Rapid Micro Biosystems Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Rhea-AI Summary
Rapid Micro Biosystems (Nasdaq: RPID) reported first quarter 2026 revenue of $8.0 million, up 11.1% year-over-year, with recurring revenue of $5.1 million, or 63% of total. The company placed six new Growth Direct systems and completed five validations.
Product revenue grew 36% while service revenue declined 21.9%. Gross margin was 4.6%, with product and consumable gross margin percentages improving by 15 and 33 points, respectively. Net loss widened to $14.3 million ($0.31 per share). The company advanced its MilliporeSigma collaboration and reaffirmed 2026 guidance of $37.0–$41.0 million in revenue, 30–38 system placements, and gross margin of about 20%.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Positive
- Total revenue up 11.1% year-over-year to $8.0 million
- Product revenue up 36.0% year-over-year to $5.6 million
- Recurring revenue up 27.7% to $5.1 million, 63% of total revenue
- Six Growth Direct system placements versus three in prior-year quarter
- Product gross margin percentage up 15 percentage points; consumables up 33 points
- Reaffirmed 2026 revenue guidance of $37.0–$41.0 million and ~20% gross margin
- Executed Services Agreement under strategic collaboration with MilliporeSigma
Negative
- Gross margin at 4.6%, down from 5.6% year-over-year
- Service revenue down 21.9% year-over-year to $2.4 million
- Total operating expenses up 17.9% to $14.2 million
- Net loss increased to $14.3 million from $11.3 million
- Net loss per share widened to $0.31 from $0.26
- Cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, and restricted cash at approximately $23 million
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
Sector peers show mixed moves, with only one momentum-screened name (NSPR) up 1.71% and no clear, broad sector trend aligning with RPID.
Previous Earnings Reports
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12 | Q4/FY 2025 earnings | Positive | -21.8% | Record Q4 and full-year 2025 revenue with 2026 guidance introduced. |
| Nov 07 | Q3 2025 earnings | Positive | +12.7% | Q3 2025 growth, record consumables and raised 2025 revenue guidance. |
| Aug 12 | Q2 2025 earnings | Positive | -17.8% | Q2 2025 revenue growth, recurring gains and new $45M term loan facility. |
| May 09 | Q1 2025 earnings | Positive | +25.7% | Strong Q1 2025 growth, margin improvement and MilliporeSigma agreement. |
| Feb 28 | Q4/FY 2024 earnings | Positive | -7.8% | Record Q4 and 2024 revenue with 2025 guidance and system placements. |
Earnings releases have generally been positive on fundamentals but produced mixed reactions, with more instances of negative price moves despite constructive updates.
Over the last several earnings cycles, Rapid Micro Biosystems reported steady revenue growth and expanding recurring revenue, alongside ongoing net losses. Notable updates included record Q4 2024 and Q4 2025 revenues, larger multi-system orders, and repeated reaffirmation or raising of guidance. Market reactions have been inconsistent, with some quarters like Q1 2025 trading strongly higher, while others such as Q2 and Q4 2025 sold off despite solid metrics and guidance. Today’s Q1 2026 report fits into this pattern of growth amid continued losses.
Historical Comparison
Across the last 5 earnings releases, RPID’s average move was about -1.8%, showing that even solid financial updates have often met with modest or negative price reactions.
Earnings updates show progression from strong Q4 2024 and full-year results to record Q4 2025, with recurring revenue growth, larger multi-system orders, and guidance stepping from at least $32M in 2025 to $37M–$41M in 2026.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement highlights Q1 2026 revenue of $8.0M with solid growth in product and recurring revenue but a wider net loss of $14.3M and modest 4.6% gross margin. Management reaffirmed full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $37.0M–$41.0M and gross margin of about 20%. Investors may focus on system placements, validation activity, expense discipline, and cash of about $23M as key metrics to gauge progress toward improved profitability.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
- Reports first quarter 2026 total revenue of
$8.0 million , representing11% growth compared to the first quarter of 2025- Placed 6 Growth Direct systems in the first quarter 2026 compared to 3 systems in the first quarter of 2025
- First quarter 2026 product revenue increased
36% year-over-year; consumable revenue increased over30% - First quarter 2026 recurring revenue increased
28% year-over-year; comprised63% of total revenue - First quarter 2026 product gross margin percentage increased 15-percentage points; consumable gross margin increased 33-percentage points
- Advanced strategic collaboration with MilliporeSigma with execution of Services Agreement
- Reaffirms full year 2026 total revenue guidance range of
$37.0 million to$41.0 million including a range of 30 to 38 Growth Direct system placements - Reaffirms full year 2026 gross margin percentage guidance of approximately
20% , with Q4 2026 exit rate in mid-20% range
LEXINGTON, Mass., May 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rapid Micro Biosystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: RPID) (the “Company”), an innovative life sciences technology company providing mission critical automation solutions to facilitate the efficient manufacturing and fast, safe release of healthcare products, today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026.
"Our first quarter results reflect strong and consistent execution across the business," said Robert Spignesi, President and CEO. "Strong consumable revenue drove nearly
First Quarter Financial Results
Total revenue for the first quarter of 2026 increased
Total cost of revenue was
Total operating expenses increased by
Net loss for the first quarter of 2026 was
Cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, and restricted cash were approximately
Full Year 2026 Outlook
The Company is reaffirming its full year 2026 total revenue guidance range of
Company Presentation Available
The Company has posted an updated presentation, titled Rapid Micro Biosystems Corporate Presentation - May 2026, to its Investor Relations website. The presentation includes a highlights of first quarter 2026 results and the Company's outlook for the second quarter and full year 2026.
This presentation is available at https://investors.rapidmicrobio.com/news-and-events/presentations
Webcast Details
The Company will host a conference call before the market opens today, May 13, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss its first quarter 2026 financial results. The live call is accessible on the Company’s website at investors.rapidmicrobio.com and will be archived and available for replay for one year.
About Rapid Micro Biosystems
Rapid Micro Biosystems is an innovative life sciences technology company providing mission critical automation solutions to facilitate the efficient manufacturing and fast, safe release of healthcare products such as biologics, vaccines, cell and gene therapies, and sterile injectables. The Company’s flagship Growth Direct system automates and modernizes the antiquated, manual microbial quality control (“MQC”) testing workflows used in the largest and most complex pharmaceutical manufacturing operations across the globe. The Growth Direct system brings the quality control lab to the manufacturing floor, unlocking the power of MQC automation to deliver the faster results, greater accuracy, increased operational efficiency, better compliance with data integrity regulations, and quicker decision making that customers rely on to ensure safe and consistent supply of important healthcare products. The Company is headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts and has U.S. manufacturing in Lowell, Massachusetts, with global locations in Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands. For more information, please visit www.rapidmicrobio.com or follow the Company on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @rapidmicrobio or on LinkedIn.
Rapid Micro Biosystems intends to use the Investor Relations page of its website as a means of disclosing material nonpublic information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor its website in addition to following press releases, filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), public conference calls, presentations and webcasts.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the Company’s guidance, including with respect to full year 2026 total revenue, gross margin, number of Growth Direct placements and system validations; and the Company's growth outlook in future periods.
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “outlook,” “aim,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “due,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “positioned,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and other similar expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events and future trends, or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results to differ materially from any results expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement, including, but not limited to risks related to, the Company's ability to achieve positive cash flow; the Company's ability to achieve its business objectives; the Company's significant losses since inception; the Company’s ability to meet its publicly announced guidance and other expectations about its business and operations; the Company's ability to fulfill customer orders on its anticipated timelines or at all; the impact of the Company's existing and any future indebtedness on its ability to operate its business; the Company’s ability to access any future tranches under its debt facility and to comply with all of its obligations thereunder; the Company’s limited experience in marketing and sales and the effectiveness of its sales processes; the Company’s need to develop new products and adapt to technological changes; the Company’s ability to establish and maintain its position as a leading provider of automated microbial quality control testing; the Company’s ability to maintain its manufacturing facility; the Company's ability to improve the gross margins of its products and services; risks related to third-parties; the Company’s ability to retain key management and other employees; risks related to regulatory and intellectual property matters; risks related to supply chain disruptions and the impact of inflation; risks associated with macroeconomic events and uncertainty, including with respect to tariff and trade policy in the U.S. and abroad, as well as activity in the Company's industry and in the general economy; and the other important factors outlined under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC, as such factors may be updated from time to time in its other filings with the SEC, which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations page of its website at investors.rapidmicrobio.com. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results. The Company has no obligation, and does not undertake any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statement made in this press release to reflect changes since the date of this press release, except as may be required by law.
| RAPID MICRO BIOSYSTEMS, INC. Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands, except share and per share amounts) | |||||||
| Three Months Ended March 31, | |||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | ||||||
| Revenue: | |||||||
| Product revenue | $ | 5,578 | $ | 4,101 | |||
| Service revenue | 2,424 | 3,104 | |||||
| Total revenue | 8,002 | 7,205 | |||||
| Cost of revenue: | |||||||
| Cost of product revenue | 6,025 | 5,029 | |||||
| Cost of service revenue | 1,606 | 1,772 | |||||
| Total cost of revenue | 7,631 | 6,801 | |||||
| Gross margin | 371 | 404 | |||||
| Operating expenses: | |||||||
| Research and development | 3,359 | 3,624 | |||||
| Sales and marketing | 3,422 | 2,751 | |||||
| General and administrative | 7,442 | 5,690 | |||||
| Total operating expenses | 14,223 | 12,065 | |||||
| Loss from operations | (13,852 | ) | (11,661 | ) | |||
| Other income (expense): | |||||||
| Interest income | 256 | 466 | |||||
| Interest expense | (639 | ) | (12 | ) | |||
| Other expense, net | (32 | ) | (49 | ) | |||
| Total other income (expense), net | (415 | ) | 405 | ||||
| Loss before income taxes | (14,267 | ) | (11,256 | ) | |||
| Income tax expense | 8 | 7 | |||||
| Net loss | $ | (14,275 | ) | $ | (11,263 | ) | |
| Net loss per share — basic and diluted | $ | (0.31 | ) | $ | (0.26 | ) | |
| Weighted average common shares outstanding — basic and diluted | 45,433,800 | 43,993,359 | |||||
| RAPID MICRO BIOSYSTEMS, INC. Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands) | |||||
| March 31, 2026 | December 31, 2025 | ||||
| Assets | |||||
| Current assets: | |||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 13,815 | $ | 20,030 | |
| Short-term investments | 9,134 | 18,266 | |||
| Accounts receivable | 6,367 | 3,134 | |||
| Inventory, net | 17,447 | 17,593 | |||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 2,463 | 2,145 | |||
| Total current assets | 49,226 | 61,168 | |||
| Property and equipment, net | 8,770 | 8,972 | |||
| Right-of-use assets | 3,838 | 4,109 | |||
| Other long-term assets | 245 | 319 | |||
| Restricted cash | 284 | 284 | |||
| Total assets | 62,363 | 74,852 | |||
| Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | |||||
| Current liabilities: | |||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 4,670 | $ | 4,139 | |
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | 6,495 | 8,316 | |||
| Deferred revenue | 6,634 | 4,734 | |||
| Lease liabilities, short-term | 1,320 | 1,298 | |||
| Total current liabilities | 19,119 | 18,487 | |||
| Lease liabilities, long-term | 3,337 | 3,674 | |||
| Notes payable, net | 19,053 | 18,902 | |||
| Warrant liability | 116 | 186 | |||
| Other long-term liabilities | 340 | 397 | |||
| Total liabilities | 41,965 | 41,646 | |||
| Total stockholders’ equity | 20,398 | 33,206 | |||
| Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity | $ | 62,363 | $ | 74,852 | |
| RAPIDMICRO BIOSYSTEMS, INC. Unaudited Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments (in thousands) | |||||
| March 31, 2026 | December 31, 2025 | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 13,815 | $ | 20,030 | |
| Short-term investments | 9,134 | 18,266 | |||
| Restricted cash | 284 | 284 | |||
| Cash, cash equivalents, investments and restricted cash | $ | 23,233 | $ | 38,580 | |
Investor Contact Michael Beaulieu, CFA Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications investors@rapidmicrobio.com Media Contact media@rapidmicrobio.com