BioAmber Inc. Reports First Quarter 2015 Financial Results

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, May 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - BioAmber Inc. (NYSE: BIOA), an industrial biotechnology company producing sustainable chemicals, today announced its financial results for the quarter ending March 31, 2015. Highlights included:

• The Sarnia plant remains on track to begin commercial operations in Q3 2015, with project costs that continued to track within the US$125 million +/-10% estimate
• BioAmber entered into a technology license with Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies that provides demonstrated engineering for the production of BDO and THF from bio-succinic acid
• After the quarter end, BioAmber was chosen by Bayer MaterialScience as its supplier of bio-succinic acid for a new product line
• After the quarter end, BioAmber raised $35.1 million in gross proceeds through a public offering of common stock

"We have been able to execute effectively in Sarnia while reducing the risk associated with the next plant, and now we have the capital needed to undertake critical engineering and site related work on our next plant so that we don't lose time," said Jean-Francois Huc, BioAmber's Chief Executive Officer. "On the commercial front, the recent Bayer MaterialScience announcement is a strong endorsement of BioAmber's leadership position in bio-succinic acid and a clear signal of the growing demand for more sustainable chemicals," he added.

Sarnia Highlights

• Construction is expected to be substantially complete by the end of May 2015
• Commissioning is on track and the plant is expected to be in commercial operation in Q3 2015

Other Business Highlights

• BioAmber licensed technology from Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies (JM Davy), enabling the construction and operation of a 100,000 ton per year capacity plant that uses bio-succinic acid as the feedstock to produce 70,000 tons of bio-based 1,4-BDO and 30,000 tons of bio-based THF
• BioAmber secured the right to license the JM Davy technology for two additional BDO/THF plants
• BioAmber was chosen by Bayer MaterialScience, which is among the world's largest polymer companies, to be the supplier of bio-succinic acid used to produce a new range of bio-based polyurethanes for textile applications that Bayer MaterialScience has begun commercializing

Financial Highlights

• Net cash used in operating activities was below $2.0 million per month in Q1 2015
• Cash on hand was $26.0 million as of March 31, 2015, with approximately $20.5 million of cash expected to be received in Q2 2015 from previously announced loans and grants for Sarnia
• On May 1, 2015 the Company completed a public offering of 3,900,000 shares of common stock at a price of $9.00 per share, raising gross proceeds of $35.1 million.

Q1 2015 Financial Results

Revenues for the quarter ended March 31, 2015 increased to $367,000 from $351,000 for the same period in 2014. The increase was due to an increase in volume sold, partially offset by a decrease in average selling price.

Gross profit in the quarter ended March 31, 2015 was $57,000, compared to a gross profit of $71,000 for the same period in 2014. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in the average selling price and an increase in the volume sold.

Research and development expenses for the quarter ended March 31, 2015 increased to $4.6 million from $3.3 million for the same period in 2014. The increase was primarily due to an increase in non-recurring expenses related to the commissioning and start-up of the Sarnia plant.

Sales and marketing expenses remained relatively stable at $1.2 million in the quarter ended March 31, 2015, compared to $1.1 million for the same period in 2014.

General and administrative expenses for the quarter ended March 31, 2015 decreased to $2.6 million from $2.9 million for the same period in 2014. The decrease was primarily due to a reduction in professional fees, which was partially offset by an increase in stock-option compensation expense resulting from the vesting of additional options.

Foreign currency losses in the quarter ended March 31, 2015 were $55,000, compared to a loss of $168,000 for the same period in 2014. The decrease stemmed from the reduction of our Canadian dollar exposure in BioAmber Inc. in the quarter ended March 31, 2015.

During the quarter ended March 31, 2015, the Company incurred net financial charges of $431,000, compared to $12.4 million for the same period in 2014. The net financial charges in the quarter ended March 31, 2015 included a $320,000 non-cash gain related to changes in the fair market value of the warrants issued in connection with the Company's initial public offering, compared to a charge of $11.6 million recorded in the same period of 2014. The warrants are revalued at each reporting period resulting in a non-cash amount being recorded in the statement of operations for as long as the warrants remain outstanding.

The Company recorded a net loss attributable to BioAmber Inc. shareholders of $8.3 million, or a loss of $0.38 per share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2015, compared to a net loss of $19.9 million, or a loss of $1.07 per share, for the same period in 2014.

The Adjusted Net Loss Attributable to BioAmber Inc. Shareholders for quarter ended March 31, 2015 was $8.6 million, or a loss of $0.39 per share, compared to an Adjusted Net Loss Attributable to BioAmber Inc. Shareholders of $8.3 million, or a loss of $0.45 per share, for the same period in 2014. Adjusted Net Loss Attributable to BioAmber Inc. Shareholders is a non-GAAP financial metric that excludes, for the quarters ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, the impact of the change in fair value of the warrants issued in connection with the IPO. Please refer to Annex A: "Non-GAAP Financial InformationAdjusted Net Loss Attributable to BioAmber Inc. Shareholders" for more information regarding this non-GAAP financial metric.

Webcast and Conference Call Information

BioAmber will discuss these results on a live audio webcast, which will be available on the Internet to investors, members of the news media and the general public at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on May 7, 2015. To access the webcast of the conference call, go to the company's website, www.bio-amber.com. Audio of the teleconference is also available by dialing: 

North American callers:  +1 (888) 390-0546

International callers: (416) 764-8688

To read full press release, please click here.

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