SurgePays Announces Full Year 2021 Financial Results


BARTLETT, Tenn., March 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SurgePays, Inc. (Nasdaq: SURG) (“SurgePays” or the “Company”), a technology and telecommunications company focused on the underbanked and underserved, today announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Full Year 2021 Financial Highlights

  • Revenue of $51.1 million in 2021 compared to $54.4 million in 2020
  • Gross profit of $6.2 million in 2021 compared to $2.5 million in 2020. Gross margin improved to 12.1% in 2021 compared to 4.5% in the prior year.
  • Net loss of SurgePays of $(13.5) million in 2021 compared to a loss of ($10.7) million in 2020.
  • Adjusted EBITDA loss of $(3.9) million in 2021 compared to a loss of ($8.1) million in 2020.
  • Strong balance sheet with unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $6.3 million as of December 31, 2021.

Commenting on the progress in the business, Chairman and CEO Brian Cox stated, “I’m extremely proud of the work we accomplished in 2021 including our capital raise and uplist to the Nasdaq Market. We made strategic decisions in 2021 to rationalize our customer base and product offering to focus on profitable customers rather than driving a higher store count. This is evident in 2021 revenue that was slightly down but improved margins.

“Additionally, we seized upon the opportunity presented to us by the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), to connect millions of Americans with affordable mobile broadband access. The significant investments made to establish this program required upfront equipment purchases, but we are now producing positive cash flow from our subscriber base. We expect the growth of this program to drive significant revenue growth, substantially higher margins and produce positive EBITDA in 2022. The growth in this business was extraordinary in the five months it was live in 2021 and we expect the momentum to continue throughout 2022.”

Mr. Cox Continued: “As we have enhanced our offering to include wireless broadband along with a comprehensive suite of value-driven financial service products for the underbanked, our ability to attract mobile broadband subscribers, increase store count and grow market share has significantly increased.”

Business Outlook
For the full year 2022, the Company expects to achieve the following financial targets:

  • Total revenues of at least $130 million.
  • Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be at least $15 million.
  • Greater than 200,000 subscribers in the mobile broadband business.

Conference Call and Webcast Information
SurgePays will host a conference call today to review its results and discuss its performance at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT. Participants may join the conference call by dialing 1-877-407-9208 (United States) or 1-201-493-6784 (International). A telephonic replay of the call will also be available shortly after the completion of the call, until 11:59 pm ET on Thursday, April 7, 2022, by dialing 1-844-512-2921 (United States) or 1-412-317-6671 (International) and entering the replay pin number: 13728105.

A live webcast will be available on SurgePays, Inc Investor Relations site under the Upcoming Event section at http://ir.surgepays.com and will be archived online upon completion of the conference call.

About SurgePays, Inc.
SurgePays, Inc. is a technology and telecommunications company focused on the underbanked and underserved communities. SurgePhone Wireless provide mobile broadband to low-income consumers nationwide. SurgePays blockchain fintech platform utilizes a suite of financial and prepaid products to convert corner stores and bodegas into tech-hubs for underbanked neighborhoods. Please visit SurgePays.com for more information.

About Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company believes that EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) is useful to investors because it is commonly used in the cloud communications industry to evaluate companies on the basis of operating performance and leverage. Adjusted EBITDA provides an adjusted view of EBITDA that takes into account certain significant non-recurring transactions, if any, such as impairment losses and expenses associated with pending acquisitions, which vary significantly between periods and are not recurring in nature, as well as certain recurring non-cash charges such as changes in fair value of the Company’s derivative liabilities and stock-based compensation. The Company also believes that Adjusted EBITDA provides investors with a measure of the Company’s operational and financial progress that corresponds with the measurements used by management as a basis for allocating resources and making other operating decisions.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not intended to represent cash flows for the periods presented, nor have they been presented as an alternative to operating income or as an indicator of operating performance and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). In accordance with SEC Regulation G, the non-GAAP measurements in this press release have been reconciled to the nearest GAAP measurement, which can be viewed under the heading “Reconciliation of Net Income (loss) from Operations to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA” in the financial tables included in this press release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes express or implied statements that are not historical facts and are considered forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance and may contain projections of our future results of operations or of our financial information or state other forward-looking information. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words.

Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements such as the growth in the ACP to drive significant revenue growth, substantially higher margins and produce positive EBITDA in 2022 along with the statements under the heading Business Outlook are reasonable, these statements relate to future events or our future operational or financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a variety of risks and factors that are beyond our control, including, without limitation, statements about our future financial performance, including our revenue, cash flows, costs of revenue and operating expenses; our anticipated growth; our predictions about our industry; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and our ability to attract, retain and cross-sell to clients. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date on which the statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update, and expressly disclaim the obligation to update, any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

SurgePays, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Operations

  For the Years Ended December 31, 
  2021  2020 
       
Revenues $51,060,589  $54,406,788 
         
Costs and expenses        
Cost of revenue  44,890,610   51,938,111 
General and administrative expenses  12,162,547   12,614,345 
Total costs and expenses  57,053,157   64,552,456 
         
Loss from operations  (5,992,568)  (10,145,668)
         
Other income (expense)        
Interest expense  (3,840,616)  (4,801,520)
Derivative expense  (1,775,057)  (566,789)
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities  1,806,763   577,936 
Gain on investment in Centercom - related party  28,676   210,912 
Gain on settlement of liabilities  1,469,641   2,575,978 
Amortization of debt discount  (3,677,121)  1,417,524 
Gain on deconsolidation of True Wireless  1,895,871   - 
Settlement expense  (3,750,000)  - 
Warrant modification expense  (74,476)  - 
Other income  377,743   10,000 
Total other income (expense) - net  (7,538,576)  (575,959)
         
Net loss $(13,531,144) $(10,721,627)
         
Loss per share - basic and diluted $(3.09) $(5.02)
         
Weighted average number of shares - basic and diluted  4,381,709   2,134,417 

SurgePays, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets

  December 31, 2021  December 31, 2020 
       
Assets 
       
Current Assets        
Cash $6,283,496  $673,995 
Accounts receivable - net  3,249,889   180,499 
Lifeline revenue - due from USAC  -   212,621 
Inventory  4,359,296   178,309 
Prepaids  -   5,605 
Total Current Assets  13,892,681   1,251,029 
         
Property and equipment - net  200,448   236,810 
         
Other Assets        
Note receivable  176,851   - 
Intangibles - net  3,433,484   4,125,742 
Goodwill  866,782   866,782 
Investment in Centercom - related party  443,288   414,612 
Operating lease - right of use asset - net  486,668   368,638 
Other  -   61,458 
Total Other Assets  5,407,073   5,837,232 
         
Total Assets $19,500,202  $7,325,071 
         
Liabilities and Stockholders' Deficit        
         
Current Liabilities        
Accounts payable and accrued expenses $6,602,577  $6,827,487 
Accounts payable and accrued expenses - related party  1,389,798   1,753,837 
Deferred revenue  276,250   443,300 
Operating lease liability  49,352   210,556 
Line of credit  -   912,870 
Loans payable - related parties  1,553,799   2,389,000 
Notes payable - SBA government  126,418   - 
Notes payable - net  -   250,000 
Convertible notes payable - net  -   1,516,170 
Derivative liabilities  -   1,357,528 
Total Current Liabilities  9,998,194   15,660,748 
         
Long Term Liabilities        
Loans payable - related parties  4,507,017   1,100,440 
Notes payable - SBA government  1,004,767   1,134,682 
Operating lease liability  438,903   155,167 
Total Long Term Liabilities  5,950,687   2,390,289 
         
Total Liabilities  15,948,881   18,051,037 
         
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 8)        
         
Stockholders' Equity (Deficit)        
Series A, Convertible Preferred stock, $0.001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 13,000,000 and 13,000,000 shares issued and outstanding, respectively  260   260 
Series C, Convertible Preferred stock, $0.001 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized, 0 and 721,598 shares issued and outstanding, respectively  -   722 
         
Common stock, $0.001 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized 12,063,834 and 2,542,624 shares issued and outstanding, respectively  12,064   2,543 
Additional paid-in capital  38,662,340   10,862,708 
Accumulated deficit  (35,123,343)  (21,592,199)
Total Stockholders' Equity (Deficit)  3,551,321   (10,725,966)
         
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) $19,500,202  $7,325,071 

SurgePays, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

  For the Years Ended December 31, 
  2021  2020 
Operating activities        
Net loss $(13,531,144) $(10,721,627)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operations        
Bad debt expense  20,554   1,750,239 
Depreciation and amortization  759,383   1,173,369 
Amortization of right-of-use assets  158,085   197,381 
Amortization of debt discount  3,677,121   2,016,764 
Recognition of share based compensation  3,575   182,968 
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities  (1,806,763)  (577,936)
Derivative expense  1,775,057   566,789 
Gain on settlement of liabilities  (1,443,016)  (2,644,960)
Gain on equity method investment - Centercom - related party  (28,676)  (210,912)
Gain on forgiveness of PPP loan  (371,664)  - 
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary (True Wireless)  (1,895,871)  - 
Warrant modification expense  74,476   - 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities        
(Increase) decrease in        
Accounts receivable  (3,089,944)  1,146,611 
Lifeline revenue - due from USAC  105,532   (151,831)
Inventory  (4,255,637)  (178,309)
Prepaids  5,605   91,278 
Other  61,458   4,999 
Increase (decrease) in        
Accounts payable and accrued expenses  4,056,812   2,824,165 
Accounts payable and accrued expenses - related party  757,429   - 
Deferred revenue  (167,050)  405,260 
Operating lease liability  (153,583)  (200,296)
Net cash used in operating activities  (15,288,261)  (4,326,048)
         
Investing activities        
Purchase of property and equipment  (51,408)  (6,605)
Cash disposed in deconsolidation of subsidiary (True Wireless)  (325,316)  - 
Repayment of notes receivable  -   14,959 
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities  (376,724)  8,354 
         
Financing activities        
Proceeds from stock and warrants issued for cash  21,299,662   1,068,500 
Cash paid for direct offering costs  (2,222,952)  - 
Repurchase of common stock  -   (500,000)
Proceeds from loans - related party  4,355,386   1,579,710 
Repayments of loans - related party  (2,476,468)  (295,710)
Proceeds from notes payable  1,101,000   3,481,582 
Repayments on notes payable  (1,377,257)  (280,636)
Proceeds from SBA notes  518,167   - 
Proceeds from convertible notes  2,550,000   - 
Repayments on convertible notes - net of overpayment  (2,473,052)  (245,797)
Cash paid for debt issuance costs  -   (162,000)
Net cash provided by financing activities  21,274,486   4,645,649 
         
Net decrease in cash  5,609,501   327,955 
         
Cash - beginning of year  673,995   346,040 
         
Cash - end of year $6,283,496  $673,995 
         
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information        
Cash paid for interest $866,684  $98,113 
Cash paid for income tax $-  $- 
         
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities        
         
Debt discount/issue costs recorded in connection with debt/derivative liabilities $2,748,084  $1,457,402 
Conversion of Series C, preferred stock into common stock $722  $- 
Gain on forgiveness of Centercom AP - Related Party $429,010     
Stock issued in settlement of liabilities $1,997,977  $- 
Conversion of debt into equity $3,363,561  $- 
Right-of-use asset obtained in exchange for new operating lease liability $515,848  $355,203 
Termination of ECS ROU lease $228,752  $- 
Stock issued in connection with debt modification $108,931  $67,650 
Stock issued under make-whole arrangement $90,401  $165,000 
Stock issued for acquisition of membership interest in ECS $17,900  $- 
Reclassifcation of accrued interest - related party to note payable - related party $692,458  $- 
Deconsolidation of subsidiary (True Wireless) $2,434,552  $- 
Stock issued for acquisition $-  $210,794 
Stock and warrants issued with debt recorded as a debt discount $-  $993,780 

Reconciliation of Net Income (loss) from Operations to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

SurgePays, Inc.          
           
  For the Years Ended December 31,   
  2021   2020  Variance 
         
Net loss  (13,531,144)   (10,721,627) (2,809,517) 
           
Addbacks for EBITDA:          
Interest expense  3,840,616    4,801,520  (960,904) 
Depreciation  759,393    1,172,426  (413,033) 
EBITDA (non GAAP)  (8,931,135)   (4,747,681) (4,183,454) 
           
Addbacks for Adjusted EBITDA:          
Derivative expense  1,775,057    566,789  1,208,268  
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities  (1,806,763)   (577,936) (1,228,827) 
Gain on settlement of liabilities  (1,469,641)   (2,575,978) 1,106,337  
Amortization of debt discount  3,677,121    (1,417,524) 5,094,645  
Gain on deconsolidation of True Wireless  (1,895,871)   -  (1,895,871) 
Settlement expense  3,750,000    -  3,750,000  
Warrant modification expense  74,476    -  74,476  
Other income  (377,743)   (10,000) (367,743) 
Litigation expense  1,306,579    633,156  673,424  
Adjusted EBITDA (non GAAP)  (3,897,920)   (8,129,175) 4,231,255