Launch and Interim Results

Kazoo3D PLC 29 August 2000 Launch of new e-commerce 3D website Interim Results for the six months ended 30 June 2000 Kazoo3D plc ('Kazoo3D'), the 3D software specialist, today announces the launch of its new e-commerce 3D website (www.kazoo3d.com) together with its first set of interim results since its successful flotation on the Alternative Investment Market in March this year. Key highlights e-commerce website launched today, offering consumers the opportunity to buy a range of 3D models, including the Rocky and Bullwinkle characters licensed from Universal Studios Consumer Products Division Successful promotion of KazooTechnology at the Hollywood movie premiere of The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle in conjunction with Universal Studios and Hewlett Packard New partnership agreement signed with Screenfriends.com and discussions with a number of other potential partners at an advanced stage Completed and launched KazooStudio product, a consumer application aimed at the Digital Imaging market, which enables users to create 3D-enhanced digital photographs. KazooStudio is available as a free download on the www.kazoo3d.com website Successful flotation on AIM completed in March 2000 raising £11.2m net of expenses Strong balance sheet for continued development of company's plans Interim results in line with expectations Stuart Green, Chief Executive of Kazoo3D commented: 'We have achieved a huge amount over the past eight months. From our de- merger at the start of the year, our flotation in March to today's website launch, it has been a most exciting period for us all. It is the website launch, however, that represents the key milestone in the development of our business plan, as it provides the platform from which we will establish and build revenues going forward. 'The other key development during the first half was our land-mark licensing deal with Universal Studios which we announced in April. This secured us the worldwide rights to design and sell online, 3D models of Universal Studio's Rocky and Bullwinkle characters, who were the stars of a part animation, part live action film released in the US at the end of June. Universal Studios invited us to demonstrate our Kazoo3D products at their Hollywood premiere. We teamed up with Hewlett Packard at both this and a special Hewlett Packard pre-screening event in New York. The reaction to these demonstrations was tremendous and as a direct result has opened up a number of other exciting new partnering opportunities currently in discussion. We look forward to updating shareholders on these partnerships as they come to fruition over the coming months. 'With the funds in place from our successful flotation and our website now up and running, we look forward to an exciting second half, accelerating the delivery of the plans we set out in our flotation prospectus.' For Further Information Contact: Kazoo3D plc Stuart Green, Chief Executive Officer John Warden, Chief Financial Office 0114 290 0026 Hogarth Partnership James Longfield/Chris Matthews 020 7357 9477 CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT The first six months of the year was a period of great change for Kazoo3D. The company demerged from LightWork Design Limited at the start of the year and successfully completed its placing and listing on the Alternative Investment Market in March. We were delighted with the response we received from investors to our business and, despite the difficult conditions for new issues at that time we successfully raised the £11.2 million required to develop the business as set out in the flotation prospectus. Since flotation, Kazoo3D has focused very closely on implementing the strategy set out in our prospectus. This strategy is twofold: to achieve rapid market penetration of our proprietary 3D image manipulation software; and, to build an e-commerce website (www.kazoo3d.com) for the sale of Kazoo enabled 3D models to business, consumer and education markets. During the period we have made considerable progress on both aspects of this strategy. Our proprietary software allows consumers, of virtually every age and technical background, to enhance their visual communications with 3D images. Using our unique KazooTechnology, users can create and share vibrant, personalised 3D-enhanced communications in an easy, fun and entertaining environment. To achieve market penetration, we put in place partnerships with software developers, Web-based companies and OEMs. Licensing KazooTechnology to partners with large established customer bases provides the company with channel to a significant number of potential end user consumers. In return our partners can create and grow their revenue streams cost- effectively by enhancing and differentiating their own products with our leading-edge 3D capabilities. I am pleased to report that during the period we have added Screenfriends.com to our existing partnerships with Adobe Systems, Inc and Streetwise Software, and discussions are ongoing with a number of other parties, which we expect to be in a position to announce over the coming months. I am also very pleased to announce today the launch of the company's new e- commerce website,www.kazoo3d.com. This first release of the site offers consumers the opportunity to buy a range of 3D models, including the Rocky and Bullwinkle characters licensed from Universal Studios Consumer Products Group. An ongoing programme of development of the website is already in place. This programme will be augmented to include focused enhancements established by tracking early sales and user experience directly from within the site. Universal is joining our other partners in supporting the launch of our new website. As detailed in the flotation prospectus, the directors believe the company's 3D models add a totally new learning experience and interactivity for consumers, giving them a new way of enhancing their communications. 3D enhanced images offer far more creativity and detail than can be achieved using a static two dimensional image. Whilst the potential applications for Kazoo3D products are broad, the company has chosen to focus initially on the Digital Imaging market. Feedback from our partners and industry experts about the potential for our products in the Digital Imaging and personal rich media space continues to reinforce this focus. Recent reports also indicate that growth in demand for Digital Imaging products in the UK and continental Europe is likely to follow the US experience more rapidly than had been anticipated, and the company is well placed to capitalise on this trend. The Kazoo3D technology base has been further developed with the new KazooStudio product. This product is aimed specifically at the Digital Imaging market and enables consumers to combine a digital image with a Kazoo3D model to create a unique, fun, new and exciting 'KazooPicture' quickly and easily. The KazooStudio product can be easily tailored to meet the branding and customisation needs of OEM and web merchant partners, and complements the KazooTechnology Toolkit products already offered by the company to Independent Software Vendors. Further to the Universal Studios licence agreement announced previously, Kazoo3D participated in conjunction with Hewlett Packard in both Universal Studios' Hollywood premiere and a special Hewlett Packard pre-screening in New York of the movie, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. At both these events, attendees were able to have their photograph taken digitally, then combined with a K3D Model of either Rocky or Bullwinkle and printed on photographic paper using KazooStudio and Hewlett Packard hardware. Response to these demonstrations of Kazoo3D products was tremendous. New partnering opportunities have been developed as a direct result of these activities, opportunities that will be successfully levered off the company's e-commerce website and early success of content sales. The company's database of 3D models continues to be developed, and over 6,000 targeted models have already been produced in anticipation of the launch of the subscription basis of sale that will be offered after further development of the website. Contacts with 3D modelers and freelance graphic artists, with whom production contracts are put in place, have been significantly expanded following the company's successful participation in Siggraph 2000, the leading annual computer graphics event held in New Orleans this July. Many 3D modelers came to this event with pre-existing libraries that are also being appraised and acquired for conversion into the secure Kazoo format. In this way the company is quickly and efficiently extending further the range of content that will be offered. As the attached financial statements confirm, the company's balance sheet is strong and we are confident that Kazoo3D is well positioned to continue the development of the business plan outlined in the flotation prospectus. Dr R Gordon Oliver Chairman 29 August 2000 Consolidated unaudited profit and loss account Six months ended 30 June 2000 6 months 7 months ended ended 30 June 1 January 2000 2000 £'000 £'000 Turnover - 6 Net operating expenses (2,157) (765) ________ ________ Operating loss (2,157) (759) Demerger expenses - (45) Interest receivable 155 - ________ ________ Loss on ordinary activities before (2,002) (804) taxation Overseas taxation (8) (17) ________ ________ Loss on ordinary activities after (2,010) (821) taxation for the period ________ ________ Loss per ordinary share (3.8)p (1.8)p ________ ________ The basic and diluted loss per share has been calculated in accordance with FRS14 based on the loss after tax of £2,010,000 (£821,000) and on the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue of 52,527,819 (45,274,000). Consolidated unaudited balance sheet 30 June 2000 30 June 1 January 2000 2000 £'000 £'000 Fixed assets Tangible fixed assets 263 69 ________ ________ Current assets Debtors 324 74 Cash at bank and in hand 9,099 96 ________ ________ Creditors: amounts falling due within (452) (160) one year ________ ________ Total assets less current liabilities 9,234 79 and net assets ________ ________ Reconciliation of movement in equity shareholders' funds 6 months 7 months ended ended 30 June 1 January 2000 2000 £'000 £'000 Loss for the financial period (2,010) (821) Issue of shares (net of expenses) 11,196 - Exchange movements (31) - Impact of Demerger agreement - 1,294 ________ ________ Net increase in shareholders' funds 9,155 473 Opening equity shareholders' funds 79 (394) ________ ________ Closing equity shareholders' funds 9,234 79 ________ ________ Consolidated unaudited cash flow statement Six months ended 30 June 2000 6 months 7 months ended ended 30 June 1 January 2000 2000 £'000 £'000 Net cash (outflow)/inflow from (1,983) 143 operating activities Capital expenditure and financial investment Purchase of tangible fixed assets (210) (66) ________ ________ Net cash inflow before financing (2,193) 77 Financing Issue of ordinary share capital (net of expenses) 11,196 - ________ ________ Increase in cash and cash equivalent 9,003 77 ________ ________ Reconciliation of operating loss to net cash flow from operating activities 6 months 7 months ended ended 30 June 1 January 2000 2000 £'000 £'000 Operating loss (2,157) (759) Depreciation charge 18 16 (Increase)/decrease in debtors (226) 353 Increase in creditors 251 533 Interest received 131 - ________ ________ Net cash (outflow)/inflow from (1,983) 143 operating activities ________ ________ Analysis of changes in cash and cash equivalents 6 months 7 months ended ended 30 June 1 January 2000 2000 £'000 £'000 Opening balance 96 19 Net cash flows 9,003 77 ________ ________ Closing balance 9,099 96 ________ ________ Analysed as follows: Cash at bank and in hand 9,099 96 ________ ________ Notes to the interim statement 1 The financial information contained herein does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of Section 240 of the Companies Act 1985, but has been prepared on the basis of accounting policies used in the preparation of the placing document dated 23 March 2000 to the admission to trading on the Alternative Investment Market of Kazoo3D plc. Comparative figures for the 7 months to 1 January 2000 have been extracted from that document. The company has not yet been required to file statutory accounts. 2 Kazoo3D plc ('Kazoo3D') was incorporated on 14 October 1999 as Launchstrong plc and on 3 March 2000 it changed its name to Kazoo3D plc. No activities were undertaken by Kazoo3D until 1 January 2000. With effect from that date, and under an agreement for the demerger of the Kazoo Technology business from LightWork Design Limited ('LightWork Design'), the Kazoo Technology business and the entire issued share capital of LightWork Design Inc. were transferred to Kazoo3D from which time it commenced trading. Immediately following the demerger, the shareholders of LightWork Design and Kazoo3D were identical. Accordingly, the business combination of Kazoo3D and LightWork Design Inc. has been accounted for under merger accounting principles. 3 Copies of the interim statement are being sent to all shareholders and are available to the public on application to the company's registered office.
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