ASPEN AEROGELS INC - Quarter Report: 2021 March (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2021

OR

For the transition period from              to             

Commission file number: 001-36481

ASPEN AEROGELS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (508) 691-1111

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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).        Yes  ☒    No  ☐

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.

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 Exchange Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

As of May 3, 2021, the registrant had 28,350,272 shares of common stock outstanding.

ASPEN AEROGELS, INC.

INDEX TO FORM 10-Q

Trademarks, Trade Names and Service Marks

We own or have rights to use “Aspen Aerogels,” “Cryogel,” “Pyrogel,” “Spaceloft,” “PyroThin,” the Aspen Aerogels logo and other trademarks, service marks and trade names of Aspen Aerogels, Inc. appearing in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Solely for convenience, the trademarks, service marks and trade names referred to in this report are presented without the ® and TM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that the owner thereof will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, such owner’s rights to these trademarks, service marks and trade names. This report contains additional trademarks, service marks and trade names of other companies, which, to our knowledge, are the property of their respective owners.

PART I — FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ASPEN AEROGELS, INC.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to unaudited consolidated financial statements.

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ASPEN AEROGELS, INC.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to unaudited consolidated financial statements.

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ASPEN AEROGELS, INC.

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity

(Unaudited)

(In thousands, except share data)

See accompanying notes to unaudited consolidated financial statements.

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ASPEN AEROGELS, INC.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to unaudited consolidated financial statements.

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ASPEN AEROGELS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(UNAUDITED)

(1) Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

Nature of Business

Aspen Aerogels, Inc. (the Company) is an aerogel technology company that designs, develops and manufactures innovative, high-performance aerogel insulation used primarily in the energy infrastructure and building materials markets. In addition, the Company is developing high-value applications for its aerogel technology in the electric vehicle market. The Company also conducts research related to aerogel technology supported by funding from several agencies of the U.S. government and other institutions in the form of research contracts. The Company has decided to cease efforts to secure additional funded research contracts and to wind down existing contract research activities.

The Company maintains its corporate offices in Northborough, Massachusetts. The Company has three wholly owned subsidiaries: Aspen Aerogels Rhode Island, LLC, Aspen Aerogels Germany, GmbH and Aspen Aerogels Georgia, LLC.

Liquidity

During the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company incurred a net loss of $6.3 million, used $1.9 million of cash in operations, used $1.5 million of cash for capital expenditures and received net proceeds of $6.2 million through an at-the-market offering of the Company’s common stock. At March 31, 2021, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $17.2 million, total debt of $3.7 million, a $4.6 million current prepayment liability (see note 9), and no outstanding borrowings under its revolving line of credit (see note 7). After giving effect to $1.5 million of outstanding letters of credit, the amount available to the Company at March 31, 2021 under the revolving line of credit was $13.1 million. The existing revolving line of credit matures on April 28, 2022.

The Company is increasing investment in the research and development of next-generation aerogel products and manufacturing process technologies. The Company is continuing to develop aerogel products and technologies for the electric vehicle market. The Company believes that the commercial potential for the Company’s technology in the electric vehicle market is significant. Accordingly, the Company plans to continue to hire additional personnel, incur additional operating expenses, and incur capital expenditures to expand silica aerogel manufacturing capacity, build an automated thermal barrier fabrication operation, enhance research and development laboratory facilities and equipment, and construct a battery materials facility, among other items.

The Company expects its existing cash balance and the amount anticipated to be available under the existing revolving line of credit will be sufficient to support current operating requirements and research and development activities. However, the Company plans to supplement its cash balance and available credit with equity financings, debt financings, customer prepayments, or technology licensing fees to provide the capital necessary to fund the incremental operating expenses and capital expenditures required to support the evolving commercial opportunity in the electric vehicle market and other strategic business opportunities.

Unaudited Interim Financial Information

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP) and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Certain information and disclosures normally included in the consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. As such, the information included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 (the Annual Report), filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 12, 2021.

In the opinion of the Company’s management, the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited consolidated financial statements and include all adjustments that are of a normal recurring nature and necessary for the fair statement of the Company’s financial position as of March 31, 2021 and the results of its operations and stockholders’ equity for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 and the cash flows for the three month periods then ended. The Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date of this filing.

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The Company’s results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2021 or any other period. In addition, the Company is uncertain of the continued duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it will have on the Company’s results of operations for the year ending December 31, 2021 or any other period.

(2) Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires the Company to make a number of estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include allowances for doubtful accounts, sales returns and allowances, product warranty costs, inventory valuation, the carrying amount of property and equipment, stock-based compensation and deferred income taxes. The Company evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an on-going basis using historical experience and other factors, including current economic conditions, which are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Management adjusts such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances warrant. Illiquid credit markets, volatile equity markets and declines in business investment can increase the uncertainty inherent in such estimates and assumptions. As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ significantly from these estimates. Changes in these estimates resulting from continuing changes in the economic environment will be reflected in the financial statements in future periods.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents include short-term, highly liquid instruments, which consist of money market accounts. All cash and cash equivalents are maintained with major financial institutions in North America. Deposits with these financial institutions may exceed the amount of insurance provided on such deposits; however, these deposits typically may be redeemed upon demand and, therefore, bear minimal risk.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments, which potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk, consist principally of accounts receivable. The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts based on its assessment of the collectability of accounts receivable. The Company reviews the allowance for doubtful accounts quarterly. During the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company recorded a reduction for estimated customer uncollectible accounts receivable of $0.1 million and had collections of $0.1 million of previously reserved customer accounts receivables. The Company did not record a charge for uncollectible accounts receivable during the three months ended March 31, 2020.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606). See note 3 for further details.

Leases

The Company accounts for its leases in accordance with Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-02 (Topic 842). See note 10 for further details.

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Stock-based Compensation

Stock-based compensation expense is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award. Expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for all awards with service conditions. For performance-based awards, the grant date fair value is recognized as expense when the condition is probable of being achieved and then on a graded basis over the requisite service period. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to determine the fair value of service-based option awards, which requires a number of complex and subjective assumptions including fair value of the underlying security, the expected volatility of the underlying security, a risk-free interest rate and the expected term of the option. The fair value of restricted stock and restricted stock unit grants is determined using the closing trading price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. The fair value of awards containing market conditions is determined using a Monte Carlo simulation model based upon the nature of the conditions, the expected volatility of the underlying security, and other relevant factors.

During the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company granted 61,370 restricted common stock units (RSUs) with a grant date fair value of $1.5 million and non-qualified stock options (NSOs) to purchase 199,324 shares of common stock with a grant date fair value of $2.6 million to employees under the 2014 Employee, Director, and Consultant Equity Incentive Plan (the 2014 Equity Plan). The RSUs and NSOs granted to employees will vest over a three-year period. 

Stock-based compensation is included in cost of revenue or operating expenses, as applicable, and consists of the following:

Pursuant to the “evergreen” provisions of the 2014 Equity Plan, the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the plan automatically increased by 556,433 shares to 8,531,413 shares effective January 1, 2021.

As of March 31, 2021, 4,130,907 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance upon the exercise or vesting of outstanding stock-based awards granted under the 2014 Equity Plan. In addition, as of March 31, 2021, 80,658 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding stock options granted under the Company’s 2001 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended (the 2001 Equity Plan). Any cancellations or forfeitures of the options outstanding under the 2001 Equity Plan will result in the shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of such options becoming available for grant under the 2014 Equity Plan. As of March 31, 2021, the Company has either reserved in connection with statutory tax withholdings or issued a total of 3,123,562 shares under the 2014 Equity Plan. As of March 31, 2021, there were 1,196,286 shares of common stock available for future grant under the 2014 Equity Plan.

Net Loss per Share

The Company calculates net loss per share of common stock based on the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during each period. Potential common stock equivalents are determined using the treasury stock method. The weighted-average number of shares of common stock included in the computation of diluted net loss gives effect to all potentially dilutive common equivalent shares, including outstanding stock options and RSUs. Common equivalent shares are excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share if their effect is antidilutive.

Segments

Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise about which separate, discrete financial information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker in making decisions on how to allocate resources and assess performance. The Company’s chief operating decision maker is the Chief Executive Officer. The Company’s chief operating decision maker reviews consolidated operating results to make decisions about allocating resources and assessing performance for the entire Company. The Company presently views its operations and manages its business as one operating segment.

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Information about the Company’s total revenues, based on shipment destination or services location, is presented in the following table:

Warranty

The Company provides warranties for its products and records the estimated cost within cost of revenue in the period that the related revenue is recorded. The Company’s standard warranty period extends to one year from the date of shipment. This standard warranty provides that the Company’s products will be free from defects in material and workmanship, and will, under normal use, conform to the specifications for the product.

The Company’s products may be utilized in systems that involve new technical demands and new configurations. Accordingly, the Company regularly reviews and assesses whether warranty reserves should be recorded in the period the related revenue is recorded.

The Company did not record any warranty expense during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) or other standard setting bodies. Recently issued standards typically do not require adoption until a future effective date. Prior to their effective date, the Company evaluates the pronouncements to determine the potential effects of adoption to its consolidated financial statements.

Standards Implemented Since December 31, 2020

The Company has not implemented any accounting standards that had a material impact on its consolidated financial statements during the three months ended March 31, 2021.

Standards to be Implemented

The Company believes that the impact of recently issued accounting standards that are not yet effective will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

(3) Revenue from Contracts with Customers

Revenue Recognition

Revenue is recognized when a customer obtains control of promised goods or services in an amount that reflects the consideration which the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements within the scope of ASC 606, the Company performs the following five steps: (i) identification of the contract with a customer; (ii) identification of the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determination of the transaction price; (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the separate performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognition of the revenue associated with performance obligations as they are satisfied. The Company applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the Company will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer. At contract inception, once the contract is determined to be within the scope of ASC 606, the Company assesses the goods or services promised within each contract and determines those that are performance obligations, and assesses whether each promised good or service is

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distinct. If the contract contains a single performance obligation, the entire transaction price is allocated to the single performance obligation. Contracts that contain multiple performance obligations require an allocation of the transaction price based on the estimated relative standalone-selling prices of the promised products or services underlying each performance obligation. The Company determines standalone-selling prices based on the price at which the performance obligation is sold separately. If the standalone-selling price is not observable through past transactions, the Company estimates the standalone-selling price taking into account available information such as market conditions and internally approved pricing guidelines related to the performance obligations. The Company then recognizes as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied.

When determining the transaction price of a contract, an adjustment is made if payment from a customer occurs either significantly before or significantly after performance, resulting in a significant financing component. Applying the practical expedient in paragraph ASC 606-10-32-18, the Company does not assess whether a significant financing component exists if the period between when the Company performs its obligations under the contract and when the customer pays is one year or less. The Company did not have any contracts outstanding at December 31, 2020 and did not enter into any contracts during the three months ended March 31, 2021 that contained a significant financing component.

The Company records deferred revenue for product sales when (i) the Company has delivered products but other revenue recognition criteria have not been satisfied or (ii) payments have been received in advance of the completion of required performance obligations.

Shipping and Handling Costs

Shipping and handling costs associated with outbound freight after control over a product has transferred to a customer are accounted for as fulfillment costs and are included in the cost of product revenue. The associated amount of revenue recognized includes the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for incurring these shipping and handling costs.

Product Revenue

The Company generally enters into contracts containing one type of performance obligation. The Company recognizes product revenue when the performance obligation is satisfied, which is generally upon delivery according to contractual shipping terms within customer purchase orders.

The Company also enters into rebate agreements with certain customers. These agreements may be considered an additional performance obligation of the Company or variable consideration within a contract. Rebates are recorded as a reduction of revenue in the period the related product revenue is recognized. A corresponding liability is recorded as a component of deferred revenue on the consolidated balance sheets. These arrangements are primarily based on the customer attaining contractually specified sales volumes.

The Company estimates the amount of its product sales that may be returned by its customers and records this estimate as a reduction of revenue in the period the related product revenue is recognized. The Company currently estimates product return liabilities using historical rates of return, current quarter credit sales, and specific items of exposure on a contract-by-contract basis. Sales return reserves were approximately $0.1 million at both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

Subsea Projects

The Company manufactures and sells subsea products that are designed for pipe-in-pipe applications in subsea oil production and are typically customized to meet customer specifications. Subsea products typically have no alternative use and contain an enforceable right to payment. Customer invoicing terms for subsea products are typically based on certain milestones within the production and delivery schedule. Under the provisions of ASC 606, the Company recognizes revenue at a point in time when transfer of control of the products is passed to the customer, or over time utilizing the input method. The timing of revenue recognition is assessed on a contract-by-contract basis. During the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company recognized revenue of $0.4 million and $2.2 million, respectively, in connection with subsea projects.

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Research Services

The Company performs research services under contracts with various government agencies and other institutions. These contracts generally have one type of performance obligation associated with the provision of research services including certain licenses to any resulting intellectual property. The Company records revenue using the percentage-of-completion method in two ways: (1) for firm-fixed-price contracts, the Company accrues that portion of the total contract price that is allocable on the basis of the Company’s estimates of costs incurred to date to total contract costs; and (2) for cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts, the Company records revenue that is equal to total payroll cost incurred times a stated factor plus reimbursable expenses, to a stated upper limit. The primary cost under the Company’s research service contracts is the labor effort expended in completing the research. Typically, the only deliverable, other than the labor hours expended, is reporting research results to the customer or delivery of research grade aerogel products. Because the input measure of labor hours expended is also reflective of the output measure, it is a reliable means to measure the extent of progress toward completion. Revisions in cost estimates and fees during the course of the contract are reflected in the accounting period in which the facts that require the revisions become known. Contract costs and rates used to allocate overhead to contracts are subject to audit by the respective contracting government agency. Adjustments to revenue as a result of audit are recorded within the period they become known. To date, adjustments to revenue as a result of contracting agency audits have been insignificant.

Disaggregation of Revenue

In the following tables, revenue is disaggregated by primary geographical region and source of revenue:

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Contract Balances

The following table presents changes in the Company’s contract assets and contract liabilities during the three months ended March 31, 2021:

During the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company recognized $1.5 million of revenue that was included in deferred revenue at December 31, 2020.

A contract asset is recorded when the Company satisfies a performance obligation by transferring a promised good or service and has earned the right to consideration from its customer. These assets may represent a conditional or unconditional right to consideration and are included within accounts receivable on the consolidated balance sheets.

A contract liability is recorded when consideration is received, or such consideration is unconditionally due, from a customer prior to transferring goods or services under the terms of the contract. Contract liabilities are recognized as revenue after control of the products or services is transferred to the customer and all revenue recognition criteria have been met. 

(4) Inventories

Inventories consist of the following:

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(5) Property, Plant and Equipment, Net

Property, plant and equipment consist of the following:

Depreciation expense was $2.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.

Construction in progress totaled $1.8 million and $1.9 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, associated with the Company’s East Providence, Rhode Island facility.

(6) Accrued Expenses

Accrued expenses consist of the following:

(7) Revolving Line of Credit

The Company is party to an Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement with Silicon Valley Bank (Loan Agreement). On March 12, 2021, the Loan Agreement was amended and restated to extend the maturity date of the revolving credit facility to April 28, 2022 and to establish certain minimum Adjusted EBITDA levels and minimum Adjusted Quick Ratio covenants, as defined.

Under the revolving credit facility, the Company is permitted to borrow a maximum of $20.0 million, subject to continued covenant compliance and borrowing base requirements. The interest rate applicable to borrowings under the revolving credit facility is based on prime rate, subject to a minimum rate of 4.00% per annum. Prime rate-based rates vary from prime rate plus 0.75% per annum to prime rate plus 2.00% per annum. In addition, the Company is required to pay a monthly unused revolving line facility fee of 0.50% per annum of the average unused portion of the revolving credit facility.

Under the Loan Agreement, the Company is required to comply with both non-financial and financial covenants, including a minimum Adjusted EBITDA covenant and a minimum Adjusted Quick Ratio covenant, as defined. At March 31, 2021, the Company was in compliance with all such covenants. Obligations under the Loan Agreement are secured by a security interest in all assets of the Company, including those at the East Providence facility, except for certain exclusions. The Company intends to extend or replace the facility prior to its maturity.

At March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company had no amounts drawn from the revolving credit facility.

The Company has provided letters of credit to secure obligations under certain commercial contracts and other obligations. The Company had outstanding letters of credit backed by the revolving credit facility of $1.5 million and $1.4 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, which reduce the funds otherwise available to the Company under the facility.

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At March 31, 2021, the amount available to the Company under the revolving credit facility was $13.1 million after giving effect to the $1.5 million of outstanding letters of credit.

(8) Debt

On May 1, 2020, Aspen Aerogels Rhode Island, LLC (Borrower) executed a promissory note (Note) in favor of Northeast Bank to receive an unsecured loan in the principal amount of $3.7 million (the PPP Loan) pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) established by the CARES Act, as amended by the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (Flexibility Act), and administered by the SBA. The Borrower conferred with representatives of the SBA prior to finalizing the PPP Loan. The PPP Loan was subsequently sold by Northeast Bank to The Loan Source, Inc. (PPP Investor), a secondary market investor.

The PPP Loan carries an interest rate of 1% per year and matures two years from the date of the Note. The PPP Loan indebtedness may be forgiven in whole or in part upon application by the Borrower to the PPP Investor. The PPP Investor will determine to what extent the PPP Loan is eligible for forgiveness, subject to SBA guidelines and other regulations, based on the use of loan proceeds for payroll costs, payment of interest on covered mortgage obligations, rent and utility costs over either an eight-week or 24-week period, at the Borrower’s option, following the Borrower’s receipt of the loan proceeds. Upon the Borrower’s application for forgiveness, the SBA will review the Borrower’s eligibility, use of proceeds and other certifications in connection with the application for the PPP Loan. Upon such review, the SBA may approve or deny the Borrower’s loan forgiveness application, in whole or part. As of March 31, 2021, the Borrower had not applied for forgiveness.

If the Borrower has not applied for forgiveness within ten months from the end of the 24-week period following receipt of the loan proceeds, the Borrower will be required make payments of principal and accrued interest in equal monthly installments over the remaining term of the loan. In addition, the Flexibility Act permits the Borrower and the PPP Investor to mutually agree to extend the term of the PPP Loan to five years from the date of the Note. The Borrower may repay the PPP Loan at any time without penalty.

While the Borrower is not required to apply for forgiveness of the PPP Loan, upon application for forgiveness, the Borrower may not receive forgiveness of the PPP Loan in whole or in part. In addition, the amount of potential loan forgiveness may be reduced if the Borrower failed to maintain employee and salary levels during the applicable eight-week or 24-week period following receipt of the loan proceeds. If the Borrower applies for forgiveness, and the PPP Loan is not forgiven in whole or in part, the Borrower will be required to make payments of principal and accrued interest in equal monthly installments over the remaining term of the loan for the post-forgiveness balance outstanding.

The Note contains customary events of default relating to, among other things, payment defaults, breaches of representations and warranties, and defaults under any loan or agreement with another debtor, including the Company’s credit facility with SVB, to the extent the PPP Investor believes such default may materially affect the Borrower’s ability to repay the PPP Loan. The occurrence of an event of default, if not cured, may result in the Borrower’s repayment of the PPP Loan prior to maturity.

The Borrower has used the proceeds of the PPP Loan to support ongoing operations and to sustain staffing levels in its East Providence, Rhode Island manufacturing facility despite the unfavorable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and volatile energy markets on its business.

Long-term debt consists of the following:

The schedule of required principal payments remaining on long-term debt outstanding as of March 31, 2021 is as follows:

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(9) Commitments and Contingencies

Cloud Computing Agreement

The Company is party to a cloud computing agreement that is a service contract for enterprise resource planning software. The agreement has a three-year term beginning on January 15, 2021. During the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Company capitalized less than $0.1 million of costs related to implementation of the agreement that will begin to amortize during 2022. The capitalized implementation costs are included within other long-term assets on the consolidated balance sheets.

Thermal Barrier Contract

The Company is party to a contract with a major U.S. automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to supply fabricated, multi-part thermal barriers (Barriers) for use in the battery system of its next-generation electric vehicles (Contract). Pursuant to the Contract, the Company is obligated to supply Barriers at fixed annual prices and at volumes to be specified by the OEM up to a daily maximum quantity through the term of the agreement, which expires on September 1, 2026. While the OEM has agreed to purchase its requirement for Barriers at locations to be designated from time to time from the Company, it has no obligation to purchase any minimum quantity of Barriers under the Contract. In addition, the OEM may terminate the Contract any time and for any or no reason. All other terms of the Contract are generally consistent with the OEM’s standard purchase terms, including customary quality and warranty provisions.

BASF Supply Agreement

The Company is party to a supply agreement, as amended, with BASF Polyurethanes GmbH (BASF) (the Supply Agreement) and a joint development agreement with BASF SE (the JDA). Pursuant to the Supply Agreement, the Company will sell exclusively to BASF certain of the Company’s products at annual volumes to be specified by BASF, subject to certain volume limits. However, BASF has no obligation to purchase products under the Supply Agreement. The Supply Agreement will terminate on December 31, 2027 with respect to the Company’s Spaceloft A2 product and December 31, 2028 with respect to a new product developed under the JDA. Upon the expiration of the Supply Agreement with respect to each product, the Company will be subject to a post-termination supply commitment for an additional two years. The JDA is designed to facilitate collaboration by the parties on the development and commercialization of new products.

In addition, BASF, in its sole discretion, may make prepayments to the Company in the aggregate amount of up to $22.0 million during the term of the Supply Agreement. These prepayment obligations are secured by a security interest in real estate, plant and equipment at the Company’s Rhode Island facility and a license to certain intellectual property. BASF made a prepayment in the amount of $5.0 million to the Company in 2018 (the 2018 Prepayment). As of January 1, 2019, 25.3% of any amounts that the Company invoices for Spaceloft A2 sold to BASF are credited against the outstanding balance of the 2018 prepayment. If any of the 2018 Prepayment remains uncredited as of December 31, 2021, BASF may require that the Company repay the uncredited amount to BASF beginning in 2022.

Pursuant to the first addendum to the Supply Agreement, on January 30, 2019, BASF made an additional prepayment in the amount of $5.0 million to the Company (the 2019 Prepayment). As of January 1, 2020, 50.0% of any amounts that the Company invoices for the newly developed product sold to BASF are credited against the outstanding balance of the 2019 Prepayment. After December 31, 2022, BASF may require that the Company credit an additional 24.7% of any amounts invoiced by the Company for Spaceloft A2 product sold to BASF against the outstanding balance of the 2019 Prepayment, if any, or may require that the Company repay the uncredited amount of the 2019 Prepayment to BASF in full.

As of March 31, 2021, the Company had received $10.0 million in prepayments from BASF and applied approximately $0.2 million of credits against amounts invoiced.

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The prepayment liability consists of the following:

The amounts and terms of additional prepayment installments, if any, are subject to negotiation between the Company and BASF.

Federal, State and Local Environmental Regulations

The Company is subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the environment. These laws generally provide for control of pollutants released into the environment and require responsible parties to undertake remediation. Penalties may be imposed for noncompliance.

Litigation

The Company is, from time to time, a party to litigation that arises in the normal course of its business operations. See Part II, Item 1 “Legal Proceedings” of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for a description of certain of the Company’s current legal proceedings. The Company is not presently a party to any litigation for which it believes a loss is probable requiring an amount to be accrued or a possible loss contingency requiring disclosure.

(10) Leases

The Company leases office and warehouse space in Northborough, Massachusetts and East Providence, Rhode Island under operating leases. Under these agreements, the Company is obligated to pay annual rent, real estate taxes, and certain other operating expenses. The Company also leases equipment under operating leases. The Company’s operating leases expire at various dates through 2026.

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company’s payment obligations under the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. To measure its lease liabilities, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate or the rate implicit in the lease, if available. The Company calculates its incremental borrowing rate using a synthetic credit rating analysis based on Moody’s Building Materials Industry Rating Methodology. ROU assets also include any direct costs and prepaid lease payments but exclude any lease incentives received. The Company’s lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

The Company elected the short-term lease recognition exemption for all leases that qualify. For leases that qualify for this exemption, the Company does not recognize ROU assets or lease liabilities. For lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, the Company accounts for each component separately. However, in the case of equipment leases, the Company accounts for lease and non-lease components as a single component.

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Maturities of operating lease liabilities at March 31, 2021 are as follows:

The Company incurred operating lease costs of $0.4 million and $0.3 million during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Cash payments related to operating lease liabilities were $0.4 million during both the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.

At March 31, 2021, the weighted average remaining lease term for operating leases was 4.6 years. At March 31, 2021, the weighted average discount rate for operating leases was 7.3%.

As of March 31, 2021, the Company has additional operating equipment leases that will commence during 2021 with total lease payments of $0.2 million and a weighted average lease term of 4.0 years.

(11) CARES Act Payroll Tax Deferral

The Company elected to defer approximately $0.9 million of its employer payroll tax obligation for the period from March 27, 2020 to December 31, 2020 pursuant to the provisions of the CARES Act. The Company is required to remit 50 percent of the deferred tax balance on or before December 31, 2021 and the remaining 50 percent on or before December 31, 2022.

Other long-term liabilities consist of the following:

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(12) Net Loss Per Share

The computation of basic and diluted net loss per share consists of the following:

Potentially dilutive common shares that were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share because they were anti-dilutive consist of the following:

In the table above, anti-dilutive shares consist of those common stock equivalents that have (i) an exercise price above the average stock price for the period or (ii) related average unrecognized stock compensation expense sufficient to buy back the entire amount of shares. The Company excludes the shares issued in connection with restricted stock awards from the calculation of basic weighted average common shares outstanding until the restrictions lapse.

(13) Income Taxes

The Company incurred net operating losses and recorded a full valuation allowance against net deferred tax assets for all periods presented. Accordingly, the Company has not recorded a provision for federal or state income taxes.

(14) Subsequent Events

The Company has evaluated subsequent events through May 4, 2021, the date of issuance of the consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2021 

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The following information should be read in conjunction with the unaudited financial information and the notes thereto included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the audited financial information and the notes thereto included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 12, 2021, which we refer to as the Annual Report.

Certain matters discussed in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q may be deemed to be forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. We make such forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. In this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, words such as “may,” “will,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expects,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes” and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances) are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Our actual results and the timing of certain events may differ materially from the results discussed, projected, anticipated, or indicated in any forward-looking statements. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which we operate may differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. In addition, even if our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which we operate are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, they may not be predictive of results or developments in future periods.

The following information and any forward-looking statements should be considered in light of factors discussed elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and under “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of the Annual Report.

We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements made by us, which speak only as of the date they are made. We disclaim any obligation, except as specifically required by law and the rules of the SEC, to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

You should read the following discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations together with Part I Item 1 “Financial Statements,” which includes our financial statements and related notes, elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Investors and others should note that we routinely use the Investors section of our website to announce material information to investors and the marketplace. While not all of the information that we post on the Investors section of our website is of a material nature, some information could be deemed to be material. Accordingly, we encourage investors, the media, and others interested in us to review the information that we share on the Investors section of our website, https://www.aerogel.com.

Overview

We design, develop and manufacture innovative, high-performance aerogel insulation used primarily in the energy infrastructure and building materials markets. We believe our aerogel blankets deliver the best thermal performance of any widely used insulation product available on the market today and provide a combination of performance attributes unmatched by traditional insulation materials. Our end-use customers select our products where thermal performance is critical and to save money, improve resource efficiency, enhance sustainability, preserve operating assets and protect workers.

Our insulation is used by oil producers and the owners and operators of refineries, petrochemical plants, liquefied natural gas facilities, power generating assets and other energy infrastructure. Our Pyrogel and Cryogel product lines have undergone rigorous technical validation by industry leading end-users and achieved significant market adoption.

We are also actively developing a number of promising aerogel products and technologies for the electric vehicle market. We have developed and are commercializing our proprietary line of PyroThin thermal barriers for use in lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles. Our PyroThin product is an ultra-thin, lightweight and flexible thermal barrier designed to impede the propagation of thermal runaway across multiple lithium-ion battery system architectures. Our thermal barrier technology is designed to offer a unique combination of performance attributes that enable electric vehicle manufacturers to achieve critical safety goals without sacrificing driving range. In addition, we are seeking to leverage our patented carbon aerogel technology to develop industry-leading battery materials for lithium-ion battery systems. These battery materials have the potential to enable an increase in the drive range of electric vehicles.

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The commercial potential for our PyroThin thermal barriers and our carbon aerogel battery materials in the electric vehicle market is significant. Accordingly, we are planning to hire additional personnel, incur additional operating expenses, and incur capital expenditures to expand manufacturing capacity, build an automated thermal barrier fabrication operation, enhance research and development resources and construct a battery materials facility, among other items.

We also derive product revenue from a number of other end markets, including the building materials market. Customers in these markets use our products for applications as diverse as wall systems, military and commercial aircraft, trains, buses, appliances, apparel, footwear and outdoor gear. As we continue to enhance our aerogel technology platform, we believe we will have additional opportunities to address high-value applications in the global insulation market, the electric vehicle market and in a number of new, high-value markets.

We generate product revenue through the sale of our line of aerogel blankets and thermal barriers. We market and sell our products primarily through a sales force based in North America, Europe and Asia. The efforts of our sales force are supported by a small number of sales consultants with extensive knowledge of a particular market or region. Our sales force is responsible for establishing and maintaining customer and partner relationships, delivering highly technical information and ensuring high-quality customer service.

Our salespeople work directly with end-use customers and engineering firms to promote the qualification, specification and acceptance of our products. We also rely on an existing and well-established channel of qualified insulation distributors and contractors in more than 50 countries around the world to ensure rapid delivery of our products and strong end-user support.

We also perform research services under contracts with various agencies of the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy, and other institutions. We have decided to cease efforts to secure additional funded research contracts and to wind down our existing contract research activities. This decision reflected our desire to focus our research and development resources on initiatives to improve the profitability of our existing business and on efforts to develop new products and next-generation technology with application in new, potentially high-value markets.

We manufacture our products using our proprietary technology at our facility in East Providence, Rhode Island. We have operated the East Providence facility since 2008 and have increased our annual capacity in phases through December 31, 2020 to 55 million square feet of aerogel blankets. We are currently engaged in an initiative, which we refer to as EP20, designed to increase the capacity of the East Providence facility to 60 million square feet of aerogel blankets by the end of 2021. In addition, we anticipate that we will need to construct a state-of-the-art thermal barrier fabrication operation, hire dedicated thermal barrier fabrication employees, and increase our aerogel blanket manufacturing capacity to keep pace with the significant potential demand for our PyroThin thermal barriers. Accordingly, we are in the early stages of planning a significant expansion of our aerogel capacity prior to the end of 2023. The expected elements of the completed expansion plan will include the size of the required capacity expansion, the selection of an optimal manufacturing site for the expansion, the appropriate financing structure to fund the project and a detailed timeline for the construction and operation of the facility.

During 2020, we entered into a contract with a major U.S. automotive original equipment manufacturer to supply fabricated, multi-part thermal barriers for use in the battery system of its next-generation electric vehicles. Pursuant to the contract, we are obligated to supply the barriers at fixed annual prices and at volumes to be specified by the customer up to a daily maximum quantity through the term of the agreement, which expires on September 1, 2026. While the customer has agreed to purchase from us its requirement for the barriers at locations to be designated from time to time, it has no obligation to purchase any minimum quantity of barriers under the contract. In addition, the customer may terminate the contract any time and for any or no reason. All other terms of the contract are generally consistent with the customer’s standard purchase terms, including customary quality and warranty provisions.

We are engaged in a strategic partnership with BASF to develop and commercialize products for the building materials and other markets. The strategic partnership includes a supply agreement governing the exclusive sale of specified products to BASF and a joint development agreement targeting innovative products and technologies. BASF has no obligation to purchase any products under the supply agreement. Pursuant to the supply agreement, BASF may, in its sole discretion, make prepayments to us in the aggregate amount of up to $22.0 million during the term of the agreement. We may repay the prepayments to BASF at any time in whole or in part for any reason.

BASF made a prepayment to us of $5.0 million during 2018. As of January 1, 2019, 25.3% of any amounts that we invoice for Spaceloft A2 sold to BASF will be credited against the outstanding balance of the 2018 prepayment. If any amount of the 2018 prepayment remains uncredited at December 31, 2021, BASF may require that we repay the uncredited amount following a six-week notice period. In January 2019, BASF made an additional prepayment to us of $5.0 million. As of January 1, 2020, 50% of any amounts that we invoice for a newly developed product sold to BASF will be credited against the outstanding balance of the 2019

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prepayment. After December 31, 2022, BASF may require that we credit 24.7% of any amounts we invoice for Spaceloft A2 sold to BASF against the outstanding balance of the 2019 prepayment or may require that we repay the uncredited amount following a six-week notice period.

On March 12, 2021, we entered into an Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement (Loan Agreement) with Silicon Valley Bank to extend the maturity date of the revolving credit facility to April 28, 2022. Pursuant to the Loan Agreement, we are permitted to borrow a maximum of $20.0 million, subject to continued covenant compliance and borrowing base requirements. The interest rate applicable to borrowings under the revolving credit facility is based on the prime rate, subject to a minimum rate of 4.00% per annum. Prime rate-based rates vary from prime rate plus 0.75% per annum to prime rate plus 2.00% per annum. In addition, we are required to pay a monthly unused revolving line facility fee of 0.50% per annum of the average unused portion of the revolving credit facility. The credit facility has also been amended to establish certain minimum Adjusted EBITDA and minimum Adjusted Quick Ratio covenants, as defined.

On May 1, 2020, our wholly owned subsidiary, Aspen Aerogels Rhode Island, LLC (Borrower), executed a note for an unsecured loan of $3.7 million pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP Loan) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), as amended, and administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The Borrower conferred with representatives of the SBA prior to finalizing the PPP Loan. The loan is unsecured, contains customary events of default, carries an interest rate of 1% per year, and matures on May 1, 2022. The Borrower may repay the loan at any time without penalty. In addition, the Borrower is permitted at any time to submit an application to extend the maturity of loan to May 1, 2025.

The Borrower may also choose to apply to have the PPP Loan forgiven in whole or in part subject to SBA guidelines. The potential amount of forgiveness is based on the Borrower’s use of loan proceeds for payroll costs, mortgage interest payments, rent and utility costs over either an eight-week or 24-week period following receipt of the loan proceeds. The SBA may disapprove of the loan forgiveness application if the agency determines that the Borrower was ineligible for the PPP Loan. As of March 31, 2021, the Borrower had not applied for forgiveness.

Upon application, the Borrower may receive loan forgiveness in whole or in part. In addition, the amount of potential loan forgiveness will be reduced if the Borrower failed to maintain employee and salary levels during the applicable eight-week or 24-week period following receipt of the loan proceeds. If the Borrower applies for forgiveness, and the PPP Loan is not forgiven in whole or in part, the Borrower will be required to begin to make payments of the principal and accrued interest of the post-forgiveness balance outstanding in equal monthly installments over the remaining term of the loan. If the Borrower does not apply for forgiveness by August 19, 2021, the Borrower will be required to make payments of principal and accrued interest in equal monthly installments over the remaining term of the loan.

The Borrower used the proceeds of the PPP Loan to support ongoing operations and to sustain staffing levels in the East Providence, Rhode Island manufacturing facility despite the unfavorable impact the COVID-19 pandemic and volatile energy markets had on its business.

On February 3, 2021, we entered into a supply agreement (Supply Agreement) with Silbond Corporation (Silbond), for the purchase of certain silanes (Product). Pursuant to the Supply Agreement, we agreed to purchase and Silbond agreed to supply, all of our requirements for the Product through the term of the Supply Agreement, which term ends on September 30, 2023, unless either party terminates the agreement early pursuant to the terms of the Supply Agreement.

Our revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was $28.1 million, which represented a decrease of $0.3 million, or 1%, from $28.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was $6.3 million and net loss per share was $0.22. Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was $3.2 million and net loss per share was $0.13.

At present, we are not certain of the extent of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to have on our business. Our manufacturing facility remains operational and we have not encountered any significant disruption to our supply chain or our ability to deliver to our customers. However, the demand for our products has been negatively impacted, particularly due to access restrictions on contractors in energy infrastructure facilities, resulting in a year-over-year decreases in our total revenue and increases in our net loss.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have implemented and are following safe practices recommended by public health authorities and other government entities. We continue to focus on the safety and health of our employees, customers and vendors. In addition, we have implemented various precautionary measures, including remote work arrangements, restricted business travel and procedures for social distancing, face coverings and safe hygiene. We continue to monitor public health guidance as it evolves and

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plan to adapt our practices as appropriate. Refer to “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of the Annual Report for more information concerning risks to our business associated with COVID-19.

Key Metrics and Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We regularly review a number of metrics, including the following key metrics, to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate financial projections and make strategic decisions.

Square Foot Operating Metric

We price our product and measure our product shipments in square feet. We estimate our annual capacity was 55 million square feet of aerogel blankets at March 31, 2021. We believe the square foot operating metric allows us and our investors to measure our manufacturing capacity and product shipments on a uniform and consistent basis. The following chart sets forth product shipments in square feet associated with recognized revenue, including revenue recognized over time utilizing the input method, for the periods presented:

Adjusted EBITDA

We use Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, as a means to assess our operating performance. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before interest expense, taxes, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation expense and other items, from time to time, which we do not believe are indicative of our core operating performance. Adjusted EBITDA is a supplemental measure of our performance that is not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss) or any other measure of financial performance calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In addition, our definition and presentation of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies.

We use Adjusted EBITDA:

We also believe that the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors with respect to our results of operations and in assessing the performance and value of our business. Various measures of EBITDA are widely used by investors to measure a company’s operating performance without regard to items that can vary substantially from company to company depending upon financing and accounting methods, book values of assets, capital structures and the methods by which assets were acquired.

Although measures similar to Adjusted EBITDA are frequently used by investors and securities analysts in their evaluation of companies, we understand that Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for net income (loss), income (loss) from operations, net cash provided by (used in) operating activities or an analysis of our results of operations as reported under U.S. GAAP. Some of these limitations are:

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Because of these limitations, our Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as a measure of discretionary cash available to us to reinvest in the growth of our business or as a measure of cash available for us to meet our obligations.

To properly and prudently evaluate our business, we encourage you to review the U.S. GAAP financial statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate our business.

The following table presents a reconciliation of net loss, the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure, to Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented:

Our financial performance, including such measures as net income (loss), earnings per share and Adjusted EBITDA, are affected by a number of factors including volume and mix of aerogel products sold, average selling prices, our material costs and manufacturing expenses, the costs associated with capacity expansions and start-up of additional production capacity, and the amount and timing of operating expenses. Accordingly, we expect that our net income (loss), earnings per share and Adjusted EBITDA will vary from period to period.

During 2021, we are projecting modest growth in total revenue principally due to an anticipated increase in project-based demand in the LNG market and maintenance-based demand in North American petrochemical and refinery market. We have also announced a price increase to offset an increase in raw material costs during 2021 that will also contribute to revenue growth.

However, we intend to increase our investment in the electric vehicle market and our aerogel technology platform in 2021. We will use this investment to accelerate thermal barrier business development, to establish industry-leading thermal barrier fabrication capability, to progress from the development phase to the commercialization phase of our silicon-rich carbon aerogel battery materials, and to identify additional high-value markets for our aerogel technology, among other items. As a result, we expect to experience a decrease in Adjusted EBITDA and an increase in net loss versus 2020.

Components of Our Results of Operations

Revenue

We recognize product revenue from the sale of our line of aerogel products and research services revenue from the provision of services under contracts with various agencies of the U.S. government and other institutions. Product and research services revenue is recognized upon the satisfaction of contractual performance obligations.

We record deferred revenue for product sales when (i) we have delivered products but other revenue recognition criteria have not been satisfied or (ii) payments have been received in advance of the completion of required performance obligations.

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During 2021, we are projecting modest growth in total revenue principally due to an anticipated increase in project-based demand in the LNG market and maintenance-based demand in North American petrochemical and refinery market. We have also announced a price increase to offset an increase in raw material costs during 2021 that will also contribute to revenue growth.

Cost of Revenue

Cost of product revenue consists primarily of materials and manufacturing expense. Cost of product revenue is recorded when the related product revenue is recognized.

Material is our most significant component of cost of product revenue and includes fibrous batting, silica materials and additives. Material costs as a percentage of product revenue vary from product to product due to differences in average selling prices, material requirements, product thicknesses and manufacturing yields. In addition, we provide warranties for our products and record the estimated cost within cost of revenue in the period that the related revenue is recorded or when we become aware that a potential warranty claim is probable and can be reasonably estimated. As a result of these factors, material costs as a percentage of product revenue will vary from period to period due to changes in the mix of aerogel products sold, the costs of our raw materials or the estimated cost of warranties. We expect that material costs will decrease in absolute dollars and as a percentage of revenue during 2021 due to the impact of our 2021 price increase, a projected favorable product mix and the impact of our bill of material cost initiatives.

Manufacturing expense is also a significant component of cost of revenue. Manufacturing expense includes labor, utilities, maintenance expense, and depreciation on manufacturing assets. Manufacturing expense also includes stock-based compensation for manufacturing employees and shipping costs. We expect that manufacturing expense will increase in absolute dollars and as a percentage of revenue during 2021 principally due to our plan to hire additional personnel and incur additional manufacturing expenses to establish fabrication operations in support of projected growth in PyroThin thermal barrier demand.

In total, we expect that cost of product revenue will increase in absolute dollars during 2021 versus 2020, but may increase or decrease modestly as a percentage of revenue versus 2020 depending on the level of revenue achieved during 2021.

Cost of research services revenue consists of direct labor costs of research personnel engaged in the contract research, third-party consulting and subcontractor expense, and associated direct material costs. This cost of revenue also includes overhead expenses associated with project resources, development tools and supplies. Cost of research services revenue is recorded when the related research services revenue is recognized. In 2021, we expect cost of research services revenue will decline as we wind down our existing contract research activities.

Gross Profit

Our gross profit as a percentage of revenue is affected by a number of factors, including the volume of aerogel products produced and sold, the mix of aerogel products sold, average selling prices, our material and manufacturing costs, realized capacity utilization and the costs associated with expansions and start-up of production capacity. Accordingly, we expect our gross profit in absolute dollars and as a percentage of revenue to vary significantly from period to period.

During 2021, we project that gross profit will grow in absolute dollars versus 2020 due to projected growth in total revenue and a decrease in projected material costs, offset, in part, by an increase in manufacturing expense. However, we expect that gross profit as a percentage of revenue may increase or decrease modestly versus 2020 depending on the level of revenue achieved during 2021.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses consist of research and development, sales and marketing, and general and administrative expenses. Operating expenses include personnel costs, legal fees, professional fees, service fees, insurance premiums, travel expense, facilities related costs and other costs, expenses and fees. The largest component of our operating expenses is personnel costs, consisting of salaries, benefits, incentive compensation and stock-based compensation. In any particular period, the timing and extent of personnel additions or reductions, legal activities, including patent enforcement actions, marketing programs, research efforts and a range of similar activities or actions could materially affect our operating expenses, both in absolute dollars and as a percentage of revenue.

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During 2021, we expect to hire additional personnel and incur additional operating expenses to support the anticipated multi-year growth in our PyroThin thermal barrier business. As a result, we expect that operating expenses will increase in both absolute dollars and as a percentage of revenue during the year. In the longer term, we expect that operating expenses will increase in absolute dollars, but decrease as a percentage of revenue.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses consist primarily of expenses for personnel engaged in the development of next-generation aerogel compositions, form factors and manufacturing technologies. These expenses also include testing services, prototype expenses, consulting services, trial formulations for new products, equipment depreciation, facilities costs and related overhead. We expense research and development costs as incurred. We expect to continue to devote substantial resources to the development of new aerogel technologies, including our carbon aerogel battery materials. We believe that these investments are necessary to maintain and improve our competitive position. We also expect to continue to invest in research and engineering personnel and the infrastructure required in support of their efforts.

While we expect our research and development expenses will increase in absolute dollars but decrease as a percentage of revenue in the longer term, in 2021 we expect such expenses will increase in both absolute dollars and as a percentage of revenue.

Sales and Marketing Expenses

Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of personnel costs, incentive compensation, marketing programs, travel and related costs, consulting expenses and facilities related costs.

We expect that sales and marketing expenses will increase in absolute dollars during 2021 principally due to an increase in compensation associated with the addition of personnel in support of our PyroThin thermal barrier business. In the longer term, we expect that sales and marketing expenses will increase in absolute dollars, but decrease as a percentage of revenue.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of personnel costs, legal expenses, consulting and professional services, audit and tax consulting costs, and expenses for our executive, finance, legal, human resources and information technology organizations. General and administrative expenses have increased as we have incurred additional costs related to operating as a publicly-traded company, which include costs of compliance with securities, corporate governance and related laws and regulations, investor relations expenses, increased insurance premiums, including director and officer insurance, and increased audit and legal fees.

We expect our general and administrative expenses to increase as we add general and administrative personnel to support the anticipated growth of our business. We also expect that the patent enforcement actions, described in more detail under “Legal Proceedings” in Part II, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, if protracted, could result in significant legal expense over the medium to long-term. While we expect that our general and administrative expenses will increase in absolute dollars but decrease as a percentage of revenue in the longer term, in 2021 we expect such expenses will increase in both absolute dollars and as a percentage of revenue.

Interest Expense, Net

Interest expense, net consists primarily of fees and interest expense related to our revolving credit facility.

Provision for Income Taxes

We have incurred net losses since inception and have not recorded benefit provisions for U.S. federal income taxes or state income taxes since the tax benefits of our net losses have been offset by valuation allowances due to the uncertainty associated with the utilization of net operating loss carryforwards.

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Results of Operations

Three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2020

The following tables set forth a comparison of the components of our results of operations for the periods presented:

Revenue

The following chart sets forth product shipments in square feet associated with recognized revenue, including revenue recognized over time utilizing the input method, for the periods presented:

Total revenue decreased $0.3 million, or 1%, to $28.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $28.4 million in the comparable period in 2020. The decrease in total revenue was the result of decreases in both product revenue and research services revenue.

Product revenue decreased by $0.2 million, or 1%, to $28.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $28.3 million in the comparable period in 2020. This decrease was principally the result of decreases in project-based demand in the subsea market and maintenance-based demand in the global petrochemical and refinery markets, offset, in part, by an increase in project-based demand in the LNG market.

Product revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2021 included $7.4 million to a North American distributor, $5.0 million to a European LNG project contractor, and $4.0 million to an Asian LNG project contractor. Product revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2020 included $7.0 million to a North American distributor and $4.6 million to an Asian LNG project contractor.

The average selling price per square foot of our products decreased by $0.22, or 6%, to $3.25 per square foot for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $3.47 per square foot for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The decrease in average selling price principally reflected the impact of the increase in the proportion of project-based product revenue in the Asian and European LNG markets and a change in the mix of products sold. This decrease in average selling price had the effect of decreasing product revenue by $1.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from the comparable period in 2020.

In volume terms, product shipments increased by 0.4 million square feet, or 6%, to 8.6 million square feet of aerogel products for the three months ended March 31, 2021, as compared to 8.2 million square feet for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The increase in product volume had the effect of increasing product revenue by $1.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from the comparable period in 2020.

Research services revenue decreased $0.1 million, or 63%, to less than $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $0.1 million in the comparable period in 2020. The decrease was primarily due to our decision to wind down our contract research activities to focus our research and development resources on improving our existing business profitability and developing new products and next-generation technology with application in new, potentially high-value markets.

Product revenue was greater than 99% of total revenue for the both three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020. Research services revenue was less than 1% of total revenue for the both the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.

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Cost of Revenue

Total cost of revenue increased $1.7 million, or 8%, to $24.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $22.4 million in the comparable period in 2020. The increase in total cost of revenue was the result of an increase in product cost of revenue partially offset by a decrease in research services cost of revenue.

Product cost of revenue increased by $1.7 million, or 8%, to $24.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from $22.4 million in the comparable period in 2020. The $1.7 million increase was the result of a $1.8 million increase in material costs and a $0.1 million decrease in manufacturing expense. The increase in material costs was the result of the impact of the high proportion of fixed manufacturing expenses in our East Providence manufacturing despite a decrease in manufacturing output during the quarter and the 0.4 million square feet, or 6%, increase in total product shipments. The decrease in manufacturing expense was the result of a decrease in plant operating costs of $0.1 million and compensation and related costs of $0.1 million, offset, in part, by an increase in maintenance expenses of $0.1 million.

Product cost of revenue as a percentage of product revenue increased to 86% during the three months ended March 31, 2021 from 79% during the three months ended March 31, 2020. This increase was the result of the increase in material costs as a percentage of revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2021.

Research services cost of revenue decreased by 70%, to less than $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 from the comparable period in 2020. Cost of research service revenue as a percentage of research services revenue decreased to 29% during the three months ended March 31, 2021 from 36% in the comparable period in 2020 due to our decision to wind down our research activities.

Gross Profit