Q2 Interim Report: Strong Order Intake - System Orders in Two Main Segments
FINANCIAL RESULTS SECOND QUARTER 2026
- Net sales amounted to SEK 9.7 million (6.5)
- Total revenue amounted to SEK 10.5 million (14.7)
- Operating profit amounted to SEK -13.0 million (-15.8)
- Operating profit after financial items amounted to SEK -13.2 million (-15.8)
- Cash flow amounted to SEK -3.0 million (2.8)
- Cash balance, end of period, amounted to SEK 15.2 million (30.8)
- Liquidity ratio amounted to 58% (70)
- Adjusted liquidity ratio amounted to 58% (107) [1]
- Order backlog coating systems at period end amounted to SEK 29.4 million (0) [2]
- Order backlog Coating Services at period end amounted to SEK 1.7 million (1.7) [2]
FINANCIAL RESULTS JANUARY-JUNE 2026
- Net sales amounted to SEK 22.4 million (16.0)
- Total revenue amounted to SEK 23.1 million (34.4)
- Operating profit amounted to SEK -24.1 million (-30.1)
- Operating profit after financial items amounted to SEK -24.5 million (-30.0)
- Cash flow amounted to SEK -22.3 million (-2.8)
BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS DURING THE SECOND QUARTER 2026
- Order for an INLINECOATER™ IC500 from HJWAVE (Korea), for waveguide antennas for vehicle radar – order value in the EUR 1.5 million range
- Repeat order for an INLINECOATER™ IC500 from LINDBERG – Kering Eyewear (Denmark), for decorative coatings for luxury eyewear – order value in the EUR 1-1.5 million range
- Letter of Intent with LT Metal (Korea) regarding the commercialization of catalytic iridium oxide electrodes for PEM electrolyzers
BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS AFTER THE PERIOD
- Delivery completed of INLINECOATER™ IC500 to HJWAVE (Korea)
[1] In Q2 2025 included the part of the inventory that was financed by customer pre-payments.
[2] Future agreed leasing revenue of SEK 8.4 million over 33 months for a production line leased out by the subsidiary in China is not included in the backlog figures.
CEO’s COMMENTARY
The second quarter demonstrates that the strategic priorities we have set in recent years continue delivering tangible results. We are building our long-term position in solid oxide technology, while also winning business in areas where demand is strongest right now. The quarter’s highlights were system orders in two of our four main segments, increased volumes in Coating Services, and total order intake of SEK 39 million.
Stable net sales and increased order backlog
Net sales for the second quarter amounted to SEK 9.7 million (6.5), an increase driven by growth in Coating Services. During the first two quarters of the year, activity in China has been weaker than expected, while order intake in Europe has developed positively.
One of the strategically important new customers highlighted in our Q1 report increased its Coating Services orders to more than SEK 3 million during Q2. After the end of the quarter, the customer’s cumulative order value surpassed SEK 5 million. This illustrates how our customer relationships typically develop, from smaller test orders to increasing production volumes following an extensive qualification process, often several months before a potential system sale.
The two INLINECOATER™ IC500 system orders, placed by two separate customers, will be recognized as revenue upon shipment during the third and early fourth quarters. At the end of the period, the order backlog amounted to SEK 29.4 million for systems and SEK 1.7 million for Coating Services.
Two system orders – delivery capacity and customization as competitive advantages
Following focused and persistent sales efforts, we received two INLINECOATER™ IC500 system orders during the spring in two of our main segments.
The IC500 system ordered by HJWAVE was delivered mid-July, following a lead time of three months. This short lead time is a direct result of the decision we made in 2024 to build coating systems based on sales forecasts. We are seeing that customers value the combination of short lead times, strong process expertise, and the ability to customize systems to their production requirements. In some cases, lead time is a condition for winning an order. By keeping components and subsystems in inventory that can be completed and configured for delivery, we can meet these requirements without sacrificing the flexibility that differentiates our delivery from standard machines.
In line with the Letter of Intent announced on December 11, 2025, we received a system order from our long-standing customer LINDBERG. LINDBERG, a Kering Eyewear brand and subsidiary, is a Danish luxury eyewear company that has maintained an in-house PVD coating operation based on Impact Coatings equipment for many years. With the new IC500 order, the company has invested in eight INLINECOATER systems, confirming the strength of our existing customer relationship and their continued willingness to invest. Delivery is planned for early in the fourth quarter of 2026, in accordance with the customer’s request.
Energy segment strategy translating into new business
In the energy segment, we are developing the business in two complementary areas. We are strengthening our position in PEM electrolysis while establishing a long-term presence in solid oxide technology. The fact that SOFC/SOEC applications can be addressed using our existing INLINECOATER platform provides an efficient entry point into a growing market segment.
We continue to see positive development in our sales pipeline, with customer dialogues converting into paying customers and growing business opportunities. A total of 11 new paying customers were added during the quarter, five of which were in electrolysis and three in SOFC. Volumes from these new customers remain low, but the development demonstrates that the strategic direction toward solid oxide technology established in 2025 is translating into a growing number of business opportunities.
During the quarter, we signed a Letter of Intent regarding collaboration on iridium oxide coatings with LT Metal, a South Korean manufacturer of so-called PTLs for PEM electrolyzers. By developing and verifying solutions together with component suppliers, we can reduce technical uncertainty for the end customer and thereby simplify the qualification process. The collaboration is another step in our efforts to expand the business within PEM electrolysis and create more business opportunities with both existing and new customers.
Consolidation strengthens the electrolyzer market, while the fuel cell market in China remains cautious
The electrolyzer market, with a focus on North America and Europe, continues to consolidate globally. Several major players have exited the market, while investment and financing are increasingly concentrated among companies with the strongest market positions and the best prospects for scaling production. Today, the majority of leading international electrolyzer companies are among our paying customers, giving us a strong starting point as the market enters its next investment phase.
Within the fuel cell segment in China, we have not yet seen the order intake impact we expected following the pilot program for hydrogen initiatives presented by Chinese authorities in March. Our assessment is that this primarily represents a timing shift rather than a change in the underlying market conditions. With uncertainty around when activity will accelerate, we are monitoring developments closely. China and the rest of Asia are also important markets for our long-term investment in solid oxide technology, with several ongoing customer dialogues within SOFC.
Outlook
The strategic direction we established in 2025 remains unchanged. We are building a broader offering within the energy segment by combining our established position in PEM electrolysis and fuel cells with a long-term investment in solid oxide technology. At the same time, we are developing Coating Services as a stable revenue base and a platform for future volume and system sales.
Summarizing the first half of the year, we see that development is progressing in the direction we have communicated, although the pace varies across our main segments. Within the electronics and luxury segments, our sales efforts have resulted in system orders. The energy segment demonstrates strong order intake within Coating Services and continued customer dialogues regarding future system sales within our established business areas, while the customer base within solid oxide technology continues to grow. The automotive segment remains cautious, in line with the weaker development in the automotive industry overall.
Alongside our continued sales efforts, our focus remains firmly on cost control, cash flow, and improving margins. Increased sales are an important prerequisite for achieving profitability, but we view continued financial discipline as equally important to building a sustainable company over the long term.
We believe that Impact Coatings is in a stronger position today than it was a year ago, with a broader customer base, a clearer offering, and better prospects for achieving long-term profitability.
Jonas Nilsson, CEO
Presentation
Impact Coatings invites investors, analysts and the media to a presentation of this Interim Report on Friday, August 21 at 11:00 am (CEST). CEO Jonas Nilsson and CFO Lena Åberg will comment on the Interim Report and take questions. The presentation will held via webcast in English.
For more information contact:
Jonas Nilsson, CEO
+46 70 731 09 04
Lena Åberg, CFO
+46 76 506 55 31
E-mail: investors@impactcoatings.com
About Impact Coatings
Impact Coatings (www.impactcoatings.com) is a global technology leader and full-service provider of coating solutions using PVD technology. The company is an enabler in the energy sector for off-grid power and hydrogen-related applications, as well in automotive and other industries with emerging PVD use cases.
PVD stands for physical vapor deposition – clean processes of applying thin layers of coatings to design surface properties, prolong lifespan, and improve product performance. The company’s offer consists of efficient, modular, and flexible PVD systems, and coating services, underpinned by several decades of coating experience and expertise.
The company was founded in 1997 and has since expanded in Europe, Asia and North America. Current production facilities are located in Linköping, Sweden, and in Shanghai, China.
The Impact Coatings share is listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market (Nasdaq Nordic). The company’s Certified Adviser is Redeye Nordic Growth AB.