This announcement contains inside
information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No
596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the
European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("MAR"). Upon the publication
of this announcement, this inside information is now considered to
be in the public domain.
4 June 2024
Mirriad Advertising
plc
("Mirriad" or the "Company")
Audited Results for the year
ended 31 December 2023
Mirriad, a leading in-content
advertising company, announces its audited results for the year
ended 31 December 2023 ("2023").
Financial highlights for the year
•
Increase in revenue to £1.80m (2022: £1.51m)
following growth in US and EMEA markets
•
Adjusted EBITDA* loss decreased to £10.4m (2022:
£14.0m) and cash consumption decreased to £10.5m (2022: £12.9m)
following significant restructuring in the year
•
Statutory loss for the year £10.9m (2022:
£15.3m)
•
Completion of placing raising £5.75m (gross)
together with open offer raising a further £0.55m in June
2023
•
Net cash at 31 December 2023 of £6.1m (2022:
£11.3m)
•
Net assets at 31 December 2023 of £6.6m (2022:
£11.1m), tracking cash holding
*
Defined as operating loss adjusted for depreciation, amortisation
and share-based payment expense
KPIs
As in prior periods, the Company is
reporting operational key performance indicators ("KPIs"). The
three "supply side" KPIs track the adoption of the Mirriad platform
across the media industry, and the three "demand side" KPIs track
the development of the engagement and activities of Mirriad with
agencies and advertisers. Overall, they act as leading indicators
of future revenue generation and overall progress in terms of
market position and acceptance of the ad format. We have seen
positive progress across most KPIs, with the only exception coming
from partnership agreements with advertisers and agencies. This KPI
is most susceptible to small changes given its low base due to the
transition to the partner-led sales model, and its importance will
be reviewed.
The KPI data for 2022 has been
presented excluding China operations.
KPI
|
2023
|
2022
|
% Change
|
Supply side:
1. Active supply
partnerships*
2. Supply partners
represented
3. Seconds of content
available**
|
#49
#83
998,618
secs.
|
#36
#60
651,990
secs.
|
+36%
+38%
+53%
|
Demand side:
1. Active agency
relationships
2. Number of advertisers
who have run campaigns
3. Strategic and
commercials partnership agreements with advertisers and
agencies
|
#31
#68
#1
|
#19
#50
#2
|
+63%
+36%
-50%
|
*
Defined as the number of supply partners who ran a campaign during
the period
** Defined as the total number
of seconds of advertising inventory available for sale during the
period
Post
year end highlights
•
Master Service Agreement ("MSA") with a further US
Major in March giving Mirriad access to c.39% of the US TV
advertising market, and a further c.48% in the pipeline with three
further Majors
•
Major brands and all six major agency holding
groups activated
•
Working with partners and advertisers towards
activation of programmatic in Q2 2024
•
Awarded the Trusted Partner Network ("TPN") Gold
Shield status in January (an industry recognition that is a
critical enabler of Mirriad's partnerships with leading US
entertainment and media companies)
•
Announced a strategic agreement with programmatic
exchange TripleLift Inc. in April 2024
•
Placing, retail offer and directors' subscription
to raise £6.8m (gross) announced on 7 May 2024
•
Further material cost savings identified to be
implemented in 2024/2025
Current trading and outlook
Consistent with prior years, revenue
in the first quarter reflected the traditionally quieter period for
the advertising industry ahead of the impact of US partner-led
sales (expected in Q3) and the seasonal uptick in Q3/Q4. Costs have
reduced by c. 30% compared to the corresponding period, reflecting
both the significant cost saving exercise in H1 2023 as well as the
Company's continuing focus on expenditure.
This year for the first time we are
expecting a growing contribution from partners' sales, and the US
Upfronts*, which take place in May and June and are expected to
contribute towards revenues from Q4. Discussions with the remaining
Majors in the US are promising, and we expect to close the majority
of these in 2024. We are encouraged by the level of determination
of all the major media partners to scale the new format with
Mirriad, and the first agency groups are signalling interest in
allocating larger budgets to in-content advertising/virtual product
placement ("VPP") as a new ad category. The sales pipeline**
remains strong at around £3m, which pipeline excludes potential
Upfront revenue where spend budgets for Mirriad's format will now
be part of annual negotiations between media partners and leading
agency groups.
On the technology front, our
platform migration completed in 2023 (with development support from
Microsoft) towards an open architecture. The integration of
advanced AI capabilities and the inclusion of third-party tools are
paving the way to scale through platform "self-service" and access
to a wider client base via Microsoft's Marketplace. Crucially, we
are actively engaged with TripleLift and other adtech partners to
initiate programmatic activation in Q2 2024.
Cash holding at the end of April was
approximately £3.9m, prior to the receipt of c. £6.3m net proceeds
from the placing and retail offer.
Stephan Beringer, CEO of Mirriad, said: "In 2023, the Company achieved positive movement
across almost all KPIs, alongside modest revenue progress. Our
cost-cutting decisions and successful fundraise means we now have
the ability to realise the potential of the huge content and sales
power of our recently signed Tier-One partners and new involvement
in key set-pieces like this year's Upfronts.
"At the same time the integration
with our partners at TripleLift will lead to a "plug and sell"
proposition. Behind these developments are important technical
achievements that put our ad-solution at the forefront of the
streaming age and are paving the way to programmatic scale and
long-term value for Mirriad's shareholders."
*
In TV advertising, the "Upfront" is the long-established practice
of buying and selling TV advertising time months in advance,
typically in the Spring of each year, for advertising space
scheduled to air in the coming television broadcast year. The most
significant of these events is the Network Upfronts, an annual,
weeklong event in New York.
**Pipeline is defined as the unweighted sum of potential
revenue contracts which are rated as qualified or
above.
For further information please
visit www.mirriad.com or
contact:
Mirriad Advertising plc
Stephan Beringer, Chief Executive
Officer
Nic Hellyer, Chief Financial
Officer
|
c/o Charlotte Street
Partners
|
Nominated Adviser, Broker & Joint
Bookrunner:
Allenby Capital Limited
James Reeve/Lauren Wright (Corporate
Finance)
Guy McDougall/Matt Butlin (Sales and
Corporate Broking)
|
Tel: +44 (0)20 3328 5656
|
Financial Communications:
Charlotte Street Partners
Tom Gillingham
|
Tel: +44 (0) 7741 659021
|
Notes to Editors
About Mirriad
The leader in virtual product
placement and in-content advertising, Mirriad's multi-patented and
award-winning platform dynamically inserts products and brands into
Television, SVOD/AVOD, Music, and Influencer content. Mirriad
creates net-new revenue opportunities for content owners with an ad
format that virtually integrates brands in entertainment content,
drives exceptional performance for advertisers and dramatically
improves the viewing experience.
Mirriad currently operates in the
US, Europe, and India.
Forward looking
statements
Certain information contained in
this announcement, including any information as to the Group's
strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance,
constitutes "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking
statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking
terminology, including the terms "believes", "estimates",
"anticipates", "projects", "expects", "intends", "aims", "plans",
"predicts", "may", "will", "seeks" "could" "targets" "assumes"
"positioned" or "should" or, in each case, their negative or other
variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of
strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions.
These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not
historical facts. They appear in a number of places throughout this
announcement and include statements regarding the intentions,
beliefs or current expectations of the Directors concerning, among
other things, the Group's results of operations, financial
condition, prospects, growth, strategies and the industries in
which the Group operates. The directors of the Company believe that
the expectations reflected in these statements are reasonable, but
may be affected by a number of variables which could cause actual
results or trends to differ materially. Each forward-looking
statement speaks only as of the date of the particular
statement.
By their nature, forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to
events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the
future or are beyond the Group's control. Forward-looking
statements are not guarantees of future performance. Even if the
Group's actual results of operations, financial condition and the
development of the industries in which the Group operates are
consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this
document, those results or developments may not be indicative of
results or developments in subsequent periods.
Chairman's statement
Over the last year it has become
increasingly clear that pressure on traditional ad formats
continues to ratchet up, just as content owners, creators and
distributors seek new revenue to offset rising costs. Consumers
around the world also reacted to the effects of acute inflation,
and adjusted discretionary spending accordingly. Already entrenched
trends like ad avoidance and ad skipping became more pronounced,
and we saw large streamers making moves to introduce advertising to
support existing subscription models.
The move towards programmatic
advertising - the use of automated technology for media buying -
across the industry is gathering real pace, which aligns well with
the Company's focus on rolling out this approach in the year
ahead.
Management has worked hard after the
strategic review and 2023 fundraise to bed in the agreed
principles, and it is positive to see this resulting in significant
new top-tier partnership agreements in the key US market, as well
as a prudent approach to ongoing operations.
As part of the strategic review, we
were pleased to welcome Nic Hellyer as new CFO in Q4 2023. I would
like to reiterate my thanks to David Dorans, who stepped down as
CFO at the end of the year. He ensured a smooth transition before
his departure and contributed to the business hugely over the last
eight years. As the Company enters an important new phase after the
most recent fundraise, I have confirmed my plan to step down as
Non-executive Chairman, but remain as a Non-Executive Director
following the 2024 AGM. James Black will be the new Chairman, and
he is well placed to work closely with Stephan and the wider
management team to drive the Company forward.
I would also like to thank Board
members Alastair Kilgour and Lois Day for their positive
contributions during their time on the Mirriad Board, after they
did not stand for re-election at the AGM. I am confident that the
reshaped Board is well aligned with the Company's strategic
objectives.
Mirriad is also committed to a clear
and considered approach to Environmental, Social and Governance
("ESG") matters, always ensuring a balance between our corporate
and ESG strategies. The Company continues to develop its policies
in this area, and since 2022 its estimated carbon emissions,
including travel, have been offset by purchasing carbon
credits.
Despite the Company undergoing a
number of staffing changes in the past 12 months, results from our
recent employee engagement survey show that we have maintained 99%
of employees saying they agree, or strongly agree with the
statement 'I am proud to work at Mirriad'. This is really positive,
and taking into account other encouraging feedback from the survey
Mirriad continues to provide a culture which is rewarding,
supportive and engaging. Giving back to the communities in which we
work and embracing an equitable and inclusive culture have also
remained a primary focus.
Looking ahead to 2024 in more
detail, it is clear the advertising industry is changing fast, and
nowhere is this more true than our key market in the US. Emerging
technologies like AI and continuing viewer behavioural trends align
well with Mirriad's long-term objectives and capabilities, but as
the leader in a new vertical it is incumbent on us to keep making
the case for the format. Partnerships with top-tier US industry
leaders in particular underline that more and more organisations
are understanding the opportunity the in‑content format presents.
As I prepare to step down, I am
confident in the management team and the Board's ability to deliver
against the Company's strategy, with the ultimate aim of delivering
long-term shareholder value, particularly for those who have been
steadfast in their understanding of the Company's
vision.
John Pearson
Chairman
4
June 2024
Chief Executive Officer's Statement
The strategic review and fundraising
in H1 2023 were significant undertakings, that put us in a stronger
position to deliver against our overall objectives. As a result, we
drove additional cost savings and recorded particular progress on
signing new agreements with US tier one partners in H2
2023.
Our initial US market-building phase
was launched in 2020 and resulted in a total Mirriad roster of over
60 partners, representing around 9% of the US TV advertising market
at that point. This phase was crucial in raising awareness of the
format, building a first wave of demand, demonstrating in content's
strong performance and establishing the solution as a differential
option in the future of advertising and the media.
Building on these strong
fundamentals, we were able to significantly grow our position in Q4
2023, with the addition of a further 17% share via agreements with
two significant new partners.
Until Q4, the Company was very much
still operating in 'manual' mode with around 9% of the key US
market, ahead of the shift to programmatic delivery. The Mirriad
proposition in 2024 is already looking very different: The majority
of the market is now under contract or in serious discussions,
there is a firmer starting pipeline for revenue as well as multiple
programmatic integrations underway to enable automated transactions
of the inventory.
The entire advertising market is
operating in fluctuating macroeconomic conditions, but Mirriad's
stand-out difference comes in our ability to address three
strategic truths that still apply to every content owner,
distributor, and advertiser:
1. consumers are shifting to more
ad-free or ad-light video environments, and streamers in particular
are still figuring out how to drive profitability into their
businesses, given the high cost for content and the limited ad
revenue and subscription growth;
2. ad clutter and over-exposure are
driving ad-fatigue or avoidance; and
3. advertisers need more quality
inventory to engage with audiences who may be limiting
discretionary spend
Over the last year Mirriad has also
maintained its position as the in-content category leader in the
US, underlining the strength of our solution and our commitment to
continuous innovation in this space. This position was recognised
with further backing from investors in our May 2024 fundraise,
which will allow us to effectively capitalise on the opportunity
ahead.
Strategic approach
The completion of the strategic
review in 2023 and the resulting equity fundraising plan resulted
in an initial cash runway to Q3 2024. This has since been extended
following the most recent raise. In H2 this was used to secure new
tier one partnerships on the path to unlock the significant
opportunity that exists with programmatic selling starting in 2024
in the US in particular.
Our pipeline conversion was strong
towards the end of 2023, with further interest and negotiation from
the top players in the industry, beyond those already signed. This
is thanks to technological progress and proving our solution's
differential performance with some of the biggest
advertisers,
networks and content owners as a
true differentiator in a constrained and saturated global ad
market.
This approach is the route to
scaling the Company in line with its full potential, capitalising
on the growing pressures in the multibillion dollar media and
marketing industries, and to creating long-term shareholder
value.
We made changes at a leadership and
Board level, and I would like to echo John's sincere thanks to
David, Alastair and Lois for their contributions to the business.
In addition, after announcing he will step down as Chairman after
the Company's AGM, I would like to call out the significant impact
John has had - and the considerable insight he has provided - both
as a Mirriad Board member since 2017, and as non-executive Chairman
from 2019. I now look forward to working with our incoming
Chairman, James Black, as we move into this important next phase
for the Company.
Everyone at Mirriad is laser-focused
on our objectives, and based on delivery post-strategic review, I
have every confidence in our re-shaped and highly motivated team's
ability to deliver. Following a smooth handover, Nic Hellyer, our
new CFO, has hit the ground running and is working effectively with
our entire team as we move forward.
We continue to control costs
wherever possible, and the Company closed the year with a cash
balance of £6.1 million. Average monthly cash burn in the second
half slightly improved over management expectations, with
efficiency improvements achieved ahead of the plan outlined in the
strategic review.
Business status, performance and technological
progress
2023's revenue profile was based on
a labour-intensive manual sales process, and in 2024 we will
initiate the transition from this first market building and
adoption phase to programmatic selling. Programmatic activation
with the first partner is expected to occur in H1 2024. We are now
working with tier one US partners as a priority, this approach is
expected to open up increased volumes, far shorter lead times,
automated transactions and true scale.
These agreements, and those expected
to be closed in 2024, mean the 'Mirriad-inside' strategy of
integrating in-content advertising as a new standard advertising
format across the entire TV and video media ecosystem is now
gaining significant traction, ahead of plan.
Overall Company revenue for 2023 was
up by 31% on FY 2022 on a like‑for-like basis (excluding revenue
from China operations, which formally closed in H1 2023). Over the
same period, the Company increased the number of advertisers it
worked with from 59 to 68, an uplift of 15%. The number of repeat
advertisers also had a significant gain of 61%, from 13 to
21.
Technical progress continues at pace
and our collaboration with Microsoft, announced in May 2023,
accelerated the development of our platform as an enterprise level
solution that is ready for programmatically sold inventory - a key
building block for tier one partnerships and prerequisite for the
increased scale we've been working towards.
In January 2024, Mirriad achieved
the Trusted Partner Network ("TPN") Gold Shield status. This
recognition is key for working with top entertainment and media
companies in the US. It marks an important milestone in our growth,
as TPN is the go-to standard for TV and film content security,
further confirming our progress.
Outlook
At the outset of 2024 the Company
was in active negotiations with two more majors in the US, taking
the Company to a position of potential majority market share, with
the prospect of further notable additions in the remainder of H1.
This progress represents a phase-shift in the scale of new partners
- Mirriad is now signing US 'majors' and 'super-majors'.
Our decision to raise new finance
and restructure the business in 2023 gave us the firepower to drive
growth in areas that will maximise return, like programmatic
delivery. Now that we have raised additional funds in 2024, we will
continue to control costs, while leveraging the significant market
power of our new and existing partners to deliver true
scale.
Continuing favourability towards the
Mirriad format amongst consumers and advertisers contrasts sharply
with general results from traditional advertising formats. Despite
having entered the programmatic age over a decade ago, the
structural challenges with traditional advertising formats have
increased. Mirriad has the potential to be a real difference-maker
in this pressurised environment.
I would like to thank investors who
have stood by us during the strategic review and for their vision,
and also for their constructive - and at times forthright -
engagement. Everyone at Mirriad is focused on the move to
programmatic to drive the Company forward and to generate long-term
shareholder value.
Last year I talked about the need to
build further confidence in the format and stay the course as we
sought increased recognition amongst tier one partners in the US in
particular. These were always going to be the 'hardest yards' for
what was until recently considered an emerging technology. The tier
one agreements we have signed recently, and those we are
negotiating towards completion in 2024, speak to a sea-change in
recognition for the Mirriad difference, at the absolute highest
levels of the industry.
Stephan Beringer
Chief Executive Officer
4
June 2024
Financial review
2023 was a year of significant
change for the Group. In addition to the planned final closure of
the Chinese operations, the Group also undertook a significant
restructuring across the remaining business in the first half of
the year addressing both staff and non-staff costs. This resulted
in staff redundancies in all continuing operating companies
including a material reduction in headcount, with the US operations
reducing from 15 to 11 staff at the end of May 2023 and the
technology team decreasing from 46 to 30. Overall headcount in
continuing operations reduced from 115 at the end of April to 93 at
the end of the year (83 employees and 10 long-term contractors
engaged by the UK business and mainly based offshore). The
restructuring resulted in a one-off cost to the Group of
£359k.
Notwithstanding these cost
reductions, we continued to make targeted investments in our
technology stack which has resulted in "Mirriad 3.0", a
programmatic-ready enterprise-level version of our award-winning
software solution, based on Microsoft's Azure cloud-based open
architecture. Mirriad 3.0 substantially streamlines the ad buying
process and brings it into line with digital advertising practices
and is expected to open up increased volumes, and result in far
shorter lead times and automated transactions. This ability to
dynamically insert in-content ads in real-time is key to scaling
this format across the media buying ecosystem.
Our marketing efforts continued to
be focused on our US operations as the market with the highest
opportunity. This focus began to pay off in 2023 with a number of
master licence and service agreements being signed with US-based
media and entertainment companies which, together with agreements
signed after the year end, take Mirriad's access to the US TV
advertising market from less than 10% to almost 40%.
2023 results
Revenue for the year was higher than
the prior year at £1.8 million (2022: £1.5 million) reflecting
continued growth in the US and EMEA markets. During the year
revenues from the US increased to
£1.43 million (2022: £1.18 million)
and now represent 79% of revenues. This focus on the US is also
reflected in the pipeline of opportunities for 2024 and
beyond.
Overall EMEA revenues increased by
93% to £344k (2022: £178k). This growth was largely driven by our
focal point of Germany; we delivered multiple campaigns, ranging
from major global brands like McDonalds to retailers (such as Aldi
and Lidl) across Germany's largest broadcasters, RTL and ProSieben.
We also expanded operations into the Middle East as we delivered
several campaigns with a new partner, MBC.
There was a small increase in our
cost of sales due to inflation and an increase in production heads
in India. As a result overall cost of sales increased to £313k
(2022: £286k). Given the increased revenues, there was an uplift in
gross profit to £1.5 million (2022: £1.2 million). The vast
majority of our cost of sales relates to our staff based in
Mumbai.
The Group's principal operating cost
remains staff, with the majority of these costs arising from our
technology and US teams. Over the course of 2023, administrative
expenses excluding depreciation decreased to £12.7 million (2022
restated: £16.7 million), with around £8.0 million in the first
half compared to £4.7 million in the second half. This reduction
was largely a result of headcount which decreased year on year with
full withdrawal from our Chinese operations completed by the end of
Q1 2023 and redundancies in all other offices as described
above.
The Group keeps costs under close
review and, since the year end, has identified potential further
administrative cost savings of around £250k in addition to a net
annualised figure of around £450k which is expected to be saved
from July 2024 onwards as a result of non-renewal of the lease on
the Group's London office and a move to mostly remote working
practices.
Trade and other receivables at the
year end were £2.3 million (2022: £2.2 million) of which £1.7
million (2023: £1.7 million) related to trade receivables. The
significant majority of this balance related to revenue recognised
in the last quarter of the year and represents gross amounts billed
to end customers of which approximately £997k (2022: £1,098k) was
due to be paid to intermediaries (such creditor balances being
recognised in trade creditors and other payables and revenue
recognised net). Mirriad contracts usually provide that creditor
balances on such contracts are only payable once the gross
receivable balance has been received. Since the year end £1.5
million of the gross amount has been received.
Capitalisation of development expenses
Mirriad has continued to review and
monitor the application of IAS 38 with respect to the
capitalisation of development costs. At the present stage of
revenue growth, we take the view that it would be inappropriate to
capitalise any development costs in 2023. The income statement
includes £3.3 million (2022: £4.0 million) of staff costs and £0.9
million of IT and software costs (2022: £1.2 million) related to
research and development ("R&D") activity, an overall decrease
of 19% year on year, and this policy will be kept under close
review as revenues grow.
EBITDA and net profit
The decrease in operating costs and
increase in gross margin fed through to adjusted EBITDA (excluding
share‑based payment
expense) with the EBITDA loss decreasing to £10.4 million (2022:
£14.0 million). Likewise, the statutory loss before tax decreased
to £11.4 million (2022 restated: £15.8 million).
Taxation
The Group has not recognised any tax
assets in respect of trading losses arising in the current
financial year or accumulated losses in previous financial years.
The tax credit recognised in the current and previous financial
years arises from the receipt of R&D tax credits.
Earnings per share
Loss per share decreased as a result
of the decreased loss for the period on an increased share capital.
The loss per share for 2023 was 2.7p per share (2022 restated: loss
of 5.5p per share).
Dividend
No dividend has been proposed for
the year ended 31 December 2023 (2022: £nil).
Cash flow
Net cash used in operating
activities was £10.5 million (2022: £12.9 million) as the decrease
in operating costs flowed through to cash. The Group expended £39k
(2022: £76k) of capital expenditure on tangible assets in the year.
Net proceeds from the issue of Ordinary Shares in June 2023
totalled £5.65 million following the successful
fundraise.
Balance sheet
Net assets decreased to £6.6 million
(2022: £11.1 million) as a result of the losses for the year. Cash
and cash equivalents at 31 December 2023 were £6.1 million (2022:
£11.3 million).
Accounting policies
The Group's consolidated financial
information has been prepared in accordance with
UK-adopted
international accounting standards
and with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 as applicable
to companies reporting under those standards. The Group's
significant accounting
policies have been applied
consistently throughout the year.
Going concern
The financial statements have been
prepared on a going concern basis notwithstanding the Group having
made a loss for the year of £10.9 million (2022 restated: £15.3
million). The going concern basis assumes that the Group and
Company will have sufficient funds available to continue to trade
for the foreseeable future and not less than 12 months from the
date of approving these financial statements. The Group's cash
balance was £6.1 million at the year end and the Group remains debt
free with no external borrowing. The Group's cash balance was £4.5m
as at 31 March 2024.
The Company announced a successful
Placing, Retail Offer and Directors' Subscription to raise
approximately £6.2 million after expenses on 7 May 2024. The
Company said at that time that the Directors anticipated that the
proceeds of this fundraise can provide sufficient funding to trade
cash flow break-even during 2025, based on base case forecasts
which assume both revenue growth and cost savings being achieved
over the next 18 months. After making enquiries and producing cash
flow forecasts for the period up to 31 December 2025, the Directors
have reasonable expectations, as at the date of approving the
financial statements, that the Company and the Group will have
adequate resources to fund the activities of the Company and the
Group for at least the next 12 months from the date of approving
these financial statements.
The Group and Company's base case
forecast suggests that the Group will not require additional
external funding to be able to continue as a going concern.
However, in a severe but plausible downside scenario if either the
revenue growth forecasts fall below expectations by 50% ( which is
still considerable growth on 2023) or cost saving initiatives are
not achieved, additional funding may be required, within 12 months
of approving these financial statements which is not currently
committed.
While the financial statements are
prepared on a going concern basis, under a severe but plausible
downside scenario the future of the Group and Company is dependent
on raising additional external funds from new equity, debt or
customer contracts within 12 months from the date of approving
these financial statements.
These conditions indicate the
existence of a material uncertainty which may cast significant
doubt about the Group's and the Company's ability to continue as a
going concern. The financial statements do not include the
adjustments that would result if the Group and the Company were
unable to continue as a going concern.
Events after the reporting period
On 7 May 2024 the Company announced
a successful Placing, Retail Offer and Directors' Subscription to
raise £6.8 million before fees, £6.2 million after fees. With the
exception of the Director subscription element, amounting to
£180,000, all of these funds were received prior to the approval of
these financial statements.
Nic Hellyer
Chief Financial Officer
4
June 2024
Consolidated statement of profit or
loss
For the year ended 31 December
2023
|
|
Year
ended
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Year
ended
|
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|
31
December
|
31
December
|
|
|
2023
|
2022
Restated*
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue
|
3
|
1,803
|
1,507
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
|
1,490
|
1,221
|
Administrative expenses
|
|
(12,967)
|
(17,109)
|
|
|
|
|
Finance income
|
|
111
|
72
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss before income tax
|
|
(11,367)
|
(15,839)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss per Ordinary Share -
basic
|
|
|
|
*The prior year comparatives have been restated for a change
in the share based payment charge for the period.
All activities are classified as
continuing.
Consolidated statement of
comprehensive income
For the year ended 31 December
2023
|
Year
ended
|
Year
ended
|
|
31
December
|
31
December
|
|
2023
|
2022
Restated*
|
|
|
|
Loss for the financial
year
|
|
|
Other comprehensive loss
|
|
|
Items that may be reclassified to
profit or loss:
|
|
|
Exchange differences on translation
of foreign operations
|
|
|
Total comprehensive loss for the
year
|
|
|
*The prior year comparatives have been restated for a change
in the share based payment charge for the period.
Items in the statement above are
disclosed net of tax.
Consolidated balance
sheet
At 31 December 2023
|
|
|
|
As
at
|
As
at
|
|
|
31
December
|
31
December
|
|
|
2023
|
2022
Restated*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Assets
|
|
|
|
Non-current assets
|
|
|
|
Property, plant and
equipment
|
261
|
545
|
|
Trade and other
receivables
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current assets
|
|
|
|
Trade and other
receivables
|
2,285
|
2,220
|
|
Other current assets
|
457
|
529
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities
|
|
|
|
Non-current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities
|
|
|
|
Trade and other payables
|
2,333
|
2,904
|
|
Provisions
|
-
|
198
|
|
Current tax liabilities
|
14
|
14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity and liabilities
|
|
|
|
Equity attributable to owners of the
parent
|
|
|
|
Share capital
|
55
|
53
|
|
Share premium
|
71,408
|
65,755
|
|
Share-based payment
reserve
|
5,879
|
5,153
|
|
Retranslation reserve
|
(313)
|
(316)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*The prior year comparatives have been restated for a change
in the share based payment charge for the period.
Consolidated statement of changes in
equity
For the year ended 31 December
2023
|
Year
ended 31 December 2022 Restated*
|
|
|
|
Share-based
|
Retranslation
|
Accumulated
|
|
|
Share
capital
|
Share
premium
|
payment
reserve
|
reserve
|
losses
|
Total
equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance at 1 January 2022
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss for the financial
year
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(15,101)
|
(15,101)
|
Other comprehensive income for the
year
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total comprehensive loss for the
year
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total comprehensive loss for the
year (restated*)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share-based payments recognised as
expense
|
-
|
-
|
1,241
|
-
|
-
|
1,241
|
Total transactions with shareholders
recognised directly in equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total transactions with shareholders
recognised directly in equity (restated*)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance at 31 December 2022
(Restated)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*The prior year comparatives have been restated for a change
in the share based payment charge for the period.
|
Year
ended 31 December 2023
|
|
|
|
Share-based
|
Retranslation
|
Accumulated
|
|
|
Share
capital
|
Share
premium
|
payment
reserve
|
reserve
|
losses
|
Total
equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance at 1 January 2023
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss for the financial
year
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(10,935)
|
(10,935)
|
Other comprehensive income for the
year
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total comprehensive loss for the
year
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from shares
issued
Share issue costs
Share-based payments recognised as
expense
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total transactions with shareholders
recognised directly in equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance at 31 December
2023
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Consolidated statement of cash
flows
For the year ended 31 December
2023
|
|
|
|
2023
|
2022
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flow used in operating
activities
|
(11,109)
|
(14,016)
|
|
Tax credit received
|
558
|
1,116
|
|
Taxation paid
|
(25)
|
(40)
|
|
Interest received
|
111
|
72
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net cash used in operating
activities
|
|
|
|
Cash flow from investing
activities
|
|
|
|
Purchase of tangible
assets
|
(39)
|
(76)
|
|
Proceeds from disposal of tangible
assets
|
|
|
|
Net cash used in investing
activities
|
|
|
|
Cash flow from financing
activities
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from issue of Ordinary
Share capital
(net of costs of issue)
|
5,655
|
-
|
|
Payment of lease
liabilities
|
|
|
|
Net cash generated from/(used in)
financing activities
|
|
|
|
Net decrease in cash and cash
equivalents
|
(5,180)
|
(13,212)
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents at the
beginning of the year
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents at the end
of the year
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents consists
of:
|
|
|
|
Cash at bank and short-term bank
deposits
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
|
Notes to the consolidated financial
statements
For the year ended 31 December
2023
1. Corporate Information
Mirriad Advertising plc is a public
limited company incorporated and domiciled in the UK and registered
in England with company registration number 09550311. The
Company's registered office is 6th Floor, One London Wall, London,
EC2Y 5EB.
2. Basis of preparation
The financial information set out
above does not constitute the Group's statutory accounts for the
years ended 31 December 2023 or 2022 but is derived from those
accounts. Statutory accounts for 2022 have been delivered to the
registrar of companies, and those for 2023 will be delivered in due
course. The auditor has reported on those accounts; their reports
were (i) unqualified, (ii) included a reference to material
uncertainty related to going concern which the auditor drew
attention by way of emphasis without qualifying their report and
(iii) did not contain a statement under section 498 (2) or (3) of
the Companies Act 2006.
The financial statements of Mirriad
Advertising plc have been prepared in accordance with UK-adopted
international accounting standards and with the requirements of the
Companies Act 2006 as applicable to companies reporting under those
standards. The financial statements have been prepared under the
historical cost convention.
The accounting policies applied are
consistent with those of the annual report and accounts for the
year ended 31 December
2022.
(a) New standards, amendments and
interpretations
The Group has applied the following
standards and amendments for the first time for the annual
reporting period commencing 1 January 2023:
• IFRS 17 Insurance
Contracts;
• Definition of Accounting
Estimates - amendments to IAS 8;
• International Tax Reform
- Pillar Two Model
Rules - amendments
to IAS 12;
• Deferred Tax related to Assets and
Liabilities arising from a Single Transaction - amendments to IAS 12; and
• Disclosure of Accounting
Policies - amendments to IAS 1 and IFRS Practice Statement 2.
The amendments listed above did not
have any impact on the amounts recognised in prior periods and are
not expected to
significantly affect the current or
future periods.
(b) New standards, amendments and
interpretations not yet adopted
A number of new standards and
amendments to standards and interpretations are effective for
annual periods beginning after 1 January 2024, and have not been
applied in preparing these financial statements. These standards
are not expected to have a material impact on the entity in the
current or future reporting periods or on foreseeable future
transactions.
3. Segment information
Management mainly considers the
business from a geographic perspective since the same services are
effectively being sold in every Group entity. Therefore regions
considered for segmental reporting are where the Company and
subsidiaries are based, namely the UK, the USA, India and China.
The revenue is classified by where the sales were booked not by the
geographic location of the customer.
Operating segments are reported in a
manner consistent with the internal reporting provided to the chief
operating decision maker. The chief operating decision maker, which
is responsible for allocating resources and assessing performance
of the operating segments, has been identified as the steering
committee that makes strategic decisions. The steering committee is
made up of the Board of Directors. There are no sales between
segments. The revenue from external parties reported to the
strategic steering committee is measured in a manner consistent
with that in the income statement.
The parent company is domiciled in
the United Kingdom. The amount of revenue from external customers
by location of the Group billing entity is shown in the tables
below.
|
2023
|
2022
|
|
|
|
Turnover by geography
|
|
|
USA
|
1,429
|
1,181
|
UK
|
357
|
178
|
China
|
17
|
148
|
|
|
|
|
2023
|
2022
|
|
|
|
Turnover by category
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023
|
2022
|
Revenues from external customers by
country, based on the destination of the customer
|
|
|
USA
|
1,383
|
1,101
|
Germany
|
168
|
68
|
United Arab Emirates
|
92
|
17
|
UK
|
65
|
28
|
Canada
|
46
|
80
|
China
|
17
|
148
|
Turkey
|
16
|
34
|
Japan
|
12
|
12
|
France
|
4
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4. Operating loss
The Group operating loss is stated
after charging/(crediting):
|
|
2023
|
2022
Restated
|
|
|
|
|
Employee benefits excluding
restructuring costs
|
|
8,422
|
11,447
|
Restructuring costs
|
|
359
|
-
|
Depreciation of property, plant and
equipment
|
|
316
|
440
|
Foreign exchange
movements
|
|
62
|
7
|
Other general and administrative
costs
|
|
4,121
|
5,176
|
|
|
|
|
Total cost of sales, administrative
expenses and other operating income
|
|
|
|
The Employee benefits numbers above
include £3,260k (2022: £3,957k) related to Research and Development
activities.
Other general and administrative
costs includes legal and professional fees, IT infrastructure and
software-related costs, of
which £947k (2022: £1,210k) is
related to Research and Development activities, property costs,
marketing and research costs.
Office closure costs in the prior
year includes employee redundancy and other expenses related to the
closure of the China office. Of this total £126k was incurred in
2022 and £198k was provided for at the end of December
2022.
5. Loss per share
Basic loss per share is calculated
by dividing the loss for the year by the weighted average number of
Ordinary Shares in issue during the year. Potential Ordinary Shares
are not treated as dilutive as the Group is loss making and such
shares would be anti-dilutive.
|
|
|
Loss attributable to owners of the
parent (£000)
|
(10,935)
|
(15,347)
|
Weighted average number of Ordinary
Shares in issue (number)
|
|
|
The loss per share for the year was
2.7p (2022 restated: 5.5p).
No dividends were paid during the
year (2021: £nil).
(b) Diluted
Potential Ordinary Shares are not
treated as dilutive as the Group is loss making and such shares
would be anti-dilutive.
6. Related party
transactions
The Group is owned by a number of
investors, the largest being Rathbones Investment Management, which
owns approximately 17% of the share capital of the Company. At 31
December 2022 the largest shareholder was M&G Investment
Management which owned approximately 13% of the share capital of
the Company. Accordingly there is no ultimate controlling
party.
During the year the Company had the
following significant related party transactions. No guarantees
were given or received for any of these transactions:
Transactions with
Directors
As part of the fundraise in June
2023 the following Directors purchased Ordinary Shares in the
Company at a cost of £0.03 per share (2022: none).
Director
|
Number of
shares
|
John Pearson
|
333,333
|
Stephan Beringer
|
833,333
|
Bob Head
|
135,267
|
Transactions with other related
parties
IP2IPO Limited -
a company which shares a parent company with
IP2IPO Portfolio (GP) Limited, a major shareholder in
the
Group, and which also appointed a
Director of the Group up until 30 June 2023, charged Mirriad
Advertising plc for the following transactions during the year: (1)
£10k for the services of Lois Day as a Director for the period from
1 January 2023 until 30 June 2023 (2022: £10k). All of this amount
was invoiced and paid as at 31 December 2023.
Parkwalk Advisors Limited - a company which shares a parent
company with IP2IPO Portfolio (GP) Limited, a major shareholder in
the Group, charged Mirriad Advertising plc for the following
transactions during the year: (1) £10k for the services of Alastair
Kilgour as a Director for the period from 1 January 2023 until 30
June 2023 (2022: £20k). All of this amount was invoiced and paid as
at 31 December 2023.
All the related party transactions
disclosed above were settled by 31 December 2023.
During the year ended 31 December
2023, the Company entered into transactions with its subsidiary
companies for working
capital purposes, which net off on
consolidation - these have not been shown above.
The Directors have authority and
responsibility for planning, directing and controlling the
activities of the Group and they therefore comprise key management
personnel as defined by IAS 24 "Related party
disclosures".
Remuneration of Directors and senior management is disclosed in the
Remuneration Report.
7. Events after the reporting
period
On 7 May 2024 the Company announced
a Placing, Retail Offer and Directors' Subscription that raised
£6.8 million before fees, £6.2 million after fees.