Restructuring and Operational Update
In November, we announced a global restructuring of our operations in the U.S., Canada, and Germany that aims to significantly reduce operating costs, realign resources toward advancing the Company’s core technologies, and protect the Company’s competitive position amid slower-than-expected investments in clean energy. We believe that the restructuring plan will allow us to prioritize commercially available technologies to reflect changing market opportunities with an updated strategic plan. In connection with this restructuring plan, we expect to reduce operating costs by approximately 15% in fiscal year 2025, compared with fiscal year 2024. The restructuring plan included a reduction in our workforce of approximately 13% or 75 employees in November 2024 and includes reduced spending for product development, overhead and other costs. This followed a 4% or 17 employee reduction in our workforce in September 2024.
In fiscal year 2022, we provided aspirational long-term revenue targets to be met by the end of fiscal year 2025 and fiscal year 2030. In developing these revenue targets, we made certain timing assumptions regarding, among other things, the development, commercialization and market adoption timelines of our solid oxide electrolysis cell (“SOEC”), solid oxide fuel cell (“SOFC”) and carbon capture products. However, these long-term revenue targets do not reflect the current market realities regarding the pace of hydrogen adoption and infrastructure build out as well as continuing uncertainty regarding the Inflation Reduction Act and other large scale clean energy policies globally. In addition, as part of our restructuring plan, we reduced headcount and have begun to reduce spending on product development. As a result of current market realities, and in conjunction with our restructuring plan, the timing of the development and commercialization of our SOEC, SOFC and carbon capture products has been delayed from our prior estimates and, accordingly, due to these factors, we will not meet the aspirational revenue targets that we provided in fiscal year 2022. However, because we believe we have good visibility into contracted revenue drivers for fiscal year 2025, including with respect to revenues expected to be recognized upon delivery of replacement modules to GGE, we expect to see a material improvement in the Company’s revenues for fiscal year 2025 compared to fiscal year 2024.
Cash, Restricted Cash and Short-Term Investments
Cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaled $318.0 million as of October 31, 2024, compared to $403.3 million as of October 31, 2023. Of the $318.0 million total as of October 31, 2024, unrestricted cash and cash equivalents totaled $148.1 million, short-term investments totaled $109.1 million and restricted cash and cash equivalents totaled $60.8 million. Of the $403.3 million total as of October 31, 2023, unrestricted cash and cash equivalents totaled $250.0 million, short-term investments totaled $103.8 million, and restricted cash and cash equivalents totaled $49.6 million. Short-term investments represent the amortized cost of U.S. Treasury Securities outstanding and held by the Company as of October 31, 2024 and October 31, 2023 as part of the Company’s cash management optimization effort.
“We were pleased to add the Export-Import Bank of the United States to the list of financing organizations with whom we have created relationships,” said Michael Bishop, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. “We continue to see growth opportunities around the world that benefit from access to supportive capital. Lastly, I am encouraged by the strength of our balance sheet, which includes over $300 million in cash and short-term investments.”
During the three months ended October 31, 2024, approximately 1.9 million shares of the Company’s common stock were sold under the Company’s Amended Open Market Sale Agreement at an average sale price of $11.23 per share, resulting in gross proceeds of approximately $21.5 million before deducting sales commissions and fees, and net proceeds to the Company of approximately $20.8 million after deducting sales commissions and fees totaling approximately $0.6 million.