LEUVEN, Belgium — (BUSINESS WIRE) — November 9, 2016 — Materialise NV (NASDAQ: MTLS), a leading provider of additive manufacturing software and of sophisticated 3D printing services, today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2016.

Highlights – Third Quarter 2016

• Total revenue increased 11.0% from the third quarter of 2015 to 28,736 kEUR, with increases in all three business segments.
• Materialise Software revenue up 21.1% from the third quarter of 2015.
• Adjusted EBITDA was 2,833 kEUR compared to 1,175 kEUR for the third quarter of 2015
• Total deferred revenue from annual software sales and maintenance contracts increased 2,347 kEUR from 11,816 kEUR for the third quarter of 2015 to 14,163 kEUR for the third quarter of 2016.

Executive Chairman Peter Leys commented, “Despite continued soft market conditions, Materialise again delivered double-digit revenue growth and an increase in Adjusted EBITDA. Led by gains in our Materialise Software segment, where we realized strong gains in new licenses and recurring license revenue, total revenue rose 11.0% from the third quarter of 2015. Adjusted EBITDA increased from 1,175 kEUR to 2,833 kEUR. While many market participants continue to await the introduction of the next generation of printers, Materialise took a significant step forward with the launch of our partnership with HOYA Vision Care to transform the eyewear industry. Together, we are enabling the world’s first vision-centric 3D-tailored eyewear, using 3D printing technology to provide individualized lens and frame design backed by an end-to-end digital supply chain. Our groundbreaking partnership with an industry leader is a prime example of the way we continue to position Materialise as the software and services backbone of the 3D printing industry. We are developing additional meaningful partnerships that should serve us well when the industry resumes its growth and continue to fine-tune our operations to enhance efficiency.”

Third Quarter 2016 Results

Total revenue for the third quarter of 2016 increased by 11.0% to 28,736 kEUR compared to 25,883 kEUR for the third quarter of 2015, with gains in all three of our segments, particularly Materialise Software. Adjusted EBITDA increased from 1,175 kEUR to 2,833 kEUR, as a result of the combination of continued revenue growth, an improvement in our gross margins and a modest increase in operational expenses. The Adjusted EBITDA margin (Adjusted EBITDA divided by total revenue) in the third quarter was 9.9% compared to 4.5% in the third quarter of last year.

Revenue from our Materialise Software segment, which offers a proprietary software backbone that enables and enhances the functionality of 3D printers and 3D printing operations worldwide, increased by 21.1% to 7,632 kEUR for the third quarter of 2016 from 6,303 kEUR for the same quarter last year, driven by the growth of OEM sales and recurring license revenue. Segment EBITDA rose to 2,814 kEUR from 2,157 kEUR while the segment EBITDA margin was 36.9% compared to 34.2% in the prior-year period.

Revenue from our Materialise Medical segment, which offers a unique platform consisting of medical planning and design software, clinical engineering services and patient specific devices, increased by 4.5% to 9,537 kEUR for the third quarter of 2016 compared to 9,123 kEUR for the same period in 2015. The increase was driven by direct sales of our complex surgery solutions, which increased by 28.0% from the same period in 2015. Sales from our collaborated medical device business, and our medical software sales decreased by 2.2% and 1.9%, respectively, compared to the same quarter in 2015. Segment EBITDA was approximately flat at 754 kEUR compared 763 kEUR while the segment EBITDA margin decreased to 7.9% from 8.4% in the third quarter of 2015.

Revenue from our Materialise Manufacturing segment, which offers an integrated suite of 3D printing and engineering services to industrial and commercial customers, increased 10.6% to 11,567 kEUR for the third quarter of 2016 from 10,457 kEUR for the third quarter of 2015, as a result of increased end part manufacturing. Segment EBITDA rose to 1,723 kEUR from 799 kEUR, including 460 kEUR related to the updated accounting valuation of resin materials stock as result of steady efficiency improvements. The segment EBITDA margin increased to 14.9% from 7.6% for the 2015 quarter. Excluding our growth businesses i.materialise and RapidFit, the segment EBITDA margin for the third quarter was 21.8% compared to 17.1% for the same quarter of the prior year.

Gross profit was 16,937 kEUR, or 58.9% of total revenue, for the third quarter of 2016 compared to 14,702 kEUR, or 56.8% of total revenue, for the third quarter of 2015. The increase was primarily a result of the improvement in the gross margin of Materialise Manufacturing.

Research and development (“R&D”), sales and marketing (“S&M”) and general and administrative (“G&A”) expenses increased, in the aggregate, by 4.6% to 17,974 kEUR for the third quarter of 2016 from 17,179 kEUR for the third quarter of 2015. R&D expenses decreased slightly from 4,566 kEUR to 4,389 kEUR while S&M expenses declined slightly from 8,657 kEUR to 8,299 kEUR. G&A expenses increased from 3,956 kEUR to 5,286 kEUR. As in the first two quarters of 2016, these changes compared to last year primarily reflected the managerial structure and support we have implemented within our S&M and R&D groups to support their significant growth since our initial public offering (“IPO”). A number of employees with mixed roles within these groups have evolved into more managerial/administrative roles, and their cost as well as certain other expenses are now categorized into G&A.