Sprinklr (NYSE:CXM) reported first-quarter fiscal 2027 results that topped management’s expectations, with executives pointing to improving renewal trends, stronger enterprise engagement and growing demand for the company’s AI-native customer experience platform.
President and Chief Executive Officer Rory Read said total revenue rose 7% year over year to $219.5 million, while subscription revenue increased 6% to $194.8 million. Non-GAAP operating income was $31.7 million, representing a 14% non-GAAP operating margin.
“We are making meaningful progress in building a stronger, more customer-centric company,” Read said, adding that actions taken since his arrival are beginning to translate into “meaningful and tangible momentum.”
Renewals Improve as Transformation Continues
Read said Sprinklr remains in the second phase of its multi-year transformation, which the company calls “transition and execution.” That phase is expected to continue through fiscal 2027, with the company aiming to enter an “acceleration” phase as it heads into fiscal 2028.
Management said renewal rates improved in the quarter, with Read noting that Sprinklr achieved its best renewal rates since fiscal 2024. Chief Financial Officer Anthony Coletta said the company’s first-quarter renewal rate was its highest in more than two years, and that a majority of renewal dollars came from multi-year deals.
Coletta said subscription revenue-based net dollar expansion was 104% in the quarter, marking the second consecutive quarter of steady improvement after a period of stabilization. He also said the net dollar expansion rate for Sprinklr’s $1 million customer cohort was 115% in the quarter, though the company will no longer disclose the $1 million customer count metric because it is not a focus internally or tied to sales incentives.
Sprinklr’s total remaining performance obligation crossed $1 billion for the first time, reaching $1.04 billion at the end of the quarter, up 10% year over year and 5% sequentially. Current RPO was $627.1 million, up 5% year over year and 1% sequentially.
AI Products and Enterprise Deals Drive Momentum
Read highlighted the largest software deal in Sprinklr’s history, a multi-year platform agreement with a leading global consumer electronics company. In the question-and-answer session, he said the customer had initially used Sprinklr for social capabilities before expanding into service and ultimately taking the platform across 42 divisions globally.
The company also pointed to momentum in customer feedback management, where Read said the market is moving beyond surveys toward unified views across surveys, social channels, contact centers and reviews. He cited a recent seven-figure displacement win that closed in four weeks.
Sprinklr said its AI-native products are gaining traction, with more than 180 AI projects underway. Coletta said annual recurring revenue for AI-native SKUs grew 47% year over year, with outsized growth in agentic contact center intelligence and Copilot products.
Read said one large customer is achieving a 90% containment rate with Sprinklr AI agents, while customers with more than six months of full Copilot deployment are seeing an average 55% reduction in handling times. Another customer automated more than 85% of pre-sales conversations across 11 markets while improving customer satisfaction, according to Read.
The company also announced the acquisition of the team and assets of ViralMoment, an AI-native video analytics company. Read said the deal strengthens Sprinklr’s platform as short-form video becomes a more important channel for brand engagement and discovery.
Middle East Disruption Delays Some Deals
Executives said demand remains broadly healthy, though the company experienced pressure in the Middle East during the quarter. In response to an analyst question, Read said approximately $3 million to $4 million of deals slipped in the region.
Read said Sprinklr had to move 54 customers out of a damaged cloud infrastructure environment in the Middle East to Ireland “on the fly.” He praised the company’s teams and customers in the region for operating in a difficult environment and said the pipeline there remains healthy.
“Good news is the environment’s improving, so we’re encouraged and we’re hopeful,” Read said, while cautioning that the situation is not fully resolved.
Guidance Reflects Services Normalization and AI Investment
For the second quarter, Sprinklr expects total revenue of $214 million to $215 million, representing 1% year-over-year growth at the midpoint. Subscription revenue is expected to be $193.5 million to $194.5 million, representing 3% growth at the midpoint.
Professional services revenue is expected to decline to approximately $20.5 million in the second quarter, down 13% year over year. Coletta said the services line has been trending lower as the company completes large global projects and progresses with previously challenged accounts.
Sprinklr expects second-quarter non-GAAP operating income of $29.5 million to $30.5 million and non-GAAP net income of approximately $0.10 per diluted share.
For the full fiscal year, the company raised its subscription revenue outlook to $779.5 million to $781.5 million, representing 3% growth at the midpoint. Total revenue is expected to be $866.5 million to $868.5 million, representing 1% growth at the midpoint. Full-year non-GAAP operating income is expected to be $139 million to $141 million, or a 16% non-GAAP operating margin.
Coletta said the operating income outlook reflects lower services revenue, incremental AI investment and the impact of ViralMoment. He said the company expects operating income to improve gradually in the second half as efficiency gains take hold.
Management Points to Fiscal 2028 Acceleration
Read said Sprinklr is seeing stronger customer engagement from its “Project Bear Hug” initiative, which focuses on improving relationships with larger customers. He said the company has seen double-digit improvements in renewal rates in cohorts where the initiative has been applied and is now extending similar efforts to smaller accounts through a program called “Cornerstone.”
Looking ahead, Read said the company is focused on paying down technical debt, improving enterprise-grade execution and expanding AI adoption. He framed fiscal 2027 as a transition year, with the goal of entering a stronger growth phase by the end of the year or the start of fiscal 2028.
“These things take time,” Read said. “I think we’re making good progress, and we’re really on track to where I expect to be at this point.”
About Sprinklr (NYSE:CXM)
Sprinklr, Inc (NYSE: CXM) is a leading enterprise software firm specializing in customer experience management. The company offers a unified, AI-driven platform designed to help organizations engage customers across multiple digital and social channels. By consolidating marketing, advertising, research, care and engagement functions into a single SaaS solution, Sprinklr enables brands to deliver consistent and personalized experiences at scale.
Sprinklr's platform includes modules for social media management, customer service automation, social advertising and market research, supplemented by AI and machine learning capabilities.
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