Record figures for the 16th time in succession

Record figures for the 16th time in succession – sales and earnings targets once again exceeded with sustainable growth in cloud business.

According to provisional figures, ATOSS Software AG is once more able to report on a strong financial year with new records for sales and earnings. In total, sales increased by 13 percent over the previous year, climbing to EUR 97.1 million. In spite of substantial investments in the future, operating earnings advanced to EUR 27.2 million (previous year: EUR 26.2 million). Against the backdrop of an excellent order book with extraordinarily strong demand for cloud solutions, the Management Board expects the growth and success story to continue in the present financial year of 2022. The company’s forecast for 2022 and its medium-term outlook is raised.

After a successful sprint down the finishing strait in the 4th quarter, ATOSS Software AG again maintained its growth trajectory in the 2021 financial year, continuing the success of the company with new records for what is now the sixteenth time in succession. This extraordinary business growth is primarily due to the sustainable expansion of its cloud business and the increasing share of recurring revenues as a direct result. The subject of workforce management is now inextricably entwined with professional company management and continues to enjoy enormous significance due to the digitization deficits in many companies and the public administration sector. Whereas, around 12,000 customers in more than 50 countries are now managing their companies with digital software solutions from ATOSS, thereby ensuring greater transparency and efficiency. These important growth drivers are also impressively reflected in the key financial data for the 2021 financial year published today. 

The strong response to the company’s cloud offering is particularly reflected in impressive figures regarding the order situation. This is highlighted by the dynamic increase in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR for short) which has again posted a double-digit increase of 77 percent to EUR 23.5 million (previous year: EUR 13.3 million). Furthermore, the company succeeded in significantly expanding the share of Cloud & Subscriptions to 68 percent of total orders for software. By comparison, the share of cloud orders in the 2020 financial year was still at 42 percent. Overall, the company raised the normalized value of its total software licensing orders by more than a quarter year on year (28 percent), advancing them to EUR 38.2 million (previous year: EUR 29.8 million). In course of the company’s cloud business model this will positively impact the short- and middle term future business performance. 

Consequently, the business development in 2021 already surpassed the company’s expectations. Software sales in the period from January to December 2021 increased sharply by 18 percent, climbing to EUR 66.0 million (previous year: EUR 56.0 million). This equates to a 68 percent share of the Group’s total sales (previous year: 65 percent). The expansion of sales from Cloud and Subscriptions which enjoyed a sustainable 54 percent boost to EUR 19.9 million (previous year: EUR 12.9 million) is worthy of special mention here. The growth in software maintenance which has been positive for years, also continued. Sales here rose by 9 percent to EUR 28.9 million (previous year: EUR 26.6 million). Overall, the proportion of recurring revenues in total sales – and thus the central key factor in the company’s future growth – continued to grow as planned and now exceeds 50 percent (previous year: 46 percent). Sales from consulting services advanced to EUR 25.2 million (previous year: EUR 24.1 million) – starting from last year’s figure which was already very high.

Notwithstanding the significant year-on-year increase in expenses – particularly for R&D as part of the continuous refinement of ATOSS software solutions as well as higher personnel costs resulting from its international expansion of capacity in Sales – the return on sales relative to operating earnings (EBIT) remains at a high level of 28 percent (previous year: 30 percent). The strong performance and consistently high stability of the ATOSS business model are also evidenced by further, key financial data for the Group such as liquidity. In the past financial year, liquidity showed double-digit growth of 24 percent, reaching EUR 50.4 million (previous year: EUR 40.5 million).

On the basis of this successful business growth, a very pleasing order book and the continued excellent growth prospects in all markets targeted at home and abroad, the Management Board expects the record development to continue in the 2022 financial year and increases its sales forecast to EUR 110 million (thus far: EUR 106 million). The forecast for the company’s EBIT margin of at least 25 percent remains unchanged. The medium-term outlook for annual growth rates for total sales up to 2025 was equally raised to a range between 13 and 17 percent.

Based on its long-term dividend policy that provides for a distribution rate of 75 percent relative to earnings per share, the Management Board will propose to the Supervisory Board a dividend of EUR 1.82 per share (previous year: EUR 1.67 per share) as part of its profit appropriation resolution. The recommendations for the appropriation of net income put forward by the Management and Supervisory Boards will be resolved upon at the Annual General Meeting on April 29, 2022.