Description of Business and Basis of Presentation (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

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. The Company also conducts research and development related to aerogel technology supported by funding from several agencies of the U.S. government and other institutions in the form of research and development contracts.

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.

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, 2016 (the Annual Report), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 2, 2017.

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, 2017 and the results of its operations for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 and the cash flows for the three month periods then ended. The Company has evaluated events through the date of this filing.

The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2017 or any other period.

There have been no changes to the Company’s significant accounting policies described in the Annual Report that have had a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.

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 the current economic environment, which are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Management adjusts such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Illiquid credit markets, volatile equity markets and declines in business investment 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.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue from the sale of products and performance of research and development services. Revenue is recognized when all of the following criteria are met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the price to the buyer is fixed or determinable, delivery has occurred or services have been provided, and collectability is reasonably assured.

Product Revenue

Product revenue is recognized upon transfer of title and risk of loss, which is upon shipment or delivery. The Company’s customary shipping terms are free on board (FOB) shipping point.

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 products being delivered.

Research Services Revenue

The Company performs research services under contracts with various government agencies and other institutions. The Company records revenue earned on research services contracts 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 is the labor effort expended in completing research, and the only deliverable, other than the labor hours expended, is reporting of research results to the customer. 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 towards 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 in the period they become known. To date, adjustments to revenue as a result of audit have been insignificant.

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 terms of the conditions, the expected volatility of the underlying security, and other relevant factors.

During the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company granted 481,373 restricted common stock units (RSUs) and non-qualified stock options (NSOs) to purchase 320,571 shares of common stock to employees under the 2014 Employee, Director and Consultant Equity Incentive Plan (the 2014 Equity Plan). The employee RSUs and NSOs will vest over a three year period. Stock-based compensation is included in cost of sales or operating expenses, as applicable, and consists of the following:

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2017		2016
	(In thousands)
Cost of product revenue	$	204	$	192
Research and development expenses		138		140
Sales and marketing expenses		268		261
General and administrative expenses		634		777
Total stock-based compensation	$	1,244	$	1,370

Effective January 1, 2017, the Company adopted the provision of Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (ASU 2016-09) related to the timing of accounting for the forfeitures of share based awards using a modified retrospective transition method by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to equity as of January 1, 2017 of $0.3 million. Effective January 1, 2017, the Company will record the impact of forfeitures of service based awards at the time an award is forfeited.

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 467,396 shares to 6,536,597 shares effective January 1, 2017.

As of March 31, 2017, 3,244,691 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance upon the exercise or vesting, as appropriate, of outstanding stock-based awards granted under the 2014 Equity Plan. In addition, as of March 31, 2017, 92,947 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, 2017, there were 2,485,081 shares of common stock available for grant under the 2014 Equity Plan.

Earnings per Share

The Company calculates net loss per common share based on the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during each period. Potential common stock equivalents are determined using the treasury stock method. The weighted-average number of common shares included in the computation of diluted net income (loss) gives effect to all potentially dilutive common equivalent shares, including outstanding stock options, RSUs and warrants. Common equivalent shares are excluded from the computation of diluted net income (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 views its operations and manages its business as one operating segment.

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

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2017		2016
	(In thousands)
Revenue:
U.S.	$	9,130	$	11,413
International		13,872		21,408
Total	$	23,002	$	32,821

Warranty Costs

The Company provides warranties for its products and records the estimated cost within cost of sales in the period that the related revenue is recorded. The Company’s standard warranty period extends to one year from the date of shipment. The standard warranties provide 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 may involve new technical demands and new configurations. As such, the Company regularly reviews and assesses whether warranty reserves shall be recorded in the period the related revenue is recorded. For an initial shipment of product in a system with new technical demands or configurations and where the Company is unsure of meeting the customer’s specifications, the Company will defer the recognition of product revenue and related costs until written customer acceptance is obtained.

During the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company recorded warranty expense of $0.9 million. This specific warranty charge was related to a product claim for a specific product application issue.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09. The amendment is to simplify several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. For public entities, the amendments in ASU 2016-09 are effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company has adopted this standard effective January 1, 2017. The provision of ASU 2016-09 related to the timing of accounting for the forfeitures of share based awards was adopted using a modified retrospective transition method by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to equity as of January 1, 2017 of $0.3 million. The other provisions of ASU 2016-09 have been adopted prospectively.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). FASB ASU 2016-02 changes the accounting for leases and includes a requirement to record all leases on the consolidated balance sheets as assets and liabilities. This update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. Early application is permitted. The Company has not yet selected a transition method and is evaluating the effect the updated standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2015, the FASB issued a deferral of ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The standard will eliminate the transaction- and industry-specific revenue recognition guidance under current U.S. GAAP and replace it with a principle based approach for determining revenue recognition. As a result of the deferral, public entities are required to apply the revenue recognition standard for the annual reporting period beginning on or after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that annual reporting period. Early application is permitted only as of annual and interim periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company expects to adopt the modified retrospective method and is evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330), which, for entities that do not measure inventory using the last-in, first-out (LIFO) or retail inventory method, changes the measurement principle for inventory from the lower of cost or market to lower of cost and net realizable value. The ASU also eliminates the requirement for these entities to consider replacement cost or net realizable value less an approximately normal profit margin when measuring inventory. Public entities are required to apply the standards for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal periods. The Company adopted this standard effective January 1, 2017. There was no material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (ASU 2016-15). This amendment addresses eight classification issues related to the statement of cash flows. For public business entities, the amendments in ASU 2016-15 are effective for public business entities for annual and interim periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. The Company has not yet selected a transition method and is evaluating the effect the updated standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.