UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
(Mark One)
| QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | |||||
For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2022
OR
| TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | |||||
For the transition period from ___ to ___
Commission file number 001-40653
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |||||||||||||
(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including
Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
The | ||||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports); and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |||||||||||
| ☒ | Smaller reporting company | |||||||||||||
| Emerging growth company | ||||||||||||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
As of August 3, 2022, 30,610,714 shares of the registrant's Class A common stock were outstanding, and 9,025,418 shares of the registrant's Class B common stock were outstanding.
Table of Contents
| Page | |||||
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Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including without limitation, statements regarding our business model and strategic plans and our implementation thereof; statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, prospects, assumptions, future events or expected performance, including our ability to compete in our industry; the sufficiency of our cash, cash equivalents and investments; and the plans and objectives of management for future operations and capital expenditures are forward-looking statements.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “shall,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “goal,” “objective,” “seeks,” or “continue” or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions that concern our expectations, strategy, plans, or intentions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements due to various factors, including, but not limited to:
•our ability to retain and grow our users and sustain their engagement with our products;
•competition in the online language learning industry;
•our limited operating history;
•our ability to achieve profitability;
•our ability to manage our growth and operate at such scale;
•the success of our investments;
•our reliance on third-party platforms to store and distribute our products and collect revenue;
•our reliance on third-party hosting and cloud computing providers;
•our ability to compete for advertisements;
•acceptance by educational organizations of technology-based education; and
•those identified in Part I, Item 2. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, Part II, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in Results of Operations of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 (the “Annual Report on Form 10-K”).
We caution you that the foregoing list does not contain all of the forward-looking statements made in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. We have based the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q primarily on our current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections about future events and trends that we believe may
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affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, and prospects. Although we believe that we have a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we cannot guarantee that the future results, levels of activity, performance, or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur at all. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The results, events, and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur, and actual results, events, or circumstances could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements.
In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and you are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
The forward-looking statements made in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.
You should read this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the documents that we reference in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of the forward-looking statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q by these cautionary statements.
Unless the context otherwise requires, all references in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q to “Duolingo,” the “Company”, “we,” “our,” “us,” or similar terms refer to Duolingo, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
Special Note Regarding Key Operating Metrics
We manage our business by tracking several operating metrics, including monthly active users (MAUs), daily active users (DAUs), paid subscribers, and bookings. We believe each of these operating metrics provides useful information to investors and others. For information concerning these metrics as measured by us, see Part I, Item 2. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Key Operating Metrics and Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”
While these metrics are based on what we believe to be reasonable estimates of our user base for the applicable period of measurement, there are inherent challenges in measuring how our platform is used. These metrics are determined by using internal data gathered on an analytics platform that we developed and operate and have not been validated by an independent third party. This platform tracks user account and session activity. If we fail to maintain an effective analytics platform, our metrics calculations may be inaccurate.
We believe that these metrics are reasonable estimates of our user base for the applicable period of measurement, and that the methodologies we employ and update from time-to-time to create these metrics are reasonable bases to identify trends in user behavior. Because we update the methodologies we employ to create metrics, our operating metrics may not be comparable to those in prior periods. See
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the section titled “Risk Factors—Our user metrics and other estimates are subject to inherent challenges in measurement, and real or perceived inaccuracies in those metrics may negatively affect our reputation and our business”. Other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate these metrics differently.
Risk Factors Summary
The following is a summary of the principal risks that could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition, all of which are more fully described in Part II, Item 1A. “Risk Factors.” This summary should be read in conjunction with Part II, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and should not be relied upon as an exhaustive summary of the material risks facing our business.
•If we fail to keep existing users or add new users, or if our users decrease their level of engagement with our products or do not convert to paying users, our revenue, financial results and business may be significantly harmed.
•The online language learning industry is highly competitive, with low switching costs and a consistent stream of new products and entrants and innovation by our competitors may disrupt our business.
•Changes to our existing brand and products, or the introduction of a new brand or products, could fail to attract or keep users or generate revenue and profits.
•We have a limited operating history and, as a result, our past results may not be indicative of future operating performance.
•Our costs are continuing to grow, and some of our investments have the effect of reducing our operating margin and profitability. If our investments are not successful, our business and financial performance could be harmed.
•Our quarterly and annual operating results and other operating metrics may fluctuate from period to period, which makes these metrics difficult to predict.
•Our operating metrics are subject to inherent challenges in measurement, and real or perceived inaccuracies in those metrics may negatively affect our reputation and our business.
•We rely on third-party platforms such as the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store to distribute our products and collect payments. If we are unable to maintain a good relationship with such platform providers, if their terms and conditions or pricing changed to our detriment, if we violate, or if a platform provider believes that we have violated, the terms and conditions of its platform, or if any of these platforms loses market share or falls out of favor or is unavailable for a prolonged period of time, our business will suffer.
•We rely on third-party hosting and cloud computing providers, like Amazon Web Services (“AWS”) and Google Cloud, to operate certain aspects of our business. A significant portion of our product traffic is hosted by a limited number of vendors, and any failure, disruption or significant interruption in our network or hosting and cloud services could adversely impact our operations and harm our business.
•Our business is subject to complex and evolving US and international laws and regulations. Many of these laws and regulations are subject to change and uncertain interpretation, and could result in claims, changes to our business practices, monetary penalties, increased cost of operations, or declines in user growth or engagement, or otherwise harm our business.
•Our success depends, in part, on our ability to access, collect, and use personal data about our users and payers, and to comply with applicable data privacy laws.
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•The varying and rapidly-evolving regulatory framework on privacy and data protection across jurisdictions could result in claims, changes to our business practices, monetary penalties, increased cost of operations, or declines in user growth or engagement, or otherwise harm our business.
•From time to time, we may be party to intellectual property-related litigation and proceedings that are expensive and time consuming to defend, and, if resolved adversely, could materially adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
•We may fail to adequately obtain, protect and maintain our intellectual property rights or prevent third parties from making unauthorized use of such rights.
•The dual class structure of our common stock has the effect of concentrating voting control with those stockholders who held our capital stock prior to the listing of our Class A common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, including our directors, executive officers, and 5% stockholders and their respective affiliates, who held in the aggregate 83.4% of the voting power of our capital stock as of June 30, 2022. This ownership will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters, including the election of directors, amendments of our organizational documents, and any merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of our assets, or other major corporate transaction requiring stockholder approval.
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Part I Financial Information
Item 1. Financial Statements (Unaudited)
DUOLINGO, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Amounts in thousands, except par value amounts)
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Amounts in thousands, except par value amounts)
| June 30, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | ||||||||||
| ASSETS | |||||||||||
| Current assets | |||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Accounts receivable | |||||||||||
| Deferred cost of revenues | |||||||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | |||||||||||
| Total current assets | |||||||||||
| Property and equipment, net | |||||||||||
| Capitalized software, net | |||||||||||
| Operating lease right-of-use assets | |||||||||||
| Deferred tax assets | |||||||||||
| Other assets | |||||||||||
| Total assets | $ | $ | |||||||||
| LIABILITIES, CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY | |||||||||||
| Current liabilities | |||||||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Deferred revenues | |||||||||||
| Income tax payable | |||||||||||
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | |||||||||||
| Total current liabilities | |||||||||||
| Long-term obligation under operating leases | |||||||||||
| Total liabilities | |||||||||||
Commitments and contingencies (Note 8) | |||||||||||
| Stockholders’ equity | |||||||||||
Common stock, $ | |||||||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | |||||||||||
| Accumulated deficit | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Total stockholders’ equity | |||||||||||
| Total liabilities, convertible preferred stock and stockholders' equity | $ | $ | |||||||||
See accompanying notes to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
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DUOLINGO, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)
| Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of revenues | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Gross profit | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating expenses: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Research and development | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | ||||||||||||||||||||
| General and administrative | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Loss from operations | ( | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Other income (expense), net | ( | |||||||||||||||||||
| Loss before provision for income taxes | ( | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||||
| Provision for income taxes | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss and comprehensive loss | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||||||||||
| Net loss per share attributable to Class A and Class B common stockholders, basic | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||||||||||
| Net loss per share attributable to Class A and Class B common stockholders, diluted | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||||||||||
See accompanying notes to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
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DUOLINGO, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
THREE MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2022 AND 2021
(Amounts in thousands)
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
THREE MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2022 AND 2021
(Amounts in thousands)
| Convertible Preferred Stock | Common Stock | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Additional Paid-In Capital | Accumulated Deficit | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BALANCE—April 1, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock options exercised | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | — | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BALANCE—June 30, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BALANCE—April 1, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock options exercised | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Release of restricted stock units | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | — | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BALANCE—June 30, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See accompanying notes to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
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DUOLINGO, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
SIX MONTHS ENDED June 30, 2022 AND 2021
(Amounts in thousands)
(Amounts in thousands)
| Convertible Preferred Stock | Common Stock | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shares | Amount | Shares | Amount | Additional Paid-In Capital | Accumulated Deficit | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BALANCE—January 1, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock options exercised | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common stock repurchased and retired | — | — | ( | — | ( | — | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Options repurchased | — | — | — | — | ( | — | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | — | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BALANCE—June 30, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BALANCE—January 1, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock options exercised | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Release of restricted stock units | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | — | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BALANCE—June 30, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See accompanying notes to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
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DUOLINGO, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Amounts in thousands)
See accompanying notes to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Amounts in thousands)
| Six Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Cash flows from operating activities: | |||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | ( | $ | ( | |||||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities: | |||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | |||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | |||||||||||
| Changes in assets and liabilities: | |||||||||||
| Deferred revenue | |||||||||||
| Accounts receivable | ( | ||||||||||
| Deferred cost of revenues | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | ( | ||||||||||
| Accounts payable | ( | ||||||||||
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | ( | ||||||||||
| Noncurrent assets and liabilities | ( | ||||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | |||||||||||
| Cash flows from investing activities: | |||||||||||
| Capitalized software | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Purchase of property and equipment | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Net cash used for investing activities | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Cash flows from financing activities: | |||||||||||
| Proceeds from exercise of stock options | |||||||||||
| Repurchases of stock options | ( | ||||||||||
| Repurchase of common stock | ( | ||||||||||
| Payments of deferred offering costs | ( | ||||||||||
| Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities | ( | ||||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | ( | ||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents - Beginning of period | |||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents - End of period | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: | |||||||||||
| Cash paid for interest | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Cash paid for income taxes | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Supplemental disclosure of noncash operating activities: | |||||||||||
| Implementation costs for cloud computing included in Current liabilities | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Supplemental disclosure of noncash investing activities: | |||||||||||
| Capitalized software included in Current liabilities | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Property and equipment included in Current liabilities | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Landlord incentives included in Prepaid expenses and other current assets | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Supplemental disclosure of noncash financing activities: | |||||||||||
| Deferred offering costs included in accrued expenses | $ | $ | |||||||||
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DUOLINGO, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO THE UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Duolingo, Inc. (the “Company” or “Duolingo”) was formed on August 18, 2011 and the Duolingo app was launched to the general public on June 19, 2012. The Company’s headquarters are located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
On July 30, 2021, Duolingo completed its Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) of 5,872 shares of its Class A common stock at a price to the public of $102.00 per share, 4,466 of which were sold by the Company and 1,406 of which were sold by certain selling stockholders, which includes the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase from the Company an additional 766 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock. The gross proceeds to the Company from the IPO were $455,532 , before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company did not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of Class A common stock in the offering by the selling stockholders.
Duolingo is a US-based language-learning website and mobile app, as well as a digital language proficiency assessment exam. The Company has a freemium business model: the app and the website are accessible free of charge, although Duolingo also offers a premium service, Super Duolingo (formerly called Duolingo Plus), for a subscription fee. As of the date of this filing, Duolingo offers courses in over 40 different languages, including Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese and Chinese. We have locations in the United States, China and Germany.
The Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such SEC rules. We believe that the disclosures made are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. In our opinion, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of the financial statements have been included, and all adjustments are of a normal and recurring nature. We consistently applied the accounting policies consistent with the annual consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, in preparing these Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. These Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and the notes for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 included in the Annual report on Form 10-K and filed with the SEC.
2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
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not historically delayed the adoption of new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards would apply to private companies, we have elected to take advantage of this extended transition period and, as a result, our operating results and financial statements in the future may not be comparable to the operating results and financial statements of companies who have adopted the new or revised accounting standards.
| June 30, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | ||||||||||
| Cash | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Money market funds | |||||||||||
| Total | $ | $ | |||||||||
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The majority of our revenue comes through our subscriptions and advertising streams and payments are made to Duolingo through service providers. The top two, Apple and Google, accounted for 51.7 % and 26.2 % of total Accounts receivable as of June 30, 2022, respectively. The top three service providers, Apple, Google and Stripe, accounted for 51.1 %, 27.9 % and 10.1 % of total Accounts receivable as of December 31, 2021, respectively.
Two service providers, Apple and Google, processed 53.5 % and 28.4 %, and 52.3 % and 28.8 % of total Revenues for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, respectively. Three services providers, Apple, Google, and Stripe, processed 51.6 %, 29.3 %, and 10.3 %, and 50.9 %, 28.8 %, and 10.3 % of total Revenues for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, respectively.
Recently Issued Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
There are no recently issued accounting pronouncements that the Company has not yet adopted that they believe are applicable or would have a material impact on the financial statements of the Company.
3. REVENUE
The Company has three predominant sources of revenues; time-based subscriptions, in-app advertising placement by third parties, and the Duolingo English Test. Revenue is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products or services to users in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those services. The Company does not enter into contracts with a customer that contain multiple promises that result in multiple performance obligations. Revenue is recorded net of taxes assessed by a government authority that are both imposed on and concurrent with specific revenue transactions between us and our users.
Revenue from time-based subscriptions includes a stand-ready obligation to provide hosting services that are consumed by the customer over the subscription period. Users can purchase Duolingo monthly or they can purchase a six-month or year-long subscription and pay for the subscription at the time of purchase. Under the year-long subscription, users can also purchase a single plan or a family plan. The family plan includes up to six users on one subscription. Such payments are initially recorded to deferred revenue. The user has the ability to download limited content offline. However, as there is a significant level of integration and interdependency with the online functionality, the Company considers the service to be a single performance obligation for the online and offline content.
The Company enters into arrangements with advertising networks to monetize the in-app advertising inventory. Revenue from in-app advertising placement is recognized at a point in time when the advertisement is placed and is based upon the amount received.
Duolingo English Test revenue is generally recognized once the tests have gone through the proctoring process and a certification decision has been made. This process usually takes less than 48 hours after the test has been completed and uploaded. Customers have 21 days from the date of purchase to take
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the exam or their purchase will expire and revenue will be recognized. Virtually all customers complete their exams prior to expiration. Sometimes organizations may purchase tests in bulk via coupons with a one year expiration date. The Company will defer revenue from all tests that haven’t been proctored nor expired.
The Company’s users have the option to purchase consumable in-app virtual goods. The Company recognizes revenue over the period in which the user consumes the virtual good, which is generally within a month.
Principal Agent Considerations—The Company makes its application available to be downloaded through third-party digital distribution service providers. Users who purchase subscriptions also pay through the respective app stores. The Company evaluates the purchases via third-party payment processors to determine whether its revenues should be reported gross or net of fees retained by the payment processor. The Company is the principal in the transaction with the end user as a result of controlling, hosting, and integrating the delivery of the virtual items to the end user. The Company records revenue gross as a principal and records fees paid to third-party payment processors as Cost of revenues.
Contract Balances—Deferred revenue mostly consists of payments we receive in advance of revenue recognition, and is mostly related to time-based subscriptions, which will be recognized into revenue over the course of the upcoming year (recognized over 12 months or less). Additionally, the Duolingo English Test has deferred revenue related to tests that have been purchased, but will not be recognized until the tests have been proctored.
Disaggregation of Revenue
In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, the Company disaggregates revenue from contracts with customers into source of revenue, which most closely depicts how the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors.
Information regarding source of revenues:
| Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Over time | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||
| Point in time | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total revenue | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||
Information regarding revenue by stream:
| Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subscription | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||
| Advertising | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duolingo English Test | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||
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________________
(1) Other revenue is mainly comprised of in-app purchases of virtual goods.
| Six Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Beginning balance—January 1 | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Amount from beginning balance recognized into revenue | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Recognition of deferred revenue | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Deferral of revenue | |||||||||||
| Ending balance—June 30 | $ | $ | |||||||||
4. PROPERTY and EQUIPMENT, net
| June 30, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | ||||||||||
| Leasehold improvements | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Furniture, fixtures and equipment | |||||||||||
| Total property and equipment | |||||||||||
| Less: accumulated depreciation | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Total property and equipment, net | $ | $ | |||||||||
Depreciation expense of $688 and $1,253 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, respectively, and $488 and $940 , for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, respectively is recorded in the Company’s Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss. Depreciation expense is included within the following financial statement line items within the Company’s Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
| Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (In thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Research and development | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| General and administrative | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||
5. CAPITALIZED SOFTWARE, net
Capitalized software consists of the following as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021:
| June 30, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | ||||||||||
| Capitalized software | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Less: accumulated amortization | ( | ( | |||||||||
| Capitalized software, net | $ | $ | |||||||||
Amortization expense of $482 and $691 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, respectively, and $148 and $296 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, respectively, is recorded in the Company’s Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss. Amortization expense is included within the following financial statement line items within the Company’s Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
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| Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (In thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of revenues | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||
Sales and marketing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Total | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||
6. INCOME TAXES
The income tax provision for interim periods is comprised of tax on ordinary income (loss) provided at the most recent projected annual effective tax rate (“PAETR”), adjusted for the tax effect of discrete items. Management estimates the PAETR each quarter based on the forecasted annual pretax income or (loss). The Company is required to reduce deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance if, based on all available evidence, it is considered more likely than not that some portion or all of the benefit of the deferred tax assets will not be realized in future periods. The Company also records the income tax impact of certain discrete, unusual or infrequently occurring items including changes in judgment about valuation allowances and effects of changes in tax laws or rates, in the interim period in which they occur.
The actual year-to-date income tax expense is the product of the most current PAETR and the actual year-to-date pretax income (loss) adjusted for any discrete tax items. Items unrelated to current period ordinary income or (loss) are recognized entirely in the period identified as a discrete item of tax. The income tax expense for a particular quarter, except for the first quarter, is the difference between the year-to-date calculation of income tax expense and the year-to-date calculation for the prior quarter. Items unrelated to current period ordinary income or (loss) are recognized entirely in the period identified as a discrete item of tax. The inclusion of discrete items in a particular quarter can cause the actual effective rate for that quarter to vary significantly from the PAETR.
Therefore, the actual effective income tax rate for a particular quarter can vary significantly based upon the jurisdictional mix and timing of actual earnings compared to projected annual earnings, permanent items, earnings for those jurisdictions that maintain a valuation allowance, tax associated with jurisdictions excluded from the PAETR calculation and discrete items.
Effective Tax Rate
The effective income tax rate was (0.9 )% and (0.6 )% as of the three months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The effective income tax rate for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 was (0.6 )% and (0.1 )%, respectively. The year over year changes in the rate are primarily due to the impact of a discrete tax expense recorded in the current quarter. The effective income tax rate was lower than the US federal statutory rate of 21.0% primarily due to the impact of maintaining a US valuation allowance provided on US deferred tax assets.
The Company continues to maintain a full valuation allowance on US federal and state net deferred tax assets for the period ending June 30, 2022 as a result of pre-tax losses incurred since the Company’s inception in early 2012. The Company is projecting pre-tax loss in 2022. In the current quarter, the Company established a deferred tax asset of $418 with respect to its China subsidiary. The Company has evaluated the realizability of this deferred tax asset and as it is expected, on a more-likely-than-not basis, to be fully realized, no valuation allowance was recorded against it.
Current and Prior Period Tax Expense
For the three months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized income tax expense of $141 and $1 on pretax losses of $14,904 and $175 , respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized income tax expense of $169 and $18 on pretax losses of $27,030
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7. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
Prior to the IPO, the Company granted options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock and restricted stock units in respect of shares of the Company’s common stock to employees, directors and consultants under the Company’s 2011 Equity Incentive Plan. In July 2021, Duolingo adopted the 2021 Incentive Award Plan (“2021 Plan”) and the 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”), each of which became effective on July 26, 2021 in connection with the IPO. An aggregate of 7,946 shares and 1,119 shares of Class A common stock were made available for future issuance under the 2021 Plan and ESPP, respectively. On each January 1, the number of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock available for issuance under the 2021 Plan have been and through January 1, 2031 will be increased by the lesser of (i) 5 % of the shares outstanding on the preceding December 31 (calculated on an as-converted basis) and (B) such smaller number of shares of common stock as determined by the Board or the Committee (as defined in the 2021 Plan). On January 1, 2022, the 2021 Plan and ESPP were increased by 1,913 shares and 166 shares, respectively.
The Company’s stock options vest based on terms in the stock option agreements, which generally provide for vesting over four years based on continued service to the Company and its subsidiaries. Each option has a term of ten years . Stock options granted under the 2021 Plan must generally have an exercise price of not less than the estimated fair market value of the underlying Class A common stock at the date of the grant. No options have been granted under the 2021 Plan.
A summary of stock option and RSU activity under the Plans was as follows:
| Number of options | Weighted- average exercise price | Weighted- average remaining contractual life (years) | Aggregate intrinsic value | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Options outstanding at January 1, 2022 | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Granted | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Exercised | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Repurchased | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Forfeited and expired | ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Options outstanding at June 30, 2022 | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Options exercisable at June 30, 2022 | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||
The total intrinsic value of options exercised was approximately $95,677 and $17,970 for the period ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
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| Restricted stock units | Weighted- average grant date fair value per share | ||||||||||
Outstanding at January 1, 2022 | $ | ||||||||||
| Granted | |||||||||||
| Released | ( | ||||||||||
| Forfeited | ( | ||||||||||
Outstanding at June 30, 2022 | $ | ||||||||||
As of June 30, 2022, there was approximately $8,792 of unrecognized compensation cost related to stock options granted under the plans with a weighted-average period of approximately two years . The amount of unrecognized compensation expense for RSUs as of June 30, 2022 was $148,846 with a weighted-average period of approximately four years , for a total unrecognized compensation expense of $157,638 .
There were 8,548 shares available for grant at June 30, 2022.
Performance-based RSUs
In June 2021, the Company granted an aggregate of 1,800 performance-based RSUs (the “Founder Awards”) to the Company’s founders. The Founder Awards vest upon the satisfaction of both a service-based condition and a performance-based condition and generally are settled 1 year after vesting. The service-based condition is satisfied as to 25 % of the Founder Awards on each anniversary of the completion of the IPO, subject to the continuous service of the founders through the applicable date. The performance-based condition will be satisfied with respect to each of 10 equal tranches only if the trailing 60 -calendar day volume-weighted-average closing trading price of the Company’s Class A common stock reaches certain stock-price hurdles for each such tranche, as set forth below, over a period of 10 years from the date of grant.
Any RSUs associated with stock-prices hurdle not achieved by the tenth anniversary of the date of grant will terminate and be canceled for no additional consideration to the founders. The stock-price hurdles and number of RSUs eligible to vest will be adjusted to reflect any stock splits, stock dividends, combinations, reorganizations, reclassifications, or similar events under the 2021 Plan. The Founder Awards will be settled in shares of the Company’s Class B common stock.
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| Tranche | Company Stock Price Hurdle | Number of RSUs Eligible to Vest | ||||||||||||
| 1 | $ | |||||||||||||
| 2 | $ | |||||||||||||
| 3 | $ | |||||||||||||
| 4 | $ | |||||||||||||
| 5 | $ | |||||||||||||
| 6 | $ | |||||||||||||
| 7 | $ | |||||||||||||
| 8 | $ | |||||||||||||
| 9 | $ | |||||||||||||
| 10 | $ | |||||||||||||
The Company estimated the grant date fair value of the Founder Awards using a model based on multiple stock-price paths developed through the use of a Monte Carlo simulation that incorporates into the valuation the possibility that the stock-price hurdles may not be satisfied. The weighted-average grant date fair value of the Founder Awards was estimated to be $61.56 per share and the Company estimates that it will recognize total stock-based compensation expense of approximately $110,817 over the derived service period of each of the ten separate tranches which is between 3.58 – 5.92 years. If the stock-price hurdles are met sooner than the requisite service period, the stock-based compensation expense will be adjusted to prospectively recognize the remaining expense over the remaining derived service period. Provided that the founders continue to provide services to the Company, stock-based compensation expense is recognized over the derived service period, regardless of whether the stock-price hurdles are achieved. The stock-price hurdles for the first two tranches were met during 2021. No additional stock-price hurdles were met during the six months ended June 30, 2022. The Company recognized $8,108 and $16,127 of stock-based compensation expense related to these awards for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, respectively, which is included within General and administrative in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss. As of June 30, 2022, there is $78,228 of unrecognized compensation expense related to these awards.
Total stock-based compensation expense was $18,114 and $32,700 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, respectively, and $2,907 and $5,458 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, respectively.
Stock based compensation expense is included in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss as shown in the following table:
| Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||||
| Cost of revenues | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||
| Research and development | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | ||||||||||||||||||||
| General and administrative | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||
Nominal amounts of stock based compensation expense is capitalized into capitalized software for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021.
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8. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Legal Proceedings— From time to time, the Company may become involved in various legal proceedings in the ordinary course of its business and may be subject to third-party infringement claims. The outcome of any such claims or proceedings, regardless of the merits, is inherently uncertain. The Company is not currently party to any material legal proceedings
Sales and use and value-added tax (“VAT”)— The Company determined that it was required to pay sales and use and VAT taxes in various jurisdictions. The Company is in the process of filing voluntary disclosure agreements with certain jurisdictions and remitting the estimated taxes. If these jurisdictions determine that additional amounts are necessary, the Company will be required to pay accordingly.
Related Parties— The Company has determined that there were no transactions with related parties as of or during the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021.
9. ACCRUED EXPENSES AND OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consisted of the following:
| June 30, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | ||||||||||
| Obligations under current leases | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Marketing related accruals | |||||||||||
| Sales and VAT tax accrual | |||||||||||
| Employee-related costs | |||||||||||
| Other | |||||||||||
| Total | $ | $ | |||||||||
10. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN
11. EARNINGS PER SHARE
Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is presented in conformity with the two-class method required for participating securities. Prior to the automatic conversion of all of its convertible preferred stock outstanding into Class B common stock upon the IPO, the Company considered all series of its convertible preferred stock to be participating securities.
Under the two-class method, the net loss attributable to common stockholders is not allocated to the convertible preferred stock as the holders of the convertible preferred stock do not have a contractual obligation to share in the Company’s losses. Basic net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is calculated by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, less shares subject to repurchase. The diluted net loss per share
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attributable to common stockholders is calculated by giving effect to all potential dilutive common stock equivalents outstanding for the period.
| Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||||||
| (In thousands, except per share data) | 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||
| Numerator: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss attributable to Class A and Class B common shareholders | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||||||||||
| Denominator: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weighted-average shares in computing net loss per share attributable to Class A and Class B common stockholders, basic and diluted | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Basic loss per common share | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||||||||||
| Diluted loss per common share | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||||||||||
The rights, including the liquidation and dividend rights, of the holders of Class A and Class B common stock are identical, except with respect to voting and conversion. Each share of Class A common stock is entitled to one vote per share and each share of Class B common stock is entitled to 20 votes per share. Each share of Class B common stock is convertible into a share of Class A common stock voluntarily at any time by the holder, and automatically upon certain events. The Class A common stock has no conversion rights. As the liquidation and dividend rights are identical for Class A and Class B common stock, the undistributed earnings are allocated on a proportional basis and the resulting net loss per share attributable to common stockholders will, therefore, be the same for both Class A and Class B common stock on an individual or combined basis.
Since the Company was in a net loss position for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, there is no difference between the number of shares used to calculate basic and diluted loss per share. The potential shares of common stock that were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders for the period presented because including them would have been antidilutive are as follows:
| Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||
| Convertible preferred stock | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Founder awards where performance has been met | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Vested RSUs | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Stock options | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | ||||||||||||||||||||
Founder awards of 1,620 , where the performance criteria has not been satisfied, are excluded from the above table because the stock-price hurdles for those awards had not been met as of June 30, 2022.
Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and in Part II, Item 7. “Management’s
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Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements, such as those relating to our plans, objectives, expectations, intentions, and beliefs, that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those discussed in Part II, Item 1A. “Risk Factors,” “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” and included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and in in Part II, Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any periods in the future.
Amounts reported in millions are rounded based on the amounts in thousands. As a result, the sum of the components reported in millions may not equal the total amount reported in millions due to rounding. In addition, percentages presented are calculated from the underlying numbers in thousands and may not add to their respective totals due to rounding.
Overview
Our flagship app has organically become the world’s most popular way to learn languages and the top-grossing Education app in the App Stores, offering courses in over 40 languages to over 49 million monthly active users as of June 30, 2022. We believe that we have become the preeminent online destination for language learning due to our beautifully designed products, exceptional user engagement, and demonstrated learning efficacy.
Key Operating Metrics and Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We regularly review a number of key operating metrics and non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends, prepare financial projections and make business decisions. The measures set forth below should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or in isolation from, our financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Monthly active users (MAUs) and daily active users (DAUs), along with paid subscribers, are operating metrics that help inform management about the underlying growth in users of our platform, and are a measure of our monetization efforts. To calculate the year-over-year change in MAUs and DAUs for a given period, we subtract the average for the same period in the previous year from the average for the same period in the current year and divide the result by the average for the same period in the previous year. Other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate these measures differently or not at all, which reduces their usefulness as comparative measures.
| Three Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||
| (Operating metrics are in millions) | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||
| Operating Metrics | |||||||||||
| Monthly active users (MAUs) | 49.5 | 37.9 | |||||||||
| Daily active users (DAUs) | 13.2 | 9.1 | |||||||||
| Paid subscribers (at period end) | 3.3 | 1.9 | |||||||||
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| Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating Metrics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subscription bookings | $ | 74,123 | $ | 48,941 | $ | 152,662 | $ | 99,407 | |||||||||||||||
| Total bookings | $ | 97,467 | $ | 64,538 | $ | 199,521 | $ | 130,367 | |||||||||||||||
| Non-GAAP Financial Measures | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss (GAAP) | $ | (15,045) | $ | (176) | $ | (27,199) | $ | (13,648) | |||||||||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 4,198 | $ | 3,702 | $ | 8,144 | $ | 4,573 | |||||||||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities (GAAP) | $ | 12,662 | $ | (896) | $ | 33,289 | $ | 4,227 | |||||||||||||||
| Free cash flow | $ | 9,880 | $ | 2,104 | $ | 28,808 | $ | 5,929 | |||||||||||||||
Operating Metrics
Monthly active users (MAUs). MAUs are defined as unique Duolingo users who engage with our mobile language learning application or the language learning section of our website each month. MAUs are reported for a measurement period by taking the average of the MAUs for each calendar month in that measurement period. MAUs are a measure of the size of our global active user community on Duolingo.
We had approximately 49.5 million and 37.9 million MAUs for the three months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, representing an increase of 31% from the prior year period. We grew MAUs through product initiatives that made the app more social and engaging and through marketing, both of which helped us attract new users, retain existing users, and reengage the millions of former users who return to our language learning app.
Daily active users (DAUs). DAUs are defined as unique Duolingo users who engage with our mobile language learning application or the language learning section of our website each calendar day. DAUs are reported for a measurement period by taking the average of the DAUs for each day in that measurement period. DAUs are a measure of the consistent engagement of our global user community on Duolingo.
We had approximately 13.2 million and 9.1 million DAUs for the three months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, representing an increase of 44% from the prior year period. The DAU / MAU ratio, which we believe is an indicator of user engagement, increased to 26.6% from 24.2% a year ago. We grew DAUs through many of the same product initiatives as we grew MAUs, such as making the product more fun and engaging, as well as through our marketing efforts.
Paid Subscribers. Paid subscribers are defined as users who pay for access to Super Duolingo (formerly called Duolingo Plus), including subscribers who pay for a family plan, and had an active subscription as of the end of the measurement period. Each unique user account is treated as a single paid subscriber regardless of whether such user purchases multiple subscriptions, and the count of paid subscribers does not include users who are currently on a free trial or who are non-paying members of a family plan.
As of June 30, 2022 and 2021, we had approximately 3.3 million and 1.9 million paid subscribers, respectively, representing an increase of 71% from the prior year period. We grew paid subscribers through product improvements that increased the size of our free user base, which led to higher conversion of free users to paid subscribers, and by better retaining subscribers.
Subscription Bookings and Total Bookings. Subscription bookings represent the amounts we receive from purchases of a subscription to Super Duolingo. Total bookings represent the amounts we receive
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from purchases of a subscription to Super Duolingo, a purchase of our English assessment test, the Duolingo English Test, an in-app purchase of a virtual good, and from advertising networks for advertisements served to our users. We believe bookings provide an indication of trends in our operating results, including cash flows, that are not necessarily reflected in our revenues because we recognize subscription revenues ratably over the lifetime of a subscription, which is generally from one to twelve months.
For the three months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 we generated $74.1 million and $48.9 million of subscription bookings, respectively, representing an increase of 51% from the prior year period. For the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, we generated $152.7 million and $99.4 million of subscription bookings, respectively, representing an increase of 54% from the prior year period. We grew subscription bookings by selling more first-time and renewal subscriptions. As we grow our user base, convert a greater proportion of users to first-time subscribers, increase renewal rates, and increase the proportion of re-subscribers, we increase subscription bookings.
For the three months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 we generated $97.5 million and $64.5 million, of total bookings, respectively, representing an increase of 51% from the prior year period. For the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, we generated $199.5 million and $130.4 million total bookings, respectively, representing an increase of 53% from the prior year period. We grew total bookings through the growth in subscription bookings noted above, in addition to growth in advertising, the Duolingo English Test, and other bookings.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We use certain non-GAAP financial measures to supplement our Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, which are presented in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures include Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow. We use these non-GAAP financial measures for financial and operational decision-making and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. By excluding certain items that may not be indicative of our recurring core operating results, we believe that Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow provide meaningful supplemental information regarding our performance. Accordingly, we believe these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors and others because they allow for additional information with respect to financial measures used by management in its financial and operational decision-making and they may be used by our institutional investors and the analyst community to help them analyze the health of our business. However, there are a number of limitations related to the use of non-GAAP financial measures, and these non-GAAP measures should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or in isolation from, our financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate these non-GAAP financial measures differently or not at all, which reduces their usefulness as comparative measures.
Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net loss excluding interest (income) expense, net, income tax provision, depreciation and amortization, Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) and public company costs, stock-based compensation expenses related to equity awards, tender offer-related costs and other expenses. Adjusted EBITDA is used by management to evaluate the financial performance of our business and we present Adjusted EBITDA because we believe it is helpful in highlighting trends in our operating results and that it is frequently used by analysts, investors and other interested parties to
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evaluate companies in our industry. The following table presents a reconciliation of our net loss, the most directly comparable financial measure presented in accordance with GAAP, to Adjusted EBITDA.
| Three Months Ended June 30, | Six Months Ended June 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
(In thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (15,045) | $ | (176) | $ | (27,199) | $ | (13,648) | |||||||||||||||
| Interest (income) expense, net | (669) | (1) | (702) | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Provision for income taxes | 141 | 1 | 169 | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 1,170 | 636 | 1,944 | 1,236 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation expenses related to equity awards (1) | 18,494 | 2,907 | 33,594 | 5,458 | |||||||||||||||||||
IPO and public company costs (2) | 107 | 1,213 | 338 | 1,693 | |||||||||||||||||||
Tender offer-related costs (3) | — | — | — | 5,599 | |||||||||||||||||||
Other expenses (4) | — | (878) | — | 4,220 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 4,198 | $ | 3,702 | |||||||||||||||||||