Asana Achieves First Operating Profit

Asana (NYSE:ASAN) announced its Q1 FY2026 results on June 3, 2025, achieving its first non-GAAP operating profit and delivering revenue of $187.3 million. Revenue for the software developer focused on work management services was up 9% year over year, with non-GAAP operating margin improved by more than 1,300 basis points year over year. Strategic milestones included surpassing $1 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) for AI Studio, the largest contract renewal in company history at over $100 million total contract value, and advancing artificial intelligence (AI)-driven product innovation.

First-Ever Non-GAAP Profitability and Margin Expansion Was Driven by Operational Discipline

Gross margin remained robust at approximately 90%, while adjusted free cash flow margin improved by over 700 basis points to 5%. This marks Asana’s inaugural quarter of positive non-GAAP operating income, reflecting stringent cost controls, including a shift in hiring to more cost-effective regions and disciplined spend on marketing and infrastructure.

"As a result of driving productivity and efficiency gains, we had a positive operating income quarter for the first time in our company's history, delivering a 4% margin or $8.1 million of operating income, which represents an operating margin of 300 basis points above the midpoint of our guide and a more than 1,300 basis point improvement year over year."
— Sonalee Parekh, Chief Financial Officer

This inflection point in profitability provides greater financial resilience and capital allocation flexibility, supporting the long-term investment case amid a challenging macroeconomic environment.

AI Studio Surpasses $1M ARR and Shifts Monetization Model Beyond Per-Seat Licensing

AI Studio’s ARR exceeded $1 million, with growing consumption patterns across diverse geographies and verticals, such as manufacturing, energy, and financial services, and early evidence of AI Studio ARR outpacing traditional seat-based ARR in select accounts. The launch of the Smart Workflow Gallery and introduction of the AI Studio Plus tier aims to broaden both SMB and enterprise adoption, reducing dependence on per-seat pricing.

"We're even seeing instances where AI Studio ARR is exceeding seat-based ARR. This highlights how a few users leveraging AI Studio can drive outsized value, and it underscores our conviction that AI Studio has the potential to not only eclipse the revenue scale of seat-based licenses over time but also to reduce our overall reliance on per-seat monetization."
— Dustin Moskovitz, CEO

This evolution in revenue streams addresses a core platform risk (seat count headwinds in slower gatekeeper-driven enterprise markets) and positions Asana to capture high-value, workflow-based usage tied to business impact, which may support higher net revenue retention over time.

Large Contract Renewal Shows Strategic Commitment, But Near-Term ACV Headwind

Asana closed a record-breaking three-year, $100 million-plus total contract value (TCV) renewal with a global technology enterprise, driving remaining performance obligation (RPO) up to approximately $521 million (adjusted, up 37% year over year) and providing forward revenue visibility through fiscal years 2027 and 2028. However, this contract involved a modest annual contract value (ACV) downgrade versus the prior agreement, presenting an anticipated drag on net revenue retention (NRR) in Q2 FY2026.

"And whilst it was a significant expansion in TCV versus the previous contract, there was actually a modest downgrade on an ACV basis, so that will actually impact. Our overall net retention, particularly from Q2 as we look across the rest of the year. In terms of the contribution to AI Studio specifically from that renewal, there's nothing factored in in the guide right now. That is potential upside."
— Sonalee Parekh, Chief Financial Officer

This scenario demonstrates management's prioritization of multi-year strategic relationships and platform entrenchment over short-term ACV maximization, while also highlighting upside potential from future AI Studio expansion into major enterprise contracts, as discussed during the quarter.

Looking Ahead

Guidance for Q2 FY2026 calls for revenue of $192 million to $194 million (7%-8% growth year over year) and a non-GAAP operating margin of 4%-5%, with full-year revenue guidance for FY2026 is revised to $775 million to $790 million (7%-9% growth year over year). Management acknowledged that NRR is expected to be pressured in Q2 and future quarters due to the large enterprise renewal and ongoing downgrade activity, but reiterated an increased full-year non-GAAP operating margin target of at least 5.5% for FY2026. No explicit quantitative guidance was given for AI Studio adoption or revenue in future periods. However, management identified additional upside from expanded tiering, usage-based monetization, and broader rollout of AI-powered workflows to enterprise and SMB customers throughout the year.

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This article was created using Large Language Models (LLMs) based on The Motley Fool's insights and investing approach. It has been reviewed by our AI quality control systems. Since LLMs cannot (currently) own stocks, it has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Asana. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.