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    TWST
    Earnings call· Jun 2026(Q3 FY26)

    Twist Bioscience Q3 FY26 earnings call TWST

    Aug 3, 2026 Source

    Executive summary

    Twist Bioscience Q3 FY26 — Record Revenue and Strong AI-Enabled Discovery Growth

    Twist Bioscience reported its 14th consecutive quarter of revenue growth, driven by strong demand in AI-enabled drug discovery and NGS applications. The company remains on track to achieve adjusted EBITDA breakeven in Q4 FY26, leveraging its unique DNA synthesis platform and expanding capabilities to support digital biology trends and long-term profitable growth.

    Highlights

    6
    • Reported record revenue of $118.4 million, representing 23% year-over-year growth.

    • DNA Synthesis and Protein Solutions (DSPS) revenue increased 39% year-over-year to $56.6 million.

    • Therapeutic revenue grew 49% year-over-year to $40.4 million, driven by AI-enabled drug discovery.

    • Academic and government revenue increased 32% year-over-year and 21% sequentially to $15.5 million.

    • Gross margin improved to 52.8%, up 120 basis points sequentially, with 70% of incremental revenue dropping to the gross margin line.

    • AI-enabled drug discovery orders are expected to meet or exceed triple-digit percentage growth in fiscal 2026 and again in fiscal 2027.

    Concerns

    3
    • Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $11.3 million for the quarter, reflecting planned one-time investments.

    • Operating expenses (excluding cost of revenues) increased to $98.7 million, up from $81.4 million in the prior year, including approximately $2 million in employee transition costs.

    • Industry and applied revenue slightly decreased to $5.7 million from $6.1 million in the prior year period.

    Guidance & targets

    12
    CategoryTargetConfidence
    Total Revenue
    $456 million to $457 million
    high materiality
    High
    Total Revenue
    $123 million to $124 million
    high materiality
    High
    DNA Synthesis and Protein Solutions (DSPS) Sequential Growth
    sequential growth
    medium materiality
    High
    NGS Applications Year-over-Year Growth
    above 20% year-over-year
    medium materiality
    High
    AI-enabled Drug Discovery Order Growth
    meet or exceed triple-digit percent order growth
    high materiality
    High
    AI-enabled Drug Discovery Order Growth
    again deliver triple-digit percent growth
    high materiality
    High
    Gross Margin
    above 52%
    medium materiality
    High
    Gross Margin
    more than 60%
    high materiality
    Medium
    Adjusted EBITDA
    breakeven
    high materiality
    High
    Adjusted EBITDA
    maintain this commitment
    high materiality
    High
    Total Revenue from Organic Growth
    more than double
    high materiality
    Medium
    Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM)
    $13 billion
    low materiality
    Medium

    Segment performance

    10
    SegmentRevenueYoYQoQMargin
    DNA Synthesis and Protein Solutions (DSPS)
    Strong growth driven by increased uptake of products for therapeutic discovery, including AI-enabled drug discovery.
    Genes shipped: 369,000Consecutive quarter-over-quarter growth in genes manufactured for data characterization
    $56.6 million39%6%
    NGS Applications
    Growth driven by top accounts and continued execution on new product introductions.
    Revenue from top 10 NGS customers: 48% of NGS applications revenueNGS applications customers served: 657NGS applications customers adopted products: 182
    $61.8 million12%8%
    Americas
    Strong year-over-year growth in the region.
    $77.3 million30%
    EMEA
    Solid year-over-year growth in the region.
    $33.6 million9%
    APAC
    Significant year-over-year growth in the region.
    $7.5 million26%
    Therapeutic
    Reflects increased uptake by pharma, dry lab biotech, and large tech companies in therapeutic discovery, including AI-enabled drug discovery.
    $40.4 million49%
    Diagnostics
    Growth based on strong performance from top accounts.
    $43.8 million15%10%
    Industry and Applied
    Slight decrease compared to the prior year period.
    $5.7 million-6.6%
    Academic and Government
    Driven by strength in U.S. accounts, with several large customers returning during the quarter.
    $15.5 million32%21%
    Global Supply Partner
    Provides a stable recurring revenue base, while other product groups drive overall company growth.
    $12.9 million-0.8%

    Operational metrics

    14
    Gross Margin
    52.8%120 bps sequentially
    Q3 FY26

    Gross margin for the third quarter, driven by strong revenue growth.

    Operating Expenses (excluding cost of revenues)
    $98.7 millionvs $81.4 million in prior year
    Q3 FY26

    Operating expenses for the quarter, including one-time investments.

    Employee Transition Costs
    $2 million
    Q3 FY26

    Included in operating expenses for the quarter.

    Operating Expense Reduction
    more than $5 millionsequential reduction
    Q4 FY26

    Expected reduction in OpEx for the fourth quarter due to one-time expenses in Q3.

    Adjusted EBITDA
    -$11.3 million
    Q3 FY26

    Adjusted EBITDA loss for the third quarter, reflecting planned one-time investments.

    Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
    $166.8 millionvs $171.7 million as of March 31, 2026
    as of Q3 FY26

    Cash position at the end of the third fiscal quarter.

    Manufacturing Cost Reduction
    60%
    last 3 years

    Improvement in manufacturing efficiency over the past three years.

    Waste Reduction
    70%
    last 3 years

    Improvement in waste reduction over the past three years.

    Turnaround Time Reduction
    73%
    last 3 years

    Improvement in turnaround time over the past three years.

    Oligonucleotide Capacity Increase
    4x
    last 3 years

    Increase in oligonucleotide capacity over the past three years.

    Complex Genes Ordered (Early Access)
    more than 1,800
    early access

    Number of complex genes ordered during the early access program.

    Complex Gene Orders (Early Access)
    well over 100
    early access

    Number of orders for complex genes during the early access program.

    Complex Gene Delivery Time
    12 days
    early access

    Delivery time for the overwhelming majority of complex constructs during early access.

    Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM)
    $13 billion
    by 2030

    Projected size of the serviceable addressable market.

    Product announcements

    1
    ProductTypeDetails
    Complex Genes offeringlaunch

    Risks & headwinds

    3
    Increased Operating ExpensesQ3 FY26

    $98.7 million for Q3 FY26, up from $81.4 million in prior year

    Mitigation: Expects more than $5 million reduction in OpEx in Q4, driven by employee transition costs and other one-time expenses in Q3.

    Adjusted EBITDA LossQ3 FY26

    -$11.3 million for Q3 FY26

    Mitigation: Committed to achieving adjusted EBITDA breakeven in Q4 FY26 and maintaining this commitment for FY27.

    Dynamic Environment and Order Pattern Fluctuationongoing

    order patterns may fluctuate

    Mitigation: Business resilience, depth of customer engagement, and growth of the customer group (specifically academic and government segment) demonstrate ability to navigate.

    What to watch in Q4 FY26

    5

    Adjusted EBITDA breakeven

    Q4 FY26
    Current-$11.3 million (Q3 FY26 loss)
    TargetBreakeven

    Why it matters

    This is a key profitability milestone that the company has committed to achieve in Q4 FY26 and sustain into FY27.

    We expect to achieve adjusted EBITDA breakeven for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 and we expect to maintain this commitment for fiscal '27.

    Q&A highlights

    6

    Why was therapeutics revenue incrementally down sequentially despite good volumes? What gives confidence in repeating triple-digit AI growth for FY27, based on funnel visibility or ongoing conversations?

    Emily Leproust explained that the strength comes from existing customers' iterative cycles and new customer acquisition, including expansion into new modalities. She expressed high confidence in FY27 triple-digit AI growth based on customer conversations and the increasing demand for sequences.

    So talking to customers, looking at the costs we are giving them, the number of sequences that they have in mind that they want to build either a full DNA or [indiscernible] very, very strong confidence that triple-digit percentage growth that we see in AI-enabled drug discovery, as we know we're going to be able to deliver [indiscernible] is continuing again from [indiscernible].

    asked by Brendan Smith · answered by Emily Leproust

    2 min read6 chapters

    Detailed Narrative

    01

    AI-Enabled Drug Discovery Momentum

    Twist Bioscience is seeing AI-enabled drug discovery mature into a durable growth engine, with increasing confidence in triple-digit order growth for both fiscal 2026 and 2027. This growth is fueled by existing customers returning for iterative design-build-test-learn cycles, new customer acquisition, and new organizations expanding into life sciences. The company's platform is well-suited to support both AI-enabled and traditional drug discovery, translating digital designs into physical biology through high-throughput DNA synthesis and protein expression.

    02

    Platform Differentiation and Competitive Moat

    Twist's core competitive advantage extends beyond its semiconductor-based DNA synthesis platform to a complex infrastructure encompassing manufacturing, automation, software, and commercial execution. Over the last three years, the company has reduced manufacturing costs by 60%, waste by 70%, and turnaround time by approximately 73%, while increasing oligonucleotide capacity fourfold. These continuous operational improvements strengthen its competitive position and create additional capacity for future growth, making its platform exceptionally difficult to replicate.

    03

    Public Health Impact and Rapid Response

    The company's platform demonstrated its importance in global public health by enabling the identification of the Ebola virus during an outbreak in Congo and Uganda. Researchers used Twist's comprehensive viral panel to identify the pathogen, underscoring the value of viral genome enrichment for emerging infectious diseases. Additionally, Twist synthesized virus material in less than 24 hours to support rapid response efforts during a cruise ship outbreak, showcasing the breadth, speed, and reliability of its capabilities.

    04

    NGS Applications Growth and Innovation

    Twist is experiencing strong accelerating momentum in its NGS Applications Group, primarily driven by diagnostic customers focused on commercial volume growth. The company is expanding its portfolio with new product introductions, including proprietary enzymes like high-performing polymerases and preliminary, which are critical for whole genome and other workflows. These innovations are enhancing customer success and supporting emerging applications such as minimal residual disease (MRD) testing, where high-sensitivity tests are crucial for better patient outcomes.

    05

    Complex Genes Offering Launch

    Following a successful early access program, Twist formally launched its complex genes offering, expanding the range of DNA sequences researchers can order. This offering allows for the consistent synthesis of highly challenging constructs with high GC content or repetitive elements, using the same automated production workflow. During early access, over 1,800 complex genes were ordered across more than 100 orders, with the majority completed within 12 days, demonstrating the platform's ability to deliver at commercial scale with consistent quality and speed.

    06

    Path to Profitability and Long-Term Vision

    Twist remains committed to achieving adjusted EBITDA breakeven in Q4 FY26 and sustaining this performance into FY27, while also targeting gross margins of over 60% as the business matures. The company projects to more than double its revenue from organic growth by 2031, driven by the increasing digitalization and AI-enablement of biology. Its serviceable addressable market is projected to reach $13 billion by 2030, with continuous innovation expected to expand this opportunity further.

    AI-generated summary of the company’s earnings call. Not investment advice.