Idex Biometrics ASA

OSE:IDEX

Earnings Call Transcript

[Marianne Bøe, executive]

Hello. My name is Marianne Bøe, Head of Investor Relations. I would like to welcome you to our third quarter interim financial and operational update call.



Before we begin, I would like to emphasize that this presentation includes forward-looking information and statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause future results to differ from current expectations. 



Such forward-looking information and statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections, and it is important to note that our partners and clients taking biometric smart cards to market are the ultimate owners and decision-makers regarding go-to-market and timelines.



At this time, I would like to welcome and introduce our CEO, Catharina Eklof.

[Catharina Eklof, executive]

Thank you, Marianne. Very pleased to be here, and good morning, everyone. After transitioning into the CEO role, one of my absolute top priorities has been to execute on our transformation program to reset IDEX. We have optimized our workforce to match our strengthened focus on the growing opportunities in the Asia Pacific region. Our technology and our administrative teams are now consolidated to Europe and U.K.



IDEX finances have been strengthened through the completion of a capital raise and renegotiated debt terms. We've also taken required actions towards the target operating run rate. My other utmost priorities is, of course, to focus on our customers, both manufacturers and banks, system integrators and solution providers and working with them to ensure that the cards, the biometric payment cards and access cards make it through successful implementations and building a strong foundation for future revenue generations.



Moving to third quarter highlights. IDEX Pay Visa approval. IDEX received the Visa approval in August after working in partnership with Visa to become one of the first companies to certify with the Visa biometric applets. KONA I, a South Korean largest card manufacturer has been the first producer to receive Mastercard approval to produce metal cards for biometrics.



We've also managed to do the first live biometric transaction on India's domestic payment scheme, RuPay in partnership with acquirer in India with IDEX Pay. TaluCard biometric payment solution for visually impaired is in development for launch with IDEX Pay. The TaluCard is designed to be as simple and intuitive enhancing financial independence and security for visually impaired and memory impaired. 



In Kenya, we partnered with Vasmobile, which is a Fintelco to bring a biometric school idea and wallet solution to the Kenyan children and youth. Centric Card 360 is a physical and logical access product that was launched together with IDEX in Las Vegas here recently. It is a battery-less multifunctional biometric card, which includes key standards such as FIDO and MIFARE and DESFire.



IDEX is on track to achieve quarterly operating run-rate of $2.5 million run-rate. We also completed a NOK 70 million capital raise and restructured the convertible debt. This has strengthened our balance sheet with the NOK 70 million capital increase, and we have a following repair issue that is planned for November. 



Moving into our financial summary for the third quarter. Revenues in the third quarter totaled to $0.1 million. IDEX is fully focused on enabling the market, and we are laying the groundwork for future revenue generation. We continue to secure card manufacturers globally, certify our solutions with payment network and ensuring that our manufacturers and banks can certify their products with the schemes. We are engaging with central banks to allow for biometric payments, and we're building strong pipeline in growth markets.



Demand is starting to build. Biometric cards is an innovative product, still being rolled out as an innovation and go-to-market for IDEX is both direct with banks as well as in partnership with manufacturers. We are mindful about that it takes time to launch new products and that our customers, manufacturers and banks move through defined processes and steps to ensure successful industrialized launches with the end consumers. And many of our manufacturers are still in final stage of commercialization. The revenues in the quarter have been limited.



The net income in Q3 was $1.4 million with adjusted net loss of $4.8 million. The adjustments are related to the restructuring charges and debt warrant derivative value changes. Our operating expenses have been reduced to $4.1 million for the quarter, which is a reduction with over $2.0 million from last quarter. The operating expenses continue to be reduced over the last 2. The 2 quarters, the operating expenses, excluding cost of material, amortization, depreciation and impairment has been reduced with a strong 22%. Restructuring costs, transformation costs recorded in Q3 amounted to $0.4 million, including severances and other items.



IDEX recorded a gain of $5.5 million from a change in the derivative value related to outstanding warrants and favorable renegotiation of our outstanding convertible bond. In connection with the capital raise, the company renegotiated the terms of the outstanding convertible loan. This resulted in a reduction of the interest rate to 0 per annum. There will be no down payment on the loan until June 2026. The term of the loan was extended to December 2027. Combined, the changes of the loan terms from the convertible loan and change of the value of the outstanding warrants resulted in an accounting gain of $5.5 million. 



We move over to the commercial update. Products coming into market based on IDEX Access platform. To remind everyone, IDEX has 2 very large target markets. We focus on payments, which is open loop scheme, Visa, Mastercard domestic payment scheme, closed loop and access authentication market with the same biometric platform, software platform. We have a strong base of global card manufacturers that address both payments and access segments. Today, global cybersecurity incidents causes more than $10 trillion in damage. At an accelerated pace, 90% of the enterprises are now embracing and implementing what's called Zero Trust strategies, which means that there should be full security across both physical and logical access for both customers, suppliers, employees. 



For organizations today, it's a necessity to have a strong cyber and information security strategy and its highest priority. This is driving global markets towards the multifactor authentication and FIDO2 is becoming a global standard. Japan and Taiwan are the leading markets. And Sentry, as mentioned before, have just launched such a dual product, both with FIDO2 and MIFARE DESFire.



[indiscernible] DESFire are the basic applications for entering both into most buildings across the world as well as the transportation system. They are just in rollout and will be manufactured at scale during '25. AuthenTrend, our partner from Taiwan, are focusing on smart cards for digital access with secure door access and also digital business cards via tap to phone. 



ATKey is, of course, based on IDEX platform and their focus markets are Japan, Taiwan and U.S. Emnovate is our newcomer, another American solution provider, and they are focusing specifically on physical access control, including Bluetooth and RFID, which enables enterprises and organizations to maintain their current infrastructure. They are transitioning now to IDEX TrustedBio Max.



These 3 partners have been developing their own unique solutions. We are, of course, dependent on the timeline of our customers. We can see customers are making strong process and opening new large markets with products anticipated to hit the market here during H1 in 2025. 



When we look at the payment space, if we start with enablement, as mentioned, KONA I is South Korea's largest card manufacturer, have been received the world's first metal card biometric approval. Important to understand that metal card certification is not given in the same fashion as a plastic LOA. The metal cards are given an approval with waiver since the material of metal is not conducive for all the test that's being done on the plastic. 



Second very important milestone, IDEX Pay approval for Visa's biometric application. The first step of bringing cards into market means that as a next step, we're now working with our manufacturers for their certification. We expect partners manufacturers approval to be finalized by end Q2. Card manufacturer certifications are related, of course, to bank-issued cards such as debit, credit, prepaid card, and it's crucial to ensure that these cards are manufactured with the highest level of security, quality and reliability.



We also want to highlight that Eastern Bank Limited, which is the first bank to issue a Mastercard approved biometric metal card with IDEX Pay, is using our developed supply chain with KONA I. After implementation being hold back due to the social unrest, it is now back on track. TaluCard is developed for the -- starting with the U.K. market and developed in partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People. This is a solution that has tactile guidance markets and voice guidance from TaluCard, the first in its kind. IDEX is hearing or driving demand from other parts of the world, but the first market to launch will be U.K. and it's setting the new standards for accessible payments. This is driven by the U.K. Consumer Duty regulation.



When it comes to metal cards, metal cards is growing at a very significant CAGR. Over the last years, the average growth pace is 26%, this is due to the high appeal to premium customers and as the middle class is moving upwards, especially in South Asia, metal card is one of the first manifestation of wealth. FinTech are driving the growth. Many of you are familiar with Revolut, they're one of the largest growing metal card issuers in the world. And in Asia Pacific, year-over-year growth is north of 100%. 70% of the millennials prefer metal cards.



So why is this a good product for biometrics? Because, of course, the price that the issuers charge for a metal card can largely encompass a product upgrade and a product innovation such as biometrics. The metal cards are highly secure, and it also fit for the type of purposes and the type of lifestyle and travel that consumers do. We will see Asia moving quicker than the other region, interest also from Europe.



So as a conclusion, IDEX is having market growth enabled by manufacturers and are focusing on scaling IDEX Pay and IDEX Access biometric platforms. We are driving complete solutions and working towards both supporting our manufacturing partners with strong manufacturing programs, optimizing yield and delivery, supply chain, working on our business transformation to ensure that IDEX has a solid base to move with partners across the world. And we're focused our country strategy to growing opportunities in Asia and the U.S.



And as closing remarks, things are moving in the right direction. We are enabling the markets by our solution. IDEX is uniquely positioned with its leading biometric system pay and what we have done with RuPay being the new payment platform in India is a significant milestone to have passed. Mastercard and Visa are, of course, globally deployable by manufacturers, but the demand for domestic payment scheme is emerging as governments and regulators are seeking to ensure that there are strong multifactor authentication solutions in market, strong focus. We are focusing with that on Asia Pacific as these are the markets where payment cards are growing at high pace. We are focusing on building revenues, both with banks and access solution partners.



I want to thank you all for joining our presentation today. We have made significant process on the certification and laying the foundation for future growth. We're committed to bring convenient and seamless user experience to biometric cards, focusing on identified growth opportunities in our target markets. Biometric cards will be the preferred solution for consumers as this experience is really about the seamless, convenient experience and IDEX being the major enabler and market leader. Thank you.