The Board of Directors of Zwipe AS, org. nr 994 553 607, has on November 10, 2019, subject to the approval by an Extraordinary General Meeting, decided to carry out a preferential rights issue of up to MNOK 74 by issuing up to 10 635 525 shares, implying an increase of the Company’s share capital of up to NOK 1 063 553.
90 percent of the Rights Issue, amounting to MNOK 67, is already covered through subscription commitments and underwriting commitments from current shareholders and new investors.
Background and purpose
During 2019 Zwipe has made significant technological, commercial and organizational progress. Most notably, Zwipe entered a strategic collaboration with Idemia on a disruptive technology platform for biometric payments. Furthermore, Zwipe successfully completed the prototyping of its in-house Z5 energy harvesting and power management chip, extended its network of card manufacturer clients, delivered according to its first received order for its second generation inlay technology, and was engaged by G+D Mobile Security to provide product design and prototyping for a wearable biometric payment device to be piloted by a leading bank.
The preferential rights issue is carried out in order to secure working capital toward commercialization and scale-up of Zwipe’s technology platform. The commercialization efforts will be accompanied by a targeted program to focus and streamline the company’s resources.
CEO André Løvestam commented “This rights issue is planned to extend Zwipe’s financial runway all the way to scale-up of biometric cards, and I am pleased that we have achieved a 90% guaranteed subscription. We now see a clear path toward finalizing and commercializing our technology, with the required capital resources to get to that point.
Zwipe is streamlining its product roadmap and pursuing cost saving opportunities that will reduce the current burn-rate. This has been made possible on the back of the strategic collaboration with Idemia, the global leader in Augmented Identity and one of the world’s largest payment card manufacturers, on a disruptive technology platform that we together with our partner Idemia believe is a game changer and a catalyst for growth in the industry. The new platform will integrate and simplify component design, drastically reducing costs of the product itself and the manufacturing process. As a result, a complete biometric payment card cost of below USD 10 is becoming realistic, providing an accelerated path to mass volumes while giving Zwipe a long-term cost leadership position.”
Summary of Rights Issue
The subscription price is NOK 7.00 per share. The Company’s shareholders have preferential rights to subscribe to the new shares in relation to the number of shares currently held. For each recorded share the shareholder obtains one (1) subscription right. Three (3) subscription rights entitle to subscription of two (2) newly issued shares.
The Record Date for participation in the Rights Issue is planned for December 4, 2019. The subscription period is expected to run from December 5 up to and including December 19, 2019. The Board of Directors shall have the right to extend the subscription period if deemed beneficial. In the event that not all shares have been subscribed for in the Rights Issue, the Board of Directors, within the maximum scope of the Rights Issue, resolve on the allocation of shares subscribed for without subscription rights.
The Company has obtained subscription commitments and undertaking commitments from a number of current shareholders and external investors. The subscription commitments from existing shareholders, and external investors who will receive subscription rights from major shareholders who cannot participate, amount to 16.1 percent of the Rights Issue. Underwriting commitments amount to an additional 73.9 percent of the Rights Issue. In total, the subscription commitments and underwriting commitments from current shareholders and new investors amount to MNOK 67.0, corresponding to 90.0 percent of the Rights Issue.
Timetable for the Rights Issue
The below timetable for the Rights Issue is preliminary and may be adjusted:
Prospectus
Complete information regarding the Rights Issue and information about the Company will be included in the prospectus that is expected to be published on or about December 4, 2019.
Extraordinary General Meeting
To obtain approval to carry out the Rights Issue, the Board of Directors has decided to call for an extraordinary general meeting. The extraordinary general meeting is to be held on December 2, 2019 at 11:30 at the office of Simonsen Vogt Wiig Advokatfirma, Filipstad Brygge 1, Oslo. The notice of the meeting will be published today through a separate press release.
For further information please contact:
André Løvestam, CEO: andre@zwipe.com +47 93 43 69 52
Lars Myren, Interim CFO: lars@zwipe.com +47 90 94 36 60
Advisors
In connection with the Rights Issue, Zwipe has appointed Erik Penser Bank AB (publ) as book runner, and Advokatfirmaet Simonsen Vogt Wiig AS as legal advisor.
For more information, please visit www.zwipe.com
Important information
The information in this press release does not constitute an offer to sell, acquire, subscribe for or otherwise trade in shares or other securities issued by Zwipe AS. No offer will be made in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful or where this would require registration, publication of a prospectus or similar action. Invitation to interested parties to subscribe for shares in Zwipe AS will only be made through the prospectus that Zwipe AS will publish.
There will be no public offer of shares in the United States. The new shares have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), or under the securities law of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States and may not be reoffered, resold, pledged or otherwise transferred, directly or indirectly, except (a) outside the United States in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904 of Regulation S, as applicable or (b) pursuant to Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act by executing and delivering a separate U.S. investor representation letter to the manager. A person in the United States or who is a “U.S. Person” (within the meaning of Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act), may not apply for Offer Shares or otherwise take steps in order to subscribe for or purchase Offer Shares unless the subscriber has confirmed to the manager that it is a "qualified institutional buyer" ("QIB") as defined in Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act, acquiring the Offer Shares for investments purposes for its own account or for one or more accounts of another/other QIB(s), where it has investment discretion over such accounts in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements under the U.S. Securities Act by executing and delivering a U.S. investor representation letter to the manager. The Offer Shares are “restricted securities” within the meaning of Rule 144(a)(3) under the U.S. Securities Act and may not be deposited into any unrestricted depositary receipt facility in the United States, unless at the time of deposit the Offer Shares are no longer "restricted securities".
The information in this press release may not be released, published, reproduced or distributed in or to the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Singapore, South Africa or New Zealand or any other country or jurisdiction where such action is not permitted or where such action is subject to legal restrictions or would require further registration or other measures than what is required by Norwegian and / or Swedish law. Measures contrary to this instruction may constitute a breach of applicable securities legislation.
OSLO, NORWAY – 6 November 2019
Q3 2019 highlights and recent developments
During the third quarter Zwipe focused on extending its technology portfolio and network of partners covering the biometric payment card and wearables value chain:
Status update from the CEO
André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said ”Q3 2019 exceeded our expectations and we are happy with the major milestones we have completed over the last months. The announced collaboration with Idemia on a disruptive technology platform for biometric payments represents a defining moment for Zwipe. The new biometric payments platform will drastically reduce product and manufacturing costs by integrating into a single chip the functions that previously required a Secure Element, a Microcontroller, and more than thirty external components. This enables Zwipe to take a strong cost leadership position and gain competitive advantage as the industry moves towards large-scale volumes.
In parallel, we are forging ahead with our internal research and development activities and have expanded our intellectual property (IP) portfolio. In the period, our in-house IP development has progressed well. Zwipe now has 31 granted patents across 10 patent families in its IP portfolio, representing significant licensing revenue potential for the company going forward. Immediately after the closing of Q3, we announced the successful completion of a two-year development project: a working prototype of our Z5 chip which we plan to commercialize to stakeholders across the payments ecosystem, both as a stand-alone chip and as part of our biometric payment platform, the biometric inlay.
We have complemented our products with services. At the end of the quarter, Zwipe introduced the “Zwipe Experience” to its customers – a comprehensive program of products and services, enabling the card manufacturers to prepare for all aspects of launching biometric payment cards.
With product development taking positive strides, we have also continued expanding our network of customers. In Q3 we added Thailand-based card manufacturer dz card to our already substantial global customer network. Dz card plans to launch biometric payment solutions to address the emerging needs of customers in Thailand and across Southeast Asia, a region poised to see exponential growth in payment card adoption over the coming years.
Beyond dual-interface payment cards, we are pursuing complementary payment solutions where our technology represents a competitive advantage for our customers. During the quarter, we announced that we had been engaged by G+D Mobile Security, one of the world’s largest players within security solutions, to provide product design and prototyping for a wearable biometric payment device to be piloted by a leading bank.
With good momentum in these two emerging product verticals, we are confident that our focus on building relationships with our customers will play a major role in securing both short- and long-term success for the company. The new relationships diversify our customer base and extend our geographical presence, securing ties with regional leading card manufacturers and banks. Industry leaders in the biometric payment industry such as Idemia and G&D are firming up their roles, setting up commercial structures and investing in trial and production capacity. The fact that they select Zwipe as a key partner for their endeavours is a testament to our strong role in the value-chain.
It is exciting for us to see that our future potential is materializing in near-term commercial opportunities. Our initial sales of biometric card inlays, and customer-funded engineering efforts are opening doors for greater opportunities going forward. I am delighted to see that the steps we have taken are starting to bear fruit.”
Financials and Significant Events During Third Quarter 2019
Financial Status
During the third quarter Zwipe had revenues of MNOK 1.0 (0.9) representing sale of products for trial purposes as well as NRE invoiced to certain customers for specific developments. Accumulated revenues for the year amount to MNOK 1.3 (1.6).
Average monthly cash flow during Q3 2019 was MNOK -7.6 (-5.6), compared to MNOK -8.9 in the first half of 2019. The closing cash balance at end of Q3 was MNOK 51.0.
Subsequent event: Completed prototype Zwipe Z5 chip
After closing of the third quarter, Zwipe announced the successful prototype completion and power-on of its in-house developed “Z5” energy harvesting and power management integrated circuit (ASIC). The proprietary new chip is a significant milestone in component consolidation, cost reduction and efficiency improvement for Zwipe. Commercial samples are planned to be ready by mid-2020, by which time mass production can start. The Z5 chip will precede and subsequently complement the emerging biometric payment technology platform announced with Idemia.
OSLO, NORWAY – 14 OCTOBER 2019 – Biometric technology company Zwipe is pleased to announce the prototype manufacturing and successful power-on of its Z5 chip, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) developed by Zwipe and supported by proprietary energy harvesting IP.
The Zwipe Z5 consolidates components required for contactless energy harvesting and power management in one chip, reducing cost and improving the power efficiency and the manufacturability of embedded biometric solutions. This proprietary embedded chip will be a key commercial element for Zwipe’s biometric products for payment and beyond.
Commenting on this important breakthrough, André Løvestam CEO of Zwipe said, “this is an important milestone for the company, and a key part of Zwipe’s Generation NxT initiative focusing on cost reduction and supply-chain readiness to improve our competitiveness and facilitate our go-to-market and scale-up capacity. Over the coming months, Zwipe will complete verification and qualification. Commercial samples are planned for release mid-2020, at that stage mass production can start.”
The Zwipe Z5 chip will be sold as a single component and as part of Zwipe’s embedded system, the biometric inlay. Target customers are smart card and wearables manufacturers as well as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the emerging biometric payment market and in other verticals.
The development of this component is partially funded through a EUR 2.3 million (NOK 23 million) grant from the European Commission as part of Horizon 2020.
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OSLO, NORWAY– 27 SEPTEMBER 2019 – Biometric technology company Zwipe has today delivered the first order of its second-generation biometric inlay to one of its card manufacturing customers. The order was for a few thousand units and generates revenue of approximately half a million NOK in the third quarter 2019.
“Zwipe’s biometric payment platform is the most widely live-tested solution in the marketplace and it has been progressively updated in terms of performance and cost. We are now starting to provide our second-generation biometric platform and inlay technology to our customers. We are supporting our customers toward achieving a mass-marketable roll-out of their biometric payment cards” says André Løvestam, CEO at Zwipe.
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Courbevoie, FRANCE and Oslo, NORWAY – 19 September 2019 – IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity and one of the world’s largest biometric payment card manufacturers, and Zwipe, a leading biometric technology company, have signed an exclusive partnership and distribution agreement that sees the two companies co-investing in the development of a disruptive biometric payment card platform. The companies’ shared vision is to enable mass volume market take-off and long-term growth for biometric payment cards, by bringing to market a technology platform that will significantly reduce the complexity and cost of the design and production process for biometric payment cards, enabling an accelerated path to mass volumes which will ultimately benefit the issuers and users of cards.
This result is achieved by drastically reducing the number of components, integrating in a single chip the functions that previously required a Secure Element, a Microcontroller, and more than thirty external components, all mounted on a flexible PCB (Printed Circuit Board). Cards incorporating this new technology will be in the market in H2 2020, with high volume deployment starting in 2021.
Speaking on the agreement, Amanda Gourbault, Executive Vice-President for Financial institutions activities at IDEMIA, declared: “this is a strategic, high profile project for IDEMIA. We are very excited about what this platform will enable in terms of market growth and the penetration of biometric payment cards. IDEMIA is delighted to partner with Zwipe, a company with a solid intellectual property portfolio and an expanding global customer network; we are confident that our new solution will command a leading position in the marketplace.”
Zwipe will have worldwide exclusive rights to provide this solution to manufacturers of payment cards, wearables and other payment solutions, and their suppliers, when the product becomes available. IDEMIA has ownership of this technology and will sell F.CODE to its Financial Institutions customers. Once again, by bringing the best of its technology and vision, IDEMIA is driving the growth of the biometric cards market.
Commenting on this major development, André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said “we are excited and proud to enter a significant partnership with IDEMIA, a prominent global industry leader. The platform represents a technological leap that will serve as a catalyst to enable full biometric payment card costs to come down significantly, driving mass volume market growth and complementing our current and future product portfolios. We look forward to bringing this platform to our customers to continue to shape the biometric payments industry.”
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OSLO, NORWAY– 17 SEPTEMBER 2019 – Biometric technology company Zwipe has been selected by Giesecke + Devrient (G+D) Mobile Security, one of the world’s largest mobile and digital security providers to develop a biometric payment device with a view to pilot this technology with leading banks.
Speaking on the partnership with Zwipe, Gabrielle Bugat, Group Senior Vice President and Head of Business Unit Financial Services at G+D Mobile Security, said “We have selected Zwipe because of their proven ability to integrate biometrics with payment functionalities into an extremely space and energy-constrained environment,” adding “we are confident that this joint effort will help establish new opportunities in the emerging biometric payments marketplace.”
Zwipe will provide the technical design and core components for integration into a wearable device with the digital security provider integrating the payment platform and personalising the product for use as a payment solution.
Commenting on this commercial effort, André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said “Our new customer, G+D is one of the world’s largest players in security solutions and we are excited to launch this collaboration.”
The joint development is commencing now, and the two parties plan to announce the start of any pilot when the product is ready for trials.
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BANGKOK, THAILAND – 11 SEPTEMBER 2019 – Biometric technology company Zwipe and dz card a global card solution provider and one of the largest card manufacturers in Southeast Asia, have signed a partnership to launch biometric payment solutions addressing the emerging needs of customers in Thailand and across Southeast Asia, as well as India and Africa.
Speaking on the engagement, Mr. Renaud ADAM – CEO of dz card said, “we have received requests from several large issuers seeking biometric payment cards and we are excited to partner with Zwipe, who is uniquely positioned to support our customers in introducing, optimizing and scaling up the issuance of this innovative product which makes contactless payment so much more secure.”
dz card will look to integrate Zwipe’s technology platform in bringing their biometric payment cards and other associated solutions to market, featuring Zwipe’s proprietary biometric payment platform and secure at-home enrolment offering.
Commenting on this latest customer acquisition André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said, “we are honored that dz card decided to join our growing customer base and we are confident that our unique and dedicated approach to support them in launching biometric payment cards will be a win for their customers, some of the largest financial institutions in Southeast Asia.”
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OSLO, NORWAY – 3 September 2019- Biometric technology company Zwipe will explore a potential listing on Nasdaq Stockholm's First North Growth Market. The timing of such a listing remains to be evaluated.
Commenting on this development, CEO of Zwipe André Løvestam said “the past several months has seen major stakeholders in the emerging biometric payment market invest in preparations for commercialization of biometric payment cards and accompanying offerings. This vote of confidence and positive outlook has enabled several new strategic opportunities for Zwipe that are currently being pursued. On this basis, the Board of Directors has concluded an intent to list on Nasdaq Stockholm's First North Growth Market”, adding “listing on Nasdaq First North Growth Market will take the company closer to the majority of its investors and open up a larger and more dynamic trading market for its shares.”
Please see Zwipe’s Interim Report January to June 2019 on the company’s website, www.zwipe.com for more information about the company’s status and outlook.
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Oslo, Norway - 3 September 2019
Biometric technology company Zwipe today announces its Interim Report January to June 2019:
First Half Year
Significant events during the period
Significant events after the period
CEO comment
André Løvestam, Chief Executive Officer at Zwipe, said “Zwipe had significant progress during the first half of 2019. During the period we added five new card manufacturing customers across the world, significantly broadening our customer base. At the same time, multiple pilots with existing customers, banks and payment networks, have provided strong results and given us unique insights as we progress towards commercial adoption of our offerings.
Over the course of this summer, accredited third-party labs used for validation by the major payment networks have confirmed that Zwipe’s platform is comfortably surpassing the biometric performance, security and interoperability requirements for certification to be awarded to card manufacturers.
During the first half of 2019 multiple card manufacturers have started the capital-intensive process of launching biometric payment card specific manufacturing lines, semiconductor providers have begun the development of dedicated offerings for this emerging market, and the entire value chain supporting these processes has started moving more aggressively.
This vote of confidence of the future prospects in biometric payment cards and wearables has opened up several new strategic opportunities for Zwipe; opportunities that we are now pursuing at full speed.
Based on this confirmation of Zwipe’s value proposition and long-term prospects, the Board of Directors has concluded an intent to list on Nasdaq Stockholm's First North Growth Market, thereby further accelerating and supporting the company's development.
I am confident that Zwipe is well positioned to unlock the exciting opportunities coming our way and I am looking forward to the next phase of our journey.”
Please find the full report attached or on the company’s website www.zwipe.com.
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OSLO, NORWAY – 3 November 2021 - Zwipe’s technology partner, Idemia, has announced that it has obtained full certification from both VISA and Mastercard for its F.CODE biometric payment card.
These certifications (Letters of Approval) represent full validation of the core components in our disruptive technology platform, Zwipe Pay ONE, notably the shared single silicon biometric secure element, where Idemia and Zwipe have co-invested since Q4 2019, and the IDX3405 fingerprint sensor from Idex Biometrics.
This paves the way for subsequent successful certification of Zwipe Pay ONE enabled biometric payment cards for Zwipe’s customers, as Zwipe is working towards completion of its Zwipe Pay ONE platform. Zwipe Pay ONE includes Zwipe’s ISO Module integrating the now fully certified single silicon biometric secure element, as well as Zwipe’s passive inlay. Zwipe’s customers can also purchase the fully validated Idex Biometrics fingerprint sensor, IDX3405, from Zwipe. The timing for certification of Zwipe’s card manufacturing customers will be subject to the planning and execution of the certification by each customer.
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For further information, please contact:
André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135
info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY and SINGAPORE – 2 November 2021 - Zwipe, a leading biometrics payment company, announced that it had appointed Claus Hansen as Vice President of Sales and Business Development, Asia Pacific (APAC) region. Mr Hansen will lead Zwipe's engagements with card manufacturers, issuers and technology partners to drive the adoption of biometric payment solutions in APAC.
With this appointment, Zwipe aims to strengthen its foothold in the APAC region. Mr Hansen will be accompanied with two existing colleagues at the newly-established Zwipe subsidiary in Singapore (Zwipe Singapore Pte. Ltd.) The new regional office strongly reinforces Zwipe’s long-term vision to support its partners and customers in the area.
Commenting on this latest Zwipe development in the APAC Region, André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said, "Claus's appointment demonstrates our commitment to one of the world's largest and most rapidly growing regions within payments. We have significant customer relationships in the APAC region and are excited by the strong interest that our Zwipe Pay ONE platform has received. Claus's deep smart card industry knowledge and proven track record in successfully launching new payment solutions in APAC will help us accelerate the full potential of our platform.”
Claus Hansen, Vice President of Sales and Business Development, APAC, said, "The Zwipe Pay ONE platform with a Single Silicon Biometric System on Card is a game-changer for the payments industry. I am very excited to join this visionary team of passionate people. Convenience, security and safety are important for consumers' choice of payment option. Zwipe is perfectly positioned to provide innovative card-based solutions allowing our clients to respond to market needs, as well as become the strategic technology partner of choice".
Mr Hansen brings over 25 years of payment technology, cybersecurity, fintech and smart card experience to the role. He has held senior executive management positions across multiple countries in Asia in Entrust, NXP Semiconductors, Gemalto, dz card and Kona I.
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For further information, please contact:
André Løvestam, CEO,
+47 991 66 135
info@zwipe.com
Acceleration på flera fronter
Zwipe fortsätter det höga tempo som bolaget har hållit hittills under året och har presenterat många spännande nyheter senaste kvartalet. Kvartalet har inneburit ett antal nya partnerskap med en mängd olika aktörer i branschen. Mest noterbart är den allt starkare närvaron i Mellanöstern och Asien, med avtal med bland annat partnerskap med go-to-market aktörerna ICPS, Nymcard, QPS och CCM. Vidare har pilotavtal också slutits med MEPS för Levantregionen, Credit Libanais, en större aktör i Libanon, det norska fintech-bolaget Reltime samt en större global Tier-1 bank med pilotlanseringar i tre europeiska länder. Till följd av den allt starkare närvaron i regionen Mellanöstern, Asien och Afrika har en Claus Hansen tillsatts som VP Sales and Business Development för APAC-regionen. (Asien-Stilla-havsregionen). Bolaget har utöver detta tagit viktiga steg i Latinamerika och Karibien, genom ett avtal med det Chile-baserade fintechbolaget IC Payments.
Ytterligare kommersiell order
I vår förra uppdatering lyfte vi fram den stora nyheten att bolaget mottagit sin första order. Den kom från BCC i Taiwan och uppgick till totalt 17 miljoner norska kronor. Kort efter att analysen publicerades följde bolaget upp med att tillkännagiva att Inkript, en av de största betalkortsleverantörerna i Menaregionen (Mellanöstern och Nord-afrika) har lagt en order på totalt 3 miljoner norska kronor. Iochmed detta så stärks bolagets kommersiella momentum ytterligare och det är inte orimligt att tro i detta läge att ytterligare ordrar kan finnas i närtid. Totalt har bolaget idag skarpa ordrar på 20 miljoner norska kronor trots att de i stort fortsatt befinner sig i ett förkommersiellt stadie.
Genombrott med Tier-1 aktörer
Värt att också lyfta fram är de framgångar som Zwipe fortsätter att röna med större globala Tier-1 aktörer. Detta är anmärkningsvärt för flera anledningar, då detta inte nödvändigtvis varit ett fokusområde tidigare för bolaget. Utvärderingen av bolagets Zwipe Pay One plattform sker nu av en global Tier-1 smartkortsleverantör och ett positivt utfall på detta kan få stora effekter. Vidare har bolaget också adderat en europeisk Tier-1 bank som ger ut flera miljoner kort årligen globalt och som skall genomföra en pilot i tre europeiska länder i Q1 2022. Givet ett positivt utfall på detta så siktar banken på en större kommersiell lansering under sommaren 2022. Mycket pekar med andra ord för att 2022 kan bli ett spännande år där det kommersiella genombrottet för biometriska kort tar fart ordentligt.
Bibehållen positiv syn
Kvartalet innehöll inga överraskningar i siffrorna med en omsättning på 0,4 miljoner NOK och ett kassaflöde på -5,3 miljoner NOK per månad. Vi justerar ned våra prognoser på kort sikt men bibehåller den starka synen på lång sikt och upprepar vårt motiverade värde på 43–46 kronor på 12–18 månaders sikt. Bolaget befinner sig fortsatt i ett starkt momentum och vi väntar oss ett intensivt nyhetsflöde de kommande månaderna. Vi ser störst risk i eventuella förseningar i kommersialiseringsprocessen.
OSLO, NORWAY – 26 October 2021
During the third quarter, Zwipe has continued to strengthen its foundation for launching pilots and mass-volume roll out of biometric payment cards.
Mauritius-based ICPS, one of Africa’s leading card personalization and processing service providers, partnered with Zwipe to bring biometric payment cards to Africa and Asia.
A global Tier 1 smartcard manufacturer started the evaluation of the Zwipe Pay ONE platform.
Zwipe received an MNOK 17 (USD 1.9 million) commercial order from Beautiful Card Corporation (BCC) in Taiwan, which produces around 520 million cards annually, of which around 20 million are EMV payment cards.
Middle East Payment Services (MEPS), a Jordan-based commercial issuer of payment cards, announced its decision to pilot Zwipe Pay ONE with executives at up to 20 Financial Institutions in the Levant region1.
Erik Selin invested MNOK 104 in Zwipe through a private placement to further accelerate development and commercialization of Zwipe.
A European-based Global Tier 1 Bank, with several millions of payment cards deployed globally, decided to pilot Zwipe Pay ONE-based Biometric Payment Cards in three European countries. The bank plans for a commercial launch in summer 2022, subject to positive pilot results.
Zwipe received a Commercial Order of MNOK 3 (USD 318,000) from Inkript, one of the largest payment card suppliers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
UAE-based card issuing and processing provider NymCard joined forces with Zwipe to accelerate the deployment of biometric payment cards in the Middle East and Africa.
Zwipe and India-based Que Processing Services (QPS) announced collaboration to bring Zwipe Pay ONE biometric payment cards in Asia and the Middle East.
Zwipe and Lebanon-based Credit Card Management (CCM), who delivers payment services to more than 25 banks in Lebanon, announced collaboration to launch biometric payment card pilots in the country.
Norwegian fintech Reltime selected the Zwipe Pay ONE platform to power its biometric payment card offering as part of its global financial services ecosystem, with the aim to launch pilots from Q1 2022.
Zwipe America Inc. received full forgiveness of the second bank loan of $248 000 through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) which was granted and paid out in the first quarter of 2021.
Significant Events after the period
IC Payments, a Chile based fintech with offices in Uruguay and Argentina as well as a solid network of partners across Latin America, partnered with Zwipe to offer biometric payment solutions in the Latin American and Caribbean markets.
Credit Libanais, one of the largest banks in Lebanon and a principal member of Visa and Mastercard, has chosen to pilot biometric payment card based on Zwipe Pay ONE.
Zwipe has hired Claus Hansen as VP Sales and Business Development in APAC. Claus is based in Singapore and has a long career working in the smart card industry with more than 30 years’ experience in APAC and a broad network in the region.
Comments from the CEO
The third quarter of 2021 has been momentous for Zwipe in many ways.
On the customer side, we received our first commercial orders for subsequent deployments of Zwipe Pay ONE) from BCC in Taiwan and Inkript in Lebanon with a combined value of MNOK 20 (USD 2.2 million). Both players have strong regional positions in Asia and the MENA region respectively.
We are also pleased that a global Tier 1 Smartcard Manufacturer decided to start a comprehensive evaluation of the Zwipe Pay ONE platform, reflecting the relevance and competitiveness of our technology and offering.
On the issuer side, the innovativeness of Middle East Payment Services (MEPS) to launch a large-scale, multi-bank pilot with Zwipe Pay ONE to bank executives across the Levant region1 was a great step forward and has inspired us to develop new concepts for accelerated piloting that reduces upfront preparation for the banks.
I was also thrilled that a European-based global Tier-1 bank decided to launch Zwipe Pay ONE pilots in three European countries with intentions to launch commercially during summer 2022 subject to positive pilot results. Attracting global tier-1 players, not only among processors and card manufacturers, but also among banks, is something we are very proud of at Zwipe.
In addition, Reltime decided to pilot and subsequently launch Zwipe Pay ONE enabled cards to bring world-class security in its decentralized financial services ecosystem.
In parallel with all this, we further strengthened our reach, market coverage, and implementation capabilities in Asia, Africa and the Middle East by finalizing key Go-to-market partnerships with ICPS (part of the HPS Group), NymCard, Que Processing Services and Credit Card Management. Partnerships such as these are vital in order to accelerate developments and maximise the Zwipe Pay ONE opportunity. I refer to this as “the Megaphone effect”.
To help quantify the business case for launching biometric payment cards for issuers and further drive the biometric payment card opportunity across the value chain, we have developed a comprehensive ROI (Return on Investment) Calculator. The calculator demonstrates the financial value of Zwipe Pay ONE to issuers and shows that, even without a card fee paid by the cardholder, Zwipe Pay ONE can deliver a $15m annual net benefit for an average US issuer with a 1 million credit card portfolio. The ROI model has been developed together with recognized external industry experts. We were delighted by the results and the reinforcement of the value that our offering can bring to card issuers. The ROI calculator is now an integral part of our value proposition to issuers to further accelerate the adoption of biometric payment cards.
All in all, I am happy to report that we continue to experience broad-based acknowledgement of Zwipe’s competitiveness and value add for the industry from all parts of the payment ecosystem.
Another significant highlight from the third quarter 2021 was the MNOK 104 investment from the prominent Swedish investor Erik Selin through a private placement of 4,000,000 new shares to further accelerate our ongoing development, commercialization and global expansion.
As previously communicated, Zwipe’s development efforts for Zwipe Pay ONE has passed almost all critical milestones and major risk points, with piloting and certification left before subsequent full commercialization and mass volumes. Together with development and manufacturing partners, we are progressing towards finalization of Zwipe Pay ONE, which will be followed by the formal certification process by our card manufacturing customers with the payment schemes. When verifying Zwipe Pay ONE, it is clear that we will have a very cost competitive offering and enable our customers to launch biometric payment cards with excellent performance resulting in a compelling user experience for cardholders. Similar to many other companies engaged in multinational development projects, the effects of COVID-19 have added complexity and extended lead times to the overall Zwipe Pay ONE development program, but I am pleased with how our organization continues to tackle and overcome challenges and is well positioned to bring a fully commercially available Zwipe Pay ONE offering to market as soon as we have completed the final steps.
Finally, I am very proud of the Zwipe organization. The passion, competence, agility, collaborativeness, responsiveness and winning culture that they live out every day is what fuels our mission and drives us forward on our path to market success, great customer satisfaction and creation of shareholder value.
Financial Update
Total revenues in Q3 2021 were 0.4 MNOK (MNOK 0.1).
Average monthly operational cash flow was MNOK -5.3 in Q3 2021 versus MNOK -4.4 in Q3 2020. The increase is a result of recruitments and higher activity in the company. During 2021, Zwipe has increased its staff in response to the increased number of customer engagements and growing demand for piloting and deployment of our payment solutions and services.
The closing cash balance at the end of Q3 2021 was MNOK 183.7 (MNOK 117.3). The development in cash balance since end of Q2 2021 (MNOK 94.9) is primarily a result of operational cash flow of MNOK -15.8 and the private placement to Erik Selin of MNOK 104 in August 2021.
As Zwipe received full forgiveness of the second PPP loan in August, Zwipe is again debt-free.
Footnote 1: The Levant region includes Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Turkey and Israel
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This is information that Zwipe AS is obligated to make public pursuant to the continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Euronext Growth Oslo, Nasdaq First North Growth Market and the EU Market Abuse Regulation. Certified Adviser on Nasdaq First North is FNCA Sweden AB, info@fnca.se, +46 (0) 8528 00 399. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out below, at 08:00 CEST on 26 October 2021.
About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing biometric payment cards components and wearables technology that enable consumers to authorize transactions with their fingerprints without compromising their privacy. Together with an ecosystem of partners including global brands within digital security and financial services, Zwipe is "Making Convenience Safe & Secure" for banks, merchants and consumers. Zwipe's solutions address the hygiene and data theft pitfalls inherent in traditional authentication methods. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence, Zwipe is leading the next great shift in payments from contactless to contact free. To learn more, visit www.zwipe.com
For more information, please contact:
André Løvestam
+47 991 661 35
ir@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY and BEIRUT, LEBANON – 21 October 2021 - Zwipe is proud to announce a pilot of the new generation of biometric payment card based on Zwipe Pay ONE, with Credit Libanais, one of the largest banks in Lebanon. The bank is a principal member of Visa and Mastercard and has under its affiliation three other banks.
Across many markets globally, and especially in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Zwipe has experienced a strong and growing interest in biometric payment cards from banks and payment service providers. Biometric payment cards deliver world-class security and a completely touch-less user experience to cardholders, enabling improved loyalty and accelerated customer acquisition for the banks, creating a solid business case.
Speaking on this development, Randa Bdeir, Deputy General Manager at Credit Libanais said, “Post pandemic, we have seen a strong demand for touch-less checkout as they are safer and much more hygienic which this innovation will directly address; and that is why we have partnered with Zwipe, a global leader in biometric payment card technologies, to pilot a new generation of Biometric Payment Cards that will deliver a significantly improved user experience and security for our retail clients. We are truly proud to partner with Zwipe and be the pioneers to deploy such an important development in the entire region.”
Besides the core biometric payment card technology, Zwipe will also support Credit Libanais through all pilot stages, ensuring that all end users’ experiences and feedback are systematically captured and their impact on business case assessed.
Ramzi Saboury, General Manager of Zwipe in the MENA Region said: “The banking sector in Lebanon is demonstrating its appetite for innovation. We are thrilled that Zwipe Pay ONE technology has been chosen and looking forward to supporting the pilot and commercial launch by Credit Libanais.”
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About Credit Libanais
Since its establishment in 1961, Credit Libanais has developed technologically - advanced services to support its business. The Bank has one of the largest networks in Lebanon including local and international outreach in Cyprus, Bahrain and a subsidiary bank in Senegal. Year after year, Credit Libanais reaffirms its commitment to conducting business with high ethical standards and sustainability in mind.
About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing biometric payment cards components and wearables technology that enable consumers to authorize transactions with their fingerprints without compromising their privacy. Together with an ecosystem of partners including global brands within digital security and financial services, Zwipe is "Making Convenience Safe & Secure" for banks, merchants and consumers. Zwipe's solutions address the hygiene and data theft pitfalls inherent in traditional authentication methods. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence, Zwipe is leading the next great shift in payments from contactless to contact-free.
To learn more, visit zwipe.com
For further information, please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY and SANTIAGO, CHILE – 19 October 2021 – IC Payment is partnering with Zwipe, a Norway-based biometric fintech, to offer biometric payment solutions in the Latin American and Caribbean markets.
IC Payment is a Fintech, expert in the development of new technologies behind different payment methods. It is based in Santiago de Chile with offices in Uruguay and Argentina as well as a solid network of partners across Latin America. IC Payment offers a complete set of payment solutions for both in person and digital environments. Highlighting its instant issuance solution for financial cards through a self-service model, called "Instant CardPoint". Allowing to issue a card instantly ready to be used without limitations of designs, brands, or customer service hours.
Speaking on this collaboration, Mr. Christian Herrera, CEO of IC Payment, said "Biometric payment cards are attracting increased interest from issuers as they deliver a much better user experience through transaction security and safety. We are delighted that our partnership with Zwipe enables us to provide the ultimate next-generation payment experience in the market. This innovation will help our partners and customers to differentiate their offerings. Making them more competitive as a result, which in turn drives further growth”.
The two organizations will now align their product delivery and initiate joint sales efforts to bring biometric cards across key markets in Latin America.
"We are thrilled that IC Payment has selected Zwipe Pay ONE to enable their issuer, processor and card bureau clients to adopt biometric payment cards. We look forward to introducing the next generation of contactless payment cards in large and high growth payment markets in Latin America and the Caribbean. IC Payment is a well-recognized brand in the card payments space in these markets, and we look forward to mutual success in this region,” said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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About IC Payment
IC Payment was born with the mission of bringing new payment method technologies to the financial sector through innovation and security. In its nine years of operation in Latin America, IC Payment has promoted and accompanied its clients in the early adoption of new payment technologies. IC Payment's current commitment is to take the instant issuance of financial cards beyond the scope of bank branches. Expanding its hourly service, physical presence and promoting financial inclusion. IC Payment consolidated a strategic alliance with the fintech of the French group be ys, to continue strengthening its research and development in an environment of continuous advancement of innovation and sustainability.
For further information please contact Sean McRostie, CCO of IC Payment at +(56) 9 3430 0695 - smcrostie@icpayment.net
About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing biometric payment cards components and wearables technology that enable consumers to authorize transactions with their fingerprints without compromising their privacy. Together with an ecosystem of partners including global brands within digital security and financial services, Zwipe is "Making Convenience Safe & Secure" for banks, merchants and consumers. Zwipe's solutions address the hygiene and data theft pitfalls inherent in traditional authentication methods. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence, Zwipe is leading the next great shift in payments from contactless to contact free. To learn more, visit zwipe.com
For further information please contact André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY - 29 september 2021 – Zwipe is proud to announce that it has partnered with startup Reltime to provide a world-class security and user experience to the end-users of Reltime’s Decentralized Finance (DEFI) Ecosystem based on the Zwipe Pay ONE platform. Reltime will issue Zwipe Pay ONE-based biometric payment cards to bring the next generation contactless security and user experience to its end users.
Reltime aims to revolutionize financial services for customers and users in Europe, Japan, India, Mexico, and Brazil from Q1 2022 and then target the global market from Q3 2022.
Headquartered in Oslo, Reltime offers ready-to-deploy financial services to users who will save and secure transactions with full control and flexibility. These services include banking, cross border money transfer, lending, card payments and digital wallets for instant use. When the users check out, it converts instantly to the local currency.
Speaking on the partnership, Cornelia Stensby van der Laak, Reltime’s Chief Commercial Officer, said, “We are delighted to see such positive feedback from the market on Reltime’s DEFI Ecosystem. We already have several partner engagements from all over the world. Reltime has noted a strong interest in biometric payment cards, which deliver world-class security and convenience. Zwipe is a well-respected biometric payment technology brand, and we aim to launch the first pilots in Q1 2022, followed by commercial launches shortly after.”
More information on Reltime Biometric ID and Payment Cards can be found here.
Reltime will be the issuer of biometric payment cards, and first to launch this to a DEFI network globally. Zwipe and other partners will be working closely to ensure that the planned pilots are started from Q1 2022. Besides delivering its Zwipe Pay ONE platform, Zwipe will also support Reltime through all stages of pilots and the commercial launch of biometric payment cards.
“We are proud that a global innovator such as Reltime recognizes the value of biometric payment cards and has decided to use Zwipe as part of its next-generation financial services platform. Together we will help many telecom operators and issuers to bring significantly enhanced convenience and security in payments. We are excited about the planned pilots and launches next year,” said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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About Reltime
Reltime is a decentralized financial ‘DEFI’ ecosystem that brings the next generation of economic and banking services to its audience worldwide. Headquartered in Oslo, it offers financial services for all users anywhere. Reltime enables its customers to start offering a broad range of services, such as banking, free cross border money transfer, lending with and without Collateral and earnings for the end-users, card payments and digital wallets. Reltime revolutionizing financial services bringing control to the end-users. Reltime has a partnership with several global financial institutions to provide seamless and secure transactions from anywhere in the world. To learn more, visit reltime.com.
For further details, please get in touch with Cornelia Stensby van der Laak, CCO, cornelia@reltime.com
About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing biometric payment card components and wearables technology that enable consumers to authorize transactions with their fingerprints without compromising their privacy. With an ecosystem of partners, including global brands within digital security and financial services, Zwipe is "Making Convenience Safe & Secure" for banks, merchants and consumers. Zwipe's solutions address the hygiene and data theft pitfalls inherent in traditional authentication methods. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence, Zwipe is leading the next significant shift in payments from contactless to contact-free. To learn more, visit zwipe.com.
For further information, please contact André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY and BEIRUT, LEBANON – 29 September 2021 – Biometric fintech company, Zwipe, and Credit Card Management (CCM), one of the leading card payment service providers in Lebanon are partnering to bring Zwipe Pay ONE biometric payment cards to banks in Lebanon. Founded in 1994, CCM has grown to become a well-recognized brand in the card payments both in Lebanon and the Middle East.
CCM delivers issuing, acquiring and card personalization services to more than 25 banks. The company provides payment processing for financial institutions as well as telecom operators and it is a subsidiary of Credit Libanais, one of the largest banks in the country.
“We are always eager to bring state-of-the-art payment products that enhance customers’ experience. Zwipe Pay ONE is a disruptive (Gen3) biometric payment platform that will enable issuer clients to deliver a completely contact-free checkout experience and payment security. We are proud to partner with Zwipe,” says Johnny Torbey, Deputy General Manager at CCM.
As part of this partnership, Zwipe will support CCM in delivering Zwipe Pay ONE biometric payment cards to banks in Lebanon. Both organizations aim to help multiple banks with pilots and ultimately commercial launches.
“The collaboration with CCM further accelerates our issuer engagements and is a strategic move for Zwipe in Lebanon and MENA where innovations such as biometric payment cards are in great demand from banks, governments and citizen programs including financial inclusions and the move to cashless societies,” says Ramzi Saboury, General Manager for Zwipe for the MENA region.
For further information, please contact Mr. André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
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About CCM
Founded in 1994, CCM has grown to become one of the most dynamic leaders of the card industry in Lebanon and the Middle East, delivering quality service and ensuring high standards of value and security, for banks, institutions, and merchants across the country while handling the full range of card business activities: strategic planning, issuing, account processing, authorization of payments, innovation of loyalty programs and co-branding schemes in various set ups and telecommunication environments.
About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing biometric payment cards components and wearables technology that enable consumers to authorize transactions with their fingerprints without compromising their privacy. Together with an ecosystem of partners including global brands within digital security and financial services, Zwipe is "Making Convenience Safe & Secure" for banks, merchants and consumers. Zwipe's solutions address the hygiene and data theft pitfalls inherent in traditional authentication methods. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence, Zwipe is leading the next great shift in payments from contactless to contact free.
To learn more, visit zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY – 27 September 2021- The share capital increase of 4,000,000 new shares in Zwipe AS, as resolved by the board meeting of the company on 30 August 2021, has today been registered in the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises. The new share capital is NOK 3,698,268.50, and the new number of shares and votes is 36,982,685.
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About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing biometric payment card components and wearables technology that enable consumers to authorize transactions with their fingerprints without compromising their privacy. Together with an ecosystem of partners including global brands within digital security and financial services, Zwipe is "Making Convenience Safe & Secure" for banks, merchants and consumers. Zwipe's solutions address the hygiene and data theft pitfalls inherent in traditional authentication methods. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with a global presence, Zwipe is leading the next great shift in payments from contactless to contact free. To learn more, visit zwipe.com
For more information, please contact:
Lars Kristian Solheim, CFO
+47 991 661 35
This is information that Zwipe AS is obligated to make public pursuant to the continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Euronext Growth Market Oslo and on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Stockholm. Certified Adviser on Nasdaq First North is FNCA Sweden AB, info@fnca.se, +46 (0) 8528 00 399. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out below, at 13:15 CEST on 27 September 2021.
