Ouster (OUST) Q1 2026 revenue jumps 49% but company stays in loss
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Ouster, Inc. reported strong top-line growth but continued losses for the first quarter of 2026. Revenue reached $48.6 million, up 49% year over year, while product revenue was $48.2 million, up 55% year over year and 18% sequentially, driven by smart infrastructure and industrial customers. The company shipped more than 12,600 sensors, with lidar accounting for about 65% of units.
GAAP gross margin was 43%, improving from 41% a year earlier but down from 60% in the fourth quarter of 2025; non-GAAP gross margin was 46%, flat year over year and down from 62% sequentially. Ouster recorded a net loss of $17.5 million, narrower than the $22.0 million loss a year ago, and negative Adjusted EBITDA of $6.9 million. Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash totaled $80.5 million at March 31, 2026.
For the second quarter of 2026, Ouster expects total revenue between $49.5 million and $52.5 million, including a full quarter of contributions from its Stereolabs acquisition. Management highlighted the launch of the new Rev8 OS digital lidar family with native color sensing and emphasized growing demand across Physical AI applications.
Positive
- Strong Q1 2026 revenue growth: Total revenue rose to $48.6 million, a 49% year-over-year increase, with product revenue up 55% and shipments exceeding 12,600 sensors, signaling robust demand across smart infrastructure and industrial customers.
Negative
- Continued losses and margin compression: Despite higher revenue, Ouster reported a $17.5 million net loss and GAAP gross margin fell to 43% from 60% in Q4 2025, indicating ongoing profitability and cost-structure challenges.
Insights
Ouster is growing revenue rapidly but remains loss-making with softer margins versus last quarter.
Ouster generated $48.6M in Q1 2026 revenue, up 49% year over year, with product revenue of $48.2M supported by more than 12,600 lidar and camera shipments. Smart infrastructure and industrial automation were key demand drivers.
Profitability remains a challenge. GAAP gross margin was 43% versus 60% in Q4 2025, and the company posted a net loss of $17.5M. Adjusted EBITDA improved year over year to a loss of $6.9M, indicating some operating leverage but not yet break-even performance.
Liquidity looks reasonable with cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $80.5M as of March 31, 2026. Management guided Q2 2026 revenue to $49.5M–$52.5M, including a full quarter from Stereolabs, and is emphasizing the new Rev8 OS platform as a growth catalyst across Physical AI markets.
8-K Event Classification
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Adjusted EBITDA financial
Non-GAAP Gross Margin financial
functional safety technical
Physical AI technical
contract liabilities financial
stock-based compensation financial
Earnings Snapshot
Q2 2026 revenue guidance of $49.5M–$52.5M, including a full quarter of Stereolabs operations.