MICT, Inc. (NASDAQ: MICT) (“MICT”) has today completed the
previously announced acquisition of 100% of the operating business
and assets of Tingo, Inc. (“Tingo”) (OTC:TMNA), via its purchase of
Tingo Mobile Limited (“Tingo Mobile”). As the consideration for the
acquisition, MICT is issuing 19.9% of its common stock to Tingo,
together with Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred
Stock, each of which are convertible into shares of MICT’s common
stock upon certain conditions being satisfied.
Darren Mercer, Chief Executive Officer
of MICT, commented:
“When we embarked in 2021 on our search for value accretive
business acquisitions in the fintech sector, which would either
provide access to new markets for our current suite of products or
with new platforms to introduce into our existing markets, we never
dreamt of finding an opportunity as valuable as this and with such
a strong synergistic fit. Tingo Mobile not only shares our goal of
promoting financial inclusion, it also uses its platforms to tackle
one of humanity’s biggest challenges, namely the global food
security crisis.
“We firmly believe we have acquired one of the
world’s most exciting agri-fintech and fintech businesses. As
reported in Tingo’s Q3 results, Tingo Mobile is already highly
profitable and growing strongly. Within the past few weeks, Tingo
Mobile has delivered a number of major trade deals, which not only
are expected to result in a more than tripling of current customer
numbers, but also marks the commencement of its global
expansion.
“The completion of this acquisition markedly
strengthens our balance sheet and makes us immediately
significantly profitable. We therefore expect to report substantial
earnings for Q4 2022, followed by material quarter over quarter
growth in both revenues and profitability in 2023 and beyond.
“With a wealth of considerable new opportunities
for MICT as a result of this merger, our focus now is to deliver
substantial revenue and earnings growth and maximize shareholder
value, including through the dollarization and globalization of the
business. The Board believes that this acquisition provides MICT
with the opportunity to become a highly profitable global fintech
powerhouse.”
Dozy Mmobuosi,
Founder of Tingo Mobile,
commented: “We are delighted to complete our merger with
MICT, fulfilling our longstanding ambitions of achieving a Nasdaq
listing for Tingo Mobile.
“Today’s merger is enabling us to accelerate
upon our ambitious global expansion strategy, which in turn is
already beginning to dollarize our business, a trend that is
expected to continue and grow throughout 2023 and beyond. With
sizeable new opportunities in both Africa and Southeast Asia
already well advanced, being part of the MICT group strengthens the
infrastructure and framework to support such rapid global
expansion.
“The mutual benefits brought to each party by
this transaction are already making material differences to the
enlarged group. I remain very excited about the abundance of
opportunities we have for Tingo Mobile and MICT, both in our
immediate and long-term future.”
About MICT
MICT is a financial technology business
principally focused on the growth and development of a suite of
consumer fintech services across approximately 130 cities in China,
with planned expansion into additional markets. MICT has developed
highly scalable proprietary platforms for insurance products (B2B,
B2B2C and B2C) and financial services/products (B2C), the
technology for which is highly adaptable for other applications and
markets. MICT has acquired and holds the requisite license and
approvals with the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission to
deal in securities and provide securities advisory and asset
management services. MICT also has memberships/registrations with
the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the requisite Hong Kong and China
Direct clearing companies. MICT’s financial services business and
first financial services product, the Magpie Invest app, is able to
trade securities on NASDAQ, NYSE, TMX, HKSE, China Stock Connect,
LSE, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the Paris Stock Exchange.
About Tingo
Tingo, through its wholly owned subsidiary,
Tingo Mobile, is the leading Agri-Fintech company operating in
Africa, with a marketplace platform that empowers social upliftment
through mobile, technology and financial access for rural farming
communities. Tingo Mobile’s novel “device as a service” model
allows it to add market leading applications to enable customers to
trade, buy top ups, pay bills, access insurance and lending
services. With 9.3 million existing customers, Tingo Mobile is
seeking to expand its operations across select markets in Africa.
Tingo Mobile’s strategic plan is to become the eminent Pan-African
Agri-Fintech business delivering social upliftment and financial
inclusion to millions of SME farmers and women-led businesses.
Tingo Mobile offers its comprehensive platform
service through use of smartphones – ‘device as a service’ (using
GSM technology) -- to empower a marketplace to enable
subscribers/farmers within and outside of the agricultural sector
to manage their commercial activities of growing and selling their
production to market participants both domestically and
internationally. The ecosystem provides a ‘one stop shop’ solution
to enable such subscribers to manage everything from airtime top
ups, bill pay services for utilities and other service providers,
access to insurance services and micro finance to support their
value chain from ‘seed to sale’.
As of September 30, 2022, Tingo Mobile had
approximately 9.3 million subscribers using its mobile phones and
Nwassa platform. Nwassa is Africa’s leading digital agriculture
ecosystem that empowers rural farmers and agri-businesses by using
proprietary technology to enable access to markets in which they
operate. Farm produce can be shipped from farms across Africa to
any part of the world, in both retail and wholesale quantities.
Nwassa’s payment gateway also has an escrow structure that creates
trust between buyers and sellers. Tingo Mobile’s system provides
real-time pricing, straight from the farms, eliminating middlemen.
Tingo Mobile’s users pay for produce bought using available pricing
on its platform.
Cautionary Note Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made herein contain, and
certain oral statements made by representatives of MICT and Tingo
and their respective affiliates, from time to time may contain,
“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe
harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. MICT’s and Tingo’s actual results may differ from their
expectations, estimates and projections and consequently, you
should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions
of future events. Words such as “expect,” “estimate,” “project,”
“budget,” “forecast,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,”
“will,” “could,” “should,” “believes,” “predicts,” “potential,”
“might” and “continues,” and similar expressions are intended to
identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements include, without limitation, MICT’s and Tingo’s
expectations with respect to future performance and anticipated
financial impacts of the Business Combination, the satisfaction of
the closing conditions to the Business Combination and the timing
of the completion of the Business Combination. These
forward-looking statements involve significant risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from expected results. Most of these factors are outside of the
control of MICT or Tingo and are difficult to predict. Factors that
may cause such differences include but are not limited to: (1) the
occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could
give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement (as defined
below); (2) the inability to complete the Business Combination,
including due to the failure to obtain approval of the stockholders
of MICT or Tingo or other conditions to closing in the Merger
Agreement; (3) the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of
MICT’s common stock on Nasdaq following the Business Combination;
(4) the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans
and operations of Tingo or MICT as a result of the announcement and
consummation of the Business Combination; (5) the ability to
recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination,
which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the
ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth
economically and hire and retain key employees; (7) the inability
to complete the Business Combination due to inability to obtain
regulatory approval; (8) changes in applicable laws or regulations;
(10) the possibility that MICT or Tingo may be adversely affected
by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and (11)
the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on any of the foregoing
risks and other risks and uncertainties to be identified in the
proxy statement/prospectus (when available) relating to the
Business Combination, including those under “Risk Factors” therein,
and in other filings with the SEC made by MICT and Tingo. The
foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. Readers are referred to
the most recent reports filed with the SEC by MICT and Tingo.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made.
MICT and Tingo undertake no obligation to update or revise the
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, subject to applicable law.
No Solicitation
This Press Release does not constitute a
solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to
any securities or in respect of the Business Combination.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
MICT intends to file with the SEC a preliminary
proxy statement of MICT in connection with Business Combination.
The definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents will be
mailed to stockholders of MICT as of a record date to be
established for voting on the Business Combination. Stockholders of
MICT and other interested persons are advised to read, when
available, the preliminary proxy statement, and amendments thereto,
and the definitive proxy statement in connection with MICT’s
solicitation of proxies for the special meeting to be held to
approve the Business Combination because these documents will
contain important information about MICT, Tingo and the Business
Combination. Stockholders will also be able to obtain copies of the
proxy statement, without charge, once available, on the SEC’s
website at www.sec.gov.
Participants in the
Solicitation
MICT and Tingo and certain of their respective
directors, executive officers, other members of management and
employees, under SEC rules, may be deemed to be participants in the
solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of MICT in favor of
the approval of the Business Combination.
Additional information regarding the interests
of such potential participants will also be included in the Proxy
Statement and other relevant documents when they are filed with the
SEC. Free copies of these documents may be obtained as described in
the preceding paragraph.
Investor Relations ContactChris Tyson/Larry
Holub949-491-8235MICT@mzgroup.uswww.mzgroup.us
MICT Inc. Contact
InformationEmail: info@mict-inc.comPhone: (201)
225-0190
Tingo, Inc. Contact
InformationRory BowenChief of Staff – Tingo, Inc.
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