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.