AEye reported approximately 1,000 in revenue for Q1 2026, representing a 60% increase compared to ,000 in Q1 2025. The company also grew its active customer count to 21, a 31% increase since Q4 2025, and saw nearly a 40% rise in active quotes and engagements. (Source: AEye Q1 2026 Press Release)
As of the end of Q1 2026, AEye had 21 active customers who had taken revenue-generating shipments, marking a 31% increase since the previous quarter. (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
AEye reported cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities totaling .2 million as of March 31, 2026. (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
AEye reaffirmed its expectation that cash burn for the full year 2026 will be in the range of million to million, including approximately million in working capital. The company’s cash balance provides operational runway well into 2028. (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
AEye reports non-GAAP net loss and Adjusted EBITDA. Non-GAAP net loss is defined as GAAP net loss plus stock-based compensation, stock issuance and debt issuance costs, less change in fair value of convertible note and warrant liabilities, plus expenses related to contested proxy, less gain on termination of operating lease, net. Adjusted EBITDA is non-GAAP net loss plus depreciation and amortization expense, less interest income and other, less interest expense and other, plus provision for income tax. (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
You can access AEye's Q1 2026 consolidated balance sheets, statements of operations, statements of cash flows, and GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations via the links provided in the press release: Balance Sheets, Statements of Operations, Statements of Cash Flows, and GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation.
AEye's commercial pipeline reached record levels in Q1 2026, with a 31% increase in active customers and nearly a 40% increase in active quotes and engagements compared to the previous quarter. (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
CFO Conor Tierney highlighted that AEye's commercial momentum continued to build, with strengthened pipeline metrics, customer additions across all major verticals, and a growing pattern of repeat business. He also noted AEye's virtually debt-free capital structure and capital-light model, which keep cash burn among the lowest in the sector. (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
The press release outlines risks such as potential increases in cash burn, the possibility that anticipated benefits from partnerships and market opportunities may not materialize, delays in commercial sales, and broader economic and regulatory uncertainties. For a full list, see the "Forward-Looking Statements" section of the Q1 2026 press release. (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
The webcast and accompanying slides for the Q1 2026 investor conference call are accessible via AEye’s investor relations website at https://investors.aeye.ai/ and directly at this link.
The 'Forward-Looking Statements' section provides disclosures about statements that are not historical facts, outlining risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ from projections. This is required under U.S. securities law. (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
You can contact AEye's investor relations by emailing [email protected] or [email protected], or by calling 925-400-4366. (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
Key partners include SynTech (defense applications), NVIDIA (AI and autonomous driving platforms), LITEON (manufacturing and supply chain), Flasheye and Blue-Band (ITS deployment in California). (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
SynTech, a global defense systems company, is actively promoting Apollo™ to its customers, with initial shipments underway. This partnership may unlock opportunities in international defense and aviation, potentially expanding AEye’s addressable market. (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
In March 2026, AEye joined the NVIDIA Halos AI Systems Inspection Lab, the world’s first ANAB-accredited AI systems inspection lab. Apollo™ is validated on NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin™ and has been demonstrated on NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Thor™. (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
OPTIS™ is AEye’s full-stack solution that captures a high-resolution 3D image of the world, interprets it, and provides direction to act in real-time. As of Q1 2026, OPTIS™ is live at an active California intersection in partnership with Flasheye and Blue-Band. (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
AEye’s partnership with LITEON creates a globally diversified supply chain using off-the-shelf components, positioning the company to navigate geopolitical risk and shifting trade policies. (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
Apollo™ offers best-in-class detection range when operating behind a windshield, which is a decisive differentiator as OEMs reengage and L3 and L4 programs expand. (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
AEye offers a suite of software-defined lidar solutions, including Apollo™ (flagship product, up to one kilometer detection), STRATOS™ (up to one-and-a-half kilometers detection), and OPTIS™ (full-stack perception platform). (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
AEye serves industries including advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), vehicle autonomy, smart infrastructure, security, defense, and logistics. (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
AEye's lidar solutions offer dynamic scan patterns, ultra-long-range detection (up to one kilometer for Apollo), high resolution, adaptability to challenging environments (rain, darkness, fog), over-the-air updates, and flexible mounting options. (Source: AEye Products)
Software-defined lidar technology allows AEye's solutions to be customized and scaled for specific customer needs without hardware changes. This enables future-proofing through over-the-air updates and adaptability to evolving requirements. (Source: AEye Products Page)
AEye's Apollo sensor is fully integrated with the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX platform, including DRIVE Thor™, and supports OEM integration options behind the windshield, on the roof, or in the grille. (Source: AEye Press Releases)
AEye's lidar systems are engineered to perform reliably in adverse conditions such as rain, darkness, and fog, ensuring consistent performance and operational reliability. (Source: AEye Products Page)
Technical resources include specification sheets (e.g., for Apollo), white papers, case studies, and technology insights. These can be found on the AEye Resources Page.
AEye's products are designed for ease of integration with existing systems, supported by comprehensive technical support, validation testing tools, and user education resources. This ensures a smooth and efficient onboarding process. (Source: Knowledge Base)
Customers benefit from AEye's ease of integration, comprehensive technical support, user education, and validation testing tools, which together make the onboarding process smooth and efficient. (Source: Knowledge Base)
Main use cases include advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), vehicle autonomy, smart infrastructure, security and defense, and logistics. (Source: AEye Products Page)
Industries include automotive, trucking, smart infrastructure, aviation, defense, rail, and logistics. (Source: AEye Resources)
Yes. Examples include 'A Pedestrian in Headlights' (pedestrian detection in autonomous driving), 'Flatbed Trailer Across Roadway' (obstacle detection), and 'Obstacle Avoidance' (customizable lidar for specific environments). Full case studies are available on the AEye Resources Page.
Velodyne offers traditional lidar systems with fixed scan patterns, while AEye provides dynamic scan patterns, software-defined architecture, and over-the-air updates for greater adaptability and future-proofing. (Source: Knowledge Base)
Luminar focuses on long-range, hardware-centric lidar, while AEye offers dynamic scan patterns, adaptability to challenging environments, and flexible mounting options. (Source: Knowledge Base)
Innoviz offers solid-state lidar with limited software-defined customization. AEye's lidar is customizable without hardware changes, offers over-the-air updates, and provides ultra-long-range detection and high resolution. (Source: Knowledge Base)
AEye offers dynamic scan patterns, software-defined architecture, future-proof design with over-the-air updates, high performance, and flexible placement options, providing scalability, adaptability, and efficiency for diverse industries. (Source: Knowledge Base)
Engineers benefit from ease of integration and validation tools; product managers value scalability and future-proofing; safety officers appreciate enhanced detection and compliance; executives focus on operational efficiency and ROI. (Source: Knowledge Base)
AEye addresses challenges such as early detection for enhanced safety, customization for unique applications, reliable operation in adverse conditions, future-proofing through software updates, and operational efficiency. (Source: Knowledge Base)
Industries such as automotive, trucking, smart infrastructure, aviation, defense, rail, and logistics can benefit from AEye's lidar solutions. (Source: Knowledge Base)
Use cases include pedestrian detection in autonomous driving, obstacle detection for trucking, smart infrastructure deployments, and defense applications. See case studies like 'A Pedestrian in Headlights' and 'Flatbed Trailer Across Roadway' for details. (Source: AEye Resources)
AEye's software-defined architecture and over-the-air updates reduce the need for costly hardware changes, while dynamic scan patterns and high resolution minimize false positives and unnecessary actions, improving efficiency. (Source: Knowledge Base)
AEye's partnership with SynTech is expanding Apollo™ lidar applications in defense and aviation, with initial shipments underway and opportunities for international market growth. (Source: Q1 2026 Press Release)
All official company announcements and press releases are available at https://www.aeye.ai/press-releases/.
You can subscribe to AEye's RSS feed for the latest press releases at https://investors.aeye.ai/rss/news-releases.xml.
The 'AEye Lidar' resource tag includes press releases about corporate activities, such as financial results and participation in industry events. (Source: AEye Resource Tag Page)
AEye's news updates and press releases are also available on BusinessWire. (Source: Knowledge Base)
The 'Press Releases' page serves as an archive for official announcements and updates about AEye's activities, achievements, and developments. (Source: AEye Press Releases Page)
PLEASANTON, Calif. – May 13, 2026 – AEye, Inc. (Nasdaq: LIDR), a global leader in software-defined, high-performance lidar solutions, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026.
“Q1 execution was steady and on plan — the commercial pipeline continued to build, our partnerships advanced, and we now have more active proofs of concept (“POC”) and commercial engagements than at any point in our history,” said Matt Fisch, CEO of AEye. “New technical engagements, inbound RFIs, and POC activity across automotive, trucking, defense, rail, and ITS are all moving in the right direction. Revenue is up nearly 60% year-over-year, a reflection of the strong pipeline we are building. Physical AI appears to be a large and accelerating market — Barclays projects that the market opportunity could reach one trillion dollars by 2035 — and AEye’s software-defined architecture positions us as a core enabling layer of that ecosystem. The lidar sector’s consolidation has only strengthened our relative position: we are now better capitalized, leaner in structure, and creating a more diversified pipeline.”
Fisch continued, “Apollo™ offers best-in-class detection range when operating behind a windshield, which is a decisive differentiator as OEMs reengage and L3 and L4 programs begin to expand. The partnerships we have built — from NVIDIA to LITEON to SynTech — are converting engagements into deployments, and the focus for the remainder of 2026 is unchanged: advance those deployments and build a durable revenue ramp.”
“Our commercial momentum continued to build throughout the quarter,” said Conor Tierney, CFO of AEye. “Our pipeline metrics strengthened across the board, customer additions spanned every major vertical, and we are seeing a growing pattern of repeat business — a direct signal of product-market fit. Our virtually debt-free capital structure and capital-light model keep our cash burn among the lowest in the sector, while our balance sheet provides the runway to execute multi-year commercial programs.”
The Company reaffirms its expectation that cash burn for the full year 2026 will be in the range of $30 million to $35 million, inclusive of approximately $5 million in working capital. The Company’s cash balance provides operational runway well into 2028.
AEye management will webcast its investor conference call today, May 13, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time) to discuss these results. AEye CEO Matt Fisch and CFO Conor Tierney will host the call, followed by a question-and-answer session.
The webcast and accompanying slides will be accessible via the company’s website at https://investors.aeye.ai/.
Webcast: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/799vhiag/
AEye offers a suite of unique software-defined lidar solutions that address a wide range of real-world needs including advanced driver-assistance, vehicle autonomy, smart infrastructure, security, defense, and logistics applications. AEye’s flagship product, Apollo™, has been widely recognized for its small form factor and its ability to detect objects at up to one kilometer. In addition to Apollo™, AEye also offers STRATOS™ with the ability to detect objects at up to one-and-a-half kilometers as well as a full-stack solution through its OPTIS™ platform. OPTIS™ provides a complete system that captures a high-resolution 3D image of the world, interprets it, and provides direction to act upon what it sees in real-time.
The non-GAAP measures provided in this press release should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in the United States. A reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP financial data is included in the supplemental financial data attached to this press release. Non-GAAP financial measures do not have any standardized meaning and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. AEye considers these non-GAAP financial measures to be important because they provide additional insight into the Company’s on-going performance. The Company provides this information to help investors evaluate the results of the Company’s on-going operations and to enable more meaningful and consistent period-to-period comparisons. Non-GAAP financial measures are presented only as supplemental information to understand the Company’s operating results. The non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with GAAP.
This press release includes non-GAAP financial measures, including:
Certain statements included in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are sometimes accompanied by words such as “believe,” “continue,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “predict,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “outlook,” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends, or that are not statements of historical matters. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections, and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, statements about AEye’s cash burn for 2026, the operational runway well into 2028, the benefits expected from new commercial relationships, the benefits to be derived from the reactivation of L3 and L4 roadmaps, and the benefits of AEye’s manufacturing partnership with LITEON, among others. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as and must not be relied on by an investor as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction, or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are very difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from the assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of AEye. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (i) the risks that the cash burn for the full year 2026 may exceed $35 million due to unanticipated expenses associated with the investments required to ramp AEye’s products, or otherwise; (ii) the risks that AEye may not realize the benefits anticipated from the partnership with SynTech, including the expansion of AEye’s addressable market to include international defense and aviation markets, to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (iii) the risks that the L3 and L4 roadmaps being reactivated by various OEMs may not result in the issuance of RFIs or RFQs in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (iv) the risks that the multiple autonomous trucking company programs underway may not result in successful evaluations nor commercial sales to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (v) the risks that the OPTIS deployment at an active California intersection, in partnership with Flasheye and Blue-Band may not be successful and may not result in additional commercial deployments to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (vi) the risks that the commercial discussions with customers in Australia, Korea, and China may not advance to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (vii) the risks that AEye’s tenure in the NVIDIA Halos AI Systems Inspection Lab may be shorter than anticipated and not bolster automotive product readiness to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (viii) the risks that AEye’s manufacturing partnership with LITEON may not create an industry-leading, globally diversified supply chain that is able to navigate geopolitical risk and shifting trade policies to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (ix) the risks that new technical engagements, inbound RFIs, and POC activity may not continue to move in the right direction to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (x) the risks that the strong pipeline AEye is building may not result in commercial sales to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (xi) the risks that the projection by Barclays that the market opportunity for physical AI may reach one trillion dollars by 2035 may not occur to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (xii) the risk that AEye’s software-defined architecture may not position AEye as core enabling layer of the physical AI ecosystem to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (xiii) the risks that Apollo’s™ best-in-class detection range when operating behind a windshield may not be a decisive differentiator for AEye, even as OEMs reengage and L3 and L4 programs are beginning to expand, to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (xiv) the risks that engagements may not result in deployments to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (xv) the risks that AEye may be unable to advance deployments to commercial sales or build a durable revenue ramp to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (xvi) the risks that the product-market fit may not materialize to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (xvii) the risks that AEye’s cash burn may increase due to unforeseen circumstances and therefore AEye’s balance sheet may not be able to provide the runway to execute multi-year commercial programs to the extent anticipated, or at all; (xviii) the risks that market conditions may create delays in the demand for commercial lidar products beyond AEye’s expectations, if at all; (xix) the risks that lidar adoption occurs slower than anticipated or fails to occur at all; (xx) the risks that AEye’s products may not meet the diverse range of performance and functional requirements of target markets and customers; (xxi) the risks that AEye’s products may not function as anticipated by AEye, or by target markets and customers; (xxii) the risks that AEye may not be in a position to adequately or timely address either the near or long-term opportunities that may or may not exist in the evolving autonomous transportation industry; (xxiii) the risks that laws and regulations are adopted impacting the use of lidar that AEye is unable to comply with, in whole or in part; (xxiv) the risks associated with changes in competitive and regulated industries in which AEye operates, variations in operating performance across competitors, and changes in laws and regulations affecting AEye’s business; (xxv) the risks that AEye is unable to adequately implement its business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and identify and realize additional opportunities; and (xxvi) the risks of economic downturns and a changing regulatory landscape in the highly competitive and evolving industry in which AEye operates. These risks and uncertainties may be amplified by current or future global conflicts and current and potential trade restrictions, trade tensions, and tariffs, all of which continue to cause economic uncertainty. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the periodic report that AEye has most recently filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, and other documents filed by us or that will be filed by us from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made.
Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements; AEye assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. AEye gives no assurance that AEye will achieve any of its expectations.
AEye, Inc. Investor Relations
[email protected]
925-400-4366
Keaton Olsen
[email protected]
Alliance Advisors IR
Fatema Bhabrawala
[email protected]
647-620-5002
