VerifyMe, Inc. 10-Q

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS. The information in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis should be read in conjunction with the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements and notes. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This report includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “intended,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “will,” “expect” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this report, including among others, our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives of management and expected market growth are forward-looking statements. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. For a further list and description of various risks, relevant factors and uncertainties that could cause future results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements, see the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections in this report, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). All forward-looking statements in this report are made only as of the date hereof or as indicated and represent our views as of the date of this report. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as the result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Overview VerifyMe, Inc. (“VerifyMe”) together with its subsidiaries, including Trust Codes Global Limited (“Trust Codes Global”) and PeriShip Global, LLC (“PeriShip Global”), (together the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), is a traceability and customer support services provider using specialized software and process technology. The company operates a Precision Logistics Segment and an Authentication Segment to provide specialized logistics for time-and-temperature sensitive products, as well as item level traceability, anti-diversion and anti-counterfeit protection, brand protection and enhancement technology solutions. Through our Precision Logistics segment, we provide a value-added service for sensitive parcel management driven by a proprietary software platform that provides predictive analytics from key metrics such as pre-shipment weather analysis, flight-tracking, sort volumes, and traffic, delivered to customers via a secure portal. The portal provides real-time visibility into shipment transit and last-mile events which is supported by a service center. Through our Authentication segment our technologies enable brand owners to gather business intelligence through the supply chain, cross-sell products, detect counterfeit activities, monitor product diversion, and build brand loyalty utilizing our unique dynamic codes which are read by consumers with their smart phones. Further information regarding our business segments is discussed below: Precision Logistics: The Precision Logistics segment specializes in predictive analytics for optimizing delivery of time and temperature sensitive perishable products. We manage complex industry-specific shipping logistic processes that require critical time, temperature control and handling to prevent spoilage and extreme delivery times and brand impairment. Utilizing predictive analytics from multiple data sources including flight-tracking, weather, traffic, major carrier feeds, and time of day data, we provide our clients an end-to-end vertical approach for their most critical service delivery needs. Using our proprietary IT platform, we provide real-time information and analysis to mitigate supply chain flow interruption, as well as delivering last-mile resolution for key markets, including the perishable healthcare and food industries. Through our proprietary PeriTrack ® customer dashboard, we provide an integrated tool that gives our customers an in-depth look at their shipping activities and allows them access to critical information in support of the specific needs of the supply chain stakeholders. We offer post-delivery services such as customized reporting for trend analysis, system performance reports, power outage maps, and other tailored reports. Precision Logistics generates revenue from two business service models. · ProActive Service – clients pay us directly for carrier service coupled with our proactive logistics assistance. · Premium Service – clients pay us directly or through our carrier partner for our complete white-glove shipping monitoring and predictive analytics service. This service includes customer web portal access, weather monitoring, temperature control, full service center support and last mile resolution. 27 Table of Contents Products: The Precision Logistics segment includes the following bundled services as part of our service offerings to our customers: · PeriTrack ® : Our proprietary PeriTrack® customer dashboard was developed utilizing our extensive logistics operational knowledge. This integrated web portal tool gives our customers an in-depth look at their shipping activities based on real-time data. The PeriTrack® dashboard was designed to provide critical information in support of the specific needs of supply chain stakeholders and gives our customer resolution specialists a 360° view of shipping activity. PeriTrack® features tools tailored for shippers of perishable goods, which includes the In-Transit Shipment Tracker. This tool provides details on the unique shipper’s in-transit shipments, with the ability to select and analyze data on individual shipments. · Service Center : We have assembled a team of customer resolution specialists based in the U.S. This service team resolves shipping problems on behalf of our customers. The service center acts as a help desk and monitors shipping to delivery for our customers. · Pre-Transit Service : We help clients prepare their products for shipments by advising clients on packaging requirements for various types of perishable products. Each product type requires its own particular packaging to protect it during shipment, and we utilize our extensive knowledge and research to provide our customers with packaging recommendations to meet their unique needs. · Post-Delivery : We provide customized reporting for trend analysis, system performance reports, power outage maps, and many other reports to help our customers improve their processes and customer service outcomes. · Weather/Traffic Service : We have full-time meteorologists on staff to monitor weather. A package may experience a variety of weather conditions between the origin and destination, and our team actively monitors these conditions to maximize the number of timely and safely transmitted shipments. Similarly, traffic and construction also create unpredictable delays which our team works diligently to mitigate. If delays or other issues occur, we inform clients and work with them to proactively resolve such shipment issues. Authentication : The Authentication segment specializes in traceability to connect brands with consumers through their product. This is critical in the current landscape of increased regulations, as well as increased counterfeit activity and product diversion. The ability to detect fraud or abnormal behavior while tracing an item’s journey from production through to the consumer’s hands provides consumers and brands the assurance they require. VerifyMe has custom software, patented technologies, and a cloud environment that combines machine learning and data science to meet the needs of consumers and brands. In addition, the personalized consumer experience with the brand creates a connection that increases brand perception and loyalty. Products : We have a custom suite of products that offer clients traceability and brand solutions. These products are combined with “software as a service” or “SaaS” which is stored in the cloud and accessed through the internet. · VerifyMe Engage™ for brand enhancement allowing the brand owner to gather business intelligence and engage with customers · VerifyMe Authenticate™ using rare earth-based ink taggants for instant authentication of labels, packaging and products · VerifyMe Track & Trace™ for unit level traceability and supply chain control Opportunities Precision Logistics: Traditionally, most shipping businesses utilize the carrier’s data platform for tracking which generally informs the shipping enterprise, and their customers, when a package is in transit, when a package has been delivered, and some level of detail of the path which a package traveled. We believe taking the data feeds from a carrier and adding real-time visibility with predictive analytics and the human intervention factor of our service center gives us a competitive advantage against other third-party platforms that solely rely on the carrier’s data feeds. We utilize a variety of input sources beyond the carrier’s data feed. Our proprietary “Predictive Analytics” technology is fed real-time meteorology data, traffic and road construction data, and power grid information to help predict issues before they happen. If an alert is created the shipper and our service center will work to address the issue and save the perishable product from spoiling, saving the shipper significant costs and reducing the need to replace products that are no longer viable. We have meteorologists on staff that track world-wide weather patterns to address predicted issues before they happen. We believe the company has two significant areas of opportunity. First, our services are specifically designed to address the needs of small and medium size agriculture, food and beverage companies. Second, the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries represent significant opportunities due to the enhanced tracking and customer service associated with distribution of these products. We are focusing our sales emphasis on those industries. In addition, we believe that combining our authentication solutions into the product offering for Precision Logistics clientele, gives our Precision Logistics segment a competitive advantage to generate revenue by enhancing clients’ ability to grow revenue, gain business intelligence and build brand loyalty. 28 Table of Contents The U.S. logistics industry is facing an economic slowdown. We believe this represents an opportunity since major global carriers are cutting internal staff. These carriers are looking for lower cost alternatives to service their customers as well as partners that can help the carrier increase revenues. To maintain their credibility in the market, these carriers will need to ensure they meet their customers’ demands for time and temperature sensitive shipments, while maintaining their overheads. We believe outsourcing this function to our Precision Logistics segment provides the ideal solution for all parties involved. Building logistics infrastructure is a capital-intensive process as the investment is locked in for a considerably long period. Due to the current economic environment, and our cost competitive offering, we believe companies will opt to outsource their precision logistics services to reduce their operational costs. The outsourcing of supply chain related and other logistics operations to service providers such as ours allows companies to improve the efficiency of their businesses by focusing their resources on core competencies. Authentication: We believe the products in our Authentication segment have applications in many areas. Currently, we are aggressively marketing opportunities in the following areas: · Agriculture, Food and Beverage – Food safety is becoming more common as supply chains become more global and as imaging and manufacturing technology become more accessible. Food traceability, sustainability and carbon neutral production is becoming a significant consideration for brand and governments. We believe our unit level traceability and authentication solutions can help brands tell their story about sustainability and battle against tainted or substandard foods and beverages. · Pharmaceuticals/nutraceuticals – We believe counterfeit prescription pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals are a growing problem, widely recognized as a public health risk and a serious concern to public health officials, private companies, and consumers. Counterfeiting can apply to both branded and generic products and counterfeit pharmaceuticals may include products with the correct ingredients but fake packaging, with the wrong ingredients, without active ingredients or with insufficient active ingredients. The United States enacted legislation requiring the implementation of a comprehensive system designed to combat counterfeit, diluted or falsely labelled pharmaceuticals, referred to as serialization or electronic pedigree (e-Pedigree). Our consumer facing visible codes and unique pigments embedded in the ink of a unique serialized barcode can provide a layered security foundation for a customer solution in this market. We are seeking to expand our business in this market and believe that as additional pharmaceutical companies seek to comply with the legislation, our products will provide attractive alternatives to address the need for product identifiers. · Consumer Products – We believe our technology solutions are particularly suited for the cosmetics, health and beauty and apparel industries. We give the consumer the ability to test a product’s authenticity instantly with a smartphone. We can protect brand owners from liability litigation, product diversion and lost financial sales with our consumer facing visible codes and unique ink pigments which can be incorporated in dyes and used by manufacturers in these industries to combat counterfeiting and piracy of actual physical goods. Our pigments expressed as inks can also be used on packaging, as well as to track products that have been lost in transit, whether misplaced or stolen. In addition, in each of these markets, our SaaS software allows brand owners and consumers to track the products and will alert the consumer or brand owner of product diversion with 24/7 monitoring. As each product has a unique code, this allows consumers and brand owners to authenticate the product in real time and link directly to the brand owner’s website for additional product information, discounts, and more. Synergies : We believe that Precision Logistics and Authentication segments have synergistic product centric technology platforms and combined have a compelling technology offering for brand owners. For example, currently our Precision Logistics segment ships vaccines for major pharmaceutical companies. With the addition of our Authentication technology, we can add unit level traceability and authentication to protect clients’ vaccines from product diversion and sub-standard counterfeits. In addition, our Authentication segment brand enhancement solutions could give the Precision Logistics food and beverage clients the ability to gather rich business intelligence and build customer loyalty with engagement functions like videos, discounts, contests, recipes, etc. Partnerships: Precision Logistics has a direct partnership with a major global carrier company. This partnership includes the ability for both companies to white label each partner’s services. In addition, Precision Logistics has data feeds directly from the carrier into our proprietary logistics optimization software which provides shippers much more detailed information and predictive analytics on their shipment versus a standard shipping code look up which is provided by the carrier. Our Authentication segment has a contract with HP Indigo, and a strategic partnership with INX, the third largest producer of inks in North America. We believe these partnerships can be used to enable brand owners to securely prevent counterfeiting, prevent product diversion and authenticate labels, packaging and products alleviating liability from counterfeit products that harm consumers. 29 Table of Contents Current Economic Environment In response to market conditions and lower demand some carriers have implemented strategies to address a potential global recession. In April 2023, the major carrier that PeriShip Global partners with laid out steps it was taking to slash $4 billion in permanent costs by the end of its 2025 fiscal year in response to these market conditions and lower demand. In June 2023, the major carrier stated that due to ongoing demand, it plans to ground 29 more aircraft in its fiscal year that started in June 2024. In mid-December 2023, the carrier forecasted a low single digit percentage decline in revenue year over year for 2024. We have seen a softening in demand for some services related to high-end perishable items and cannabis products which seem to be impacted by reduced discretionary spending by U.S. consumers. While a recession, whether global or more localized to the U.S., may decrease the demand for our services that are more discretionary in nature, we believe that the internal cost cutting measures, if implemented by the major global carrier may benefit out-sourced service providers. We are working with this major global carrier to address their small and medium-sized business clients, which we believe is an underserved market and presents considerable growth opportunities for our Precision Logistics segment. However, we can provide no assurances that a decline in discretionary consumer spending will not have a negative impact on our revenues and results of operations. Seasonality We experience seasonal fluctuations in our net revenues from sales in our Precision Logistics segment. Revenues from sales are generally higher in the fourth quarter than in other quarters due to increased holiday shipments. The seasonality of our business may cause fluctuations in our quarterly operating results. Results of Operations Comparison of the three months ended March 31, 2024, and 2023 The following discussion analyzes our results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023. Revenue Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Precision Logistics $ 5,614 $ 5,414 Authentication 145 247 Total Revenue $ 5,759 $ 5,661 Consolidated revenue increased $98 thousand or 2% during the first quarter of 2024 compared to the first quarter of 2023. The increase is primarily due to organic growth in our premium services in the Precision Logistics segment offsetting a decline in our proactive services related to a discontinued relationship with some lower margin customers. Revenue in our Authentication segment decreased due to timing of a significant customer order in 2023 that did not recur in the three months ended March 31, 2024. Gross Profit Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 % of Revenue % of Revenue Precision Logistics $ 2,129 38 % $ 1,353 25 % Authentication 131 90 % 168 68 % Total Gross Profit $ 2,260 39 % $ 1,521 27 % Gross profit for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $2,260 thousand, compared to $1,521 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2023. The resulting gross margin was 39% for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to 27% for the three months ended March 31, 2023. The gross profit increase relates to the increased premium services revenue which has higher margins as well as process improvements to increase proactive services margins in the Precision Logistics segment. With the acquisition of Trust Codes in March 2023, providing custom software, our margins in the Authentication segment also increased. 30 Table of Contents Segment Management and Technology Segment management and technology expenses increased by $238 thousand to $1,343 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to $1,105 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2023. The increase relates primarily to the acquisition of Trust Codes Global in March 2023 and to lower capitalized labor costs. Amortization and depreciation expense of $299 thousand for Q1 2024 compared to $282 thousand in Q1 2023. General and Administrative Expenses General and administrative expenses decreased by $292 thousand to $1,121 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to $1,413 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2023. The decrease relates primarily to the acquisition costs of Trust Codes Global and severance expense of $303 thousand in March 2023. Research and Development Research and development expenses were $55 thousand and $8 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2024, and 2023, respectively. Sales and Marketing Sales and marketing expenses decreased by $111 thousand to $388 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to $499 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2023. The decrease is primarily related to a reduction in employees and consultants. Interest Expense, net Interest expense, net was $38 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to $42 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2023. Net Loss Consolidated net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2024, and 2023 was $553 thousand and $1,580 thousand, respectively. The decreased loss was primarily related to an increase in gross profit. The resulting consolidated loss per share for the three months ended March 31, 2024, and three months ended March 31, 2023, was $0.05 and $0.17 per diluted share, respectively. Liquidity and Capital Resources Our operations used $60 thousand of cash during the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to $126 thousand during the comparable period in 2023. The decrease in cash used from operations is due to more efficient use of our resources. Cash used in investing activities was $110 thousand during the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to $621 thousand during the three months ended March 31, 2023. The decrease in spend in investing activities related to the acquisition of the Trust Codes Global business in the three months ended March 31, 2023. Cash used in financing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $106 thousand compared to cash provided by financing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2023 of $423 thousand. The decrease relates mainly to the proceeds from the line of credit of $500 thousand that occurred in the three months ended March 31, 2023. On August 25, 2023, the Company entered into a Convertible Note Purchase Agreement with certain investors for the sale of convertible promissory notes for the aggregate principal amount of $1,100 thousand of which $475 thousand was purchased by relating parties including certain members of management and the Board of Directors. The notes are subordinated unsecured obligations of the Company and accrue interest at a rate of 8% per year payable semiannually in arrears on February 25 and August 25 of each year, beginning on February 25, 2024. The notes will mature on August 25, 2026 unless earlier converted or repurchased at a conversion price of $1.15 per share of common stock. The Company may not redeem the notes prior to the maturity date. As of March 31, 2024 the amount outstanding on the convertible debt was $1,100 thousand and included in Convertible Note, and Convertible Note – related party on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company has accrued interest expense of $9 thousand as of March 31, 2024. On September 22, 2022, PeriShip Global became a party to the PNC Facility with PNC Bank, National Association. The PNC Facility includes a $1 million RLOC with a term of one-year, which was extended to December 14, 2023. We also entered into an amended and restated loan agreement with PNC effective October 31, 2023, which provided amendments to a number of affirmative and restrictive covenants applicable to PeriShip Global and extended the RLOC to September 30, 2024. The RLOC has no scheduled payments of principal until maturity, and bears interest per annum at a rate equal to the sum of Daily SOFR plus 2.85% with monthly interest payments. As of March 31, 2024, we had no borrowings under the RLOC. 31 Table of Contents The PNC Facility also includes a four-year Term Note for $2 million which matures in September of 2026 and requires equal quarterly payments of principal and interest. The Term Note incurs interest per annum at a rate equal to the sum of Daily SOFR plus 3.1%. The RLOC and Term Note are guaranteed by VerifyMe and secured by the assets of PeriShip Global and VerifyMe. The PNC Facility includes a number of affirmative and restrictive covenants applicable to PeriShip Global, including, among others, a financial covenant to maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio of at least 1.10 to 1.00 at the end of each fiscal year, affirmative covenants regarding delivery of financial statements, payment of taxes, and establishing primary depository accounts with PNC Bank, and restrictive covenants regarding dispositions of property, acquisitions, incurrence of additional indebtedness or liens, investments and transactions with affiliates. PeriShip Global is also restricted from paying dividends or making other distributions or payments on its capital stock if an event of default (as defined in the PNC Facility) has occurred or would occur upon such declaration of dividend. Of the proceeds of $2.0 million from the Term note, we used $1.8 million to settle debt outstanding issued in connection with the PeriShip Global acquisition, including the redemption of 61,000 shares of our common stock. As of March 31, 2024, our short-term debt outstanding under the Term note was $0.5 million and total long-term debt outstanding under the Term note was $0.8 million. Effective October 17, 2022, we entered into an interest rate swap agreement, with a notional amount of $1,958 thousand, effectively fixing the interest rate on our outstanding debt at 7.602%. In December 2023, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a new share repurchase program to allow the Company to spend up to $0.5 million to repurchase shares of its common stock so long as the price per share does not exceed $1.00 until December 14, 2024. During the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company repurchased 1,000 shares of common stock for $1 thousand under the Company’s current program. We believe that our cash and cash equivalents will fund our operations for the next 12 months. We may issue additional debt or equity as we grow our business which we expect to grow organically, and if the opportunity arises, through key acquisitions that will help accelerate the growth of our business. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements None. Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates Our financial statements are impacted by the accounting policies used and the estimates and assumptions made by management during their preparation. We have identified below the accounting policies that are of particular importance in the presentation of our financial position, results of operations and cash flows and which require the application of significant judgment by management. We believe estimates and assumptions related to these critical accounting policies are appropriate under the circumstances; however, should future events or occurrences result in unanticipated consequences, there could be a material impact on our future financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Revenue Recognition Our revenue transactions include logistics management for time and temperature sensitive packages, sales of our ink canisters, software, licensing, pre-printed labels, integrated solutions, and leasing of our equipment. We recognize revenue based on the principals established in ASC Topic 606, “ Revenue from Contracts with Customers .” Revenue recognition is made when our performance obligation is satisfied. Our terms vary based on the solutions we offer and are examined on a case-by-case basis. For licensing our VerifyInk TM technology we depend on the integrity of our clients’ reporting. Goodwill We have recorded goodwill as part of our acquisitions, which represents the excess of purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired in the business combinations. Pursuant to ASC 350, the Company will test goodwill for impairment on an annual basis in the fourth quarter, or between annual tests, in certain circumstances. Under authoritative guidance, the Company first assessed qualitative factors to determine whether it was necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test. The assessment considers factors such as, but not limited to, macroeconomic conditions, data showing other companies in the industry and our share price. An entity is not required to calculate the fair value of a reporting unit unless the entity determines, based on a qualitative assessment, that it is more likely than not that its fair value is less than its carrying amount. Events or changes in circumstances which could trigger an impairment review include macroeconomic conditions, industry and market conditions, cost factors, overall financial performance, other entity specific events and sustained decrease in share price. 32 Table of Contents Stock-based Compensation We account for stock-based compensation under the provisions of FASB ASC 718, “Compensation—Stock Compensation”, which requires the measurement and recognition of compensation expense for all stock-based awards made to employees and directors based on estimated fair values on the grant date. We estimate the fair value of stock-based awards on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes model. The assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option pricing model include risk-free interest rates, expected volatility and expected life of the stock options. Changes in these assumptions can materially affect estimates of fair value stock-based compensation, and the compensation expense recorded in future periods. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized as an expense over the requisite service periods using the straight-line method. For restricted stock units with stock price appreciation targets, we applied a lattice approach that incorporated a Monte Carlo simulation, which involved random iterations that took different future price paths over the restricted stock unit’s contractual life based on the appropriate probability distributions (which are based on commonly applied Black Scholes inputs). The fair value was determined by taking the average of the grant date fair values under each Monte Carlo simulation trial. We recognize compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the performance period and there is no ongoing adjustment or reversal based on actual achievement during the period. We account for stock-based compensation awards to non-employees in accordance with ASU No. 2018-07, which aligns accounting for share-based payments issued to nonemployees to that of employees under the existing guidance of Topic 718, with certain exceptions. This update supersedes previous guidance for equity-based payments to nonemployees under Subtopic 505-50, Equity – Equity-Based Payments to Non-Employees. All issuances of stock options or other equity instruments to non-employees as consideration for goods or services received by the Company are accounted for based on the fair value of the equity instruments issued. Non-employee equity-based payments are recorded as an expense over the service period, as if we had paid cash for the services. At the end of each financial reporting period, prior to vesting or prior to the completion of the services, the fair value of the equity-based payments will be re-measured, and the non-cash expense recognized during the period will be adjusted accordingly. Since the fair value of equity-based payments granted to non-employees is subject to change in the future, the amount of the future expense will include fair value re-measurements until the equity-based payments are fully vested or the service completed. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements Recently adopted accounting pronouncements are discussed in Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the notes accompanying the financial statements. 33 Table of Contents ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK. Not Applicable.