LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Creative Realities, Inc. (“Creative Realities,” “CRI,” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CREX, CREXW), a leading provider of digital signage and media solutions, announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023.

Rick Mills, Chief Executive Officer, commented “I am pleased to report that the Company generated first quarter 2023 revenue of $9.9 million with first quarter records of $5.1 million and approximately $960 thousand in gross profit and Adjusted EBITDA, respectively. This translates to first quarter gross profit and Adjusted EBITDA margins of 51.2% and 9.6%, respectively. The former is a record gross profit margin percentage for a quarter and the first time this number has exceeded 50%. While not a quarterly record, the first quarter Adjusted EBITDA margin percentage is a 370 basis-point improvement over the same period in 2022 and 120 basis-points above the full year results for fiscal year 2022. The Company’s run-rate on annual recurring revenue (ARR) is also at a record level of $14.8 million. These results highlight two critical factors for investors –we believe the Company’s baseline revenue levels have grown to equal $10 million in periods without material active hardware deployments, and we continued to enhance profitability in such periods driven by continued growth in our SaaS subscription revenue contracts, or ARR.

“Our first quarter typically reflects a number of seasonal influences,” stated Mr. Mills. Mr. Mills continued “Our top-line revenue for the first quarter is in line with expectations we previously articulated on our year-end 2022 results earnings call and the results required for us to drive towards the $60 million in guidance for 2023.” Mr. Mills further stated, “As we have previously communicated, we have secured material new client deployments which will ramp up significantly throughout 2023, particularly as we enter the second half of the year and throughout 2024.” Mr. Mills added, “Importantly, we are continually driving improvements in our profitability associated with both scale and new deployments, which drive our SaaS and other downstream recurring and services revenue at significantly more favorable margins. Increases in high-margin ARR increase the Company’s gross profit margin, which exceeded 50% in the period, with further improvements projected for our Adjusted EBITDA flow-through as we seek an Adjusted EBITDA run-rate of 15% exiting 2023.”

The Company is reaffirming its previously disclosed 2023 full-year revenue guidance of $60 million at a projected Adjusted EBITDA margin percentage of 15% and an annual recurring revenue of $17 million, each on an annualized exit run-rate basis. The Company previously announced revenue backlog from opportunities with existing customers at $110 million.

Our revenue backlog is primarily related to projected network deployments and project work, which upon execution will result in ARR. The Company’s backlog calculation is comprised of the full rollout of projects that have been communicated to us by our current customers under contract, and includes all revenues to be received by the Company by deploying all of our products and services necessary to service such stated projects, including projected revenues that are not currently subject to binding purchase orders or firm commitments.

2023 Q1 Financial Overview
All references to current year and prior year represent references to the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Key Highlights:

Revenue, gross profit, and gross margin:

Operating expenses:

Operating loss, net loss, and EBITDA:

Other notes:

Conference Call Details
The Company will host a conference call to review the results of the Company’s first quarter 2023, and provide additional commentary about the Company’s recent performance, on May 15, 2023 at 9:00 am Eastern Time.

Prior to the call, participants should register at http://bit.ly/CRIearnings2022Q4. Once registered, participants can use the dial-in information provided in the registration email to listen to the Company’s prepared remarks and participate in the live question and answer session. An archived edition of the conference call will also be posted on our website at www.cri.com later that same day and will remain available to interested parties via the same link for one year.

About Creative Realities, Inc.
Creative Realities helps clients use place-based digital media to achieve business objectives such as increased revenue, enhanced customer experiences, and improved productivity. The Company designs, develops and deploys digital signage experiences for enterprise-level networks, and is actively providing recurring SaaS and support services across diverse vertical markets, including but not limited to retail, automotive, digital-out-of-home (DOOH) advertising networks, convenience stores, foodservice/QSR, gaming, theater, and stadium venues.

With its recent acquisition of Reflect Systems, Inc., a leading provider of digital signage software platforms, the Company is poised to extend its product and service offering and accelerate growth in SaaS revenue. While Reflect provided a broad range of digital signage solutions, Reflect’s flagship products are the market-leading ReflectView digital signage platform and Reflect AdLogic ad management platform. ReflectView is the industry’s most comprehensive, scalable, enterprise-grade digital signage platform, powering enterprise customer networks. Meanwhile, Reflect AdLogic has become the benchmark for digital signage powered ad networks, delivering nearly 50 million ads daily. The acquisition of Reflect also brought to the Company a media sales division with the expertise and relationships to help any digital signage venue owner develop and execute a monetization plan for their network.

The combined company has operations across North America with active installations in more than 10 countries.

Use of Non-GAAP Measures
Creative Realities, Inc. prepares its consolidated financial statements in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). In addition to disclosing financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP, the Company discloses information regarding “EBITDA” and “Adjusted EBITDA.” CRI defines “EBITDA” as earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization of intangibles. CRI defines “Adjusted EBITDA” as EBITDA excluding stock-based compensation, fair value adjustments and both cash and non-cash non-recurring gains and charges. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not measures of performance defined in accordance with GAAP. However, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are used internally in planning and evaluating the Company’s operating performance. Accordingly, management believes that disclosure of these metrics offers investors, bankers and other stakeholders an additional view of the Company’s operations that, when coupled with the GAAP results, provides a more complete understanding of the Company’s financial results.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net income/(loss) or to net cash used in operating activities as measures of operating results or liquidity. Our calculation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies, and the measures exclude financial information that some may consider important in evaluating the Company’s performance. A reconciliation of GAAP net income/(loss) to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA is included in the accompanying financial schedules.

For further information, please refer to Creative Realities, Inc.’s filings available online at www.sec.gov, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2023.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and includes, among other things, discussions of our business strategies, product releases, future operations and capital resources. Words such as "estimates," "projected," "expects," "anticipates," "forecasts," "plans," "intends," "believes," "seeks," "may," "will," "should," "future," "propose" and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results. They are based on the opinions, estimates and beliefs of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, many of which are outside of our control, that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these risks are discussed in the “Risk Factors” section contained in Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and the Company’s subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include: our ability to effectively integrate Reflect’s business operations, our strategy for customer retention, growth, product development, market position, financial results and reserves, our ability to execute on our business plan, our ability to retain key personnel, our ability to remain listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, our ability to realize the revenues included in our future guidance and backlog reports, the ability of the Company to continue as a going concern, potential litigation, supply chain shortages, and general economic and market conditions impacting demand for our products and services, including those as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Readers should not place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contact

Christina Davies
cdavies@ideagrove.com

Investor Relations:
ir@cri.com
https://investors.cri.com/

 CREATIVE REALITIES, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except per share amounts)

  March 31,  December 31, 
  2023  2022 
  (unaudited)     
ASSETS        
CURRENT ASSETS        
Cash and cash equivalents $3,905  $1,633 
Accounts receivable, net  6,849   8,263 
Work-in-process and inventories, net  1,479   2,267 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets  804   1,819 
Total current assets $13,037  $13,982 
Property and equipment, net  245   201 
Operating lease right-of-use assets  1,504   1,584 
Intangibles, net  23,819   23,752 
Goodwill  26,453   26,453 
Other assets  44   43 
TOTAL ASSETS $65,102  $66,015 
         
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY        
CURRENT LIABILITIES        
Accounts payable $3,087  $3,757 
Accrued expenses  3,726   3,828 
Deferred revenues  3,605   1,223 
Customer deposits  785   2,478 
Current maturities of operating leases  712   711 
Short-term portion of Secured Promissory Note  1,146   1,248 
Short-term portion of related party Consolidation Term Loan, net of $747 and $745 discount, respectively  2,048   1,251 
Short-term related party Term Loan (2022)  1,750   2,000 
Total current liabilities  16,859   16,496 
Long-term Secured Promissory Note  -   208 
Long-term related party Acquisition Term Loan, net of $1,312 and $1,484 discount, respectively  8,688   8,516 
Long-term related party Consolidation Term Loan, net of $654 and $840 discount, respectively  3,736   4,349 
Long-term obligations under operating leases  792   873 
Contingent acquisition consideration, at fair value  9,865   9,789 
Other liabilities  80   205 
TOTAL LIABILITIES  40,020   40,436 
         
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY        
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 66,666 shares authorized; 7,394 and 7,266 shares issued and outstanding, respectively  74   72 
Additional paid-in capital  76,417   75,916 
Accumulated deficit  (51,409)  (50,409)
Total shareholders’ equity  25,082   25,579 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY $65,102  $66,015 


CREATIVE REALITIES, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)

  For the Three Months Ended 
  March 31, 
  2023  2022 
Sales        
Hardware $4,322  $6,459 
Services and other  5,622   4,298 
Total sales  9,944   10,757 
Cost of sales        
Hardware  3,206   5,382 
Services and other  1,649   1,483 
Total cost of sales  4,855   6,865 
Gross profit  5,089   3,892 
Operating expenses:        
Sales and marketing expenses  1,136   707 
Research and development expenses  366   241 
General and administrative expenses  2,898   2,860 
Depreciation and amortization expense  779   707 
Deal and transaction expenses  -   391 
Total operating expenses  5,179   4,906 
Operating loss  (90)  (1,014)
         
Other income (expenses):        
Interest expense, including amortization of debt discount  (803)  (449)
Change in fair value of warrant liability  -   5,469 
Change in fair value of equity guarantee  (76)  - 
Loss on extinguishment/settlement of obligations  -   (295)
Loss on debt waiver consent  -   (1,212)
Other income  12   6 
Total other income (expense)  (867)  3,519 
Net (loss) income before income taxes  (957)  2,505 
Provision for income taxes  (43)  (3)
Net (loss) income $(1,000) $2,502 
Basic (loss) earnings per common share $(0.14) $0.51 
Diluted (loss) earnings per common share $(0.14) $0.51 
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic  7,351   4,873 
Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted  7,351   4,873 


CREATIVE REALITIES, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)

  Three Months Ended 
  March 31, 
  2023  2022 
Operating Activities:        
Net (loss) income $(1,000) $2,502 
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash provided by operating activities        
Depreciation and amortization  779   707 
Amortization of debt discount  356   181 
Amortization of stock-based compensation  298   551 
Employee Retention and other Government Credits  -   16 
Loss on extinguishment of debt  -   295 
Loss on debt waiver consent  -   1,212 
Bad debt expense  237   116 
Gain on change in fair value of warrants  -   (5,469)
Loss on change in fair value of contingent consideration  76   - 
Deferred income taxes  24   - 
Changes to operating assets and liabilities:        
Accounts receivable  1,177   (3,724)
Work-in-process and inventories  788   52 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets  1,015   777 
Accounts payable  (486)  2,292 
Accrued expenses  (45)  35 
Deferred revenues  2,382   1,901 
Customer deposits  (1,693)  (213)
Other  (40)  (30)
Net cash provided by operating activities  3,868   1,201 
Investing activities        
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired  -   (17,184)
Purchases of property and equipment  (31)  (10)
Capitalization of labor for software development  (1,003)  (775)
Net cash used in investing activities  (1,034)  (17,969)
Financing activities        
Principal payments on finance leases  (2)  - 
Proceeds from sale of common stock in PIPE, net of offering expenses  -   1,814 
Proceeds from sale & exercise of pre-funded warrants in PIPE, net of offering expenses  -   8,295 
Proceeds from Acquisition Loan, net of offering expenses  -   9,868 
Repayment of Term Loan (2022)  (250)  - 
Repayment of Secured Promissory Note  (310)  (104)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities  (562)  19,873 
Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents  2,272   3,105 
Cash and Cash Equivalents, beginning of period  1,633   2,883 
Cash and Cash Equivalents, end of period $3,905  $5,988 


RECONCILIATION OF GAAP NET LOSS TO ADJUSTED EBITDA
(in thousands, unaudited)

Creative Realities, Inc. prepares its consolidated financial statements in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). In addition to disclosing financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP, the Company discloses information regarding “EBITDA” and “Adjusted EBITDA.” CRI defines “EBITDA” as earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization of intangibles. CRI defines “Adjusted EBITDA” as EBITDA excluding stock-based compensation, fair value adjustments and both cash and non-cash non-recurring gains and charges.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures and should not be considered as a substitute for net income (loss), operating income (loss) or any other performance measure derived in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) or as an alternative to net cash provided by operating activities as a measure of CRI’s profitability or liquidity. CRI’s management believes EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are useful financial metrics because they allow external users of CRI’s financial statements, such as industry analysts, investors, lenders and rating agencies, to more effectively evaluate CRI’s operating performance, compare the results of its operations from period to period and against CRI’s peers without regard to CRI’s financing methods, hedging positions or capital structure and because it highlights trends in CRI’s business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on GAAP measures. CRI also presents EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA because it believes EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are important supplemental measures of its performance that are frequently used by others in evaluating companies in its industry. Because EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA exclude some, but not all, items that affect net income (loss) and may vary among companies, the EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA CRI presents may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.

The following table presents a reconciliation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA from net loss, CRI’s most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.  

  Quarters Ended 
  March 31  December 31  September 30  June 30  March 31 
Quarters ended 2023  2022  2022  2022  2022 
GAAP net income (loss) $(1,000) $(1,334) $(554) $1,262  $2,502 
Interest expense:                    
Amortization of debt discount  356   364   363   360   181 
Other interest, net  447   423   394   390   268 
Depreciation/amortization:                    
Amortization of intangible assets  754   743   848   431   680 
Amortization of employee share-based awards  225   448   456   316   469 
Depreciation of property, equipment  25   30   37   37   27 
Income tax expense/(benefit)  43   33   (10)  53   3 
EBITDA $850  $707  $1,534  $2,849  $4,130 
Adjustments                    
Gain on fair value of warrant liability  -   -   -   (2,433)  (5,469)
(Gain)/loss on settlement of obligations  -   -   (37)  (21)  295 
Loss on debt waiver consent  -   -   -   -   1,212 
Loss on warrant amendment  -   -   -   345   - 
(Gain)/loss on fair value of equity guarantee  76   (705)  (442)  73   - 
Disposal of Safe Space Solutions inventory  -   909   -   -   - 
Deal and transaction expenses  -   54   110   37   391 
Other (income)/expense  (12)  7   2   1   (6)
Stock-based compensation – Director grants  43   56   82   82   82 
Adjusted EBITDA $957   1,028   1,249   933   635