Swedish buy now, pay later giant Klarna continues to bleed red ink, posting a $1 billion loss for 2022, 47% up from a $680 million loss in 2021.
Klarna has been promising investors a pathway to profitability in 2023, with Q4 figures showing steady growth in gross merchandise volume (GMV) and a 19% uplift in revenue.
Klarna last made a full year profit in 2018. Since then, a costly expansionist growth policy has led to spiralling losses in the face of macro-economic headwinds. The company has been forced to undergo a year of painful restructuring which has seen its valuation slashed and the sacking of 10% of staff.
However, Klarna's long-standing ambition to crack the American market appears to be finally coming good, with the US now representing its biggest revenue-generating stream globally. Q4 figures also show an uplift as operating loss shrank and GMV climbed 19%. With credit loss rates imrproving, H222 showed a marked turnaround in operating result with a 35% improvement compared to the first half of the year.
Commenting on the firm's growth in the US, CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski, says: “We’re thrilled at the growth and momentum we’ve achieved in the US, and are confident in our path towards profitability.”