Dear Captii Shareholder:
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I present the Annual Report of Captii Limited for the financial year ended 31 December 2023.
Another disappointing outcome
Disappointingly, we were unable return the group to profitability in 2023. Instead, we recorded a significantly higher net loss in 2023 compared to the year before.
In 2023, both of our GlobeOSS and Unifiedcomms businesses continued to have weaker revenue performance compared to the year before. However, this was not the main factor for our negative bottom-line outcome for the year. The diminished expected performance of certain managed service contracts of Unifiedcomms had significantly impacted the value of expected cash flows of the business. Meanwhile, the challenging environment for market valuations of technology startups had resulted in a substantial reduction in the fair value of our venture investment portfolio. The impact of both these non-cash goodwill impairment and fair-value losses of almost S$11 million combined, was the main factor of having a higher net loss in 2023 against 2022.
Weaker revenue and lower gross profit margin
Both our GlobeOSS and Unifiedcomms business generated lower revenue this year. GlobeOSS posted revenue of S$6.5 million, a decrease of 21.4% from the S$8.3 million achieved in 2022. Unifiedcomms revenue decreased by 21.4% to S$11.7 million in 2023 compared to the S$14.9 million achieved the year before. As a result of this, group revenue declined from S$23.2 million in 2022 to S$18.3 million in 2023.
Gross profit recorded by our group was lower this year, in line with the decline in revenue. Average gross profit margin decreased from 48.6% in 2022 to 46.6% in 2023, arising from a less favourable sales mix. This was mainly due to lower gross profit margins of Unifiedcomms system sale contracts in 2023, attributable to higher third-party component costs incurred.
Our group ended the year with a loss before tax of S$11.3 million, 346.7% higher compared to the S$2.5 million recorded for 2022. The substantial increase in loss before tax was mainly due to a significantly higher fair value loss on the Captii Ventures investments portfolio and a larger impairment loss on goodwill relating to the 2012 acquisition of Ahead Mobile.
This culminated in a group loss after tax for the year of S$11.7 million, as compared to S$3.2 million recorded in 2022. Excluding the non-cash exceptional losses relating to venture investment and goodwill, our group recorded a loss after tax of S$0.7 million for 2023, in contrast with a profit after tax of S$1.6 million in 2022.
Negative bottom-line: negative ROE
Due to the negative bottom-line outcome for the year, our group recorded negative return on equity (ROE) of 20.4% in 2023, as compared to negative ROE of 7.1% recorded in 2022. Excluding the non-cash exceptional losses that have significantly on our bottom-line results, our group recorded an adjusted negative ROE of 1.7% in 2023, in contrast with the adjusted positive ROE of 2.9% generated in 2022.
Decline in both managed service and system sale revenues
Efforts to grow the managed service business persisted in 2023. However, revenues from this contract type declined by S$3.8 million against last year with the decrease being attributable to the lower managed service contract revenues from Unifiedcomms.
Group system sale contract revenues was lower for 2023, as a result of lower system sale contract revenues at GlobeOSS. System sale revenues of GlobeOSS decreased by 23.8% to S$4 million in 2023 compared to S$5.2 million achieved in 2022. Unifiedcomms system sale contract revenues meanwhile was flat at S$1.1 million.
Investing in technology and innovation
At the start of 2023, we continued to have adequate cash balances to continue with the strategy of augmenting organic growth with growth by strategic investment. The Captii Ventures team identified and screened several candidates for investment throughout 2023 but none progressed further to consummation. As a result, the number of investees in the portfolio remained as eight in total as at end-2023. The work to identify, screen and engage on further investment opportunities will persist in the new year.
Balance sheet strength and dividends
Although we had no acquisitions or investments in 2023, during the year we continued to reinvest in GlobeOSS and Unifiedcomms - especially for the PostPay business - for further product development as well as for the acquisition of assets to support the fulfilment of managed service contracts. We had on 20 September 2023, paid a tax- exempt interim dividend of 1.25 Singapore Cents per share. After declaring and paying to shareholders a dividend for the thirteenth year running, we continue to have a strong balance sheet at end-2023 with ample cash and cash equivalents of S$11 million. In light of the anticipated capital requirements of our group’s growth and investment-driven development strategy, no further and final dividend payment has been recommended by our Directors for the financial year ended 31 December 2023.
In gratitude
2023 proved to be another challenging and disappointing year for our group. We look forward to doing better in the year ahead and will strive to deliver an improvement in financial performance in 2024.
For the year that was, I extend my deepest gratitude to the talented and dedicated individuals across all the businesses that make up our group, for your commitment and perseverance. I ask the same from you again in the new financial year ahead, to move our business onward and upward. To you, our shareholder, I thank you for your continued belief and patience in our people and our business. Last but certainly not least, my thanks go to the government agencies and regulatory bodies for their guidance and support.
Wong Tze Leng
Executive Chairman