Total revenue for the first quarter of 2022 was $34.4 million, a record high and a 35% increase compared to the first quarter of 2021. First quarter 2022 licensing, non-recurring engineering (NRE) and related revenue was $22.4 million, an increase of 56% when compared to $14.4 million reported for the same quarter a year ago. Royalty revenue for the first quarter of 2022 was $12 million, an increase of 9% when compared to $11 million reported for the first quarter of 2021.
During the quarter, fourteen IP license and NRE agreements were concluded, targeting a wide variety of smart and connected markets, including smartphones, smart home, PCs, ADAS, and 5G Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communication. Three agreements were with first-time customers. Geographically, five of the deals signed were in China, four in the U.S., three in APAC, and two in Europe.
Gideon Wertheizer, CEO of CEVA, stated: "Our strong first quarter results and performance affirms our dominance in the ubiquitous wireless IP space and is the result of our excellence in execution and market reach. Our leading portfolio of wireless and Edge AI technologies provide huge market opportunities to scale our business, as illustrated by our record licensing, NRE and related revenue that grew 56% year-over-year. Our strong fundamentals are also evident through the progress of our royalty business that, despite the China COVID lockdowns which affected many of our customers, reached a new record of 531 million CEVA-powered unit shipments, including share gains in the smartphone space."
GAAP operating income for the first quarter was $0.5 million, as compared to a GAAP operating loss of $1.3 million for the same period in 2021. GAAP net loss for the first quarter of 2022 was $1.7 million, as compared to a GAAP net loss of $3.6 million reported for the same period in 2021. GAAP diluted loss per share for the first quarter of 2022 was $0.07, as compared to a GAAP diluted loss per share of $0.16 for the same period in 2021.
Non-GAAP operating income for the first quarter of 2022 more than doubled to $5.5 million from $2.6 million reported for the first quarter of 2021. Non-GAAP net income and diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2022 are $4.2 million and $0.18, respectively, compared with $0.3 million and $0.01 reported for the first quarter of 2021.
Non-GAAP operating income for the first quarter of 2022 excluded: (a) equity-based compensation expenses of $3.4 million, (b) the impact of the amortization of acquired intangibles of $1.3 million associated with the acquisition of the Intrinsix and Hillcrest Labs businesses and investments in NB-IoT and Immervision technologies and (c) $0.3 million of costs associated with the Intrinsix acquisition. Non-GAAP operating income for the first quarter of 2021 excluded: (a) equity-based compensation expenses of $3.2 million and (b) the impact of the amortization of acquired intangibles of $0.7 million associated with the acquisition of the Hillcrest Labs business and investments in NB-IoT and Immervision technologies.
Non-GAAP net income and diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2022 excluded: (a) equity-based compensation expenses of $3.4 million, (b) the impact of the amortization of acquired intangibles of $1.3 million associated with the acquisition of the Intrinsix and Hillcrest Labs businesses and investments in NB-IoT and Immervision technologies, (c) $0.3 million of costs associated with the Intrinsix acquisition and (d) $0.9 million loss, net of taxes, associated with the remeasurement of marketable equity securities. Non-GAAP net income and diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2021 excluded: (a) equity-based compensation expenses of $3.2 million and (b) the impact of the amortization of acquired intangibles in the amount of $0.7 million associated with the acquisition of the Hillcrest Labs business and investments in NB-IoT and Immervision technologies.
Yaniv Arieli, Chief Financial Officer of CEVA, stated: "We are pleased with our strong financial performance in the first quarter, which produced record total revenue of $34.4 million and non-GAAP operating income more than doubled year-over-year to $5.5 million, boosted by operating efficiency initiatives. At the end of the quarter, our cash and cash equivalent balances, marketable securities and bank deposits were approximately $162 million."
CEVA Conference Call
