SMX (Security Matters) Public Ltd Co 20-F/A, filed May 3, 2024
SMX (Security Matters) Public Ltd Co (SMX)
About this 20-F/A
SMX (Security Matters) Public Ltd Co filed this 20-F/A on May 3, 2024, covering the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM
(Mark One)
| REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(B) OR 12(G) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
OR
| ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | |
| For
the fiscal year ended |
OR
| TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | |
| For the transition period from __________ to __________ |
OR
| SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | |
| Date of event requiring this shell company report: |
Commission
File Number:
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
| Not applicable | ||
| (Translation of Registrant’s name into English) | (Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
+353-1-920-1000
(Address of principal executive offices)
haggai@securitymattersltd.com
Tel:
(Name, Telephone, Email and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person)
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
| Stock Market LLC | ||||
| Stock Market LLC |
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None
Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report: On December 31, 2023, the issuer had Ordinary Shares, with a par value of $0.0022 per share, public warrants, and Deferred Shares, EURO 1 par value, outstanding.
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐
If
this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section
13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Yes ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2)
has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule
405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ |
| ☒ | Emerging growth company |
If
an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant
has elected to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided
pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
†The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness
of its internal control over financial reporting over Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered
public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
If
securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant
included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:
| US GAAP ☐ | Other ☐ | |
| by the International Accounting Standards Board ® |
If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow. Item 17 ☐ Item 18 ☐
If
this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange
Act). Yes ☐
| Audit Firm ID | Auditor Name: | Auditor Location: | ||
| /s/ |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| EXPLANATORY NOTE | 1 |
| ITEM 7. MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS | 2 |
| A. Major Shareholders | 2 |
| PART III | |
| ITEM 19. EXHIBITS | 4 |
| EXHIBIT INDEX | 4 |
EXPLANATORY NOTE
In addition, pursuant to Rule 12b-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the certifications pursuant to Section 302 and Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 have been re-executed as of the date of, and are re-filed as part of, this Amendment No. 1 as Exhibits 12.1, 12.2, 13.1 and 13.2.
Other than expressly set forth herein, this Amendment No. 1 does not, and does not purport to, amend or restate any other information contained in the Original Filing nor does this Amendment No. 1 reflect any events that have occurred after the Original Filing was filed.
| 1 |
ITEM 7. MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
A. Major Shareholders
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management of the Company
The following table sets forth the information regarding the beneficial ownership of the Ordinary Shares as of April 29, 2024:
| ● | each person known by the Company to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the Company’s Ordinary Shares; and | |
| ● | each of the Company’s current executive officers and directors and all of the Company’s executive officers and directors as a group. |
Beneficial ownership is determined according to the rules of the SEC, which generally provide that a person has beneficial ownership of a security if he, she or it possesses sole or shared voting or investment power over that security, and includes shares underlying warrants and options, as applicable, that are currently exercisable or convertible or exercisable or convertible within 60 days. Ordinary Shares that may be acquired within 60 days of April 29, 2024 pursuant to the exercise of warrants or options are deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of such holder but are not deemed to be outstanding for computing the percentage ownership of any other person or entity shown in the table.
Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table below have sole voting and investment power with respect to the Ordinary Shares beneficially owned by them.
The percentage of Ordinary Shares beneficially owned is computed on the basis of 38,334,442 Ordinary Shares outstanding on April 29, 2024.
| Name and Address of Beneficial Owners | Number of Ordinary Shares | Percentage of Total Voting Power | ||||||
| Haggai Alon(1) | 159,375 | * | ||||||
| Ophir Sternberg(2) | 223,009 | * | ||||||
| Amir Bader(3) | 25,554 | * | ||||||
| Zeren Browne(4) | 24,520 | * | ||||||
| Pauline Khoo(5) | 25,886 | * | ||||||
| Thomas Hawkins(6) | 26,973 | * | ||||||
| Roger Meltzer(7) | 27,164 | * | ||||||
| Ofira Bar | - | - | ||||||
| All executive officers and directors as a group (9 persons) | 512,481 | 1.33 | % | |||||
| Greater than 5% Holders | ||||||||
| Doron Afik(8) | 2,651,641 | 6.92 | % | |||||
| Generating Alpha Ltd. | 5,344,988 | 13.94 | % | |||||
| * | Less than 1% |
| (1) | Represents shares held by Benguy Escrow Company Ltd., a testamentary trust of which Mr. Alon is the beneficiary. Doron Afik is the trustee of Benguy Escrow Company Ltd. The amount of beneficial ownership includes 2,193 (adjusted pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split) Ordinary Shares issuable as a result of Security Matters PTY options held, that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days. Also includes 55,802 (adjusted pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split) vested restricted stock units that settle into Ordinary Shares granted to Mr. Alon, and an additional 53,850 (adjusted pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split) restricted stock units that settle into Ordinary Shares that vest within 60 days from April 29, 2024. Does not include an additional 417,353 (adjusted pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split) restricted stock units that do not vest within 60 days of April 29, 2024. |
| 2 |
| (2) | Ophir Sternberg, Lionheart’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, is the member of the Sponsor. Mr. Sternberg disclaims beneficial ownership over any securities owned by the Sponsor in which he does not have any pecuniary interest. Also includes 36,562 (adjusted pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split) vested restricted stock units that settle into Ordinary Shares granted to Mr. Sternberg, and an additional 30,000 (adjusted pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split) restricted stock units that settle into Ordinary Shares that vest within 60 days from April 29, 2024. Does not include an additional 249,642 (adjusted pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split) restricted stock units that do not vest within 60 days of April 29, 2024. |
| (3) | Includes 7,466 (adjusted pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split) vested restricted stock units that settle into Ordinary Shares and includes 11,111 restricted stock units that settle into Ordinary Shares that vest within 60 days from April 29, 2024. |
| (4) | Represents shares held by Sooperduper Pty Ltd., which is owned by Ms. Browne and Simon Browne. Ms. Browne is the control person of Sooperduper Pty Ltd. Includes 6,692 (adjusted pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split) vested restricted stock units that settle into Ordinary Shares. Also includes 11,395 restricted stock units that settle into Ordinary Shares that vest within 60 days from April 29, 2024. |
| (5) | Represents shares held by in nominee by HSBC Bank Australia Limited. Includes 7,657 (adjusted pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split) vested restricted stock units that settle into Ordinary Shares. Also includes 11,111 restricted stock units that settle into Ordinary Shares that vest within 60 days from April 29, 2024. |
| (6) | Includes 7,466 (adjusted pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split) vested restricted stock units that settle into Ordinary Shares and includes 11,111 restricted stock units that settle into Ordinary Shares that vest within 60 days from April 29, 2024. |
| (7) | Includes 7,657 (adjusted pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split) vested restricted stock units that settle into Ordinary Shares. Also includes 11,111 restricted stock units that settle into Ordinary Shares that vest within 60 days from April 29, 2024. |
| (8) | Includes 1,974 (adjusted pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split) vested options and 5,556 vested restricted stock units that settle into Ordinary Shares. Also includes 5,556 restricted stock units that settle into Ordinary Shares that vest within 60 days from April 29, 2024. |
| 3 |
ITEM 19. EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT INDEX
| 4 |
| 5 |
| 4.22 | ||
| 4.23 | ||
| 4.24 | ||
| 4.25 | ||
| 4.26 | ||
| 4.27 | ||
| 4.28 | ||
| 4.29 | ||
| 4.30 | ||
| 4.31 | ||
| 4.32 | ||
| 4.33 | ||
| 4.34 | ||
| 4.35 | ||
4.36 |
| 6 |
| 4.37 | ||
| 4.38 | ||
4.39 |
||
| 4.40 | ||
| 4.41 | ||
| 4.42 | Amendment to 10% Secured Notes, dated March 1, 2023, by and between the Company and Subscriber (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.47 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on April 28, 2023). | |
| 4.43 | ||
| 4.44 | ||
| 4.45 | ||
4.46 |
||
| 4.47 | ||
| 4.48 | ||
| 4.49 | ||
| 4.50 |
| 7 |
| 8 |
| # | Indicates a management contract or any compensatory plan, contract or arrangement | |
| * | Filed herewith | |
| ** | Previously filed. |
| 9 |
SIGNATURES
The registrant hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 20-F and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this Report on its behalf.
| SMX (SECURITY MATTERS) PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY | ||
| May 3, 2024 | By: | /s/ Haggai Alon |
| Name: | Haggai Alon | |
| Title: | CEO | |
| 10 |
Exhibit 12.1
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a)
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934)
I, Haggai Alon, certify that:
| 1. | I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 20-F/A of SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited Company. |
| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the company as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
| 4. | The company’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the company and have: |
| a. | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
| b. | Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; |
| c. | Evaluated the effectiveness of the company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and |
| d. | Disclosed in this report any change in the company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the company’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
| 5. | The company’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the company’s auditors and the audit committee of the company’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
| a. | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting, which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and |
| b. | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the company’s internal control over financial reporting. |
| May 3, 2024 | By: | /s/ Haggai Alon |
| Name: | Haggai Alon | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) |
Exhibit 12.2
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a)
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934)
I, Ofira Bar, certify that:
| 1. | I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 20-F/A of SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited Company. |
| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the company as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
| 4. | The company’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the company and have: |
| a. | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
| b. | Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; |
| c. | Evaluated the effectiveness of the company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and |
| d. | Disclosed in this report any change in the company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the company’s internal control over financial reporting; and |
| 5. | The company’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the company’s auditors and the audit committee of the company’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
| a. | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting, which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and |
| b. | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the company’s internal control over financial reporting. |
| May 3, 2024 | By: | /s/ Ofira Bar |
| Name: | Ofira Bar | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer (principal financial and accounting officer) |
Exhibit 13.1
CERTIFICATION
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350
In connection with the Annual Report on Form 20-F/A of SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited Company (the “Company”) for the year ended December 31, 2023 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), the undersigned hereby certifies pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to the best of such officer’s knowledge:
| (1) | The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and |
| (2) | The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company. |
| May 3, 2024 | By: | /s/ Haggai Alon |
| Name: | Haggai Alon | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) |
Exhibit 13.2
CERTIFICATION
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350
In connection with the Annual Report on Form 20-F/A of SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited Company (the “Company”) for the year ended December 31, 2023 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), the undersigned hereby certifies pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to the best of such officer’s knowledge:
| (1) | The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and |
| (2) | The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company. |
| May 3, 2024 | By: | /s/ Ofira Bar |
| Name: | Ofira Bar | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer (principal financial and accounting officer) |