Knightscope preliminary revenue rises 177% to $8.7 million in third quarter
Key Facts
Knightscope announced on October 20, 2026 that preliminary unaudited consolidated revenue for the third quarter totaled about $8.7 million, up 177% year on year. The company said in a statement attached to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that comparable revenue was $3.1 million in the same quarter a year earlier. The sales increase follows the company's expansion through the acquisition of a security services business during the year, which contributed to consolidated revenue. Year-to-date revenue through the end of the third quarter totaled about $23.7 million, according to the same statement. That compares with revenue of $8.8 million in the corresponding period a year earlier, representing year-on-year growth of 170%. These figures remain preliminary estimates subject to the company's customary closing and review procedures before it finalizes its quarterly results.
Compared with the previous quarter, preliminary quarterly revenue was below the $9.0 million Knightscope reported for the second quarter, according to its investor relations page. The company had reported year-on-year revenue growth of 228% for that quarter, compared with growth of 45% on a pro forma consolidated basis. The acquisition of Event Risk was completed on February 27, 2026, according to the quarterly report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The deal added licensed security personnel and executive protection services to Knightscope's operations, broadening its range of services. From the acquisition's closing date through the end of the first half, the acquired business, Knightscope Security Force, contributed $9.2 million in revenue. The acquired business's contribution was thus included in consolidated revenue during the year, alongside the operations the company conducted before completing the deal.
Explaining customer preferences, William Santana Li, Knightscope's founder, chairman and chief executive, said customers favor security services that combine technology with licensed personnel. He added in the company's statement published through FinanceWire: "Clients prefer autonomous machines, AI-powered software and licensed security personnel within a single operation accountable for service delivery." This approach links the machines and software Li discussed with the security personnel services added through the Event Risk deal. According to Investing's coverage of the announcement, the company unveiled its offering, called the "Autonomous Security Force," at the 2026 Global Security Conference. Knightscope also announced a record of nearly $27 million in renewals, bookings and customer awards, according to its official statement. That announced value spans renewals, bookings and awards, while quarterly revenue generated, according to preliminary estimates, totaled the amount the company reported for the third quarter.
On profitability, Knightscope posted second-quarter gross profit of $0.7 million, according to the earnings statement for that quarter attached to an official filing. Gross profit equated to about 7% of revenue, according to the percentage the company cited in its earlier statement. By contrast, the second-quarter net loss totaled $14.1 million, despite year-on-year sales growth during the period. Higher revenue in the previous quarter was thus accompanied by a continued net loss, alongside a profit at the gross level. On liquidity, the investor relations page lists cash and cash equivalents of $8.18 million at the end of June 2026. That balance dates to the end of the first half, before the preliminary third-quarter revenue announcement, while the company disclosed in its previous quarterly report that continued operations depended on raising additional funding.
Knightscope's review of net loss and cash liquidity for the new period remains underway, according to the disclosure accompanying the preliminary revenue announcement. The company had not completed that review when it issued its statement in October and therefore kept the current announcement preliminary. Revenue estimates are also subject to customary closing and review procedures, according to the filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company warned in this context that "actual results may differ from these preliminary estimates." The quarterly results are being finalized as continued operations depend on additional funding, a need Knightscope previously disclosed in its report for the preceding quarter.
On upcoming dates, Knightscope expects to announce the schedule for its quarterly results release and investor call before the end of October 2026, according to the company's statement. That deadline concerns the announcement of the timing of the results and call, with the company to set their schedule later. At an upcoming investor event, Li was scheduled to give a presentation on Wednesday at the LD Micro conference, according to Investing's coverage of the announcement. The coverage put the presentation at 4:00 p.m. Pacific time. The chief executive's appearance at the conference provides an opportunity to present the company's strategy as it works to finalize third-quarter results and set a date for the investor call.