Unifiedpost continues its strategic focus on growing core digital services alongside portfolio rationalisation

In This Article:

REGULATED INFORMATION

Unifiedpost continues its strategic focus on growing core digital services alongside portfolio rationalisation

La Hulpe, Belgium – August 27, 2024, 7:00 a.m. CET – [REGULATED INFORMATION] Unifiedpost Group SA (Euronext: UPG) (Unifiedpost), a leading provider of integrated business communications solutions, presents its results for H1 2024. Digital Services revenue reported solid growth of 12,8% y/y, excluding the divestments of 21 Grams, FitekIN and ONEA. This is reflected in Unifiedpost’s growing customer base, which exceeded 1,3 million businesses at the end of H1 2024.

Strategic & Operational Highlights

  • On July 5, 2024, Unifiedpost signed an agreement to sell all shares of 21 Grams to PostNord Strålfors and formed a partnership. PostNord Strålfors will exclusively distribute Banqup in the Nordic countries for at least 5 years and use Unifiedpost's e-invoicing connections. Therefore, this set of results is presented as a discontinued operation with H1 2023 also restated.

  • On July 8, 2024, Unifiedpost successfully closed the divestment of the stand-alone products FitekIN and ONEA for a cash consideration of €7,2 million post balance sheet. This was used to accelerate the reimbursement of the subordinated loan of € 1,2 million and for working capital management.

  • On August 26, 2024, Unifiedpost signed a binding term sheet with Your.World BV to sell its Wholesale Identity Access business in the Netherlands for an enterprise value of € 133,0 million including an earn-out of € 7,7 million. This agreement includes a partnership to distribute Unifiedpost’s Banqup platform to over one million Your.World customers across Europe.

H1 2024 Financial Highlights – Continuing operations1

  • Digital services revenue growth of 10,9% y/y.

  • Excluding all divestments (21 Grams, FitekIN and ONEA), our digital services revenue growth amounts to 12,8% y/y

  • Digital service gross margin improved by 2,1 % y/y to 67,0%

  • Revenue in traditional communication services decreased by 11,1% y/y due to the conversion of services into digital and decreasing volume in management services

  • Cash and cash equivalents at the end of H1 2024 amounted to € 18,7 million, of which € 7,4 million is restricted cash including € 6,2 million is to be considered as client money2

  • Continued focus on free cash flow3 with a reset of expectations to account for realised and planned divestments in the year. We are committed to achieve a free cash flow break-even position by the end of 2025.

Commenting on the H1 2024 results, Hans Leybaert, CEO and founder, remarked: "The company continues to focus on growing its core digital services and during the first half we reported solid growth, with further upside potential to be unlocked following the expected regulatory wave. We are pleased with the progress made on the divestment of 21 Grams whilst leveraging the partnership opportunity with PostNord to distribute our Banqup in the Nordic countries. With the completion of the FitekIN and ONEA stand-alone product divestment, we were able to accelerate the repayment of our outstanding loan. Furthermore, we recently announced the sale of our Wholesale Identity Access business in the Netherlands, which presents a unique opportunity to crystalise the value of the business and ensure that Unifiedpost will be in a stronger financial position moving forward. Amid these ongoing developments, we remain focused and committed to future-proofing the business and enhancing the board composition and overall corporate governance.”