Tingo Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:TIO) Q3 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

The TingoPay business portal and Tingo Visa merchant services enabled subscriber farmers and businesses in all sectors to easily and securely accept payments, and to make online transactions in their domestic or foreign currencies as well as to manage the cards, set up the recurring payments and access transaction statements. With the full version launched in September, we continue to develop new features, including the addition of new functions and several new value-added services that will appear in future versions. Through Tingo Mobile, Nwassa, TingoPay, Tingo Foods and Tingo DMCC, we have created a full Agri-Fintech ecosystem, which is at the heart of our business. We communicate with and push services to our farmers through the smartphone handsets we supply to them.

The farmers can then use Nwassa to purchase inputs for their farming business, to purchase other services, to make payments, and sell their produce. Tingo Foods forms an important part of the ecosystem as well as a valuable potential customer and source of offtake for Tingo Mobile’s farmers, processing their raw crops into finished food and beverage products. Finally, Tingo DMCC is in a position to trade and export both the raw crops to Tingo Mobile’s farmers and the finished food and beverage products of Tingo Foods, which it is able to sell into a global market where demand significantly outstrips supply. This already strong seed-to-sale ecosystem is now strengthened further by the recently signed deal between Tingo Mobile, PCX and AFAN, as the partnership provides us access to a substantial nationwide network of warehouse facilities, as well as securing a considerable increase in product supply and offering us enhanced commodity trading opportunities.

In total, the Tingo ecosystem creates a reinforcing loop of financial and digital inclusion alongside an increase in food supply and reduction in post-harvest losses, which in turn improve food security and reduce food poverty. Ultimately, these factors deliver financial and social upliftment, not only to our farmers, but also to all of our stakeholders. At the center of everything we do are our core values and our commitment to our environmental, social and governance goals. We foster digital and financial inclusion through our technology platforms, driving the social and economic upliftment of our customers. We meaningfully improve the global food supply and help tackle the world’s food security crisis by empowering the farmer, helping them to increase crop yields, reduce post-harvest losses, gain from improved access to markets and benefit from fair prices.

Our technology and platforms also delivered significant environmental benefits, reducing crop wastage, improving farming and food production efficiency, promoting sustainable farming techniques and reducing freight miles. As part of our commitment towards the environment and social upliftment, we are focused on adopting a mature ESG framework, underpinned and guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Turning to our third quarter 2023 financial results as reported in this morning’s 10-Q filing, which I am pleased to present. A full breakdown of our financial results is available in our regulatory filings and in the press release that crossed the wire earlier this morning. Now turning to some of the key figures. Net revenues for the 3 months ended September 30, 2023, were $586.21 million compared to $13.8 million for the 3 months ended September 30, 2022, an increase of 4,161%.

Net revenues for the 9 months ended September 30, 2023, were $2.41 billion compared to $35.3 million for the 9 months ended September 30, 2022, an increase of 6,740%. The increase is mainly attributable to the addition of the Tingo Mobile and Tingo Foods acquisitions completed on December 1, 2022, and February 9, 2023, respectively, and the commencement of export trades through Tingo DMCC in May, 2023. Gross profit for the 3 months ended September 30, 2023, was $137.9 million or 24% of revenue compared to $3.2 million or 23% of revenue for the 3 months ended September 30, 2022. Gross profit for the 9 months ended September 30, 2023, was $870.8 million or 36% of revenue compared to $6.5 million or 19% of revenue for the 9 months ended September 30, 2022.

The increase is mainly attributable to the addition of the Tingo Mobile and Tingo Foods acquisitions completed on December 1, 2022, and February 9, 2023, respectively, and the commencement of export trades through Tingo DMCC in May 2023. Selling and marketing expenses for the 3 months ended September 30, 2023, was $0.7 million as compared to $1.3 million for the 3 months ended September 30, 2022. Selling and marketing expenses for the 9 months ended September 30, 2023, were $174.9 million as compared to $4.9 million for the 9 months ended September 30, 2022. General and administrative expenses for the 3 months ended September 30, 2023, were $75.9 million compared to $9.2 million for the 3 months ended September 30, 2022. General and administrative expenses for the 9 months ended September 30, 2023, were $127.9 million compared to $30.2 million for the 9 months ended September 30, 2022, mainly attributed to the addition of costs from Tingo Mobile and Tingo Foods.