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Zwipe AS — Interim / Quarterly Report 2020
May 7, 2020
3797_rns_2020-05-07_d5f6476e-c774-418d-a699-fc7357f6df94.html
Interim / Quarterly Report
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Zwipe Q1 2020 operational update
Zwipe Q1 2020 operational update
OSLO, NORWAY - 7 MAY 2020 -
Q1 2020 Highlights
· Zwipe has significantly expanded its efforts towards smart card
manufacturers in the last quarter. Zwipe is now in direct dialogue or conducting
projects with over 40 of the world's top 50 smart card manufacturers (SCMs), out
of which 8 are among world's top 10. This is an increase from 29 during March
alone
· Zwipe announced that Masria Digital Payments (MDP), one of the largest smart
card manufacturers in the Middle East and Africa, has selected Zwipe to support
its drive to roll out biometric payment solutions
· Zwipe listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market in Sweden under the ticker
symbol "ZWIPE", in parallel with its listing on Oslo Børs Merkur Market
· Zwipe quickly adapted to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, implementing
remote work and travel bans and expanding the use of digital platforms to
strengthen ongoing technical and commercial activities. The pandemic has so far
not caused any significant disruptions or delays to Zwipe's current operational,
strategic or financial objectives. On the other hand, it has highlighted the
hygienic benefits of never-touch biometric payment cards
· The streamlining program announced and implemented in November 2019 is on
track and monthly spending is declining during the quarter in accordance with
the ambitions set in the program
· Average monthly operational cash outflow of MNOK 5.9 in Q1 2020 versus MNOK
8.8 in Q4 2019 and MNOK 5.3 in Q1 2019. Additionally, for the quarter, a second
of four co-investment installments with Idemia of approx. MNOK 9.7 was paid out
Developments after the period
· Zwipe, IDEMIA and IDEX announced the achievement of a key technical
milestone towards its next generation card platform Zwipe Pay ONE, emphasizing
that the project is on track to meet time and unit cost targets
· Zwipe announced the signing of an agreement that will see Zwipe combining
IDEX Biometrics sensor products with the Zwipe Pay ONE platform to enable a
complete system solution for biometric payment cards
· Zwipe announced that Toppan Forms, the strongest local SCM in Hong Kong and
Macau, partnered with Zwipe to prepare to offer biometric payment cards
· Zwipe announced that Asia Credit Card, a specialist SCM based in Hong Kong,
partnered with Zwipe to offer biometric payment products and services
· Zwipe's grant application to SkatteFUNN, a Norwegian government run R&D tax
incentive scheme, was approved with an amount of MNOK 5, as in recent years. The
payment is expected during Q4 2020.
CEO Comment
André Løvestam, Chief Executive Officer at Zwipe, said:
"Q1 2020 has been an intense quarter for Zwipe.
We started the year by listing on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market on
January 28[th], and have seen considerable interest in Zwipe across the Swedish
investment community.
This quarter has also been marked by unprecedented global uncertainty tied to
the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. With the aim to protect our employees from the
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Zwipe quickly adapted with various protective
measures such as remote work and travel bans. We have been able to continue
operating remotely, with little to no impact being seen across our operations.
Our commercial team has ramped up activity and been able to engage more
frequently and openly as a result of the entire industry transitioning to
videoconferencing as opposed to travel-intensive face-to-face meetings.
We observe an extensive focus on and interest in the improved hygiene and safety
of biometric payment solutions; the awareness of biometric advantages is
significantly higher than pre-Corona. This elevated focus on safety has
significantly increased the growth of contactless transactions, and transaction
caps have been raised all over the world1. Hygiene may become an accelerator and
game-changer for biometric payments. A biometric payment card effectively
eliminates the need to ever touch the payment terminal keypad - regular cards
require PIN above the transaction limit, after a set number of transactions, and
when the cumulative value of transactions has reached its limit.
We are seeing growing momentum across the payment ecosystem with increasing
investment in supporting biometric payment card deployment. Zwipe is now working
closely with partners across the value chain in developing a highly competitive
offering in terms of energy efficiency and biometric performance at industry
-leading manufacturing costs; Zwipe Pay ONE. This next generation contactless
technology will achieve a radically lower total manufacturing cost per card,
which we believe will be key to accelerate the volume market take-off.
Therefore, we are proud and satisfied that the Zwipe Pay ONE project and the
collaboration with Idemia and Idex is on track, as announced in April. The first
samples of the new single chip have been manufactured and successfully powered
-on. This development is very positive as our customers wish to get access to
Zwipe Pay ONE as early as possible to be able to serve card issuers with the
market's most cost-effective biometric payment cards.
Recent certification industry announcements bring further confidence to the
trajectory of biometric payment card rollout. Certification of payment products
is a rigorous and capital-intensive process for card manufacturers and a strong
signal of intent to capitalize on the next natural step for payment cards,
following the introduction of dual-interface payment cards in 2007.
I am also satisfied with the very good progress in the wearable project
announced with G+D in September, as this project is also on track.
Looking ahead, we are committed to supporting our customers to elevate their
product portfolios by making it easy to integrate biometric payment solutions.
Key to this work is technical deliverables and sharing the expertise we have
built from having the most widely piloted solution to position, educate and
market biometric payment cards to banks and issuers. We are doing everything in
our power to build and maintain strong relationships with our industry-leading
partners that will create sustainable long-term commercial opportunities for
themselves and Zwipe going forward."
Financial Update
· The cost program announced in November 2019 is on track, yielding lower
spending in Q1 than in previous quarters. Full effect is planned from Q2 and
onwards
· The weakening of the Norwegian Krone has resulted in somewhat higher NOK
spending, as Zwipe has most of its costs in foreign currency. However,
mitigating measures have been executed to ensure low effect on operations
· During Q1 2020 Zwipe had revenue of MNOK 0.4 from NRE (non-recurring
engineering) invoiced for specific development work.
· Average monthly operational cash outflow during Q1 2020 was MNOK 5.9 (5.3),
and in line with expectations for the period, compared to MNOK 8.8 in Q4 2019.
· The closing balance at end of Q1 2020 was MNOK 54.6 (85.9 by Q1 2019). The
development in cash balance since Q4 2019, which was MNOK 23,3, is a result of a
capital raise of net MNOK 58.3, a joint technology investment with Idemia of
MNOK -9.7 and the operational cash flow of MNOK -17.7 for the quarter.
This is information that Zwipe AS is obligated to make public pursuant to the
continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Oslo Børs Merkur
Market, Nasdaq First North Growth Market and the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The
information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact
person set out below, on May 7, 2020 at 08:30 CEST
1 Examples: https://www.thelocal.de/20200321/cash-loving-germany-switches-to
-contact-less-card-payment-due-to-coronavirus-fears
https://www.dailysabah.com/business/economy/more-turkish-consumers-go-cashless
-as-they-opt-for-card-payments-amidcoronavirusoutbreak
About Zwipe
Zwipe is a technology solution provider that enables battery-less, ultra-low
-power, self-contained biometric authentication solutions. Together with an
ecosystem of partners including global brands within security, financial
services and ID applications, Zwipe is "Making Convenience SecureT" for banks,
merchants and consumers. Using advanced fingerprint recognition while protecting
personal information, Zwipe's solutions address the data theft pitfalls inherent
in traditional authentication methods. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, Zwipe has
spent the last 10 years developing its unique power harvesting technology
platform in combination with security solutions based on international
infrastructure standards. To learn more, visit www.zwipe.com
For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66