TORONTO, Nov. 29,
2024 /CNW/ - Argo Corporation (TSXV:
ARGH), (OTCQX: ARGHF) ("Argo" or the "Company"), a
new venture delivering the first-ever vertically and publicly
integrated city transit system, announced today its financial
results for the quarter ended September 30,
2024 ("Q3 2024"). During the third quarter of 2024,
Argo deployed its smart transit system with its first paying
customers and made significant progress in restructuring prior
initiatives in its publicly traded entity.
Argo Highlights
- Argo School: The Company successfully deployed its smart
transit solution to a series of private schools in the Greater Toronto Area, providing end-to-end
student transportation operations. Argo's innovative technology
delivers access to more flexibility and real-time tracking of
students and vehicles, with unprecedented safety, reliability, and
transparency for families and schools alike. The Company plans to
continue to expand this solution to other private and public
schools throughout Canada and
abroad.
- Argo City: Argo's public transit solution is the first
to integrate custom software with vehicular hardware to create a
network of intelligently routed vehicles that augment public
transit systems with on-demand, door-to-door service. Argo City
aims to reduce private car usage and increase ridership of existing
public transit systems through partnership with cities, transit
agencies, and governments. The Company expects to announce its
first city partners in the coming months.
- R&D Investment: The Company's quarterly R&D
investment spend for Q3 2024 increased by 401% year-over-year. This
investment reflects a significant focus on developing the Company's
proprietary vertically and publicly integrated city transit system,
with significant progress in software and hardware functionality to
enable seamless and reliable school and city deployments, putting
people in control of their mobility.
Restructuring Updates
- Vehicle Subscription: $8.5M in liabilities have been reclassified in Q3
2024 as held for sale as a result of wholly owned subsidiaries
Steer EV Canada Inc. filing an assignment into bankruptcy under the
Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act in Canada and Steer Holdings LLC, making a
General Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors, pursuant to
California law. The Company
anticipates these liabilities will be removed in the coming
quarters upon completing these legal processes, aligning with its
restructuring efforts announced in the May
23, 2024, press release.
- Disputed Office Lease: Argo filed a statement of claim
regarding a disputed office lease with landlord 8174709 Canada Inc.
and the Company's former CEO. The disputed lease represents
$3.6M in liabilities and payables on
the Company's balance sheet.
- Sale of Financial Assets: The Company continues to
engage in active sales processes for intellectual property and
financial assets associated with the last venture in its publicly
traded entity. In Q3 2024, the Company completed the sale of 14,200
shares of preferred stock in the capital of Westbrook Global Inc.,
receiving a cash payment of $750K as
consideration.
FoodsUp Updates
Argo maintains a 59.95% non-controlling ownership interest in
FoodsUp Inc. ("FoodsUp"), one of Canada's leading restaurant supply platforms.
In Q3 2024, FoodsUp had revenues of $28.7M, representing a 10% increase over Q2 2024
and a 61% yearly increase in quarterly revenues from Q3 2023.
The Company remains committed to implementing a transaction
structure, the effect of which would be to provide the shareholders
of Argo with the net proceeds from any sale of its interest in
FoodsUp to a third party or an indirect or tracking ownership
interest in FoodsUp in each case, as of to-be-determined record
date (the "FoodsUp Divestment"). The FoodsUp Divestment, if
it occurs, will mark an important step in the formal separation
between the business of FoodsUp and Argo.
Q3 2024 Results Compared to Q3 2023
For the three
months ended September 30
|
|
|
2024
|
|
|
2023
|
REVENUE
|
|
|
$449,567
|
|
|
$101,851
|
Cost of
revenue
|
|
|
29,519
|
|
|
59,676
|
General and
administration
|
|
|
1,019,001
|
|
|
377,350
|
Operational
support
|
|
|
520,911
|
|
|
274,024
|
Research and
development
|
|
|
614,149
|
|
|
122,573
|
Sales and
marketing
|
|
|
73,054
|
|
|
73,068
|
Amortization
|
|
|
37,108
|
|
|
196,865
|
Depreciation
|
|
|
10,941
|
|
|
84,831
|
Total operating
expenses
|
|
|
2,304,683
|
|
|
1,188,387
|
OPERATING
LOSS
|
|
|
($1,855,166)
|
|
|
($1,086,536)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OTHER INCOME
(EXPENSES)
|
|
|
|
Foreign exchange gain/
(loss)
|
|
|
(28,460)
|
|
|
(93,854)
|
Interest
expenses
|
|
|
(532,931)
|
|
|
(61,018)
|
Interest
income
|
|
|
1,023
|
|
|
272
|
Gain/ (Loss) on
accounts payable settlements
|
|
|
301,483
|
|
|
-
|
Gain/ (Loss) on
termination
|
|
|
279,606
|
|
|
-
|
Write down of
intangible asset
|
|
|
(211,182)
|
|
|
-
|
Other income/(loss)
from discontinued operations
|
|
|
(10,285,769)
|
|
|
(115,015)
|
Penalties and
settlement
|
|
|
(68,500)
|
|
|
-
|
Share of loss of an
associate
|
|
|
(593,014)
|
|
|
(2,860,412)
|
Net income/ (loss)
from continuing operations
|
|
|
($12,992,860)
|
|
|
($4,216,563)
|
Discontinued
Operations
Net income/ (loss)
from discontinued operations
|
|
|
12,296,195
|
|
|
(1,037,987)
|
NET GAIN
(LOSS)
|
|
|
($696,665)
|
|
|
($5,254,550)
|
Cumulative translation
adjustment
|
|
|
(174,518)
|
|
|
(253,879)
|
NET PROFIT
(LOSS) AND COMPREHENSIVE PROFIT (LOSS)
|
|
|
($871,183)
|
|
|
($5,508,429)
|
(Loss) profit per
share
– Basic and
diluted
|
|
|
($0.01)
|
|
|
($0.04)
|
Weighted average
shares outstanding - Basic and diluted
|
|
|
133,367,099
|
|
|
132,944,615
|
1 All figures are
accurate to the hundreds.
|
In this press release, all references to '$' are to Canadian
dollars.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
About Argo
Argo delivers the first-ever vertically and publicly integrated
city transit system. It is designed to augment public
transportation and create a network of intelligently routed
vehicles that work together to serve and scale to the needs of
entire cities, putting people in control of their mobility. You can
learn more at www.rideargo.com.
Praveen Arichandran, Co-CEO
Argo Corporation
(800) 575-7051
Forward-Looking Information
This news release includes certain forward-looking statements as
well as management's objectives, strategies, beliefs and
intentions. Forward-looking statements are frequently identified by
such words as "may", "will", "plan", "expect", "anticipate,"
"estimate," and "intend," and similar words referring to future
events and results. Forward-looking statements are based on the
current opinions and expectations of management. All
forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and subject to
a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, as described in
more detail in the Company's securities filings available at
www.sedarplus.ca. Actual events or results may differ
materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements
and we caution against placing undue reliance thereon. We assume no
obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements
except as required by applicable law. See "Forward-Looking
Information" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Management
Discussion & Analysis (MD&A) for the year ended
December 31, 2023 (filed on SEDAR+ on
May 8, 2024) and its interim MD&A
for the periods ended September 30,
2023, March 31, 2024,
June 30, 2024, and September 30, 2024 for a discussion of the
uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these
statements and other risks. Readers are urged to consider the
uncertainties, risks, and assumptions carefully when evaluating
forward-looking information and are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on such information. We have no intention and undertake no
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise,
except as required by applicable securities legislation and
regulatory requirements.
SOURCE ARGO CORPORATION