Commercial Shipments of 5G Chipsets Exceeded 1,900 Units in Q4, Reflecting Continued Progress Toward Volume Production Ramp
Company Expects Sequential Quarterly Growth in Revenue and 5G Chipset Shipments Throughout 2026
GCT Semiconductor Holding, Inc. (“GCT” or the “Company”) (NYSE: GCTS), a leading designer and supplier of advanced 5G and 4G semiconductor solutions, today provided an update on business developments and reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2025.
Recent Operational Highlights
- 5G chipset shipments exceeded 1,900 in Q4 of 2025. Production volumes are increasing as the Company prepares for additional production orders from development partners which are expected to ramp significantly throughout 2026.
- Secured a licensing agreement with one of the world’s largest satellite communications providers to integrate GCT’s 5G and 4G chipsets into their user equipment, enabling new capabilities for global, resilient, and high-bandwidth connectivity both via satellite and terrestrial networks and clearing the pathway for future chipset sales with 5G product shipments expected to begin as early as the second half of 2026.
- Partnered with Skylo to expand seamless global satellite connectivity for next-generation cellular to IoT devices including joint efforts towards chip and module certification.
- Entered into a $20 million convertible note financing facility with a $1 million initial advance, providing additional financing optionality to support working capital, production readiness, and strategic growth initiatives while minimizing dilution for shareholders.
- Company’s first network operator, Gogo, successfully launched its new broadband air-to-ground service using GCT’s 5G chipset.
“2025 was a defining year for GCT as we achieved key milestones toward commercialization and full-scale 5G deployment,” said John Schlaefer, Chief Executive Officer of GCT. “During the fourth quarter, we shipped more than 1,900 5G chipsets for commercial use, marking a key step toward a broader volume production capability and increased 5G revenue contribution in 2026. Building on this momentum, we are continuing to work closely with customers to refine deployment schedules and align production with their launch plans. We also expanded our 5G customer ecosystem and advanced lead programs through evaluation, certification, and integration phases, further building the foundation for production ramps and a stronger revenue trajectory. Public confirmation from our first network operator, Gogo, regarding service activation of our chip marked an important milestone and represents the first step in what we expect to be a broader set of operators launching devices powered by GCT’s 5G platform.
“Despite the transitional nature impacting our 2025 financial performance, we believe the groundwork laid over the past year positions us well for a pivotal shift in 2026. Our focus is on scaling operations to support commercialization, supply chain readiness, and internal execution to meet rising 5G demand. We are working toward driving meaningful 5G revenue contribution in the back half of 2026 as 5G deployments accelerate and production volumes ramp.”
“While our 2025 financial results reflect deliberate investments required to bring our 5G chipset to commercial readiness, these investments are critical for generating sustainable long-term growth,” said Edmond Cheng, Chief Financial Officer of GCT. “Demonstrating early signs of that progress, total revenue in the fourth quarter increased 76% sequentially, and we expect both sequential and year-over-year revenue growth to continue into Q1 of 2026 and beyond. We believe Q3 of 2025 marked the bottom of our revenue cycle caused by the major product transition to 5G, and as we enter 2026, we are encouraged by continued progress across our 5G programs, including certification processes underway with at least two network operators advancing toward service launch. As we transition from development to execution, our focus remains on preserving financial flexibility, carefully managing working capital, and supporting the operational discipline necessary to convert our growing 5G pipeline into tangible revenue.”
Fourth Quarter 2025 Financial Results
Results compare the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter ended December 31, 2025, to the 2024 fiscal fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024.
- Net revenues were $0.8 million, a 57.5% decrease from $1.8 million.
- Gross margin for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was 32%. Our current gross margin for the three months ended December 31, 2025, is negative and not representative of our expectations regarding profitability of our products and services in future reporting periods, as we continue to experience lower product revenue, which is currently not sufficient to fully absorb production overhead costs. This makes our current gross margins less indicative of the underlying profitability of our products and services. We expect operational efficiencies to improve as 5G product sales start contributing more significantly to our overall revenue commencing later in 2026.
- Total operating expenses were $10.7 million, a 35.0% increase from $7.9 million.
Full Year 2025 Financial Results
Results compare the 2025 fiscal full year ended December 31, 2025 to the 2024 fiscal full year ended December 31, 2024.
- Net revenues were $2.9 million, a 68.6% decrease from $9.1 million.
- Gross margin for the year ended December 31, 2024, was 56%. Our gross margin for the year ended December 31, 2025 is negative and not representative of our expectations regarding profitability of our products and services in future reporting periods. In 2025, we experienced lower product revenue, which was not sufficient to fully absorb production overheads. We expect operational efficiencies to improve when our 5G product sales start contributing more significantly to our overall revenue, which is currently expected later in 2026, following the commercial launch of our 5G chipset in the fourth quarter of 2025.
- Total operating expenses were $34.7 million, a 90.8% increase from $18.2 million. Fiscal full year 2024 included a one-time gain of $14.6 million from the extinguishment of liability.
Liquidity
The Company’s existing sources of liquidity as of December 31, 2025, include cash and cash equivalents of $0.6 million, net accounts receivable of $2.6 million, and inventory of $0.9 million. As a result of the completion of the registered direct offering in May 2025, the Company retains access to its effective ATM offering program of up to $75 million and has ample capacity on the remaining $125 million of the $200 million shelf registration. Subsequent to the year-end and as of February 28, 2026, GCT had cash and cash equivalents of $9.4 million.
5G Outlook
Following the launch of commercial shipments in the fourth quarter of 2025, the Company continues to progress toward volume production of its 5G chipsets and expects sequential quarterly growth in both revenue and 5G shipments throughout 2026.
Conference Call
The Company will hold a conference call and live webcast at 4:30 p.m. ET or 1:30 p.m. PT, which will be open to the public. During the conference call, the Company will discuss business updates and review the financial results, followed by a Q&A period.
Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Time: 4:30 p.m. Eastern time (1:30 p.m. Pacific time)
Dial-in information: Please register in advance of the call here.
Webcast (listen-only): To listen to the webcast use the following LINK.
A replay of the webcast will be available via the Investors section of the GCT website at investors.gctsemi.com.
