OSLO, NORWAY – 24 July 2020 – Primary insider Diderik Schonheyder, board member at Zwipe AS, has today acquired 5,000 shares at an average price per share of SEK 13,30. Diderik Schonheyder’s shareholding after the transaction is 5,000 shares.
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This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act
OSLO, NORWAY– 6 JULY 2020 – It has been a busy and momentous last few months in the world of biometric payments. I am pleased to see how our partners and customers are strengthening their capacity to deliver next generation contactless payment solutions powered by biometric payments platforms from Zwipe. We observe first-hand an increasing awareness and interest from banks, local card schemes and even retailers that are sharing the view that biometric payments provide significant value to consumers.
What is happening in the marketplace?
Several “1st generation” biometric payment card platforms are now making their way towards the first small-scale commercial launches in 2020. These recent developments clearly signal that this technology will see commercial break-through, representing not only a means for banks to offer “peace of mind” to cardholders and achieve top-of-wallet effects, but also to realize a new source of revenue and value creation.
For fully understandable reasons, the payments ecosystem is by and large conservative, cost conscious and risk averse. This is why the biometric payments market has been long in the making.
Things are now changing, however. At an accelerating pace. Observing how the engagement and proactivity of our partners and the ecosystem are currently growing, I see clear indications that momentum is building, with awareness and interest increasing everywhere.
The team at Zwipe and myself are very excited by this progress.
Here is an overview of our recent major announcements:
It is all coming together
On the supply side, technology advancement, radical cost reduction and scalable production readiness are factors that make biometric payment a feasible proposition. On the demand side, COVID-19 has triggered growing demand and awareness for safe and hygienic payments in the entire society, with transaction limits raised in more than 40 countries worldwide to avoid unnecessary PIN entry and contactless payment rapidly growing everywhere. This builds on the already strong consumer interest for biometric payments before COVID-19, driven by the demand for convenience, security and the “coolness factor” derived from innovative solutions.
Our Zwipe Pay ONE platform is progressing as planned to deliver superior energy efficiency and excellent biometric performance at significantly lowered manufacturing cost thanks to advanced, single-chip innovation. Our confidence that this will be a very compelling proposition has grown further based on the series of recent awards given by smart card manufacturers for Zwipe Pay ONE to power their upcoming biometric payment cards.
Zwipe has pioneered biometric payment card technology and we now see commercial opportunities and engagements developing across the payment ecosystems. We see growing interest from smart card manufacturers, banks, payment schemes and retailers to see how Zwipe can help them to address consumer needs and concerns over contactless payments.
What Zwipe does goes far beyond the technology, it is about helping every stakeholder maximize the value that biometric payments can bring to society. As communicated in our PR on 2 June, we are complementing our collaboration with our direct customers, the smart card manufacturers, by actively stepping up our engagements with banks and neo-banks, as well as new players in card issuance, such as retailers and tech companies. I feel confident that this will accelerate our route to success while creating value for our customers, shareholders, and consumers.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank each member of my great team at Zwipe for their relentless efforts in Making Convenience Safe and Secure. On behalf of everyone at Zwipe, I wish all our customers, partners, shareholders and avid followers a safe and happy summer.
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BOLOGNA, ITALY and OSLO, NORWAY– 1 July 2020 – Biometric fintech company Zwipe and Publicenter, Italy’s largest domestic smart card manufacturer, are pleased to announce the launch of a collaboration aimed at bringing the next generation contactless experience, powered by biometric payment cards and wearables to financial institutions and consumers across Europe.
Publicenter is a VISA and Mastercard certified smart card manufacturer, with over forty years of experience in card production and personalization. It delivers payment, loyalty and gift cards to major banking and retail customers in Italy and Europe.
“We have seen firsthand the potential of biometric payment cards and successful market trials in Italy, run on the Zwipe platform. With many of our customers asking for this product, we are confident that the partnership with Zwipe will be the most cost effective and time efficient route for us to offer this solution at scale” says CEO of Publicenter, Sandro Mucelli.
In Italy, 50% of all POS transactions processed were already contactless* pre-COVID 2019, and, as a result of increased transaction limits and an elevated focus on safety, this has grown since. With businesses beginning to open again, Publicenter plans to engage with customers to promote the value-add of biometric payment solutions.
“We are excited to work with Publicenter who have strong engagements with banks and retailers across Europe, including in our own home region of the Nordics. Working together, we will identify new commercial opportunities for both companies and implement a successful roll-out of Zwipe Pay ONE,” says André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
*) Source: Europe; Spaargids.be; July 2018; Numbers concern payments processed by MasterCard
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About Publicenter
Publicenter has over forty years’ experience in high quality and cost-effective smart card production and personalization, being one of the leading card manufacturers in Europe. Main products are financial smart cards, loyalty/gift cards, and ID cards. Headquartered in Bologna, Italy, Publicenter is a Visa and Mastercard certified vendor for over 15 years. To learn more, visit www.publicenter.it
For more information contact: Sandro Mucelli, CEO, info@publicenter.it
OSLO, NORWAY – 29 June 2020 – Biometric fintech pioneer Zwipe and Thomas Greg and Sons do Brasil (TGS), one the largest smart card manufacturers in Latin America, are pleased to announce the extension of their exclusive partnership.
As part of uplifting the collaboration, TGS is commencing small scale manufacturing of biometric payment cards based on Zwipe’s platform, embracing the road to Zwipe Pay ONE and aiming to gradually ramp up production to address the ongoing market demand for safer and more secure contactless payments.
Since announcing the partnership in April 2019, the two companies have been working closely to fine-tune the technical aspects of the solution and evaluate the market appetite for biometric payments.
“We are now seeing increasing interest in biometric payment cards in our region, especially as consumers become much more familiar with contactless payments and demand safer and more hygienic payment alternatives in store. We have worked closely to adapt our manufacturing processes to integrate Zwipe’s biometric solution in our card production and we are excited to take this partnership to the next level,” says Mr. Hernani Finazzi, CEO of TGS.
“Latin America is a fast-emerging region when it comes to payment card usage. We are extremely glad TGS is taking a key step to embrace the Zwipe platform and bring our collaboration to a new level. We look forward to jointly addressing the needs of banks and consumers in Latin America going forward,” says André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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About Thomas Greg & Sons do Brasil
The group Thomas Greg & Sons established in Brazil in 2000 to serve the Brazilian security printing market. In its 20 years of operation, the company has consolidated as one of the largest companies in the segments of Security Prints, Solutions, Smart Cards, Identification Systems and Traceability. Currently, the group is present in thirteen countries, with more than 10,000 employees. In Brazil, it has a branch in eleven states providing the national driver's license, identity card with automated biometric identification system, vehicle ownership document, traceability stamps, diplomas, electoral system, smart cards, among others.
To learn more, visit www.thomasgreg.com.br
Media Contact for Thomas Greg & Sons do Brasil: Hernani Finazzi, CEO +55 11 2666 8821, vendas@thomasgreg.com.br
OSLO, NORWAY– 18 JUNE 2020 – Biometric fintech company Zwipe and Watchdata Technologies, a pioneer in digital authentication and transaction security, have partnered to develop and launch next generation contactless payment cards and wearables and bring these innovations to banks in multiple regions.
Watchdata Technologies is a Beijing based Chinese company, with Singapore as its international headquarters. It is serving 80 million banking customers in over 70 countries, the company has extensive operations in China, France, Russia, Brazil, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Mexico. Watchdata offers a wide range of payment products and services and is a VISA, Mastercard, China UnionPay certified manufacturer.
“Partnering with Zwipe to develop the next generation contactless experience aligns strongly with our mission of continuous innovation. Biometric capabilities uniquely combine convenience with security and safety, uplifting card payments’ experience to completely new levels. Integrating Zwipe Pay ONE into our smart card program will be key to competing and securing future business in this fast-emerging segment.” says Nicole Guo, Product Manager of Watchdata.
Zwipe will deliver key components and technical guidance as part of the agreement starting with biometric card payments.
Speaking on the partnership André Løvestam, CEO at Zwipe says “In China faster checkout in retail is cited as the number 1 priority for consumers. We are proud to partner with Watchdata, a fast-moving, innovative and global organization representing significant volume potential in many countries globally for the Zwipe Pay ONE platform. Together, we will develop and roll-out the next generation contactless experience through cards and wearables, addressing the security, safety and privacy needs of consumers worldwide.”
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About Watchdata Technologies
Watchdata Technologies is a recognized pioneer in digital authentication and transaction security. Founded in Beijing in 1994, Watchdata now have international headquarters in Singapore, 8 regional offices, and serve customers in over 70 countries. Watchdata customers include mobile network operators, financial institutions, transport operators, governments and leading business enterprises. Solutions from Watchdata provide daily convenience and security to over 1 billion mobile subscribers, 80 million e-banking customers and 50 million commuters. To learn more, visit www.watchdata.com
OSLO, NORWAY – 8 June 2020 – Zwipe is pleased to announce a new milestone in its ongoing collaboration with Toppan Forms Card Technologies Limited (TFCT), a leading smart card manufacturer based in Hong Kong.
TFCT has placed an order that brings the recently announced partnership to begin small scale manufacturing of biometric payment cards. This is a key milestone as part of the setup project and necessary developments in preparing for high-volume market roll-out of Zwipe Pay ONE.
“We have allocated time and space in our manufacturing facilities for producing biometric payment cards powered by Zwipe’s technology. We are excited to move ahead with Zwipe in this important project to develop the biometric payments market” says Mr. Joseph Hui, Deputy Managing Director of Toppan Forms Card Technologies Limited.
“The APAC payments market has one of the highest growth rates in the world. We are pleased that TFCT, a payment solutions leader in this region, has decided to step up cooperation to integrate our platform in their payment cards. We look forward to working closely with TFCT to deliver safer and more secure contactless payments with the disruptive Zwipe Pay ONE platform” says André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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OSLO, NORWAY– 02 June 2020 – Zwipe AS announces that Bishwajit Choudhary has accepted the position of Executive Vice President Strategy & Channels at Zwipe, commencing 2 June 2020. He will lead Zwipe’s engagement efforts towards banks, global and domestic card schemes, selected retailers and other important payments ecosystem stakeholders.
Based in Oslo, Mr. Choudhary brings two decades of experience from Nets where he led many new business initiatives within Digital-ID, electronic signatures and mobile authentication for international clients. As the Group SVP (Strategy) he led Nets' market intelligence and strategy execution and played a key role in many commercial initiatives, notably open-banking data analytics, customer advisory, strategic alliances and fintech partnerships. Prior to joining Zwipe, he was Chief Commercial Officer at UserTribe, a global leader in delivering deep customer insights in 100+ countries based on live experience data.
“With increasing activity in payment cards and wearables in general, and biometrics in particular, and with Zwipe poised to take a technology and cost leadership position in this high potential market, timing is right for Zwipe to complement our growing engagements with our direct customers, the smart card manufacturers, by embarking on a “pull strategy”. This means that we will step up our engagements with banks and neo-banks, as well as new players in card issuance, such as retailers and tech companies. With deep insights in the payments industry, Bishwajit will add a valuable breadth in our payments expertise and lead our strategy and channel development,” said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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OSLO, NORWAY– 19 May 2020 –
Financial Calendar 2020 – 2021
Interim Report January-June 2020 August 27, 2020
Financial Year 2020 Annual Report February 25, 2021
Annual General Meeting May 19, 2021
Interim Report January-June 2021 August 26, 2021
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OSLO, NORWAY– 14 May 2020 – The Annual General Meeting in Zwipe AS (Company) was held today. All proposed resolutions were approved unanimously in accordance with the call for the meeting. The minutes of Annual General Meeting are included as an attachment. The complete proposal, which was approved by the Annual General Meeting, is available on www.zwipe.com for further reference. The attendants of the AGM represented 11,2% of the votes in the company.
The following matters were reviewed and confirmed:
Approval of the annual report and financial statements for 2019:
The board’s proposal for the annual report and the financial statements for 2019 for the Company and the group were unanimously approved.
Election of members to the Board of Directors:
The following persons were unanimously elected to comprise the new Board of the Directors:
Remuneration to the members of the Board of Directors and the members of the Nomination Committee
Remuneration to the Board for the period from the AGM in 2020 until the AGM in 2021 were unanimously approved as follows:
Chairman of the Board: NOK 260.000,-
Members of the Board: NOK 130.000,-
As remuneration, it was unanimously approved that members of the Nomination committee each receive a total of NOK 40.000 for each year in the term they have served (two years). Jörgen Lantto is covered by the board member remuneration and will hence not receive remuneration for his seat on the nomination committee.
Board authorizations and instructions to the Board regarding use of the authorization to issue shares to increase the Company's equity
The Board proposed that two new authorizations for the Board on capital increases are issued, (i) to fulfil the Company's incentive program and (ii) to cater for strengthening of the Company's equity.
i. Authorization for capital increase to fulfill the Company's incentive program
The Annual General Meeting resolved that the Board is hereby granted authorization to increase the share capital of Zwipe AS (the Company), on one or several occasions, with up to NOK 216 946.70 (2,169,647new shares), equivalent to 8.5% of the registered share capital at the time of this resolution. The authorization shall remain in force until the end of the annual general meeting 2021, however not beyond 30 June 2021. The pre-emptive right of the shareholders to subscribe may be set aside.
ii. Authorization for capital increase to strengthen the Company's equity (extract, please see the attachment to the notice for the complete proposal)
The Annual General Meeting resolved that the General Meeting granted a new authorization to the Board to issue shares corresponding to up to 25% of the share capital, and the new authorization shall be restricted to issue of shares to strengthen the Company's equity to the extent the Board considers this to be in the Company's best interest at the given time.
The authorization may be used to issue shares to strengthen the Company's equity to the extent the Board considers this to be in the Company's best interest at the given time. The authorization shall remain in force until the end of the annual general meeting 2021, however not beyond 30 June 2021. The pre-emptive right of the shareholders to subscribe may be set aside.
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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, on May 14, 2020 at 23:15 CET
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.
OSLO, NORWAY – 28 October 2020 –
Reference is made to the stock exchange announcement from Zwipe AS ("Zwipe" or the "Company") dated 27 October 2020 with the preliminary results of the subsequent offering of up to one million new shares (the "Subsequent Offering"), each with a nominal value of NOK 0.10 and at a subscription price of NOK 15.00 (the "Offer Shares").
The subscription period for the Subsequent Offering expired on 27 October 2020 at 16:30 hours (CET). By the end of the subscription period, the Company had received valid subscriptions for 4,073,802 Offer Shares.
The board of directors of Zwipe has today resolved the allocation related to the Subsequent Offering in accordance with the allocation criteria presented in the prospectus dated 19 October 2020. A total of 740,736 Offer Shares were allocated based on subscription rights and a total of 259,264 Offer Shares were allocated based on over-subscriptions of 1,829, 982 new shares made by holders of subscription rights. No Offer Shares were allocated to subscriptions of 1,503,084 new shares made by investors without subscription rights.
Furthermore and in order to complete the Subsequent Offering, the board of directors has resolved the capital increase pertaining thereto, and hereunder resolved to increase the share capital with NOK 100,000 through issuing 1,000,000 new shares each with a nominal value of NOK 0.10 and at a subscription price of NOK 15 per share, giving gross proceeds of NOK 15 million. The resolution was made by the board of directors on basis of the authorization granted by the general meeting on 29 September 2020.
The following primary insiders or close associates of primary insiders have been allocated Offer Shares in the Share Issue.
The Company will on 29 October distribute allocation letters with payment information to all subscribers who have been allocated Offer Shares. The due date for payment is on or about 30 October 2020. Delivery of the Offer Shares is expected to take place on or about 6 November 2020, through the facilities of VPS and Euroclear. Trading in the Offer Shares on Merkur Market or Nasdaq First North Growth Market (as the case may be) is expected to commence on or about 6 November 2020. Arctic Securities AS acts as manager in the Subsequent Offering. Simonsen Vogt Wiig AS acts as Norwegian legal counsel to Zwipe and White & Case acts as Swedish legal counsel to Zwipe.
Zwipe AS is obliged to make this information public pursuant to the Continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Merkur Market and Nasdaq First North Growth Market. 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 16:50 CET on 28 October 2020.
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This release is issued for information purposes only, and this document is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of offers to purchase or subscribe for shares. Copies of this document may not be sent to jurisdictions, or distributed in or sent from jurisdictions, in which this is barred or prohibited by law. The information contained herein shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation would be unlawful absent registration, or an exemption from registration or qualification under the securities laws of any jurisdiction. This document is not for publication or distribution in, directly or indirectly, Australia, Canada, Japan, the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such release, publication or distribution would be unlawful, and it does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or purchase any securities in such countries or in any other jurisdiction. In particular, the document and the information contained herein should not be distributed or otherwise transmitted into the United States or to publications with a general circulation in the United States of America. This document is not an offer for sale of securities in the United States. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The Company does not intend to register any part of the offering in the United States or to conduct a public offering in the United States of the shares to which this document relates. The Managers are acting for the Company in connection with the Private Placement and no one else and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients or for providing advice in relation to the Private Placement or any transaction or arrangement referred to in this press release. This announcement and any materials distributed in connection with this announcement may contain certain forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect Zwipe'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. This information is subject to a duty of disclosure pursuant to Section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
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.
OSLO, NORWAY – 27 October 2020 –
(Oslo, 27 October 2020) Reference is made to the stock exchange announcement from Zwipe AS ("Zwipe" or the "Company") dated 20 October 2020 relating to the subsequent offering and listing of up to one million new shares in the Company, each with a nominal value of NOK 0.10 (the "Offer Shares"), at a subscription price of NOK 15.00 per Offer Share (the "Subscription Price") to be carried out by the Company (the "Subsequent Offering").
The subscription period for the Subsequent Offering expired today, 27 October 2020, at 16:30 hours (CET). At the expiry of the subscription period, the Company has received subscriptions for approximately 4.1 million Offer Shares from eligible shareholders in the Subsequent Offering and other investors and the Subsequent Offering has accordingly been significantly oversubscribed.
The allocation of the Offer Shares will be resolved by the board of directors in accordance with the allocation criteria set out in the prospectus dated 19 October 2020 section 5.8. The board of directors will consider the subscriptions and allocations of Offer Shares and resolve the capital increase pertaining to the Subsequent Offering on 28 October 2020. The final results of the Subsequent Offering will be published shortly thereafter. Letters regarding allocation of Offer Shares and the corresponding subscription amount to be paid by each eligible shareholder who has subscribed for Offer Shares in the Subsequent Offering will be distributed on or about 28 October 2020. The subscription amount for the Offer Shares is expected to fall due on or about 30 October 2020 as further described in the allocation letters.
Arctic Securities AS acts as manager in the Subsequent Offering. Simonsen Vogt Wiig AS acts as Norwegian legal counsel to Zwipe and White & Case Advokat AB acts as Swedish legal counsel to Zwipe.
Zwipe AS is obliged to make this information public pursuant to the Continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Merkur Market and Nasdaq First North Growth Market. 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 20:30 CET on 27 October 2020.
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This release is issued for information purposes only, and this document is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of offers to purchase or subscribe for shares. Copies of this document may not be sent to jurisdictions, or distributed in or sent from jurisdictions, in which this is barred or prohibited by law. The information contained herein shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation would be unlawful absent registration, or an exemption from registration or qualification under the securities laws of any jurisdiction. This document is not for publication or distribution in, directly or indirectly, Australia, Canada, Japan, the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such release, publication or distribution would be unlawful, and it does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or purchase any securities in such countries or in any other jurisdiction. In particular, the document and the information contained herein should not be distributed or otherwise transmitted into the United States or to publications with a general circulation in the United States of America. This document is not an offer for sale of securities in the United States. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The Company does not intend to register any part of the offering in the United States or to conduct a public offering in the United States of the shares to which this document relates. The Managers are acting for the Company in connection with the Private Placement and no one else and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients or for providing advice in relation to the Private Placement or any transaction or arrangement referred to in this press release. This announcement and any materials distributed in connection with this announcement may contain certain forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect Zwipe'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. This information is subject to a duty of disclosure pursuant to Section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
OSLO, NORWAY – 20 October 2020
During the third quarter, Zwipe has continued to strengthen its foundation for mass-volume roll out of biometric payment cards.
André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said:
“During the third quarter Zwipe has continued to take significant strides in cementing our position in the global payment ecosystem and towards commercialization.
We have maintained momentum in expanding our network of smart card manufacturing customers while also growing our capacity to support larger-scale deployment of our commercial offering in 2021. In addition to the new customers that have been announced, the strategic technical partnerships we have formed this quarter will be instrumental in preparing the biometric payment card industry for efficient scaling.
By implementing numerous cross-industry commercial collaborations we are creating an offering that sets us apart. Zwipe’s objective is to deliver a solution that offers both technology and cost leadership to our smart card manufacturing customers. In addition, we also advise card issuers on how to simplify the value proposition of biometric payment solutions by supporting the entire process of launching a new biometric payment product. This approach further raises the attractiveness of our offering and elevates our position as a trusted advisor and enabler.
This market position has also generated strong support from international institutional investors, translating into a successful private placement carried out during the period. We raised gross MNOK 96, funding the company through commercial launches in 2021 and beyond. The chairman of the Board participated in the private placement with MNOK 5, and since his purchase was subject to approval by the extraordinary general meeting, this was registered in October. The general meeting also enabled us to initiate the process for the repair issue of up to 1,000,000 new shares to be held in October, as announced today, October 20th.
After the period we entered a commercial partnership with TietoEVRY, which marks a significant milestone for Zwipe. Thanks to TietoEVRY’s deep relations with virtually all banks in the Nordics and Baltics, we see strong potential in supporting the launch of biometric payment cards powered by Zwipe Pay ONE in this region and beyond, meaningfully increasing our sales capacity and impact. The fact that TietoEVRY is now actively going after the biometric payment card market with Zwipe is a further validation of our belief in the market to come and that Zwipe will have a major role and position in that market.
With these exciting developments pushing Zwipe forward we are further strengthening our team to be ready to serve a mass-volume market. Consequently, we have completed several key recruitments within quality management, project management, certification, sales, and product management. In addition, as we are seeing that our pull strategy and professional service offerings receive strong interest from our customers and partners, we are bringing in additional resources that will anchor this emerging business vertical for Zwipe. With a passionate, ever stronger team moving together towards our goal, and with institutional investors backing our vision, I am confident that we will keep this momentum while we continue to enhance our ability to create value for our customers, our shareholders, and for society at large.”
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Zwipe AS is obliged to make this information public pursuant to the Continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on 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 08:00 CET on 20 October 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.
OSLO, NORWAY – 20 October 2020 –
Reference is made to the stock exchange announcement by Zwipe AS ("Zwipe" or the "Company") on 7 September 2020, regarding the successfully completed private placement with gross proceeds of approximately NOK 96 million (the "Private Placement"). In the said release, the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") announced that it intended to carry out a subsequent offering of up to 1,000,000 new shares (the "Offer Shares" and the "Subsequent Offering") towards shareholders of the Company who was not allocated shares in the Private Placement, provided that an extraordinary general meeting to be convened without delay made a new authorization to the Board to issue shares to strengthen the Company's equity. Such authorization was provided to the Board by the extraordinary general meeting on 29 September 2020. On this basis, the Board has now decided to proceed with the Subsequent Offering.
In the Subsequent Offering, Eligible Shareholders, being shareholders of the Company as of 7 September 2020, and consequently registered in the Company's shareholders' registers in VPS or Euroclear Sweden AB ("Euroclear") on 9 September 2020 (the "Record Date"), will be granted non-transferable subscription rights (the "Subscription Rights") that, subject to applicable law, provide preferential rights to subscribe for and be allocated Offer Shares at the Subscription Price (as defined below). Exceptions to the above are existing shareholders who (i) were allocated shares in the Private Placement and/or (ii) are resident in a jurisdiction where such offering would be unlawful or, for jurisdictions other than Norway and Sweden, would require any filing, registration or similar action.
The subscription period in the Subsequent Offering commences today, on 20 October 2020 at 09:00 hours (CEST) and will end on 27 October 2020 at 16:30 hours (CET) (the "Subscription Period"). The subscription price in the Subsequent Offering is NOK 15.00 per Offer Share (the "Subscription Price"), which is equal to the subscription price in the Private Placement.
Eligible Shareholders will be granted 0.04366 Subscription Rights for each share in the Company registered as held by such Eligible Shareholder on the Record Date, rounded down to the nearest whole Subscription Right. Each whole Subscription Right provides a preferential right to subscribe for, and be allocated, one Offer Share at the Subscription Price, subject to applicable securities laws. Over-subscription and subscription without Subscription Rights is permitted, and over-subscriptions made by holders of Subscription Rights will in the allocation be prioritized before subscriptions made by holders without Subscription Rights, cf. the details on the allocation in the Prospectus (as defined below) section 5.8 "Allocation of Offer Shares".
In order to subscribe for shares, Eligible Shareholders must provide the Manager (as defined below) with a complete and duly signed application form within the end of the Subscription Period. Applications for Offer Shares by investors in Norway should be made using the application form attached to the Prospectus, while investors in Sweden should use the application form for the Swedish market made available in a separate document on the same websites as the Prospectus (www.zwipe.com and www.arctic.com/offerings). Norwegian citizens may also subscribe through the VPS online system. Further instructions regarding the subscription procedure is available in the Prospectus (as defined below) section 5.7 "Application procedures". The Subscription Rights must be used to subscribe for Offer Shares before the expiry of the Subscription Period on 27 October 2020 at 16:30 hours (CET). Subscription Rights that are not used to subscribe for Offer Shares before 16:30 hours (CET) on 27 October 2020 will have no value and will lapse without compensation to the holder.
Completion of the Subsequent Offering is subject to (i) the Board resolving the Subsequent Offering and allocating the Offer Shares, and (ii) registration of the capital increase pertaining to the Subsequent Offering with the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises.
Notifications of allocation in the Subsequent Offering are expected to be issued on or about 28 October 2020. The due date for payment of allocated Offer Shares is on or about 30 October 2020. Delivery of the Offer Shares is expected to take place on or about 6 November 2020, through the facilities of VPS and Euroclear. Trading in the Offer Shares on Merkur Market or Nasdaq First North Growth Market (as the case may be) is expected to commence on or about 6 November 2020.
A prospectus dated 19 October 2020 (the "Prospectus") prepared in connection with the Subsequent Offering will be available electronically at www.zwipe.com and www.arctic.com/offerings, or by contacting Arctic Securities AS. Please also find the Prospectus attached hereto. The Prospectus has been approved by the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway and border-crossed to Finansinspektionen in Sweden for use in the Swedish market.
Arctic Securities AS acts as manager in the Subsequent Offering (the "Manager"). Advokatfirmaet Simonsen Vogt Wiig AS acts as Norwegian legal counsel to Zwipe and White & Case Advokat AB acts as Swedish legal counsel to Zwipe.
Zwipe AS is obliged to make this information public pursuant to the Continuing obligations of companies admitted to trading on Merkur Market and Nasdaq First North Growth Market. 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 07:55 CET on 20 October 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 Manager assumes 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 Manager is acting for the Company and no one else in connection with the Subsequent Offering 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 Subsequent Offering 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 – 19 October 2020 – Zwipe, a leading biometric fintech company, is pleased to confirm, following significant market traction recently, that it has today placed an order for 300,000 units of IDX3405 next generation fingerprint sensors from IDEX Biometrics, a leading provider of fingerprint identification technologies. The sensors will support the rollout of Zwipe Pay ONE to a growing list of smart card manufacturers and issuers in Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Asia.
In April this year, Zwipe announced that it has selected IDEX as its preferred sensor partner for Zwipe Pay ONE biometric payment card solution. The selection was based on comprehensive evaluations of performance and costs.
The Zwipe Pay ONE solution with IDEX’s next generation fingerprint sensor will be released for customer pilots in the fourth quarter of 2020 followed by mass-volume deployment in 2021.
“Zwipe has a fast-growing global customer network of smart card manufacturers and service providers that have selected Zwipe Pay ONE. Our pipeline of prospective customers and partners grows even faster. We are excited about the strong interest that Zwipe Pay ONE has attracted so far. Working with strategic suppliers such as IDEX we are confident that Zwipe Pay ONE will be the one of the best and most cost-efficient offerings in the market,” said André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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About IDEX Biometrics ASA
IDEX Biometrics ASA (OSE: IDEX and OTCQB: IDXAF) is a leading provider of fingerprint identification technologies offering simple, secure and personal authentication for all. We help people make payments, prove their identity, gain access to information, unlock devices or gain admittance to buildings with the touch of a finger. We invent, engineer, and commercialize these secure, yet incredibly user-friendly solutions. Our total addressable market represents a fast growing multi-billion-unit opportunity.
For further information contact:
Marianne Bøe, Investor Relations
E-mail: marianne.boe@IDEXbiometrics.com
Tel: + 47 918 00186
OSLO, NORWAY – October 15, 2020 – Biometric fintech company Zwipe and Inkript, a digital security provider in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region and a subsidiary of Resource Group, announce that they have launched a joint project to deliver the next generation contactless payments experience, Zwipe Pay ONE, to banks across the Middle East.
“Since we announced our partnership with Zwipe, and as a result of the surge in contactless payments, our customers are increasingly demanding safer and more secure payment options; more so today with the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on people’s actions towards the nature of cash. It is undoubtedly that security, convenience and contactless are the future of payments, and banks are ready to dive into new technologies that support consumers’ changing behaviors towards money, hygiene, comfort, and overall wellbeing”, says Riad Itani, Managing Director at Inkript.
He added: “Biometric payment cards powered by the Zwipe Pay ONE platform are the most compelling way to address this demand, in terms of both performance and cost. We are enthusiastic to take this next step with Zwipe.”
Inkript has placed an order to Zwipe, commencing small scale manufacturing of biometric payment cards based on the Zwipe Pay ONE platform with the goal of launching pilots, followed by mass-volume deployments with multiple banks in 2021.
“Inkript is a distinguished provider of smartcards and value-added services to some of the largest banks in the MEA. We are excited and proud that Inkript has selected Zwipe Pay ONE as its preferred biometric payment card platform and are now taking action together with us to provide secure payments solutions in the Middle East region,” says André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
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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
OSLO, NORWAY– 14 OCTOBER 2020 – Biometric fintech company, Zwipe, and areeba, one of the Middle East’s leading financial technology companies and payment service provider, are partnering to bring Zwipe Pay ONE enabled biometric payment solutions to banks across the Middle East and North African markets. Zwipe Pay ONE will be a market leading solution since it will combine a disruptive single chip secure element and a next generation sensor with a fingerprint registration process supported by a mobile app.
areeba and Zwipe have a long-standing collaboration, launching the first biometric payment card pilots in the Middle East and winning the Seamless Award for Best Technological Innovation in Payments for that joint project.
“We are happy to take this next big step with Zwipe, a well-known brand in biometric payments. Their disruptive Zwipe Pay ONE platform and 100% focus on biometric payment solutions complements our strong relations and end-to-end payments offering to banks and merchants across the region. We pride ourselves on being innovators and, together with Zwipe, we will give banks a new perspective on how to drive deeper customer engagement and acquisition by offering safer and more secure payments,” says Maher Mikati, CEO at areeba.
As part of this collaboration areeba has agreed to work exclusively with Zwipe in delivering biometric payment solutions including the Zwipe Experience services to help its banking customers through all stages, from early trial stage to mass market rollout.
“We are proud that areeba has now decided to roll-out biometric payments and selected Zwipe Pay ONE as its platform for doing so. We have worked closely together to introduce and strengthen the business case of biometric payments in the region and we are happy to see the market moving towards larger scale adoption,” says André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe.
The two companies have engaged multiple smart card manufacturing partners to support the volume deployment of biometric payments, expected to start in 2021 and grow exponentially over the following years.
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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 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 14:45 CET 14 October 2020.
About areeba
areeba is an electronic payment technology company licensed by Visa and MasterCard and has an agreement with American Express. Established in 2017, areeba adopts the latest technologies and provides solutions and payment services to banks, governments and merchants to suit their aspirations and needs.
areeba offers services tailored to global requirements, from card issuance and management, non-contact payment solutions, contactless and mobile payment. It also provides merchants and governments with the latest e-commerce platform and point-of-sale machines that adopt the highest standards and safety systems. areeba operates a wide range of loyalty programs, including: collecting points and miles, cashback programs, and providing consultancy services for the planning, design and development of electronic products and payment solutions.
For more information, visit www.areeba.com, or @areebalebanon on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram. areeba media contact: Nouchka El Hage, +961-1-954325 - NHage@areeba.com
OSLO, NORWAY AND HELSINKI, FINLAND – 08 OCTOBER 2020 – Biometric fintech Zwipe and TietoEVRY, the leading provider of software and digital banking services in the Nordics, have agreed to jointly roll-out biometric payment solutions based on the Zwipe Pay ONE platform.
With the recent surge in demand for safer and more secure payments, TietoEVRY is embracing biometric payment innovations that enable more hygienic, secure and convenient payments for consumers.
“We are excited to roll-out the Zwipe Pay ONE platform in close collaboration with Zwipe, a pioneer and innovator in biometric payments. We selected Zwipe as the most interesting partner for mass market deployment. Together, we will support banks to roll-out biometric payment cards and wearables at scale. From recent discussions with issuers, we already see broad interest for such innovations. Clearly, now is the time to take action,” says Jarmo Rouhiainen, Head of TietoEVRY Card Production and Personalization Services.
As part of this commercial agreement, Zwipe will provide TietoEVRY with technical support towards biometric payment card integration, enrollment solutions, and a complete end-to-end advisory offering aimed at helping banks successfully deploy biometric payment solutions. TietoEVRY will source their Zwipe Pay ONE-based cards through their network of card manufacturers.
“Partnering with TietoEVRY is a significant milestone for Zwipe. TietoEVRY’s deep relations with a large number of banks in the Nordics, Baltics and beyond will be a strategic complement to Zwipe’s technology leadership, accelerating the deployment of next generation contactless payments. Partnering closely with one of Europe’s strongest players in payment services, we are further showcasing the value-add we deliver to the ecosystem,” says 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 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 12:00 CET on 8 October 2020.
OSLO, NORWAY– 29 September 2020 – The Extraordinary General Meeting in Zwipe AS (Company) was held today. All proposed resolutions were approved unanimously in accordance with the call for the meeting. The minutes of the Extraordinary General Meeting are included as an attachment. The complete proposal, which was approved by the Extraordinary General Meeting, is available on www.zwipe.com for further reference. The attendants of the EGM represented 10,2% of the votes in the company.
The following resolutions were made:
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 333,333 shares to the chair of the board of directors in the board meeting on 7 September 2020 on the terms that were stated in the company’s announcement on 7 September 2020.
Board authorizations and instructions to the Board regarding use of the authorization to issue shares to increase the company's equity
The Board proposed that a new authorization for the Board on capital increases are issued, to cater for strengthening of the Company's equity, including to facilitate for a potential repair issue (extract, please refer to the attachment to the notice for the complete proposal).
The Extraordinary General Meeting resolved to approve that the General Meeting granted a new authorization to the Board to issue shares corresponding to up to 10% of the share capital after both the capital increases under the Private Placement have been completed. The new authorization shall be restricted to issue shares to strengthen the Company's equity to the extent the Board considers this to be in the Company's best interest at the given time.
The authorization shall remain in force until the end of the annual general meeting 2021, however not beyond 30 June 2021. The pre-emptive right of the shareholders to subscribe may be set aside.
Resolution to amend the provision in the articles of association on notice period for the general meeting
The general meeting resolved to amend article 10 of the articles of association so that the notice period to the general meeting (ordinary and extraordinary) is 7 days.
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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, on 29 September, 2020 at 13:30 CEST
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
Certified Adviser on Nasdaq First North is FNCA Sweden AB, info@fnca.se, +46 (0) 528 00 399
For more information contact: Lars Kristian Solheim, CFO, +47 991 66 135 ir@zwipe.com