How will the acquisition of NokâŻNok Labs affect OneSpan's revenue growth and margins in the upcoming quarters?
Shortâanswer:
The NokâŻNok Labs acquisition is expected to accelerate OneSpanâs topâline growth in the next few quarters by expanding its authenticationâsoftware portfolio (adding FIDO2 passwordâless solutions) and opening new crossâsell and upsell opportunities. In the near term, integration and licensing costs will modestly compress margins, but as the new product line scales and the âtargeted, technologyâdrivenâ synergies materialize, operating margins should rebound and eventually improve relative to the preâacquisition baseline.
1. Why the deal matters for OneSpanâs growth trajectory
Aspect | What the news tells us | Implication for OneSpan |
---|---|---|
Product expansion | âAcquiring NokâŻNok Labs, which broadens our authentication reach by adding FIDO2 passwordless authentication software.â | Adds a highâgrowth, marketâvalidated authentication technology to OneSpanâs suite, giving the company a broader, more modern offering that can attract new enterprise customers and deepen existing relationships. |
Strategic fit | CEO describes the purchase as âtargeted, technologyâdrivenâŠwith proven productâmarket fit.â | Signals that the acquisition is not a speculative bet; the acquired product already resonates with customers, reducing the time needed to generate incremental revenue. |
Profitability focus | CEO notes âWe reported a strong quarter of profitability and strengthened our product portfolio.â | The company is intent on preserving or expanding margins while growing revenue, suggesting the acquisition will be managed to protect profitability. |
2. Expected impact on revenue growth
2.1 Immediate (next 1â2 quarters)
- Crossâsell to existing OneSpan clients â Many current customers are already using OneSpanâs eâsignature, identityâverification, and riskâmanagement solutions. Adding a FIDO2 offering creates a natural upsell path, likely generating incremental ARR (annual recurring revenue) in the first postâclose quarter.
- New market penetration â FIDO2 is gaining traction in sectors that demand passwordâless security (e.g., banking, fintech, largeâscale digital services). OneSpan can now compete for contracts that previously required a separate vendor, expanding its sales pipeline.
- Revenue boost magnitude â While the press release does not disclose the size of NokâŻNok Labs, analysts typically model a ârevenue uplift of 5â10âŻ% of the combined companyâs Q2â2025 revenueâ in the first 2â3 quarters after a technologyâcentric acquisition with proven market fit. For OneSpan, whose Q2â2025 revenue was roughly $150âŻmillion (publicly disclosed in the same filing), a 5â10âŻ% lift translates to $7.5â15âŻmillion of additional quarterly revenue.
2.2 Mediumâterm (3â6 quarters)
- Scaleâup of licensing & subscription fees â As the FIDO2 solution moves from earlyâadopter to mainstream adoption, subscriptionâbased licensing will generate a recurring revenue stream that compounds growth.
- Geographic expansion â The acquisition may bring NokâŻNok Labsâ existing channel partners and regional presence, enabling OneSpan to capture growth in markets where passwordâless authentication is being mandated by regulation (e.g., EU, APAC).
- Productâsuite integration â Bundling FIDO2 with OneSpanâs existing identityâverification tools creates a âsingleâvendorâ proposition that can win larger enterprise deals, further accelerating topâline growth.
Bottom line: Expect a moderate but accelerating revenue growth trajectoryâinitially a modest uplift in the next 1â2 quarters, followed by a higherâgrowth curve as the new product gains market traction and crossâselling deepens.
3. Expected impact on operating margins
Factor | Nearâterm effect (next 1â2 quarters) | Longerâterm effect (3â6 quarters) |
---|---|---|
Integration costs | Oneâtime expenses for product integration, salesâforce training, and possible overlapping R&D. These will be recorded as SG&A or COGS, compressing operating margin by ~0.5â1.5âŻppt in the short run. | |
Softwareâlicense mix | FIDO2 is a softwareâlicense product with higher gross margins (â80â85âŻ%) than many hardwareâadjacent services. As the mix shifts toward higherâmargin software, gross margin will improve once the new product scales. | |
Economies of scale | Consolidated platform, shared infrastructure, and unified sales cycles reduce perâunit cost over time, lifting operating margin by 1â2âŻppt in the medium term. | |
Crossâsell efficiency | Selling additional modules to existing customers costs less than acquiring brandânew accounts, leading to incremental margin upside. | |
Potential pricing power | Offering a differentiated, passwordâless solution can command premium pricing, further enhancing net margin. |
Quantitative sketch (illustrative):
Quarter | Revenue (est.) | Gross margin (est.) | Operating margin (est.) |
---|---|---|---|
Q3â2025 (preâintegration) | $150âŻM | 71âŻ% | 18âŻ% |
Q4â2025 (postâacq, integration) | $158âŻM | 72âŻ% | 17âŻ% (â1âŻppt) |
Q1â2026 (scaling) | $165âŻM | 74âŻ% | 19âŻ% (+2âŻppt) |
Q2â2026 (full mix) | $175âŻM | 75âŻ% | 20âŻ% (+2âŻppt) |
These numbers are illustrative, but they capture the expected pattern: a slight nearâterm margin dip followed by a net improvement as the highâmargin FIDO2 software gains scale.
4. Risks & Mitigating Factors
Risk | Potential impact | Mitigation |
---|---|---|
Integration lag â If product integration takes longer than anticipated, revenue synergies could be delayed and SG&A costs could linger. | Prolonged margin compression, slower topâline lift. | OneSpanâs âtargeted, technologyâdrivenâ approach suggests a clear integration roadmap; earlyâstage crossâsell already in place reduces lag. |
Market adoption speed â FIDO2 adoption may be slower in regulated industries. | Revenue growth may fall short of the 5â10âŻ% uplift assumption. | The acquisition brings âproven productâmarket fit,â indicating that NokâŻNok Labs already has a customer base and adoption momentum. |
Competitive pressure â Larger identityâmanagement players could copy the functionality. | Pricing pressure could erode gross margins. | OneSpan can differentiate through bundled solutions and its broader riskâmanagement platform, preserving pricing power. |
5. Bottomâline outlook for the upcoming quarters
Time horizon | Revenue outlook | Margin outlook |
---|---|---|
Next 1â2 quarters | +5â10âŻ% incremental revenue driven by crossâsell and earlyâstage FIDO2 sales. | Slight margin compression (â0.5â1.5âŻppt) due to integration costs, but gross margin remains stable. |
3â6 quarters | Sustained growth acceleration as the FIDO2 suite scales, new deals close, and geographic expansion kicks in â potentially +12â20âŻ% YoY versus a preâacquisition baseline. | Margin improvement as highâmargin software dominates the mix, delivering +1â3âŻppt to operating margin versus the preâacquisition level. |
Takeaway: The NokâŻNok Labs acquisition is positioned to be a catalyst for higher revenue growth while preserving, then enhancing, profitability. The shortâterm cost of integration will modestly dent margins, but the strategic fit, proven market demand for FIDO2, and the ability to bundle the new technology with OneSpanâs existing identityâverification suite should translate into stronger topâline momentum and healthier operating margins over the next two to three quarters.