Increase in business activity and growth
October - December 2021
January - December 2021
Comments from the CEO
Just like last quarter the pickup is continuing, indicating that we have passed the peak of being affected by Covid. Each of our business units are performing well and our research portfolio is greatly strengthened by the acquisition of iMotions.
Automotive
Let’s continue to put some color on our automotive production programs, by giving general information while honoring our disclosure agreements.
In the ongoing automotive procurement scene, Smart Eye continue to stand strong thanks to our competitive technological position and regulatory tailwind.
Our fleet product, AIS, is nearing the end of its development cycle. Extensive final testing is ongoing with the goal of starting the deliveries shortly. We hold a positive outlook on the market as everything seems ready to start up after the peak of the pandemic.
Research
Since the acquisition of iMotions in the quarter we have three business units offering products to researchers: iMotions, Research Instruments and Media Analytics. iMotions is a company founded in Copenhagen, Denmark that is pioneering a multimodal software platform for human behavioral research. During the last five years the two companies have collaborated extensively, with iMotions selling our eye trackers and Smart Eye selling their gaze analysis software.
We were always aligned in our view of how the market is developing and more generally in terms of company values. We were already in conversation regarding strategic alternatives before the pandemic, but it had to be halted due to Covid, just like so many other things. When the markets stabilized, we prepared for the deal, to be done as soon as possible after closing the Affectiva acquisition. Also, Affectiva and iMotions were in close collaboration for many years before the merger, with iMotions selling Affectiva’s Emotion SDK as part of their solution. The multimodal concept is extremely interesting for the automotive market in a near future, as gaining a deep understanding of what is happening in a vehicle requires combining input from multiple sensors and modalities.
Research Instruments continued to do well. The rate of growth in Q4 was increasing compared to earlier in the year. For the full year the growth was 30%. We are doing well with both partner sales and direct sales. We believe the positive trend continues in 2022.
Media Analytics fourth quarter was one where we continued to pick up speed. We had the highest revenue of the year and also several key customers where onboarded.
Innovation
While delivering on our customer commitments remains a priority, we continue to invest in research and our science to stay ahead of technological innovation. This has always been critical to the success of each of Smart Eye’s business units. Post the pandemic peak we have seen our research collaborations in industry and academia pick up steam. We have also been able to ramp up our in-person data collection again, a key enabler of our deep-learning based technology. At the end of Q4 we were awarded a CES 2022 Innovation Award for our Interior Sensing solution – great validation that our technology is solving a critical market need and recognition for the innovative technologies the Smart Eye team continues to develop.
Final Words
Even though we see an impact from the semi-conductor shortage affecting the whole automotive industry, still all our business units and markets are growing, both organically and because of the Affectiva and iMotions acquisitions. Each of our markets are gaining momentum as the effects of the pandemic seems to abate, and we are approaching 2022 with eager anticipation.
Martin Krantz
CEO Smart Eye
For more information:
Martin Krantz, CEO Smart Eye AB
Phone: +46 70-329 26 98
Email: martin.krantz@smarteye.se
Anders Lyrheden, CFO Smart Eye AB
Phone: +46 70-320 96 95
Email: anders.lyrheden@smarteye.se
About Smart Eye
Smart Eye is the global leader in Human Insight AI, technology that understands, supports and predicts human behavior in complex environments. Bridging the gap between humans and machines for a safe and sustainable future.
Today, our technology is embedded in next-generation vehicles, leading the way towards human-centric mobility through Driver Monitoring Systems and Interior Sensing solutions. Our Research Instruments offer unparalleled insights into Automotive, Aviation & Aerospace, Assistive Technology, Media & Marketing, Psychology and many more fields. Our subsidiary Affectiva is pioneering Emotion AI, connecting machine logic with human empathy to gain a deeper understanding of how consumers engage with content and products.
Smart Eye was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Sweden with offices in the US, UK, Germany, Egypt, Japan and China. A publicly traded company since 2016, our customers include NASA, Nissan, Boeing, Honeywell, Volvo, GM, BMW, Geely, Harvard University, 70% of the world’s largest advertisers and 28% of the Fortune Global 500 companies.
Visit www.smarteye.ai for more information.
Visit our investor web for more financial information: http://www.corp.smarteye.se/en/
Smart Eye is listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market. Erik Penser is Certified Adviser and can be reached at +46-8-463 8000 or certifiedadviser@penser.se.
This information is information that Smart Eye is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 2022-02-23 07:30 CET.
Attachments
Year-End Report January-December 2021