Waterdrop Inc. Releases 2023 Annual Report: Sustained Profitability and Impressive Growth in Innovative Businesses

BEIJING, April 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 25, 2024, Waterdrop Inc. ("Waterdrop", the "Company" or "we") (NYSE: WDH), a leading technology platform dedicated to insurance and healthcare service with a positive social impact, released its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. For 2023, the Company recorded a net operating revenue of RMB 2.63 billion and a net profit of RMB 167 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, Waterdrop had combined cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments of RMB 3.393 billion, with an operating cash flow of approximately RMB 407 million. Since the first quarter of 2022, the Company has achieved profitability for eight consecutive quarters. The annual report provides a more detailed disclosure of Waterdrop's operations in 2023.

In 2023, the Company continued to carry out its share repurchase program. And in the first quarter of 2024, Waterdrop collectively repurchased approximately 41.27 million shares of American Depositary Shares (ADS) from the public market. In March 2024, our board of directors also approved a special cash dividend of approximately US$15 million.

For 2023, Waterdrop Insurance Marketplace, our insurance segment, reported a first-year premiums (FYP) of RMB 7.109 billion. Total revenue for the segment reached RMB 2.34 billion with an operating profit of RMB 528 million. By the end of 2023, the Company collaborated with 101 insurance companies and offered 1,357 various online insurance products to 115.3 million customers, covering short-term and long-term health insurance and life insurance categories. Most of the offerings are customized products developed in collaboration with insurance providers, tailored to meet the specific needs of consumers and backed by our robust data analysis and actuarial expertise.

To enhance user experience, Waterdrop Insurance Marketplace brought in experienced insurance consultants to provide personalized one-on-one consultation services. Our consultants have extensive expertise in assessing individual customer needs, providing tailored guidance, and assisting customers in selecting the optimal insurance solutions. Since early 2021, Waterdrop Insurance Marketplace has undertaken an initiative to integrate its online and offline insurance operations to enhance broker capabilities and improve customer experience.

To further our commitment to service excellence, Waterdrop recently rolled out the "Triple Excellence Service" initiative, which focuses on providing premium service, high-quality products, and efficient claim processing. This initiative spans the full spectrum of insurance services, covering policy planning, product customization, and claims service to streamline the insurance process and improve overall customer satisfaction.

In June 2023, Waterdrop acquired Shenlanbao, a domestic online insurance brokerage firm known for providing services including insurance education, product reviews, one-on-one insurance planning, and policy management. The strategic acquisition will help Waterdrop meet the vast insurance market demand and enhance its long-term insurance sales capabilities.

Meanwhile, Waterdrop remains dedicated to improving customer service and consistently invests in technological innovations. We developed and tested a large language model (LLM) called "ShuishouGPT", which has been in beta use, to apply across range of insurance business functions including consultation, underwriting, claims processing, and customer service. The new application has already meaningfully increased our operational efficiency and reinforced the robustness of the overall insurance service chain.

In 2023, Waterdrop continued to fulfill its mission in providing emergency aid through Waterdrop Crowdfunding platform. As of December 31, 2023, approximately 450 million individuals contributed a total of about RMB 62.6 billion through the platform to aid over 3.1 million patients. To enhance the service experience, we also established online and offline advisory teams. By the end of 2023, the offline advisory network had extended its reach to 225 cities across 30 provinces nationwide, ensuring broad and effective service coverage.

The Company has also ventured into digital clinical trial solutions, covering Phase I to III clinical trials across several therapeutic areas including oncology, chronic diseases, and some rare diseases. We have partnered with 204 pharmaceutical companies and Contract Research Organizations (CROs) by 2023, successfully recruiting over 3,300 patients for more than 500 clinical trial programs. The segment experienced strong annual revenue growth of 69% to RMB 101 million in 2023.

In an earlier research notes by Goldman Sachs, the investment bank maintained a "Buy" rating on Waterdrop, with a 12-month target price of $2.4, demonstrating its positive view of the prospects of the Company.