x YouTube Video Listen to our archived episodes: Pandora | LibSyn | YouTube Support the show: Patreon | PayPal: 1x or monthly | Square Cash * David Waldman counts the days until our next big national funding crisis . Crises more than two weeks off seem like science fiction, don’t they? Won’t we have solved it with AI by then? AI might be a lousy search engine , but it will argue with you as well as any idiot. “Giving a woman an orgasm on purpose is gay” is not AI, but an actual idiot’s opinion . AI also could never have predicted what really motivated economically anxious Republicans in the election. President Joe Biden will hopefully prioritize KITM staff pardons, but Liz Cheney and Anthony Fauci are probably next in line . The " Deny, Defend, Depose " shooter is still at large, flashing his dashing Gyllenhaalian smile while cleverly changing his backpack color, number of coat pockets, and means of transportation to elude the authorities, while ballads are sung of his exploits . We are reminded that it’s unseemly to pattern one’s social movement on the acts of law breakers. Now someone else at United Healthcare will need to sign off on hundreds of millions in ransomware payments . Devout breeder Elon Musk isn’t quite a devout Christian but is ok with you worshiping him . Elon sits at the right hand of Trump, because he outbid all of the other saviors . Musk spent $20 million on a fake “RBG” PAC, because the only thing more important than control to Elon is trolling . Trump’s working on the budget as well, helping weed out any funding not going to an Elon Musk venture , even if it means firing Louis DeJoy . Instead of a gold standard, perhaps we can base our economy on pump and dumping meme stocks ? Hawk Tuah ! House Republicans blocked release of the Matt Gaetz ethics report, because they can . Democratic Representative Sean Casten might still force them to release it, though.Syria’s Civil War reaches Damascus as rebels claim strategic gains
NOT FOR RELEASE, DISTRIBUTION OR PUBLICATION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, BELARUS, HONG KONG, JAPAN, CANADA, NEW ZEALAND, RUSSIA, SINGAPORE, SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE RELEASE, DISTRIBUTION OR PUBLICATION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. PLEASE SEE "IMPORTANT INFORMATION" AT THE END OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. The Board of Directors of Fingerprint Cards AB (“Fingerprints” or the “Company”) has resolved on a partially guaranteed issue of units consisting of new shares of series B (“B-shares”) and warrants entitling for subscription of B-shares (“Warrants”) (together “Units”) of up to approximately SEK 160 million with preferential rights for its existing shareholders, subject to subsequent approval from an extraordinary general meeting in the Company to be held on 17 January 2025 (the “Rights Issue”). The Rights Issue is subject to subscription undertakings and guarantee commitments in a total amount of up to SEK 115 million. To cover the Company’s liquidity needs during the period up until the completion of the Rights Issue, a consortium of external investors has provided the Company with a short-term loan of SEK 40 million (the “Bridge Loan”). The net proceeds from the Rights Issue are intended to be used to repay the Bridge Loan (including interest and set-up fee) and general corporate purposes. Such general corporate purposes include, inter alia, funding the transformation plan, including the continued wind down of the Chinese operations, and the group’s ongoing operations during the continued implementation of the transformation plan as well as future growth initiatives. The extraordinary general meeting is to be held on 17 January 2025 and will be proposed to resolve on subsequent approval of the Board of Directors’ resolution on the Rights Issue, resolve on certain technical measures to facilitate the Rights Issue and resolve to amend the Company’s articles of association to increase the limits for the number of shares and number of shares of each class to enable the Rights Issue. A notice convening the extraordinary general meeting will be announced through a separate press release. Summary The Board of Directors of Fingerprints has today resolved on the Rights Issue of up to approximately SEK 160 million, of which the initial SEK 115 million is subject to subscription undertakings and guarantee commitments. The resolution is subject to subsequent approval by the extraordinary general meeting to be held on 17 January 2025. In connection with the Rights Issue, a consortium of external investors has provided the Company with the Bridge Loan in an amount of SEK 40 million in order to provide liquidity to the Company up until the completion of the Rights Issue. The repayment of the Bridge Loan (including interest and set-up fee) will be financed with part of the net proceeds from the Rights Issue. The final terms of the Rights Issue, including the maximum amount by which the Company’s share capital shall be increased with, the maximum number of Units (and thereby the maximum number of B-shares and Warrants) to be issued, the number of unit rights and the subscription price for each Unit and thereby the price per B-share (the Warrants will be issued free of charge), will be determined by the Board of Directors on or around 15 January 2025 (however not later than on 17 January 2025) and will be announced by way of press release. The subscription price in the Rights Issue will be determined by the Board of Directors at a customary discount, indicatively a discount to the theoretical ex-rights price (“TERP”) of approximately 35 percent (however not lower than SEK 0.01). Provided that the extraordinary general meeting resolves to approve the Rights Issue, resolves on certain technical measures to facilitate the Rights Issue and to amend the Company’s articles of association, the record date in the Rights Issue is expected to be on 24 January 2025. The subscription period runs from and including 28 January 2025, to and including 11 February 2025. Unit rights not utilized during the subscription period will become invalid and lose their value. Trading in unit rights is planned to take place on Nasdaq Stockholm from and including 28 January 2025, to and including 6 February 2025. Trading in paid subscribed Units (Sw. betalda tecknade units, “BTU”) is planned to take place on Nasdaq Stockholm from and including 28 January 2025 to and including 20 February 2025. It is expected that the Units will be structured with a ratio of 6:1 between B-shares and Warrants where, for example, for every six (6) new B-shares, one (1) Warrant will be included in a Unit. The Warrants will entitle the holder to subscribe for one (1) new B-share in the Company at a subscription price corresponding to 70 percent of the volume-weighted average price (“VWAP”) for the Company’s B-share on Nasdaq Stockholm during the 10 trading days that occurs immediately prior to the exercise period for the Warrants, however not higher than the equivalent of 150 percent of the subscription price per B-share in the Rights Issue and not lower than the equivalent of (i) the quota value for the Company’s shares from time to time or (ii) SEK 0.01. The exercise period for the Warrants is expected to occur approximately 18 months following the Rights Issue. Following deduction of issue related costs, which is expected to amount to approximately SEK 28 million if the Rights Issue is fully subscribed, the net proceeds from the Rights Issue will amount to no more than SEK 132 million. The net proceeds from the Right Issue are intended to be used to repay the Bridge Loan (including interest and set-up fee) and general corporate purposes. Such general corporate purposes include, inter alia, funding the transformation plan, including the continued wind down of the Chinese operations, and the group’s ongoing operations during the continued implementation of the transformation plan as well as future growth initiatives. Background and rationale In line with Fingerprints’ communicated transformation plan and as announced by Fingerprints in its interim report for the period January–March 2024, the Company is exiting commoditized, low-margin markets to prioritize profitable growth segments. As part of this realignment, the Company is winding down its loss-making operations in the Mobile product group to promote its financial health and support future viability. In June 2024, Fingerprints entered into an exclusive partnership agreement with a biometric sensor solution provider, facilitating a more efficient wind down of the Mobile operations and inventory depletion. The PC market has similar dynamics to Mobile, with a China-centric and highly concentrated customer base that values low-cost product above all. With the lifecycle maturity of many models, Fingerprints has seen a rapid shift in orders partially driven by its position as a low-cap player. This has in turn driven customers to diversify their supplier base, further impacting Fingerprints’ market share – particularly as a smaller-cap company following the Mobile wind down. Securing new PC projects has proven to be both capital- and time-intensive, further underscoring the unsustainability of the product group. Against this backdrop, Fingerprints is winding down the PC product group to achieve further cost reductions and exit the Chinese market entirely. Cost reductions are pivotal in Fingerprints’ transformation efforts and includes the Company’s outsourced manufacturing model and increased operational efficiency. Further, within the first nine months of 2024 the Company lowered its workforce by over 40 percent, primarily driven by the ongoing transition out of Mobile and PC. In addition, and as part of the significant cost optimization programme, the Company successfully restructured its balance sheet during 2024 by redeeming the convertible bonds to ensure operational efficiency. The Company will continue to implement cost reduction measures, such as the wind down of the PC product group, with the aim to reach a recurring annualized OPEX of less than SEK 70 million by the end of the second quarter 2025, underscoring the commitment to operational efficiency and disciplined resource allocation. In parallel with the above and to further execute the new strategy, Fingerprints is continuing its focus on the core biometric business whilst expanding to digital identity, a core component of human-digital interactions. Fingerprints is committed to, through future partnerships, building a robust digital identity platform to help its customers address the myriad of cyber-risks and poor user experience arising from passwords. As the Company continues the phase-out of the Mobile and PC product groups, Fingerprints is also strategically reallocating capital toward high-margin, high-growth segments in digital identity through the Access and Payment product groups. Additionally, the Company explores new business product group partnerships, including within iris technology, to leverage Fingerprints extensive experience and competence. As the Company carves out its digital identity and secure authentication specialty, it is transitioning from a component supplier to an integrated biometric solutions provider of software-centric offerings which enables higher-margin opportunities. Thus, Fingerprints believe that it is well-positioned for sustainable growth and long-term value creation. Moreover, the Company is continuously having discussions with potential strategic partners in relation to the updated product positioning to further leverage Fingerprints extensive technological expertise and innovation capabilities, including in respect of Access, Payment and Iris, with an aim to unlock additional growth capital and enhance value creation. Although the transformation plan as a whole is designed to ensure sustained profitable growth and ongoing cost optimization will keep Fingerprints lean and agile, the ongoing process of executing the transformation plan has led to short-term revenue fluctuations. Against this background and given the group’s overall operational performance, the Board of Directors has carefully evaluated the possibilities for the Company to ensure a necessary capital injection in order not to jeopardize the completion of the transformation plan and in turn the survival of Fingerprints, as well as to support future growth initiatives. In this evaluation, the Board of Directors took into account scale and need of a necessary capital injection, and believed that the Rights Issue together with the Bridge Loan (as defined above) is the only way for Fingerprints to confidently enable the completion of the transformation plan and in turn achieve stability and stronger prospects for the future for the group. Following deduction of issue related costs, which is expected to amount to approximately SEK 28 million if the Rights Issue is fully subscribed, the net proceeds of the Rights Issue will amount to no more than SEK 132 million and is intended to be used for the following purposes: (i) fully repay the Bridge Loan (including interest and set-up fee) (SEK 43 million) and (ii) general corporate purposes (SEK 89 million). Such general corporate purposes include, inter alia, funding the transformation plan, including the continued wind down of the Chinese operations, and the group’s ongoing operations during the continued implementation of the transformation plan and future growth initiatives. Assuming that the Company achieves its expected sales volumes and continues to successfully implement its previously outlined transformation plan, the anticipated net proceeds from the Rights Issue is expected to fund the Company for twelve months subsequent to the execution of the Rights Issue and until the Company reaches cash-flow positive. However, it may be necessary for the Company to seek additional funding in the next twelve months, for example, if the Company falls short of its expected sales volumes or encounters difficulties in executing its communicated transformation plan. The Rights Issue Shareholders who are entered in the Company’s share register on the record date, expected to be 24 January 2025, will have the right to subscribe for Units with preferential rights in the Rights Issue. Subscription of Units may also take place without preferential rights. Each Unit will consist of a specified number of B-shares and Warrants. The Warrants will be issued free of charge. It is expected that the Units will be structured with a ratio of 6:1 between B-shares and Warrants where, for example, for every six (6) new B-shares, one (1) Warrant will be included in a Unit. The Warrants will entitle the holder to subscribe for one (1) new B-share in the Company at a subscription price corresponding to 70 percent of the VWAP for the Company’s B-share on Nasdaq Stockholm during the 10 trading days that occurs immediately prior to the exercise period for the Warrants, however not higher than the equivalent of 150 percent of the subscription price per B-share in the Rights Issue and not lower than the equivalent of (i) the quota value for the Company’s shares from time to time or (ii) SEK 0.01. The exercise period for the Warrants is expected to occur approximately 18 months following the Rights Issue. The final terms for the Rights Issue, including the maximum amount by which the Company’s share capital shall be increased with, the maximum number of Units (and thereby the maximum number of B-shares and Warrants) to be issued, the number of unit rights and the subscription price for each Unit and thereby the price per B-share (the Warrants will be issued free of charge), are expected to be announced on or around 15 January 2025 (however not later than on 17 January 2025). The subscription price in the Rights Issue will be determined by the Board of Directors at a customary discount, indicatively a discount to the TERP of approximately 35 percent (however not lower than SEK 0.01). The subscription period is expected to run from 28 January 2025 up to and including 11 February 2025. Trading in unit rights that entitles to subscription of Units is expected to take place on Nasdaq Stockholm from 28 January 2025 up to and including 6 February 2025, and trading in BTU’s is expected to take place from 28 January 2025 up to and including 20 February 2025. Both unit rights and BTU’s will be subject to time-limited trading on Nasdaq Stockholm. The new B-shares and Warrants to be issued through the issue of Units are expected to be admitted to trading on Nasdaq Stockholm, upon application, in connection with the conversion of BTU to B-shares and Warrants. Subscription undertakings and guarantee commitments The Rights Issue is covered by subscription undertakings and guarantee commitments in an aggregate amount of up to SEK 115 million. The subscription undertakings have been made by existing shareholders, board members and management team, including Juan Vallejo, Christian Lagerling, Adam Philpott and Fredrik Hedlund, amounting to SEK 0.7 million. Moreover, certain external investors, such as Wilhelm Risberg and Fredrik Lundgren, have entered into guarantee commitments in an aggregate amount of up to SEK 114.3 million. No guarantee commitment covers the subscription of and payment for Units in the Rights Issue in excess of SEK 115 million. A guarantee commission will be paid for the guarantee commitments, whereby commission is paid with ten (10) percent of the guaranteed amount in cash. No fee will be paid in respect of the subscription undertakings. Neither the subscription undertakings nor the guarantee commitments are secured through bank guarantees, restricted funds, pledged assets or similar arrangements. Further information regarding the parties that have entered into the subscription undertakings and guarantee commitments will be included in the prospectus which is intended to be published on or around 23 January 2025. The Company considers that it carries out protection-worthy activities under the Foreign Direct Investment Screening Act (Sw. lagen (2023:560) om granskning av utländska direktinvesteringar) (the “Swedish FDI Act”). Consequently, an investment in Units (and thereby B-shares) in the Rights Issue (other than by exercising preferential rights) which result in an investor acquiring a shareholding corresponding to or exceeding a threshold of ten (10) percent or more of the total number of votes in the Company following the completion of the Rights Issue, must prior to the investment be filed with the Inspectorate of Strategic Products and, if applicable, any other equivalent body pursuant to legislation in any other jurisdiction, and cannot be carried out before the Inspectorate of Strategic Products and, if applicable, another equivalent body in another jurisdiction has decided to take no action or authorize the investment (“FDI Decision”). As a result, the guarantee commitments are, in respect of any Units that would require a prior FDI Decision (“FDI Units”), conditional upon that relevant guarantors obtains such prior FDI Decision. In the event that any guarantee commitment will require the subscription and payment of FDI Units, there will be a separate and longer subscription and payment period in respect of such FDI Units which may last up until 13 June 2025. If required FDI Decisions has not been obtained at the end of such separate subscription period for FDI Units, the relevant guarantor’s guarantee commitment will lapse and relevant FDI Units will in such case not be covered by any guarantee commitment. The Bridge Loan In order to provide the Company with liquidity up until the completion of the Rights Issue, a consortium of external investors have provided the Company with the Bridge Loan of SEK 40 million. Disbursed amounts under the Bridge Loan carries interest of 1.50 percent for each commenced thirty-day period and a set-up fee of 4.00 percent. The first part of the Bridge Loan amounts to SEK 15 million (“Tranche 1”) and will be provided the Company following the announcement of the Rights Issue, the second part of the Bridge Loan amounts to SEK 25 million (“Tranche 2”) and will be provided to the Company following the extraordinary general meeting resolving on the Rights Issue and certain technical measures to facilitate the Rights Issue and to amend the Company’s articles of association. The Bridge Loan will fall due in connection with the Company’s receipt of the proceeds from the Rights Issue, however not later than 31 March 2025. The Bridge Loan is subject to certain event of default grounds, including that the extraordinary general meeting in the Company does not approve the Board of Directors’ resolution on the Rights Issue, as well as other customary event of default grounds. Extraordinary general meeting and voting undertaking The extraordinary general meeting will be held on 17 January 2025 and it will be proposed to resolve on subsequent approval of the Board of Directors’ resolution on the Rights Issue as well as be proposed to amend the articles of association of the Company to increase the maximum limits for the number of shares and number of shares of each class. In addition, the extraordinary general meeting will, for the purpose of reducing the quota value of the shares to facilitate the Rights Issue, be proposed to resolve on a reduction of the Company’s share capital, and simultaneously resolve that the Company’s share capital shall be increased by the reduction amount by way of a bonus issue. A notice convening the extraordinary general meeting will be published today through a separate press release. One of the Company’s largest shareholder together with board members and management who have entered into subscription commitments have made irrevocable undertakings to vote in favor of the proposals at the extraordinary general meeting. Preliminary timetable 15 January 2025: Expected date for announcing the final terms in the Rights Issue 17 January 2025: Extraordinary general meeting 22 January 2025: Last day of trading in shares including right to receive unit rights 23 January 2025: Estimated date for publication of the prospectus 23 January 2025: First day of trading in shares excluding right to receive unit rights 24 January 2025: Record date for participation in the Rights Issue 28 January – 11 February 2025: Trading in unit rights 28 January – 6 February 2025: Subscription period 28 January – 20 February 2025: Trading in paid subscribed Units (BTU) 12 February 2025: Estimated date for announcement of the outcome in the Rights Issue Prospectus A prospectus regarding the Rights Issue is intended to be published on or around 23 January 2025 on Fingerprints’ website, www.fingerprints.com and on Carnegie Investment Bank AB’s (publ) website, www.carnegie.se . Advisors Fingerprints has engaged Penser by Carnegie, Carnegie Investment Bank AB (publ), as financial advisor and Gernandt & Danielsson Advokatbyrå KB as legal advisor in connection with the Rights Issue. For information, please contact: Adam Philpott, CEO Investor Relations: +46(0)10-172 00 10 investrel@fingerprints.com Press: +46(0)10-172 00 20 press@fingerprints.com This is the type of information that Fingerprint Cards AB (publ) is obligated to disclose pursuant to the EU’s Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, on 17 December 2024 at 7:45 pm CET. Important information This press release does not contain and does not constitute an offer to acquire, subscribe or otherwise trade in units, warrants, shares, unit rights, subscription rights, BTU, BTA, convertibles or other securities in Fingerprints. The offer to relevant persons regarding the subscription of shares and warrants in Fingerprints (though units) will only be made through the prospectus that Fingerprints will publish on its website after approval and registration with the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Sw. Finansinspektionen). The information in this press release may not be disclosed, published or distributed, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States (including its territories and possessions), Australia, Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore or South Africa or any other jurisdiction where distribution or publication would be illegal or require registration or other measures than those that follow from Swedish law. Actions that violate these restrictions may constitute a violation of applicable securities laws. No units, warrants, shares, unit rights, subscription rights, BTU, BTA, convertibles or other securities have been registered, and no units, warrants, shares, unit rights, subscription rights, BTU, BTA, convertibles or other securities will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 as currently amended (“Securities Act”) or the securities legislation of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States and no units, warrants, shares, unit rights, subscription rights, BTU, BTA, convertibles or other securities may be offered, sold, or otherwise transferred, directly or indirectly, within or into the United States, except under an available exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements under the Securities Act and in compliance with the securities legislation in the relevant state or any other jurisdiction of the United States. In all EEA Member States (“EEA”), other than Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway, this press release is intended for and is directed only to qualified investors in the relevant Member State as defined in the Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (together with associated delegated regulations and implementing regulations, the “Prospectus Regulation”), i.e. only to those investors who can receive the offer without an approved prospectus in such EEA Member State. In the United Kingdom, this press release is directed and communicated only to persons who are qualified investors as defined in Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation (as incorporated into domestic law in the United Kingdom) who are (i) persons who fall within the definition of “professional investors” in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended) (“the Regulation”), or (ii) persons covered by Article 49(2)(a) - (d) in the Regulation, or (iii) persons to whom the information may otherwise lawfully be communicated (all such persons referred to in (i), (ii) and (iii) above are collectively referred to as “Relevant Persons”). Securities in the Company are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will only be processed in respect of Relevant Persons. Persons who are not Relevant Persons should not act based on or rely on the information contained in this press release. The Company considers that it carries out protection-worthy activities under the Foreign Direct Investment Screening Act (the “Swedish FDI Act”) (Sw. lag (2023:560) om granskning av utländska direktinvesteringar). According to the Swedish FDI Act, the Company must inform presumptive investors that the Company’s activities may fall under the regulation and that the investment may be subject to mandatory filing. If an investment is subject to mandatory filing, it must prior to its completion, be filed with the Inspectorate of Strategic Products (the “ISP”). An investment may be subject to mandatory filing if i) the investor, a member of the investor’s ownership structure or a person on whose behalf the investor is acting would, after the completion of the investment, hold votes in the Company equal to, or exceeding any of the thresholds of 10, 20, 30, 50, 65 or 90 percent of the total number of votes in the Company, ii) the investor would, as a result of the investment, acquire the Company, and the investor, a member of the investor’s ownership structure or a person on whose behalf the investor is acting, would, directly or indirectly, hold 10 percent or more of the total number of votes in the Company, or iii) the investor, a member of the investor’s ownership structure or a person on whose behalf the investor is acting, would acquire, as a result of the investment, direct or indirect influence on the management of the Company. The investor may be imposed an administrative sanction charge if a mandatory filing investment is carried out before the ISP either i) decided to leave the notification without action or ii) authorised the investment. Each shareholder should consult an independent legal adviser on the possible application of the Swedish FDI Act in relation to the Rights Issue for the individual shareholder. This announcement does not constitute an investment recommendation. The price and value of securities and any income from them can go down as well as up and you could lose your entire investment. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. Information in this announcement cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance. Forward-looking statements Matters discussed in this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Such statements are all statements that are not historical facts and contain expressions such as “believes”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “estimates”, “will", “may”, “continues”, “should” and other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on various assumptions, which in several cases are based on additional assumptions. Although Fingerprints believes these assumptions were reasonable when made, such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other material factors that are difficult or impossible to predict and beyond its control. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and material factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in this communication through the forward-looking statements. The information, perceptions and forward-looking statements contained in press release speak only as at its date, and are subject to change without notice. Fingerprints undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or other circumstances, except for when it is required by law or other regulations. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements. Information to distributors Solely for the purposes of the product governance requirements contained within: (a) EU Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended (“MiFID II”); (b) Articles 9 and 10 of Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 supplementing MiFID II; and (c) local implementing measures (together, the “MiFID II Product Governance Requirements”), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any “manufacturer” (for the purposes of the MiFID II Product Governance Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the shares in Fingerprints have been subject to a product approval process, which has determined that such shares are: (i) compatible with an end target market of retail investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each as defined in MiFID II; and (ii) eligible for distribution through all distribution channels as are permitted by MiFID II (the “Target Market Assessment”). Notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, Distributors should note that: the price of the shares in Fingerprints may decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment; the shares in Fingerprints offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an investment in the shares in Fingerprints is compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Rights Issue. For the avoidance of doubt, the Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (a) an assessment of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of MiFID II; or (b) a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to the shares in Fingerprints. Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the shares in Fingerprints and determining appropriate distribution channels. About Fingerprints Fingerprint Cards AB (Fingerprints) – the world’s leading biometrics company, with its roots in Sweden. We believe in a secure and seamless universe, where you are the key to everything. Our solutions are found in hundreds of millions of devices and applications, and are used billions of times every day, providing safe and convenient identification and authentication with a human touch. For more information visit our website , read our blog , and follow us on X . Fingerprints is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (FING B). Attachment 241217 - Fingerprints rights issue
Kay Patterson, who rose from janitor at segregated South Carolina capitol to state senator, diesDied: December 29th, 2024 The death at 100 of the US’s 39th and longest living president , James Earl Carter, a peanut farmer and Baptist preacher, sees the passing of a remarkable Southerner who infused his politics with a rare down-to-earth moralism, sincerity and honesty. A refreshing outsider to Washington politics, he surprised all by sweeping aside the capital’s old post-Watergate elite to leave a legacy that pointed in new directions even if it never quite achieved his promise. “He decided to use power righteously,” biographer Kai Bird would write, “ignore politics, and do the right thing. He was, in fact, a fan of the establishment’s favourite Protestant theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr, who wrote, ‘It is the sad duty of politics to establish justice in a sinful world’.” Although he had notable successes in office from 1977 to 1981, not least the Camp David Accord between Egypt and Israel, he would be the first incumbent president since Herbert Hoover in 1932 to lose a re-election bid. Ronald Reagan used the economic challenges and oil crisis faced by his administration, and the disastrously bungled attempted Iran hostage rescue, to successfully portray Carter as a weak and ineffectual leader. In some ways Carter was a paradox. Although an opponent of segregation in a segregationist state, he played the race card to get elected to governorship in 1971, then announcing that “the time of racial discrimination is over”. From then on, however, he was an unwavering champion of civil rights, and his presidential bid attracted some 85 per cent support from the black community. Born on October 1st, 1924, in tiny Plains, Georgia, to Bessie Lillian Gordy and James Earl Carter snr, a shopkeeper and investor in farmland, the young Carter would successfully develop a peanut farm as an offshoot of the family business. His father was a descendant of English immigrant Thomas Carter, who settled in the Colony of Virginia in 1635. Carter enrolled in the US Naval Academy in 1946 and while there met and married Rosalynn Smith, a friend of his sister’s. He served in nuclear submarines, and was drafted in to assist in the dismantling of the Chalk River nuclear reactor in Canada following a partial meltdown. His experience, he would later say, shaped his views on atomic energy and led him to end development of the neutron bomb. The early death of his father saw his return to the family business and a gradual immersion in the Democratic politics of Georgia. Although opposed to segregation – as a member of the Baptist Church he spoke openly against racism and attempts to segregate worship – he tempered his approach when he ran for office, even courting the arch-segregationist Wallace vote. Still an outsider in national politics, he surprised observers by winning the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination and narrowly defeating incumbent Republican president Gerald Ford. As the campaign developed in the wake of the still-fresh reverberations of the Watergate scandal, Carter, now with running mate senator Walter Mondale, tirelessly travelled the country projecting himself as an outsider with an easy common touch, not averse to populist slogans. He won the popular vote by 50.1 per cent to 48.0 per cent. Within two days of assuming the presidency he took the controversial step of pardoning all Vietnam War draft evaders. Carter was actively engaged on the world stage, from day one, hoping above all to broker peace in the Middle East. He invited Egyptian president Anwar Sadat and Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin to the presidential lodge Camp David in September 1978 with the negotiations resulting in an end to the state of war between the two countries, Egypt formally recognising Israel for the first time, and the creation of an elected government in the West Bank and Gaza. [ Leo Varadkar could learn something from Jimmy Carter about how to retire Opens in new window ] He oversaw the return of the Panama Canal to Panama, and signed the landmark Salt II treaty on ballistic arms reductions with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. (Although the latter was signed in 1979 in Vienna, the US Senate refused to ratify it in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.) Following that invasion, Carter allowed the sale of military supplies to China and started talks about sharing military intelligence. He began a programme of what would become hugely controversial covert assistance to the Afghan mujahideen, some of them precursors to today’s Taliban. He sought closer relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), continuing the rapprochement engaged in by Richard Nixon. The end of his presidency was blighted by the Iran hostage crisis. Misbriefed by the CIA about the stability of the Shah’s regime, Carter pledged in 1977 that his administration would continue with positive relations between the US and Iran, calling the latter “strong, stable and progressive”. After the surprise revolution installed an Islamist regime in November 1979, a group of Iranian students took over the US embassy in Tehran. Fifty-two American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for the next 444 days. An airborne mission to free them failed, leaving eight American servicemen dead and two aircraft destroyed. The hostages were freed immediately after Ronald Reagan succeeded Carter as president – leading figures in the Reagan campaign are reported to have signalled to the Iranians not to release the hostages until Carter was defeated, as Reagan would give them a better deal. Breaking with traditional US unwillingness to step out of line from its closest ally, the UK, Carter in 1977 agreed to issue a declaration on Ireland calling for the establishment in Northern Ireland of a government which would command widespread acceptance and for an overall solution which would involve the support of the Irish government. The US would facilitate any such agreement with assistance in creating jobs, he said. “The precedent created by Carter has facilitated the enormous involvement in Ireland of his successors,” Ireland’s then-ambassador to the US, Sean Donlon, has written. It was an engagement and pledge that would be honoured by Reagan in his talks with British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, and in the establishment of the International Fund for Ireland. The latter has seen close to $1 billion invested in Irish projects since then. In 1979, Carter invited taoiseach Jack Lynch on an official visit to the US and paid a private visit to Ireland in 1995, fishing in Kilkenny and indulging his woodworking skills by helping to build a house in Ballyfermot for Habitat for Humanity, an NGO he worked closely with. Domestically, Carter had an uneasy relationship with both his own party and Republicans in Congress. His tenure in office was marked by an economic malaise, a time of continuing inflation and recession, and the 1979 energy crisis. His administration established the department of energy and the department of education. He also created a national energy policy that included conservation, price control, and new technology. He installed solar water heating panels on the White House and wore sweaters to offset turning down the heat. He deregulated the airline industry, paving the way for middle-class Americans to fly for the first time in large numbers, and deregulated natural gas, laying the groundwork for the country’s current energy independence. He forced through the Alaska Land Act, tripling the size of the nation’s protected wilderness areas. The battle for renomination loomed. Carter had to run against his own stagflation-ridden economy, while the hostage crisis in Iran dominated the news every week. He alienated liberal college students, who were expected to be his base, by reinstating registration for the military draft. [ ‘He’s an inspiration’: tributes pour in after Jimmy Carter enters hospice care Opens in new window ] Though initially trailing Carter by several points, Reagan saw a surge in polling after the TV debate, in which he practised the patronising put-down – “there you go again” – that became his election mantra. Carter’s defeat was a landslide. After leaving the White House, he became an activist former president, ploughing a largely solitary but effective furrow. In the view of many it is his retirement that will be seen as his singular legacy. In 1982, he established the Carter Center to promote and expand human rights. Its work would earn him a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. In July 2007, he joined Nelson Mandela to announce his participation with former president of Ireland Mary Robinson, among others, in The Elders, a group of independent global leaders who work on peace and human rights issues. He travelled extensively to conduct peace negotiations, monitor elections and further the eradication of infectious diseases. He played a key role in the NGO Habitat for Humanity, and wrote books and memoirs, often sharply critical of US policy, not least over the Iraq War. In a work on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict he controversially labelled the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians “apartheid”. Though he praised Barack Obama in the early part of his tenure, Carter attacked the use of drone strikes against suspected terrorists and the decision to keep Guantánamo Bay detention camp open. His blunt critiques of his Democrat successors meant they would all keep him at arm’s length until Joe Biden latterly re-engaged with him enthusiastically. To the end he worked tirelessly. Biographer Bird, who insists that Carter “remains the most misunderstood president of the last century”, described one recent meeting: “He was in his early 90s yet was still rising with the dawn and getting to work early. I once saw him conduct a meeting at 7am at the Carter Center where he spent 40 minutes pacing back and forth onstage, explaining the details of his programme to wipe out Guinea worm disease. He was relentless. Later that day he gave me, his biographer, exactly 50 minutes to talk about his White House years. Those bright blue eyes bore into me with an alarming intensity. But he was clearly more interested in the Guinea worms. “Carter devoted his life to solving problems,” Bird says, “like an engineer, by paying attention to the minutiae of a complicated world. He once told me that he hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm. Last year there were only 13 cases of Guinea worm disease in humans. He may have succeeded.” Rosalynn Carter died in November 2023 and Jimmy Carter emerged from hospice care to mourn her. They had three sons, Jack, Chip and Jeff; one daughter, Amy; nine grandsons (one of whom is deceased), three granddaughters, five great-grandsons, and eight great-granddaughters.The gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fled New York City by bus, police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. Here's the latest: Police believe gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO has left New York City The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer may have fled the city on a bus, New York City police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. “We have reason to believe that the person in question has left New York City,” Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Gunman’s steps after killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO give police new clues The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer made sure to wear a mask during the shooting yet left a trail of evidence in view of the nation’s biggest city and its network of security cameras that have aided authorities piecing together his movements and his identity. A law enforcement official said Friday that new surveillance footage shows the suspect riding the subway and visiting establishments in Manhattan and provided more clues about his actions in the days before he ambushed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . The gunman’s whereabouts and identity remain unknown Friday, as did the reason for Wednesday’s killing. New York City police say evidence firmly points to it being a targeted attack . ▶ Read more about the search for the gunman For many companies, investor meetings are seen as a risk In many companies, investor meetings like the one UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was walking to when he was fatally shot are viewed as very risky because details on the location and who will be speaking are highly publicized. “It gives people an opportunity to arrive well in advance and take a look at the room, take a look at how people would probably come and go out of a location,” said Dave Komendat, president of DSKomendat Risk Management Services, which is based in the greater Seattle area. Some firms respond by beefing up security. For example, tech companies routinely require everyone attending a major event, such as Apple’s annual unveiling of the next iPhone or a shareholder meeting, to go through airport-style security checkpoints before entering. Others forgo in-person meetings with shareholders. ▶ Read more about how companies protect their leaders Police have obtained other surveillance images of the person wanted for questioning Those images include New York’s subway system, a law enforcement official said. In establishments where the person was captured on camera, he always appeared to pay with cash, the official said. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. — Mike Balsamo Another health insurer taking precautions after the shooting Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm that serves 1.5 million customers in 12 states, said it’s temporarily closing all six locations. The firm has offices in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and North Dakota, and employs about 3,000 people. Employees will work from home, Medica spokesman Greg Bury said in an email Friday. “The safety of Medica employees is our top priority and we have increased security both for all of our employees,” a statement from Medica said. “Although we have received no specific threats related to our campuses, our office buildings will be temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution.” Bury also said biographical information on the company’s executives was taken down from its website as a precaution. Government health insurance provider Centene Corp. says its Investor Day will now be virtual The insurer cited the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in its announcement about the Dec. 12 event. “All of us at Centene are deeply saddened by Brian Thompson’s death and want to express our support for all of those affected. Health insurance is a big industry and a small community; many members of the CenTeam crossed paths with Brian during their careers,” Centene CEO Sarah M. London said in a news release. “He was a person with a deep sense of empathy and clear passion for improving access to care. Our hearts are with his family and his colleagues during this difficult time.” Centene Corp. has grown in recent years to become the largest insurer in Medicaid, the state- and federally funded program that covers care for people with low incomes. Insurers manage Medicaid coverage for states, and Centene has more than 13 million people enrolled in that coverage. UnitedHealth Group says it’s focused on supporting Brian Thompson’s family The insurance company also said it’s focused on ensuring the safety of employees and assisting investigators. “While our hearts are broken, we have been touched by the huge outpouring of kindness and support in the hours since this horrific crime took place,” the company said. NY Mayor Eric Adams provided no new information on investigation’s progress during interviews But he said Friday that he’s confident police will arrest the shooter. “We are on the right road to apprehend him and bring him to justice,” Adams said on TV station WPIX. Hours after the shooting, UnitedHealthcare removed photographs of its executives from its website Later, it removed their names and biographies entirely. Investigators believe the suspect may have traveled to NY last month on a bus that originated in Atlanta Police and federal agents have been collecting information from Greyhound in an attempt to identify the suspect and are working to determine whether he purchased the ticket to New York in late November, a law enforcement official said. Investigators were also trying to obtain additional information from a cellphone recovered from a pedestrian plaza through which the shooter fled. Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass The fatal shooting of Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. Experts say today’s political, economic and technological climate is only going to make the job of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them even more difficult, experts say. Some organizations have a protective intelligence group that uses digital tools such as machine learning or artificial intelligence to comb through online comments to detect threats not only on social media platforms such as X but also on the dark web, says Komendat. They look for what’s being said about the company, its employees and its leadership to uncover risks. ▶ Read more about the steps companies take to protect their leadership Police test DNA and fingerprints on discarded bottle as they hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer Police said Thursday they found a water bottle and protein bar wrapper from a trash can near the scene of the ambush and think the suspect bought them from a Starbucks minutes before the shooting. The items were being tested by the city’s medical examiner. The Associated Press
World News | Significant Milestones in Life and Career of Jimmy Carter