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.
###
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:
###
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”.
###
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”.
###
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.
###
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.
###
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.
###
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.
###
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
The Board of Directors of Zwipe AS, org. nr 994 553 607, has on November 10, 2019, subject to the approval by an Extraordinary General Meeting, decided to carry out a preferential rights issue of up to MNOK 74 by issuing up to 10 635 525 shares, implying an increase of the Company’s share capital of up to NOK 1 063 553.
90 percent of the Rights Issue, amounting to MNOK 67, is already covered through subscription commitments and underwriting commitments from current shareholders and new investors.
Background and purpose
During 2019 Zwipe has made significant technological, commercial and organizational progress. Most notably, Zwipe entered a strategic collaboration with Idemia on a disruptive technology platform for biometric payments. Furthermore, Zwipe successfully completed the prototyping of its in-house Z5 energy harvesting and power management chip, extended its network of card manufacturer clients, delivered according to its first received order for its second generation inlay technology, and was engaged by G+D Mobile Security to provide product design and prototyping for a wearable biometric payment device to be piloted by a leading bank.
The preferential rights issue is carried out in order to secure working capital toward commercialization and scale-up of Zwipe’s technology platform. The commercialization efforts will be accompanied by a targeted program to focus and streamline the company’s resources.
CEO André Løvestam commented “This rights issue is planned to extend Zwipe’s financial runway all the way to scale-up of biometric cards, and I am pleased that we have achieved a 90% guaranteed subscription. We now see a clear path toward finalizing and commercializing our technology, with the required capital resources to get to that point.
Zwipe is streamlining its product roadmap and pursuing cost saving opportunities that will reduce the current burn-rate. This has been made possible on the back of the strategic collaboration with Idemia, the global leader in Augmented Identity and one of the world’s largest payment card manufacturers, on a disruptive technology platform that we together with our partner Idemia believe is a game changer and a catalyst for growth in the industry. The new platform will integrate and simplify component design, drastically reducing costs of the product itself and the manufacturing process. As a result, a complete biometric payment card cost of below USD 10 is becoming realistic, providing an accelerated path to mass volumes while giving Zwipe a long-term cost leadership position.”
Summary of Rights Issue
The subscription price is NOK 7.00 per share. The Company’s shareholders have preferential rights to subscribe to the new shares in relation to the number of shares currently held. For each recorded share the shareholder obtains one (1) subscription right. Three (3) subscription rights entitle to subscription of two (2) newly issued shares.
The Record Date for participation in the Rights Issue is planned for December 4, 2019. The subscription period is expected to run from December 5 up to and including December 19, 2019. The Board of Directors shall have the right to extend the subscription period if deemed beneficial. In the event that not all shares have been subscribed for in the Rights Issue, the Board of Directors, within the maximum scope of the Rights Issue, resolve on the allocation of shares subscribed for without subscription rights.
The Company has obtained subscription commitments and undertaking commitments from a number of current shareholders and external investors. The subscription commitments from existing shareholders, and external investors who will receive subscription rights from major shareholders who cannot participate, amount to 16.1 percent of the Rights Issue. Underwriting commitments amount to an additional 73.9 percent of the Rights Issue. In total, the subscription commitments and underwriting commitments from current shareholders and new investors amount to MNOK 67.0, corresponding to 90.0 percent of the Rights Issue.
Timetable for the Rights Issue
The below timetable for the Rights Issue is preliminary and may be adjusted:
Prospectus
Complete information regarding the Rights Issue and information about the Company will be included in the prospectus that is expected to be published on or about December 4, 2019.
Extraordinary General Meeting
To obtain approval to carry out the Rights Issue, the Board of Directors has decided to call for an extraordinary general meeting. The extraordinary general meeting is to be held on December 2, 2019 at 11:30 at the office of Simonsen Vogt Wiig Advokatfirma, Filipstad Brygge 1, Oslo. The notice of the meeting will be published today through a separate press release.
For further information please contact:
André Løvestam, CEO: andre@zwipe.com +47 93 43 69 52
Lars Myren, Interim CFO: lars@zwipe.com +47 90 94 36 60
Advisors
In connection with the Rights Issue, Zwipe has appointed Erik Penser Bank AB (publ) as book runner, and Advokatfirmaet Simonsen Vogt Wiig AS as legal advisor.
For more information, please visit www.zwipe.com
Important information
The information in this press release does not constitute an offer to sell, acquire, subscribe for or otherwise trade in shares or other securities issued by Zwipe AS. No offer will be made in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful or where this would require registration, publication of a prospectus or similar action. Invitation to interested parties to subscribe for shares in Zwipe AS will only be made through the prospectus that Zwipe AS will publish.
There will be no public offer of shares in the United States. The new shares have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), or under the securities law of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States and may not be reoffered, resold, pledged or otherwise transferred, directly or indirectly, except (a) outside the United States in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904 of Regulation S, as applicable or (b) pursuant to Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act by executing and delivering a separate U.S. investor representation letter to the manager. A person in the United States or who is a “U.S. Person” (within the meaning of Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act), may not apply for Offer Shares or otherwise take steps in order to subscribe for or purchase Offer Shares unless the subscriber has confirmed to the manager that it is a "qualified institutional buyer" ("QIB") as defined in Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act, acquiring the Offer Shares for investments purposes for its own account or for one or more accounts of another/other QIB(s), where it has investment discretion over such accounts in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements under the U.S. Securities Act by executing and delivering a U.S. investor representation letter to the manager. The Offer Shares are “restricted securities” within the meaning of Rule 144(a)(3) under the U.S. Securities Act and may not be deposited into any unrestricted depositary receipt facility in the United States, unless at the time of deposit the Offer Shares are no longer "restricted securities".
The information in this press release may not be released, published, reproduced or distributed in or to the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Singapore, South Africa or New Zealand or any other country or jurisdiction where such action is not permitted or where such action is subject to legal restrictions or would require further registration or other measures than what is required by Norwegian and / or Swedish law. Measures contrary to this instruction may constitute a breach of applicable securities legislation.
OSLO, NORWAY – 6 November 2019
Q3 2019 highlights and recent developments
During the third quarter Zwipe focused on extending its technology portfolio and network of partners covering the biometric payment card and wearables value chain:
Status update from the CEO
André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said ”Q3 2019 exceeded our expectations and we are happy with the major milestones we have completed over the last months. The announced collaboration with Idemia on a disruptive technology platform for biometric payments represents a defining moment for Zwipe. The new biometric payments platform will drastically reduce product and manufacturing costs by integrating into a single chip the functions that previously required a Secure Element, a Microcontroller, and more than thirty external components. This enables Zwipe to take a strong cost leadership position and gain competitive advantage as the industry moves towards large-scale volumes.
In parallel, we are forging ahead with our internal research and development activities and have expanded our intellectual property (IP) portfolio. In the period, our in-house IP development has progressed well. Zwipe now has 31 granted patents across 10 patent families in its IP portfolio, representing significant licensing revenue potential for the company going forward. Immediately after the closing of Q3, we announced the successful completion of a two-year development project: a working prototype of our Z5 chip which we plan to commercialize to stakeholders across the payments ecosystem, both as a stand-alone chip and as part of our biometric payment platform, the biometric inlay.
We have complemented our products with services. At the end of the quarter, Zwipe introduced the “Zwipe Experience” to its customers – a comprehensive program of products and services, enabling the card manufacturers to prepare for all aspects of launching biometric payment cards.
With product development taking positive strides, we have also continued expanding our network of customers. In Q3 we added Thailand-based card manufacturer dz card to our already substantial global customer network. Dz card plans to launch biometric payment solutions to address the emerging needs of customers in Thailand and across Southeast Asia, a region poised to see exponential growth in payment card adoption over the coming years.
Beyond dual-interface payment cards, we are pursuing complementary payment solutions where our technology represents a competitive advantage for our customers. During the quarter, we announced that we had been engaged by G+D Mobile Security, one of the world’s largest players within security solutions, to provide product design and prototyping for a wearable biometric payment device to be piloted by a leading bank.
With good momentum in these two emerging product verticals, we are confident that our focus on building relationships with our customers will play a major role in securing both short- and long-term success for the company. The new relationships diversify our customer base and extend our geographical presence, securing ties with regional leading card manufacturers and banks. Industry leaders in the biometric payment industry such as Idemia and G&D are firming up their roles, setting up commercial structures and investing in trial and production capacity. The fact that they select Zwipe as a key partner for their endeavours is a testament to our strong role in the value-chain.
It is exciting for us to see that our future potential is materializing in near-term commercial opportunities. Our initial sales of biometric card inlays, and customer-funded engineering efforts are opening doors for greater opportunities going forward. I am delighted to see that the steps we have taken are starting to bear fruit.”
Financials and Significant Events During Third Quarter 2019
Financial Status
During the third quarter Zwipe had revenues of MNOK 1.0 (0.9) representing sale of products for trial purposes as well as NRE invoiced to certain customers for specific developments. Accumulated revenues for the year amount to MNOK 1.3 (1.6).
Average monthly cash flow during Q3 2019 was MNOK -7.6 (-5.6), compared to MNOK -8.9 in the first half of 2019. The closing cash balance at end of Q3 was MNOK 51.0.
Subsequent event: Completed prototype Zwipe Z5 chip
After closing of the third quarter, Zwipe announced the successful prototype completion and power-on of its in-house developed “Z5” energy harvesting and power management integrated circuit (ASIC). The proprietary new chip is a significant milestone in component consolidation, cost reduction and efficiency improvement for Zwipe. Commercial samples are planned to be ready by mid-2020, by which time mass production can start. The Z5 chip will precede and subsequently complement the emerging biometric payment technology platform announced with Idemia.
OSLO, NORWAY – 14 OCTOBER 2019 – Biometric technology company Zwipe is pleased to announce the prototype manufacturing and successful power-on of its Z5 chip, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) developed by Zwipe and supported by proprietary energy harvesting IP.
The Zwipe Z5 consolidates components required for contactless energy harvesting and power management in one chip, reducing cost and improving the power efficiency and the manufacturability of embedded biometric solutions. This proprietary embedded chip will be a key commercial element for Zwipe’s biometric products for payment and beyond.
Commenting on this important breakthrough, André Løvestam CEO of Zwipe said, “this is an important milestone for the company, and a key part of Zwipe’s Generation NxT initiative focusing on cost reduction and supply-chain readiness to improve our competitiveness and facilitate our go-to-market and scale-up capacity. Over the coming months, Zwipe will complete verification and qualification. Commercial samples are planned for release mid-2020, at that stage mass production can start.”
The Zwipe Z5 chip will be sold as a single component and as part of Zwipe’s embedded system, the biometric inlay. Target customers are smart card and wearables manufacturers as well as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the emerging biometric payment market and in other verticals.
The development of this component is partially funded through a EUR 2.3 million (NOK 23 million) grant from the European Commission as part of Horizon 2020.
###
OSLO, NORWAY– 27 SEPTEMBER 2019 – Biometric technology company Zwipe has today delivered the first order of its second-generation biometric inlay to one of its card manufacturing customers. The order was for a few thousand units and generates revenue of approximately half a million NOK in the third quarter 2019.
“Zwipe’s biometric payment platform is the most widely live-tested solution in the marketplace and it has been progressively updated in terms of performance and cost. We are now starting to provide our second-generation biometric platform and inlay technology to our customers. We are supporting our customers toward achieving a mass-marketable roll-out of their biometric payment cards” says André Løvestam, CEO at Zwipe.
###
Courbevoie, FRANCE and Oslo, NORWAY – 19 September 2019 – IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity and one of the world’s largest biometric payment card manufacturers, and Zwipe, a leading biometric technology company, have signed an exclusive partnership and distribution agreement that sees the two companies co-investing in the development of a disruptive biometric payment card platform. The companies’ shared vision is to enable mass volume market take-off and long-term growth for biometric payment cards, by bringing to market a technology platform that will significantly reduce the complexity and cost of the design and production process for biometric payment cards, enabling an accelerated path to mass volumes which will ultimately benefit the issuers and users of cards.
This result is achieved by drastically reducing the number of components, integrating in a single chip the functions that previously required a Secure Element, a Microcontroller, and more than thirty external components, all mounted on a flexible PCB (Printed Circuit Board). Cards incorporating this new technology will be in the market in H2 2020, with high volume deployment starting in 2021.
Speaking on the agreement, Amanda Gourbault, Executive Vice-President for Financial institutions activities at IDEMIA, declared: “this is a strategic, high profile project for IDEMIA. We are very excited about what this platform will enable in terms of market growth and the penetration of biometric payment cards. IDEMIA is delighted to partner with Zwipe, a company with a solid intellectual property portfolio and an expanding global customer network; we are confident that our new solution will command a leading position in the marketplace.”
Zwipe will have worldwide exclusive rights to provide this solution to manufacturers of payment cards, wearables and other payment solutions, and their suppliers, when the product becomes available. IDEMIA has ownership of this technology and will sell F.CODE to its Financial Institutions customers. Once again, by bringing the best of its technology and vision, IDEMIA is driving the growth of the biometric cards market.
Commenting on this major development, André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said “we are excited and proud to enter a significant partnership with IDEMIA, a prominent global industry leader. The platform represents a technological leap that will serve as a catalyst to enable full biometric payment card costs to come down significantly, driving mass volume market growth and complementing our current and future product portfolios. We look forward to bringing this platform to our customers to continue to shape the biometric payments industry.”
###
OSLO, NORWAY– 17 SEPTEMBER 2019 – Biometric technology company Zwipe has been selected by Giesecke + Devrient (G+D) Mobile Security, one of the world’s largest mobile and digital security providers to develop a biometric payment device with a view to pilot this technology with leading banks.
Speaking on the partnership with Zwipe, Gabrielle Bugat, Group Senior Vice President and Head of Business Unit Financial Services at G+D Mobile Security, said “We have selected Zwipe because of their proven ability to integrate biometrics with payment functionalities into an extremely space and energy-constrained environment,” adding “we are confident that this joint effort will help establish new opportunities in the emerging biometric payments marketplace.”
Zwipe will provide the technical design and core components for integration into a wearable device with the digital security provider integrating the payment platform and personalising the product for use as a payment solution.
Commenting on this commercial effort, André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said “Our new customer, G+D is one of the world’s largest players in security solutions and we are excited to launch this collaboration.”
The joint development is commencing now, and the two parties plan to announce the start of any pilot when the product is ready for trials.
###
BANGKOK, THAILAND – 11 SEPTEMBER 2019 – Biometric technology company Zwipe and dz card a global card solution provider and one of the largest card manufacturers in Southeast Asia, have signed a partnership to launch biometric payment solutions addressing the emerging needs of customers in Thailand and across Southeast Asia, as well as India and Africa.
Speaking on the engagement, Mr. Renaud ADAM – CEO of dz card said, “we have received requests from several large issuers seeking biometric payment cards and we are excited to partner with Zwipe, who is uniquely positioned to support our customers in introducing, optimizing and scaling up the issuance of this innovative product which makes contactless payment so much more secure.”
dz card will look to integrate Zwipe’s technology platform in bringing their biometric payment cards and other associated solutions to market, featuring Zwipe’s proprietary biometric payment platform and secure at-home enrolment offering.
Commenting on this latest customer acquisition André Løvestam, CEO of Zwipe said, “we are honored that dz card decided to join our growing customer base and we are confident that our unique and dedicated approach to support them in launching biometric payment cards will be a win for their customers, some of the largest financial institutions in Southeast Asia.”
###
OSLO, NORWAY – 3 September 2019- Biometric technology company Zwipe will explore a potential listing on Nasdaq Stockholm's First North Growth Market. The timing of such a listing remains to be evaluated.
Commenting on this development, CEO of Zwipe André Løvestam said “the past several months has seen major stakeholders in the emerging biometric payment market invest in preparations for commercialization of biometric payment cards and accompanying offerings. This vote of confidence and positive outlook has enabled several new strategic opportunities for Zwipe that are currently being pursued. On this basis, the Board of Directors has concluded an intent to list on Nasdaq Stockholm's First North Growth Market”, adding “listing on Nasdaq First North Growth Market will take the company closer to the majority of its investors and open up a larger and more dynamic trading market for its shares.”
Please see Zwipe’s Interim Report January to June 2019 on the company’s website, www.zwipe.com for more information about the company’s status and outlook.
###
Oslo, Norway - 3 September 2019
Biometric technology company Zwipe today announces its Interim Report January to June 2019:
First Half Year
Significant events during the period
Significant events after the period
CEO comment
André Løvestam, Chief Executive Officer at Zwipe, said “Zwipe had significant progress during the first half of 2019. During the period we added five new card manufacturing customers across the world, significantly broadening our customer base. At the same time, multiple pilots with existing customers, banks and payment networks, have provided strong results and given us unique insights as we progress towards commercial adoption of our offerings.
Over the course of this summer, accredited third-party labs used for validation by the major payment networks have confirmed that Zwipe’s platform is comfortably surpassing the biometric performance, security and interoperability requirements for certification to be awarded to card manufacturers.
During the first half of 2019 multiple card manufacturers have started the capital-intensive process of launching biometric payment card specific manufacturing lines, semiconductor providers have begun the development of dedicated offerings for this emerging market, and the entire value chain supporting these processes has started moving more aggressively.
This vote of confidence of the future prospects in biometric payment cards and wearables has opened up several new strategic opportunities for Zwipe; opportunities that we are now pursuing at full speed.
Based on this confirmation of Zwipe’s value proposition and long-term prospects, the Board of Directors has concluded an intent to list on Nasdaq Stockholm's First North Growth Market, thereby further accelerating and supporting the company's development.
I am confident that Zwipe is well positioned to unlock the exciting opportunities coming our way and I am looking forward to the next phase of our journey.”
Please find the full report attached or on the company’s website www.zwipe.com.
###
