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exactEarth Ltd.

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FY2017 Annual Report · exactEarth Ltd.
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Annual Report 

2017 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

MD&A 

Auditor’s Report 

Financial Statements 

Notes to Financial Statements 

Corporate Information  

1 

20 

21 

25 

56 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

MD&A 

Auditor’s Report 

Financial Statements 

Notes to Financial Statements 

Corporate Information  

1 

20 

21 

25 

56 

EXACTEARTH LTD. (the “Company”) 
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS 

The  following  management  discussion  and  analysis  (“MD&A”)  is  prepared  as  of  January  23,  2018,  and  provides 
information  that  management  believes  is  relevant  to  an  assessment  and  understanding  of  our  operations  and 
financial condition for the financial year ended October 31, 2017. This MD&A should be read in conjunction with our 
audited consolidated financial statements, including the notes thereto, (the “Consolidated Financial Statements”).
The Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting 
Standards  (“IFRS”).  All  amounts  herein  are  stated  in  thousands  of  Canadian  dollars  (“CAD”)  unless  otherwise 
indicated. Unless otherwise noted, the information contained herein is dated as of October 31, 2017. 

Additional Information and Risk Factors

Additional  information  relating  to  the  Company,  including  risk  factors  that  may  adversely  affect  or  prevent  the 
Company from carrying out all or portions of its business strategy are discussed in the Company’s Annual Information 
Form (AIF) and other filings available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. 

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements 

This MD&A contains forward-looking statements that relate to our current expectations and views of future events. In 
some cases, these forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, 
“anticipate”, “aim”, “estimate”, “intend”, “plan”, “seek”, “believe”, “potential”, “continue”, “is/are likely to” or the 
negative of these terms, or other similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based 
these  forward-looking  statements  on  our  current  expectations  and  projections  about  future  events  and  financial 
trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. 
These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements relating to: expectations regarding our 
revenue,  expenses  and  operations;  anticipated  impact  of  changes  to  accounting  policies;  anticipated  industry 
trends;  anticipated  new  Order  Bookings;  research  and  development  spending  levels;  selling,  general  and 
administrative  spending;  revenue  growth  guidance;  gross  margin  trending,  anticipated  future  launch  dates  and 
launch  locations  for  satellite  assets,  including  the  satellites  comprising  the  Second  Generation  Constellation; 
anticipated and continued benefits of the Second Generation Constellation on-board Iridium NEXT; expected useful 
lives of satellite assets and anticipated completion of additional ground stations; our intention to respond to certain 
procurement proposal requests and the outcome thereof. 

Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analysis made by us in light of our experience and 
perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors we believe 
are  appropriate,  and  are  subject  to  risks  and  uncertainties.  Although  we  believe  that  the  assumptions  underlying 
these  statements  are  reasonable,  they  may  prove  to  be  incorrect.  Whether  actual  results,  performance  or 
achievements will conform to our expectations and predictions is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, 
uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, which are discussed in greater detail in the Company’s AIF. 

Non-IFRS Measures 

In  this  MD&A,  we  provide  information  about  Order  Bookings;  earnings  before  interest,  taxes,  depreciation  and 
amortization  (“EBITDA”);  Adjusted  EBITDA;  EBITDA  Margin;  and  Subscription  Revenue.  Order  Bookings,  EBITDA, 
Adjusted EBITDA, EBITDA Margin, and Subscription Revenue are not defined by IFRS and our measurement of them 
may vary from that used by others. These non-IFRS measures are not recognized measures under IFRS and do not 
have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS, and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures 
presented by other companies. Rather, these measures are provided as additional information to complement the 
IFRS  measures  by  providing  further  understanding  of  our  results  of  operations  from  management’s  perspective. 
Accordingly,  they  should  not  be  considered  in  isolation  or  as  a  substitute  for  analysis  of  our  financial  information 
reported under IFRS. 

We  define  “Order  Bookings”  as  the  dollar  sum  of  fully  executed  contracts  for  the  supply  of  our  products  and/or 
services  to  our  customers  received  during  a  defined  period  of  time.  Order  Bookings  are  indicative  of  firm  future 
revenue streams; however, they do not provide a guarantee of future net income and provide no information about 
the timing of future revenue. 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

1

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
We measure EBITDA as net income plus interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. We measure EBITDA Margin as 
EBITDA divided by our total revenue. We measure Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA plus unrealized foreign exchange losses, 
share-based  compensation  costs,  restructuring  expense  (recovery),  and  impairment  losses,  less  unrealized  foreign 
exchange  gains  and  other  income.  We  believe  that  EBITDA  and  Adjusted  EBITDA  provide  useful  supplemental 
information as they provide an indication of the income generated by our main business activities before taking into 
consideration how they are financed or taxed and exclude the impact of items that are considered by management 
to be outside of our ongoing operating results. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an alternative 
to net income (loss) determined in accordance with IFRS as an indicator of our performance or to cash flows from 
operating, investing and financing activities as a measure of liquidity and cash flows. 

We define Subscription Revenue as the dollar sum of fully executed contracts for our products and/or services to our 
customers  that  are  subscription-based,  typically  sold  with  a  one-year  period  of  service  and  recognized  in  our 
“Subscription Services” segmented revenue. 

Overview

We  are  a  leading  provider  of  global  maritime  vessel  data  for  ship  tracking  and  maritime  situational  awareness 
solutions.  Since  our  establishment  in  2009,  we  have  pioneered  Satellite  Automatic  Identification  System  (“S-AIS”) 
maritime surveillance and have delivered to our clients a view of maritime behaviours across all regions of the world’s 
oceans that is unrestricted by terrestrial limitations. We have deployed an operational data processing supply chain 
with our First-Generation Constellation, receiving ground stations, patented decoding algorithms, and advanced Big 
Data  processing  and  distribution  facilities.  This  ground-breaking  system  provides  a  comprehensive  picture  of  the 
location of AIS equipped maritime vessels throughout the world and allows us to deliver data and information services 
characterized by high performance, reliability, security, and simplicity to large international markets. 

The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of our Subsidiary with inter-company transactions and 
balances eliminated. We have two locations, one in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada and the other in Harwell, United 
Kingdom.  

Key Components and Functions of our Product Offering 

Automatic Identification System (“AIS”) 

Since 2004 all major ships in the world have been required by the International Maritime Organization (“IMO”) to carry 
an  AIS  transponder  which  constantly  transmits  VHF  radio  signals  containing  information  about  the  ship  (name, 
destination, cargo) as well as its movement (position, course, heading speed, etc.) In a typical seven-day period, we 
track approximately 165,000 AIS-equipped vessels. This capability is further enhanced by our patented capability to 
track  small  vessels  in  the  open  ocean  utilizing  a  new  class  of  specially  modified  Class B  AIS  transponders.  We 
anticipate that with this added capability, our addressable market will increase to more than one million vessels by 
2020. AIS was originally designed as a collision avoidance system; however, it has been widely recognised for some 
time that such open broadcast information can be collected and used to track and monitor shipping activity close 
to shore from terrestrial AIS stations (terrestrial systems are physically limited by the curvature of the earth and are only 
effective for approximately 50 nautical miles, or approximately 100 kilometres). We have led the way in overcoming 
this limitation by pioneering the reception of such AIS signals from low earth orbit (“LEO”) satellites, thus eliminating 
the  distance  restriction  imposed  by  the  terrestrial  AIS  stations,  and  for  the  first  time  in  maritime  history  providing  a 
real-time unrestricted global view of all shipping regardless of location, and importantly, proximity to a coastline. 

Satellites 

We  receive  AIS  data  from  our  constellation  of  LEO  satellites.  The  first  satellite,  EV-0 was  launched  by  exactEarth’s 
previous parent company, COM DEV International Ltd., in 2008 for the purpose of validating the concept of collecting 
maritime  AIS  signals  from  space,  but  is  now  non-operational.  Between  2011  and  2013,  we  launched  and 
commissioned four more advanced AIS satellites, including EV-1, EV-2, EV-5 and EV-6. These satellites incorporated 
advanced AIS payloads designed to further improve AIS message detection from space. Our satellite constellation 
grew once again in December 2014 when we announced the successful integration of three advanced in-orbit AIS 
satellites into our exactView constellation through a contract under which we purchased one satellite, EV-11, and 
licensed  data  from  two  more.  These  are  month  to  month  lease  agreements  which  can  be  terminated  by  the 

2 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

 
company at any point and are subject to minimum service level requirements. Our new equatorial satellite, EV-9, was 
launched  on  September  28,  2015  and  commissioning  has  been  completed.  The  data  from  these  additional  AIS 
satellites  significantly  increased  the  capacity  of  our  global  vessel  monitoring  service  and  further  enhanced  our 
world-leading AIS message detection performance from space.  

We expect to receive data from two additional satellites EV-7 and EV-8. EV-7 was launched on June 22, 2016 and 
commissioning is underway.  EV-8 has been built and the launch is expected to take place on February 10, 2018. EV-
8  will  be launched  on  the  PAZ  satellite operated  by  Hisdesat,  one  of  our  significant  shareholders.  Upon  successful 
launch of EV-8, we are obliged to pay €300 Euros to Hisdesat as a one- time fee.  

As part of our restructuring effort that commenced in October 2016, we cancelled our commitment on our two 
leased satellites in the first quarter of 2017. 

On February 3, 2017, we lost contact with EV-5. When subsequent recovery efforts were not successful, we filed 
an  insurance  claim  which  was  paid  in  full  in  April  2017.  For  more  details  on  this  transaction  please  refer  to  the 
section titled “Other Income” later in this document. 

On  April  28,  2017,  the  first  four  (of  58)  of  our  Second-Generation  Constellation  of  satellites  using  exactView™  RT 
Powered by Harris (“exactView RT”) were put into service, thereby beginning the world’s first global real-time S-AIS 
service. Fourteen additional exactView RT satellites are now commissioned, bringing the total number of satellites we 
have in service as of January 23, 2018 to 23 (5 First-Generation plus 18 Second-Generation) 

Our collaboration with Harris Corporation is further described in the “Strategic Alliances” section below. 

Ground infrastructure and data processing 

We have deployed a network of international ground stations designed for highly reliable satellite data downlinking, 
storage and transmission to our primary data processing centre (“DPC”) for processing and distribution. The ground 
station facilities provide reception of AIS payload downloads and securely cache the payload data locally. Ground 
stations are often equipped with redundant capabilities to ensure the highest level of reliability. Upon reception at a 
ground station, the AIS information is forwarded through an extensive secure Virtual Private Network using encrypted, 
high capacity links to one of our two DPCs, both of which are located in Ontario, Canada.  

Products and services 

Through a variety of products and services, we provide what we believe to be the most advanced location-based 
information  on  maritime  traffic  commercially  available  today.  We  provide  the  flexibility  needed  to  customize  our 
products and services to suit the needs of our customers on a timely basis. 

Subscription  Services  encompasses  the  sale  of  Data-as-a-Service  (“DaaS”),  Software-as-a-Service  (“SaaS”)  and 
Information-as-a-Service  (“IaaS”).  DaaS  includes  the  provision  of  continuous  data  feeds  in  various  formats  and 
delivery systems through secure data connections over the Internet. We provide a SaaS solution that allows users to 
access  the  ship  information  derived  from  our  AIS  data  sources  within  an  easy-to-use  mapping  environment.  Our 
value-add Information Services product offerings encompass our IaaS solutions. 

Data Products include raw data and customized reports derived from our extensive and growing archive which dates 
back to July 5, 2010. Revenue from the sale of these products is generally recognized when they are delivered to the 
customer and is not necessarily recurring in nature.  

Other Products and Services include special projects with Governments and space agencies to research methods 
and applications related to the satellite AIS business, Class B transponders (described in the “AIS” section above), as 
well as specific analysis and reporting contracts. These projects are sporadically announced by Governments and 
there are no guarantees that they will be awarded to exactEarth.  Revenue from these projects may span several 
months with no certainty that there will be similar projects in the future from which we will be able to earn revenue. 

Customers 

Our S-AIS data service customers include both Government departments (defense; intelligence and security; search 
and  rescue;  border  patrol  and  maritime  safety;  Government  and  space  agencies;  as  well  as  other  ministries  and 
intelligence  and  risk 
organizations)  and  Commercial  and  Other  customers  (commercial  fishing;  business 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

3

 
 
management;  port  management;  commercial  offshore  (oil and  gas);  commercial  shipping;  hydrographic  and 
charting; as well as other academic and research institutions). Our S-AIS data service provides enhanced maritime 
domain  awareness  for  improved  vessel  management,  scheduling,  environmental  protection,  search  and  rescue 
operations, and defence and border securing applications. 

Strategic alliances and relationships 

On June 8, 2015 we announced the Harris Agreement which allows us to apply our expertise and technology in AIS 
signal  detections  from  space  on-board  Iridium  NEXT.  The  payloads  utilize  Harris’  powerful  AppStar  applications 
platform  and  employs  an  in-orbit  version  of  our  patented  AIS  detection  algorithms,  creating  an  unrivaled  AIS 
detection capability for global maritime tracking. exactEarth’s Second-Generation Constellation, called exactView 
RT, collects information across the entire maritime frequency band and, once fully deployed, will provide real-time 
access to and from the ground enabling real-time delivery of the collected maritime information on a global scale. 

When  fully  deployed,  exactView  RT  will  provide  persistent  real-time  global  coverage  with  detection  performance 
rivaling ground-based systems. The robustness of the constellation, programmability of the payloads and support for 
multiple  in-orbit  applications  makes  this  the  global  maritime  information  collection  system  designed  to  meet  and 
exceed the needs and expectations of the world’s maritime community for the foreseeable future. 

As part of the Harris Agreement, the two companies will share their respective AIS product revenue with each other.  
One of the stipulations of the revenue sharing agreement is that we will pay Harris $50 USD per year for each satellite 
put in service as part of the Second-Generation Constellation (up-to $750 USD per quarter). As of October 31, 2017 
we  have  paid  $47  and  recorded  $151  as  being  payable  to  Harris  in  our  financial  statements.  Please  refer  to  the 
Company’s AIF for details pertaining to the Harris Agreement. 

The first four SpaceX launches took place during the 2017 calendar year.  Each launch carried ten Iridium satellites, 
of which thirty-two contained exactEarth hosted AIS payloads. To date, eighteen payloads have been brought into 
service. The remaining fourteen are expected to come into service in 2018 after they travel to their final orbits. Four 
more  launches  are  scheduled  to  be  completed  during  calendar  2018.  Ultimately,  we  plan  to  have  58  second-
generation satellites in orbit, not counting in-orbit spares.  Our revenue stream from the Harris Agreement began in 
the fourth quarter of 2017, with a gradual ramp-up until 2020, when we expect to achieve the full potential revenue 
stream.  

On  November  23,  2015,  we  announced  an  AUD$2,000  (CAD$1,894)  minority  ownership  investment  in  technology 
company,  Myriota  Pty  Ltd.  (“Myriota”)  of  Adelaide,  Australia.  As  part  of  the  Myriota  investment,  exactEarth  has 
obtained  an  exclusive  license  to  utilise  their  technology  in  the  maritime  market.  The  Myriota  technology  uses 
advanced signal processing Intellectual Property (“IP”) developed at the University of South Australia (UniSA) in order 
to develop advanced terminals, infrastructure, and applications for the fast- growing Satellite Internet of Things (SIoT) 
global market. This core IP has been developed to create a disruptively low-cost solution for the SIoT market which 
will have the capability of supporting many millions of global users. Myriota is particularly focused on the location 
tracking and sensor data applications markets. Our investment of AUD $2,000 has been recorded as a technology 
licence  and  classified  as  an  intangible  asset.  The  Company  will  pay  a  3.5%  royalty  on  revenue  derived  from  the 
technology under licence. It is expected that this intangible will be in use during Fiscal 2018 and therefore royalties 
will begin at that point.  For additional information, refer to note 4 (Investment) and note 7 (Intangible assets) in the 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

On  April  14,  2016,  we  announced  a  twenty-four-month  Strategic  Alliance  with  Larus  Technologies  Corporation 
(“Larus”), an Ottawa-based provider of adaptive learning and predictive analytics software. Under the Agreement, 
the  two  companies  are  working  together  to  develop  and  market  Big  Data  analytics-based  software  applications 
and  information  services  for  the  global  surveillance  and  intelligence  markets.  These  products  are  part  of  the  IaaS 
category  described  above.  As  part  of  the  Agreement,  exactEarth  gains  an  exclusive  license  to  Larus'  Big  Data 
analytics platform (Total::Insight™) for the Maritime market for consideration of $700, payable in twenty-four equal 
monthly payments commencing April 15, 2016. In return, Larus gains access to exactEarth's map visualisation IP for 
integration into Total::Insight-based solutions for non-Maritime markets and to exactEarth's extensive data archive to 
perform  advanced  pattern-of-life  analysis.  exactEarth  will  enhance  existing,  and  develop  new,  maritime-focused 
information products and services by integrating technology from the Total::Insight™ platform into its existing Maritime 
Big Data processing and supply chain IT infrastructure. New application areas will include shipping movement and 

4 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

 
behavioural  analysis  and  the  companies  will  work  together  to  advance  the  capabilities  in  the  exciting  area  of 
predictive analytics. The Agreement includes an option to purchase all of the shares of Larus during the twenty-four-
month term of the agreement and during the six months following completion of the alliance. The option to purchase 
is currently valued at nil. At the end of the twenty-four-month term, we will begin paying a royalty of 30% on the gross 
sales of products that are derived from the Larus Total::Insight™ technology. For additional information, refer to note 7 
(Intangible assets), note 9 (Loans payable, financial instruments and foreign exchange) and note 12 (Commitments 
and contingencies) in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

In December 2015, the Government of Canada (“GoC”) initiated a request-for-proposal (“RFP”) competitive process 
to procure S-AIS services. The contract was awarded exclusively to exactEarth on May 5, 2016 at a service level that 
was well below that which it previously subscribed to. The awarded contract value represented approximately $100 
per year, which is approximately $7,100 per year lower than the annual revenue level generated by exactEarth for S-
AIS data services that was previously provided to the GoC for their domestic use. The GoC initiated a second RFP to 
procure S-AIS services in October 2016. On February 24, 2017, we received notice from the GoC that our proposal 
had not been selected for the new S-AIS contract. While the loss of revenue from the current contract with the GoC 
is not significant, the GoC remains a customer of ours and we will continue to explore ways to work with them, such 
as the Polar Epsilon 2 project, which we announced in November 2016.

On  May  5,  2016,  Innovation,  Science  and  Economic  Development  Canada  announced  a  $54,000  Technology 
Demonstration Program contribution to MDA Systems Ltd. (“MDA”) and its partners. The funding is designed to support 
large scale technology demonstration projects related to the Canadian aerospace, defence, space, and security 
industries. On May 9, 2016, exactEarth entered into a Technology Demonstration Program Collaboration Agreement 
(“TDP Agreement”) with MDA as a Partner Recipient under the Technology Demonstration Program related to Space 
Technology  and  Advanced  Research  (“STAR”).  The  TDP  Agreement  provides  funding  at  50%  of  eligible  costs  in 
respect of STAR projects to a maximum total funding value of $1,250. This funding is available to partially offset eligible 
STAR  project  costs  during  the  period  commencing  August  12,  2014  and  ending  March  31,  2022.  The  funding 
recognized as an offset to cost of revenue in the year ended October 31, 2017 was $381. We had recognized $667 
as at October 31, 2016, therefore, the total recovery to date is $1,048. 

In August 2016, we negotiated an agreement with Software Radio Technology (“SRT”) to be non-exclusive enabling 
us to partner with other Class B transponder vendors. SRT continues to act as a manufacturer and distributor for the 
physical identifiers (transponders) while we provide the data collection and distribution services. 

In August 2016, we won our first small-vessel contract with the Ghana Fisheries Commission, an agency of the Ministry 
of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD) of the Government of Ghana, for the supply, installation, training 
and commissioning of Class B AIS on 450 fishing vessels. The contract is for a twelve-month period. As of October 31, 
2017, we have completed installation on 250 boats while the other 200 have been delivered as spares. The revenue 
recognized on this project as of October 31, 2017 is $1,250. 

We also announced a small vessel tracking contract with the UK Space Agency in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. This 
contract has a similar arrangement to the Ghana Fisheries Commission contract and involves 1,550 fishing vessels - 
1,500  in  South  Africa  and  50  in  Madagascar.  During  fiscal  2017,  200  spare  units  were  delivered  and  11  units  were 
deployed. Deployment remains in the very early stages. The total revenue recognized on this project as of October 
31, 2017 is $474.  

On  June  1,  2017  we  entered  into  a  collaboration  agreement  with  German  based  JAKOTA  Cruise  Systems  GmbH 
(Fleetmon) to enable Fleetmon the ability to use and sell exactEarth’s satellite AIS data (S-AIS) products and to enable 
exactEarth the ability to use and sell Fleetmon’s terrestrial AIS (T-AIS) data products. The addition of the Fleetmon real-
time  T-AIS  capability  further  enhances  exactEarth’s  revolutionary  real-time  S-AIS  service,  and  provides  the  most 
extensive  and  comprehensive  AIS  information  available.  Our  agreement  with  Fleetmon  operates  on  a  revenue 
share basis. In general, both parties will co-ordinate opportunities in the market to minimize direct competition with 
each other.  Our agreement with our previous Terrestrial AIS Data and Services provider, Genscape International Inc., 
expired in the third quarter.  

Staffing 

We rely on the knowledge and talent of our employees and we make use of their expertise in satellite operations, Big 
Data architecture, web services, software and product development, and consulting services. With the deployment 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

5

 
 
of  our  First-Generation  Constellation  nearing  completion,  we  are  now  able  to  reduce  our  satellite  infrastructure 
operating costs as we continue to transition to an information and intelligence company.  
In November 2016, we announced a restructuring aimed at re-organizing and streamlining our organization in order 
to enhance our data delivery, strengthen our sales capabilities, and lower our cost base. The restructuring resulted in 
the termination of 14 employees effective October 13, 2016.   

The number of full-time employees at October 31, 2017 was 46 (October 31, 2016 – 49).           

Overall Performance 

Revenue  was  $12,833  for  the  year  ended  October  31,  2017,  compared  to  $18,918  in  2016.  Governments  are  our 
primary target market since our system capabilities are closely matched to their service requirements. Government 
customers contributed $6,789 to the revenue in the year ended October 31, 2017, compared to $13,635 in 2016. The 
change in year-over-year revenue was primarily due to lower revenue generated from the GoC contract during the 
first  quarter  of  2017  and  the  completion  of  revenue  recognition  related  to  the  EV-9  asset  transfer  arrangement 
described later in this document in the section titled “Revenue”.  Commercial revenue for the year ended October 
31, 2017 was $6,044, up 14% compared to $5,283 in 2016.   

Revenue related to Subscription Service orders will typically be realized over a twelve-month period, while revenue 
related to product orders is realized upon delivery. The backlog of orders won but not yet recognized in revenue is 
$25,996, up 16% from the $22,551 backlog reported at October 31, 2016. Revenue of $7,904 from the current backlog 
is  forecasted  to  be  earned in  2018  while  $6,854 is  expected  to  be  earned in  2019.  The  balance  of  $11,238  will  be 
earned between 2020 and 2024.  

Our  foreign  currency  denominated  backlog  gets  affected  by  fluctuation  in  FX  rates.  Our  closing  backlog  for  any 
given quarter gets revalued as the Canadian dollar strengthens or weakens in relation to the USD, GBP or Euro, as 
applicable. The FX rates at October 31, 2017 were: USD $1.2893, GBP $1.7095, EUR $1.5014, while the rates at October 
31, 2016 were: USD $1.3411, GBP $1.6412, EUR $1.4721. The strengthening of the Canadian dollar in the year resulted 
in a $998 downward adjustment to our closing backlog from 2016. 

The following chart summarises orders and backlog:  

Opening Backlog 

New Orders 

FX Adjustment on opening backlog 

Revenue 

Closing Backlog 

Three months ended October 31, 

Years ended October 31, 

2017 

2016 

2017 

2016 

$ 

25,858 

$ 

20,590 

$ 

22,551 

$ 

14,301 

2,984 

6 

(2,852) 

6,070 

(801) 

17,276 

(998) 

(3,308) 

(12,833) 

26,974 

194 

(18,918) 

$ 

25,996 

$ 

22,551 

$ 

25,996 

$ 

22,551 

Volatility in exchange rates between Canadian and foreign currencies such as the US dollar, the Euro and the Pound 
sterling impact the business as a portion of our revenues are billed in non-Canadian currencies (predominately in US 
dollars) and recognized in our Consolidated Statements of Financial Position in the form of cash, receivables, and 
payables. The Bank of Canada average noon GBP/CAD exchange rate during the year ended October 31, 2017 
was $1.6666, compared to an average of $1.8565 in 2016. The Bank of Canada average noon Euro/CAD exchange 
rate during the year ended October 31, 2017 was $1.4519, compared to an average of $1.4711 in 2016. The Bank of 
Canada average noon USD/CAD exchange rate during the year ended October 31, 2017 was $1.2503, compared 
to an average of $1.3263 in 2016. 

Adjusted  EBITDA  for  the  year  ended  October  31,  2017  was  ($4,387)  compared  to  $523  in  2016.  The  decrease  in 
Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended October 31, 2017 was driven primarily by lower revenue from the GoC contract 
renewal, partially offset by decreased cost of revenue and operating expenses. Please refer to the Adjusted EBITDA 
reconciliation included later in this MD&A.  

For an analysis of the risks we face, please refer to the “Risk Factors” section in our AIF. 

6 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Selected Annual Information 

(in thousands of dollars except per share amounts) 

2017

2016 

2015

Revenue 

Gross margin 

Gross margin 

Impairment loss 

Restructuring expense (recovery) 

Adjusted EBITDA(1)

Adjusted EBITDA Margin(1)

Earnings (loss) from operations 

Net loss 

Basic and diluted loss per share 

Total assets 

Deferred revenue 

Other current liabilities 

Loans and borrowings 

Other non-current liabilities 

(1) As defined in non-IFRS measures. 

Results of Operations 

Revenue

$

12,833

$ 

18,918 

$

26,600

4,215

32.8%

26,886

(99)

(4,387)

(23.2%)

(35,158)

(33,834)

(1.57)

30,960

2,064

4,843

662

388

9,146 

48.3% 

27,987 

1,744 

523 

2.8% 

(32,903) 

(35,963) 

(1.90) 

67,822 

1,968 

7,365 

1,188 

758 

16,486

62.0%

-

-

9,033

34.0%

571

(1,055)

(0.09)

82,044

1,037

11,622

46,237

82

We sell products in three broad categories: Subscription Services, Data Products, and Other Products and Services. 
Generally, Subscription Services are sold with a twelve-month period of service with revenue recognized equally over 
the contract term. Data Products and Other Products and Services are generally sold on an as-demanded basis and 
the revenue is recognized when the product is delivered to the customer, or for long-term projects, on a percentage 
of  completion  basis.  Revenue  for  the  Data  Products  and  for  the  Other  Products  and  Services  tends  to  be  less 
predictable and is subject to fluctuations from one period to the next. 

Revenues for the year ended October 31, 2017: 

(in thousands of dollars) 

Government departments 

Commercial and other 

Total revenue 

Subscription
Services

$ 

5,344

5,273

$  10,617

Data Products

Other Products & 
Services 

Total Revenue

$

$

306

685

991

$

$

1,139 

86

1,225 

$

6,789

6,044

$ 12,833

Revenues for the year ended October 31, 2016: 

(in thousands of dollars) 

Government departments 

Commercial and other 

Total revenue 

Subscription
Services

$  10,386

4,693

$  15,079

Data Products

Other Products & 
Services 

Total Revenue

$

$

1,855

590

2,445

$

$

1,394 

-

1,394 

$ 13,635

5,283

$ 18,918

Our total revenue for the year ended October 31, 2017 was $12,833 compared to $18,918 in 2016. We anticipate that 
the  drivers  for  the  next  phase  of  revenue  growth  will  be  the  expansion  of  our  Second-Generation  constellation 
on-board Iridium NEXT, new analytics applications for the S-AIS and maritime information services markets and sales 
traction within the small vessel tracking market.  

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

7

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our  Subscription  Services  revenue  is  generally  earned  on  a  monthly  recurring  basis  under  annual  or  multi-year 
contracts and therefore provides a solid foundation for our revenue growth. Subscription Services revenue for the 
year  ended  October  31,  2017,  was  $10,617  compared  to  $15,079  in  2016.  The  decrease  in  Subscription  Services 
revenue was primarily due to lower revenue generated from the GoC contract during the first quarter of 2017 and 
the completion of revenue recognition related to the EV-9 asset transfer arrangement. The EV-9 asset transfer was an 
arrangement under which we provided in-kind datasets at a value of $3,666 in exchange for title to the EV-9 satellite. 
All datasets were transferred as at January 31, 2017. For additional information, refer to note 12 (Commitments and 
Contingencies) in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Subscription-based revenue represented 83% 
of our total revenue in the year ended October 31, 2017 compared to 80% in 2016.   

Revenue from Data Products was $991 in the year ended October 31, 2017, compared to $2,445 earned in 2016. The 
Data Products revenue for 2016 was generated primarily from the provision of historical data of $1,687 as part of the 
EV-9 asset transfer.  

Revenue from Other Products & Services was $1,225 in the year ended October 31, 2017 compared to $1,394 in 2016. 
This revenue type is generated from on-demand customer requests and is therefore variable in its timing.   

Revenue by quarter 

(in thousands of 
dollars) 

Subscription 
Services 

Data Products 

Other Products
& Services 

Total Revenue 

Basic & Diluted 
(Loss) per Share 

Q1 2016 

Q2 2016 

Q3 2016 

Q4 2016 

Q1 2017 

Q2 2017 

Q3 2017 

Q4 2017 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

5,382 

4,052 

2,822 

2,823 

3,038 

2,326 

2,572 

2,681 

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

304

959

1,016

166

208

341

309

133

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

694

211

170

319

90

1,044

 53

38

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

6,380 

5,222 

4,008 

3,308 

3,336 

3,711 

2,934 

2,852 

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

(0.09)

(1.89)

(1.77)

(1.90)

(0.09)

(0.02)

(0.12)

(1.34)

The quarter over quarter variance in revenue is caused by the mix in the type  of revenue earned in that quarter. 
Subscription Services revenue tends to be steady due to the generally recurring nature of those client agreements. 
Data  Products  Revenue  is  on-demand  and  therefore  less  predictable.  Other  Products  &  Services  revenue  is 
predominantly project based revenues and the timing of revenue recognition varies depending on the progress of 
the  projects.  For  some  of  our  projects  this  is  based  on  percentage  completion  based  on  costs  to  date  as  a 
percentage of estimated total cost, while in the case of the small vessel contracts, it is based on our progress in the 
installation of the Class B transponders. Therefore, revenues will vary quarter to quarter based on the progress made 
on the various projects. 

The  operating  results  for  interim  periods  should  not  be  relied  upon  as  an  indication  of  results  to  be  expected  or 
achieved  in  any  future  period  or  any  fiscal  year  as  a  whole.  The  Company  has  experienced  lower  than  planned 
revenues combined with operating losses resulting in a reduction in forecasted future cash flows. Factors affecting 
our revenue and results are described in greater detail under the heading “Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry” 
in our Annual Information Form. 

Growth  in  Subscription  Services  revenue  is  expected  to  be  muted  until  our  Second-Generation  Constellation  and 
exactView RT are fully capable of delivering S-AIS service in real-time. 

8 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

 
Gross margin  

Three months ended 

Year ended 

(in thousands of dollars) 

October 31, 2017  October 31, 2016  October 31, 2017  October 31, 2016 

Gross profit 

Gross margin 

$ 

854 

29.9% 

$ 

701 

21.2% 

$ 

4,215 

32.8% 

$ 

9,146 

48.3% 

Gross margin for the year ended October 31, 2017 was 32.8% compared to 48.3% in 2016. Our gross margin decreased 
from last year due to lower revenue in all three broad categories: Subscription Services, Data Products, and Other 
Products  and  Services.  Our  cost  of  revenue  benefited,  in  part,  by  the  reimbursement  of  costs  related  to  the  TDP 
Agreement. Costs increase relative to the number of satellites and ground stations, and volume of data processing, 
rather than relative to the number of customers. Therefore, as our customer base expands, we expect that our cost 
base will grow more slowly than the growth of our revenues which will result in increased gross margins.  We have 
substantively completed the build-out of our ground station expansion.   

Selling, general and administrative expenses 

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses in the year ended October 31, 2017 were $7,004 compared to 
year  due  primarily  to  decreased  payroll  expenses  resulting  from  the 
$7,463  in  2016.  SG&A  decreased  year
restructuring undertaken in October 2016. SG&A may fluctuate from quarter to quarter depending on the volume of 
new subscriptions versus renewals and the timing of renewals, since commission expenses are included in the SG&A 
line.  

over

‐

‐

Product development & research and development (“R&D”) 

Product Development expenses in the year ended October 31, 2017 were $1,450 compared to $1,940 in 2016. We 
continued to focus on developing more web-based functionality as well as new analytics-based product offerings 
during fiscal 2017. 

We incurred $242 on Research and Development expenses in the year ended October 31, 2017 compared to $10 in 
2016.  The R&D expense  was incurred on Project  VESTA,  which has an objective to demonstrate a satellite-based, 
two-way maritime communications system representing initial implementation of VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) 
technology.  Our VESTA responsibilities focus on the ground segment of the VDES system, including the satellite feeder 
link,  a  ship-based  test  station  and  the  ability  to  control  the  overall  VESTA  network.   Once  the  VESTA  satellite  is 
launched, (forecasted for the first quarter of 2018), we will use the VESTA network to perform various VDES related 
demonstrations.  VDES networks using low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites have the potential to become the next level of 
maritime services from exactEarth, complementary to our S-AIS business.  Project VESTA is sponsored by the UK Space 
Agency  and  is  a  collaboration  of  various  partners  in  the  UK  including  ourselves  through  our  exactEarth  Europe 
subsidiary. 

Impairment losses 

At the end of each reporting period, the Company assesses whether there are events or circumstances indicating 
that an asset may be impaired.  Such events or circumstances notably include material adverse changes which in 
the  long-term  impact  the  economic  environment  or  the  Company’s  assumptions  or  objectives.  The  Company 
considers the relationship between its market capitalization and the book value of its equity, among other factors, 
when reviewing for indicators of impairment because the Company as a whole has been assessed as a single CGU. 
The recoverable amount is the greater of value in use (“VIU”) and fair value less costs of disposal. 

During fiscal 2017, the market capitalization of the Company was below the carrying value for a sustained period of 
time  particularly  during  the  fourth  quarter  of  the  fiscal  year.  This  is  considered  an  indicator  of  impairment. 
Management prepared a detailed forecast for use in a VIU model but there were significant uncertainties inherent 
in the input assumptions and therefore management decided it was prudent to deem that the recoverable amount 
used in the impairment test be based on fair value less cost to sell using a market approach. The fair value less cost 
to sell of $22,987 was determined using a market capitalization based on the 5-day volume-weighted average price 
up  to  and  including  October  31,  2017.    The  carrying  value,  represented  by  the  book  value  of  the  Company’s 
shareholder’s equity was $49,873.  The carrying value was higher than the book value by $26,886 (2016 – $27,987).  As 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

9

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
a result, at October 31, 2017, impairment losses recognized are $18,804 (2016 – $17,728) related to property, plant 
and equipment and $8,082 (2016 – $10,259) related to intangible assets, allocated on a pro-rata basis. The impairment 
amount  has  been  recorded  in  the  Statement  of  loss  and  comprehensive  loss.  For  additional  information,  refer  to 
note 6 (Property, plant and equipment), note 7 (Intangible assets) and note 8 (Impairment of long-lived assets). 

Other expenses (income) 

Three months ended October 31 

Year ended October 31 

 2017 

2016 

Change 

 2017 

2016 

Change 

Other Income 

Other expense 

$ 

- 

-

-

-

$ 

(210) 

$ 

210 

$ 

(1,455) 

$ 

(55) 

$ 

(1,400) 

(12) 

1,744 

(1,756) 

(275) 

9

101

(8) 

(376) 

17

197

(99) 

(43) 

52

-

197

1,744 

(1,843) 

1,026 

(1,069) 

304

(252) 

$ 

(278) 

$ 

1,627 

$ 

(1,905) 

$ 

(1,348) 

$ 

3,019 

$ 

(4,367) 

Restructuring expense 
(recovery) 

Foreign exchange loss 
(gain) 

Interest expense 
(income) 

Total other expense 
(income) 

Other income 

On February 3, 2017 the company lost contact with one of its Satellites, EV5. When subsequent recovery efforts were 
not successful, the company filed an insurance claim for the full insured value of the satellite amounting to $3,500. 
The settlement was received in April 2017. 

We  accounted  for  this  transaction  by  offsetting  the  remaining  book  value  of  the  asset  against  the  insurance 
settlement and including the net amount as other income. The details are as follows: 

Proceeds from insurance claim for EV 5 

Total cost of EV 5  

Depreciation and impairment charged to EV 5 

Other income as reported 

$ 

$ 

3,500 

4,633 

(2,588)

1,455 

This isolated satellite issue has not had a material adverse effect on service levels. Additionally, the first eighteen of 
our second-generation satellites are in service as of the date of this report, which begins the roll-out of the 58-satellite 
exactView RT constellation being produced under the Company’s agreement with the Harris Corporation.  

Other expense 

The other expense of $197 in the year ended October 31, 2017 includes moving expenses, maternity leave top-up 
expense and severance expense for an employee that was terminated in June 2017.    

Restructuring expense (recovery) 

As set-out above in the “Staffing” section, we underwent a restructuring in October 2016. The $99 expense recovery 
relates to the adjusting of the restructuring reserve revalued in October 2017 for the accrual for Stock Options and 
RSU/PSU  payouts  owed  to  the  14  employees  that  were  terminated.  The  reserve  was  reduced  as  there  were  two 
employees  identified  that  no  longer  qualified  for  continuance  payments.  There  was  also  a  decrease  in  the  share 
price from $1.48 at October 31, 2016 to $1.06 at October 31, 2017.  

Foreign exchange loss (gain) 

Foreign exchange amounts in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss include realized and unrealized 
gains  and  losses  that  result  from  translation  of  foreign  denominated  balances  in  our  Consolidated  Statements  of 
Financial  Position.  The  impact  of  translation  of  outstanding  foreign  denominated  balances  in  the  Consolidated 

10 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

 
 
  
 
 
Statements  of  Financial  Position  and  of  settling  foreign  denominated  balances  into  cash  during  the  year  ended 
October 31, 2017 was a gain of $43 compared to a loss of $1,026 in 2016.  

Interest expense (income) 

Our net interest expense for the year ended October 31, 2017 was $52 compared to $304 in 2016. Interest expense is 
decreasing as outstanding loan balances are repaid.

Adjusted EBITDA 

Three months ended October 31 

 Year ended October 31 

2017 

2016 

2017 

2016 

Net loss  

 $ 

(28,966) 

 $ 

(4,135) 

 $ 

(33,834) 

 $ 

(35,963) 

Interest expense (income)  

Income tax expense  

Depreciation and amortization  

9 

8 

916 

(8) 

41 

926 

52 

24 

3,791 

304

41

4,649 

EBITDA   

 $ 

(28,033) 

 $ 

 (3,176) 

 $ 

(29,967) 

 $ 

 (30,969) 

Unrealized foreign exchange loss  

Share-based compensation  

Impairment losses  

Restructuring expense (recovery)  

Other income 

Adjusted EBITDA  

(432) 

173 

26,886 

(12) 

- 

68 

401 

- 

1,744 

- 

(376) 

624 

26,886 

(99) 

(1,455) 

 $ 

(1,418) 

 $ 

 (963) 

 $ 

(4,387) 

 $ 

906

855

27,987 

1,744 

- 

523

Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended October 31, 2017, was a loss of $4,387 compared to a gain of $523 at October 
31, 2016. The decrease was driven by decreased interest expense, depreciation, unrealized foreign exchange loss, 
share-based compensation, impairment losses and restructuring costs and increased other income, partially offset 
by a lower net loss. Management believes that Adjusted EBITDA provides a relevant measure of the results of our main 
business  activities  before  taking  into  consideration  how  they  are  financed  or  taxed  and  excluding  the  impact  of 
certain non-cash expenses and items that are considered to be outside of our ongoing operating results. 

Net loss 

Net loss was $33,834 in 2017, compared to $35,963 in 2016. The net loss for 2017 excluding the non-cash impairment 
of $26,886, other income of $1,455 and the restructuring reversal of $99 was $8,502. The net loss for 2016 excluding the 
non-cash impairment of $27,987 and the restructuring charge of $1,744 was $6,232. This adjusted net loss of $8,502 is 
greater than the 2016 net loss of $6,232 primarily due to lower revenue, which was partially offset by decreases in cost 
of revenue, selling, general and administrative expense, product development expenses and interest expense.  

Financial position 

The following chart outlines the changes in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position between October 31, 
2017 and October 31, 2016: 

(in thousands of dollars) 

Cash 

Accounts receivable 

Inventory 

Increase/ 
(Decrease) 

Explanation 

$ 

$ 

$ 

(5,563)  The decrease in cash is due to ongoing operational expenses and 

lower billings/collections. 

1,393  The accounts receivable balance fluctuates with changes in billings 

and collections.  

(425)  Prior year inventory related to purchased small vessel tracking Class B 
transponders for customer contracts. These transponders have been 
delivered to the customer. 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

11

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(in thousands of dollars) 

Unbilled revenue 

Prepaid expenses and 
other assets 

Property, plant and 
equipment 

Increase/ 
(Decrease) 

Explanation 

$ 

$ 

(369)  The unbilled revenue reflects the amount of revenue recognized in 

advance of billings.

399  The increase relates to other assets consisting of transponders paid for 

by and delivered to customers, but not yet installed.

$ 

(18,847)  The decrease in Property, plant and equipment is due to impairment 

of $18,804, depreciation of $2,958, write off EV-05 net book value of 
$2,045, cancellation of the southern hemisphere grounds station $695, 
and billings to LuxSpace for EV-10 of $396, offset by the increase from 
the transfer of EV-09 from intangible assets data rights to satellites 
$4,654 and other additions of $1,396. Other deductions and 
translation adjustments account for the difference.  

Intangible assets 

$ 

(13,450)  The decrease in Intangible assets is due to impairment of $8,082, the 

transfer of EV-09 from intangible assets to property, plant and 
equipment of $4,654 and depreciation of $833, offset by additions of 
$119.  

$ 

(1,664)  The decrease includes $988 resulting from the renegotiation of a 

ground station contract and $447 in payments for Small Vessel 
transponders hardware and installation. 

$ 

$ 

96  Deferred revenue reflects billings that occur in advance of revenue 

recognition.  

(1,208)  On going payments due to salary continuance for 14 employees 

affected by the restructuring in October 2016. 

$ 

(675)  The decrease is due to principal payments made on the Government 

and Larus liabilities during the year. 

$ 

$ 

$ 

129  The increase is due to the continuing accrual of RSU payable. 

371  The increase is related to expense recognized on stock options during 

the year. These stock options will be equity settled. 

(89)  The decrease is due to the foreign exchange translation of our UK 

subsidiary. 

Accounts payable and 
accrued liabilities 
(current and non-
current) 

Deferred revenue 

Restructuring provision 
(current and non-
current) 

Loans payable and 
Government loan 
payable (current and 
non-current) 

Long-term incentive 
plans (current and non-
current) 

Contributed surplus 

Accumulated other 
comprehensive loss 

Deficit 

$ 

(33,834)  Net loss of $33,834. 

12 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

 
Liquidity and capital resources 

The key liquidity and capital resource items are as follows: 

(in thousands of dollars) 

October 31, 2017

October 31, 2016 

% Change

Cash

Trade accounts receivable 

Inventory

Prepaid and other current assets  

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 

Loans payable 

Working Capital  

$

$

$

$

$

$

8,117

3,171

-

1,266

3,722

1,229

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

13,680 

1,778 

425 

867 

5,431 

1,904 

(41%)

78%

(100%)

46%

(32%)

(35%)

Working capital decreased $2,139 during 2017 to $6,072. The decrease since 2016 is driven by: 

(in thousands of dollars) 

Decrease in cash 

Increase in trade accounts receivable  

Decrease in inventory 

Decrease in unbilled revenue 

Increase in prepaid expenses and other assets 

Decrease in accounts payable and accrued liabilities 

Increase in deferred revenue 

Decrease in current portion of restructuring provision 

All other 

Total 

Increase / (Decrease)  

to working capital 

$

(5,563)

1,393 

(425)

(369)

399

1,709 

(96)

766

47

$

2,139 

Current assets are available at varying times within twelve months following the balance sheet date. Cash is readily 
available to settle obligations related to current and future expenditures. Management believes these provisions will 
not adversely affect the Company’s ability to meet its commitments when due. 

Significant cash flows: 

(in thousands of dollars) 

Cash used in operating activities 

Cash from (used in) investing activities 

Cash (used in) from financing activities 

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash  

Net increase in cash  

Cash, beginning of the period 

Cash, end of the period 

2017 

2016

$

(7,707)

$

(2,857)

2,995 

(801)

(50) 

(5,563)

13,680 

8,117

$

$

(8,559)

22,744

(13)

11,315

2,365

13,680

$

$

The  Company  manages  its  liquidity  and  capital  resources  to  provide  sufficient  cash  to  meet  short  and  long-term 
operating  and  development  plans,  debt  obligations,  and  other  contractual  obligations  when  due.    Prior  to  the 
completion  of  the  Spinout  Transaction,  the  Company  used  loans  from  shareholders  as  primary  sources  of  liquidity 
however,  going  forward,  the  Company  plans  to  use  cash  flows  from  operations.  For  potential  funding  of  large 
transactions such as acquisitions, the Company may look to the private and public capital markets and government 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

13

incentive  programs  as  a  source  of  financing.  Management  believes  capital  resources  at  October  31,  2017  are 
sufficient to fund current operations, forecasted capital expenditures, and contractual obligations in 2018.  

With  respect  to  longer-term  funding  requirements,  the  Company  believes  future  cash  flows  generated  from 
operations  and  other  sources  of  liquidity  will  be  available.  Under  present  conditions,  the  Company  believes it  has 
sufficient access to capital and debt markets. There is a risk that the cost of obtaining capital resources from capital 
and debt markets may increase in the future as lenders and institutional investors may increase interest rates, impose 
tighter lending standards, or refuse to provide any new funding. Despite present market conditions, changes in the 
Company’s business, unforeseen opportunities or events, and other external factors may also adversely affect liquidity 
and  the  availability  of  additional  capital  resources.  Due  to  these  factors,  the  Company  cannot  be  certain  that 
funding, if needed,  will be available to the extent required, or on acceptable terms. If the Company is unable to 
access  funding  when  needed  on  acceptable  terms,  the  Company  may  not  be  able  to  fully  implement  current 
business plans, take advantage of business opportunities, or respond to competitive pressures, any of which could 
have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operational and financial results. However, the Company may 
elect  to  reduce  its  planned  expenditures  concurrent  with  prevailing  conditions.  The  Company  believes  that  this 
financial flexibility to adjust its spending levels will provide it with sufficient liquidity to meet its future operational goals 
and  financial  obligations.  For  additional  information,  refer  to  note 2  b)  (Significant  Accounting  Policies,  Basis  of 
presentation) in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

Operating activities 

Cash used in operations for the year ended October 31, 2017 was $7,707, compared to cash used in operations of 
$2,857 in 2016. The increase in cash used in operations for 2017 was primarily due to changes in working capital and 
payments related to the restructuring provision.   

Investing activities 

Cash from investing activities for the year ended October 31, 2017 was $2,995 compared to $8,559 used in 2016. The 
cash generated in the year includes the insurance settlement of $3,500 for the EV-5 satellite in April 2017 offset by 
acquisitions of long-lived assets. 

Financing activities 

Cash flows used in financing activities for the year ended October 31, 2017 were $801 compared with cash generated 
of  $22,744  in  2016.  Financing  activities  in  2017  were  primarily  related  to  repayment  of  long-term  liabilities.  The 
increased  financing  activities  in  the  year  ending  October  31,  2016  was  related  to  issuing  common  shares  worth 
$20,440 and Shareholder loan advances, offset by repayment long-term liabilities. 

Contractual obligations 

The following table outlines the contractual cash obligations (excluding accounts payable and accrued liabilities) as 
at October 31, 2017: 

(in thousands of dollars) 

Lease obligation 

Government loan 

Larus Technologies debt 

Restructuring reserve 

Capital commitments 

Harris commitment 

Fleetmon revenue share guarantee for Q1 2018 

Total

Less than
one year

1-3 years 

4-5 years

>-5 years

$

422

$

1,190

145

388

3,298

6,450

53

$ 

95

492

145

388

36

516

53

$

327 

698 

- 

- 

452 

1,032 

- 

$

-

-

-

-

1,873

1,032

-

-

-

-

-

937

3,870

-

Total contractual obligations 

$ 11,946

$

1,725

$

2,509 

$ 

2,905

$

4,807

As  at  October  31,  2017,  we  had  various  contractual  cash  obligations,  including  Government  debt  and  capital 
commitments. 

14 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fourth Quarter Review 

Revenues for the three months ended October 31, 2017: 

(in thousands of dollars) 

Government departments 

Commercial and other 

Total revenue 

Subscription 
Services 

Data Products 

Other Products & 
Services 

Total Revenue 

$ 

$ 

1,367

1,314

2,681

$

$

7

126

133

$

$

38 

-

38 

$

$

1,412

1,440

2,852

Revenues for the three months ended October 31, 2016: 

(in thousands of dollars) 

Government departments 

Commercial and other 

Total revenue 

Subscription 
Services 

Data Products 

Other Products & 
Services 

Total Revenue 

$ 

$ 

1,544

1,279

2,823

$

$

31

135

166

$

$

319 

-

319 

$

$

1,894

1,414

3,308

Revenue for the three months ended October 31, 2017 was $2,852 with a cost of revenue of $1,998 resulting in a gross 
margin of $854. The corresponding results for the three months ended October 31, 2016 was revenue of $3,308, cost 
of revenue of $2,607 and a gross margin of $701.  

Though the remaining operating expenses for Q4 2017 were in line with the spending in Q4 2016, the Impairment losses 
of  $26,886  recognized  in  2017  were  the  primary  driver  of  the  increase  in  operating  loss  from  $2,467  in  Q4  2016  to 
$29,236 in Q4 2017. 

As mentioned in the “staffing” section above, we announced a restructuring on November 2, 2016. This resulted in us 
recording a restructuring expense of $1,744 in the “Other expenses” section of the Consolidated Financial Statements 
in Q4 2016. 

The Net loss for Q4 2017 was $28,966 while Q4 2016 reported a Net loss of $4,135. 

Credit facilities 

A  Canadian  Schedule  I  Bank  has  provided  exactEarth  Ltd.  with  a  demand  operating  credit  facility  of  $2,000. 
Canadian dollar loans will be available by way of overdrafts. Interest will be calculated at the bank’s prime rate per 
annum. US dollar loans will also be available by way of overdraft. US Interest will be calculated at US Base Rate per 
annum. This credit facility may be terminated by the bank at any time. There are no financial covenants established 
as yet, with the necessity for specific covenants assessed in future as financing needs of exactEarth Ltd. continue to 
evolve. As of October 31, 2017, $27 was drawn on the bank credit facility in the form of Letters of Guarantee required 
for certain customer contracts. There has been no further activity on this line of credit as of September 12, 2017. 

Off-balance sheet arrangements 

As  at  October  31,  2017,  we  do  not  have  any  off-balance  sheet  arrangements,  other  than  operating  leases  as 
disclosed in note 12 (Commitments and Contingencies) in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

Proposed transactions 

We did not have any proposed transactions as at October 31, 2017.  

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies 

Critical accounting estimates 

The preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions 
that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets 
and liabilities. These estimates are based upon management’s historical experience and various other assumptions 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

15

 
 
 
 
 
 
that are believed by management to be reasonable under the circumstances. Such assumptions and estimates are 
evaluated on an ongoing basis and form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and 
liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources as well as the periodic recognition of revenue and cost of 
revenue. Actual results could differ from these estimates. 

We believe the following critical accounting policies affect the more significant estimates and assumptions used in 
the preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements. 

Revenue recognition 

Revenue is recognized to the extent that it is probable that the economic benefits will flow to the Company and the 
revenue can be reliably measured, regardless of when the payment is being made. Revenue is measured at the fair 
value of the consideration received or receivable, taking into account contractually defined terms of payment and 
excluding taxes or duty. The Company assesses its revenue arrangements against specific criteria in order to determine 
if  it  is  acting  as  principal  or  agent.  The  Company  has  concluded  that  it  is  acting  as  a  principal  in  all  of  its  revenue 
arrangements. The following specific recognition criteria must also be met before revenue is recognized: 

Sale of Data 

The majority of revenue is derived from the sale of data subscriptions. For subscription revenue, the timing of cash flows 
generally precedes the recognition of revenue and income. Any initial payments are deferred and recognized rateably 
as data is delivered over the subscription period. 

Revenue is recognized upon delivery for non-subscription data sales. 

Provision of Products and Services 

We occasionally provide goods, including Class B transponders, and services to its customers under long-term contracts. 
When there are more than one good or service included in an arrangement, it is necessary to assess the whether those 
components should be separated or combined for purposes of recognizing revenue. Further, it is necessary to assess 
the fair value of distinct components and allocate the total contract value based on the relative fair values. The fair 
value of each product or service is determined considering sales of the products or services on a stand-alone basis, and 
the Company’s pricing policies. 

The Company recognizes revenue on long-term contracts based on the stage of completion in accordance with IAS 
18 if the contract is a service contract or IAS 11 if the contract represents a construction contract. Depending on the 
nature of the contract, the stage of completion may be assessed based on costs incurred relative to the estimated total 
contract costs or other measures. Losses on such contracts are accrued when the estimate of total costs indicates that 
a  loss  will  be  realized.  Accruals  are  drawn  down  as  loss  contracts  progress.  Contract  billings  received  in  excess  of 
recognized revenue are included in current liabilities as deferred revenue. 

Project costs to complete 

At the outset of each customer project, an estimate of the total expected cost to complete the scope of work under 
contract  is  made.  For  those  contracts  where  revenue  is  recognized  based  on  actual  costs  incurred  relative  to 
estimated total costs, these estimates are reviewed and revised to reflect current expectations of cost to complete, 
and  total  cost.  These  estimates  are  based  on  specific  knowledge  of  the  status  of  the  project,  as  well  as  historical 
understanding of costs on similar projects. Cost elements include material, direct labour, and overhead costs, with 
labour and overhead costs being determined using pre-established costing rates applied to estimated labour hours 
required to complete the scope of work under contract. These estimates are reviewed on a monthly and quarterly 
basis  to  ensure  the  estimates  reflect  the  current  expectations  for  total  costs,  however  this is not  a  guarantee  that 
unforeseen  or  additional  costs  won’t  be  incurred,  which  would  have  an  impact  on  project  total  cost,  reported 
revenue, and gross margins. Management believes it has effective control procedures in place to ensure the validity 
of these estimates at the time they are made. 

16 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

 
Allowance for doubtful accounts 

We  have  established  an  allowance  for  doubtful  accounts  taking  into  consideration  aging  of  the  receivables, 
communications  with  customers,  credit  issues,  and  historical  losses.  We  will  increase  the  allowance  for  specific 
accounts if it has objective evidence that its customer is experiencing significant financial difficulty.  

Useful life of intangible and long-term assets 

We have established policies for determining the useful life of our intangible and long-term assets, and amortize the 
costs  of  these  assets  over  those  useful lives.  The  useful life  for  each  category  of  asset  is  determined  based  on  the 
expectation of our ability to continue to generate revenues, and thus, our cash flows. This ability is tested periodically 
to ensure the conditions still exist to allow the asset to be reflected at its net-recorded value in our accounts, and any 
impairment to the valuation is reflected in such accounts at the time the impairment is determined. 

Recoverable amount for long-lived assets 

An asset’s recoverable amount is the higher of an asset’s or cash generating unit’s fair value less costs to sell and its 
value in  use,  and is  determined  for  an individual  asset  or  at  the  CGU  level if individual  assets  do  not  have largely 
independent cash inflows. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present 
value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks 
specific  to  the  asset  or  CGU.  In  determining  fair  value  less  costs  to  sell,  recent  market  transactions  are  taken  into 
account, if available. If no such transactions can be identified, an appropriate valuation model is used. Given the 
Company is a single CGU, the market capitalization of the Company is a relevant measure of FVLCS. 

Capitalization of development costs 

When capitalizing development costs, we must assess the technical and commercial feasibility of the projects and 
estimate the useful lives of resulting products. Determining whether future economic benefits will flow from the assets, 
and  therefore,  the  estimates  and  assumptions  associated  with  these  calculations  are  instrumental  in:  (i) deciding 
whether project costs can be capitalized, and (ii) accurately calculating the useful life of our projects. 

Financial instruments 

The valuation of our financial instruments requires estimation of the fair value of each instrument at the reporting date. 
Details of the basis on which fair value is estimated are provided in note 9 (Loans payable, financial instruments and 
foreign exchange) in the Condensed Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

Changes in Accounting Policies Including Initial Adoption 

There were no changes to accounting policies during the year ended October 31, 2017 compared to the accounting 
policies applied in the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended October 31, 2016. 

Future changes in accounting policies 

A number of new standards, and amendments to standards and interpretations are not effective for the Company, 
and  have  not  been  applied  in  preparing  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements.  The  following  standards  and 
interpretations  have  been  issued  by  the  International  Accounting  Standards  Board  (“IASB”)  and  the  International 
Financial  Reporting  Interpretations  Committees  with  effective  dates  relating  to  the  annual  accounting  periods 
starting on or after the effective dates as follows: 

IFRS 2, Share-based Payment (“IFRS 2”) 

In June 2016, the IASB issued final amendments to IFRS 2, which clarifies how to account for certain types of share-
based payment transactions. The amendments provide requirements on the accounting for: (i) the effect of vesting 
and non-vesting conditions on the measurement of cash-settled share-based payments; (ii) share-based payment 
transactions with a net settlement feature for withholding tax obligations; and (iii) a modification to the terms and 
conditions of a share-based payment that changes the classifications of the transaction from cash-settled to equity-
settled. The amendments are effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018, with early adoption 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

17

 
 
permitted.  The  amendments  become  effective  for  the  Company  November  1,  2018.  The  Company  is  currently 
assessing the impact of adopting these amendments on its consolidated financial statements. 

IFRS 9 Financial instruments: classification and measurement (“IFRS 9”) 

In July 2014, the IASB issued the final version of IFRS 9, Financial Instruments, which reflects all phases of the financial 
instruments  project  and  replaces  IAS  39,  Financial  Instruments:  Recognition  and  Measurement  and  all  previous 
versions of IFRS 9. The standard introduces new requirements for classification and measurement, impairment, and 
hedge accounting. IFRS 9 is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018, with early application 
permitted.  Retrospective  application  is  required,  but  comparative  information  is  not  compulsory.  The  Company  is 
evaluating the impact of adopting this new standard on its consolidated financial statements. 

IFRS 15 Revenue from contracts with customers (“IFRS 15”) 

In  May  2014,  the  IASB  issued  IFRS  15,  which  establishes  a  single  comprehensive  model  of  accounting  for  revenue 
arising from contracts with customers that an entity will apply to determine the measurement of revenue and timing 
of when it is recognized. IFRS 15 supersedes current revenue recognition guidance, which is found currently across 
several standards and interpretations including IAS 11, Construction Contracts and IAS 18, Revenue. The core principle 
of IFRS 15 is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods and services to customers in 
an amount that reflects the amount an entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. The 
new  standard  will  also  result  in  enhanced  disclosures  about  revenue  that  would  result  in  an  entity  providing 
comprehensive information about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from 
the entity’s contracts with customers. IFRS 15 is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018, with 
early adoption permitted. The standard becomes effective for the Company on November 1, 2018.  The Company 
is currently assessing the impact of adopting this new standard on its consolidated financial statements. 

IFRS 16, Leases (“IFRS 16”) 

On January 13, 2016, the IASB issued IFRS 16 which will replace International Accounting Standard (“IAS”) 17, Leases.
The  new  standard  will  be  effective  for  fiscal  years  beginning  on  or  after  January  1,  2019.    Earlier  application  is 
permitted for entities that apply IFRS 15 at or before the date of initial adoption of IFRS 16.  The standard becomes 
effective for the Company on November 1, 2019.  The new standard introduces a single lessee accounting model 
and requires a lessee to recognize assets and liabilities for all leases with a term of more than twelve months, unless 
the underlying asset is of low value. A lessee is required to recognize a right-of-use asset representing its right to use 
the  underlying  asset  and  a  lease  liability  representing  its  obligation  to  make  lease  payments.  This  standard 
substantially carries forward the lessor accounting requirements of IAS 17, while requiring enhanced disclosures to be 
provided by lessors. Other areas of the lease accounting model have been impacted, including the definition of a 
lease.  The Company is currently assessing the impact of adopting this new standard on its consolidated financial 
statements. 

International  Financial  Reporting  Interpretations  Committee  22,  Foreign  Currency  Transactions  and  Advance 
Consideration 

Foreign Currency Transactions and Advance Consideration clarifies the appropriate exchange rate to use on initial 
recognition of an asset, expense or income when advance consideration is paid or received in a foreign currency. 
The new interpretation is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018. The Company is currently 
assessing the impact of this new interpretation on its consolidated financial statements. 

International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee 23, Uncertainty over Income Tax Treatments 

Uncertainty over Income Tax Treatments provides guidance when there is uncertainty over income tax treatments 
including (but not limited to) whether uncertain tax treatments should be considered separately; assumptions made 
about the examination of tax treatments by tax authorities; the determination of taxable profit, tax bases, unused tax 
losses,  unused  tax  credits,  and  tax  rates;  and,  the  impact  of  changes  in  facts  and  circumstances.  The  new 
interpretation is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019. The Company is currently assessing 
the impact of the new interpretation in its consolidated financial statements. 

18 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

 
CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES 

Disclosure controls and procedures 

The Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information 
required  to  be  disclosed  by  the  Company  in  reports  filed  under  Canadian  securities  laws  is  recorded,  processed, 
summarized and reported within the time periods specified under those laws, and include controls and procedures 
that  are  designed  to  ensure  that information is  accumulated  and  communicated  to  management,  including  the 
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. 

Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting 

Internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable, but not absolute, assurance regarding the 
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with International Financial 
Reporting  Standards.  Management  is  responsible  for  establishing  and  maintaining  adequate  internal  control  over 
financial reporting for the Company. Due to its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not 
prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis. The Company used the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations 
of the Treadway Commission (COSO) 2013 framework to evaluate the effectiveness of internal control over financial 
reporting.  

Changes in internal controls over financial reporting 

The Company made no changes to internal controls over financial reporting during the quarter ended October 31, 
2017, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over 
financial reporting. 

OUTSTANDING SHARE DATA 

The number of issued and outstanding Common Shares was 21,614,120 as of the date of this MD&A. 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

19

 
 
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT

To the Shareholders of 
exactEarthTM Ltd.

We  have  audited  the  accompanying  consolidated  financial  statements  of  exactEarthTM Ltd.,  which  comprise  the 
consolidated statements of financial position as at October 31, 2017 and 2016, and the consolidated statements of
changes in equity, loss and comprehensive loss, and cash flows for the years then ended, and a summary of significant 
accounting policies and other explanatory information.

Management’s responsibility for the consolidated financial statements

Management  is  responsible  for  the  preparation  and  fair  presentation  of  these  consolidated  financial  statements  in 
accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, and for such internal control as management determines 
is necessary to enable the preparation of consolidated financial statements that are free from material misstatement, 
whether due to fraud or error.

Auditors’ responsibility

Our  responsibility  is  to  express  an  opinion  on  these  consolidated  financial  statements  based  on  our  audits.  We 
conducted our audits in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards. Those standards require that 
we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether 
the consolidated financial statements are free from material misstatement.

An  audit  involves  performing  procedures  to  obtain  audit  evidence  about  the  amounts  and  disclosures  in  the 
consolidated  financial  statements.  The  procedures  selected  depend  on  the  auditors’  judgment,  including  the 
assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud or 
error. In making those risk assessments, the auditors consider internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and 
fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in 
the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. 
An  audit  also  includes  evaluating  the  appropriateness  of  accounting  policies  used  and  the  reasonableness  of 
accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial 
statements.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained in our audits is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for 
our audit opinion. 

Opinion

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of 
exactEarthTM Ltd. as at October 31, 2017 and 2016, and its financial performance and its cash flows for the years 
then ended in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards.

Kitchener, Canada  
January 23, 2018 

20 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

A member firm of Ernst & Young Global LimitedexactEarthTM Ltd.
Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
(in thousands of Canadian dollars)

ASSETS

Current assets
Cash
Trade accounts receivable
Inventory
Unbilled revenue
Prepaid expenses and other assets

Total current assets

Property, plant and equipment
Intangible assets
Total assets

LIABILITIES & EQUITY

Current liabilities

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Deferred revenue
Restructuring provision - current
Loans payable - current
Long-term incentive plan liability - current

Total current liabilities

Government loan payable
Loans payable
Long-term incentive plan liability
Restructuring provision
Other long-term liabilities 

Total liabilities

Shareholders’ equity

As at
October  31,
2017
$

As at 
October 31,
2016
$

8,117
3,171
-
425
1,266
12,979

12,576
5,405
30,960

3,722
2,064
388
567
166
6,907

662
-
343
-

45
7,957

13,680
1,778
425
794
867
17,544

31,423
18,855
67,822

5,431
1,968
1,154
716
64
9,333

1,045
143
316
442
-
11,279

(note 16)

(notes 6, 8 and 17)
(notes 7, 8 and 17)

(notes 9 and 15)
(note 16)
(note 19)
(note 9)
(note 11)

(notes 4 and  9)
(note 9)
(note 11)
(note 19)
(note 9)

Share capital
Contributed surplus
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
Deficit
Total shareholders' equity

(note 11)
(note 11)

123,781
1,070
(44)
(101,804)
23,003

123,769
699
45
(67,970)
56,543

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

30,960

67,822

See accompanying notes

On behalf of the Board: 

Maria Izurieta - Director - exactEarth Ltd.
Peter Mabson - Director - exactEarth Ltd.

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

21

exactEarth™ Ltd.
 Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity
(in thousands of Canadian dollars)

For the Year Ended October 31, 2017

Balance at October 31, 2016

Stock-based compensation expense
Issuance of common shares
Comprehensive loss
Balance at October 31, 2017

For the Year Ended October 31, 2016

Balance at, October 31, 2015

(note 11)
(note 11)

Stock-based compensation expense
Comprehensive income (loss)
7,349,780 common shares issued on conversion of debt (note 18)
(note 18)
3,144,615 common shares issued for cash

(note 11)

Balance at October 31, 2016

See accompanying notes

Total
$
56,543
380
3
(33,923)
23,003

23,066
450
(35,622)
48,209
20,440
56,543

Deficit
$

(67,970)
-
-
(33,834)
(101,804)

(32,007)
-
(35,963)
-
-
(67,970)

Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)

Share
Capital

Contributed 
Surplus

$

45

-
-
(89)
(44)

(296)
-
341
-
-

45

$

123,769

-

-

12

123,781

55,120
-
-
48,209
20,440
123,769

$

699
380
(9)

-
1,070

249
450
-
-
-
699

22 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

exactEarth™ Ltd.

 Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity

(in thousands of Canadian dollars)

exactEarthTM Ltd.
 Consolidated Statements of Loss and Comprehensive Loss
(in thousands of Canadian dollars)

For the Year Ended October 31, 2017

Stock-based compensation expense

Issuance of common shares

Comprehensive loss

Balance at October 31, 2017

For the Year Ended October 31, 2016

Total

$

Deficit

$

Accumulated

Other

Comprehensive

Income (Loss)

$

Share

Capital

$

Contributed 

Surplus

$

(note 11)

(note 11)

380

3

(33,923)

23,003

23,066

450

(35,622)

48,209

20,440

56,543

-

-

-

-

-

(33,834)

(101,804)

(89)

(44)

123,781

1,070

-

-

-

-

-

12

-

-

-

-

48,209

20,440

123,769

699

380

(9)

-

249

450

-

-

-

699

Balance at, October 31, 2015

(32,007)

(296)

55,120

Stock-based compensation expense

(note 11)

Comprehensive income (loss)

(35,963)

341

7,349,780 common shares issued on conversion of debt (note 18)

3,144,615 common shares issued for cash

(note 18)

(67,970)

45

Balance at October 31, 2016

See accompanying notes

Balance at October 31, 2016

56,543

(67,970)

45

123,769

For the Year Ended

Revenue
Cost of revenue
Gross margin

Operating expenses

Selling, general and administrative
Product development and R&D
Depreciation and amortization
Impairment losses

Loss from operations

Other expenses (income)

Other income
Other expense
Restructuring expense (recovery)
Foreign exchange loss (gain)
Interest expense

Total other expenses (income)
Income tax expense

Net loss

October 31,
2017
$

October 31,
2016
$

(notes 16 and 17)
(note 4)

(notes 6 and 7)
(note 8)

(note 20)

(note 19)

(notes 4 and 9)

(note 13)

12,833
8,618
4,215

7,004
1,692
3,791
26,886
(35,158)

(1,455)
197
(99)
(43)
52
(1,348)
24
(33,834)

18,918
9,772
9,146

7,463
1,950
4,649
27,987
(32,903)

(55)
-
1,744
1,026
304
3,019
41
(35,963)

Other comprehensive income (loss)

Items that may be subsequently reclassified to net income:
Foreign currency translation, net of income tax expense of nil

Total other comprehensive income (loss)

Comprehensive loss

Loss per share
Basic and diluted loss per share

See accompanying notes

(89)
(89)

341
341

(33,923)

(35,622)

(note 11)

(1.57)

(1.90)

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

23

exactEarth™ Ltd.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands of Canadian dollars)

For the Year Ended

Net loss

Add (deduct) items not involving cash

Non-monetary transaction
Non-cash interest
Impairment losses
Depreciation and amortization
Loss on disposal of assets
Foreign exchange loss on revaluation of foreign currency 
shareholder loans
Long-term incentive plan expense
Gain on insurance settlement
Stock-based compensation
Technology demonstration program recovery
Restructuring reserve - revaluation/cancellation of units
Net change in non-cash working capital balances

(note 12)
(notes 4 and 9)
(note 8)
(notes 6 and 7)

(note 11)
(notes 6 and 20)
(note 11)
(note 4)
(note 19)

Other operating cash flows

Restructuring provision - payment of salary continuance
Settlement of RSU units
Technology demonstration program funding received

(note 19)
(note 11)
(note 4)

Cash flows used in operations

Investing activities

Acquisition of property, plant and equipment
Reimbursement of acquisition costs of property, plant and 
equipment
Insurance recovery
Acquisition of intangible assets

(note 6)

(note 6)

(notes 6 and 20)
(note 7)

(notes 4 and 9)
(note 9)
(note 11)

Cash flows from (used in) investing activities

Financing activities

Government loan repayment
Long-term debt repayment
Shares issued
Shareholder loan advances
Cash flows from (used in) financing activities

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash

Net increase (decrease) in cash
Cash, beginning of the year
Cash, end of the year

Supplemental cash flow information

Interest paid
Interest received
Income taxes paid

See accompanying notes

24 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

October 31,
2017
$

October 31,
2016
$

(33,834)

(35,963)

(618)
126
26,886
3,791
3

-

245
(1,455)
380
(381)
(99)
(2,347)
-
(1,109)
(112)
817
(7,707)

(780)

396

3,500
(121)
2,995

(451)
(350)
-
-
(801)

(50)

(5,563)
13,680
8,117

-

79
24

(3,048)
153
27,987
4,649
-

452

320
-
450
(667)
-
1,214
-
1,596
-
-
(2,857)

(2,372)

120

-
(6,307)
(8,559)

(492)
(204)
20,440
3,000
22,744

(13)

11,315
2,365
13,680

334
110
41

exactEarth™ Ltd.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands of Canadian dollars)

For the Year Ended

Net loss

Add (deduct) items not involving cash

Non-monetary transaction

Non-cash interest

Impairment losses

Depreciation and amortization

Loss on disposal of assets

Foreign exchange loss on revaluation of foreign currency 

shareholder loans

Long-term incentive plan expense

Gain on insurance settlement

Stock-based compensation

Technology demonstration program recovery

Restructuring reserve - revaluation/cancellation of units

Net change in non-cash working capital balances

Other operating cash flows

Restructuring provision - payment of salary continuance

Settlement of RSU units

Technology demonstration program funding received

Cash flows used in operations

Investing activities

Acquisition of property, plant and equipment

Reimbursement of acquisition costs of property, plant and 

equipment

Insurance recovery

Acquisition of intangible assets

Cash flows from (used in) investing activities

Financing activities

Government loan repayment

Long-term debt repayment

Shares issued

Shareholder loan advances

Cash flows from (used in) financing activities

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash

Net increase (decrease) in cash

Cash, beginning of the year

Cash, end of the year

Supplemental cash flow information

Interest paid

Interest received

Income taxes paid

See accompanying notes

(note 12)

(notes 4 and 9)

(note 8)

(notes 6 and 7)

(note 11)

(notes 6 and 20)

(note 11)

(note 4)

(note 19)

(note 19)

(note 11)

(note 4)

(note 6)

(note 6)

(notes 6 and 20)

(note 7)

(notes 4 and 9)

(note 9)

(note 11)

October 31,

October 31,

2017

$

2016

$

(33,834)

(35,963)

(618)

126

26,886

3,791

3

-

-

245

(1,455)

380

(381)

(99)

(2,347)

(1,109)

(112)

817

(7,707)

(780)

396

3,500

(121)

2,995

(451)

(350)

-

-

(801)

(50)

(5,563)

13,680

8,117

-

79

24

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

(3,048)

153

27,987

4,649

452

320

450

(667)

1,214

1,596

(2,857)

(2,372)

120

(6,307)

(8,559)

(492)

(204)

20,440

3,000

22,744

(13)

11,315

2,365

13,680

334

110

41

exactEarthTM Ltd.
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
October 31, 2017
(in thousands of Canadian dollars, except where otherwise noted and per share figures)

1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS

Founded in 2009, exactEarth™ Ltd.  (the  “Company” or “exactEarth”) is  a provider  of space-based 
maritime tracking data from its satellites. exactEarth leverages advanced microsatellite technology to 
deliver monitoring solutions. The Company is incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations 
Act and its shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Company’s head office is located at 
260  Holiday  Inn  Drive,  Cambridge,  Ontario,  Canada.  The  Company  became  a  publicly  traded 
company  on  February  9,  2016  through  a  spin-out  transaction  from  Com  Dev  International  Ltd.  (the 
“Spinout Transaction”). 

2.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

a)

Statement of compliance

These  consolidated  financial  statements  present  the  Company’s  results  of  operations  and 
financial position as at and for the year ended October 31, 2017, including the comparative 
period,  under  International  Financial  Reporting  Standards  (“IFRS”)  as  issued  by  the 
International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”). These consolidated financial statements 
have,  in  management’s  opinion,  been  properly  prepared  within  reasonable  limits  of 
materiality and within the framework of the significant accounting policies summarized below. 

These  consolidated  financial  statements  were  authorized  for  issuance  by  the  Board  of 
Directors of the Company on January 23, 2018.

b)

Basis of presentation

These consolidated  financial  statements  include  the  accounts  of  the  Company and  its
subsidiary with intercompany transactions and balances eliminated. The Company has two 
divisions, one in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, and one in Harwell, United Kingdom.

These consolidated financial statements are presented in Canadian dollars and have been 
prepared on a historical cost basis.

The Company has experienced lower than planned revenues that when combined with the 
fixed operating costs of the Company’s satellite system have generated operating losses and 
result in a reduction in cash. Management has reviewed the forecast of the business and has 
assessed  and  concluded  that  there  are  no  material  uncertainties  related  to  events  or 
conditions that may cast significant doubt upon the Company’s ability to continue as a going 
concern. Management applied significant judgment in assessing the Company's ability to be 
generate  sufficient  cash  flow  to  continue  to  fund operations  and  other  committed 
expenditures including:

•

•

•

•

•

The amount of the sales pipeline, new sales orders generated in the first quarter 2018, 
contracted backlog and total revenue ;
The timing of generating those new sales and recognizing contracted backlog and 
the timing of the related cash flow;
The ability to draw upon existing financing facilities and/or to add additional funding 
sources ;
The  ability  to  re-negotiate  existing  contracts  to  reduce  expenditures  or  delay  the 
timing of payments; and
The assessment of expenditures that could be reduced, eliminated or delayed.

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

25

Management  is  currently  assessing  potential  additional  financing  alternatives  including 
government incentive programs and other funding sources. Given the judgement involved, 
actual results may lead to a materially different outcome.

c)

Cash

Cash consists of balances with banks and short-term investments that mature within 90 days 
from the date of acquisition. Short-term investments are carried at their fair values.

d)

Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment (“PP&E”) are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation 
and  accumulated  impairment  losses,  if  any.  Such  cost  includes  the  cost  of  replacing 
component parts of the PP&E and borrowing costs for eligible long-term construction projects. 
When  significant  parts  of an  item  of PP&E  are  required  to  be  replaced  at  intervals,  the 
Company  derecognizes  the  replaced  part  and  recognizes  the  new  part  with  its  own 
associated useful life and depreciation. Likewise, when a  major inspection is performed, its 
cost is recognized in the carrying amount of the PP&E  as a replacement if the recognition 
criteria  are  satisfied.  All  other  repair  and  maintenance  costs  are  recognized  in  the 
consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss as incurred.

Depreciation is calculated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets 
as follows:

Leasehold improvements

Satellites

Electrical equipment

Computer hardware

Furniture and fixtures

five years

ten years

ten years

three to five years

three to five years

An item of PP&E and any significant part initially recognized are derecognized upon disposal 
or when no future economic benefits are expected from their use or eventual disposition. Any 
gain or loss arising on derecognition of the asset (calculated as the difference between the 
net disposal proceeds and the carrying amount of the asset) is included in the consolidated 
statements of loss and comprehensive loss when the asset is derecognized.

The assets’ residual values, useful lives and methods of depreciation are reviewed at each 
financial year-end and adjusted prospectively, if appropriate.

e)

Intangible assets

Finite-life  intangible  assets  are  valued  at  cost 
less accumulated  amortization  and 
accumulated impairment losses, if any, and which is provided at rates sufficient to write off 
the costs over the estimated useful lives of the assets, using the straight-line method as follows:

Computer software not integral to the hardware on 

which it operates

Internally developed technology

Data rights

Technology licences 

three to ten years

five to seven years

ten years

seven years

Intangible assets with finite lives are assessed for impairment whenever there is an indication 
that  the  intangible  asset  may  be  impaired.  The  amortization  period  and  the  amortization 

26 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

method for an intangible asset with a finite useful life are reviewed at least as at the end of 
each  reporting  period.  Changes  in  the  expected  useful  life,  or  the  expected  pattern  of 
consumption  of  future  economic  benefits  embodied  in  the  asset,  are  accounted  for  by 
changing the amortization period or method, as appropriate, and are treated prospectively
as a change in accounting estimate. The amortization expense on intangible assets with finite 
lives  is  recognized  in  the  consolidated  statements  of  loss  and  comprehensive  loss  in  the 
expense category consistent with the function of the intangible assets.

Gains  or  losses  arising  from  derecognition  of  an  intangible  asset  are  measured  as  the 
difference between the net disposal proceeds and the carrying amount of the asset, and are 
recognized in the consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss when the asset is 
derecognized.

Costs that are directly attributable to the development and testing of identifiable and unique 
internally developed technology controlled by the Company are recognized as intangible 
assets when the criteria specified in International Accounting Standards (“IAS”) 38, Intangible 
Assets (“IAS 38”) are met. Capitalized costs include employee costs for staff directly involved 
in technology development and other expenditures directly related to the project. 

Research and development expenditures

Research  costs  are  expensed  as  incurred.  Development  expenditures,  on  an  individual 
project,  are recognized as  an intangible  asset  only  when they have  met  the conditions of 
IAS 38. Investment  tax  credits  (“ITCs”)  reduce  research  and  development  expense  and/or 
intangible assets in the same period in which the related expenditures are charged to income
or capitalized provided there is reasonable assurance the benefit will be realized. Otherwise, 
the incentives are recorded when the benefit is expected to be realized. 

Following initial recognition of the development expenditure as an asset, the cost model is 
applied  requiring  the  asset  to  be  carried  at  cost  less  any  accumulated  amortization  and 
accumulated  impairment  losses.  Amortization  begins  when  development  is  complete  and 
the asset is available for use. It is amortized over the period of expected future benefit. During 
the period of development, the asset is tested for impairment annually.

Research and development costs that are funded by the Company are presented separately 
on the consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss. Government grants, ITCs, and 
other funding for research activity are presented as a reduction of the related expense.

f)

Impairment of long-lived assets

The Company assesses as at each reporting date whether there is an indication that an asset 
may be impaired. If any indication exists, or when annual impairment testing for an asset is 
required,  the  Company  estimates  the  asset’s  recoverable  amount.  An  asset’s  recoverable 
amount is the higher of an  asset’s fair value less costs  to sell (“FVLCS”) and its value in use
(“VIU”), and is determined for an individual asset, unless the asset does not  generate cash 
inflows that are largely independent of those from other assets or groups of assets in which 
case the assessment is made at the cash-generating unit (“CGU”) level. A CGU is the smallest 
identifiable group of assets that  generate cash flows that are largely independent  of cash 
inflows from other assets or groups of assets. The Company currently is a single CGU. Where 
the  carrying  amount  of  an  asset  or  CGU  exceeds  its  recoverable  amount,  the  asset  is 
considered impaired and is written down to its recoverable amount. In assessing value in use, 
the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount 
rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific 
to the asset. Given the Company is a single CGU, the market capitalization of the Company 
is a relevant measure of FVLCS. 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

27

g)

Leases

The  determination  of  whether  an  arrangement  is,  or  contains,  a  lease  is  based  on  the 
substance of the arrangement at the inception date, whether fulfilment of the arrangement 
is dependent on the use of a specific asset or assets or the arrangement conveys a right to 
use the asset, even if that right is not explicitly specified in an arrangement.

Leases  where  the  Company  does  not  assume  substantially  all  of  the  risks and  benefits  of 
ownership  of  the  asset  are  classified  as  operating  leases. All  of  the  Company’s  leases  are 
classified  as  operating  leases  and  are  recognized  as  an  expense  in  the  consolidated 
statements of loss and comprehensive loss on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

h)

Borrowing costs

Borrowing costs directly attributable to the acquisition, construction or production of an asset 
that necessarily takes a substantial period of time to get ready for its intended use or sale are 
capitalized as part of the cost of the respective asset. All other borrowing costs are expensed 
in the period they occur.

i)

Income taxes

Current income taxes

Current income tax assets and liabilities for the current and prior periods are measured at the 
amount expected to be recovered from or paid to the taxation authorities. The tax rates and 
tax laws used to compute the amount are those that are enacted or substantively enacted, 
by the reporting date, in the countries where the Company operates and generates taxable 
income. Current income taxes related to items recognized directly in equity are recognized 
in  equity  and  not  in  the  consolidated  statements  of  loss  and  comprehensive  loss. 
Management periodically evaluates positions taken in the tax returns with respect to situations 
in  which  applicable  tax  regulations  are  subject  to  interpretation  and  establishes  provisions 
where appropriate.

Deferred income taxes

Deferred  taxes  are  provided  using  the  liability  method  on  temporary  differences  as  at  the 
reporting date between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their carrying amounts for 
financial reporting purposes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured at the tax rates 
that are expected to apply in the period when the asset is realized or the liability is settled, 
based on tax rates (and tax laws) that have been enacted or substantively enacted as at the 
reporting date.

Deferred  taxes  are  recognized  for  all  taxable  temporary  differences,  except  in  specific 
circumstances outlined in IAS 12, Income Taxes (“IAS 12”).

Deferred tax assets are recognized for all deductible temporary differences, carry-forward of 
unused tax credits and unused tax losses, to the extent that it is probable that taxable profit 
will be available against which the deductible temporary differences, and the carry-forward 
of unused tax credits and unused tax losses can be utilized, except in specific circumstances 
outlined in IAS 12.

The  carrying  amount  of  deferred  tax  assets  is  reviewed  as  at  each  reporting  date  and 
reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that all or part of the deferred tax asset will 
be utilized. 

Unrecognized  deferred tax  assets  are  reassessed  as  at  each  reporting  date  and  are 
recognized to the extent that it has become probable the benefit will be recovered. 

28 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

Deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are offset if a legally enforceable right exists to 
offset current tax assets against current tax liabilities and the deferred taxes relate to the same 
taxable entity and the same taxation authority.

Tax  benefits  acquired  as  part  of  a  business  combination,  but  not  satisfying  the  criteria  for 
separate  recognition  at that  date,  would  be  recognized  subsequently  if  new  information 
about  facts  and  circumstances  existing  at  the  acquisition  date  changed.  The  adjustment 
would either be treated as a reduction to goodwill (as long as it does not exceed goodwill) if 
it is incurred during the measurement period or in profit or loss. 

Revenue, expenses and assets are recognized net of the amount of sales tax, except where 
the sales tax incurred on a purchase of assets or services is not recoverable from the taxation 
authority, in which case the sales tax is recognized as part of the cost of acquisition of the 
asset or as part of the expense item as applicable. Trade accounts receivable or accounts
payable and accrued liabilities are stated with the amount of sales tax included.

The net amount of sales tax recoverable from, or payable to, the taxation authority is included 
as  part  of  trade  accounts  receivable  or  accounts  payable and  accrued  liabilities  in  the 
consolidated statements of financial position.

j)

Revenue recognition

Revenue is recognized to the extent that it is probable that the economic benefits will flow to 
the Company and the revenue can be reliably measured, regardless of when the payment 
is  being  made.  Revenue  is  measured  at  the  fair  value  of  the  consideration  received  or 
receivable, taking into account contractually defined terms of payment and excluding taxes 
or duty. The Company assesses its revenue arrangements against specific criteria in order to 
determine if it is acting as principal or agent. The Company has concluded that it is acting as 
a principal in all of its revenue arrangements. The following specific recognition criteria must 
also be met before revenue is recognized:

Sale of data

The majority of revenue is derived from the sale of data subscriptions. For subscription revenue, 
the timing of cash flows generally precedes the recognition of revenue and income. Any initial 
payments are deferred and recognized rateably as data is delivered over the subscription 
period.

Revenue is recognized upon delivery for non-subscription data sales.

Provision of products and services

The Company may enter into arrangements involving multiple products or services including 
data subscriptions and sales of historic, archive data or sales of Class B transponders and data 
subscriptions. The Company allocates the arrangement consideration to the various products 
and  services  based  on  the  relative  fair  value  of  each  component.  The  fair  value  of  each 
product or service is determined considering sales of the products or services on a stand-alone 
basis, and the Company’s pricing policies.

The  Company  occasionally  provides  goods  and  services  to  its  customers  under  long-term 
contracts. The Company recognizes revenue on such long-term contracts on the percentage
of completion basis, based on costs incurred relative to the estimated total contract costs. 
Losses on such contracts are accrued when the estimate of total costs indicates that a loss 
will be realized. Accruals are drawn down as loss contracts progress. Contract billings received 
in excess of recognized revenue are included in current liabilities as deferred revenue.

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

29

k)

Fair value of data transferred in non-monetary transactions

The Company is providing data in exchange for unrestricted title to the EV9 satellite. The fair 
value of the data provided and recognized as revenue is determined based on comparable 
revenue transactions with third parties and the Company’s pricing methodology. 

l)

Foreign currency translation

A functional currency is the currency of the primary economic environment in which the entity 
operates and is normally the currency in which the entity generates and expends cash. Each 
entity  that  is  part  of  the  Company  determines  its  own  functional  currency. Each  entity’s
financial statements are translated from their functional currency to Canadian dollars, which 
is the presentation currency of these consolidated financial statements.

Transactions

Foreign currency transactions are initially recorded at the foreign exchange rate prevailing at 
the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies 
are translated at the foreign exchange spot rate as at the reporting date. All differences are 
recorded in the consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss. Non-monetary items 
that  are  measured  in  terms  of  historical  cost  in  a  foreign  currency  are  translated  using  the 
exchange  rate  at  the  date  of  the  initial  transaction.  Non-monetary  items  measured  at  fair 
value in a foreign currency are translated using the exchange rate at the date when the fair 
value is determined.

Translation

The assets and liabilities of foreign operations are translated into Canadian dollars at year-end 
exchange  rates  and  their  revenue  and expense  items  are  translated  at  exchange  rates 
prevailing at the date of the transactions. The resulting exchange differences are recognized 
in  “Other  comprehensive  income  (loss)”.  On  disposal  of  a  foreign  operation,  the  foreign 
exchange in “Accumulated other comprehensive income  (loss)” relating  to  that  particular 
foreign  operation  is  recognized  in  income  in  the  consolidated  statements  of  loss  and 
comprehensive loss.

m)

Financial instruments

Financial assets

Financial  assets  within  the  scope  of  IAS  39,  Financial  Instruments:  Recognition  and 
Measurement (“IAS 39”), are classified as financial assets at fair value through profit or loss, 
loans and receivables, held-to-maturity investments, available-for-sale financial assets, or as 
derivatives  designated  as  hedging  instruments  in  an  effective  hedge,  as  appropriate.  The 
Company determines the classification of its financial assets at initial recognition.

All  financial  assets  are  recognized  initially  at  fair  value  plus  directly  attributable  transaction 
costs. The Company’s financial assets include cash and trade accounts receivable.

Trade accounts receivable

Trade  accounts  receivable  are  non-derivative  financial  assets  with  fixed  or  determinable 
payments  that  are  not  quoted  in  an  active  market.  Trade  accounts  receivable  are  non-
interest  bearing  and  are  generally  on  30- to  90-day  payment  terms. Trade  accounts 
receivable  are  reported  net  of  allowance  for  doubtful accounts,  which  is  based  on  an 
assessment of the aging of the receivables and specific credit issues. Any impairment of trade 

30 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

accounts receivable is recorded through “Selling, general and administrative expenses” in the 
consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss.

Derecognition

A financial asset is derecognized when the rights to receive cash flows from the asset have 
expired and the Company has transferred its rights to receive cash flows from the asset or has 
assumed an obligation to pay the received cash flows in full without material delay to a third 
party  under  a  “pass-through” arrangement;  and  either  the  Company  has  transferred 
substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the asset or the Company has neither 
transferred nor retained substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the asset, but 
has transferred control of the asset.

Impairment of financial assets

The Company assesses as at each reporting date whether there is any objective evidence 
that a financial asset or a group of financial assets is impaired. A financial asset or a group of 
financial  assets  is  deemed  to  be  impaired  if,  and  only  if,  there  is  objective  evidence  of 
impairment as a result of one or more events that have occurred after the initial recognition 
of the asset (an incurred “loss event”) and that loss event has an impact on the estimated 
future cash flows of the financial asset or the group of financial assets that can be reliably 
estimated. Evidence of impairment may include indications that the debtors or a group of 
debtors are experiencing significant financial difficulty, default or delinquency in interest or 
principal  payments,  the  probability  that  they  will enter  bankruptcy  or  other  financial 
reorganization, and where observable data indicates that there is a measurable decrease in 
the  estimated  future  cash  flows,  such  as  changes  in  arrears  or  economic  conditions  that 
correlate with defaults.

If there is objective evidence that an impairment loss has been incurred, the amount of the 
loss is measured as the difference between the asset’s carrying amount and the present value 
of estimated future cash flows (excluding future expected credit losses that have not yet been 
incurred). The present value of the estimated future cash flows is discounted at the financial 
asset’s original effective interest rate. If a loan has a variable interest rate, the discount rate 
for measuring any impairment loss is the current effective interest rate.

Financial liabilities

Financial liabilities within the scope of IAS 39 are classified as financial liabilities at fair value 
through  profit  or  loss,  loans  and  borrowings,  or  as  derivatives  designated  as  hedging 
instruments in an effective hedge, as appropriate. The Company determines the classification 
of its financial liabilities at initial recognition.

All financial liabilities are recognized initially at fair value, except for related party balances,
which  are  at  the  exchange  amount and,  in  the  case  of  loans  and  borrowings,  carried  at 
amortized cost. This includes directly attributable transaction costs.

The  Company’s  financial  liabilities  include  accounts  payable  and  accrued  liabilities, 
restructuring provision, long-term incentive plan liability, loans payable and government loan 
payable.

The measurement of financial liabilities depends on their classification as follows:

Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss include financial liabilities held for trading 
and financial liabilities designated upon initial recognition as fair value through profit or loss. 
Financial  liabilities  are  classified  as  held  for  trading  if  they  are  acquired  for  the  purpose  of 
selling in the near term.

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

31

Gains or losses on liabilities held for trading are recognized in the consolidated statements of 
loss and comprehensive loss.

The Company has not designated any financial liabilities upon initial recognition as fair value 
through profit or loss.

Loans payable

After initial recognition, interest-bearing loans and borrowings are subsequently measured at 
amortized cost using the effective interest rate method. Gains and losses are recognized in 
the  consolidated  statements  of  loss  and  comprehensive  loss  when  the  liabilities  are 
derecognized as well as through the effective interest rate method amortization process.

Derecognition

A  financial  liability  is  derecognized  when  the  obligation  under  the  liability  is  discharged, 
cancelled or expires.

When an existing financial liability is replaced by another from the same lender on substantially 
different terms, or the terms of an existing liability are substantially modified, such an exchange 
or modification is treated as a derecognition of the original liability and the recognition of a 
new  liability,  and  the  difference  in  the  respective  carrying  amounts  is  recognized  in  the 
consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss.

n)

Government assistance

Government  assistance  is  periodically  received  in  the  form  of  grants,  loans  or  ITCs  (see 
“Research and development expenditures”) that may be repayable in the form of royalties 
based on future sales levels related to the technology funded. Amounts that are repayable 
will  be  accounted  for  in  the  period  in  which  conditions  arise  that  will  cause  repayment. 
Government assistance with predetermined repayment requirements or conditional criteria is 
recorded as a liability when received or until the conditions are satisfied. If no predetermined 
repayment  requirements  exist,  the  assistance  is  treated  as  a  reduction  in  the  cost  of  the 
related item.

Interest-free government loans are  measured at amortized cost using the effective interest 
rate method. The interest rate used is based on the market rate for a comparable instrument 
with a similar term. The difference between the fair value at inception and the loan proceeds 
received is recorded as a government grant. The grant portion is split between operating costs 
and capital costs based on the costs to which the loan relates. The grant related to capital is 
recognized as a reduction to the carrying amount of an eligible asset and is realized over the 
life of the asset as reduced amortization expense. The grant related to operating expense is 
recognized in “Other income”.

o)

Stock-based compensation and Employee Share Purchase Plan (“ESPP”)

Stock options

The  Company  recognizes  compensation  cost  for  all  stock  options  granted  to  employees 
under the exactEarth stock option plan. exactEarth measures at fair value all stock options 
issued  to  employees  or  directors. The  option  exercise  price  is  the  share  price  of  the 
Company’s common shares at the date of the grant. IFRS 2, Share-based Payments, requires 
that the Company record these amounts as “Contributed surplus”. The fair value of the direct 
grants of stock is determined by the quoted market price of the Company’s stock at the time 
of the award and the fair value of stock options is determined using the Black-Scholes option 
pricing model. The fair value of awards at the date of grant is recorded as an expense in these 

32 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

consolidated financial statements and is recognized over the vesting period based on the 
number of options expected to vest. When options are exercised, they are settled with shares. 

Long-term incentive plan

The Company has established a long-term incentive plan (“LTIP”) for executives and certain 
employees.  Under  the  terms  of  this  plan,  participants  are  eligible  to  receive  incentive 
remuneration  in  the  form  of  Restricted  Share  Units  (“RSUs”)  and  Performance  Share  Units 
(“PSUs”). 

RSUs are time-based and will vest on a cliff or graded basis, depending on the type of RSU. 
Type one RSUs cliff vest three years after the grant date. Type two RSUs vest on a graded basis 
at 25% one year after the grant date and 75% two years after the grant date. Type three RSUs 
vest on a graded basis of 50% at two and three years after the grant date. Type four RSUs vest 
on a graded basis of 33.3% at three, four and five years after the grant date. Each RSU, once 
vested, entitles the holder to receive the cash value of one common share of the Company. 

PSUs cliff vest three years after the grant date, multiplied by the performance multiplier. The 
performance multiplier is based on adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and 
amortization  (“AEBITDA”)  growth over  the  vesting  period.  An  AEBITDA  compound  annual 
growth rate (“CAGR”) of 10% or less corresponds with the minimum multiplier of 0, a CAGR of 
20%  corresponds  with  a  multiplier  of  1  and  a  CAGR  of  30%  or  more  corresponds  with  the 
maximum multiplier of 2. CAGRs between 10% and 30% during the vesting period will result in 
multipliers calculated on a straight-line basis along the scale between 0 and 2. Each PSU, once 
vested, entitles the holder to receive the cash value of one common share of the Company.

The Company intends to cash settle the RSUs and  PSUs to satisfy obligations under the LTIP 
plan. The estimated value of the RSUs and PSUs is recognized as compensation expense over 
the vesting period based on the market value of the Company’s shares at the end of each 
period and the time elapsed during the vesting period and is presented as a liability in the 
consolidated statements of financial position.

Deferred share unit plan

The Company has adopted a deferred share unit (“DSU”) plan for non-employee directors. 
Directors are required to receive a portion of their annual compensation in the form of DSUs, 
and  can  elect  to  increase  the  percentage  paid in  DSUs. The  DSUs  vest  over  the  quarterly 
service  period  for  the  director  after  the  grant  date  and  will  be  settled  upon  the  director’s
retirement from the Board. 

Each DSU entitles the holder to receive either cash, based on the share value at the time of 
settlement,  or  one  common  share  of  the  Company.  The  estimated  value  of  the  DSUs  is 
recognized as compensation expense over the vesting period based on the market value of 
the Company’s shares at the end of each period and the time elapsed during the vesting 
period and is presented as a liability in the consolidated statements of financial position.

Employee Share Purchase Plan

The Company implemented the ESPP during the quarter ended July 31, 2016. The ESPP offers 
employees the option of contributing between 1% and 10% of their gross salary towards the 
purchase of common shares of the Company. The Company will issue one share for every 
four  shares  that  employees  purchase  during  the  ESPP  year,  which  runs  from  March  1  to 
February 28.  The Company’s matching contribution will be issued to the employee contingent 
upon the employee remaining employed by the Company on the last day of the ESPP year. 
The  fair  values  on  the  date  that  the  employees  commit  to  purchase  shares  are  used  to 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

33

determine  the  applicable  compensation  expense  to  the  Company.  The  compensation 
expense is recognized over the period from the date the employee acquires the shares to the 
date the Company matching shares are issued to the employee. The accumulated amount 
of ESPP expense charged to income, but not yet issued, is included in contributed surplus.

p)

Employee future benefit plan

Defined contribution pension plan

The Company sponsors a defined contribution pension plan for certain of its employees. The 
cost of providing benefits through the defined contribution pension plan is charged to income 
in the period in which the contributions become payable.

q)

Provisions

Provisions are recognized when the Company has a present obligation (legal or constructive) 
as a result of a past event, it is probable that an outflow of resources embodying economic 
benefits will be required to settle the obligation and a reliable estimate can be made of the 
amount  of  the  obligation.  Where  the  Company  expects  some  or  all  of  a  provision  to  be 
reimbursed, for example under an insurance contract, the reimbursement is recognized as a 
separate asset but only when the reimbursement is virtually certain. The expense relating to 
any provision is presented in the consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss net 
of  any reimbursement.  If  the  effect  of  the  time  value  of  money  is  material,  provisions  are 
discounted using a current pre-tax rate that reflects, where appropriate, the risks specific to 
the liability. Where discounting is used, the increase in the provision due to the passage of time 
is recognized as a finance cost.

r)

Inventory 

Inventory consists of purchased small vessel tracking transponders and is stated at the lower 
of cost and net realizable value. Cost is determined on a weighted average cost basis. Net 
realizable value represents the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less 
estimated selling costs. There have been no inventory amounts included in cost of revenue 
during the year. 

s)

Critical judgments and estimates

The preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements requires management 
to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, 
liabilities, revenue and expenses, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the 
end of  the reporting  period. However, uncertainty  about these assumptions and estimates 
could result in outcomes  that require a  material adjustment  to  the carrying amount of  the 
asset or liability affected in future periods.

The key assumptions concerning the future and other key sources of estimation uncertainty as 
at  the  reporting  date,  that have  a  significant  risk  of  causing  a  material  adjustment  to  the 
carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year, are described below. 
The  Company  bases its  assumptions  and  estimates  on  parameters  available  when  the 
consolidated  financial  statements  were  prepared.  Existing  circumstances  and  assumptions 
about  future  developments,  however,  may  change  due  to  market  fluctuations or 
circumstances arising beyond the control of the Company. Such changes are reflected in the 
assumptions when they occur.

34 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

The following are the critical judgments, estimates and assumptions that have been made in 
applying the Company’s accounting policies and that have the most significant effect on the 
amounts in the consolidated financial statements:

Allowance for doubtful accounts

The Company establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts taking into consideration aging 
of the trade accounts receivable, communications with customers, credit issues, and historical 
losses.  The  Company  will  increase  the  allowance  for  specific  accounts  if  it  has  objective 
evidence that the customer is experiencing significant financial difficulty. 

Capitalization of development costs

When  capitalizing  development  costs,  the  Company  must  assess the  technical  and 
commercial  feasibility  of  the  projects  and  estimate  the  useful  lives  of  resulting  products. 
Determining whether future economic benefits will flow  from  the assets  and,  therefore, the 
estimates and assumptions associated with these calculations are instrumental in: (i) deciding 
whether project costs can be capitalized; and (ii) accurately calculating the useful life of the 
projects for the Company.

Capitalization of borrowing costs

The  Company  must  assess  whether  borrowing  costs  are directly  attributable  to  an asset in 
progress and capitalize those costs. To the extent that borrowings are general in nature, the 
Company  must  assess  how  much  interest  is  attributable  to  assets  in  progress.  Judgment  is 
required  to  determine  when  to  commence,  suspend  or  cease  capitalization  of  borrowing 
costs.

Impairment

The recoverable amount for intangible assets and PP&E is based on estimates of future cash 
flows and in particular, assumptions regarding the expected market outlook, the discount rate 
and terminal growth rate applied to future cash flows.

Revenue recognition and contracts in progress

Revenue  on  construction  contracts  is  recognized  on  a  percentage of completion  basis. In 
applying the accounting policy on construction contracts, judgment is required in determining 
the estimated costs to complete a contract. These cost estimates are reviewed as at each 
reporting period and by their nature may give rise to income volatility.

Income (loss) on completion of contracts accounted for under the percentage of completion 
method

To estimate income (loss) on completion, the Company takes into account factors inherent 
to the contract by using historical and/or forecast data. When total contract costs are likely 
to exceed total contract revenue, the expected loss is recognized immediately and recorded 
in  “Accounts  payable  and  accrued  liabilities” in  the  consolidated  statements  of  financial 
position. The  accrual  is  drawn  down  over  the  completion  of  the  contract  using  the 
percentage of completion method.

3.

FUTURE ACCOUNTING CHANGES

Standards issued, but not yet effective or amended up to the date of issuance of the Company’s
consolidated  financial  statements, are  listed  below.  This  listing  is  of  standards  and  interpretations 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

35

issued, which the Company reasonably expects to be applicable at a future date. The Company 
intends to adopt these standards when they become effective.

IFRS 2, Share-based Payment (“IFRS 2”)

In June 2016, the IASB issued final amendments to IFRS 2, which clarifies how to account for certain 
types  of  share-based  payment  transactions.  The  amendments  provide  requirements  on  the 
accounting for: (i) the effect of vesting and non-vesting conditions on the measurement of cash-
settled share-based payments; (ii) share-based payment transactions with a net settlement feature 
for withholding tax obligations; and (iii) a modification to the terms and conditions of a share-based 
payment that changes the classifications of the transaction from cash-settled to equity-settled. The 
amendments  are  effective  for  annual  periods  beginning  on  or  after  January  1,  2018,  with  early 
adoption permitted. The amendments become effective for the Company November 1, 2018. The 
Company  is  currently  assessing  the  impact  of  adopting  these  amendments  on  its  consolidated 
financial statements.

IFRS 9, Financial Instruments (“IFRS 9”)

In  July  2014,  the  IASB  issued  the  final  version  of  IFRS  9, which  reflects  all  phases  of  the  financial 
instruments project and replaces IAS 39, and all previous versions of IFRS 9. The standard introduces 
new requirements for classification and measurement, impairment, and hedge accounting. IFRS 9 is 
effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018, with early application permitted. 
The standard becomes effective for the Company on November 1, 2018. Retrospective application 
is required, but comparative information is not compulsory. The Company is evaluating the impact 
of adopting this new standard on its consolidated financial statements.

IFRS 15, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“IFRS 15”)

In May 2014, the IASB issued IFRS 15, which establishes a single comprehensive model of accounting 
for  revenue  arising  from  contracts  with  customers  that  an  entity  will  apply  to  determine  the 
measurement of revenue and timing of when it is recognized. IFRS 15 supersedes current revenue 
recognition  guidance,  which  is  found  currently  across  several  standards  and  interpretations 
including IAS 11, Construction Contracts, and IAS 18, Revenue. The core principle of IFRS 15 is that 
an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods and services to customers in 
an amount that reflects the amount an entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods 
and services. The new standard will also result in enhanced disclosures about revenue that would 
result  in  an  entity  providing  comprehensive  information  about  the  nature,  amount,  timing  and 
uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from the entity’s contracts with customers. IFRS 15 is 
effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018, with early adoption permitted.
The standard becomes effective for the Company on November 1, 2018. The Company is currently 
assessing the impact of adopting this new standard on its consolidated financial statements.

IFRS 16, Leases (“IFRS 16”)

On January 13, 2016, the IASB issued IFRS 16, which will replace IAS 17, Leases (“IAS 17”). The new 
standard introduces a single lessee accounting model and requires a lessee to recognize assets and 
liabilities for all leases with a term of more than 12 months, unless the underlying asset is of low value. 
A lessee is required to recognize a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset 
and a lease liability representing its obligation to make lease payments. This standard substantially 
carries forward the lessor accounting requirements of IAS 17, while requiring enhanced disclosures 
to  be  provided  by  lessors.  Other  areas  of  the  lease  accounting  model  have  been  impacted, 
including the definition of a lease. The new standard will be effective for fiscal years beginning on or 
after January 1, 2019. Earlier application is permitted for entities that apply IFRS 15 at or before the 
date of initial adoption of IFRS 16. The standard becomes effective for the Company on November 1, 

36 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

2019. The Company  is  currently  assessing  the  impact  of  adopting  this  new  standard on  its 
consolidated financial statements.

International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee 22, Foreign Currency Transactions and 
Advance Consideration

Foreign Currency Transactions and Advance Consideration clarifies the appropriate exchange rate 
to use on initial recognition of an asset, expense or income when advance consideration is paid or 
received in a foreign currency. The new interpretation is effective for annual periods beginning on 
or after January 1, 2018. The Company is currently assessing the impact of this new interpretation on 
its consolidated financial statements.

International  Financial  Reporting  Interpretations  Committee  23,  Uncertainty  over  Income  Tax 
Treatments

Uncertainty over Income Tax Treatments provides guidance when there is uncertainty over income 
tax treatments including (but not limited to) whether uncertain tax treatments should be considered 
separately;  assumptions  made  about  the  examination of  tax  treatments  by  tax  authorities;  the 
determination of taxable profit, tax bases, unused tax losses, unused tax credits, and tax rates; and 
the impact of changes in facts and circumstances. The new interpretation is effective for annual 
periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019. The Company is currently assessing the impact of the 
new interpretation in its consolidated financial statements.

4.

GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE

Federal Development Agency Loan

On  November  16,  2012,  exactEarth signed  an  interest-free  loan  agreement  with  the  Federal 
Development Agency for Southern Ontario (“FED DEV”). Under this agreement, exactEarth was eligible 
to  receive  interest-free  repayable  funding  for  certain  expenditures  incurred  from  May  6, 2011  to 
March 31, 2014 to a maximum of $2,491. The interest-free loan is repayable in 60 equal consecutive 
monthly  instalments  that began  on  April  1,  2015. During  the  year ended  October  31,  2017,  the 
Company made payments of $451 (2016 – $492). The undiscounted amount payable related to the 
FED DEV loan is $1,190 (2016 – $1,641) (note 9).

The FED DEV interest-free loan is measured at amortized cost, using the effective interest rate method 
at a rate of 8%. An interest rate of 8% was used based on the market interest rate for a comparable 
instrument with a similar term when the funding was received. The difference between the fair value 
at inception and the loan proceeds received is recorded as a government grant, which is recognized 
as an operating grant and a capital grant based on the relative proportion of eligible expenditures 
incurred. The operating grant is recorded as “Other expense (income)” in the consolidated statements 
of loss and comprehensive loss and  the capital  grant is recorded  as a reduction in the cost  of the 
related asset and amortized to income over the life of the asset.

The amounts recognized in respect of the FED DEV arrangement are as follows:

Recognized in the consolidated statements of loss and 
comprehensive loss as follows:

Interest expense

Reduction of amortization expense

Net impact

2017

101

(30)

71

$

$

2016

131

(32)

99

$

$

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

37

Technology Demonstration Program Funding

On  May  5,  2016,  Innovation,  Science  and  Economic  Development  Canada  announced  a  $54,000 
Technology Demonstration Program contribution to MDA Systems Ltd. (“MDA”) and its partners. The 
funding is designed to support large scale technology demonstration projects related to the Canadian 
aerospace,  defence,  space  and  security  industries.  On  May  9,  2016,  exactEarth  entered  into  a 
Technology  Demonstration  Program  Collaboration  Agreement  (“TDP  Agreement”)  with  MDA  as  a 
Partner Recipient under the Technology Demonstration Program related to Space Technology and 
Advanced Research (“STAR”). The TDP Agreement provides funding at 50% of eligible costs in respect 
of STAR projects to a maximum total funding value of $1,250. This funding is available to partially offset 
eligible STAR project costs during the period commencing August 12, 2014 and ending March 31, 2022. 
The funding recognized as an offset to cost of revenue in the year ended October 31, 2017 was $381
(2016 – $667).

5.

INVESTMENT

On November 10, 2015, the Company entered into a shareholder’s agreement, licence agreement 
and services agreement  with Myriota Pty. Ltd.  (“Myriota”). Myriota is located in  Adelaide,  Australia,
and has a fiscal year ending June 30. The Company invested AUD$2,000 (CAD$1,894) in exchange for 
34% ownership, options for further equity investment, and a licence to an advanced signal processing 
technology. This technology was  developed at the University of South  Australia in order to develop 
advanced  terminals,  infrastructure  and  applications  for  the  fast-growing  Satellite Internet  of  Things 
(“SIoT”) focused on the location tracking and sensor data applications global market. The Company 
assessed  the  fair  value  of  each  component  and  allocated  the  full  value  of  the  investment  to  the 
licence based on a relative fair value calculation. The fair value of the technology was assessed using 
a discounted cash flow method. The Company will pay a 3.5% royalty on revenue derived from the 
technology under licence. Services will be provided to Myriota in exchange for additional equity or for 
cash consideration. Management is expecting amortization of this licence to commence in late calendar 
2019 when the development of the technology is incorporated into exactEarth’s product lines.

The Company has significant influence over Myriota, and as a result, will account for the investment using the 
equity method. Myriota incurred losses during the year ended October 31, 2017. The Company’s share of 
these  losses  is  not  reflected  in  the  Company’s  consolidated  statements  of  loss  and  comprehensive  loss,
because the investment has a carrying value of nil based on the relative fair value calculation. The Company 
does not have an obligation to fund losses and will recognize its share of Myriota’s income only after its share 
of the income equals its share of losses not recognized.

38 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

6.

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

Property, plant and equipment consist of the following:

Cost

Leasehold
Improvements

Satellites

Electrical 
Equipment

Computer 
Hardware

Furniture 
and Fixtures

Total

at October 31, 2016

$

46

$ 55,664 

$

6,061

$

3,053

$

147

$ 64,971 

Transfers

EV5 satellite write-off

Deductions

Additions

Translation adjustment

-

-

(46)

53

-

6,893 

(4,633)

(396)

884

-

(424)

-

(695)

9

20

424

-

(3)

446

-

-

-

(60)

4

-

6,893 

(4,633)

(1,200)

1,396 

20

at October 31, 2017

$

53

$ 58,412 

$

4,971

$

3,920 

$

91

$ 67,447 

Accumulated 
Depreciation

Leasehold
Improvements

Satellites

Electrical 
Equipment

Computer 
Hardware

Furniture 
and Fixtures

Total

at October 31, 2016

$

46

$ 28,069 

$

2,647

$

2,657

$

129

$ 33,548 

Depreciation expense

(recovery)

Impairment (note 8)

Deductions

Transfers

EV5 satellite write-off

Translation adjustment

8

27

(46)

-

-

-

2,475 

16,907

-

2,239 

(2,588)

-

307

1,457

-

(424)

-

11

189

391

(3)

424

-

-

(21)

22

(52)

-

-

-

2,958 

18,804

(101)

2,239 

(2,588)

11

at October 31, 2017

$

35

$ 47,102

$

3,998

$

3,658

$

78

$ 54,871

Net Book Value

Leasehold 
Improvements

Satellites

Electrical 
Equipment

Computer 
Hardware

Furniture 
and Fixtures

Total

at October 31, 2016

at October 31, 2017

$

$

-

$ 27,595 

18

$ 11,310

$

$

3,414

973

$

$

396

262

$

$

18

13

$ 31,423 

$ 12,576

Included in  property,  plant  and  equipment as  at  October  31, 2017 is  $5,805 (2016 – $16,356) of 
satellite  equipment  that  has  not  yet  commenced  being  depreciated  as  the  assets  are  under 
construction and not yet ready for use.

The Company moved its offices to a new location in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, in January 2017. 
At the time, the book value of the leasehold improvements made to the former location along with 
furniture and equipment that was not transferred to the new location was written off. These amounts 
are reflected in the “deductions” line of the table above. 

The  transfer  from  intangible  assets  of  $6,893  in  the  same  table relates  to  an  asset  transfer 
arrangement that the Company made to provide in-kind datasets at a value of $3,666 in exchange 
for  title  to  the  EV9  satellite.  This  commitment  was  satisfied  as  at  January  31,  2017,  resulting  in  the 
Company transferring the carrying value of the EV9 data rights of $6,893 from intangible assets to 
property, plant and equipment. The transfer out is reflected in note 7 (Intangible Assets) while more 
detail  with  respect  to  the  in-kind  contribution  can  be  found  in  note  12 (Commitments  and 
Contingencies).

On  February  3,  2017,  the  Company  lost  contact  with  one  of  its  satellites,  EV5.  When  subsequent 
recovery efforts were not successful, the Company filed an insurance claim for the full insured value 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

39

of the satellite amounting to $3,500. The settlement was received in  April 2017. The remaining net 
book value (“NBV”) (cost of $4,633 less accumulated depreciation of $2,588 for NBV of $2,045) of 
EV5 was written off at the same time. Details with respect to this transaction can be found in note 20
(Other Income).

In November 2016, the Company renegotiated its service contract with its ground station developer, 
Kongsberg Satellite Services. Following that negotiation, the Company cancelled its requirement for 
a planned ground station in Chile and received a credit for the amount expended. This is reflected 
as a deduction of $695 in the electrical equipment section of the table above. This ground station 
was in the process of being developed and hence is included in capital in progress, which is why 
there is no corresponding reduction to accumulated depreciation.

Additions to satellites for the year ended October 31, 2017 are shown net of $396 (2016 – $120) of 
cost reimbursements received by the Company for assisting in the development of a satellite under 
construction.

Borrowing  costs  capitalized  in  the  cost  of  certain  assets  were nil (2016 – $408 using  an  average 
capitalization rate of 8%).

7.

INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Intangible assets consist of the following:

Cost

Computer 
Software

Internally 
Developed 
Technology

Technology 
Licences

Data 
Rights

Total

at October 31, 2016

$

3,672  $

8,880 

$

2,715  $ 19,924  $ 35,191 

Transfers

Additions

47

76

(47)

43

-

-

(6,893)

(6,893)

-

119

at October 31, 2017

$

3,795

$

8,876

$

2,715  $ 13,031  $ 28,417 

Accumulated Amortization

Computer 
Software

Internally 
Developed 
Technology

Technology 
Licences

Data 
Rights

Total

at October 31, 2016

$

3,112  $

5,170 

$

1,003  $

7,051  $ 16,336 

Transfer to property, plant, and equipment

Amortization expense

Impairment (note 8)

-

289

232

-

503

-

-

(2,239)

(2,239)

41

833

1,924

1,026

4,900

8,082

at October 31, 2017

$

3,633

$

7,597

$

2,029 $

9,753 $ 23,012

Net Book Value

at October 31, 2016

at October 31, 2017

Computer 
Software

Internally 
Developed 
Technology

Technology 
Licences

Data 
Rights

Total

$

$

560

162

$

$

3,710 

1,279

$

$

1,712  $ 12,873  $ 18,855 

686 $

3,278 $

5,405

Included in intangible assets is $2,804 of data rights (2016 – $8,215) that have not yet commenced 
being amortized as the underlying assets that will provide data rights  are still under development 
and not yet ready for use. Other intangible assets that have not yet commenced amortization are 
technology licences of $686 (2016 – $1,712). 

Borrowing  costs  capitalized  in  the  cost  of  certain  assets  were nil (2016 – $260 using  an  average 
capitalization rate of 8%).

40 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

Significant individual assets included in the amounts above as at October 31, 2017 are as follows:

Description

Category

De-collision software

Internally developed technology

Alora ground control software Internally developed technology

Class B detection technology

Internally developed technology

Larus licence

Myriota licence

Technology licence

Technology licence

Harris data licence

Data rights

Remaining 
Amortization
Period 
(Months)

Carrying 
Amount

$

$

$

$

$

$

847

327

55

168

518

3,278

123

41

42

84

84

119

The Harris data licence represents access to data from the full constellation of Iridium Next. As these 
satellites are put into service, they begin depreciating on an individual satellite basis. The remaining 
amortization period is calculated based on the amortization taken to date as a percentage of the 
total expected amortization, applied to the useful life of the constellation.

8.

IMPAIRMENT OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS

At  the  end  of  each  reporting  period,  the  Company  assesses  whether  there  are  events or 
circumstances  indicating  that  an  asset  may  be  impaired. Such  events  or  circumstances  notably 
include material adverse changes that, in the long-term, impact the economic environment or the 
Company’s assumptions or objectives. The Company considers the relationship between its market 
capitalization and the book value of its equity, among other factors, when reviewing for indicators 
of  impairment, because  the  Company  as  a  whole  has  been  assessed  as  a  single  CGU.  The 
recoverable amount is the greater of VIU and fair value less costs of disposal.

During fiscal 2017, the market capitalization of the Company has been frequently below the carrying 
value. Since the market capitalization is below the carrying value for a sustained period of time, this 
is considered an indicator of impairment. In particular during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, the 
market capitalization declined significantly below the carrying value.

The recoverable amount used in the impairment test was based on fair value less cost to sell using a 
market approach determined using a market capitalization. The  market capitalization, based on 
the five-day volume-weighted average price up to and including October 31, 2017, was $22,987.
The  carrying  value,  represented  by  the  book  value  of  the  Company’s  shareholder’s  equity  was 
$49,873. The carrying value was higher than the book value by $26,886 (2016 – $27,987). As a result, 
at October 31, 2017, impairment losses recognized are $18,804 (2016 – $17,728) related to property,
plant and equipment and $8,082 (2016 – $10,259) related to intangible assets, allocated on a pro
rata basis. The impairment amount has been recorded in the consolidated statement of loss and 
comprehensive loss. The effect of this is to write the carrying value of the Company down to the 
fiscal year-end market capitalization value. The market capitalization of the Company is considered 
a Level 1 measurement within the fair value hierarchy. 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

41

9.

LOANS PAYABLE, FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE

a)

Loans payable

Loans payable are comprised of the following:

FED DEV (note 4)

Larus Technologies debt (note 9 b)

Less: current portion of loans

Long-term loans payable

Principal repayments are due as follows:

For the years ending October 31

2018

2019

2020

b)

Financial instruments

Fair values

2016

1,437

467

1,904

716

1,188

$

$

$

2017

1,087

142

1,229

567

662

637

492

206

$

$

$

$

$

$

Cash  and  trade  accounts  receivable  are  considered  “loans  and  receivables” and 
measured at amortized cost. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities, the FED DEV loan,
Larus  Technologies  debt  and  restructuring  provision  are  classified  “financial  liabilities  at 
amortized cost”.

For the Company’s cash, trade accounts receivable and accounts payable and accrued 
liabilities, the fair values approximate their respective carrying amounts due to their short-
term  maturities. The  FED  DEV  loan,  included in  government  loan payable,  has  a  carrying 
value as at October 31, 2017 of $1,087 (2016 – $1,437), which approximates fair value as the 
loan  was  recorded  at  fair  value  when  the  cash  was  received, and  the  Company’s
borrowing  rate  has  not  materially  changed. The  fair  value  of  the  FED  DEV  loan  was 
calculated  using  discounted  cash  flows  with  a  discount  rate  of  8%  indicative  of  the 
Company’s borrowing rate.

The  Company entered  into  an  agreement  to  licence  the  Total::Insight™  IP  from  Larus 
Technologies  Corporation  (“Larus”)  for  $700,  payable  in  24  equal  monthly  payments 
commencing April 15, 2016. During 2017, $350 was paid against the note payable (2016 –
$204). The fair value of the Larus Technologies debt, which is interest-free, was calculated 
using the effective interest rate method to arrive at discounted cash flows with a discount 
rate of 8% indicative of the Company’s borrowing rate. Imputed interest will be recognized 
over the remaining term as interest expense.

The  Larus  loan  has  a  carrying  value  as  at  October  31,  2017 of  $142  (2016 – $467), which 
approximates fair value as the loan was recorded at fair value when the cash was received,
and the Company’s borrowing rate has not changed during the year.

The Larus agreement also includes an option to purchase all the shares of Larus during the 
24-month term of the agreement, and for the following six months. The option to purchase 
is currently valued at nil.

42 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

As at October 31, 2017, approximately 31% of cash, 84% of trade accounts receivable, and 
21%  of  accounts  payable  and  accrued  liabilities are  denominated  in  foreign  currencies 
(2016 – 28%,  31%, and  28%,  respectively).  These  foreign  currencies  include  the  US  dollar, 
British pound and euro.

The Company is exposed to foreign exchange risk on the following cash, trade accounts 
receivable,  and accounts  payable  and  accrued liabilities denominated  in  foreign 
currencies:

Cash

322

136

1,253

$

£

€

Trade Accounts 
Receivable

Accounts Payable 
and Accrued Liabilities

$

£

€

1,777

46

391

$

£

€

263

194

74

Currency

USD

GBP

EUR

Fair value hierarchy

The  Company  categorizes  financial  assets  and  liabilities  recorded  at  fair  value  in  the 
consolidated statements of financial position based on a fair value hierarchy. Fair values of 
assets  and  liabilities  included  in  Level  I  are  determined  by  reference  to  quoted  prices  in 
active  markets  for  identical  assets  and  liabilities. Assets  and  liabilities  in  Level  II  include 
valuations using inputs other than the quoted prices for which all significant inputs are based 
on  observable  market  data,  either  directly  or indirectly. Level  III  valuations  are  based  on 
inputs that are not based on observable market data. The disclosure of both the fair value 
of  the  FED  DEV loan and  the  Larus  Technologies  debt is  considered  to  be  a  Level II 
measurement.

Foreign currency risk

Transaction exposure

The Company is exposed to foreign exchange risk as a result of transactions in currencies 
other  than  its  functional  currency,  the  Canadian  dollar. The  majority  of  the  Company’s
revenue  is  transacted  in  Canadian  dollars. Portions  of  the  revenue  are  denominated  in 
US dollars,  British  pounds  and  euros. The  majority  of  salaries,  purchases,  certain  operating 
costs and manufacturing overhead are incurred primarily in Canadian dollars.

Translation exposure

The  Company’s  foreign  operation  is  exactEarth  Europe. The  assets  and  liabilities  of  the 
foreign  operations  are  translated from  British pounds  into  Canadian  dollars  using  the 
exchange  rates  in  effect as at  the  dates  of  the  consolidated  statements  of  financial 
position. Unrealized  translation  gains  and  losses  are recognized in  “Other  comprehensive 
income (loss)”. The  accumulated  currency  translation  adjustments  are  recognized  in 
income when there is a reduction in the net investment in the foreign operations. 

Foreign  currency  risks  arising  from  translation  of  assets  and  liabilities  of  foreign  operations 
into the Company’s functional currency are generally not hedged.

The majority of the Company’s foreign exchange risk resides with US dollar, euro and British 
pound  transactions. To  evaluate  the  sensitivity  of  net  income  to  potential changes in
exchange rates, actual changes in exchange rates during the fiscal year were considered as 
an indicative range of potential changes in exchange rates as noted in the table below. The 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

43

rates were entered into models that show the valuation impact to customer contracts, cash 
balances and foreign currency denominated monetary balance sheet items.

For the year ended October 31, 2017

Currency

Change in Exchange 

Increase (Decrease) in 

Rate vs CAD

Net Income

USD

EUR

GBP

+2%

-2%

+1%

- 1%

+ 10%

- 10%

$144

($144)

$20

$(20)

$150

($150)

For the year ended October 31, 2016

Currency

Change in Exchange 

Increase (Decrease) in 

Rate vs CAD

Net Income

USD

EUR

GBP

Interest rate risk

+1%

-1%

+ 2%

- 2%

+ 8%

- 8%

$65

($65)

$55

$(55)

$26

($26)

The  Company’s risk  exposure  to  market  interest  rates  relates  primarily  to  new  financing  or 
renewals of existing financing arrangements. The Company’s policy is to review its borrowing 
requirements on a continual basis and to enter into fixed or variable interest rate borrowing 
arrangements as required. Both the FED DEV loan and Larus loans are non-interest bearing 
loans recorded at amortized cost. Therefore, the Company is not exposed to fluctuations in 
interest rates.

Credit risk

Credit risk arises from the inability of customers to discharge their obligation to the Company. 
If one or more customers were to delay, reduce or cancel orders, the overall orders of the 
Company may fluctuate and could adversely affect the Company’s operations and financial 
condition.

The maximum exposure to credit risk as at the consolidated statements of financial position 
dates  is  best  represented  by  the  carrying  amount  of  the  Company’s trade accounts
receivable and unbilled revenue. The Company is exposed to credit risk from the potential 
default by counterparties that carry the Company’s cash, and attempts to mitigate this risk 
by  dealing  only  with  large  financial  institutions  with  good  credit  ratings. All  of  the  financial 
institutions the Company transacts with meet these qualifications.

The  Company,  in  the  normal  course  of  business,  monitors  the  financial  condition  of  its 
customers and reviews the credit history of each new customer. Trade accounts receivable

44 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

are non-interest bearing and are generally on 30- to 60-day payment terms. Seven customers 
comprise 67% of total trade accounts receivable as at October 31, 2017 (2016 – five customers 
comprised 67%).

The Company has reviewed its outstanding trade accounts receivable in detail and provided 
an allowance for doubtful accounts with respect to three customers. The aging profiles for the 
remaining customers are within historical expectations and have no apparent credit issues.
The trade accounts  receivable  balance  outstanding  greater  than  60  days  past  due  as  at 
October 31, 2017, but not impaired, is $1,389 (2016 – $646).

The  carrying  amount  of  trade  accounts  receivable  is  reduced  through  the  use  of  an 
allowance account. An allowance of $354 (2016 – $393) was recognized in the consolidated 
statements  of  loss  and  comprehensive  loss  within  “Selling,  general  and  administrative”
expenses for trade accounts receivable that were considered impaired as a result of delays 
in collection and credit issues.  When a receivable balance is considered uncollectible, it is 
written  off  against  the  allowance for  doubtful  accounts and trade accounts  receivable. 
Subsequent recoveries of amounts previously written off are credited against “Selling, general 
and administrative” expenses.

The  Canadian  Imperial  Bank  of  Commerce  (“CIBC”)  has  provided  exactEarth  with  a 
demand operating credit facility of $2,000. Canadian dollar loans will be available by way 
of overdrafts. Interest will be calculated at the CIBC prime rate per annum. US dollar loans 
will also be available by way of overdraft. US interest will be calculated at the US base rate 
per annum. This credit facility may be terminated by CIBC at any time. There are no financial 
covenants  established  as yet, the  necessity  for  specific  covenants  will  be  assessed  in  the 
future as financing needs of exactEarth continue to change and evolve. As at October 31,
2017, $27 (2016  – $234)  was  drawn  on  the  CIBC  credit  facility  in  the  form  of  Letters  of 
Guarantee required for certain customer contracts.

Liquidity risk

Liquidity risk is the Company’s ability to meet its financial obligations when they come due. 
The Company monitors its risk to a shortage of funds using a recurring liquidity planning tool.
This tool considers the maturity of its financial assets (e.g., trade accounts receivable and other 
financial  assets),  liabilities  (e.g., accounts  payable  and  accrued  liabilities and loans),  and 
projected  cash  flows  from  operations. The  Company’s  objective  is  to  maintain  a  balance 
between continuity of funding and flexibility through borrowing facilities available through the 
Company’s bank, and purchase contracts. The Company’s policy is to ensure that adequate 
funding  is  available  from  operations,  established  lending  facilities  and  other  sources  as 
required.

The tables below summarize the maturity profile of the Company’s financial liabilities based 
on contractual payments.

October 31, 2017

< 3 Months

3 to 12 
Months

Government loan payable

$

Larus Technologies debt

Accounts payable and accrued 

liabilities

Restructuring provision

Long-term incentive plan liability

$

123

87

369

58

2,249

1,473

164

-

224

166

1 to 5 Years

$

698

$

-

45

-

343

Total

1,190

145

3,767

388

509

Total

$

2,623

$

2,290

$

1,086

$

5,999

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

45

October 31, 2016

< 3 Months

Government loan payable 

$

Larus Technologies debt

Accounts payable and accrued 

liabilities

Restructuring provision

Long-term incentive plan liability

123

87

4,962

433

-

$

3 to 12 
Months

369

263

447

721

86

1 to 5 Years

$

1,149

$

146

-

442

316

Total

1,641

496

5,409

1,596

402

Total

$

5,605

$

1,886

$

2,053

$

9,544

10.

CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

The primary objectives of the Company’s capital management are:

•

•

to ensure that the Company maintains strong  credit ratings and exceeds its borrowing 
covenants in order to support its business and maximize shareholder value; and

to  provide  an  adequate  return  to  shareholders  by  pricing  products  and  services 
commensurately with the level of risk undertaken.

The Company monitors capital on a basis consistent with others in the industry, based on total debt 
to shareholders’ equity. Capital is defined as shareholders’ equity as presented in the consolidated 
statements of financial position, excluding “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)”, and 
total  debt  is  defined  as  the  sum  of  short-term  and  long-term  debt.  The  Company  uses  the 
percentage  of  total  debt  to  total  capital  to  monitor  the  capitalization  of  the  Company.  The 
Company is not subject to any capital requirements imposed by a regulator.

11.

SHARE CAPITAL

Issued capital

The  Company  has  authorized  an  unlimited  number  of  preferred  shares  of  which  none  are
outstanding. The  Company  has  authorized  an  unlimited  number  of  common  shares  with  no  par 
value. As at October 31, 2017, the issued and outstanding shares total 21,614,120 (2016 – 21,605,506).

Details of share capital are as follows:

Balance as at October 31, 2015

Add: Share issuances

Less: Share repurchases

Balance as at October 31,2016

Add: Share issuances

Less: Share repurchases

Balance as at October 31,2017

Stock-based compensation

Number of Shares

Value of Shares

11,111,111 

10,494,395 

-

21,605,506 

8,614 

-

21,614,120 

$

$

$

55,120 

68,649 

-

123,769 

12

-

123,781 

The Company recognizes compensation cost for all stock options granted to employees under the 
exactEarth stock option plan. The exercise price for all options is the Spinout Transaction share price 
of  the  Company’s  common  shares  at  the  date  of  the  grant. During  the  year  ended  October 31,

46 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

2017, exactEarth granted nil (2016 – 1,428,222) stock options to its employees. The maximum number 
of common shares authorized for grant under the option plan is 2,160,550.

All options vest on a graded basis depending on the type of option. Type one options vest on a 40%, 
30% and 30% basis over three years and have a contractual life of six years. Type two options vest 
on a 25% and 75% basis over two years and have a contractual life of six years. Type three options 
vest on a 40%, 30% and 30% basis in years three through five and have a contractual life of eight 
years. All stock options are accounted for as equity-settled awards.

The fair value of options was estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing 
model with the following assumptions:

Average risk-free interest rate

Dividend yield

Average volatility

Average expected life of options (years)

Remaining contractual life

Weighted average fair value of options outstanding

Weighted average exercise price of options

outstanding

Type One

Type Two

Type Three

0.65%

0%

77.1%

4

4.3

1.08

6.50

$

$

0.63%

0%

77.4%

3.75

4.3

1.06

6.50

$

$

0.94%

0%

74.4%

6

6.3

1.32

6.50

$

$

Volatility  was  calculated  using  the  historical  volatility  of  comparable  companies  for  the  period 
commencing when those entities were publicly traded and corresponding to the expected life of 
each option type. The estimated fair value of the options is amortized to expense over the vesting 
periods  of  the  options.  For  the  year ended  October  31,  2017, the  stock-based  compensation 
expense recognized was $362 (2016 – $371). This amount was added to contributed surplus. Vested 
options can be exercised prior to their expiry date. 123,047 options have vested as at October 31, 
2017 (2016 – nil) with weighted average exercise price of $6.50.

A summary of the option activity is as follows:

Balance as at October 31, 2015

Granted

Forfeited

Balance as at October 31, 2016

Granted

Forfeited

Balance as at October 31, 2017

Stock Options

-

1,428,222

(336,954)

1,091,268

-

(843)

1,090,425

Options forfeited had a weighted average exercise price of $6.50.

Employee Share Purchase Plan

The ESPP expense amount for the year ended October 31, 2017 was $18 (2016 – $3). The estimated 
number of shares, if all outstanding ESPP shares were issued, is 432,110.

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

47

Long-term incentive plan

The following details the RSUs, PSUs and DSUs as at October 31, 2017:

RSU

PSU

DSU

Share unit balance, beginning of period

410,424

33,725

Share units granted

Share units settled

Share units forfeited

Share unit balance, end of period

-

(55,183)

(296)

354,945

89,355

154,861

-

-

-

-

-

33,725

244,216

Aggregate fair value of units granted as at the end 

of the period

Fair value of share units outstanding as at the end of 

the period

$

$

376

1.06

$

$

36

1.06

$

$

284

1.06

The corresponding details as at October 31, 2016 were as follows: 

Share unit balance, beginning of period

Share units granted

Share units forfeited

Share unit balance, end of period

RSU

-

479,964

(69,540)

410,424

PSU

-

54,997

(21,272)

33,725

DSU

-

89,355

-

89,355

Aggregate fair value of units granted as at the end 

of the period

Fair value of share units outstanding as at the end of 

the period

$

$

607

1.48

$

$

50

1.48

$

$

132

1.48

For the year ended October 31, 2017, compensation expense of $245 (2016 – $402) was recognized 
for the Company’s LTIP.

Loss per share

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted loss per share:

Numerator for basic and diluted loss per share available to 

common shareholders:

Net loss attributable to common shareholders

Denominator for basic and diluted loss per share:

Weighted average number of shares outstanding

Basic and diluted loss per share

There are 447,873 (2016 – 152,717) units that are antidilutive. 

2017

2016

$

$

(33,834)

$

(35,963)

21,614,120

18,881,551

(1.57)

$

(1.90)

48 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

12.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Lease commitments

The Company has incurred $182 (2016 – $178) in lease expenses during the year ended October 31, 
2017. The Company has commitments under lease agreements as follows:

Facilities

Photocopier lease

Computer lease

Total

Capital commitments

Less than 1 Year

1 to 5 Years

After 5 Years

$

$

69

2

24

95

$

$

319

8

-

327 

$

$

-

-

-

-

As  at  October  31, 2017, capital  commitments  in  respect  of  the  purchase  of  property, plant  and 
equipment were $3,298  (2016  – $4,598).  There  were  no  other  material  capital  commitments 
outstanding as at October 31, 2016.

Harris commitment

As  at  October  31,  2017,  there  were  eight  Sea  Smart  AC  units  for  the  Iridium  Next  Constellation 
commissioned and in service. The Company is committed to pay an operational fee of USD$50  per 
unit per  year  to  a  maximum  of  USD$750  per  quarter.  This  payment  will  continue for  12.5  years
following the date at which all Sea Smart AC units are in service.

Harris Fees 

Less than 1 Year

1 to 5 Years

After 5 Years

Operational fees payable

$

516

$

2,064

$

3,870

In-kind contribution commitment

The  Company  entered  into  an  arrangement  effective  March  17,  2015, and  has  committed  to 
provide in-kind datasets at a value of $3,666, not licensed for commercial use, in exchange for title 
to the EV9 satellite, subject to certain restrictions on the use, sale or transfer of the satellite within the 
six-year  period  ending  March  31,  2021.  During  the  year,  datasets  with  a  value  of  $618  were 
transferred to qualifying third parties and recognized as revenue. This commitment was satisfied as 
at January 31, 2017 as data assets with a total value at $3,666 were transferred to qualifying third 
parties under the terms of the arrangement, fulfilling final condition of the transfer agreement.

As such, the value of the datasets that had been added to the carrying value of the EV9 data rights 
classified as an intangible asset was transferred to property, plant and equipment and reported as 
a satellite cost as at January 31, 2017.

Royalty commitment

The Company has entered into an agreement with Larus, which includes a commitment that takes 
effect after the conclusion of the 24-month term of the agreement, to pay a 30% royalty on the gross 
sales  of  products  that  are  derived  from  the  Larus  Total::Insight™  technology.  The  technology  is 
expected to be put in use in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 and royalty payments are expected 
to commence at that time.

Claims or legal actions

The Company does not have any outstanding claims or legal actions. 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

49

13.

INCOME TAXES

The  following  are  the  major  components  of  income  tax  expense  (recovery)  for  the  years  ended 
October 31:

Current income tax expense 

Deferred income tax expense:

Origination and reversal of temporary differences

Losses not recognized

Deferred income tax expense

Total income tax expense

2017

24

(8,768)

8,768

-

24

$

$

$

$

2016

41

(8,648)

8,648

-

41

$

$

$

$

The  Company’s  consolidated  effective  tax  rate  for  the  year  ended  October  31,  2017  was  0%
(2016– 0%). The difference in the effective tax rates compared to the Company’s statutory income 
tax rates were mainly caused by the following:

Loss before income taxes

Statutory tax rate

Income taxes based on the statutory income tax rate

Losses not recognized

Permanent differences – other

Permanent differences – non-deductible impairment 

Argentinian withholding taxes

Income tax expense

2017

2016

$

(33,810)

$

(35,922)

26.5%

(8,960)

8,768

192

-

24

24

$

26.5%

(9,519)

8,648

294

577

41

41

$

The Canadian statutory tax rate during fiscal 2017 was 26.5% (2016 – 26.5%).

The income tax expense of $24 (2016 – $41) represents a 15% withholding tax on revenue generated 
from Argentina. The Company has deemed the $24 to be unrecoverable and has recognized the 
amount as an expense.

Components of deferred income taxes movement are as follows for the years ended October 31:

Taxable temporary differences

Property, plant and equipment and intangible assets

Non-capital losses

Total change in deferred income taxes

2017

26

-

(26)

-

$

$

2016

35

3,590

(3,625)

-

$

$

The  deferred  income  tax asset  (liability) recognized  in  the  consolidated  statements  of  financial 
position for the years ended October 31 is comprised of the following:

Taxable temporary differences

Non-capital losses

Deferred income tax

2017

(28)

28

-

$

$

2016

(54)

54

-

$

$

50 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

For the purposes of the above table, deferred income tax assets are shown net of deferred income 
tax liabilities where these occur in the same entity and jurisdiction. 

Deductible temporary differences and unused tax losses for which no deferred income tax assets 
have been recognized are attributable to the following:

Canadian deductible temporary differences

Scientific research and experimental development 

(“SRED”) pool

Property, plant and equipment and intangible assets

Canadian non-capital tax losses

Canadian capital tax losses

UK non-capital losses

2017

1,093

2,710

33,089

53,403

617

2,121

$

$

$

$

$

$

2016

2,024

2,881

12,351

41,142

617

1,931

$

$

$

$

$

$

These unused Canadian income tax losses expire from 2029 through 2037. The UK non-capital losses 
have an unlimited carry-forward period. The SRED pool does not expire.

Unrecorded ITCs are as follows:

Federal

Ontario

These unrecorded ITCs expire from 2029 through 2035.

2017

680

166

$

$

2016

706

174

$

$

14.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

Defined contribution pension plan

The Company has a  defined contribution pension plan for its employees. During the year ended 
October  31, 2017,  the  Company’s  contributions,  which  are  based  on  the  contributions  by 
employees, were $190 (2016 – $264) and are included in “Cost of revenue” and “Selling, general
and administrative” expenses in the consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss.

Long-term profit sharing plan

The Company had a long-term profit sharing plan for certain of its employees, which ceased at the 
time of the Company’s spinout. During the year ended October 31, 2016, the amount recognized as 
a recovery based on the forecasted net income was $82. There was nil recovery in 2017. The long-
term profit sharing plan expense previously recognized was reversed upon completion of the Spinout 
Transaction.

Salaries and benefits

Total salaries and employee benefits expense for the year ended October 31, 2017 were $6,387 (2016 –
$8,699).

15.

RELATED PARTIES

Compensation of key management personnel and Board of Directors

The following table includes compensation of the key management personnel and Board of Directors 
for the years ended October 31, 2017 and 2016, included in the consolidated statements of loss and 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

51

comprehensive  loss.  Key  management  personnel  include  the  Company’s  Chief  Executive  Officer 
(CEO) and the executives who report directly to him.

Short-term salaries and benefits

$

Post-employment benefits

Long-term incentive plans

Stock options

2017

1,372

29

163

275

$

2016

2,007

23

289

198

$

1,839

$

2,517

Short-term  salaries and benefits  include  expenses  for  base  salaries,  bonuses  and  other  short-term 
benefit expenses. Post-employment benefits represent the Company’s defined contribution pension 
plan. 

Related parties

The following table details the transactions and balances between the Company and COM DEV 
(and its subsidiaries). COM DEV was a related party up until the Spinout Transaction on February 4, 
2016.

For the years ended October 31:

Purchase of services

Purchase of property, plant and equipment

Rent

Interest charged by COM DEV

2017

-

-

-

-

$

$

$

$

2016

102

36

18

703

$

$

$

$

The  following  table  details  transactions  and  balances  between  the  Company  and  Hisdesat,  a 
shareholder that has significant influence through an equity investment.

For the years ended October 31:

Interest charged by Hisdesat

Revenue from Hisdesat

Directors’ expenses

As at October 31:

Trade accounts receivable

2017

-

492

87

2017

242

$

$

$

$

2016

221

294

74

2016

-

$

$

$

$

On June 1, 2015, exactEarth recorded a payable to Hisdesat for the purchase of property, plant and 
equipment  related  to  the  Company’s  payload  on  the  PAZ  satellite.  The  accounts  payable  to 
Hisdesat was converted to share capital as of February 4, 2016. The accounts payable bore interest 
at 8%. For the year ended October 31, 2017, total interest charged with respect to this balance was 
nil (2016 – $100), which was capitalized through assets under construction. The agreement related 
to the PAZ satellite includes a commitment to pay a monthly operating fee of $20 to Hisdesat once 
the satellite is commissioned.

52 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

16.

CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT REVENUE

The following details the construction contracts in progress as at October 31:

Percentage of completion revenue contracts

Costs incurred

Estimated profits

Progress billings

Total contracts in progress

Disclosed as: 

Unbilled revenue

Deferred revenue

Total contracts in progress

2017

75

73

(300)

(152)

-

(152)

(152)

$

$

$

$

2016

1,249

1,328

(2,878)

(301)

665

(966)

(301)

$

$

$

$

The  unbilled  revenue  and  deferred  revenue from  construction contracts  are included  in  unbilled 
revenue and deferred revenue in the consolidated statements of financial position. The amount of 
contract revenue recognized in fiscal 2017 was $226 (2016 – $1,394). 

17.

SEGMENT, GEOGRAPHIC AND MAJOR CUSTOMER INFORMATION

The Company has one reportable business segment, which is engaged in the sale of space-based 
maritime tracking data and related products and services from satellites.

Revenue by product type

Revenue is divided into three categories based on the types of products sold. Subscription services 
are  recognized  over  the  life  of  the  contract  term,  data  products  are  sold  on  demand  and 
recognized on delivery, and other products and services include various other revenue streams and 
are recognized based on the contract terms.

For the years ended October 31:

Subscription services

Data products

Other products and services

2017

$

10,617

991

1,225

$

12,833

Geographic information

Revenue by geography is based on where the customer is located.

For the years ended October 31:

Canada

United States

Europe

Other

$

2017

1,266

931

5,414

5,222

$

$

$

2016

15,079

2,445

1,394

18,918

2016

8,619

1,050

6,161

3,088

$

12,833

$

18,918

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

53

Property, plant and equipment are attributed to the country in which they are located or, for space-
based assets, the country in which they are owned. Intangible assets are attributed to the country 
where ownership of the asset resides.

As at October 31:

Property, plant and equipment

Canada

United Kingdom

Intangible assets

Canada

United Kingdom

2017

12,502

74

12,576

5,405

-

5,405

$

$

$

$

2016

31,218

205

31,423

18,855

-

18,855

$

$

$

$

For the year ended October 31, 2017, one customer had revenue in excess of 10% of the Company’s
total revenue (2016 - three customers). The details are as follows:

2017

2016

Revenue

$

1,605

-

-

% of Total 
Revenue

13%

$

-

-

Revenue

5,379

3,048

2,444

$

1,605

13%

$

10,871

% of Total 
Revenue

28%

16%

13%

57%

Customer 1

Customer 2

Customer 3

18.

SPINOUT TRANSACTION

COM DEV completed a Spinout Transaction of the Company’s shares on February 4, 2016.  At the 
date  of  the  Spinout  Transaction,  COM  DEV, Hisdesat and  Company  executives  subscribed for  an 
additional 3,144,615 common shares, in exchange for $20,440 in cash. The COM DEV and Hisdesat 
debt outstanding as of the date of the Spinout Transaction of $48,209 was converted into 7,349,780 
common shares. COM DEV’s investment in the Company was spun out to its existing shareholders. 
When the Spinout Transaction was completed, the Company became a reporting issuer in all of the 
Provinces  of  Canada  and  became  subject  to  the  continuous  disclosure  reporting  requirements 
under the securities laws of each province.

19.

RESTRUCTURING PROVISION

The Company underwent a restructuring in October 2016, and a restructuring provision was set up 
to provide for the salary continuance and RSU/PSU amounts due to the affected employees. As of 
October 31, 2017, there was $388 of restructuring provision remaining. The entire amount is recorded 
in current liabilities since the last payment is due in May 2018. The liability also includes RSUs that will 
be earned during their continuance period for certain terminated employees.

Two  of  the  employees  that  were  terminated  in  October  2016  have  since  found  other  suitable 
employment  thereby  enabling  the  Company  to  reduce  the  provision  that  needs  to  be  carried 
forward. This adjustment of $74 was recorded in the third quarter.

54 

exactEarth Annual Report 2017

The details of the restructuring provision are as follows:

As at October 31, 2016

Market revaluation of RSUs during 2017 

Reduction related to terminated employees 

Salary continuance 

As at October 31, 2017 

Represented by:

Current 

Long-term 

$

1,596

(25)

(74)

(1,109)

388

388

-

388

$

$

$

As part of the restructuring, the stock options granted to certain former employees will vest during
the continuance period and the full expense of nil (2016 – $79) has been recognized and recorded 
in contributed surplus as at October 31, 2017.

20.

OTHER INCOME

On  February  3,  2017,  the  Company  lost  contact  with  one  of  its  satellites,  EV5.  When  subsequent 
recovery efforts were not successful, the Company filed an insurance claim for the full insured value 
of the satellite amounting to $3,500. The settlement was received in  April 2017. The remaining net 
book value of $2,045 was written off at the same time resulting in a net gain of $1,455. Details are as 
follows:

Proceeds from insurance claim for EV5

Total cost of EV5 satellite

Depreciation and impairment charged to EV5

Other income as reported

$

$

3,500

4,633

(2,588)

1,455

21.

COMPARATIVE BALANCES

The comparative financial statements may have been reclassified from the statements previously 
presented in order to conform to the current period’s presentation.

exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

55

Corporate Information 

Board of Directors 

Senior Management 

Eric Zahler (3) 
Chairman of the Board 

Peter Mabson 
President & Chief Executive Officer 

Pui-Ling Chan (1, 2) 
Chairman of the Human Resources and 
Compensation Committee  

Sean Maybee  
Chief Financial Officer 

David Martin 
Vice President, Global Sales & Marketing 

Miguel Angel Garcia Primo (2) 

Maria Izurieta (1, 2) 
Chairman of the Audit Committee 

The Honorable Dennis Kloske (1, 3) 
Chairman of the Corporate Governance 
and Nominating Committee 

Peter Mabson  
President & Chief Executive Officer of 
exactEarth 

Miguel Angel Panduro Panadero (3) 

William (Mac) Evans 

Member of: (1) Audit Committee, (2) Human Resources 
and Compensation Committee, (3) Corporate 
Governance and Nominating Committee 

Head Office 

260 Holiday Inn Drive 
Cambridge, Ontario 
Canada N3C 4E8 
Tel: 519-622-4445 
www.exactearth.com 

Investor Relations 

Dave Mason 
Tel: 416-247-9652 
investors@exactearth.com  

Ticker Symbol: TSX: XCT 

56 

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exactEarth Annual Report 2017 

57

Annual Report 

2017