Mobivity Holdings Corp. (PNK:MFON) Q1 2023 Earnings Call Transcript May 15, 2023

Operator: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Mobivity First Quarter 2023 Earnings Results Conference Call. During the presentation, all participants will be in a listen-only mode. Afterwards, we will conduct a question-and-answer session. [Operator Instructions] I would now like to turn the call over to Brett Maas of Hayden IR. Please go ahead.

Brett Maas: Thank you, operator. I’d like to welcome everyone to Mobivity’s first quarter 2023 earnings call. Hosting the call today are Dennis Becker, Founder and Chairman, Chief Executive Officer; Kim Carlson, Chief Operating Officer; and Lisa Brennan, Chief Financial Officer. Before I turn the call over to management, I’d like to call everyone’s attention to the company’s safe harbor policy. Please note that certain statements made on this call will be forward-looking statements, which are subject to considerable risks and uncertainties. We caution you that such statements reflect management’s best judgment based on factors currently known and that the actual results or events could differ materially. Please refer to the documents filed by the company from time to time with the SEC, and in particular, in the most recently filed annual report on Form 10-K.

These documents contain and identify important risk factors and other information that may cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements made during this call are being made as of today. If this call is replayed or reviewed after today, the information presented during this call may not contain current or accurate information. Except as required by law, the company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if the new information becomes available in the future. Today’s call may include non-GAAP financial measures, which require a reconciliation to the most directly comparable financial measures, which are calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP that can be found in today’s press release, along with our recent corporate presentation, which is also available at mobivity.com.

With all that said, I’d like to turn the call over to Dennis Becker. Dennis, the floor is yours.

Dennis Becker: Hello, everyone, and thank you for joining us today for Mobivity’s Q1 2023 earnings call. I’m Dennis Becker, CEO of Mobivity and I’m eager to update you all on the significant growth and continued transformation of our business. Earlier this year, we launched Connected Rewards, a platform that has proven to be a resounding success. We’re delighted to report that the platform’s appeal has been proven and evidenced by the continued expansion of brands and customers using the Connected Rewards platform. Even more promising, we’re experiencing a rapid acceleration in our month-to-month revenue and expect it to continue through the year. This strong performance is not just a result of the platform’s inherent strengths, but also our efforts to focus and expand leadership and our organization on the growing demand for Connected Rewards.

We remain firmly committed to nurturing and growing Connected Rewards and as stated earlier in the year, aimed to evolve it well beyond our former SMS text marketing business model. This platform is shaping our future, and we’re excited about what it holds. In the gaming industry, return on ad spend is a vital metric that publishers constantly scrutinize. Game publishers perpetually seek profitable advertising channels and the increased investments in channels where positive returns are delivered. In the last few months, our increasing portfolio of game publisher customers has more than doubled their acquisition budgets on our platform, which is a testament to the effectiveness of Connected Rewards. They’re seeing positive returns on their ad spend and getting profitable players for their games, which has resulted in our daily game install volume growing more than 900% since January.

Moreover, as we scale more and more transactions, we’re building a unique and highly valuable database of mobile phone numbers and mobile game preferences. This database allows us to optimize future campaigns to yield higher revenue and profitability. Before we move on, it’s important to frame these achievements within the broader market landscape. Data AI’s state of mobile 2023 report shows that mobile ad spending will hit $362 billion in 2023, up from $155 billion in 2018. Consumer spending on mobile games is projected to rise concurrently. This shows that game publishers are investing heavily in acquiring players. Our platform offers them a unique and highly valuable method to do so. These market dynamics show that the opportunity for our Connected Rewards platform is significant, and we are well-positioned to capitalize on it.

I’m also pleased to report that we completed a financing with existing shareholders to support our momentum through the year. This strategic move provided us with the essential funds to continue executing on our ambitious growth plan and goal of cash flow positive operations later this year. We’re grateful to our supporting shareholders who see the potential of connected rewards and we’re determined to unlock its full potential to drive our path to profitability. In line with our growth, I’m thrilled to announce that Kim Carlson has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Since joining us as Chief Revenue Officer late last year, Ken has been instrumental in driving the adoption and growth of our Connected Rewards platform by game publishers and brands.

For deep experience in the mobile gaming industry has been essential to guiding our transformation, not only in driving game publisher demand, but in how we execute our broader business model transformation. Going forward, Kim will be leading our operations, product and sales and marketing teams to further accelerate our growth. I will now pass the call to our CFO, Lisa Brennan, who will provide a more detailed review of our financial results. Lisa?

Lisa Brennan: Thanks, Dennis. I’d like to start off by addressing our cash position. We ended the first quarter with approximately $2.6 million in cash, and our accounts receivable was approximately $750,000, which we believe is sufficient to support our operations for the foreseeable future. First quarter revenue slightly decreased to $1.9 million compared to $2 million in the first quarter of 2022. This decrease is primarily due to nonrecurring revenues in 2022 related to a large onetime project for a specific customer. That said, I’m pleased to report that on a sequential basis, Q1 2023 revenues grew 12% over Q4 2022 revenues of $1.7 million, driven primarily by our growing connected rewards business. I’d now like to draw your attention to our gross profit margin for the first quarter of 2023.

We saw a slight increase in this figure compared to the same period last year. Specifically, our gross profit margin stood at 43% in Q1 of 2023, up from 42% in Q1 of 2022. What’s more impressive is the sequential improvement comparing the first quarter of 2023 to the fourth quarter of 2022, we see a significant boost in our gross profit margin. It climbed from 35% in Q4 of 2022 to 43% in Q1 of 2023, marking a 23% improvement. Again, this uptick is primarily attributed to the higher margins yielded by Connected Rewards. We’re encouraged by this trend, and we’ll continue to focus on maintaining and enhancing our margins moving forward. Our operating expenses increased to $3.2 million for the first quarter of 2023, up from $2.6 million in the first quarter of 2022.

The primary drivers of this increase were stock-based compensation and noncash expenses associated with foreign conversions during the first quarter of 2023. Excluding these expenses, operating costs were relatively flat year-over-year. I will now turn the call back over to Dennis for his closing remarks. Dennis?

Dennis Becker: Thanks, Lisa. As we wrap up this earnings call, let’s underscore the incredible growth and strategic advancements we’ve made this year, particularly in growing our Connected Rewards platform. We’re generating thousands of mobile game installs daily, leading to increased consumer rewards, value for our game partners, and importantly, accelerating revenue growth. Game publishers doubling of their user acquisition budgets for our platform is a testament to the efficacy of Connected Rewards. Additionally, Kim Carlson’s elevation to Chief Operating Officer, highlights our dedication to leadership and underscores our transition towards the Connected Rewards business model. The $362 billion market is vast, and we’ve only just begun to tap into it.

The early adoption and robust revenue growth seen in the first five months of this year signal a promising future. We’re focusing the company to capitalize on this opportunity, armed with the right team, sufficient capital and unwavering determination. I want to express my profound gratitude to the entire Mobivity team whose tireless work, dedication, and innovation have driven our success. We’ll continue to keep you updated on our progress. Thank you for joining us, and we now welcome your questions in the Q&A session.

Q&A Session

Operator: Thank you. [Operator Instructions] We do have a question from Jeff Porter with Porter Capital. Please go ahead. Your line is open.

Operator: [Operator Instructions] There are no further questions at this moment. We’ll turn the call back to Dennis Becker.

Dennis Becker: Hi, thank you very much. I really appreciate everyone joining us on our call today. We’re really excited to keep everyone updated on the progress as the year progresses.

Operator: Thank you. This does conclude the call for today. We thank you for your presentation and ask that you please disconnect your line.