LeadDesk Plc H1/2026: Nordic momentum and portfolio refocus improved EBITDA
LeadDesk Plc’s press release 14 August 2026 at 9.05 am EET. Unofficial translation of the company release published on 14 August 2026 at 9.02 am EET. In case the document differs from the original, the Finnish version prevails.
LeadDesk Plc H1/2026: Nordic momentum and portfolio refocus improved EBITDA
April–June 2026
- Revenue EUR 9,359 (10,157) thousand, growth -7.9%
- Revenue growth -10.0% on a comparable currency basis
- Annual recurring revenue (ARR) EUR 32,575 thousand, change from previous quarter -2.0%
- EBITDA EUR 1,528 (1,486) thousand, 16.3% (14.6%) of revenue
January–June 2026
- Revenue EUR 18,991 (19,545) thousand, growth -2.8%
- Revenue growth -4.5% on a comparable currency basis
- Annual recurring revenue (ARR) EUR 32,575 thousand, change from the end of 2025 -3.3%
- EBITDA EUR 2,874 (2,736) thousand, 15.1% (14.0%) of revenue
- EBIT EUR -1,066 (-582) thousand, -5.6% (-3.0%) of revenue
- Result for the period EUR -899 (-984) thousand
- Operating cash flow EUR 1,997 (2,954) thousand
- Earnings per share EUR -0.15 (-0.17)
Figures in parentheses refer to the corresponding period of the previous year unless otherwise stated. Reported figures are unaudited. Comparable figures have been calculated by translating foreign currency denominated amounts into euros using the average exchange rate of the corresponding period of the previous financial year.
Effective from Q1/2026, LeadDesk Plc replaces annual recurring revenue contract base metric with annual recurring revenue that is calculated as the last three months’ average annual recurring revenue and thus better describes actual performance in the period. Comparable annual recurring revenue (ARR) figures for fiscal year 2025 are presented in the Tables section of this report.
Key figures, Group consolidated
| 1 000 EUR | 4-6/2026 | 4-6/2025 | 1-6/2026 | 1-6/2025 | 2025 |
| Revenue | 9,359 | 10,157 | 18,991 | 19,545 | 39,373 |
| Revenue growth, % | -7.9 % | 30.5 % | -2.8 % | 26.4 % | 24.6 % |
| Revenue growth on a comparable currency basis, % | -10.0 % | 29.7 % | -4.5 % | 26.3 % | 23.8 % |
| Annual recurring revenue (ARR) | 32,575 | 34,636 | 32,575 | 34,636 | 33,703 |
| Annual recurring revenue (ARR) growth, % | -6.0 % | 40.1 % | -6.0 % | 40.1 % | 23.9 % |
| EBITDA, % of Revenue | 16.3 % | 14.6 % | 15.1 % | 14.0 % | 16.9 % |
| EBIT, % of Revenue | -4.9 % | -4.2 % | -5.6 % | -3.0 % | -2.8 % |
| Return on Equity (ROE), % | -14.1 % | -16.7 % | -11.5 % | -11.6 % | -14.3 % |
| Return on Invested Capital (ROI), % | -3.9 % | -5.2 % | -2.6 % | -3.8 % | -4.0 % |
| Equity ratio, % | 39.4 % | 43.2 % | 39.4 % | 43.2 % | 40.1 % |
| Net gearing ratio, % | 75.6 % | 63.9 % | 75.6 % | 63.9 % | 62.0 % |
| Earnings per Share | -0.09 | -0.13 | -0.15 | -0.17 | -0.41 |
| Earnings per Share (diluted) | -0.09 | -0.13 | -0.15 | -0.17 | -0.39 |
| Headcount at the end of the reporting period | 207 | 225 | 207 | 225 | 216 |
CEO, Olli Nokso-Koivisto:
In the first half of the year, LeadDesk’s profitability improved compared to the corresponding period last year. EBITDA increased by 5.0% to EUR 2.9 (2.7) million, taking our LTM EBITDA to 18% (15%) of revenue.. Revenue was, as expected, slightly below the comparison period and amounted to EUR 19.0 (19.5) million. Our own software performed well, while the revenue from resell software decreased as planned. Overall, the second quarter developed largely in line with our expectations, positioning us to accelerate revenue growth and further improve EBITDA through the announced Telia ACE acquisition, AI, and refocused portfolio.
Europe’s most trusted AI-driven voice-first customer interaction platform
Our vision is to build Europe’s most trusted AI-driven voice-first customer interaction platform. We believe that the demand for sovereign European solutions is increasing, especially in sectors such as public administration, healthcare and financial services, where trust, regulatory compliance and technological independence are essential for mission-critical customer interactions. AI is rapidly transforming how these interactions are handled, enabling more personalized and efficient customer service. At the same time, voice is gaining importance as AI makes spoken interactions more scalable.
The acquisition of Telia's ACE platform significantly strengthens our scale and position in the Nordic CCaaS market. Following completion, Sweden will become our largest market, customer service software will account for approximately two-thirds of recurring revenue, and our combined business will generate more than EUR 50 million of pro forma annual revenue. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year.
The acquisition significantly expands the reach of our AI offering across a much larger customer base. As a CCaaS provider, we are uniquely positioned to embed AI directly into customer interactions, enabling customers to improve productivity, automate workflows and enhance customer experience. The larger installed base accelerates the adoption of our AI capabilities and strengthens the long-term value creation potential of the combined business.
The transaction also further strengthens our partner network across the Nordics, where we have built successful partnerships with leading telecommunications operators over the years. By choosing LeadDesk as its CCaaS software partner for enterprise customers, Telia validates our AI capabilities, technical expertise and ability to serve demanding organizations at scale. At the same time, we remain committed to an open partner ecosystem and continue to work with teleoperators, system integrators and other channel partners across the Nordics and Europe.
During the first half, we also acquired Fluentic, adding multilingual AI capabilities to our platform. Fluentic strengthens our AI offering with high-end translation technology and enables our customers to deliver AI-powered customer service without language barriers. Together with our existing AI capabilities, the acquisition further strengthens the platform we are building to empower Europe's most demanding customer service organizations.
The European contact center software market is consolidating. With a strong Nordic home market, a wide customer base and an expanding portfolio of AI capabilities, we are well positioned to benefit from the consolidation. This provides us with a solid foundation for efficient scaling and long-term profitable growth.
Strong momentum with the Nordic customer service software
Our Nordic home market continued to perform well, with revenue from our own software growing by 5%, supported by strong customer demand and our recent acquisitions. We continue to see a strong sales pipeline across the Nordics. Demand is driven particularly by the increasing need for AI-powered customer service solutions among enterprise and public sector organisations. At the same time, headline revenue was affected by the continued reduction of third-party reseller products and the previously communicated decline in Spanish telecom revenue.
During the period, we announced the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS) as a customer and a major agreement with a Nordic government agency sold through a partner. These wins demonstrate our ability to serve demanding organisations with complex security, resilience and regulatory requirements.
Demand for sovereign European software is growing, which creates a significant long-term opportunity for us. This is clearly visible in the public sector, healthcare and financial services, where organizations are increasingly seeking technology partners that combine modern AI capabilities with strong security, resilience, data control and regulatory compliance.
Improved profitability
In the current strategy phase, we are focused on improving profitability, targeting 20% EBITDA margin. Following our vision, we continued to simplify our business portfolio during the first half and sharpen our focus on our own software. As part of this, we further reduced our third-party software reseller business. During the first half, reseller ARR decreased by approximately EUR 0.5 million, leaving approximately EUR 2.5 million at the end of the reporting period. We will continue to support our existing customer commitments, with the remaining contracts expected to expire by the end of 2028.
We also continued to reduce our CPaaS business in Spain. CPaaS remains an attractive business in many markets. However, telemarketing related regulatory changes have significantly reduced the attractiveness of parts of the Spanish market. The ARR affected is 0,6 M€, which largely materialized in H1. Regulatory development in general does not affect the customer service software market.
These actions reduced reported revenue during the period. At the same time, they also improve the quality of our revenue and simplify our business portfolio, which creates a stronger foundation for efficient scaling and profitable growth.
Finally, I would like to thank our customers for their trust, our partners for their collaboration and our employees for their commitment. Their expertise and dedication continue to build the foundation for LeadDesk's long-term success.
Outlook
Guidance for 2026 (unchanged)
The company expects its EBITDA margin to be 15-20% in 2026.
Topics impacting revenue growth and profitability
Based on its strategy, LeadDesk continues to execute actions aimed at improving its profitability and aims to reach 20.0 % EBITDA margin in the short term. The actions, including continuing on the rationalization work related to acquisitions, may entail giving up less profitable customers and products and thus may impact negatively on its revenue development. Company estimates the share of this revenue to be ca. 8% of total, with up to half impacting FY2026. Therefore, the company does not guide on revenue development in 2026.
In longer term, LeadDesk sees opportunities to grow its business organically both in the Nordics and in Continental Europe, driven by its customers’ AI investments, and the announced Telia ACE platform acquisition. LeadDesk has invested in AI product portfolio since 2023 and brought in total 9 AI products to the market. In addition, current market fragmentation continues to provide LeadDesk with opportunities for further acquisitions.
Financial reporting in 2026
The company will release the following financial releases, which will also be available on the company's website https://investors.leaddesk.com/en/investors/reports_and_presentations:
- Half Year Review January–June 2025: 14 August 2026
- Business Review January–September 2025: 23 October 2026
Results briefing
LeadDesk will organise a virtual briefing for investors, media, and analysts on 14 August 2026 at 1:00pm EET. The company has released the invitation with instructions for signing up on 05 August 2026.
LeadDesk Plc
Board of Directors
More information
Olli Nokso-Koivisto, CEO, LeadDesk Plc
+358 44 066 5765
olli.nokso-koivisto@leaddesk.com
Certified advisor:
Oaklins Finland Ltd, tel. +358 9 6129 670
Distribution:
Nasdaq Helsinki
Relevant media
LeadDesk Plc in brief
LeadDesk is a leading European provider of cloud-based sales enablement and customer service software (CCaaS). LeadDesk cloud software, powered by artificial intelligence, improve customer experience and sales productivity. Over 30,000 customer service and sales professionals work more efficiently with LeadDesk’s software products weekly. In 2025, the Group's revenue was EUR 39.4 million, most of which came from outside Finland. The Group has offices in eight European countries. LeadDesk Plc's shares are traded on the Nasdaq First North Finland marketplace under the ticker LEADD. www.leaddesk.com