Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc.DNA
Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. Revenue Disclosure
Revenue Recognition
Disaggregation of Revenue
The following table sets forth the percentage of Cell Engineering revenues by industry based on total Cell Engineering revenue:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||||||
| Pharmaceutical and biotechnology | 35 | % | 26 | % | 30 | % | |||||||||||
| Agriculture | 28 | 19 | 24 | ||||||||||||||
| Government and defense | 23 | 13 | 6 | ||||||||||||||
| Industrial and environment | 5 | 6 | 16 | ||||||||||||||
| Consumer and technology | 5 | 4 | 8 | ||||||||||||||
| Food and nutrition | 4 | 32 | 16 | ||||||||||||||
| Total Cell Engineering revenue | 100 | % | 100 | % | 100 | % | |||||||||||
Cell Engineering revenue includes both cash and non-cash consideration. The non-cash consideration primarily consists of equity received from customers as partial or full payment in certain contracts, which is recognized as revenue as services are provided or upon contract termination. The Company did not receive equity as consideration for any customer contracts entered into during the years ended December 31, 2025 or 2024, but continues to recognize revenue from prior contracts. Cell Engineering revenue recognized relating to non-cash consideration was $11.6 million, $61.4 million, and $48.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
The Company’s total revenue is derived from customers located primarily in the United States. For the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, the Company’s revenue from customers within the United States comprised 76%, 81% and 82%, respectively, of total revenue.
Contract Balances
The Company recognizes a contract asset when the Company transfers goods or services to a customer before the customer pays consideration or before payment is due, excluding any amounts presented as accounts receivable. The Company had no contract asset balances as of December 31, 2025 and 2024. The Company’s accounts receivable consists of both billed and unbilled amounts. Unbilled receivables arise when revenue is recognized in excess of invoiced amounts and represent the Company’s unconditional right to consideration for goods or services already transferred to the customer. The balance
of unbilled accounts receivable, included in accounts receivable, net in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, was $14.5 million and $11.3 million as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Contract liabilities, or deferred revenue, primarily consist of payments received in advance of performance under the contract or when the Company has an unconditional right to consideration under the terms of the contract before it transfers goods or services to the customer. The Company’s collaborative arrangements with its investees and related parties typically include upfront payments consisting of cash or non-cash consideration for future research and development services and non-cash consideration in the form of convertible financial instruments and equity securities for licenses that will be transferred in the future. The Company records the upfront cash payments and fair value of the convertible financial instruments and equity securities as deferred revenue.
The Company also invoices customers based on contractual billing schedules, which results in the recording of deferred revenue to the extent payment is received prior to the Company’s performance of the related services. Contract liabilities are recognized as revenue as (or when) the Company performs under the contract.
During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company recognized $48.7 million of revenue that was included in the contract liabilities balance of $126.5 million as of December 31, 2024. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company recognized $88.1 million of revenue that was included in the contract liabilities balance of $202.5 million as of December 31, 2023.
Performance Obligations
The aggregate amount of the transaction price that was allocated to performance obligations that have not yet been satisfied or are partially satisfied as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 was $158.6 million and $85.8 million, respectively. The Company has elected the practical expedient not to provide the remaining performance obligation disclosures related to contracts for which the Company recognizes revenue on a cost-plus basis in the amount to which it has the right to invoice. As of December 31, 2025, approximately $23.0 million of the unsatisfied or partially satisfied performance obligations is expected to be recognized as revenue in 2026, based on the projected customer program end date; $40.9 million between 2026 and 2027; $86.9 million between 2026 and 2028; $3.4 million between 2026 and 2029; and $4.4 million between 2026 and 2030.
When a milestone subject to the variable consideration constraint is achieved, the Company updates its estimate of the transaction price to include the milestone payment and records a cumulative catch-up in revenue. For the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded $2.9 million, $7.2 million and $2.3 million, respectively, as cumulative catch-up in revenue, primarily due to the recognition of previously constrained variable consideration related to milestones or a contract modification.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 26, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 25, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 29, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Mar 13, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Mar 29, 2022 | |
About Revenue Disclosures
Revenue disclosures under ASC 606 explain how a company identifies performance obligations, allocates transaction prices, and determines when revenue is recognized. This section is essential for understanding whether reported revenue reflects genuine economic activity or aggressive accounting choices. Analysts examine the mix of point-in-time versus over-time recognition, which directly affects revenue timing and comparability.
Key signals: rising contract liabilities (deferred revenue) suggest strong future revenue visibility, while declining contract assets may indicate slowing project milestones. Watch for variable consideration estimates — rebates, returns, and performance bonuses that require management judgment. Significant changes in disaggregated revenue by geography or product line can reveal shifting business mix before it appears in headline numbers. Compare revenue growth against contract liability growth to assess sustainability, and scrutinize any changes in the timing of recognition that coincide with earnings pressure.