OSLO, NORWAY – 14 September 2020 – Biometric fintech company Zwipe and Cardmatix Ltd., a leading supplier of card manufacturing equipment, are partnering to collaborate on the design, development and commercialization of equipment and modular solutions to support milling and embedding of fingerprint sensors for biometric payment card manufacturing at mass volumes.
Headquartered in Dongguan, China, Cardmatix is a leading player in the development of industrial manufacturing and testing equipment specifically for mass production of payment cards.
“We have cooperated closely with Zwipe through our sister company Silone Cardtech, and we are convinced the biometric payment card market is poised for mass-volume take-off. Our industrial solutions will make smart card manufacturers’ job of producing millions of biometric payment cards much more cost-efficient thanks to the unique insights shared by Zwipe’s technical team,” said Cardmatix CEO, Mr. John Wu.
Zwipe has a long-standing collaboration with Silone Cardtech. The Chinese market is expected to see strong payment card growth with many established stakeholders fast-tracking their capacity to support demand.
“This is an important step in preparing our supply chain and global capacity to meet future demand. Cardmatix is one of the world’s most well-established high-volume card manufacturing equipment providers and we are excited to broaden our ability to serve our customers with their strong support.” said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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About CardMatix Ltd.
Cardmatix was established in 2002 to focus on the manufacturing of equipment for the production and testing of contact, contactless, and dual-interface smart cards for the world market. With 20 years’ experience in design, manufacturing, and marketing on smart card production related machineries, Cardmatix has been one of the leading solution providers worldwide in the card industry with durable, high speed machines engineered for easy maintenance and years of reliable service.
For more information contact: John Wu, CEO +86 0769 86855889
OSLO, NORWAY - 08 September 2020- The board of directors of Zwipe AS call for an Extraordinary General Meeting to be held on 29 September 2020 at 10:00 CET.
Please find enclosed the notice of the Extraordinary General Meeting.
Notice of attendance, in person or by proxy, shall be given no later than 28 September 2020 at 16:00 CET. Shareholders are encouraged to register via the following link here.
Alternatively, the attached form may be sent by e-mail to genf@dnb.no, or regular post to DNB Bank ASA, Verdipapirservice, NO-0021 Oslo.
The board of directors (the "Board") has proposed the following agenda:
Proposed decisions from the Board and the Nomination Committee (extracts only, please see the attachments to the notice for the full proposals)
Matter no. 4: Approval of capital increase directed against the chair of the Board
The general meeting resolved to approve the board's use of the authorization to increase the share capital to strengthen the Company's equity to issue and allocate shares to the chair of the board of directors in the board meeting on 7 September 2020.
Matter no. 5: Proposal to issue a new authorization to the Board to strengthen the Company's equity
As the Board has used the registered authorization to strengthen the Company's equity to complete the Private Placement, the Board proposes that the general meeting resolves to issue a new authorization to the board to increase the Company's equity (including to facilitate for a potential repair issue).
The board of directors is hereby granted authorization to increase the company's share capital, on one or several occasions, with up to NOK 319,065.80 (3,190,658 new shares), equivalent to 10% of the share capital after the Private Placement has been completed.
The authorization may be used to issue shares to strengthen the company's equity to the extent the board of directors considers this to be in the company's best interest at the given time.
Matter no. 6: Proposal to amend the provision in the articles of association on notice period for the general meeting
The notice period to the general meeting (ordinary and extraordinary) is 7 days, from 21 days in the company’s articles of association prior to this meeting.
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About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing biometric payment cards and wearables 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:
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 Oslo Børs Merkur Market and on Nasdaq First North Growth Market. 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 15:20 CET on 08 September 2020.
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN OR THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE END OF THE PRESS RELEASE.
OSLO, NORWAY – 07 September 2020 – Reference is made to the stock exchange release from Zwipe AS (“Zwipe” or the “Company”) published earlier this evening regarding a contemplated private placement.
The Company is pleased to announce that it has raised approximately NOK 96 million in gross proceeds through a private placement (the "Private Placement") of 6,381,315 new shares (the "New Shares"), at a price of NOK 15 per share. The Private Placement took place through an accelerated book building process managed by retained Arctic Securities AS and Erik Penser Bank AB (publ) as joint bookrunners (together the "Managers") after close of markets on 7 September 2020. The Offer Shares were placed to international institutional investors and existing shareholders of the Company.
The net proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to fund further development and commercialization of the Company, general operating cost and strategic investments.
André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said: "After completion of this private placement, Zwipe is funded through commercial launches in 2021 and beyond based on the current business plan and market assumptions. We now look forward to taking a leading role in the biometric payment space and embarking on a long journey of value creation for our customers, our shareholders and society at large.”
Jörgen Lantto, chairman of the board of directors of Zwipe (“the Board”) said: “We are humble and proud to receive overwhelming support from high quality international and Nordic institutional investors, considerably strengthening our shareholder base. In particular, the new funding will allow the company to further accelerate our commercial activities to cater for the strong demand from smart card manufacturers and card issuers for Zwipe Pay ONE, our new technology platform for biometric payment cards”.
The payment date for the Offer Shares will be on or about 10 September 2020, with delivery of the Offer Shares expected on or about 14 September 2020. The Offer Shares will be tradable following the registration of the share capital increase in the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises expected to take place on or about 14 September 2020, and trading is expected to commence simultaneously at Merkur Market and Nasdaq First North Growth Market on or about 14 September 2020.
The completion of the Private Placement was subject to approval by the Board pursuant to an authorisation to increase the share capital given by the annual general meeting held on 14 May 2020.
Following registration of the new share capital pertaining to the Private Placement, the Company will have 31,906,576 shares outstanding, each with a par value of NOK 0.10.
Primary insider Jörgen Lantto, chairman of the Company, was allocated 333,333 shares in the Private Placement. Mr. Lantto's shareholding after completion of the rights issue will be 866,666 shares. The allocation of shares to Jörgen Lantto is subject to shareholder approval at an extraordinary general meeting.
Primary insider Energetic AS, owned by André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe, was allocated 20,000 shares in the Private Placement. Following this transaction, André Løvestam owns 500,000 shares in the Company through Energetic AS.
Primary insider Lars Kristian Solheim, CFO of Zwipe, was allocated 20,000 shares in the Private Placement. Following this transaction, Lars Kristian Solheim owns 90,000 shares in the Company.
Primary insider Bishwajit Choudhary, EVP of Strategy and Channels of Zwipe, was allocated 20,000 shares in the Private Placement. Following this transaction, Bishwajit Choudhary owns 25,500 shares in the Company.
Primary insider Dr. Robert Mueller, CTO of Zwipe, was allocated 20,000 shares in the Private Placement. Following this transaction, Dr. Robert Mueller owns 48,572 shares in the Company.
Primary insider Eric Mercer, CEO of Zwipe America Inc., was allocated 5,500 shares in the Private Placement. Following this transaction, Eric Mercer owns 5 500 shares in the Company.
The Board will shortly call for an extraordinary general meeting, to be held on or about 29 September 2020 (“the EGM”), which will be requested, inter alia, to make a new authorisation to the Board to issue shares to strengthen the Company's equity. Provided that the EGM provides the authorisation, it is the Board's intention to use this to carry out a subsequent offering of up to NOK 15 million / 1,000,000 shares towards shareholders of the Company as of 7 September 2020 (as registered in the VPS and Euroclear Sweden AB) who (i) were not allocated Offer Shares in the Private Placement, and (ii) are not resident in a jurisdiction where such offering would be unlawful, or would (in jurisdictions other than Norway and Sweden) require any prospectus, filing, registration or similar action. Such shareholders will be granted non-transferable subscription rights to subscribe for, and, upon subscription, be allocated new shares. One subscription right will entitle the holder to subscribe for one share in the Subsequent Offering. Oversubscription and subscription without rights will be allowed. The subscription price in the Subsequent Offering will be the same as the subscription price in the Private Placement. The Subsequent Offering will, if approved, commence after a prospectus describing the Subsequent Offering has been approved by the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway. The Board may at its discretion decide not to proceed with the Subsequent Offering.
The Board has considered the offering of new shares in Private Placement in light of the equal treatment obligations under the Continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Merkur Market and Oslo Børs' Circular no. 2/2014, and is of the opinion that the contemplated transaction is in compliance with these requirements. The Board of Directors concluded that the waiver of the preferential rights inherent in a private placement was considered necessary in the interest of time and successful completion of the share issue. The Private Placement will allow the Company to raise capital faster, with a lower discount and with significantly lower transaction costs than what a rights issue would entail, and it will also allow for the Company to strengthen its shareholder base to the benefit of the shareholders and the Company. On this basis, and based on an assessment of the current equity markets, the Board has considered the Private Placement to be in the common interest of the Company and its shareholders. As a consequence of the Private Placement structure, the shareholders' preferential rights will be deviated from.
Advokatfirmaet Simonsen Vogt Wiig AS is acting as legal advisor to Zwipe with respect to Norwegian law, White & Case Advokat AB and Kanter Advokatbyrå KB are acting as legal advisor with respect to Swedish law.
About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing biometric payment cards and wearables 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 further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 ir@zwipe.com
This is information that Zwipe AS is obliged 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. Certified Adviser on Nasdaq First North is FNCA Sweden AB, info@fnca.se, +46 (0) 8 528 00 399. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 23:50 CET on 7 September 2020.
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This release is issued for information purposes only, and does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States, or any other jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful or would require registration or other measures. The securities mentioned herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "US Securities Act"). The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the US Securities Act. The Company does not intend to register any portion of the offering of the securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of the securities in the United States. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into Australia, Canada, Japan or the United States.
The issue, subscription or purchase of shares in the Company is subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Neither the Company nor the Managers assume any responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions.
The distribution of this release may in certain jurisdictions be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this release comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
The Managers are acting for the Company and no one else in connection with the Private Placement and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company providing the protections afforded to their respective clients or for providing advice in relation to the Private Placement and/or any other matter referred to in this release.
Forward-looking statements: This release and any materials distributed in connection with this release may contain certain forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect the Company's current expectations and assumptions as to future events and circumstances that may not prove accurate. A number of material factors could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN OR THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE END OF THE PRESS RELEASE.
OSLO, NORWAY – 07 September 2020 – Zwipe AS (“Zwipe” or the “Company”) has retained Arctic Securities AS and Erik Penser Bank AB (publ) as joint bookrunners (the "Managers") to advise on and effect a private placement of up to 6,381,315 new shares (the “Offer Shares”) equal to 25% of the outstanding shares in the Company, directed towards Norwegian and international investors, in each case subject to and in compliance with applicable exemptions from relevant registration, filing and prospectus requirements, and subject to other applicable selling restrictions (the "Private Placement"). The Managers have prior to launch received indications of demand covering the transaction size.
Jörgen Lantto, chair of the Company’s Board of directors (“the Board”), has committed to subscribe for new shares in the Private Placement for a subscription amount of NOK 5 million, subject to approval by an extraordinary general meeting in the Company to be convened shortly after allocation of the Private Placement (the "EGM").
André Løvestam, CEO, Lars Kristian Solheim, CFO, Bishwajit Choudhary, EVP of Strategy and Channels, and Dr. Robert Mueller, CTO, have all committed to subscribe for 20 000 new shares each in the Private Placement. Eric Mercer, CEO of Zwipe America Inc, has committed to subscribe for 5 500 new shares in the Private Placement.
The net proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to fund further development and commercialization of the Company, general operating costs and strategic investments. After completion of this private placement, Zwipe is funded through commercial launches in 2021 and beyond based on the current business plan and market assumptions.
The subscription price and number of Offer Shares to be issued in the Private Placement will be determined by the Board following an accelerated book building process. The minimum application and allocation amount have been set to the NOK equivalent of EUR 100,000. The Company may however, at its sole discretion, allocate an amount below EUR 100,000 to the extent applicable exemptions from the prospectus requirement pursuant to the EU Prospectus Regulation (as implemented in Norway by the Norwegian Securities Trading Act and through similar legislation in other EEA states) are available.
The book building period for the Private Placement commences today at 17:30 CEST and closes 7 September 2020 at 21:00 CEST. The Managers and the Company may, however, at any time resolve to close or extend the book building period, or cancel the Private Placement, at their sole discretion and on short notice. If the book building period is shortened or extended, any other dates referred to herein may be amended accordingly. Allocation of the Offer Shares will be determined at the end of the book building period, and the final allocation will be made by the Board at its sole discretion, following advice from the Managers. Notice of allocation of Offer Shares is expected to be sent to the investors on or about 8 September 2020.
The payment date for the Offer Shares will be on or about 10 September 2020, with delivery of the Offer Shares expected on or about 14 September 2020. The Offer Shares will be tradable following the registration of the share capital increase in the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises expected to take place on or about 14 September 2020, and trading is expected to commence simultaneously at Merkur Market and Nasdaq First North Growth Market on or about 14 September 2020.
The completion of the Private Placement is subject to approval by the Board of the Company pursuant to an authorization to increase the share capital given by the annual general meeting held on 14 May 2020.
The Board has considered the offering of new shares in Private Placement in light of the equal treatment obligations under the Continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Merkur Market and Oslo Børs' Circular no. 2/2014, and is of the opinion that the contemplated transaction is in compliance with these requirements. The Board of Directors concluded that the waiver of the preferential rights inherent in a private placement was considered necessary in the interest of time and successful completion of the share issue. The Private Placement will allow the Company to raise capital faster, with a lower discount and with significantly lower transaction costs than what a rights issue would entail, and it will also allow for the Company to broaden its shareholder base to the benefit of the shareholders and the Company. On this basis, and based on an assessment of the current equity markets, the Board has considered the Private Placement to be in the common interest of the Company and its shareholders. As a consequence of the Private Placement structure, the shareholders' preferential rights will be deviated from.
The Private Placement is directed towards investors subject to applicable exemptions from relevant prospectus requirements (i) outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “US Securities Act”) and (ii) in the United States to "accredited investors" as defined in the US Securities Act Rule 501(a), acquiring the Offer Shares for investment purposes for its own account, or pursuant to another exemption from the registration requirements of the US Securities Act.
The Board will consider to carry out a subsequent offering of new shares in the Company (the “Subsequent Offering”) which, subject to applicable securities laws, will be directed towards existing shareholders in the Company as of 7 September 2020 (as registered in the VPS and Euroclear Sweden AB on 9 September 2020) who (i) were not allocated Offer Shares in the Private Placement, and (ii) are not resident in a jurisdiction where such offering would be unlawful, or would (in jurisdictions other than Norway and Sweden) require any prospectus, filing, registration or similar action. The subscription price in a potential Subsequent Offering will be equal to the subscription price in the Private Placement.
Existing shareholders that participate in the Private Placement will irrevocably undertake to vote for their shares in favor of the resolution(s) proposed at the EGM to issue shares to Jörgen Lantto and the potential Subsequent Offering.
Advokatfirmaet Simonsen Vogt Wiig AS is acting as legal advisor to Zwipe with respect to Norwegian law, and White & Case Advokat AB and Kanter Advokatbyrå KB are acting as legal advisors with respect to Swedish law.
About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing biometric payment cards and wearables 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 contact André Løvestam, CEO +47 991 66 135 ir@zwipe.com
This is information that Zwipe AS is obliged 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. 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 above, at 17:40 CET on 7 September 2020.
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This release is issued for information purposes only, and does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States, or any other jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful or would require registration or other measures. The securities mentioned herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "US Securities Act"). The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the US Securities Act. The Company does not intend to register any portion of the offering of the securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of the securities in the United States. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into Australia, Canada, Japan or the United States.
The issue, subscription or purchase of shares in the Company is subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Neither the Company nor the Managers assume any responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions.
The distribution of this release may in certain jurisdictions be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this release comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
The Managers are acting for the Company and no one else in connection with the Private Placement and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company providing the protections afforded to their respective clients or for providing advice in relation to the Private Placement and/or any other matter referred to in this release.
Forward-looking statements: This release and any materials distributed in connection with this release may contain certain forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect the Company's current expectations and assumptions as to future events and circumstances that may not prove accurate. A number of material factors could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
OSLO, NORWAY – 27 August 2020, CET 09:40 – Zwipe AS today publishes its half-year report for H1 2020.
The update is with reference to the EU Market Abuse Regulations
Highlights for first half-year 2020 include:
Financials
Second Quarter
First Half Year
Significant events during the period
Significant actions after the period
CEO comment
The first half of 2020 has been very productive, and a period marked by progress and major achievements for Zwipe. At a time when the public is particularly attuned to the benefits of social distancing, the payment ecosystem has increasingly embraced the need for secure, contactless payment technologies. COVID-19 has been a game-changer for market acceptance of the need for truly touchless payment solutions such as those offered by Zwipe.
The year began with Zwipe successfully listing on Nasdaq’s First North Growth Market in Sweden, boosting liquidity and investor awareness through access to a broader investor community.
We continued building our end-to-end ecosystem, expanding our customer network globally, forging several new strategic technical partnerships, securing important orders and extending exclusive partnerships. All of this while continuing to make progress on our previously announced key projects, Zwipe Pay ONE with IDEMIA and IDEX, and the wearables project with Giesecke+Devrient (G+D).
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has elevated the focus on safety and significantly increased the growth of contactless transactions. This, in turn has led to raised contactless transaction limits all over the world and has served to highlight the improved hygiene and safety benefits of biometric payments. During 2020, the first announcements of upcoming small-scale commercial launches of biometric payment cards to consumers have been made, proving that the industry is ready to start serving a mass market.
We believe we hold the key to the next step of broad-scale, high-volume adoption of biometric payment cards through our cooperation with IDEMIA on Zwipe Pay ONE, which will reduce manufacturing cost for biometric payment cards to a level that enables card issuers to start mass-volume deployment.
Consequently, we are doubling down our efforts to serve the market, with immediate results. As previously announced, we have an ongoing dialogue with more than 40 out of the world’s top 50 smart card manufacturers. During H1 2020 we have seen very good progress in our sales pipeline. We have announced that five new smart card manufacturers have decided to adopt Zwipe Pay ONE once it is available for early sampling, planned for later in 2020, and our prospect list and pipeline are continuously increasing. These are the clearest indications of demand for our solutions.
During the period we also began to engage directly with issuers and banks. Early insights suggest that a sizable number of consumers are willing to pay a meaningful monthly fee for biometric payment cards. We have been able to initiate fruitful engagements with multiple banks on how to profitably deploy biometric payment cards to consumers in large scale. This has strongly resonated across the payments and cards ecosystem, creating a wave of interest in what we uniquely offer to the marketplace.
Zwipe builds its competitive position on combining cost and performance leadership with our value-adding trusted advisor/systems integrator role. This combination is the cornerstone in Zwipe’s ambitions towards mass market deployments of Biometric Payment Cards and wearables.
In the second half of 2019 we streamlined costs and lasered in on core processes to achieve mass-volume market readiness for Zwipe. Our progress in recent months is proof that we are on the right path. Our technology partnership with IDEMIA has secured Zwipe world-wide, exclusive ownership to a disruptive technology platform with superior energy efficiency and excellent biometric performance, positioning Zwipe for cost- and technology leadership.
Leveraging the deep systems know-how of our organization, we are also teaming up with other component suppliers and manufacturing partners to further simplify adoption and reduce the total cost of Zwipe Pay ONE. I am excited by the results of these efforts, which secure our ability to meet the aggressive cost targets we have set for Zwipe Pay ONE. We remain on track with regards to the development of Zwipe Pay ONE, having met all significant milestones during the period. We are confident that our cost leadership strategy is enabling us to bring a very compelling offering to our customers, while laying the foundation for a sound long-term business and value creation for Zwipe as the market matures.
Thanks to the experience gained from being fully dedicated to Biometric Payment Cards from the outset, we are a trusted advisor to smart card manufacturers and card issuers, advising them on what is needed to launch Biometric Payment Cards including user experience and customer onboarding.
This comprehensive approach makes Zwipe stand-out in the crowd. Zwipe’s uniqueness is in the combination of our know-how, network, patents and technology. We make the entire process of evaluating, building, integrating, and deploying a biometric payment solution simple. We provide the components and build the inlays necessary for the smart card manufacturers. We are building an ecosystem of partners to enable card manufacturers and issuers a frictionless route to launching Biometric Payment Cards. This cooperative approach is central to supporting the growth of the overall Biometric Payment Card market, but also key to cementing Zwipe’s position and role. By giving banks and issuers, alongside our smart card manufacturing partners, a one-stop shop for the most cost effective and compelling route to launching an innovative, rapidly deployable contactless payment solution, we are building a commercial path that creates sustainable long-term value for our customers.
Cardholders and consumers around the world are demanding greater safety and security when paying for goods, and they want convenience too, which is the background for our mission of “making convenience safe and secure”. I am confident that we are on track to deliver on our mission and fulfil our pivotal role in supporting our many communities tackle the risks posed by COVID-19 at the point of sale.
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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 Oslo Børs Merkur Market and on 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 09:40 CET on 27 August 2020.
OSLO, NORWAY – 27 August 2020, CET 08:00 – Zwipe AS today publishes its half-year report for H1 2020.
Highlights for first half-year 2020 include:
Financials
Second Quarter
First Half Year
Significant events during the period
Significant actions after the period
CEO comment
The first half of 2020 has been very productive, and a period marked by progress and major achievements for Zwipe. At a time when the public is particularly attuned to the benefits of social distancing, the payment ecosystem has increasingly embraced the need for secure, contactless payment technologies. COVID-19 has been a game-changer for market acceptance of the need for truly touchless payment solutions such as those offered by Zwipe.
The year began with Zwipe successfully listing on Nasdaq’s First North Growth Market in Sweden, boosting liquidity and investor awareness through access to a broader investor community.
We continued building our end-to-end ecosystem, expanding our customer network globally, forging several new strategic technical partnerships, securing important orders and extending exclusive partnerships. All of this while continuing to make progress on our previously announced key projects, Zwipe Pay ONE with IDEMIA and IDEX, and the wearables project with Giesecke+Devrient (G+D).
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has elevated the focus on safety and significantly increased the growth of contactless transactions. This, in turn has led to raised contactless transaction limits all over the world and has served to highlight the improved hygiene and safety benefits of biometric payments. During 2020, the first announcements of upcoming small-scale commercial launches of biometric payment cards to consumers have been made, proving that the industry is ready to start serving a mass market.
We believe we hold the key to the next step of broad-scale, high-volume adoption of biometric payment cards through our cooperation with IDEMIA on Zwipe Pay ONE, which will reduce manufacturing cost for biometric payment cards to a level that enables card issuers to start mass-volume deployment.
Consequently, we are doubling down our efforts to serve the market, with immediate results. As previously announced, we have an ongoing dialogue with more than 40 out of the world’s top 50 smart card manufacturers. During H1 2020 we have seen very good progress in our sales pipeline. We have announced that five new smart card manufacturers have decided to adopt Zwipe Pay ONE once it is available for early sampling, planned for later in 2020, and our prospect list and pipeline are continuously increasing. These are the clearest indications of demand for our solutions.
During the period we also began to engage directly with issuers and banks. Early insights suggest that a sizable number of consumers are willing to pay a meaningful monthly fee for biometric payment cards. We have been able to initiate fruitful engagements with multiple banks on how to profitably deploy biometric payment cards to consumers in large scale. This has strongly resonated across the payments and cards ecosystem, creating a wave of interest in what we uniquely offer to the marketplace.
Zwipe builds its competitive position on combining cost and performance leadership with our value-adding trusted advisor/systems integrator role. This combination is the cornerstone in Zwipe’s ambitions towards mass market deployments of Biometric Payment Cards and wearables.
In the second half of 2019 we streamlined costs and lasered in on core processes to achieve mass-volume market readiness for Zwipe. Our progress in recent months is proof that we are on the right path. Our technology partnership with IDEMIA has secured Zwipe world-wide, exclusive ownership to a disruptive technology platform with superior energy efficiency and excellent biometric performance, positioning Zwipe for cost- and technology leadership.
Leveraging the deep systems know-how of our organization, we are also teaming up with other component suppliers and manufacturing partners to further simplify adoption and reduce the total cost of Zwipe Pay ONE. I am excited by the results of these efforts, which secure our ability to meet the aggressive cost targets we have set for Zwipe Pay ONE. We remain on track with regards to the development of Zwipe Pay ONE, having met all significant milestones during the period. We are confident that our cost leadership strategy is enabling us to bring a very compelling offering to our customers, while laying the foundation for a sound long-term business and value creation for Zwipe as the market matures.
Thanks to the experience gained from being fully dedicated to Biometric Payment Cards from the outset, we are a trusted advisor to smart card manufacturers and card issuers, advising them on what is needed to launch Biometric Payment Cards including user experience and customer onboarding.
This comprehensive approach makes Zwipe stand-out in the crowd. Zwipe’s uniqueness is in the combination of our know-how, network, patents and technology. We make the entire process of evaluating, building, integrating, and deploying a biometric payment solution simple. We provide the components and build the inlays necessary for the smart card manufacturers. We are building an ecosystem of partners to enable card manufacturers and issuers a frictionless route to launching Biometric Payment Cards. This cooperative approach is central to supporting the growth of the overall Biometric Payment Card market, but also key to cementing Zwipe’s position and role. By giving banks and issuers, alongside our smart card manufacturing partners, a one-stop shop for the most cost effective and compelling route to launching an innovative, rapidly deployable contactless payment solution, we are building a commercial path that creates sustainable long-term value for our customers.
Cardholders and consumers around the world are demanding greater safety and security when paying for goods, and they want convenience too, which is the background for our mission of “making convenience safe and secure”. I am confident that we are on track to deliver on our mission and fulfil our pivotal role in supporting our many communities tackle the risks posed by COVID-19 at the point of sale.
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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 Oslo Børs Merkur Market and on Nasdaq First North Growth Market. 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 CET on 27 August 2020.
OSLO, NORWAY– August 20th, 2020 – Biometric fintech company Zwipe and Wisecard Technology, a leading supplier of EMV personalization and payment solutions, have partnered to support the industrialization of biometric payments solutions.
Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, Wisecard Technology Ltd. specializes in personalization software development, primarily focusing on the smart card payment industry. As a leading provider of EMV personalization services, the company will support the co-development of personalization offerings for the Zwipe Pay family of products and solutions.
“We are excited to work closely with Zwipe to tap into the huge potential we see for biometrics in the payments market. Zwipe has led the way in establishing a global network of partners to make the launch of biometric payment cards and wearables at scale as effortless and cost-effective as possible. We are keen to support this mission and bring safer and more secure payment options to consumers around the world,” says, Kevin Yi, Vice President at Wisecard.
Smart card manufacturers will benefit from the collaboration by having access to a validated and proven personalization process for their biometric payment cards powered by Zwipe technology.
Speaking on the partnership André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe, says “We are excited to partner with Wisecard as we continue to expand our ecosystem and our capacity to provide the most comprehensive and compelling offerings within biometric payments to smart card manufacturers and issuers, further cementing the value-add we bring to our customers.”
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About Wisecard Technology
Wisecard Technology Co , Ltd. is a solution provider for smart card issuance and innovative payment platforms with more cost effective and user friendly features. Wisecard has invested heavily on technological innovation and product development. This has resulted in the creation of leading solutions in the area of Card Management and Personalization, payment systems, which have been compliant with the regulations from international payment schemes. Wisecard has always had a strong customer service focus and built leading edge professional services organization, delivering high class product and process support around the world. After a decade of providing cost-effective, innovative and vendor independent solutions that enable customers to improve their operational processes, Wisecard has successfully deployed solutions in more than 60 countries throughout Europe, Africa, Middle East, Southeast Asia and South America.
To learn more, please visit www.wisecardtech.com
For more information contact: Kevin Yi, Vice President, + 86 755 86007346 sales@wisecardtech.com
OSLO, NORWAY– 18 August 2020 – Biometric fintech company Zwipe and Smart Technology Services (STS), one of the world’s first equipment manufacturers to develop a biometric payment card milling and embedding enabled system, have expanded their previously announced partnership to support the industrialization of dual interface biometric payment cards using Zwipe Pay ONE platform.
Headquartered in France, STS is a leading player in the development of industrial manufacturing equipment specifically for the production and personalization of smart cards. The two companies have jointly developed integrated solutions that will enable Smart Card Manufacturers (SCMs) to achieve a risk-free and agile industrialization of biometric payment cards.
“Zwipe has been one of the leaders in the development of biometric payment platforms while we have developed manufacturing processes to enable SCMs to successfully reach a true volume offer capability for such cards. We have worked very closely together over the last year to fine-tune our complementary offering in order to support smart card manufacturers as they adopt and begin to roll out cards based on the Zwipe Pay ONE platform,” said Thierry Buisson, CEO of STS, speaking on the ramping up of activities.
“Our expanded partnership with STS has mitigated project risks and reduced the capital expenditure needed to enable the production of biometric payment cards. This will further strengthen our respective positions in the market and accelerate the adoption of biometric payment cards,” said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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About Smart Technology Services
Founded in 2013 in France, Smart Technology Services provides high level support services and card personalization solutions to card manufacturers and bureaus worldwide. The company provides services support activities for card central issuance systems and secondhand systems It also supplies the Smart Evol 1000 – a fully modular mid-range card personalization system, and the SI20 and SI700 – versatile card production systems for contact, dual interface, and biometric cards.
Please visit http://stservices.fr for further information
OSLO, NORWAY– 28 JULY 2020 – Biometric fintech company Zwipe and Liveo Research, a major supplier of PVC materials to some of the world’s largest card manufacturers, have partnered to offer a highly optimized route to efficient and scalable manufacturing of biometric payment cards. This is key in supporting the ongoing industrialization of the Zwipe Pay family of products.
Liveo Research is a global manufacturer of rigid packaging solutions focusing on pharma packaging innovations, specialty films and card solutions. With around 1,100 employees across five locations worldwide, Liveo is generating annual sales of more than 350 million euros.
“We are excited to collaborate with Zwipe, a pioneer in the field of biometric payment cards, to promote and roll out the Zwipe Pay ONE platform that will radically reduce the cost and complexity associated with card production process”, says Managing Director at Liveo Research, Mr. Pietro Parmeggiani.
Speaking on the partnership André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe says, “This showcases how Zwipe is leveraging the payment ecosystem’s key players to enable best-in-class solutions and grow the biometric payment card segment. Liveo Research is a strong stakeholder and working together we will be able to further strengthen the value proposition to smart card manufacturers.”
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About Liveo Research
Since 1953 Liveo Research’s Castiglione facility has been at the forefront of technological innovation in vinyl calendaring. Decades of commitment to manufacturing quality and enhanced rigid films properties has given Liveo’s card manufacturers the extra edge to easily move into new niche market with even newer technological requirement. Today, Liveo’s SICO films are sought after for high quality secure payment cards, e-government, IoT SIM/GSM, M2M, access controls cards, where they withstand daily handling while maintaining a pristine appearance and data integrity. Liveo Research SICO films are available globally with two primary manufacturing sites, Castiglione, Italy, where it all began and, Delaware City, DE, USA. To learn more, visit www.liveoresearch.com
For more information contact: cs.eu@liveo-research.com
OSLO, NORWAY and ABU DHABI, UAE – 13 September 2021 – Zwipe and NymCard are joining forces to launch biometric payment cards in the Middle East and Africa. With the rapidly growing demand for safer and more secure payment solutions from fintechs and modern payment innovators, this collaboration will ensure a faster deployment of biometric payment cards in the region.
Based in Abu Dhabi, NymCard delivers a state-of-the-art payment card issuing and processing platform based on three key focus areas: Frictionless, Transparent and Agile. Recognized as a leading Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) provider in the region, NymCard enables fintechs and innovative payment players to deliver a seamless payment experience to their customers with easy, secure, and faster channels. Using Open APIs and modern technologies, NymCard is known for delivering exceptionally fast implementations. It powers payment innovators in multiple industries from the Gig Economy, Buy Now Pay Later, Youth banking, and Corporate expense cards across the MEA region. NymCard is now expanding to Asia and Europe.
Speaking on the partnership, Omar Onsi, CEO and Founder at NymCard said: “In our region, consumers, fintechs, and payment providers always seek more secure and user-friendly financial services. We are now seeing increasing interest in biometric payment cards as they combine world-class security with world-class convenience. Zwipe is a highly respected fintech in the biometric payments marketplace and Zwipe Pay ONE based cards will add considerable value for our customers in MEA”.
Zwipe will provide commercialization support, expertise, and technical guidance to help NymCard integrate biometric payment cards in its portfolio. Zwipe Pay ONE based cards will be delivered by one or more of Zwipe's certified smart card manufacturers in the region. NymCard and Zwipe will start joint issuer engagements already from this month.
“The interest in adopting biometric payment cards is phenomenal in the Middle East and Africa. We are happy to partner with NymCard, a well-recognized Banking-as-a-Service provider for payment innovators and fintechs. Zwipe's biometric payment platform supports contactless payments ensuring 100% touch-free and PIN-free transactions. We are confident that this alliance will further accelerate the deployment of biometric payment cards,” said Ramzi Saboury, General Manager for Zwipe in the MENA region.
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For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 Info@zwipe.com
About NymCard
NymCard is a MEA-based BaaS provider and modern card issuer processor. The company offers a cloud-agnostic modern payment issuing and processing platform called nCore that allows fintechs in the MENA region to instantly create, control, and distribute highly customizable virtual or physical payment cards.
NymCard’s mission is to enable companies to launch frictionless payment card programs at speed in any market in MENA and now in Asia as well. As a payment enabler, NymCard is removing the friction associated with legacy systems enabling fintechs to focus on building their product proposition rather than deal with complex payment processes.
NymCard developed its own processing technology from the ground up, where we own our whole tech stack. We published our APIs and are the only MENA-based issuer processor with a live Sandbox where fintechs can get access and start building in no time.
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 and 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 – 3 September 2021 – The primary insider Johan Biehl, a board member of Zwipe, has today sold a total of 92,883 shares at an average at SEK 37.03. Johan Biehl’s shareholding after the transaction is 120,000 shares. Feat Invest AB, where Johan Biehl is a board member, has sold 57,301 shares at an average price at SEK 36.86. Feat Invest AB’s shareholding after the transaction is 262,479 shares.
Attached is a copy of the forms submitted to the Norwegian FSA, Finanstilsynet, reporting the transactions as listed above:
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For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 ir@zwipe.com
About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing biometric payment cards and wearables 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
OSLO, NORWAY AND BEIRUT, LEBANON – 03 September 2021 – Zwipe is proud to announce further orders for its Zwipe Pay ONE flagship product. The latest order was placed by Inkript, a digital security provider in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region and a subsidiary of Resource Group, and one of Zwipe’s long established partners.
The order of USD 318,000 for Zwipe Pay ONE comes after significant technical assessment and intensive business development activity across the Middle East and Africa region. Zwipe Pay One is the world’s first single silicon based biometric payment platform offered to card manufacturers globally and will be delivered in 2021 and 2022. This order has been placed at a time when both Inkript and Zwipe are experiencing strong interest from issuers aiming for pilots this year and planning for commercial rollouts in 2022.
Inkript initially placed a small-scale order in 2020 to begin the technical and commercial evaluation of Zwipe Pay ONE. Following a successful evaluation period, the company has quickly moved to reinforce its leadership position in the MEA region by guaranteeing priority deliveries to its customers upon conclusion of planned pilot cases.
“There is a growing need for sustainable, secure and user-friendly payment solutions in the MEA region, addressing the concerns of both customers and financial institutions. As a result, Inkript remains determined to support the market needs not only through our expertise but also through solid and promising partnerships. Together with Zwipe, we are investing our efforts into securing several pilots in the region to widely introduce and develop the best-in-class Zwipe Pay ONE platform in the region. Our aim is to build market awareness of the benefits of the product and ultimately to secure our first pilot commitments,” says Riad Itani, Managing Director at Inkript.
André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe, added: “It is encouraging that the early interest shown in Zwipe Pay ONE in the Middle East has now been converted into our first, sizeable order for our product from Inkript. Their willingness to be one of the first smart card manufacturers to bring Zwipe Pay ONE powered biometric cards to issuers and card personalization bureaus in the MEA region demonstrates their leadership in this area. We look forward to supporting Inkript on this journey and to our continued mutual success within the region”.
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For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
About Inkript
Inkript is a digital security solutions provider catering to governments, telecom operators and financial institutions in the MEA region. The company’s growth is driven by an extensive R&D and continuous investments in emerging technologies. Inkript is distinguished by its state-of-the-art factories, technology competence centers, customized integrated solutions and international certifications covering processes, quality and security.
Media Contact for Inkript: Ms. Ghina Ramadan, +9611412000 ext. 2931, gramadan@resource.group
Når en första kommersiell order
Det första halvåret och perioden efter har minst sagt varit händelserikt för Zwipe med ett antal större nya partnerskap, piloter, samarbetsavtal samt en första större kommersiell order. Den 11e maj tillkännagav bolaget ett samarbetsavtal med Beautiful Card Corporation (BCC) för att leverera bolagets biometriska kortlösningar till den asiatiska marknaden. BCC producerar kring 520 miljoner kort årligen, varav cirka 20 miljoner av dessa är betalkort. Kort efter halvårets utgång meddelande Zwipe att en första kommersiell order nåtts med BCC till ett värde av 1,9 miljoner USD, motsvarande nästan 17 miljoner kronor. Ordern kommer levereras under 2022, med möjlighet att skjuta på leverans om marknaden inte utvecklats snabbt nog. Detta utgör inte bara en av de större beställningarna för biometriska kort hittills utan innebär också att Zwipe nu tar första stegen in i den kommersiella resan, vilket bekräftar bolagets starka position i den begynnande marknaden.
Pilotavtal med stor global bank
Första halvåret har inneburit ett kraftigt växande nätverk av både partners och kunder. Dessa utgör en blandning av både kortutgivare och betaltjänstleverantörer vilket innebär att marknaden bearbetas från flera olika håll. Särskilt intressant är nyheten som släpptes i början av september där bolaget tillkännagav en pilot med en global Tier-1 bank. Piloten innebär att bolagets Zwipe Pay ONE plattform kommer att testas skarpt i tre europeiska länder i början av 2022 men potential för en kommersiell lansering i mitten av året. Detta kan utgöra en av bolagets största milstolpar hittills och potentialen är stor. Banken, som ännu inte tillkännagivits, har bas i Europa, agerar globalt på flera kontinenter och den potentiella långsiktiga volymen från avtalet är troligt i tiotals miljoner.
Tidigare i år har bolaget bland annat slutit avtal med KL HI-TECH för Indien, Be ys Pay för biometriska kort i Frankrike och Benelux-regionen, FSS för global utrullning, BCC som nämnt ovan, MEPS med fokus på MENA-regionen och Silkways Card & Printing Ltd med fokus på Bangladesh. Efter andra kvartalet har även avtal slutits med ICPS, med fokus på Afrika och Asien, samt ett avtal med MEPS där nyckelpersoner på ett tjugotal banker i Levant-regionen kommer få genomföra en pilot med bolagets Zwipe Pay ONE plattform. Det blir allt tydligare att en begynnande massmarknad tar form och intresset är större än någonsin från banker och kortutgivare.
Utvärderas av global Tier-1 korttillverkare
Utöver dessa avtal har därtill bolaget tillkännagivit att Zwipe Pay ONE plattformen utvärderas av en global smartcard-utgivare inom kategorin Tier 1. Tier 1 utgör världens tre största utgivare, alla med volymer över en halv miljard kort om året, och är en kundkategori vi tidigare inte beräknat som ett fokusområde för bolagets marknadsbearbetning. Det faktum att Zwipe nu utvärderas av allt större aktörer är en indikation på den attraktiva, konkurrenskraftiga ställning bolaget etablerar på denna begynnande marknad. Ett avtal med en kund i denna kaliber skulle innebära en större adresserbar marknad och hade accelererat adoptionen av biometriska kort givet dessa aktörers etablerade kundrelationer med några av världens största banker.
Milstolpe efter milstolpe
Halvåret innehöll inga överraskningar i siffrorna med en omsättning på 1,4 miljon norska kronor (0,9), ett resultat kring -26,9 miljoner norska kronor (-31,6) och en burnrate kring 5 miljoner norska kronor per månad. Trots detta har sommaren inneburit ett stort antal stora milstolpar för bolaget vilket gör att risken minskar samtidigt som långsiktiga potentialen stärks. Alltmer talar för att vi står inför större kommersiellt genombrott under 2022 och vi väntar oss ett fortsatt spännande år för bolaget. Till följd av sänkt diskonteringsränta och mindre förändringar i våra prognoser höjer vi bolagets motiverade värde till 43–46 kronor (34–37), på 12–18 månaders sikt.
OSLO, NORWAY – 2 SEPTEMBER 2021 - Zwipe is proud to announce a biometric payment cards pilot with a Global Tier-1 bank. The bank, which is headquartered in Europe, has a strong presence in retail banking and serves many millions of customers across several continents. The pilot will take place in three European countries using biometric payment cards based on the Zwipe Pay ONE platform.
Across many global markets, Zwipe and its card manufacturing partners are experiencing growing interest in biometric payment cards from banks. These cards will deliver world class transaction security, uplifted user experience, improved loyalty and drive new customer acquisition. Delivering a completely touch-free check-out experience above and below the current contactless limits, biometric payment cards will address elevated consumer concerns about touching the point-of-sale terminals.
Together with its card manufacturing and personalization partners, who will deliver the Zwipe Pay ONE Biometric Cards, Zwipe will commence working with the Global Tier-1 Bank later this month with the aim to launch a pilot of a few hundred cardholders across three European countries in Q1 2022. The bank also plans for a commercial launch of Zwipe Pay ONE based biometric payment cards later in the summer 2022, subject to positive results in the pilot.
André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe, said: “We are thrilled that a Global Tier 1 bank has chosen Zwipe Pay ONE-based biometric payment cards for their pilot and, potentially, for a commercial launch where the long-term potential could be significant. Besides the technology, Zwipe will also support the bank through all stages of the pilot, ensuring that all end users’ experiences and feedback are systematically captured. This Zwipe Pay ONE pilot is a significant milestone and a testament to our world-class technology and excellent collaboration with strong partners in all parts of the payments ecosystem”.
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This is information that Zwipe AS is obliged to make public pursuant to the Continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Euronext Growth Market 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 12:45 CEST on 2 September 2021.
For further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
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
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN OR THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE END OF THE PRESS RELEASE.
OSLO, NORWAY – 30 August 2021 – Zwipe AS (“Zwipe” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has raised approximately NOK 104 million in gross proceeds through a private placement of 4,000,000 new shares (the “New Shares”), directed towards Erik Selin Fastigheter AB (the "Private Placement"). The Company has prior to the resolution received an indication of interest from Erik Selin Fastigheter AB covering the transaction size.
The net proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to fund further development and commercialization of the Company, general operating costs and strategic investments. After completion of this private placement, Zwipe is funded through commercial launches in 2022 and beyond based on the current business plan and market assumptions.
The subscription price in the Private Placement will be NOK 26.10 per share, corresponding to today's closing price on Nasdaq First North Growth Market. As no discount has been provided, the board does not plan to execute a repair issue.
The new Shares will be issued and tradable on Euronext Growth Oslo and Nasdaq First North Growth Market in Stockholm following the registration of the share capital increase in the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises expected to take place on or about 30 September 2021.
The Board has found the Private Placement to be in compliance with the applicable equal treatment requirements, ref. Euronext Growth Oslo Rule Book, Part II, section 3.1. The Private Placement allows the Company to raise capital faster, with lower risk and significantly lower transaction costs than in a rights issue. Further, no discount is given from market price. The Board also shows to that no discrimination among the existing shareholders is taking place since Erik Selin Fastigheter AB is not a shareholder. Finally, the Board emphasizes that Erik Selin Fastigheter AB is generally considered a strong and long term investor who the Company and the joint shareholders will gain from including as a shareholder.
The Private Placement is exempted from relevant prospectus requirements (i) outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “US Securities Act”) and (ii) in the United States to "accredited investors" as defined in the US Securities Act Rule 501(a), acquiring the New Shares for investment purposes for its own account, or pursuant to another exemption from the registration requirements of the US Securities Act.
Simonsen Vogt Wiig AS is acting as legal advisor to Zwipe.
About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing biometric payment cards and wearables 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 further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 ir@zwipe.com
This is information that Zwipe AS is obliged to make public pursuant to the Euronext Growth Market Oslo Rule Book Part II, Section 3.10 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 above, at 19:30 CEST on 30 August 2021.
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This release is issued for information purposes only, and does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States, or any other jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful or would require registration or other measures. The securities mentioned herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "US Securities Act"). The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the US Securities Act. The Company does not intend to register any portion of the offering of the securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of the securities in the United States. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into Australia, Canada, Japan or the United States.
The issue, subscription or purchase of shares in the Company is subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Neither the Company nor the Managers assume any responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions.
The distribution of this release may in certain jurisdictions be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this release comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
The Managers are acting for the Company and no one else in connection with the Private Placement and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company providing the protections afforded to their respective clients or for providing advice in relation to the Private Placement and/or any other matter referred to in this release.
Forward-looking statements: This release and any materials distributed in connection with this release may contain certain forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect the Company's current expectations and assumptions as to future events and circumstances that may not prove accurate. A number of material factors could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
OSLO, NORWAY – 26 August 2021 – Zwipe AS today publishes its first half-year 2021 report.
Summary Financial development
Second-quarter 2021
First half-year 2021
Significant events during the period
Significant events after the period
Message from the CEO
Continued strong progress
During the first half of the year, Zwipe Pay ONE and our compelling end-to-end offering continued to drive interest from all stakeholders in the payment ecosystem. Thanks to continued strong and growing global interest in biometric payment cards among Smart Card Manufacturers, Personalization Bureaus, Payment Processors, and Financial Institutions, we have expanded our ecosystem in all these categories and will continue to further strengthen our foundation for future market success. During the period, we announced important new events and milestones:
To proactively support our new customers and partners, we’ve taken many steps to strengthen our organization, including:
In April 2021, we demonstrated the Zwipe Pay ONE platform with a demo card and a home enrollment solution. We successfully carried out EMV authenticated transaction at Point-of-Sale terminals in a test environment. The feedback from the market was highly positive as we were able to demonstrate that transactions could be executed quickly and reliably, providing a considerable improvement to user experience, security, safety, and hygiene.
We have now passed almost all critical milestones and major risk points, with piloting and certification left before full commercialization and mass volumes.
Several of Zwipe’s smart card manufacturing partners have completed their internal testing processes and have begun small-scale manufacturing trials. In August 2021, we received our first commercial order for the Zwipe Pay ONE platform from Beautiful Card Corporation (in Taiwan). The net contract value is $1.9 million, marking the transition to a new phase on a very exciting journey for Zwipe. Deliveries are planned to begin in 2022. The order is a testament to how Zwipe Pay ONE is getting closer to a mass-market launch and how our global delivery set-up is getting ready to bring the next generation of payment cards to issuers, smart card manufacturers and payment processors across multiple markets.
At the same time, and as part of our global expansion plan, we have established wholly owned subsidiaries in the UK and Germany to support the global mass-market deployment of Zwipe Pay ONE powered payment cards.
Adding value through our unique and highly differentiated offer
The offer Zwipe brings to the market has proven highly attractive. It consists of the industry’s most integrated secure element, offering superior energy efficiency and biometric performance at highly competitive manufacturing cost. Together with partners we manufacture our internally developed ISO module which integrates our secure element with our ISO contact plate and ultimately with our passive inlay. We provide methods and solutions for our customers to embed the fingerprint sensor during manufacturing of the biometric payment cards. Since our secure element is so advanced in its integration of capabilities that are otherwise provided by external components, our passive inlay allows for our customers to manufacture the complete biometric card at industry-leading cost. In addition to our turn-key technology offering, we offer value-added services and insights in our end-to-end approach. The number of customers that have selected Zwipe Pay ONE is the best testament to the competitive nature of our unique and highly differentiated offer.
With strong market traction and a welcoming reaction from major industry players worldwide, Zwipe is on track to deliver on our ambitions and bring the next generation payment experience powered by biometrics to consumers globally.
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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 August 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
[1] Comparative figures in brackets are for Q2 2020
[2] Comparative figures in brackets are for H1 2020
OSLO, NORWAY and AMMAN, JORDAN – 16 August 2021 – Middle East Payment Services (MEPS) and Zwipe are pleased to announce the launch of a pilot of Biometric Payment Cards based on the Zwipe Pay ONE platform to top-level executives and key decision makers at up to 20 banks and issuers in the Levant region. MEPS is a key regional player in card issuing, payment processing and merchant acquiring services in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Zwipe is a biometric fintech pioneering next generation contactless payment globally.
In June, MEPS and Zwipe announced their partnership to bring Biometric Payment Cards to banks and consumers in MENA. Both organizations have noted a strong interest in biometric payment cards in the region.
Highlighting this development, Ali Abdel Jabbar, Chief Executive Officer at MEPS shared, “Nothing brings more trust in Biometric Payment Cards than the first-hand experience of using them. With this pilot, MEPS will offer the top-ranking officers and key decision makers at up to 20 banks and issuers a chance to gain such first-hand experience by trying these state-of-the-art payment cards in a live environment, making it the largest multi-bank trial of these cards globally. The pilot will be concluded in Q4 2021 with Zwipe Pay ONE Cards delivered from Inkript. We are confident that after these trials, most banks will launch pilots leading to multiple commercial launches.”
The General Manager of Zwipe MENA, Ramzi Saboury commented, “We are proud that our partner MEPS is amongst the global pioneers and first in MENA to pilot Zwipe Pay ONE, paving the way for issuers to try and ultimately launch this great technology”.
As part of the collaboration, Inkript will deliver Zwipe Pay ONE-based cards to MEPS. Inkript supplies 100 million smart cards annually across the Middle East, Africa and Europe. In 2020, it selected Zwipe for its next-generation contactless cards.
“We are impressed with the innovativeness and boldness of MEPS to launch such a large-scale, multi-bank pilot of Zwipe Pay ONE cards across the Levant region. This is a completely new approach to piloting our technology, providing a unique opportunity for top bankers and decision makers in up to 20 individual banks to experience first-hand the enhanced convenience, security and hygiene benefits of biometric payment cards. We are extremely happy and excited that our collaboration with MEPS is proceeding at such great pace,” added André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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This is information that Zwipe AS is obliged to make public pursuant to the Continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Euronext Growth Market 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 08:45 CEST on 16 August 2021.
About MEPS
Middle East Payment Services (MEPS), founded in 2009, is a Principal Issuer and Acquirer of Visa, MasterCard, and UnionPay, with presence in Jordan, Iraq, and Palestine. The company offers financial institutions, merchants, and corporations, a complete range of secure payment solutions in card issuance / hosting, payment processing, alternative payments, ecommerce acquiring, point-of-sale (POS) acquiring, ATM driving and management, and customized value-added services adhering to PCI Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). MEPS is owned by 10 Jordanian and regional banks.
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 further information please contact: André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
OSLO, NORWAY and TAOYUAN, TAIWAN – 3 August 2021 – Zwipe is proud to announce a substantial order of USD 1.9m (net) for its flagship Zwipe Pay ONE product. The order was placed by Taiwan’s Beautiful Card Corporation (BCC) and covers the supply of modules, sensors and inlays, enabling BCC to be one of the first manufacturers to bring significant volumes of this next generation of biometric payment cards to market. This order for Zwipe Pay ONE, the world’s first single silicon based biometric payment platform offered to card manufacturers globally, will be delivered in 2022, with the option to extend delivery beyond that date if market take off is slower than anticipated, leaving any remaining unfulfilled quantities.
With around 520 million cards produced annually, of which around 20 million are EMV payment cards, BCC is listed as the largest scratch card manufacturer in Taiwan, the 2nd largest in Asia and 7th in the world.
This order follows on from the agreement between the two companies that was announced in May 2021 after an extensive period of evaluation of the Zwipe Pay ONE solution. With BCC’s volume manufacturing facility now ready, and demand for the product intensifying across the globe, the timing is right for manufacturers to begin to commit to orders, thereby securing access to and delivery priority for this innovative product at scale.
“Driven by the rapidly growing sales pipeline of new opportunities identified for NextGen Payment Cards, BCC wishes to ensure production capacity and placing this order to Zwipe is part of that commitment to our customers. We are working on bringing a disruptive new product to market and are excited by the opportunities that this will create,” commented Peggy Wu, CEO and Chairman of BCC.
“We are delighted and grateful that BCC has made this commitment to Zwipe and Zwipe Pay ONE. The partnership with BCC has been exceptional and we continue to work closely in advancing both technical and commercial activities. BCC’s investment of human and financial resources to manufacture the Zwipe Pay ONE product has demonstrated their ability to bring an outstanding product to market at scale. We look forward to be working even closer with BCC through certification and volume ramp-up,” added André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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This is information that Zwipe AS is obliged to make public pursuant to the Continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Euronext Growth Market 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 3 August 2021.
About Beautiful Card Corporation
Beautiful Card Corporation (BCC) was founded in October 1991. BCC has state-of-the-art equipment and professional specialists to fulfil their consistent management policy of providing high-quality products with competitive price. Since BCC’s founding, they have been developing new technology in card industry as well as continuously putting efforts to the innovation and improvement of all sorts of cards. Thanks to their continuous efforts, BCC’s capacity was recognized and approved by customers all over the world. BCC’s annual capacity now reaches 200 million Scratch cards, 300 million GSM SIM cards, 20 million EMV cards. BCC has obtained ISO 9001 / IS27001/ ISO14001/ ISO 45001/ ISO14298/MasterCard CQM / Visa / MasterCard / JCB / GSM SAS certifications.
Media Contact for Beautiful Card Corporation: shellen@beautifulcard.com
About Zwipe
Zwipe is pioneering the next generation contactless payments experience, providing technology to biometric payment cards and wearables 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 further information please contact:
André Løvestam, CEO, +47 991 66 135 info@zwipe.com
