DGAP-News: net digital AG with successful fiscal year 2021

net digital AG with successful fiscal year 2021

- EBITDA increase by around 80 percent and significant improvement in EBITDA margin

- Strong development in Payment for E-Commerce

- Artificial Intelligence as a separate division with successful market entry and a high growth potential

- Around 25 percent increase in sales revenues and a further improvement in earnings anticipated for 2022

Düsseldorf (26 April 2022). net digital AG (ISIN: DE000A2BPK34, Ticker Symbol: VRL) has had a successful development in fiscal 2021. Apart from setting an important strategic course for the further growth of the company, a significant increase in EBITDA was achieved according to preliminary, still unaudited figures based on German GAAP (HGB) accounting. The reported EBITDA rose in 2021 by around 80 percent to EUR 0.68 million (PY: EUR 0.38 million). The figures for the full year reflect the new structure of net digital AG in the first year and are marked by some one-off effects due to the first-time consolidation of group companies. With sales revenues of EUR 8.37 million (PY: EUR 8.87 million), which were, as expected, slightly below the previous year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EBITDA margin was significantly increased during the reporting period.

Payment solutions for e-commerce and, more specifically, video streaming were a significant growth driver for net digital in 2021. Sales revenues were here well over 20 per cent higher than in the previous year. A major milestone was the payment licence from BaFin, which the subsidiary mbe GmbH received during the fiscal year. This secures net digital an outstanding market position and opens up considerable growth potentials. In Mobile Payment, on the other hand, the reduced use of corresponding offers by passengers in public transportation, for instance, was temporarily noticeable due to the pandemic. In the current fiscal year 2022, net digital is already recording a significant increase in sales revenues in this area.

One of the most important development priorities in 2021 was the Artificial Intelligence (AI) division. The activities and the completely self-developed technology were bundled in a separate company, irisnet GmbH, and in the second half of the year the market entry of the AI offering by net digital was successfully implemented. This was preceded by another significant advanced development of the state-of-the-art solution of net digital in this area, for which various customers have already been gained. They use irisnet primarily in visual computing and already process a six-digit number of transactions with it every day. The self-learning solution can, for instance, screen visual offers for content classified as critical with far above-average reliability and a wide range of possible applications.

The internationalisation of the customer base of net digital has once again gained significant momentum especially since the 4^th quarter of 2021. The share of sales revenues in conjunction with customer activities abroad increased noticeably to more than 50 percent. Above all customers from Europe and North America contributed to the international growth. This positive trend from 2021 is continuing in the current year.

For 2022, net digital expects a significant leap in sales revenues of around 25 percent with a simultaneous further increase in EBITDA. With the net digital platform and its modules, including in the areas of Payment, Product Lifecycle Management, Content & Partnering and Artificial Intelligence, the company believes to be ideally positioned for a long-term continuation of the positive trend.

Theodor Niehues, CEO of net digital AG: "2021 was extraordinarily successful for us in a new, listed structure. This is documented by our very clearly improved operating income, the strong development in E-Commerce Payment and the new international customers. In Payment, for instance, we are now better positioned than ever thanks to the BaFin licence and our mature product range. I see great potential for irisnet, our AI solution, because in technological terms we have an excellent offering - the feedback from the first customers is extremely positive. Consequently, we will continue to grow significantly in the current year, by about 25 percent in terms of sales revenues. We want to accompany the positive operative development with more intensive capital market communication. A first research firm has initiated coverage of our share and sees a target price of EUR 20.60."

The audited financial statements and the Annual Report 2021 of net digital AG will be published in June.

About net digital AG

net digital AG is a partner of many medium-sized and large companies from the telecommunications, media and entertainment industries. It develops global and individually adapted digital payment solutions with a focus on digital content distribution via its own technology platform. The solutions for the distribution of contents focus on the areas of entertainment, music and videos. The around 250 international customers of net digital AG include, for instance, large telecommunications and media groups as well as various public transportation companies. Through its technology platform, net digital AG reaches more than 100 million consumers. The shares of net digital AG are traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "VRL" (ISIN: DE000A2BPK34, WKN: A2BPK3).

Contact net digital AG

+49 (0) 211 97 53 55-0
ir@net-digital.com

Contact Finance and Business Press for net digital AG

edicto GmbH
Ralf Droz / Axel Mühlhaus
+49 (0) 69 90 55 05-54
netdigital@edicto.de