NextNRG (NXXT) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript

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Date

Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. ET

Call participants

• Chief Executive Officer — Michael Farkas
• Chief Financial Officer — Joel Kleiner
• Vice President, Investor Relations — Sharon Cohen

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Takeaways

• Revenue -- $81.8 million, reflecting 195% growth driven by expansion into new markets following two acquisitions and a merger.
• Gross Profit -- $6.9 million, nearly quadrupling from prior year alongside gross margin expansion to 8.4% for the year and 10.4% in the fourth quarter.
• Fourth Quarter Revenue -- Approximately $23 million; revenue by month: $7.4 million in October, $7.5 million in November, $8 million in December.
• December Revenue and Volume Growth -- December revenue increased 253% and fuel volumes rose 308%, signaling accelerating customer demand.
• GAAP Net Loss -- $88.2 million, primarily attributed to $42.6 million in noncash stock-based compensation and an $8.5 million noncash impairment charge, along with $17.3 million in interest expense including $9.6 million in noncash amortization.
• Adjusted EBITDA Loss -- Reported at $7.1 million compared to $8.9 million in the previous year, based on exclusion of noncash items and one-time charges per management's calculation.
• Operating Cash Flow -- Net cash used in operating activities was $16.7 million.
• Cash Position and Working Capital -- Year-end cash stood at $384,000 with approximately $25 million working capital deficit; management referenced active debt facilities and raised $50 million through an equity offering in February.
• Fueling Business Margins -- Operating margins are in the high single digits to low double digits and improved with increased volume and route optimization.
• Energy Infrastructure Pipeline -- Management disclosed a $750 million pipeline with all projects at varying development stages; first contracts signed in California with 20-30 year annuitized revenue streams anticipated.
• Customer Dynamics -- NextNRG has begun replacing incumbent vendors for a major global online retailer, indicating competitive wins in the commercial fleet segment.

Summary

NextNRG (NASDAQ:NXXT) highlighted a transformational year, citing material revenue growth anchored by the integration of recent acquisitions and the completion of its merger. Management emphasized the inaugural energy infrastructure contracts, which introduce a recurring, long-term revenue component distinct from the established mobile fueling business. Operating expenses, including large noncash charges, materially impacted the net loss, but the company reported improved underlying profitability through adjusted EBITDA. While liquidity concerns emerged due to low year-end cash and a significant working capital deficit, executives described ongoing access to project financing, equity capital, and debt facilities as foundational to business continuity. Management asserted that, as its energy contracts begin generating revenue, margin profiles could structurally shift higher and reduce reliance on corporate capital for growth initiatives.

• Michael Farkas stated, "The fueling business funds itself at this point," reinforcing that cash generation is sufficient for its operating needs.
• Management expects stabilized microgrid projects to produce margins "significantly higher" than mobile fueling and framed these as a catalyst for future financial transformation.
• Kleiner explained that the $42.6 million stock-based compensation figure was "not something you should expect to see at this level going forward," signaling anticipated reduction in noncash expenses as operations normalize.
• Farkas described capital discipline by noting, "The capital to build each project comes with the project through project financing, not from corporate balance sheet," underscoring the structured approach to risk management and capital allocation for large energy infrastructure deals.

Industry glossary

• Microgrid: A localized group of electricity sources and loads, often integrating renewables, that can operate with or without connection to the main power grid, and typically includes control systems for optimized operation.
• Annuitized Revenues: Contracted cash flows realized regularly over a multi-year period, as opposed to one-time equipment sales.

Full Conference Call Transcript

Michael Farkas: Thank you, Sharon, and good morning, everyone. I want to begin with some numbers that will frame everything you're about to hear. In 2024, NextNRG generated $27.8 million in revenue. While in 2025, we generated $81.8 million. I want to repeat that. $27.8 million to $81.8 million. That is about 195% growth in 1 single year. Our on-site mobile fueling business was the driver of this growth. Following the completed merger of NextNRG and EzFill, we integrated 2 acquisitions, [ shelf tap ] up assets and [ Yoshi ] mobility. These acquisitions allowed us to enter into 4 new major markets: Phoenix, Austin, San Antonio and Houston, ending the year operating coast to coast, and results reflected that.

We posted 7 consecutive months of record revenue. And by May, our year-to-date revenue has already surpassed all of 2024. Most critically, our margins improved as we scaled. Our full year gross margin in fueling was 8.4%. By Q4, it declined to 10.4%. That is the direction we're moving towards as we continue to optimize our operations, implement smarter customer acquisition, greater route density, increase of fuel mix deliveries and less wasted time. In that curve, we are still early. I want to call out our fourth quarter specifically because it tells you where this business is headed. Q4 revenue was approximately $23 million. October, $7.4 million; November, $7.5 million; December, $8 million.

December loan represented 253% year-over-year growth in revenue and 308% growth in fuel volumes, and that is the momentum we're carrying into 2026. I also want to take a moment to highlight something specific because I believe it speaks to the quality of what we are building. Right now, our largest commercial fleet customer, the largest global online retailer is actively cutting other fuel vendors in certain markets. and replacing them with us, NextNRG. That does not happen by accident. That happens when service is cleaner, more reliable and more integrated than the alternatives. This is precisely what we design our products and services to do.

And it means that the opportunity with this one customer alone has not even reached its whole potential. I want to talk about our Energy Infrastructure segment because this is where the next chapter of next energy is being written. We closed our first power purchase agreement, Sunny Side into [ Pengatarifs ] rehabilitation and subacute care centers, both in California. Under these agreements, NextNRG will design and build fully integrated on-site smart microgrids combining rooftop solar, battery storage, gas generators and our patented AI-driven controller. These are long-term structured agreements with annual escalators built in. This is not equipment sales, but as contracted energy relationships that generate annuitized revenues over the long term, some as many as 3 decades.

We believe finalizing these agreements validates the model. The market exists, customers are ready to commit and NextNRG is ready to execute. Our pipeline of planned smart microgrid projects stands at approximately $750 million, spending municipal, tribal, healthcare, multifamily and commercial facilities. All in various stages of development. We are now converting that pipeline into executed contracts. Before I turn it over, I want to explain something about how this part of the business operates. Because I think context matters when you're looking at our numbers. We are deploying multimillion-dollar energy infrastructure projects to large operational entities which require engineering studies, permitting, utility interconnection approvals, project financing and organizational decision-making that can spend years.

The contracts we are closing today are the result of development work that started 18 to 24 months ago. Therefore, when you look at the business, you should be looking at what we've already closed what's in the pipeline and how that builds from the year because each contract represents millions of dollars in revenue and a proven track record accelerates the pipeline behind it. The fuel business funds the operation today, the energy business is where the exponential growth will come from. That is the architecture of this company, and to 2025 was the year we demonstrated that both sides of the business can work.

I will now turn it over to Joel to break down what is behind the numbers. Joel?

Joel Kleiner: Thank you, Michael. I want to walk through 2025 financials plainly because there is an important story inside these numbers that does not see in the headline loss figure. Revenue for the full year came in at $81.8 million compared to $27.8 million in 2024, an increase of $54.1 million or 195% year-over-year. Cost of sales was $74.9 million, up from $26 million rising proportionally with expanded volume and geographic footprint. Gross profit reached $6.9 million versus $1.8 million in 2024, nearly 4x higher year-over-year. Revenue scaled, gross margin improved and gross profit grew, that is the business working.

Gross margin expanded quarter-over-quarter throughout fiscal 2025, demonstrating the company's ability to drive operational efficiency while continuing to grow its revenue base. Our GAAP net loss for 2025 was $88.2 million. I want to walk through the major components because the bulk of that figure is not cash out of the door, and it's important that you understand the distinction. The largest driver is stock-based compensation. which is totaled at $42.6 million. This is entirely noncash. This figure represents the equity cost of attracting and retaining the talent to execute a merger, integrate 2 fleet acquisitions entering 4 new states and close the company's first energy infrastructure contracts, all in a single year.

It is also the primary reason for adjusted EBITDA -- that our adjusted EBITDA as a fundamental different story than our net loss. Interest expense was $17.3 million. This includes $9.6 million in noncash amortization of debt discount, a GAAP accounting charge that does not represent current cash paid. The remainder reflects interest our outstanding borrowings used to fund the company's growth in working capital. We are committed to reducing our reliance on high-cost short-term debt as operating cash flow continues to scale. We also recorded an $8.5 million impairment charge. This is a onetime nonrecurring noncash accounting adjustment related to assets recorded in connection with our merger [indiscernible].

As part of the year-end process, those assets are evaluated under GAAP, and we recorded a write-down based on that assessment. This does not reflect any deterioration in customer relationships, contracts or operating assets. and impact the reported net loss, but has no effect on cash or how the business operates going forward. When you strip out these items, the noncash stock compensation interest inclusive of that discount amortization, depreciation, amortization and the onetime impairment, you get to adjusted EBITDA loss of [ $7.1 million ] for 2025 compared to $8.9 million in 2024. Net cash used in operating activities was $16.7 million in 2025.

We continue to the company's growth through operating cash flow and equity capital market activity and debt facilities. Our February 2025 equity raise of $50 million provide critical working capital that supported the execution you see in these results. We are a growth company in intensive industry, and we continue to invest into expanding our energy infrastructure pipeline. Fuel business provides operational momentum. The energy business provides long-term upside. Net, they represent a company that generated [ $8.8 million ] in revenue and $6.9 million in gross profit in its first full year as a combined entity. I will turn it back to Michael for closing remarks.

Michael Farkas: Thank you, Joel. I want to close with this. The energy market in the United States is fragmented, inefficient and expensive. Businesses that consume enormous amounts of energy, commercial fleets, logistics operators, hospitals, distribution centers are managing that energy the same way they have for over 20 years working across multiple vendors with very little integration, visibility or control. We built a platform that changes that, on-demand fueling with real-time dispatch optimization, on-site microgrids that eliminate fragmented utility dependence and replace it with intelligent integrated infrastructure, a unified operating system that let's say, business team, manage and optimize all of its energy needs in one place to our proprietary NextNRG dashboard. The fuel side of the platform works.

We established that in 2025. The energy side is just now starting to convert pipeline into contracts, and those contracts are long-term, high-value and destined to compound. The progression is already starting to show up in the numbers and in what we have executed so far. $27.8 million to $81.8 million in revenues in 1 year. Gross profit nearly quadrupled 7 consecutive months of record revenue. Our first energy infrastructure contracts signed and a pipeline at over $750 million. This is the year we just had. We are more focused on the next one. Thank you for all being here. I'll now hand it back to Sharon to take us through the Q&A.

Sharon Cohen: Thank you, Michael. We'll now move to questions that were submitted in advance. The first question is for Joel. You recorded $42.6 million in stock-based compensation in 2025. Who received that compensation? What was it tied to? And how should investors think about dilution going forward?

Joel Kleiner: Well, 2025 was not a normal year for this company. We did a merger brought 2 suites, built an executive team and Advisory Board and launched an energy infrastructure business. I remind you all in the same year. The equity issue was tied to that buildup. A lot of that work was compensated in equity, and that's what's reflected in that figure. It's not something you should expect to see at this level going forward. As things stabilize, those numbers have come down. And yes, we're very aware of what dilution means to our shareholders, and that's always a part of the conversation and the decisions we make.

Sharon Cohen: Okay. Thank you, Joel. Here's another one for you. Cash at year-end was $384,000 and the working capital deficit since approximately $25 million. The company has been relying on high interest instruments to fund operations. How does NextNRG get through this next year, 2026? And what does the financing plan look like?

Joel Kleiner: Look, the cash position at the end -- at year-end does not tell the whole story of where we are liquidity-wise. Our cash position reflects the timing of debt facilities and operating cash flows working capital, and it doesn't give the full picture of available liquidity. We have active debt facilities in place, and we continue to have access to capital markets and as we have demonstrated, like in our February 2025 equity raise. As the infrastructure contracts close and move towards construction, they bring project level financing structures that are standard in the industry and don't rely solely on corporate balance sheet funding. We are not managing this business on $384,000.

We're managing it on a combination of operational cash flow, debt facilities and the capital markets act as we've consistently demonstrated. The goal for 2026 is to reduce our dependence on high cost short-term debt by growing operating cash flow, increasing working capital and closing contracts that carry their own financing. That's the plan, and we're going to execute against it.

Sharon Cohen: Thank you, Joel. Michael, the following questions I will direct to you. The Energy Infrastructure business is described as a long-term growth engine of the company. When those contracts do start generating revenue, what does the margin profile actually look like? And how does it compare to the fueling business?

Michael Farkas: It is a completely different margin profile. The fueling business operates on fuel margins. We buy fuel, we deliver it and we earn the spread plus the service fee. Those margins are in the high single digits to low double digits and they improve as we optimize routes and density. The energy infrastructure business operates on a contracted rate over a multi-decade agreement. Once those assets are deployed and operating, the ongoing cost structure is largely fixed. You have maintenance, monitoring and debt service on the project financing and the revenue is locked in by contract with annual escalators. We expect the margin profile on a stabilized microgrid to be significantly higher than what we generated fueling.

The fueling business is a strong, scalable cash generator. The Energy business is a different kind of assets completely. And when those contracts start producing revenue, we believe it has the potential to meaningfully change the financial profile of this company.

Sharon Cohen: Thanks, Michael. Here's the next question. Given the current cash position and working capital deficit, what does the path to cash flow breakeven look like? And what are the 2 or 3 things that need to happen operationally to get there?

Michael Farkas: There are 3 things. First, the fueling business needs to continue scaling its gross profit and it is. We went from $1.8 million in gross profit in 2024 to $6.9 million in 2025. In Q4 margins tell us there is more improvement ahead. Second, we need to close and monetize NextNRG infrastructure contracts. Each one that closes and moves towards construction is expected to represent significant revenue and significantly improve our cash position. And third, we need to rightsize our operating expenses relative to where the business actually is today, not where we are building to. We've been spending ahead of this revenue on the energy side. And that's just the nature of how the business works.

But as those contracts start closing and revenue comes in, that ratio flips. That's what we're focused on.

Sharon Cohen: Great. For our final question, as the fueling business matures and energy contracts begin to close, how is management thinking about capital allocation? Where does investment get prioritized and what guardrails exist to prevent a company from overextending on either side of the business?

Michael Farkas: Great question. The fueling business funds itself at this point, it generates positive operating cash flow and the capital requirements are largely tied to fleet expansion, which we can pace based upon demand. So the capital allocation question is really about the energy side, and there, the discipline is built into the structure of how we develop projects. The capital to build each project comes with the project through project financing, not from corporate balance sheet. What we invest corporately is in the development and sales process, engineering work, permitting customer relationships. And that's a deliberate contained investment. It's not open ended. The more projects we close, the cheaper and faster the next one gets.

The guardrail is the model itself.

Sharon Cohen: Okay. Thank you. That concludes our Q&A. Michael, any final words from you?

Michael Farkas: No. I just want to say thank you. We are hedged down and focused on execution, and we're looking forward to seeing you next quarter.

Operator: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much. That does conclude today's teleconference. We appreciate your participation. You may disconnect your lines at this time. Enjoy the rest of your day.

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