Q3: $52.386M+ Q4: $54.169M)
    Beat
    TopicPrevious MentionsCurrent PeriodTrend

    Specialty Medical Expansion

    Q1 discussions highlighted expansion into specialty medical subverticals such as physical therapy, medical aesthetics, plastic surgery, and primary care with clear product‐market fit. Q2 emphasized rapid revenue reacceleration, with revenue growing at double the overall rate and very low market penetration (<0.5%). Q3 continued this focus by noting plans to expand from 4 to 8 subverticals and strong growth in MedSpas and general practitioners.

    Q4 placed strong emphasis on specialty medical expansion with detailed integration updates (eClinicalWorks, athenahealth, dr chrono, NextGen) supporting a subvertical that grew at twice the overall rate, and mentioned market penetration is still under 1%.

    Consistent emphasis across quarters with increasing optimism and broader integrations in Q4 that reinforce its growth potential.

    Payments Strategy

    Q1 discussions flagged underperformance with attach rates “way below where they need to be” and noted challenges with integration and leadership focus. Q2 mentioned enhancements in digital collections and the appointment of a new General Manager to drive adoption. Q3 focused on robust growth, emphasizing that payments were growing faster than overall revenue and were a key growth driver.

    Q4 highlighted substantial team expansion, new integrations with major practice management systems, and product enhancements (payment plans and reminders); no mention of underperformance, instead emphasizing payments as an accretive growth area.

    Sentiment improved significantly from early underperformance concerns to a robust strategic focus and positive growth trajectory.

    NRR Dynamics

    Q1 reported an increase from 95% to 96% driven by payments adoption and software upsells. Q2 showed further improvement to 97%, attributing gains to upsell motions and favorable pricing adjustments. Q3 saw NRR rise to 98% by integrating payments growth and additional upsell products.

    Q4 maintained NRR at 98%, bolstered by targeted price adjustments for additional functionality and the continued influence of improved customer contributions.

    Steady, incremental improvement with a consistently positive trend across periods.

    Practice Management System Integrations & New Platform Adoption

    Q1 focused on deepening integrations with PMS partners—emphasizing a win‐win partnership approach and advancing integration levels from basic to advanced. Q2 detailed the rollout of 20 new integrations along with the launch of a new product platform (new SMB app and Weave Enterprise) that boosted usability. Q3 discussed increased inbound interest from PMS vendors and early successes in new platform adoption through enhanced functionalities.

    Q4 reported further expansion by integrating with additional systems (eClinicalWorks, athenahealth, dr chrono, NextGen, Opendental, Patterson’s Eaglesoft/Fuse, Prompt, Practice Fusion) and underscored improved customer adoption of the new platform enriched with AI-powered features like Call Intelligence.

    Steady growth with increasing integration depth and new platform adoption, reflecting a maturing strategy.

    Strategic Partnerships

    Q1 mentioned early strategic partnerships with players such as Patterson Veterinary, IDEXX, Athenahealth, and Prompt EMR to expand market reach. Q2 celebrated a major commercial partnership with Patterson Dental, unlocking access to 100,000 locations. Q3 detailed training initiatives with Patterson Dental (e.g., training 700 sales reps) and highlighted strong co-marketing benefits.

    Q4 reinforced the value of strategic partnerships, highlighting the enhanced co-marketing and co-selling efforts with Patterson Dental that have driven increased bookings and payments revenue, and signaling plans for further expansion in 2025.

    Consistent emphasis on strategic partnerships with a deepening of collaboration over time and positive impact on sales metrics.

    Revenue Growth & Pricing Adjustments

    Q1 reported steady revenue growth (e.g., $47.2 million) driven by upsells and modest price adjustments that improved ARR. Q2 underscored strong revenue acceleration (e.g., $50.6 million with 21.4% YoY growth) and effective quarterly pricing updates. Q3 disclosed over 20% YoY growth with continued experimentation in pricing adjustments, demonstrating customer tolerance for value‐driven increases.

    Q4 delivered 19% YoY revenue growth ($54.2 million) and noted that the most significant pricing adjustments had occurred in Q2 2024, with stabilization occurring thereafter.

    Consistent high growth supported by a mature and effective pricing strategy that has been refined over successive quarters.

    Gross Margin Improvement

    Q1 showed a milestone improvement to 70.4% (a 280 bps jump), marking the beginning of a steady enhancement cycle. Q2 improved further to 71.9% on the back of cost efficiencies and economies of scale. Q3 saw margins reach 72.5%, aided by payments product expansion and operational enhancements.

    Q4 continued this positive trend with gross margins at 72.6%—a 290 basis point improvement YoY and the 12th consecutive quarter of sequential improvement, reflecting sustained operational discipline.

    Steady, sequential improvement confirming ongoing operational efficiencies and cost management.

    AI Product Implementation

    Q1 did not discuss AI-related offerings. Q2 began mentioning the development and potential of AI-driven solutions leveraging the company’s data. Q3 emphasized successful integration of AI-powered features such as Weave Assistant and Call Intelligence that provided immediate customer value.

    Q4 provided a detailed monetization strategy for AI products, outlining bundling approaches (good, better, best) and upsell opportunities with products like Call Intelligence and Assistant; the implementation is now tied directly to enhanced ASPs while managing pricing carefully.

    Emerging topic that gained clarity over time and now has an explicit monetization strategy, reflecting increasing focus and value realization.

    Increased Compliance Costs

    Not mentioned in Q1, Q2, or Q3 discussions.

    Introduced in Q4 as a new regulatory topic with the announcement that 2025 will be the first year subject to Section 404(b) of Sarbanes-Oxley, leading to increased compliance and audit fees, partly driven by seasonal factors in Q1 2025.

    New topic emerging in Q4 that signals upcoming increased expenses due to compliance requirements.

    Growth Initiatives Investment

    Q1 provided indirect signals of growth focus via investments in expanding into various markets and integrations. Q2 detailed explicit investments in specialty medical, strategic partnerships, and new product development while managing some margin pressure (e.g., higher sales/marketing spend). Q3 did not explicitly focus on this topic.

    Q4 underlined continued targeted investments in growth initiatives—particularly in AI, specialty medical markets, and expanded partnerships—while also highlighting improved margin performance and disciplined cost management (e.g., achieving a 3.3% operating income margin).

    Consistent focus on growth with ongoing investments that are now delivering improved margin outcomes, even as explicit mentions varied.

    Future Growth Guidance

    Q1 guidance was positive with revenue forecasts and emphasis on accelerating growth in key markets (dental, optometry, veterinary, specialty medical). Q2 maintained an optimistic outlook with raised full‑year guidance and confidence in core performance along with resilience from customers. Q3 forecasted steady growth and a stable revenue run rate with emphasis on specialty medical’s high growth rate.

    Q4 guidance pointed to an acceleration in the second half of 2025 with strategic investments set to boost growth beyond current levels; the outlook remains positive even after challenging prior comparison cohorts, with 2025 revenue projected in the range of $232–$237 million.

    Consistently positive outlook that has evolved toward expecting accelerated growth in the near future, particularly in H2 2025.

    Integration Challenges & Migration Resistance

    Q1 acknowledged challenges in migrating customers to new platforms and the effort needed to build deeper PMS integrations to “stickify” the product. Q3 addressed these issues by noting that while customers can be resistant to change, proactive PMS vendor interest and strategic integrations helped reduce friction.

    Q4 did not mention integration challenges or customer migration resistance, indicating that these issues have become less prominent in discussions [–].

    Reduced emphasis relative to earlier quarters, suggesting smoother integrations and less customer resistance to migration as the strategy matures.

    1. 2025 Guidance and Growth Outlook
      Q: Is the 15% growth guidance for 2025 conservative?
      A: Management indicated that the 15% growth guidance reflects the same philosophy as prior years and is not signaling near-term challenges. They acknowledge a difficult comparison in Q2 due to price adjustments last year but are optimistic about growth acceleration in the second half, driven by new initiatives. They expect the core business to grow faster in 2025 than in 2024.

    2. Acceleration from New Initiatives
      Q: When will new initiatives drive revenue growth acceleration?
      A: Management expects growth acceleration from new initiatives, such as partnerships, multi-location expansion, and specialty medical markets, to become more visible in the second half of 2025. Some progress is already happening but isn't fully reflected due to prior pricing adjustments. With dedicated teams in place, these initiatives are expected to contribute significantly to top-line growth.

    3. Payments as a Growth Driver
      Q: How is the payments segment contributing to growth?
      A: The payments segment is a key growth driver, with investments in team expansion, engineering, and workflow integrations. They have updated the sales compensation model to incentivize payment closures and residuals. Management anticipates payments to positively impact both growth and margins in 2025, with ongoing traction from new customers and partnerships.

    4. Monetization of AI Products
      Q: How will you monetize AI products like Call Intelligence?
      A: AI products such as Assistant and Call Intelligence are included in top-tier bundles and can also be upsold. Call Intelligence is not offered for free and has led to higher average selling prices as sales shift toward higher-end bundles. This approach delivers value and supports better pricing in both SMB and multi-location segments.

    5. Multi-Location Strategy in Dental Vertical
      Q: Is the multi-location focus mainly in the dental vertical?
      A: Yes, the multi-location and enterprise efforts are currently primarily focused on the dental vertical, leveraging their strong brand, product, and partnerships. They have revamped their go-to-market strategy and teams, starting with dental and planning to expand into optometry, veterinary, and specialty medical sectors.

    6. Net Retention Rate (NRR) Trends
      Q: What are expectations for NRR trends in FY '25?
      A: Management expects Net Retention Rate to continue improving, driven by gains in payments and upsell opportunities like Call Intelligence and insurance verification. They measure NRR on a location basis and see potential to enhance NRR by increasing product penetration within the existing customer base.

    7. Investments in Teams and Resources
      Q: How are investments impacting growth?
      A: The company is making targeted investments in small, dedicated teams across growth vectors like AI, payments, and new markets to accelerate traction without excessive spending. Despite these investments, they expect to deliver more profit next year and foresee growth acceleration in the second half.

    8. Demand Trends and Confidence
      Q: How are current demand trends affecting outlook?
      A: Demand was strong in Q4, and management is more confident than a year ago due to added leadership and multiple growth opportunities. They are cautiously investing but optimistic about positive developments and the potential for growth in 2025.