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Quartix Holdings plc

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FY2020 Annual Report · Quartix Holdings plc
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Company No.06395159 

Financial Statements 
Quartix Holdings plc 

For the year ended 31 December 2020 

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

Contents 

Company Information 

Highlights 

Chairman’s Statement 

Strategic Report: Operational Review 

Strategic Report: Financial Review 

Strategic Report: Section 172 (1) Statement 

Corporate Governance Report 

Directors’ Remuneration Report 

Directors’ Report 

Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Quartix Holdings plc 

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income 

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position 

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity 

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows 

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements 

Parent Company Statement of Financial Position 

Parent Company Statement of Changes in Equity 

Notes to the Parent Company Financial Statements 

Notice of Annual General Meeting 

Notes to the Notice of Annual General Meeting 

1 

Page 

2 

3 

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12 

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22 

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54 

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98 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

2 

Company Information  

Company registration number: 

06395159 

Registered office: 

Directors: 

9 Dukes Court, 
54~62 Newmarket Rd,  
Cambridge 
CB5 8DZ 

Paul Boughton 
Andrew Walters 
Daniel Mendis 
David Warwick 
Laura Seffino  

Company secretary: 

Daniel Mendis 

Bankers: 

Solicitors: 

Auditor: 

Nominated advisor and broker: 

Barclays Bank PLC 
Mortlock house, 
Station Road, 
Histon, 
Cambridgeshire 
CB24 9DE 

Hewitsons LLP 
Shakespeare House 
42 Newmarket Road 
Cambridge 
CB5 8EP 

Grant Thornton UK LLP 
101 Cambridge Science Park 
Milton Road 
Cambridge 
CB4 0FY 

FinnCap 
One Bartholomew Close,  
London,  
EC1A 7BL 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

3 

Highlights 

Financial highlights 

  Group revenue increased by 0.8% to £25.8m (2019: £25.6m) 

o  Fleet revenue grew1 by 6.0% to £22.0m (2019: £20.8m) 

o  Fleet revenue represented 85.4% of total revenue (2019: 81.2%) 

o 

Insurance revenue2 decreased by 21.5% to £3.8m (2019: £4.8m) 

  Adjusted EBITDA3 increased by 11.5% to £7.9m (2019: £7.1m) 

o  Fleet telematics services profits4  increased by 6.0% to £17.5m (2019: £16.5m) (note 4) 

o  Fleet customer acquisition investment5  increased by 14.1% to £6.9m (2019: £6.1m) 

o 

Insurance segment profit6 increased by 32.5% to £2.1m (2019: £1.6m) 

  A provision of £1.6m in respect of the swap out of 3G fleet units in the US (see Strategic Report: 

Financial Review) 

  Operating profit therefore decreased by 11.8% to £5.7m (2019: £6.4m) 

  Profit before tax decreased by 12.3% to £5.7m (2019: £6.5m) 

  Adjusted diluted earnings per share7 of 13.16p, diluted earnings per share of 9.82p (2019: 11.25p) 

  Free cash flow8 decreased by 11.1% to £5.5m (2019: £6.2m) 

  Final dividend payment of 17.70p per share proposed (2019: 10.0p) including 15.30p for 

supplementary dividend (2019: 5.8p) giving a total dividend for the year of 21.07p per share 

1 Total Fleet segmental revenue (see note 4) 
2 Insurance segmental revenue (see note 4) 
3 Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation, share based payment expense and the 3G replacement provision (see 
Strategic Report: Financial Review) 
4 Profit for the Fleet segment before customer acquisition costs and central fleet costs (see note 4) 
5 Sales, marketing, net equipment, net installation and carriage cost for new fleet customers (see note 4 for full explanation) 
6 Insurance segmental profit increased as a result of a reduction in equipment and installation costs (see note 4) 
7 Diluted earnings per share before the 3G replacement provision (see Strategic Report: Financial Review) 
8 Cash flow from operations after tax and investing activities 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

4 

Principal activities and performance measures 
Quartix  is  one  of  Europe’s  leading  suppliers  of  vehicle telematics  services.  The  Group’s  main strategic 
objective is to grow its fleet subscription base and develop the associated annualised recurring revenue. The 
Key Performance Indicators used by the Board to assess the performance of the business are listed below 
and discussed in the Chairman’s Statement and Strategic Report. 

Key Performance Indicators (“KPIs”) 

Year ended 31 December 
Fleet subscriptions1 (new units) 
Fleet subscription base2 (units) 
Fleet customer base3 
Fleet attrition (annualised)4 (%)  
Annualised recurring revenue5 (£’000) 
Fleet invoiced recurring revenue6 (£’000) 
Fleet revenue7 (£’000) 
Price erosion8 (%) 
Insurance installations9 (new units) 
Insurance revenue10 (£’000) 

2020 
42,898 
173,793 
19,039 
12.2 
22,245 
20,801 
22,059 
6.6 
17,074 
3,776 

2019 
43,837 
150,640 
16,394 
11.9 
20,534 
19,297 
20,808 
9.4 
36,386 
4,813 

% change 
(2.1) 
15.4 
16.1 

8.3 
7.8 
6.0 

(53.1) 
(21.5) 

1 New vehicle tracking unit subscriptions added to the subscription base before any attrition 
2 The number of vehicle tracking units subscribed to the Group’s fleet tracking services, including units waiting to be installed for 
which subscription payments have started or are committed 
3 The number of customers associated with the fleet subscription base 
4 The number of new vehicle tracking unit subscriptions, less the increase in subscription base, expressed as a percentage of the 
mean subscription base 
5 Annualised data services revenue for the subscription base at the year end, before deferred revenue, including revenue for units 
waiting to be installed for which subscription payments have started or are committed 
6 Invoiced subscription charges before provision for deferred revenue 
7 Total Fleet segment revenue (see note 4) 
8 The annual decrease in average subscription price of the base expressed as a percentage of the average subscription price at the 
start of the year, all measured in constant currency 
9 The number of new vehicle tracking unit installations in the Insurance segment 
10 Insurance segment revenue (see note 4) 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

5 

Chairman's Statement 

Introduction  
Our key focus for the past year was investing in the growth of our core Fleet operations, both in the UK 
and overseas to drive an increase in recurring revenues.  This was achieved with the Group experiencing 
strong growth in its Fleet tracking subscription platform. Performance in the second half of the year was 
particularly encouraging; new subscriptions were 9.9% ahead of the prior year and roughly 60% of the year’s 
growth in the size and value of the base were achieved in that period. Fleet revenue grew by 6.0% during 
the year; this lagged growth in the value of the subscription base as the latter grew more rapidly towards 
the end of the year. 

This improved performance in the second half has brought new subscriptions for the year to within 2.1% 
of those for  2019  (which  in turn was  39% ahead of 2018), notwithstanding the 13.6% decrease in new 
subscriptions experienced in the first half of the year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. It was also 
pleasing to see Group attrition remain steady at 12.2% (2019: 11.9%) and price erosion reduced to 6.6% 
(2019: 9.4%) in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic. 

Each geographical market, except the UK, registered increases in new subscriptions for the year as a whole. 
In the UK, the sales team held fewer face-to-face sales meetings (due to the pandemic), which impacted its 
field  sales  and  distribution  channels;  however,  the  second  half  of  the  year  saw  a  return  to  the  new 
subscription levels  achieved  in  the  second  half  of 2019,  despite these  limitations.  Sales  in  the  UK  fleet 
operations  grew  by  0.8%,  reaching  £15.6m  (2019: £15.5m)  whilst  UK  insurance revenues  decreased  to 
£3.8m (2019: £4.8m), due to availability of driving tests and installation capacity during the year. 

The Group made excellent progress in France, where revenue increased by 16.7% to €4.3m (2019: €3.7m), 
ending the year with 31,345 vehicles under subscription (2019: 25,643) across 4,299 fleet customers (2019: 
3,528).  

2020 was the Group’s sixth full year of operations in the USA. We are pleased with progress and completed 
the year with 23,479 vehicles under subscription (2019: 18,050) across 3,247 fleet customers (2019: 2,621). 
Revenue  increased  by  20.2%  to  $3.1m  in  2020  (2019:  $2.5m)  and  the  prospects  for  future  business 
development remain encouraging. 

The  Group  continued  to  make  progress  in  its  new  European  territories,  ending  the  period  with  a 
subscription base of 3,904 vehicles (2019: 1,316) across 920 fleet customers (2019: 337).  

Results  
Group revenue for the year increased marginally to £25.8m (2019: £25.6m); the Group continues to replace 
insurance  revenue  with  higher  quality  fleet  revenue.  Total  fleet  revenue  increased  by  £1.2m  and  now 
represents 85.4% of total revenue (2019: 81.2%). Insurance revenue decreased by £1.0m. 

Operating profit for the year decreased by 11.8% to £5.7m (2019: £6.4m) and profit before tax was £5.7m 
(2019:  £6.5m).  This  reduction  was  after  charging  £1.6m  for  the  swap  out  of  3G  units  in  the  USA.  
Management  expect  the  sunsetting  of  the  3G  mobile  network  in  the  US  to  be  finalised  in  2022.  This 
necessitates the replacement of a large proportion of the US installed base of tracking systems during 2021 
and the Board has taken the decision to provide this service free of charge to customers in order to minimise 
the chances of incremental attrition and to further enhance the Group's reputation in the US market. This 
exceptional  charge  was  partially  offset  by  the  improvement  in  the  Insurance  segment,  whose  2020 
segmental profit was £2.1m (2019: £1.6m), as a result of a reduction in equipment and installation costs.   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

6 

Results (continued) 
Total  Fleet  Segment  profit, before  central  overheads, remained  comparable  to the prior  year,  at £9.7m 
(2019: £9.7m). The profitability of the Group’s fleet telematics services, which represents the core part of 
the business associated with recurring revenues, grew by £1.0m to £17.5m (2019: £16.5m).  This gain was 
then invested in acquiring additional fleet customers for the future.   

Further details for segmental profit are given in the Financial Review and note 4.  

Cash  conversion  remained  strong,  resulting  in  free  cash  flow,  cash  flow  from  operations  after  tax  and 
investing activities, of £5.5m (2019: £6.2m). Net cash increased to £10.6m at 31 December 2020 (2019: 
£6.8m), following the cancellation of the final and supplementary dividend for 2019, but after an interim 
dividend payment for 2020 of £1.6m. 

Earnings per share 
Basic earnings per share decreased by 12.7% to 9.86p (2019: 11.29p). Diluted earnings per share decreased 
to 9.82p (2019: 11.25p). The adjusted diluted earnings per share, which is calculated by adding back the cost 
of the replacement of 3G units is 13.16p. 

Dividend policy 
Our ordinary dividend policy is to pay a dividend set at approximately 50% of cash flow from operating 
activities, which is calculated after taxation paid but before capital expenditure.   

In addition to this the Board will distribute the excess of gross cash balances over £2m on an annual basis 
by way of supplementary dividends, subject to a 2p per share de minimis level.  

The surplus cash is calculated using the year end gross cash balance and after deduction of the proposed 
ordinary dividend and is intended to be paid at the same time as the final dividend. The policy will be subject 
to periodic review. 

Dividend 
In the year ended 31 December 2020, the Board decided to pay an interim dividend of 2.5p per ordinary 
share plus a supplementary dividend of 0.87p per share. This totalled £1.6m and was paid on 11 September 
2020 to shareholders on the register as at 14 August 2020. 

The Board is recommending a final ordinary dividend of 2.40p per share, together with a supplementary 
dividend of 15.30p per share, giving a final pay out of 17.70p per share and a total dividend for the year of 
21.07p per share.  

The  final  and  supplementary  dividend  amounts  to  approximately  £8.6m  in  aggregate.  Subject  to  the 
approval at the forthcoming AGM, this aggregate dividend of 17.7p per share will be paid on 30 April 2021 
to shareholders on the register as at 1 April 2021. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

7 

Outlook 
The Group has made a strong start to the year, in line with our expectations. Given the success that Quartix 
has achieved in its core fleet markets, and considering the broader market opportunity available to it, the 
Group intends to invest a larger proportion of its profits on sales and marketing during 2021 to capitalise 
further on the profitable subscription platform it has created by accelerating growth in its fleet subscription 
base. Whilst the majority of this investment will take place in the second half of the year, some additional 
investment  is  already  underway  with  the  recruitment  of  additional  telephone  sales  staff,  a  substantial 
increase in UK field sales capacity and the Group's first field sales agent to be based in France. 

AGM 
The Group’s AGM will be a closed meeting held at 11.00 a.m. on 23 March 2021 at the Group’s registered 
office at 9 Dukes Court, 54~62 Newmarket Road, Cambridge CB5 8DZ. 

Paul Boughton 
Chairman 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

8 

Strategic Report: Operational Review 

Principal activities 
Quartix is one of Europe’s leading suppliers of vehicle telematics services. We made excellent progress in 
the core fleet sector in 2020, which now has a subscription platform connecting more than 170,000 fleet 
vehicles. Whilst the origins of the Group’s business are in the UK, it has developed a significant market 
presence in the fleet sector in France and the USA. It built on this success and experience with continued 
expansion in Spain, Italy and Germany during the course of 2020.  

Strategy and business model 
The Group’s main strategic objective is to grow its fleet subscription platform and develop the associated 
recurring revenue. This strategy is based on 5 key elements, which were first highlighted in the 2018 annual 
report. We are pleased to be able to report significant progress in each area, as summarised below: 

1.  Market development: despite new fleet subscriptions decreasing by 2.1%, the second half of the year 
saw  an  increase  in  new  fleet  subscriptions  of  9.9%  against  the  equivalent  period  in  2019.  The 
subscription  base  increased  by  15.4%  and  strong  growth  was  achieved  in  each  of  our  existing 
territories. 

2.  Cost  leadership:  we  have  recently  signed  a  long-term  supply  agreement  with  a  telematics  device 
manufacturer, which we expect to result in cost and simplicity improvements. Improvements in 
the  efficiency  of  the  sales  cycle  are  also  being  rolled  out.  We  continue  to  review  product  and 
overhead costs in order to identify further operational efficiencies.  

3.  Continuous enhancement of the Group’s core software and telematics services: further improvements have been 
made to the Group’s software platform, which have increased its functionality and ease of use, as 
well as allowing the integration of camera systems. A new self-install fleet unit has been launched 
for the UK and Europe, a 4G unit has been developed for the US and a new self-install insurance 
product has been launched.   

4.  Outstanding service: Quartix maintained its excellent reputation with its fleet customers throughout 
the year, consistently being rated as “excellent” by TrustPilot users. Changes to the support and 
service processes during the year have realised benefits that have kept attrition at a steady level in 
the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic.  

5.  Standardisation and centralisation: the expansion into European markets has thus far been achieved 
entirely from the Group’s principal operational office in Newtown. This structure is being reviewed 
following the expiry of the Brexit transition agreement, though material changes are not expected. 
The office in Chicago is now exclusively a sales office, with US support and service functions being 
performed from the UK.   

Our fleet customers typically use the Group’s vehicle telematics services for many years, resulting in low 
rates of attrition. Accordingly, the Group focuses its business model on the development of subscription 
revenue based on minimal initial commitment from the customer, providing the best return to the Group 
over the long term. 

The number of vehicles connected to our subscription platform and the value of recurring subscription 
revenue derived from it are the key measures of our performance in the fleet sector. 

We also provide our telematics technology and services to insurers, who use the Group’s technology to 
monitor the  driving style and habits  of higher-risk drivers, normally for  a policy with  a term of just 12 
months. The level of attrition, in this industry for young driver policies, is relatively high.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

9 

The Group has focused over the past four years on growth in its fleet operations. In 2020 85.4% of Group 
revenue (£22.0m of £25.8m) derived from fleet applications, which compares with 63.9% in 2016 (£14.9m 
of £23.3m).  

People 
We take pride in the level of service we provide, and it is gratifying to see that fleet customers consistently 
provide us with excellent reviews – both in person and on third-party sites such as TrustPilot.  The changes 
in support and service processes which we have made during 2020 have kept attrition levels stable during 
the year and we are delighted to have been able to support our customers during this extremely difficult 
period for them.  

These service achievements are a reflection of the teamwork, creativity and dedication of our people and a 
testament to how seriously we take our commitment to providing the best experience for our customers. 
Our financial  performance  derives from  the  customer service  we  deliver, backed  by  the  technology  we 
develop. We would like to  register our personal thanks to every one of our employees who made 2020 
another great year for Quartix. 

We are pleased to have been able to provide our employees with the ability to participate in the equity of 
the Company under our EMI share option scheme for the eighth year in a row. Under this scheme each 
UK employee (barring Directors) receives shares in the company at an exercisable price of 1 penny per 
share, which are exercisable approximately 18 months from grant. Employees with 5 years’ service at the 
first grant in 2013 would now hold 4,260 shares in the company, less any disposals. During the year several 
staff members were issued share options to thank them for their personal contribution to the progress of 
Quartix throughout the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, Laura Seffino, a Director of Quartix Holdings 
plc, received share option grants in 2020, as disclosed in the remuneration report. 

Operational performance 
All of our business  operations continued to perform at a high level in 2020. Gross margin increased to 
66.0% (2019: 64.9%), mainly due to the increase in deferred revenue release in insurance, with the reduction 
in new policies, particularly from the coronavirus impact. With additional investment in fleet, administrative 
expenses increased by 11.6%. Cash conversion remained strong with cash flow from operations after tax 
and  investing  activities  (free  cash flow)  representing  117.0%  of  profit  for  the  year  (2019:  115.0%).  We 
expense all research and development investment, tracking system and installation costs as they are incurred 
unless development spend meets the criteria for capitalisation. 

Our accounts and operations teams continued to manage working capital well: trade debtors at the year-
end were 31 days (2019: 34) days of sales, and inventory levels decreased by 20.9% compared to prior year 
levels.  

Fleet 
Our core fleet business, which accounted for 85.4% of Group revenue (2019: 81.2%), delivered excellent 
progress in a further year of investment. Strong subscription base growth in each of the UK, France and 
the USA, coupled with our second year in four new European markets, took the total subscription base to 
more than 170,000 vehicles. 

During the course of the year we won 4,844 new fleet customers (2019: 4,471). Sales leads continued to be 
generated through a broad range of media and channels and investments have been made in marketing, 
technology, processes and training, adding automation wherever possible.  

Total investment in fleet customer acquisition increased by £0.8m to £6.9m in 2020 (2019: £6.1m). This 
investment will increase further in 2021 as we continue to develop our business across each of our markets, 
thereby increasing recurring revenues. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

10 

Fleet UK  
New subscriptions to our fleet tracking services decreased by 13.2% to 22,294, though the second half of 
the year (12,300 new subscriptions) showed recovery in the market against the first half of the year (9,994 
new subscriptions).  We increased our vehicle subscription base by 8.9% to 115,065 as a consequence, and 
our fleet customer base rose to 10,573 (2019: 9,908). In total we won 1,801 new customers in the UK (2019: 
2,033) and we increased the number of fleet clients with 50 vehicles or more. UK fleet revenue was £15.6m 
(2019: £15.5m). The strength of our brand, service capability and reputation in the UK is leading to higher 
levels of enquiries from larger fleet prospects. 

Our UK website continued to perform well in terms of enquiries, and we continued to add new content to 
it. 

We will continue to focus on telephone sales staff and we have increased UK field sales capacity, to support 
our fleet marketing initiatives; we will look to find additional channels and partners to help us develop the 
market.  

Fleet France 
The number of new subscriptions in the French market was 0.9% higher than the previous year (9,135 
versus 9,054), and there was a 22.2% increase in the unit base, ending the year with 31,345 vehicles (2019: 
25,643) under subscription across 4,299 fleet customers (2019: 3,528). French fleet revenue increased by 
16.7% to €4.3m (2019: €3.7m), making a profitable contribution to the Group. We saw continued growth 
in new customer acquisition throughout the year, and this was broadly spread across each of our channels. 
The Group has recruited its first French field sales agent to help facilitate growth with customers who have 
larger fleets, with 50 or more vehicles.  

New European territories 
Having  launched  in  various  European  markets  during  2019,  the  Group  has  developed  its  operations 
successfully and achieved a total of 2,922 new subscriptions (2019: 1,353), taking its subscription base to 
3,904 vehicles (2019: 1,316). Revenue increased to £0.2m (2019: £0.1m). Sales results in the Spanish, Italian 
and German markets have been very encouraging so far and the Company will increase investment in these. 

Fleet USA 
Our  sixth  full  year  of  trading  in  the  USA  showed  good  progress:  we  concluded  2020  with  3,247  fleet 
customers (2019: 2,621) achieving growth of 30.1% in vehicles under subscription to a total of 23,479 (2019: 
18,050).  USA  fleet  revenue  increased  by  20.2%  to  $3.1m  (2019:  $2.5m).  Losses  incurred  in  the  USA 
remained similar at £0.4m (2019: £0.4m).  

We see significant potential for growth in the USA in the next five years. 

Combined fleet revenues in non-UK territories, were £6.4m, representing 29.1% of total fleet revenue. 

In the four years since the decision to focus on our fleet operations they have grown to represent 85.4% of 
Group revenues (£22.1m) in 2020 from 63.9% (£14.9m) in 2016. This trend is expected to continue as the 
Company invests in the development of each of its fleet markets. 

Insurance 
Reductions in the availability of driving tests and installation capacity during the year contributed to the 
53.1%  decrease  in  insurance  installations  to  17,074  units.  This  trend  was  in  keeping  with  the  decision 
announced in July 2016 to focus on the core fleet market and on only those insurance opportunities which 
are closely aligned to the fleet business. The profitability of this segment increased from £1.6m in 2019 to 
£2.1m, with a £1.0m reduction in revenue more than compensated by a £1.5m reduction in equipment and 
installation costs from the decline in volume - see segmental note 4.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

11 

Research and development 
The Group is committed to the continuous enhancement of its core software and telematics services, and 
we aim to offer a market-leading platform which addresses the most common needs of SME customers in 
the service sector of each of our target markets. We achieved some notable successes in 2020: 

1.  Towards the end of the year, we completed trials of a new self-install product for the UK and 

Europe, having applied additional functionality to the unit.  We subsequently signed a long-term 
supply agreement with the manufacturer. We have also developed a new 4G unit for the US, 
which is expected to be in production in 2021. 

2.  Throughout the year, new software releases for all territories and languages were issued for our 
customer base regularly throughout the year. These updates provided enhancements to usability 
and self-service, and were focused on features which we felt would be of benefit to the large 
majority of our client base. 

3.  We launched a new insurance self-install unit, which has successfully been rolled out with one 

insurance customer and we believe has the potential to be rolled out more widely. 

All of our investment in research was fully expensed in the year. The total cost amounted to £0.8m, 
which represents an increase of 13.2% compared to the prior year (2019: £0.7m). 

Capacity for future growth 
We believe that the Company has significant opportunity for growth in its fleet business in both new and 
existing  markets.  We  achieved  excellent  growth  in  our  subscription  platform  in  2020  and  established 
encouraging positions in a range of new markets.  

Given the success that Quartix has achieved in its core fleet markets, and considering the broader market 
opportunity available to it, the Company intends to invest a larger proportion of its profits on sales and 
marketing  during  2021  to  capitalise  further  on  the  profitable  subscription  platform  it  has  created  by 
accelerating growth in its fleet subscription base. Whilst the majority of this investment will take place in 
the  second  half  of  the  year,  some  additional  investment  is  already  underway  with  the  recruitment  of 
additional telephone sales staff, a substantial increase in UK field sales capacity and the Company's first 
field sales agent to be based in France. 

The  Board  estimates  that  total  incremental  investment  in  2021,  including  the  incremental  costs  of 
manufacture and installation, will be up to £1m, with the majority taking place in the second half of the 
year. The Board will monitor this investment to measure its success and will invest in such a way as to be 
able to moderate it if it is deemed to be generating an unsatisfactory return. 

Andrew Walters 
Chief Executive Officer 

Daniel Mendis 
Chief Operating and Financial Officer 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 
Strategic Report: Financial Review 

12 

Key Performance Indicators (“KPIs”) 

Year ended 31 December 
Fleet subscriptions1 (new units) 
Fleet subscription base2 (units) 
Fleet customer base3 
Fleet attrition (annualised)4 (%) 
Annualised recurring revenue5 (£’000) 
Fleet invoiced recurring revenue6 (£’000) 
Fleet revenue7 (£’000) 
Price erosion8 (%) 
Insurance installations9 (new units) 
Insurance revenue10 (£’000) 

2020 
42,898 
173,793 
19,039 
12.2 
22,245 
20,801 
22,059 
6.6 
17,074 
3,776 

2019 
43,837 
150,640 
16,394 
11.9 
20,534 
19,297 
20,808 
9.4 
36,386 
4,813 

% change 
(2.1) 
15.4 
16.1 

8.3 
7.8 
6.0 

(53.1) 
(21.5) 

1 New vehicle tracking unit subscriptions added to the subscription base before any attrition  
2 The number of vehicle tracking units subscribed to the Group’s fleet tracking services, including units waiting to be installed for 
which subscription payments have started or are committed  
3 The number of customers associated with the fleet subscription base 
4 The number of new vehicle tracking unit subscriptions, less the increase in subscription base, expressed as a percentage of the 
mean subscription base 
5 Annualised data services revenue for the subscription base at the year end, before deferred revenue, including revenue for units 
waiting to be installed for which subscription payments have started or are committed 
6 Invoiced subscription charges before provision for deferred revenue 
7 Total Fleet segment revenue (see note 4) 
8 The annual decrease in average subscription price of the base expressed as a percentage of the average subscription price at the 
start of the year, all measured in constant currency 
9 The number of new vehicle tracking unit installations in the Insurance segment 
10 Insurance segment revenue (see note 4) 

The Group made excellent progress in its core fleet business during 2020 in its primary strategic objective 
of building our fleet subscription base.  

We achieved 42,898 new fleet subscriptions (2019: 43,837), a decrease of 2.1% however this represents 
significant recovery from the half-year position with new fleet subscriptions in the second half of the year 
increasing by 9.9% against the equivalent period in 2019. 

During the year, our fleet subscription base grew by 15.4% to 173,793 units (2019: 150,640) with growth in 
all of our geographical markets.  

Attrition during the period increased marginally to 12.2% (2019: 11.9%).  The Group made various changes 
to its support and service processes during 2020 and it is pleasing to see attrition remaining stable amongst 
the global pandemic.  

Annualised recurring revenue increased by 8.3% to £22.2m (2019: £20.5m) and fleet invoiced recurring 
revenue grew by 7.8% to £20.8m (2019: £19.3m). The growth in fleet revenue of 6.0% was similar to the 
growth of our recurring revenue, as our primary focus is on growing subscription revenue. 

Insurance unit installations decreased by 53.1% to 17,074 (2019: 36,386); these were adversely impacted by 
the  coronavirus  pandemic,  with  reductions  in  the  availability  of  driving  tests  and  installation  capacity 
hindering demand and supply respectively.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

13 

Financial Overview 

Year ended 31 December 
£’000 (except where stated) 
Revenue 
Fleet 
Insurance 
Total 

Gross profit before 3G swap out provision 
Gross margin before 3G swap out provision 

Gross profit 
Gross margin 

Operating profit  
Operating margin 

Adjusted EBITDA (note 5) 

Profit for the year 

Earnings per share 
Adjusted diluted earnings per share 

Cash generated from operations 
Operating profit to operating cash flow conversion 

Free cash flow 

2020 

22,059 
3,776 
25,835 

18,657 
72.2% 

17,047 
66.0% 

5,680 
22.0% 

7,871 

4,728 

9.86 
13.16 

6,698 
117.9% 

5,534 

2019 

% change 

20,808 
4,813 
25,621 

16,626 
64.9% 

16,626 
64.9% 

6,438 
25.1% 

7,062 

5,410 

11.29 
11.25 

7,263 
112.8% 

6.0 
(21.5) 
0.8 

12.2 

2.5 

(11.8) 

11.5 

(12.6) 

(12.7) 
17.0 

(7.8) 

6,223 

(11.1) 

Revenue 
Revenue increased marginally to £25.8m (2019: £25.6m); the Group continues to replace insurance with 
higher  quality  fleet  revenue.  Insurance  revenue  represented  14.6%  (2019:  18.8%)  and  is  expected  to 
represent approximately 10.0% of revenue in 2021. Fleet revenue, benefitting from past investment and 
expansion into new European territories, increased by £1.2m to £22.1m (2019: £20.8m). Sales to insurance 
customers decreased by £1.0m to £3.8m (2019: £4.8m).  

Gross margin 
Gross  margin  increased  marginally  to  66.0%  in  the  year  (2019:  64.9%).  The  primary  cost  saving  was 
achieved  through  the  reduction  in  equipment,  installation  and  carriage  costs,  partly  due  to  the  large 
reduction in insurance installations and partly due to a higher proportion of self-install fleet units. This cost 
saving  was  somewhat  offset  by  a  £1.6m  provision  relating  to  the  swap  out  of  3G  units  in  the  US. 
Management expect the sunsetting of the 3G mobile network in the US to be finalised in 2022 and this 
necessitates the replacement of a large proportion of the US installed base of tracking systems during 2021. 
The Board has taken the decision to provide this service free of charge to customers in order to minimise 
the chances of any incremental attrition. 

Adjusted EBITDA and Segmental Analysis 
Adjusted EBITDA, which excludes the £1.6m provision for the replacement of the 3G units, increased to 
£7.9m (2019: £7.1m), driven by the increase in insurance profitability, which increased to £2.1m (2019: 
£1.6m).   

A  summary  of  the  Group’s  segmental  analysis  is  set  out  below  (see  note  4  for  an  explanation  of 
categorisations and assumptions). 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

14 

Financial Overview (continued) 

Adjusted EBITDA and Segmental Analysis (continued) 
Total Fleet Segment profit remained similar to the prior year, at £9.7m (2019: £9.7m), following targeted 
investment  in  growing  the  subscription  base.  The  profitability  of  the  Group’s  fleet  telematics  services, 
which represents the core part of the business associated with recurring revenues, grew by £1.0m to £17.5m 
(2019: £16.5m).  This growth was then reinvested, with an additional £0.9m being invested in acquiring 
additional fleet customers for the future.   

Segmental analysis 2020 

Revenue 

Segmental costs 
Profit before central fleet 
costs 
Central fleet costs 

Segmental profit 

Central costs 

Adjusted EBITDA (see note 5) 

Segmental analysis 2019 

Revenue 

Segmental costs 
Profit before central fleet 
costs 
Central fleet costs 

Segmental profit 

Central costs 

Adjusted EBITDA (see note 5) 

Customer 
Acquisition 
£’000 

Fleet 
Telematics 

Services  Total Fleet 
£’000 

£’000 

Insurance 
£’000 

223 

21,836 

22,059 

3,776 

(7,138) 

(4,352) 

(11,490) 

(1,655) 

Total 
Business 
£,000 

25,835 

(13,145) 

(6,915) 

17,484 

10,569 

2,121 

12,690 

(829) 

9,740 

- 

2,121 

Customer 
Acquisition 
£’000 

Fleet 
Telematics 
Services 
£’000 

Total Fleet 
£’000 

Insurance 
£’000 

338 

(6,398) 

20,470 

(3,973) 

20,808 

4,813 

(10,371) 

(3,212) 

(6,060) 

16,497 

10,437 

1,601 

(747) 

- 

9,690 

1,601 

(829) 

11,861 

(3,990) 

7,871 

Total 
Business 
£,000 

25,621 

(13,583) 

12,038 

(747) 

11,291 

(4,229) 

7,062 

Overheads  
We continued to invest in our product offering, in our sales structure and in marketing, which led to an 
increase in overheads of 11.6%. 

Part of the aforementioned investment was in the USA where our subscription unit base has increased by 
30.1% to 23,479 (2019: 18,050) and  revenue, as disclosed in note 3, increased to £2.4m ($3.1m) (2019: 
£2.0m ($2.5m)). Additionally, the expansion into the new European territories contributed £0.2m toward 
revenue in the year (2019: £0.1m), with a fleet base at the year end of 3,904 units (2019: 1,316). 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

15 

Financial Overview (continued) 

Taxation 
Our effective tax rate benefits from the Group’s investment in research and patents in the UK business.  
The effective rate increased from 16.1% in 2019 to 16.4% in 2020, due to the increased profitability of the 
French branch, which is subject to a higher rate of tax offset by a higher R&D tax credit.   

Earnings per share 
Earnings per share decreased to 9.86p (2019: 11.29p), diluted earnings per share decreased to 9.82p (2019: 
11.25p) due  to  the  US  3G swap  out  provision.   As  a result,  adjusted  diluted  earnings  per  share,  which 
excludes the £1.6m 3G units replacement provision, was 13.16p.  

Statement of financial position 
Property, plant and equipment, at £1.3m (2019: £0.8m), increased by £0.5m largely due to the right of use 
leasehold property in Newtown, Powys.  These are the main operational premises, which were redeveloped 
for Quartix and were completed in March 2020. 

Inventories decreased to £0.7m (2019: £0.9m).  Cash at the year-end was £10.6m (2019: £6.8m), since the 
final and supplementary dividends which would ordinarily have been paid during the year, were held back, 
as a precautionary measure as a result of the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. Trade and 
other receivables decreased slightly to £3.8m in the year (2019: £3.9m). Trade and other payables decreased 
to £2.8m (2019: £3.1m), whilst provisions increased from £0.2m to £1.8m due to the US 3G swap out 
provision of £1.6m.  

Contract liabilities represent customer payments received in advance of satisfying performance obligations, 
which are expected to be recognised as revenue in future years (both fleet and insurance).  These unwound 
to £3.7m in 2020 (2019: £4.8m) and are described further in note 19.   

Cash flow 
Cash generated from operations before tax at £6.7m was 117.9% of operating profit (2019: £7.3m, 112.8% 
of operating profit).  

Tax paid in 2020 was £1.1m (2019: £0.9m), so cash flow from operating activities after taxation but before 
capital expenditure was £5.6m (2019: £6.4m). 

Free cash flow, after £0.1m of capital expenditure and interest received, was £5.5m, a decrease of 11.1% 
(2019: £6.2m). 

The translation of cash flow into dividends is covered in the Chairman’s Statement. 

Risk Management policies 
The principal risks and uncertainties of the Group are as follows: 

Attracting and retaining the right number of good quality staff 
The Group believes that in order to safeguard the future of the business it needs to recruit, develop and 
retain the next generation of staff. The impact of not mitigating this risk is that the Group ceases to be 
innovative and provide customers with the vehicle telematics services they require. Considerable focus has 
been given to recruitment, development and retention. The Group has a range of tailored incentive schemes 
to help recruit, motivate and retain top quality staff, which include the use of share options. 

Reliance on Mobile To Mobile (“M2M”) network 
The Group’s service delivery is dependent on a functioning M2M network covering both the internet and 
mobile data. The impact of not mitigating this risk is that the Group is exposed to an M2M outage. Quartix 
has dual site redundancy to cover a localised internet problem and we are constantly working on improving 
the reliability of our systems architecture.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

16 

Financial Overview (continued) 

Risk Management policies (continued) 
Reliance on Mobile To Mobile (“M2M”) network (continued) 
Management  believe  that,  at  some  point  between  2025  and  2030,  most  UK  and  European  network 
operators will finalise  the sunsetting of  their  2G networks.  Depending on the actual timetable and the 
commercial  climate,  there  may  be  a  cost  at  that  time  associated  with  the  upgrading  of  customers’ 
technology, which the Group is seeking to minimise through various technological and commercial means.  

As  described  in  the  2019  Financial  Statements,  Management  expect  the  sunsetting  of  the  3G  mobile 
network in the US to be finalised in 2022. This necessitates the replacement of a large proportion of the 
US installed base of tracking systems during 2021 and the Board has taken the decision to provide this 
service free of charge to customers in order to minimise the chances of incremental attrition and to further 
enhance the Company's reputation in the US market. The estimated cost of this replacement programme 
is approximately £1.7m, of which the Company has provided for £1.6m in its 2020 accounts. 

Business disruption 
Like any business the Group is subject to the risk of business disruption. This includes communications, 
physical disruption to our sites and problems with our key suppliers. The impact of not mitigating this risk 
is that the Group may not be able to service its customers. Quartix has a Business Continuity plan and 
Business Interruption Insurance to cover certain events in order to help mitigate these risks. 

The  full  extent  of  the  impact  to  the  Group’s  business  as  a  result  of  the  UK  leaving  the  EU  remains 
uncertain. The Group acquires, manages and supports its customers in the EU centrally, from its offices in 
the UK. The resulting trading and data adequacy arrangements has not made it necessary for a relocation 
of some of its operations to within the EU.  The existing French branch is instrumental in the logistics of 
moving the goods between the France and the customers in the EU territories. Quartix is currently facing 
some limited delays at the border between France and the UK, though it expects this to ease in the coming 
months.  In  addition,  any  impact  on  the  wider  economic  landscape  could  impact  the  Group’s  trading 
indirectly through the demand for its services. 

There is also a risk that the coronavirus pandemic will further impact the growth of the global economy 
and therefore the Group’s subscription base and its ability to collect cash from its customers. The rollout 
of the vaccination programme currently appears to be mitigating this risk.  As with other industries, there 
is  also  a  risk  of  some short-term  disruption  to  component  supply  as  the  global  economy  recovers  and 
suppliers increase production to meet demand. The Group is actively working with suppliers to manage 
this and has signed a supply agreement with a device manufacturer, which further helps to mitigate this risk. 

Dependence on a key customer 
During 2020 insurance revenue of £3.4m (2019: £4.2m) was derived via one insurance customer, a specialist 
reseller for the insurance industry. Losing this key contract could have an impact on cash flow in the short 
term. Total insurance revenue, including that generated from other customers, was £3.8m (2019: 4.8m) and 
total insurance segment profit was £2.1m (2019: £1.6m). 

Cyber security 
The Group needs to make sure its data is kept safe and that there is security of supply of data services to 
customers. The reputational and commercial impact of a security breach would be significant. To combat 
this, the Group has a security policy and prepares a security report which is reviewed by members of the 
Operations Board. This process includes the use of outside consultants for penetration testing and security 
review. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

17 

Financial Overview (continued) 

Risk Management policies (continued) 
Technology 
Technology risks are perceived to arise from possible substitutes for the current Quartix product. Risks 
cited include everything from smart mobile phones and their applications to driverless cars. The Group 
strategy is to review all new technical developments with the aim of adopting any which will provide a better 
channel for the information services which Quartix provides. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

18 

Section 172 (1) Statement 

In accordance with the Companies Act 2006 (Act), as amended by the Companies (Miscellaneous 
Reporting) Regulations 2018, the Directors provide this statement to describe how they have engaged 
with and had regard to the interest of our key stakeholders when performing their duty to promote the 
success of the Group, under Section 172 of the Act.  The Directors consider, both individually and 
together, that they have acted in the way they consider, in good faith, would be most likely to promote 
the success of the Group for the benefit of its members as a whole (having regard to the stakeholders and 
matters set out in Section 172 of the Act) in the decisions taken during the year ended 31 December 
2020. 

Given the importance of our stakeholders and the impact they have on our strategy, reputation and the 
Group’s long-term success, consideration has been given to them throughout the 2020 Annual Report 
and the table below identifies where they are discussed: 

Section 172 responsibility 
The likely consequence of any decision in the 
long-term 

The interests of the Group’s employees 

The need to foster the Group’s business 
relationships with suppliers, customers and 
others 

The impact of the Group’s operations on the 
community and the environment 
The desirability of the Group maintaining a 
reputation for high standards of business 
conduct 
The need to act fairly as between members of 
the Group 

Where you can read more 
Outlook on page 7, 
Strategic Report: Operational review: Strategy 
and business model page 8, Capacity for future 
growth page 11 
Corporate Governance Report: section 1 page 
23 and section 9 on page 31~33 
Strategic Report: Operational review: Strategy 
and business model page 8 
Corporate Governance Report: Section 3 Page 
25-26 
Strategic Report: Operational review: Strategy 
and business model page 8 
Financial Overview: Risk Management (M2M 
network and business disruption from 
coronavirus for example of working with 
suppliers and fostering customers) page 15~16 
Corporate Governance Report: Section 3 Page 
25-26 
Our commitment to our stakeholders: page 20 

Corporate Governance Report: Section 8 Page 
30 

Corporate Governance Report: Shareholder 
engagement page 23 

The Corporate Governance Code also highlights the importance of effective engagement with 
shareholders and other stakeholders.  Engaging with our stakeholders and the issues that matter to them 
allows us to take more informed decisions and better identify the consequences of our actions on our 
stakeholders, whilst recognising that each decision will not always result in a positive outcome for each of 
our stakeholders. By having good governance procedures in place, the Board aims to make sure that its 
decisions maintain a high standard of business conduct. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

19 

Our commitment to our stakeholders 

The following table sets out how we engage with our key stakeholders. 
What has mattered to them this 
year? 

Our response 

Our 
stakeholders 
Customers 

Consistent quality service and support, 
despite potential disruption to Quartix 
and customers’ operations during 
coronavirus restrictions. 

Innovation to support their business. 

Concerns about impact of network 
upgrades on services. 

The Board’s main strategic objective is to 
grow its fleet subscription platform and 
develop the associated recurring revenue.  
This was supported by each of the 
following decisions/actions: 
Providing data services consistently 
throughout the year, having invested in 
robust infrastructure. (see also 
employees). 

Prompt development response to product 
innovation for self install hardware for the 
insurance sector, to overcome 
coronavirus restrictions on installation 
engineers, to support and retain 
established customers. 

Timely development of new generation 
hardware to meet changing network 
requirements. 
Clear communication, to each US 
customer impacted from 3G sunset, of 
the Board’s swap out plans, in 2021~22. 

Support during difficult trading 
conditions. 

Contract variations to give financial 
flexibility to assist cashflows. 

Employees 

Great career in a positive and 
motivating work environment 
underpinned by a supportive culture. 

Continuing to focus on developing 
culture that inspires and motivates staff.   

Focus this year on working at home 
environment, health & safety and 
mental health/wellbeing. 

Encouraging and offering staff 
opportunities to progress within the 
business in new roles/departments, to 
seek to retain them for the long term 
benefit of the business. 

Coronavirus actions to retain and support 
staff included: 
  Quartix took very early action to 

move to remote working to protect its 
employees and is pleased to note that 
this is working efficiently. 

  Risk assessment for office when some 
staff returned to work to ensure it 
complied with government guidelines 
and safety for staff. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

20 

  A small number of staff were 

furloughed during the 1st lockdown 
(see community). 

  Share options awarded to managers in 
May 2020 to retain top quality staff 
for the longer term. 

  Providing regular communications to 
employees and regular contact with 
their line manager or team.  

  Utilisation of surveys to monitor staff 

wellbeing. 

  Specific support for staff with 

childcare responsibilities during 
lockdown 

Our Suppliers want us to be 
trustworthy and building long-term 
mutually beneficial relationships.  

The Group actively looks to create long-
term collaborative relationships with key 
suppliers.  

Suppliers:  
component 
suppliers, 
network 
providers, 
installation 
engineers, 
distributors, 
marketing 
support 

Maintain our product and ethical 
standards across our supply chain. 

Communities 
and the 
environment 

Communities want us to act 
responsibly, to create employment 
locally to help their communicates 
thrive and reduce environmental 
impact. 

It is actively working with suppliers to 
manage the risk of some short-term 
disruption to component supply as the 
global economy recovers from the 
pandemic and has signed a supply 
agreement with a device manufacturer, 
which further helps to mitigate this risk. 

The Group expects its suppliers and 
distributors to demonstrate a culture that 
reinforces ethical and lawful behaviours 
and periodically conducts inspection 
audits at the key assembler in China. 
The more successful we can be as a 
business, the greater difference we can 
make to our communities. 

We encourage staff to engage with local 
charities and as a business gifted PPE to 
front line services in local communities. 

Vehicle tracking services generally impact 
driver behaviour and should have a 
positive impact on the environment. 

The Group strategy is to review all new 
technical developments with the aim of 
adopting any which will provide a better 
channel for the information services 
which Quartix provides, including 
adapting to environmentally driven 
changes to vehicles. 

Shareholders  The major areas raised include: 

Communication, including the impact 
of the coronavirus on the business. 

The Board is committed to maintaining 
an appropriate level of communication 
with shareholders (see section 2 of the 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

21 

Corporate governance topics, such as 
succession planning. 

The composition of the shareholder 
base, and transferability of shares, the 
dividend policy. 

Corporate Governance Report) and has 
issued regular trading updates to address 
the coronavirus impact and held investor 
presentations and meetings throughout 
the year. 

Changes in the Board are planned for 
2021 in the light of planned investment in 
its core markets with Daniel Mendis 
becoming the Group Commercial and 
Operations Director and appointment of 
Emily Rees as Group Financial Director 
(see section 7 of the Corporate 
Governance Report). 

The Company now has more shares in 
public ownership than it did a year ago, 
which could help liquidity. Shareholder 
base composition communicated on the 
website. 

Clear communication of the dividend 
policy in the Annual Report and a 
consistency of approach other than in 
exceptional circumstances. 

We believe we have the right strategy and service in place to deliver strong growth in sales over the medium 
to long term and to deliver sustainable shareholder value. 

Daniel Mendis 
Chief Operating and Financial Officer 

The Strategic Report, comprising the Operational Review and Financial Review, was approved by the Board 
of Directors and signed on behalf of the Board on 28 February 2021. 

Andrew Walters 
Chief Executive Officer 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

22 

Corporate Governance Report 

Chairman’s Corporate Governance Statement 
All members of the Board believe strongly in the value and importance of good corporate governance and 
in our accountability to all of Quartix’s stakeholders, including shareholders, staff, customers and suppliers. 
In the statement below, we explain our approach to governance, and how the Board and its committees 
operate. 

The  corporate  governance  framework  which  the  Group  operates,  including  board  leadership  and 
effectiveness, board remuneration, and internal control is based upon practices which the Board believes 
are appropriate for the size, risks, complexity and operations of the business and is reflective of the Group’s 
values. Of the two widely recognised formal codes, we have therefore decided to adhere to the Quoted 
Companies  Alliance’s  (QCA)  Corporate  Governance  Code  for  small  and  mid-size  quoted  companies 
(revised in April 2018 to meet the new requirements of AIM Rule 26). 

The QCA Code is constructed around ten broad principles and a set of disclosures. The QCA has stated 
what it considers to be appropriate arrangements for growing companies and asks companies to provide 
an  explanation  about  how  they  are  meeting  the  principles  through  the  prescribed disclosures.  We  have 
considered how we apply each principle to the extent that the Board judges these to be appropriate in the 
circumstances, and below we provide an explanation of the approach taken in relation to each. The Board 
considers that it has complied with the principles of the QCA Code. 

Roles and responsibilities of Chairman 
Paul Boughton, the Non-Executive Chairman since November 2014, is responsible for running the Board 
and ultimately for all corporate governance matters affecting the Group. He is a chartered accountant and 
also chairs the Audit Committee. He is an experienced Executive and Non-Executive Director, having been 
on the Boards of 5 public listed companies, including Quartix. 

The Chairman is responsible for leadership of the Board, setting its agenda and monitoring its effectiveness. 
He ensures effective communication with shareholders and that the Board is aware of the views of major 
shareholders. He ensures that the Executive Directors develop a strategy which is supported by the Board 
as a whole. The Executive Directors, through the Chief Executive Officer, are responsible for executing 
the strategy once agreed by the Board. 

Board composition and compliance 
The QCA Code requires that the boards of AIM companies have an appropriate balance between Executive 
and Non-Executive Directors of which at least two should be independent. During 2020 we satisfied this 
requirement. 

The  Non-Executive  Chairman  and  Independent  Non-Executive  Director  bring  wide  and  varied 
commercial experience to the Board and Committee deliberations. They are appointed for an initial three-
year term, subject to election by shareholders at the first AGM after their appointment, after which their 
appointment may be extended subject to mutual agreement and shareholder approval. A Non-Executive 
Director is typically expected to serve two three-year terms but may be invited by the Board to serve for an 
additional  period.  Any  term  renewal  is  subject  to  Board  review  and  AGM  re-election.  The  Company 
remains committed to a Board which has a balanced representation of Executives and Non-Executives. 

Board evaluation 
We support the QCA Code’s principle to review regularly the effectiveness of the Board’s performance as 
a unit, as well as that of its committees and individual Directors, and completed the first review during 
2019. We may consider the use of external facilitators in future board evaluations. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

23 

Shareholder engagement 
We  have  made  significant  efforts  to  ensure  effective  engagement  with  both  institutional  and  private 
shareholders. In addition to the usual roadshows following the release of full year and interim results, we 
have opened our AGM as a forum to present to and meet with shareholders.  

The Board is aware that following the introduction of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II 
(MiFID II) regulations at the start of 2018, private investor access to research on public companies has 
been restricted. We have not yet commissioned any “paid for” research from third party analysts and have 
no current intention of doing so.  

The Board has ultimate responsibility for reviewing and approving the Annual Report and Accounts and it 
has  considered  and  endorsed  the  arrangements  for  their  preparation,  under  the  guidance  of  its  audit 
committee. The Directors confirm that the Annual Report and Accounts, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced 
and understandable and provides the information necessary for shareholders to assess the Group’s position 
and performance, business model and strategy. 

10 Principles of the QCA Code  

Establish  a  strategy  and  business  model  which  promote  long-term  value  for 

1 
shareholders 

Since 2001 Quartix has become one of Europe’s leading suppliers of vehicle telematics services operating 
in the UK, Europe and the USA. The Group’s main strategic objective is to grow its fleet business and 
develop the associated recurring revenue by increasing the number of vehicles  under subscription. The 
related insurance business helps  to  provide economies of scale in areas related to the provision of data 
services, including development of both hardware and software, supply chain, production and installation. 

Whilst  the  same  technology  is  used  for  both  commercial  fleet  tracking  and  insurance  telematics,  these 
markets exhibit different characteristics and the Group has established proven business models for each of 
them. 

Fleet customers typically use the Group’s vehicle telematics services for many years, resulting in low rates of 
attrition. Accordingly, the Group focuses its business model on the development of subscription revenue 
based on minimal initial commitment from the customer, providing the best return to the Group over the 
long term. 

The value of recurring subscription revenue is the key measure of our performance in the fleet sector. 

Insurance telematics customers use the Group’s technology to monitor the driving style and habits of higher-risk 
drivers, normally for a policy with a term of just 12 months. Quartix therefore receives the cash in advance 
from insurance customers. This is standard practice in the industry, as the level of attrition is relatively high. 
Insurance revenue is recognised on a straight-line basis over the contract term, since the customer benefits 
from the Group’s services evenly throughout the contract term and receives the benefit of the services as 
they are made available. 

Whilst the value of revenue has been the key measurement of our performance in the insurance sector, we restrict our operations 
to those opportunities which provide an adequate return. 

The key risks and uncertainties we face are included under the Strategic Report: Financial Review.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

24 

2 

Seek to understand and meet shareholder needs and expectations 

Responsibility  for  investor  relations  rests  with  the  CEO,  supported  by  the  COFO.  During  2020  the 
following activities  were  pursued to  develop a good understanding of the needs and expectations  of all 
constituents of the Group’s shareholder base: 

Date 
Jan 20 

Feb 20 
Feb 20 

Description 
Quartix Holdings plc trading 
statement 
Preliminary results meeting 
Presentations to institutional 
investors and analysts 

Feb 20 

Annual results video 

Mar 20 
Mar 20 

Apr 20 

Jun 20 

Jul 20 

Jul 20 

Oct 20 

various 

AGM 
Quartix Holdings plc trading 
statement 
Quartix Holdings plc trading 
statement 
Quartix Holdings plc trading 
statement 
Interim results presentations 
to institutional investors and 
analysts 
Interim results video 

Quartix Holdings plc trading 
statement 
Potential investor meetings 

Participants  Comments 
Board 

CEO 
CEO, 
COFO 

CEO, 
COFO 

Board 
Board 

Board 

Board 

CEO, 
COFO 

CEO, 
COFO 
Board 

CEO, 
COFO 

The CEO and COFO prepare and review 
with the Board detailed presentations 
covering the Group’s activities over the 
relevant period and take guidance from 
the brokers. 
Presentations disseminated via website at 
7.00 a.m. on morning of results release so 
all information available publicly available 
to all shareholders and potential investors. 
All shareholders invited to attend 

Presentations disseminated via website 
(see above) 

Presentation to potential investors 

Key: CEO: Chief Executive Officer Andrew Walters, COFO: Chief Operating & Financial Officer Daniel 
Mendis 

The Group is committed to communicating openly with its shareholders to ensure that its strategy and 
performance are clearly understood. We communicate with shareholders through the Annual Report and 
Accounts, full-year and half-year announcements, trading updates and the annual general meeting (AGM), 
and we encourage shareholders’ participation in face-to-face meetings. A range of corporate information 
(including all Quartix announcements) is also available to shareholders, investors and the public on our 
website. 

Private shareholders: The AGM is the principal forum for dialogue with private shareholders, and (other 
than in exceptional years) we invite all shareholders to attend and participate. The Notice of Meeting is sent 
to shareholders at least 21 days before the meeting. The chairs of the Board and all committees, together 
with  all other Directors, attend the AGM and are available to answer questions raised by shareholders. 
Shareholders vote on each resolution and subsequently publish the outcomes on our website. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

25 

Institutional shareholders: The Directors actively seek to build a mutual understanding of objectives with 
institutional  shareholders.  Our  CEO  and  COFO  make  presentations  to  institutional  shareholders  and 
analysts  immediately  following  the  release  of  the  full-year  and  half-year  results.  We  communicate  with 
institutional investors frequently through formal meetings. The majority of meetings with shareholders and 
potential  investors  are  arranged  by  the  broking  team within  the Group’s  nominated  advisor. Following 
meetings, the broker provides anonymised feedback to the Board from all fund managers met, from which 
sentiments, expectations and intentions may be gleaned.  

In addition, we review analysts’ notes to achieve a wide understanding of investors’ views. This information 
is considered by the Board. 

Take into account wider stakeholder and social responsibilities and their 

3 
implications for long-term success 

Staff – our ability to fulfil customer requirements and execute our strategy relies on having talented and 
motivated staff. 

Reason for engagement: Good two-way communication with staff is a key requirement for high levels of 
engagement. 

How we engage: 

  Weekly update communication. 
  Regular staff briefings via video presentation during 2020. 
  Annual engagement survey. 

These have provided insights that have led to enhancement of management practices and staff incentives. 

Customers – our success and competitive advantage are dependent upon fulfilling customer requirements, 
particularly in relation to quality of service and report reliability. 

Reason for engagement: Longevity of customer relationships is a key part of our strategy. 
Understanding current and emerging requirements of customers enables us to develop new and enhanced 
services, together with software to support the fulfilment of those services. 

How we engage: 

  Seek feedback on services and software systems.  
  Develop tools and reports to enable our customers to analyse driver behaviour. 
  Obtain feedback to use in the development of future service. 

Suppliers – We have a range of suppliers including those who provide us with hardware, communication 
services, installation services and marketing support. 

Reason for engagement: Good services from our suppliers are critical to us delivering the data services to 
our customers. 

How we engage: 

  Co-ordinate and manage our network of installers to ensure on-time activation of tracking devices. 
  Operate systems to ensure that supplier invoices are processed and paid on time. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

26 

Shareholders  –  as  a  public  company  we  must  provide  transparent,  easy-to-understand  and  balanced 
information to ensure support and confidence. 

Reason for engagement: Meeting regulatory requirements and understanding shareholder sentiments on the 
business, its prospects and performance of management. 

How we engage: 

  Regulatory news releases. 
  Keeping the investor relations section of the website up to date. 
  Publish videos of investor presentations and interviews. 
  Annual and half-year reports and presentations. 
  AGM. 

We believe we successfully engaged with our shareholders over the past 12 months. 

Embed effective risk management, considering both opportunities and threats, 

4 
throughout the organisation 

The Group has a risk register that identifies key risks and all members of the Board are provided with a 
copy of the register. The register, including control mechanisms to mitigate risks, is reviewed bi-annually 
by the Board and is updated following each such review. 

The key risks and uncertainties are included in the Strategic Report: Financial Review. 

Staff are reminded on appointment and bi-annual basis that they should seek approval from the COFO if 
they, or their families, plan to trade in the Group’s equities. 

The key risks and uncertainties are included in the Strategic Report: Financial Review. 

5 

Maintain the Board as a well-functioning, balanced team led by the chair 

The members of the Board have a collective responsibility and legal obligation to promote the interests of 
the  Group  and  are  collectively  responsible  for  defining  corporate  governance  arrangements.  Ultimate 
responsibility for the quality of, and approach to, corporate governance lies with the chair of the Board. 

The Board consists of five directors of which three are executive and two are independent non-executives. 
The  Board  is  supported  by  three  committees:  audit,  remuneration  and  nominations.    The  Board  will 
consider appointing additional non-executive directors as its business expands. 

Non-Executive Directors are required to attend 10-12 Board meetings per year (in Cambridge, Newtown 
and London or remote via telephone call) and to be available at other times as required for face-to-face and 
telephone  meetings  with  the  executive  team  and  investors.  In  addition,  they  attend  Board  committee 
meetings as required. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

27 

Maintain  the  Board  as  a  well-functioning,  balanced  team  led  by  the  chair 

5 
(continued) 

Meetings held during 2020 and the attendance of Directors is summarised below: 

Board meetings 

Audit Committee 

Possible  Attended 

Possible  Attended 

Remuneration 
Committee 
Possible  Attended 

Executive Directors 
Andrew Walters 
Daniel Mendis  
Laura Seffino  

Non-Executive Directors 
Paul Boughton 
David Warwick 

11 
11 
11 

11 
11 

11 
11 
11 

11 
10 

0 
1 
0 

1 
0 

0 
1 
0 

1 
0 

2 
0 
0 

2 
2 

2 
0 
0 

2 
2 

The Nominations Committee meets when required in relation to Board appointments. 

The Board has a schedule of regular business, financial and operational matters, and each Board committee 
has compiled a schedule of work to ensure that all areas for which the Board has responsibility are addressed 
and  reviewed  during  the  course  of  the  year.  The  Chairman  is  responsible  for  ensuring  that,  to  inform 
decision-making,  Directors receive  accurate, sufficient and timely information. The Company Secretary, 
who is also the COFO, compiles the Board and committee papers which are circulated to Directors prior 
to meetings. The Company Secretary provides minutes of each meeting and every Director is aware of the 
right  to  have  any  concerns  minuted  and  to  seek  independent  advice  at  the  Group’s  expense  where 
appropriate. 

Ensure  that  between  them  the  Directors  have  the  necessary  up-to-date 

6 
experience, skills and capabilities 

All five members of the Board bring relevant sector experience in software and business services. They 
have an aggregate  56  years of public  company directorship experience, and two members  are chartered 
accountants.  The  Board  believes  that  its  blend  of  relevant  experience,  skills  and  personal  qualities  and 
capabilities is sufficient to enable it to successfully execute its strategy. Where relevant, Directors research 
relevant  information,  including  on  line  material,  and  occasionally  attend  seminars  and  trade  events,  to 
ensure that their knowledge remains current.  

Key to committees/roles: E: Executive, N: Nomination, A: Audit, R: Remuneration, C Chair 

Paul Boughton, Independent Chairman (CN, CA, R) 
Background:  
Paul is a chartered accountant who has worked at senior level in industry since 1981. His work was primarily 
in  business  development  and  acquisitions,  and  involved  extensive  projects  in  the  USA  and  mainland 
Europe, which are the primary growth territories for Quartix. Sectors he was involved in were industrial 
controls,  instrumentation  and  analysers,  mainly  using  a  combination  of  hardware  and  software.  As  an 
executive he served on the Boards of two fully listed companies. 

With his only financial or commercial involvement with Quartix being his annual salary as Chairman, and 
his publicly disclosed shareholding,  he  is considered  independent and with no conflicts of interest with 
Quartix employees or shareholders. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

28 

Ensure  that  between  them  the  Directors  have  the  necessary  up-to-date 

6 
experience, skills and capabilities (continued) 

Current external appointments: 
He  is  a  Trustee  and  Treasurer  of  two  charities,  and  for  each  he  chairs  their  Finance  and  Resources 
Committee. For one of the charities he also chairs three of their commercial subsidiaries 

Skills and experience: 
In previous Non-Executive roles he was a Board member of a fintech software and a navigation electronics 
public company. For both entities he also served as chair of the audit committee, and for one he was also 
the  Senior  Independent  Director.    He  therefore  brings  a  wide  range  of  relevant  skills,  commercial 
experience and governance knowledge to Quartix. He has a BSc degree in Business Economics and is a 
Chartered Accountant  
Time commitment:  1-3 days per month. 

David Warwick, Independent Director (N, CR) 
Background:  
David was Technical Director of Analysys Ltd – a telecoms consultancy, involved primarily in financial 
modelling of telecoms operators. In 2000 he joined Abcam plc as an Executive Director when it had around 
7  staff,  eventually  becoming  its  COO  during  his  16  years  there.    At  Abcam  he  initially  headed  the 
development  of  its  online  ecommerce  systems,  and  then  oversaw  its  overall  operations  including 
international  expansion  to  be  a  world-wide  leader  in  life-science  reagents  employing  over  1000  staff.  
Through this he was involved in Abcam’s IPO in 2005, as well as several acquisitions. 

His  only  financial  involvement  with  Quartix  is  his  annual  non-exec  salary  and  his  publicly  declared 
shareholding.    He  is  considered  independent  with  no  conflicts  of  interest  with  Quartix  employees  or 
shareholders.  

Current external appointments: 
He  is  currently  a  non-exec  Director  of  two  start-up  companies  around  the  Cambridge  area,  as  well  as 
chairing an educational trust. 
Skills and experience: 
David  has  a  MA  in  Computer  Science  from  the  University  of  Cambridge  and  has  worked  in  hi-tech 
industries since graduation in 1986.  David brings considerable skills relating to IT and e-commerce systems 
as well as overall experience with international expansion and organisational growth issues very relevant to 
Quartix. 
Time commitment:  1-2 days a month 

Andrew Walters, Chief Executive Officer (E, N) 
Background:  
Andrew Walters founded Quartix in 2001 with three colleagues. Prior to that he was Managing Director of 
a subsidiary of Spectris plc for 6 years and had spent 15 years with Schlumberger in the UK and France, 
where he was Marketing Director of the payphones and smart cards division.  
Current external appointments: 
Some voluntary business mentoring for The Prince’s Trust. 
Skills and experience: 
Andrew holds an MA in electrical sciences from the University of Cambridge and developed the Company’s 
UK patent, granted under the Patents Act 1977.  He has many years’ experience of the vehicle tracking 
market, having started the company in 2001 with three colleagues, and has been fully engaged in all aspects 
of the business throughout this time.  
Time commitment:  3 days a week 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

29 

Ensure  that  between  them  the  Directors  have  the  necessary  up-to-date 

6 
experience, skills and capabilities (continued) 

Daniel Mendis, Chief Operating and Financial Officer (E, A) 
Background:  
Daniel Mendis joined Quartix in 2017. He was previously Head of Finance (Ruminant) at AB Agri Ltd, a 
subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc, before which he spent four years with Domino Printing Sciences 
plc in two different Group roles.  He has several years experience of senior management positions and has 
worked in financial and business roles for fourteen years.  He holds an MEng in Engineering Science from 
the University of Oxford and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. 
Current external appointments: 
None 
Skills and experience: 
Dan  has  a  broad  range  of  financial  and  business  experience,  covering  areas  such  as  corporate  finance, 
treasury, tax, process review and strategy development. 
Time commitment:  Full time 

Laura Seffino, Chief Technical Officer (E) 
Background: 
Laura Seffino joined  Quartix  in June 2018 as  Head of Software, and was  promoted to  Chief Technical 
Officer  in  October  2019.  Laura  holds  responsibility  for  Group  technology,  strategy,  development  and 
implementation.  Prior  to  joining  Quartix  Laura  spent  17  years  in  software  development,  project 
management and delivery roles at 1Spatial plc, Cambridge.  
Current external appointments: 
None 
Skills and experience: 
Laura has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from the Universidad Nacional del Sur 
in Argentina the State University of Campinas in Brazil, respectively.  
Time commitment: Full time 

Evaluate  board  performance  based  on  clear  and  relevant  objectives,  seeking 

7 
continuous improvement 

A board evaluation process led by the Chairman was completed in 2020. This evaluation was accompanied 
by a wider review of the levels of investment in the business, as well the senior management posts required 
to deliver on its strategy. 

In  order  to maximise  the  effectiveness  of  incremental investment  outlined on  page  11, Daniel  Mendis, 
currently Chief Operating and Financial Officer, is expected to take up the new role of Group Commercial 
and Operations Director. This role will focus specifically on development of the fleet business and will 
include responsibility for all sales channels worldwide. This change is in line with Daniel Mendis’s personal 
plans for career development. The Group has therefore appointed a Group Financial Director (non-plc-
Board), Emily Rees, who is expected to join the business in April and will initially report to Daniel Mendis. 
Subject to satisfactory progress, Board approval and regulatory due diligence by the Company’s Nominated 
Adviser, Emily Rees will shortly thereafter be promoted to Chief Financial Officer and join the board of 
Quartix Holdings plc as an Executive Director, replacing Daniel Mendis on the Board, who will then take 
up his new role. 

Emily Rees has spent the past three years in senior financial positions within KRM (Great Britain) Limited 
(trading as Ecco Shoes), most recently as Regional Head of Finance and HR for Western Europe. Prior to 
this she worked for Pizza Express (Restaurants) Limited and Tesco Stores Limited. Emily Rees is a member 
of  the  Chartered  Institute  of  Management  Accountants  and  holds  a  BSc  (Hons)  in  Government  and 
Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Emily Rees is currently working 
through her notice period and will be based at the Newtown Office on appointment. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

30 

8 

Promote a corporate culture that is based on ethical values and behaviours 

At Quartix we believe  the prosperity  of our business  and of the  communities within which we operate 
requires a commitment to ethical values and behaviours. We have therefore developed policies that enhance 
all areas of our business in this regard.  

Quartix cares about providing a customer experience that is remarkable. We want to keep our customers 
happy,  impressed  and  reassured.  We  want  to  create  the  positivity  that  leads  to  great  reviews,  repeat 
purchases and customer referrals. To achieve that, our employees strive to make every interaction a great 
one. We follow these principles:  

Build meaningful connections.  
Whilst dealing with any of our stakeholders, be they customers, partners, investors or employees, foremost 
in our minds is building great, meaningful relationships. We are not a provider of arms-length transactional 
services; we are here to listen, understand, support and deliver tangible benefits as best we can.  

Keep things simple.  
Whether it is our processes, communication, hardware or software, we strive to keep things simple. Fewer 
moving parts make for clearer, more efficient and reliable operations. We don’t make our customers jump 
through hoops to speak to us, nor do we make them study an article to understand its meaning. We get 
straight to the incoming call, to the email in our inbox, to the point, and provide a fast, helpful and clear 
response.  

Treat everybody the same.  
Whoever you talk to, whether internally or externally, their impression of the Quartix service should be the 
same. We treat everyone equally, with respect, and remain transparent as a business. 

Do the right thing  
Quartix cares about doing what’s best for our customers and for each other. We own problems and solve 
them, regardless of whether it’s our designated responsibility. With or without a corporate process, we will 
strive to provide a satisfactory solution in every case. 

Share your knowledge  
Knowledge is valuable. Our customers, prospects and colleagues can all benefit from the knowledge that 
we have to offer. Quartix and its staff have a whole host of skills, expertise and experience to share with 
others and we are proud to do so. 

The  culture  of  the  Group  is  characterised  by  these  values  which  are  communicated  to  staff  through  a 
number of mechanisms.  

The  Board  believes  that  a  culture  that  is  based  on  the  five  core  values  is  a  competitive  advantage  and 
consistent with fulfilment of the Group’s execution of its strategy.  

The  culture  is  monitored  through  the  use  of  a  widely-used  satisfaction  and  engagement  survey  that  is 
operated on an annual basis and to which all permanent staff are invited to contribute. The Operations 
Board reviews the findings of the survey and determines whether any action is required. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

31 

Maintain  governance  structures  and  processes  that  are  fit  for  purpose  and 

9 
support good decision-making by the Board 

The Board provides strategic leadership for the Group and operates within the scope of a robust corporate 
governance framework. Its purpose is to ensure the delivery of long-term shareholder value, which involves 
setting the culture, values and practices that operate throughout the business, and defining the strategic 
goals that the Group implements in its business plans. The Board defines a series of matters reserved for 
its  decision  and  has  delegated  some  of  its  responsibilities  to  Audit,  Remuneration  and  Nominations 
Committees. The chair of each committee reports to the Board on the activities of that committee. 

The  Audit  Committee  monitors  the  integrity  of  financial  statements,  oversees  risk  management  and 
control, monitors the effectiveness of internal controls and reviews external auditor independence.  

Paul Boughton is Chairman of the Audit Committee which meets once or twice a year, as appropriate. The 
Committee exists to scrutinise and clarify any qualifications, recommendations and observations within the 
audited accounts and report of the Company’s auditor. When satisfied, the Committee presents the audited 
accounts  and  report  to  the  Company’s  Board  and  reviews  the  effectiveness  of  resultant  corrective  and 
preventative measures. 

In performing this function, the key duties of the Committee are to: 
• 

Monitor the integrity of the financial statements of the Group and any formal announcement relating 
to its financial performance 
With regards to financial reporting, review and challenge the consistency of accounting policies, the 
use  of  accounting  methods  over  alternatives,  whether  the  Group  has  followed  appropriate 
accounting standards, the clarity of disclosure, and all material information relating to the audit and 
risk management 
Reviewing the basis for the going concern statement in light of the financial plans and reasonably 
possible  scenarios  especially  considering  the  potential  continued  impacts  on  the  business  of  the 
coronavirus pandemic 
Monitor  the  adequacy  and  effectiveness  of  the  Group’s  internal  financial  controls,  including  the 
internal control and risk management systems. The Group’s Risk Register is reviewed at least twice 
a year by the main Board. A list of Matters Reserved for the Board was adopted in January 2016 
including ensuring a sound system of internal control and risk management. All systems issues or 
unexpected outcomes are brought to the attention of the Board. 
Ensure  that  the  Group’s  arrangements  for  its  employees  and  contractors  to  confidentially  raise 
concerns  about  possible  wrongdoing  allow  proportionate  and  independent  investigation  and 
appropriate follow up action 
Consider the need to implement an internal audit function 
Make recommendations to the Board and the Company’s shareholders regarding the appointment, 
re-appointment, and removal of the Company’s external auditor. It ensures that at least once every 
ten years the audit services contract is put out to tender to enable the Committee to compare the 
quality and effectiveness of the services provided by the incumbent auditor 
Oversee the Company’s relationship with the external auditor 
Considering  if  the  Annual  Report  and  Accounts,  when  taken  as  a  whole,  is  fair,  balanced  and 
understandable.  

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 
• 

• 
• 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

32 

Maintain  governance  structures  and  processes  that  are  fit  for  purpose  and 

9 
support good decision-making by the Board (continued) 

The Remuneration Committee sets and reviews the compensation of Executive Directors including the 
setting of targets and performance frameworks for cash and share-based awards.  

David Warwick chairs the Remuneration Committee. It acts to ensure sound Corporate Governance with 
respect  to  Director  and  senior  management  remuneration  and  meets  once  or  twice  in  the  year,  as 
appropriate.  The  Committee  functions  with  the  objective  of  attracting,  retaining  and  motivating  the 
executive management of the Company and ensuring they are rewarded in a fair and responsible manner 
for their contribution to the success of the Group. 

The role of the Committee is to determine and agree with the Board the framework or broad policy for the 
remuneration  of  the  Company’s  Chairman  and  Executive  Directors,  including  pension  rights  and 
compensation  payments. It also recommends  and monitors the level and structure of remuneration for 
senior management. When setting the remuneration policy, the Committee reviews and considers the pay 
and employment conditions across the Group, especially when determining salary increases. 

The Nominations Committee 
The Nominations Committee is chaired by Paul Boughton. The Committee reviews the structure, size and 
composition of  the Board to ensure  the leadership of the Group is the most proficient to facilitate the 
Group’s  ability  to  effectively  compete  in  the  marketplace.  It  makes  recommendations  to  the  Board 
regarding the continued suitability of any Director, the re-election by shareholders of any Director under 
the ‘retirement by rotation’ provisions in the Company’s Articles of Association, and succession planning 
for Directors and other Senior Executives.  

Daniel Mendis, currently Chief Operating and Financial Officer, is expected to take up a new role of Group 
Commercial and Operations Director. This role will focus specifically on development of the fleet business 
and will include responsibility for all sales channels worldwide. This change is in line with Daniel Mendis's 
personal plans for career development. The Company has therefore appointed a Group Financial Director 
(non-plc-Board), Emily Rees, who is expected to join the business in April and will initially report to Daniel 
Mendis. Subject to satisfactory progress, Board approval and regulatory due diligence by the Company's  

Nominated Adviser, Emily Rees will shortly thereafter be promoted to Chief Financial Officer and join the 
board of Quartix Holdings plc as an Executive Director, replacing Daniel Mendis on the Board, who will 
then take up his new role 

If  necessary,  the  Committee  will  identify  and  nominate  candidates  they  believe  suitable  to  fill  Board 
vacancies. 

The  Chairman  has  overall  responsibility  for  corporate  governance  and  in  promoting  high  standards 
throughout the Group. He leads and chairs the Board, ensuring that committees are properly structured 
and  operate with  appropriate  terms  of  reference,  ensures  that  performance  of  individual  Directors,  the 
Board and its committees are reviewed on a regular basis, leads in the development of strategy and setting 
objectives, and oversees communication between the Group and its shareholders. 

The  CEO  provides  coherent  leadership  and  management  of  the  Group  and  leads  the  development  of 
objectives, strategies and performance standards as agreed by the Board. He also monitors, reviews and 
manages key risks and strategies with the Board, ensures that the assets of the Group are maintained and 
safeguarded, leads on investor relations activities to ensure communications and the Group’s standing with 
shareholders and financial institutions is maintained, and ensures that the Board is aware of the views and 
opinions of employees on relevant matters. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

33 

Maintain  governance  structures  and  processes  that  are  fit  for  purpose  and 

9 
support good decision-making by the Board (continued) 

The Executive  Directors are responsible for implementing and delivering the strategy and operational 
decisions  agreed  by  the  Board,  making  operational  and  financial  decisions  required  in  the  day-to-day 
operation of the Group, providing executive leadership to managers, championing the Group’s core values 
and promoting talent management.  

The Independent Non-Executive Directors contribute independent thinking and judgement through 
the application of their external experience and knowledge, scrutinise the performance of management, 
provide constructive challenge to the Executive Directors and ensure that the Group is operating within 
the governance and risk framework approved by the Board. 

The Company Secretary is responsible for providing clear and timely information flow to the Board and 
its committees and supports the Board on matters of corporate governance and risk. 

The key matters reserved for the Board are: 

  Setting long-term objectives and commercial strategy. 
  Approving annual budgets. 
  Changing the share capital or corporate structure of the Group. 
  Approving half-year and full-year results and reports. 
  Approving dividend policy and the declaration of dividends. 
  Ensuring a satisfactory dialogue with shareholders 
  Approving major investments, disposals, capital projects or contracts. 
  Approving resolutions to be put to general meetings of shareholders and the associated documents 

or circulars. 

  Approving changes to the Board structure. 

The Board has approved the adoption of the QCA Code as its governance framework against which this 
statement has been prepared and will monitor the suitability of this code on an annual basis and revise its 
governance framework as appropriate as the Group evolves. 

The Board will continue to monitor its governance structures as the Group grows and will take action as 
appropriate to develop and enhance its governance functions. 

Communicate how the Company is governed and is performing by maintaining a 

10 
dialogue with shareholders and other relevant stakeholders 

In addition to the investor relations activities described previously, the following audit, remuneration and 
nominations committee reports were provided during 2020: 

Audit Committee Report 
During 2020, the Audit Committee continued to focus on the effectiveness of the controls throughout the 
Group. The Audit Committee is chaired by Paul Boughton. The committee met formally once, and had 
other discussions (including with the auditors) as required, and the external auditor and COFO were invited 
to attend the formal meeting.  

Consideration was given to the auditor’s pre- and post-audit reports and these provide opportunities to 
review the accounting policies, internal control and the financial information contained in the annual report. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

34 

Communicate how the Company is governed and is performing by maintaining a 

10 
dialogue with shareholders and other relevant stakeholders (continued) 

Remuneration Committee Report  
The remit of the Remuneration Committee is to determine the framework, policy and level of remuneration, 
and to make recommendations to the Board on the remuneration of Executive Directors. In addition, the 
committee  oversees  the  creation  and  implementation  of  all-employee  share  plans.  The  Remuneration 
Committee consists of Paul Boughton and David Warwick. The committee met once. 

In  setting  remuneration  packages  the  committee  ensured  that  individual  compensation  levels,  and  total 
board compensation, were comparable with those of other AIM-listed companies. 

During  2020  the  Remuneration  Committee  granted  options  over  ordinary  shares  in  the  Company  to 
employees of the Company and cash settled share options to an Executive Director. 

In granting these options, the Remuneration Committee’s objective was to attract, motivate and retain key 
staff over the long term, designed to incentivise delivery of the Company's growth objectives. 

Nomination Committee Report 
The remit of the Nomination committee is to evaluate potential Board appointments against the skills and 
experience which the Board requires.  It meets as required for this purpose.  

The Nomination committee is chaired by Paul Boughton and also includes David Warwick and Andrew 
Walters. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

35 

Directors’ Remuneration Report  

During the year ended 31 December 2020 the Remuneration Committee consisted of both Non-Executive 
Directors and the CEO and was chaired by David Warwick.  

The  Committee  functions  with  the  objective  of  attracting,  retaining  and  motivating  the  executive 
management of the Company and ensuring they are rewarded in a fair and responsible manner for their 
contribution to the success of the Group. 

Remuneration of Executive Directors 
In 2020, the Directors’ remuneration packages comprised of a salary and the opportunity to enrol in the 
Governments’ auto-enrolment pension scheme. See below for a breakdown of the Directors’ remuneration 
packages during the year. 

Directors’ detailed emoluments and compensation (audited) 

Executive  
Directors 

Andrew Walters 
Daniel Mendis1 
Laura Seffino2 

Non-
Executive 
Directors 

Paul Boughton  

David Warwick 

Salary 
65,302 
102,305 
99,463 
267,071 

52,500 

42,000 
94,500 

Bonus 
- 
(3,881) 
- 
(3,881) 

2020 (£) 
Pension 
- 
3,075 
3,041 
6,116 

Total 
65,302 
101,499 
102,505 
269,306 

2019 (£) 
Total 
91,080 
122,207 
21,249 
234,536 

- 

- 
- 

- 

- 
- 

52,500 

50,000 

42,000 
94,500 

40,000 
90,000 

1 Highest paid Director in 2020. Bonus credit due to release of prior year provision. 
2 Appointed on 22 October 2019 

Directors share options 

Equity-settled 

Cash-settled 

Daniel Mendis 
Laura Seffino 

Daniel Mendis 
Laura Seffino 

2020 
Number 
280,000 
92,592 

2019 
Number 
280,000 
92,592 

170,000 
68,000 

170,000 
- 

No options were exercised by the Directors in the year, therefore no gain/loss on exercised options. See 
below for details for the new awards issued in the year to Directors and note 23 for further details on 
share options.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

36 

Non-Executive Directors 

A Non-Executive Director is typically expected to serve two three-year terms but may be invited by the 
Board  to  serve  for  an  additional  period.  The  current  non-executive  directors  have  entered  into  service 
contracts for a third three year term as this was considered to be in the best interest of the Company. Any 
term renewal is subject to Board review and AGM re-election.  

Paul Boughton  
David Warwick 

Chairman 

Directors and their interests in shares 

Year ended 31 December 

Executive Directors 

Andrew Walters 
Daniel Mendis 
Laura Seffino 

Non-Executive Directors 

Paul Boughton 
David Warwick 

Directors and employees share options 

Date of contract  Unexpired period 
at date of report 
28 months 
28 months 

1 May 2020 
1 May 2020 

Ordinary shares £0.01 each 

2020 
17,855,986 
- 
- 
17,855,986 

53,889 
73,333 
17,983,208 

2019 
17,855,986 
- 
- 
17,855,986 

53,889 
73,333 
17,983,208 

During the period under review the Remuneration Committee granted options over ordinary shares in the 
company to employees of the company. In granting these options, the Remuneration Committee’s objective 
was  to  attract,  motivate  and  retain  key  staff over the  long  term,  designed  to  incentivise  delivery  of  the 
company’s growth objectives. 

The  Remuneration  Committee  agreed  to  an  award  of  cash  settled  share  options  to  Laura  Seffino,  an 
incentive  programme  linked  to  the  share  price,  with  the  aim  to  reward  and  promote  the  creation  of 
sustainable  growth  in  shareholder  value  by  allowing  Laura  to  exercise  some  or  all of  her  existing  share 
options  without  any  cash  outlay  on  her  part.  The  scheme  allows  Laura  to  draw  cash  to  the  value  of  a 
maximum of 100,000 options by 6 April 2025 equal to the gain in the share price above £3.20. The net cash 
value  after  tax  must  be  used  to  exercise  Laura’s  existing  share  options,  and  the  resulting  shares  must 
subsequently  be  held  for  a  minimum  of  12  months.  These  new  options  are  exercisable  in  four  annual 
tranches, the first of which will follow the AGM due to be held in March 2021 and is subject to share price 
targets on the market, with a minimum required to exercise of £3.20. 

David Warwick 
Chairman, Remuneration Committee 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

37 

Directors' Report 
The Directors present their annual report and the financial statements of the Company for the year ended 
31 December 2020. 

Principal activity 
The principal activity of the Group during the year was the design, development, marketing and delivery of 
vehicle telematics services. The Group has an overseas branch in France and an overseas subsidiary in the 
USA. The Parent Company is incorporated and domiciled in the UK. The registered office is 9 Dukes 
Court, 54~62 Newmarket Rd, Cambridge CB5 8DZ. 

Research and development 
Please see the Strategic Report on page 11 for further information about the Group’s approach to research 
and development. 

Future developments 
The Company’s intentions regarding investment and business development can be found under Strategic 
priorities on page 11. 

Proposed dividend 
In the year ending 31 December 2020, the Board decided to pay an interim dividend of 2.5p (2019: 2.40p) 
and a supplementary interim dividend of 0.87p (2019: nil) per ordinary share. This totalled £1.6m and was 
paid on 11 September 2020 to shareholders on the register as at 14 August 2020.  

The Board is recommending a final dividend of 2.4p per share, together with a supplementary dividend of 
15.3p per share, giving a final payment of 17.7p per share, amounting to approximately £8.6m in aggregate 
and giving a total dividend for the year equivalent to 21.07p per share. If this is approved at the forthcoming 
AGM on 23 March 2021, the final dividend will be paid on 30 April 2021 to shareholders on the register 
as at 1 April 2021. 

Major interest in shares 

On 26 February 2021, the Company had been notified that six parties had holdings of 3% or more in the 
ordinary share capital  of  the  Company. The number of ordinary shares  and  the percentage of  the total 
shares held by each party is outlined below. 

Andrew Walters2 
Conbrio Fund Partners Ltd 
Liontrust Investment Partners LLP 
Andrew Kirk 
BlackRock, Inc. 
William Hibbert 
Charles Stanley & Co. Ltd Rock (Nominees) Ltd 
Kenneth Giles 

Number of £0.01 shares1 
10,661,609 
8,620,428 
5,337,602 
4,009,853 
2,741,669 
2,663,000 
2,427,045 
1,871,800 

% of total 
22.2 
18.0 
11.2 
8.4 
5.7 
5.6 
5.1 
3.9 

1 Based on the most recent available data to the Company 
2 Includes shares held as family interests or by virtue of position as beneficiary or potential beneficiary of certain trusts 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

38 

Directors 
The Non-Executive Directors who held office during the year are listed below: 

  Paul Boughton (Chairman) 
  David Warwick 

The Executive Directors who held office during the year are listed below: 

  Andrew Walters 
  Daniel Mendis  
  Laura Seffino 

All Executive Directors have service agreements with the Company terminable by either party upon the 
minimum notice period being met. The minimum notice period is 12 months for Andrew Walters, 6 months 
for Daniel Mendis and 6 months for Laure Seffino.  

The Company’s Articles of Association require all Directors to stand for re-election each year at the AGM. 
The next AGM will take place on 23 March 2021. 

Going concern  
The  consequences  of  the  coronavirus  pandemic  have  materially  and  adversely  disrupted  the  global 
economic  situation.  The  Company  is  taking  appropriate  action  to  monitor,  address  and  mitigate  the 
uncertainties  and  increased  risks  facing  the  Company  as  a  result  and  have  taken  these  additional 
uncertainties into account in assessing the going concern position.  

The Board takes all reasonable steps to review and consider any factors that may affect the ability of the 
Group to continue as a going concern. 

The  Group’s  forecasts  and  projections,  taking  account  of  reasonably  possible  changes  in  trading 
performance, show that the Group is able to generate sufficient liquidity. The Group enjoys a strong income 
stream from its fleet subscription base while current liabilities include a substantial provision for deferred 
revenue which is a non-cash item. 

In addition to the base case scenario, the Board reviewed two further scenarios as part of its going concern 
assessment. The first scenario took an assumption that the national lockdown, as a result of the coronavirus 
pandemic, would have a significantly detrimental impact to the Group’s trading performance for the first 
quarter of 2021, whilst the second scenario considered the impact of a more severe turn of events which 
would  continue  throughout  2021.  Neither  scenario  was  considered  likely,  but  was  included  in  the 
assessment. 

After assessing the forecasts and liquidity of the business, including the two going concern scenarios, for 
the next two calendar years and the longer term strategic plans, the Directors have a reasonable expectation 
that the Group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The 
Group therefore continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing consolidated financial statements. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

39 

Directors' responsibilities statements 
The Directors are responsible for preparing the Strategic Report, Remuneration Report, Directors’ Report 
and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. 

Company Law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law 
the Directors have elected to prepare the consolidated financial statements in accordance with International 
accounting standards in conformity with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (IFRSs) and have 
elected to prepare the Parent Company financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally 
Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable laws including FRS 
101 Reduced Disclosure Framework). Under Company Law the Directors must not approve the financial 
statements unless they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs and profit or loss of the Company and 
Group for that period.  

In preparing these financial statements, the Directors are required to: 

  Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently 
  Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent 
  State whether applicable IFRSs have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed 

and explained in the consolidated financial statements 

  Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume 

that the Group will continue in business 

  State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material 

departures disclosed and explained in the Company financial statements 

The  Directors  are  responsible  for  keeping  adequate  accounting records  that  are  sufficient  to show and 
explain the Group’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of 
the Group and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. 
They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Group and hence for taking reasonable steps 
for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. 

The Directors confirm that:   
• 

• 

so far as each Director is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company’s auditor 
is unaware; and 
the Directors have taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as directors in  order to make 
themselves  aware  of any  relevant  audit  information and  to establish  that  the  company’s  auditor  is 
aware of that information. 

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information 
included  on  the  company’s  website.  Legislation  in  the  United  Kingdom  governing  the  preparation  and 
dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.  

Financial risk management policies and objectives 
The Group manages its key financial risks as follows. Principal risks and uncertainties are considered in 
the strategic report on page 15-16. 

Credit risk 
The principal credit risk relates to trade receivables and is mitigated, where possible, by third party credit 
clearance for new customers and collection by direct debit, or similar. The Group seeks to manage credit 
risk associated with cash deposits by using banks with high credit ratings assigned by international credit 
rating agencies.   

Currency risk 
This is managed by seeking to match currency inflows and outflows. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

40 

Directors' and officers' liability insurance 
The Company maintains insurance cover for the Directors and key personnel against liabilities which may 
be incurred by them while carrying out their duties. 

Post balance sheet events 
In January 2021 Quartix Limited gave notice on its lease at Dukes Court, Cambridge and this results in a 
reduction in the lease liability and right of use asset of £135k as at 31 January 2021; for further details see 
note 33. 

Auditors 
The Directors have individually pursued all steps that they ought to have taken in their roles as Directors 
to ensure they are aware of any relevant audit information and that such information has been relayed to 
the Company’s auditors. The Directors each confirm that there is no relevant information of which the 
Company’s Auditors are unaware. 

The Auditor, Grant Thornton UK LLP, will be proposed for reappointment in accordance with section 
485 of the Companies Act 2006. 

Approved by the Board of Directors and signed on behalf of the Board on 28 February 2021. 

Andrew Walters 
Chief Executive Officer 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

41 

Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Quartix 
Holdings plc 

Opinion 

Our opinion on the financial statements is unmodified 
We  have  audited  the  financial  statements  of  Quartix  Holdings  plc  (the  ‘Parent  Company’)  and  its 
subsidiaries  (the  ‘Group’)  for  the  year  ended  31  December  2020,  which  comprise  the  Consolidated 
Statement  of  Comprehensive  Income,  the  Consolidated  Statement  of  Financial  Position,  the 
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity, the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, the Parent 
Company Statement of Financial Position, the Parent Company Statement of Changes in Equity and 
notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial 
reporting  framework  that  has  been  applied  in  the  preparation  of  the  Group  financial  statements  is 
applicable  law  and  International  accounting  standards  in  conformity  with  the  requirements  of  the 
Companies  Act  2006  (IFRSs).  The  financial  reporting  framework  that  has  been  applied  in  the 
preparation  of  the  Parent  Company  financial  statements  is  applicable  law  and  United  Kingdom 
Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 101 ‘Reduced Disclosures Framework’ 
(United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). 

In our opinion: 
 

the  financial  statements  give  a  true  and  fair  view  of  the  state  of  the  Group’s  and  of  the  Parent 
Company’s affairs as at 31 December 2020 and of the Group’s profit for the year then ended; 
the  Group  financial  statements  have  been  properly  prepared  in  accordance  with  International 
accounting standards in conformity with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006; 
the Parent Company financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with United 
Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and 
the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies 
Act 2006. 

 

 

 

Basis for opinion 
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and 
applicable  law.  Our  responsibilities  under  those  standards  are  further  described  in  the  ‘Auditor’s 
responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements’ section of our report. We are independent of the 
Group and the Parent Company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit 
of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard as applied to listed entities, and 
we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that 
the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. 

Conclusions relating to going concern 
We are responsible for concluding on the appropriateness of the Directors’ use of the going concern basis 
of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to 
events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Group’s and the Parent Company’s ability to 
continue  as a  going concern. If  we conclude  that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw 
attention  in  our  report  to  the  related  disclosures  in  the  financial  statements  or,  if  such  disclosures  are 
inadequate, to modify the auditor’s opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up 
to  the  date  of  our  report.  However,  future  events  or  conditions  may  cause  the  Group  or  the  Parent 
Company to cease to continue as a going concern. 

Our evaluation of the Directors’ assessment of the Group’s and the Parent Company’s ability to continue 
to adopt the going concern basis of accounting included discussions with management of their assessment 
of the Group’s ability to continue as going concern, assessing the reasonableness of projected cashflow and 
working capital assumptions and critically evaluating the revenue and cost projections underlying the  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

42 

cashflow model. A description of our evaluation of management’s assessment of the ability to continue to 
adopt the going concern basis of accounting, and the key observations arising with respect to that evaluation 
is included in the Key Audit Matters section of our report. 

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events 
or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Group’s and the Parent 
Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the 
financial statements are authorised for issue. 

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Directors’ use of the going concern basis 
of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.  

The responsibilities of the Directors with respect to going concern are described in the ‘Responsibilities of 
Directors for the financial statements’ section of this report. 

Our approach to the audit 

Overview of our audit approach 
Overall materiality:  

Group:  £363,000  which  represents  5%  of  the  Group’s  pre-
audit  profit before  taxation, adjusted for  a  one off  provision 
relating  to  sunsetting  of  the  3G  mobile  network  in  the  US 
amounting to £1.6m. 

Parent company: £242,000, which represents 1% of the Parent 
Company’s total assets. 

Materiality

Key audit 
matters

Scoping

Key audit matters were identified as:  
  Revenue recognition:  Same as previous year;  
  Deferred revenue: Same as previous year; and 
  Going concern: New this year  

Our  auditor’s  report  for  the  year  ended  31  December  2019 
included 2 key audit matters that have  also been reported as 
key audit matters in our current year’s report. Going concern 
is included as a new key audit matter in the current year due to 
a requirement to report more robustly any uncertainties and to 
explain the effect  of current  restrictions on the business and 
the sensitivities of different short term scenarios.  

We  performed  an  audit  of  the  financial  information  of  the 
component  using  component  materiality  (full  scope  audit 
procedures) on the financial information of Quartix Holdings 
plc and of Quartix Limited. We performed the audit of one or 
more classes  of  transactions, account  balances or disclosures 
relating  to  significant  risks  of  material  misstatement  of  the 
Group  financial  statements  (specific  audit  procedures)  on 
Quartix Inc.  Based on this scope, we obtained 100% coverage 
on  revenue,  100%  coverage  on  profit  before  tax  and  96% 
coverage on total assets. There were no changes in scope from 
the prior year. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

43 

Key audit matters 
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our 
of  most 
professional 
judgement,  were 
significance 
the  financial 
in  our  audit  of 
statements of the current period and include the 
most  significant  assessed  risks  of  material 
misstatement (whether or not due to fraud) that 
we identified. These matters included those that 
had  the  greatest  effect  on:  the  overall  audit 
strategy; the allocation of resources in the audit; 
and directing the efforts of the engagement team. 
These matters were addressed in the context of 
our audit of the financial statements as a whole, 
and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do 
not provide a separate opinion on these matters.  

Description

Audit response

KAM

Disclosures

Key observations/Our 
results

In the graph below, we have presented the key audit matters, significant risks and other risks relevant 
to the audit. 

High

Potential 
financial 
statement 
impact

Revenue

Going 
concern 

Goodwill 

Trade receivables 

Deferred 
revenue 

Trade creditors 
and accruals 

Sunsetting of 
3G provision 

IFRS 16 leases 

Cash-settled 
share-based 
payments 

Low

Low

Inventories 

Transfer pricing 

Extent of management judgement

High 

Key audit matter 

Significant risk  

Other risk 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

44 

Key Audit Matter – Group  

Revenue recognition 

We identified revenue recognition as one of 
the  most  significant  assessed  risks  of 
material misstatement due to fraud. 

The  Group’s  principal  revenue  stream 
relates to the provision of telematics vehicle 
tracking services, including data services, to 
  The  Group’s  activities  of 
customers. 
supplying  telematics  units  and  providing 
telematics  services  are  considered  to  be  a 
single  performance  obligation  which 
is 
satisfied over a period of time.  The Group 
also  performs  support  services.  These  are 
considered  to  be  a  separate  performance 
obligation  for  which  a  separate  charge  and 
invoice is raised. The Group has two types 
of  customers,  Fleet  and  Insurance  and 
revenue  is  recognised  over  the  period  that 
services are provided.   

of 

£25,835,000 

Revenue 
(2019: 
£25,621,000)  was  recorded  in  the  period. 
Fleet  customers  account  for  85%  (2019: 
81%) of revenue and Insurance 15% (2019: 
19%) of revenue. 

Given  the  nature  of  the  Group’s  revenue 
being a relatively high volume of low value 
transactions  we  identified  that  the  risk  of 
fraud  in  revenue  recognition  was  in  the 
occurrence  assertion,  for  example  through 
the posting of a fraudulent journal.  

How the matter was addressed in 
the audit – Group  

In responding to the key audit matter, we 
performed the following audit procedures: 

  We  tested  the  two  types  of  customers 
separately 
i.e.  Fleet  and  Insurance 
revenue by performing a combination of 
data  analytics  and  substantive  testing 
was  performed  on  each  class  of 
customers revenue;  

  Assessed  selected  revenue  trial  balance 
codes to identify if any of them included 
journals meeting our fraud risk criteria. 
From  this  audit  procedure  we  did  not 
identify  any  journals  that  would  be 
indicative of fraud;  

  Performing  data  analytics  to  identify 
transactions  that  do  not  follow  the 
expected  revenue  relationships.  All 
transactions  identified  were  tested  by 
agreeing  them  to  the  corroborative 
evidence 
revenue  had 
occurred; and 

to  ensure 

  Assessing whether revenue recorded in 
the  period  was  consistent  with  the 
Group’s accounting policy and whether 
that was compliant with IFRS 15. 

Fleet customer revenue 
  For a sample of sales invoices raised for 
telematics  services,  we  confirmed  that 
the  telematics  service  was  provided  to 
the customer by tracing a tracking unit 
to the live vehicle tracking system, thus 
evidencing occurrence of revenue. The 
same selected invoices were also traced 
to  contracts  with  respective  customers 
and subsequent cash receipts; 

  For  a  sample  of  support  services 
revenue transactions, we inspected third 
party  supplier  invoices  evidencing  that 
the  service  was  provided 
the 
customer. 

to 

  We tested credit notes raised post year-
end  to  determine  if  they  related  to 
revenue  recognised  pre  year  end.  This 
ensured  revenue  recognised  during  the 
year  was  not 
subsequently  being 
reversed. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

45 

Key Audit Matter – Group  

How the matter was addressed in 
the audit – Group  
Insurance customer revenue 
  We performed a substantive analytic on 
insurance  revenue  by  multiplying  the 
number  of  units  by  contract  price  to 
give  an  expected  sales  value  which  we 
compared  to  actual  sales.  We  verified 
the  inputs  to  our  calculation  including 
obtaining 
third  party  confirmations 
directly  from  insurance  customers  to 
confirm the number of units installed. 

Relevant  disclosures  in  the  Annual 
Report and Accounts  
The Group's  accounting policy on revenue 
recognition  is  set  out  in  note  1  to  the 
financial  statements  and  related  disclosures 
are included in notes 3 and 4. 

Our results 
Based on our audit work, we did not identify 
any  material  misstatement  in  the  revenue 
recognised in the year to 31 December 2020. 
We consider the Group's disclosure to be in 
accordance with IFRS 15. 

Deferred revenue 
We identified deferred revenue as one of the 
most  significant  assessed  risks  of  material 
misstatement due to fraud. 

In  responding  to  the  key  audit  matter,  we 
performed  the  following  audit  procedures 
for both types of customers:   

The  Group  raises  invoices  in  advance  and 
classifies  deferred  revenue  as  contract 
liabilities. For the year ended 31 December 
2020,  the  balance  amounts  to  £3,650,000 
(2019 : £4,843,000).   

Under  IFRS  15,  the  Group’s  activities  of 
supplying  telematics  units  and  providing 
telematics  services  are  considered  to  be  a 
single  performance  obligation  which 
is 
satisfied over a period of time. The deferred 
revenue  balance  is  driven  by  the  contract 
terms  and  number  of  units,  and  as  a 
significant balance presents a risk of material 
misstatement. 

Fleet deferred revenue 
  For  a  sample  of  sales  invoices,  we 
recalculated  the  appropriate  portion  of 
revenue 
the 
contractual billing terms agreed with the 
customer  and  compared  this  to  the 
actual amount deferred. 

to  defer  based  on 

  Deferred income is adjusted for rent-free 
periods, spreading  the  income  over  the 
contract.  For  a  sample  of  items  we 
checked 
to 
customer  contracts,  or  communication 
with 
non-
the 
then  performed  a 
contractual.  We 
recalculation of the adjustment. 

rent-free  periods 

customer  when 

the 

Insurance deferred revenue 
  As  insurance  revenue  is  deferred  over 
the  length  of  the  insurance  policies  (a 
year), we have recalculated the deferred 
revenue  balance  in  aggregate  based  on 
audited  monthly  sales  figures  for  the 
year. 

Relevant  disclosures  in  the  Annual 
Report and Accounts  
The Group's accounting policy on deferred 
revenue is set out in note 1 to the financial 
statements  and  related  disclosures  are 
included in note 19. 

Our results  
Based on our audit work, we did not identify 
any  material  misstatement  in  the  deferred 
revenue  as  at  31  December  2020.  We 
consider  the  Group's  disclosure  to  be  in 
accordance with IFRS 15. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

46 

Key Audit Matter – Group  

Going concern basis of accounting 
We  identified  a  key  audit  matter  related  to 
going concern as one of the most significant 
assessed risks of material misstatement due 
to  fraud  and  error  as  a  result  of  the 
judgement  required  to  conclude  whether 
there  is  a  material  uncertainty  related  to 
going concern.  

The  Group’s  ability  to  continue  as  a  going 
concern has been subject to increased audit 
scrutiny in line with the anticipated financial 
impact  of  COVID-19  and Brexit  and  their 
potential impact on the markets as a whole 
and  the  Group  specifically.  The  Directors 
have  considered  the  impact  of  COVID-19 
and Brexit and have sensitised their forecasts 
accordingly.  

As  the  full  economic  effect  on  the  Group 
and  the  overall  economic  environment  are 
still uncertain, there is a significant level of 
judgement  involved  in  anticipating  results. 
Due to the high level of judgement involved 
in these assessments there exists a risk, that 
inappropriate assumptions might be utilised 
in  the  determination  of  the  Group’s  ability 
to continue as a going concern. 

Relevant  disclosures  in  the  Annual 
Report and Accounts  
The  financial  statements  explain  in  note  1 
how the Directors have formed a judgement 
that  it  is  appropriate  to  adopt  the  going 
concern basis of preparation for the Group 
financial statements. 

concern 

assumptions 

How the matter was addressed in 
the audit – Group  
In  responding  to  the  key  audit  matter,  we 
performed the following audit procedures: 
  Tested  management’s  assessment  of 
and 
going 
supporting 
including 
information, 
budgets  and  cash  flow  forecasts  to 
the 
historic  projections 
reliability of their forecasting methods;  
  Critically evaluated the revenue and cost 
projections  underlying  the  model  with 
reference  to  market  information,  past 
performance of the Group, as well as any 
known post balance sheet events; 

to  assess 

  Tested management’s assessment of the 
impact of COVID-19 and Brexit on the 
cash-flow  projections  as  well  as  the 
assumptions and sensitivities relating to 
this; and 

  We assessed  the appropriateness of the 
Directors’  statement  in  note  1  of  the 
financial  statements  as  to  whether  it 
discloses  all  the  relevant  events  and 
assumptions  made  to  adopt  the  going 
in 
concern  basis  of 
preparation of the financial statements.  

accounting 

not 

identified 

Our results 
Based on the work we have performed, we 
have 
any  material 
uncertainties relating to events or conditions 
that,  individually  or  collectively,  may  cast 
significant  doubt  on  the  Group’s  and  the 
Parent  Company’s  ability  to  continue  as  a 
going concern for a period of at least twelve 
months from when the financial statements 
are authorised for issue. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

47 

Our application of materiality 
We apply the concept of materiality both in planning and performing the audit, and in evaluating the effect 
of  identified  misstatements  on  the  audit  and  of  uncorrected  misstatements,  if  any,  on  the  financial 
statements and in forming the opinion in the auditor’s report. 

Materiality was determined as follows: 

Materiality 
measure 
Materiality for 
financial 
statements as a 
whole 

Group  

Parent Company 

We define materiality as the magnitude of misstatement in the financial 
statements  that,  individually  or  in  the  aggregate,  could  reasonably  be 
expected  to  influence  the  economic  decisions  of  the  users  of  these 
financial statements. We use materiality in determining the nature, timing 
and extent of our audit work. 

Materiality threshold   £363,000,  which  represents  5%  of 
the Group’s pre-audit profit before 
taxation,  adjusted  for  a  one  off 
provision relating to the sunsetting 
of the 3G mobile network in the US 
amounting to £1.6m. 

£242,000,  which  is  1%  of  the 
Parent Company’s total assets.  

Significant 
judgements  made  by 
auditor in determining 
the materiality 

In determining materiality, we made 
the 
significant 
judgements:  

following 

In  determining  materiality,  we 
made  the  following  significant 
judgement:  

  Profit 

the 

before 

taxation 

is 
considered 
most 
appropriate benchmark because 
the  Group  is  a  commercially 
focused organisation and profit 
before taxation is a key financial 
measure  for  the  Directors  and 
the shareholders; and  

  Total assets is considered the 
most  appropriate  benchmark 
because  the  entity  is  a  non-
trading holding company.  

tax 

amount 

  We  have  adjusted  the  profit 
before 
by 
eliminating the impact of a non-
recurring  3G  sunset  provision 
amounting  to  £1.6m  as  this 
provision  is  one  off  in  nature 
and  does  not 
the 
commercial performance of the 
business.  

reflect 

Materiality  for  the  current  year  is 
higher  than  the 
level  that  we 
determined  for  the  year  ended  31 
December  2019 
the 
increase  in  the  Group’s  adjusted 
profit before taxation. 

to  reflect 

Materiality for the current year is 
higher  than  the  level  that  we 
determined for the year ended 31 
December  2019  reflecting  the 
increase  in  the  company’s  total 
assets. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

48 

Materiality 
measure 
Significant  revision 
of 
materiality 
threshold  that  was 
made  as  the  audit 
progressed 

Performance 
materiality  used 
to drive the extent 
of our testing 

Performance 
materiality threshold 
Significant  judgments 
made  by  auditor  in 
determining 
the 
performance 
materiality 
Significant  revision 
of 
performance 
materiality 
threshold  that  was 
made  as  the  audit 
progressed 

Specific 
materiality  

Specific  materiality 
threshold 
Communication of 
misstatements to 
the audit 
committee 
Threshold 
communication 

for 

Group  

Parent Company 

We calculated materiality during the 
planning stage of the audit and then 
during  the  course  of  our  audit,  we 
re-assessed  initial  materiality  based 
on actual results for the year ended 
31 December 2020 and adjusted our 
audit procedures accordingly. 

We  calculated  materiality  during 
the planning stage of the audit and 
then  during  the  course  of  our 
audit,  we 
initial 
materiality based on actual results 
for the  year  ended 31 December 
2020  and  adjusted  our  audit 
procedures accordingly. 

re-assessed 

We set performance materiality at an amount less than materiality for the 
financial statements as a whole to reduce to an appropriately low level 
the  probability  that  the  aggregate  of  uncorrected  and  undetected 
misstatements exceeds materiality for the financial statements as a whole. 

£272,250 which is 75% of financial 
statement materiality. 
We selected 75% because of a low 
history of errors and a good control 
environment. 

is  75%  of 

£181,500  which 
financial statement materiality. 
We selected 75% because of a low 
history  of  errors  and  a  good 
control environment. 

calculated 

calculated 

We 
performance 
materiality  during  the  planning 
stage of the audit and then during 
the  course  of  our  audit,  we  re-
assessed  initial  materiality  based 
on actual results and adjusted our 
audit procedures accordingly. 

We 
performance 
materiality during the planning stage 
of  the  audit  and  then  during  the 
course of our audit, we re-assessed 
initial  materiality  based  on  actual 
results  and  adjusted  our  audit 
procedures accordingly. 
We determine specific materiality for one or more particular classes of 
transactions, account balances or disclosures for which misstatements of 
lesser amounts than materiality for the financial statements as a whole 
could  reasonably  be  expected  to  influence  the  economic  decisions  of 
users taken on the basis of the financial statements. 

No specific materialities have been determined. 
No specific materialities have been 
determined. 
We  determine  a  threshold  for  reporting  unadjusted  differences  to  the 
audit committee. 

No  specific  materialities  have 
been determined. 

£18,200  and  misstatements  below 
that  threshold  that,  in  our  view, 
warrant  reporting  on  qualitative 
grounds. 

£12,100 and misstatements below 
that  threshold  that,  in  our  view, 
warrant  reporting  on  qualitative 
grounds. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

49 

The graph below illustrates how performance materiality interacts with our overall materiality and the 
tolerance for potential uncorrected misstatements. 

Overall materiality – Group 

Overall materiality – Parent Company 

Adjusted 
profit before 
tax
£7,264,000

PM 
£272,250,  
75%

FSM
£363,000, 
5%

Total Assets
£22,901,000

PM 
£181,500,  
75%

FSM
£242,000, 
1%

TFPUM 
£90,750, 25%

TFPUM 
£60,500, 25%

FSM: Financial statements materiality, PM: Performance materiality, TFPUM: Tolerance for potential uncorrected misstatements 

An overview of the scope of our audit 
We performed a risk-based audit that requires an understanding of the Group’s and the Parent 
Company’s business and in particular matters related to: 

Understanding the Group, its components, and their environments, including Group-wide controls 

 

 

the  engagement  team  obtained  an  understanding  of  the  Group  and  its  environment,  including 
Group-wide controls, and assessed the risks of material misstatement at the Group level; 
the effect of the Group organisational structure on the scope of the audit. The Group financial 
reporting system is centralised and UK based. All audit work is undertaken by the Cambridge based 
Group audit team. 

Identifying significant components 

  we considered the size and risk profile of each entity, any changes in the business and other factors 
when determining the level of work to be performed on the financial information of each entity. 
The significance of each component was determined as a percentage of the Group’s total assets, 
revenues and profit before taxation.    

Type of work to be  performed on financial information of parent and  other components (including 
how it addressed the key audit matters) 

 

 

full scope audit procedures were completed for the main trading subsidiary, Quartix Limited, which 
provides services to customers based in the UK, France, Republic of Ireland and other European 
territories.    Full  scope  audit  procedures  were  performed  for  the  parent,  Quartix  Holdings  plc, 
which is a non-trading holding company. The audit of one or more classes of transactions, account 
balances or disclosures relating to significant risks of material misstatement of the Group financial 
statements were performed on Quartix Inc which provides services to US based customers; and 
as the Group audit team, based in Cambridge performed all audit work, a consistent audit approach 
to key audit matters was followed. The audit procedures and our findings relating to component 
audits are detailed in key audit matters section above.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

50 

Performance of our audit 

 

 

 

In performing our audit procedures on components stated above, we have 100% coverage over 
Group  revenue  and  100%  coverage  over  the  deferred  revenue  balance.  The  going  concern 
assumption was tested on a Group wide basis; 
the total percentage coverage of full scope procedures over the Group’s total assets was 96% and 
profit before tax was 100%; and 
In  performing  our  audit  we  have  performed  an  evaluation  of  the  Group’s  internal  control 
environment including its IT systems and controls. We have not tested the operating effectiveness 
of the Group’s IT systems and internal controls as our reliance is mainly from substantive audit 
procedures. 

Communications with component auditors 

  As the finance function is centralised and UK based, all audit work is undertaken by the Cambridge 

based Group audit team. 

Changes in approach from previous period 
There have been no changes in our assessment of scoping the Group audit from prior year. 

Other information 
The Directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information 
included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our 
opinion  on  the  financial  statements  does  not  cover  the  other  information  and,  except  to  the  extent 
otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.  

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information 
and,  in  doing  so,  consider  whether  the  other  information  is  materially  inconsistent  with  the  financial 
statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we 
identify  such  material  inconsistencies  or  apparent material  misstatements,  we  are  required  to determine 
whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other 
information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement 
of this other information, we are required to report that fact.  

We have nothing to report in this regard. 

Our opinion on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006 is unmodified 
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit: 
 

the information given in the Strategic Report and the Directors’ Report for the financial year for 
which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and 
the Strategic Report and the Directors’ Report have been prepared in accordance with applicable 
legal requirements. 

 

Matters on which we are required to report under the Companies Act 2006 
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Group and the Parent Company and its environment 
obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Strategic Report 
or the Directors’ Report.  

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

51 

Matters on which we are required to report by exception 
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 
requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: 
 

adequate accounting records have not been kept by the Parent Company, or returns adequate for our 
audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or 
the Parent Company financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; 
or 

 

  certain disclosures of Directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or 
  we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit. 

Responsibilities of Directors for the financial statements 
As explained more fully in the Directors’ responsibilities statements, the Directors are responsible for the 
preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for 
such  internal  control  as  the  Directors  determine  is  necessary  to  enable  the  preparation  of  financial 
statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. 

In preparing the financial statements, the Directors are responsible for assessing the Group’s and the Parent 
Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern 
and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Directors either intend to liquidate the Group 
or the Parent Company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so. 

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements 
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are 
free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes 
our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted 
in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can 
arise  from  fraud  or  error  and  are  considered  material  if,  individually  or  in  the  aggregate,  they  could 
reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial 
statements. 

A  further  description  of  our  responsibilities  for  the  audit  of  the  financial  statements  is  located  on  the 
Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms 
part of our auditor’s report. 

Explanation as to what extent the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including 
fraud 

Irregularities,  including  fraud,  are  instances  of  non-compliance  with  laws  and  regulations.  We  design 
procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of 
irregularities, including fraud. Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk 
that  material  misstatements  in  the  financial  statements  may  not  be  detected,  even  though  the  audit  is 
properly planned and performed in accordance with the ISAs (UK).  

The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:  

  We  obtained  an  understanding  of the  legal and  regulatory  frameworks  applicable  to  the  Parent 
Company and the Group and industry in which they operate. We determined that the following 
laws  and  regulations  were  most  significant:  IFRS,  Companies  Act  2006,  AIM  Rules,  QCA 
Corporate  governance  code  and  the  relevant  tax  compliance  regulations  in  the  jurisdictions  in 
which the Group operates. In addition, we concluded that there are certain significant laws and 
regulations that may have an effect on the determination of the amounts and disclosures in the 
financial statements and those laws and regulations relating to employee matters; 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

52 

  The Group provides vehicle telematics services with a strategy to grow its subscription base to 

have annualised recurring revenue streams and operates mainly in UK, USA and Europe. We 
obtained an understanding of the effectiveness of the Group’s control environment to identify 
and prevent any irregularities and fraud. From our understanding of Group’s overall control 
environment and policies to monitor these controls, it appears that the controls are designed 
appropriately to identify these irregularities; 

  We reviewed all the Group’s press releases and performed a search of any related information in 

 

the public domain; 
In addition, we completed audit procedures to conclude on the compliance of disclosures in the 
annual report and financial statements with applicable financial reporting requirements. 

  We communicated relevant laws and regulations and potential fraud risks to all engagement team 
members  and  remained  alert  to  any  indications  of  fraud  or  non-compliance  with  laws  and 
regulations throughout the audit. 

  These audit procedures were designed to provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements 
were free from fraud or error. However, detecting irregularities that result from fraud is inherently 
more difficult than detecting those that result from error, as those irregularities that result from 
fraud may involve collusion, deliberate concealment, forgery or intentional misrepresentations.  
It is the audit partner’s assessment that the audit team collectively had the appropriate competence 
and capabilities to identify or recognise non-compliance with laws and regulations. 

 

Use of our report 
This report is made solely to the company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 
of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company’s 
members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. 
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the 
company and the company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we 
have formed. 

Andrew Hodgekins 
Senior Statutory Auditor 
for and on behalf of Grant Thornton UK LLP 
Statutory Auditor, Chartered Accountants 
Cambridge 
28 February 2021 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

53 

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income 

Year ended 31 December 

Revenue 
Cost of sales 

Gross profit 

Administrative expenses 

Operating profit 

Finance income receivable 
Finance costs payable 

Profit for the year before taxation 

Tax expense 

Profit for the year 

Other Comprehensive income: 
Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit 
or loss: 
Exchange difference on translating foreign 
operations 
Other comprehensive income for the year, net 
of tax 

Total comprehensive income attributable to the 
equity shareholders of Quartix Holdings plc 

Earnings per ordinary share (pence) 
Basic 
Diluted 

Notes 

3,4 

8 
9 

5 

10 

11 

2020 
Before 
Provision 
£’000 

2020 
Provision 
(note 18) 
£’000 

2020 

 2019 

Total 
£’000 

   Total 
£’000 

25,835 
(7,178) 

- 
(1,610) 

25,835 
(8,788) 

25,621 
(8,995) 

18,657 

(1,610) 

17,047 

16,626 

(11,367) 

- 

(11,367) 

(10,188) 

7,290 

(1,610) 

5,680 

6,438 

19 
(40) 

- 
- 

19 
(40) 

34 
(21) 

7,269 

(1,610) 

5,659 

6,451 

(931) 

- 

(931) 

(1,041) 

6,338 

(1,610) 

4,728 

5,410 

99 
99 

- 
- 

99 
99 

93 
93 

6,437 

(1,610) 

4,827 

5,503 

- 
- 

- 
- 

9.86 
9.82 

11.29 
11.25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

54 

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position 
Company registration number: 06395159 

31 December 
2020 
£'000 

31 December 
2019 
£'000 

Notes 

Assets 
Non-current assets 
Goodwill 
Property, plant and equipment 
Deferred tax assets 
Contract cost assets 
Total non-current assets 

Current assets 
Inventories 
Trade and other receivables 
Cash and cash equivalents 
Total current assets 

Total assets 
Current liabilities 
Trade and other payables 
Provisions 
Contract liabilities 
Current tax liabilities 

Non-current liabilities 
Lease liabilities 

Total liabilities 

Net assets 

Equity 
Called up share capital 
Share premium account 
Equity reserve 
Capital redemption reserve 
Translation reserve 
Retained earnings 
Total equity attributable to equity shareholders of 
Quartix Holdings plc 

12 
13 
21 
15 

14 
15 
16 

17 
18 
19 

20 

22 
22 

14,029 
1,278 
135 
297 
15,739 

694 
3,811 
10,570 
15,075 

14,029 
845 
2 
304 
15,180 

877 
3,907 
6,789 
11,573 

30,814 

26,753 

2,823 
1,785 
3,650 
301 
8,559 

822 
822 

3,064 
247 
4,843 
377 
8,531 

241 
241 

9,381 

8,772 

21,433 

17,981 

479 
5,252 
792 
4,663 
(69) 
10,316 

479 
5,230 
616 
4,663 
(168) 
7,161 

21,433 

17,981 

Approved by the Board of Directors, authorised for issue and signed on behalf of the Board on 28 February 
2021. 

Andrew Walters 
Chief Executive Officer 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

55 

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity 

Share 
premium 
account 
£,000 

Capital 
redemption 
reserve 
£’000 

Share 
capital 
£’000 

478 
1 

5,196 
34 

4,663 
- 

- 

- 

- 
- 

1 

- 
- 

- 

- 

- 

- 
- 

34 

- 
- 

- 

- 

- 

- 
- 

- 

- 
- 

- 

479 
- 

5,230 
22 

4,663 
- 

- 

- 

- 
- 

- 

- 
- 

- 

- 

- 

- 
- 

22 

- 
- 

- 

- 

- 

- 
- 

- 

- 
- 

- 

Equity 
reserve 
£’000 

Translation 
reserve 
£’000 

Retained 
earnings 

Total 
equity 
£’000  £’000 

390 
- 

249 

(58) 

35 
- 

226 

- 
- 

- 

616 
- 

189 

(43) 

30 
- 

176 

- 
- 

- 

(261) 
- 

7,637 
- 

18,103 
35 

- 

- 

- 
- 

- 

- 

249 

58 

- 

- 

35 
(5,944)  (5,944) 

(5,886)  (5,625) 

93 
- 

- 
5,410 

93 
5,410 

93 

5,410 

5,503 

(168) 
- 

7,161 
- 

17,981 
22 

- 

- 

- 
- 

- 

- 

189 

43 

- 

- 

30 
(1,616)  (1,616) 

(1,573)  (1,375) 

99 
- 

- 
4,728 

99 
4,728 

99 

4,728 

4,827 

479 

5,252 

4,663 

792 

(69) 

10,316  21,433 

Balance at 31 
December 2018 
Shares issued 
Increase in equity 
reserve in relation to 
options issued 
Adjustment for 
exercised options 
Deferred tax on share 
Options 
Dividend paid 
Transactions with 
owners 
Foreign currency 
translation differences 
Profit for the year 
Total 
comprehensive 
income 
Balance at 31 
December 2019 
Shares issued 
Increase in equity 
reserve in relation to 
options issued 
Adjustment for 
exercised options   
Deferred tax on share 
Options 
Dividend paid 
Transactions with 
owners 
Foreign currency 
translation differences 
(note 28) 
Profit for the year 
Total 
comprehensive 
income 
Balance at 31 
December 2020 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

56 

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows 

Cash generated from operations 
Taxes paid 
Cash flow from operating activities 

Investing activities 
Additions to property, plant and equipment 
Interest received 
Cash flow used in investing activities 

Cash flow from operating activities 
 after investing activities (free cash flow) 

Financing activities 
Repayment of lease liabilities 
Proceeds from share issues 
Dividend paid 
Cash flow used in financing activities 

Net changes in cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year 
Exchange differences on cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year 

Notes 

24 

8 

25 

16 

2020 
£'000 

6,698 
(1,106) 
5,592 

(72) 
14 
(58) 

 2019 
£'000 

7,263 
(880) 
6,383 

(194) 
34 
(160) 

5,534 

6,223 

(185) 
22 
(1,616) 
(1,779) 

3,755 
6,789 
26 
10,570 

(257) 
35 
(5,944) 
(6,166) 

57 
6,779 
(47) 
6,789 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

57 

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements 

1 

Summary of significant accounting policies 

Basis of accounting 
These  financial  statements  are  consolidated  financial  statements  for  the  Group  consisting  of  Quartix 
Holdings  plc,  a  company  registered  in  the  UK,  and  all  its  subsidiaries.  These  consolidated  financial 
statements are for the year ended 31 December 2020 and are prepared in Sterling and are rounded to the 
nearest thousand pounds (£’000). They have been prepared in accordance with International accounting 
standards in conformity with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘IFRS’) and in accordance with 
those parts of the Companies Act 2006 that are relevant to companies which report under IFRS.  

These financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. 

There were several amendments to existing Standards and interpretation published by the IASB, effective 
for accounting periods commencing 1 January 2020, but none of these amendments were considered to be 
relevant to these financial statements.  New Standards, Amendments and Interpretations not adopted in 
the current year have not been disclosed as they are not expected to have a material impact on the Group’s 
financial statements.    

Basis of consolidation 
The financial statements of subsidiaries are included in the consolidated financial statements from the date 
that control commences until the date that control ceases. Control is achieved where the Company has 
the  power  over  an  investee  entity,  exposure  or  rights  to  variable returns  from  the  involvement  in  the 
investee and the ability to use its power over the investee to affect the amount of the investors returns.  
The results of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during the year are included in the consolidated income 
statement from the effective date of acquisition or up to the effective date of disposal, as appropriate. 
Intra-group balances and any unrealised gains and losses or income and expenses arising from intra-group 
transactions  are  eliminated  in  preparing  the  consolidated  financial  statements.  A  list  of  subsidiaries  is 
included note 31. 

Going concern 
The consequences of the coronavirus pandemic have materially and adversely disrupted the global 
economic situation. The Company is taking appropriate action to monitor, address and mitigate the 
uncertainties and increased risks facing the Company as a result and have taken these additional 
uncertainties into account in assessing the going concern position.  

The Board takes all reasonable steps to review and consider any factors that may affect the ability of the 
Group to continue as a going concern. The Group’s forecasts and projections, taking account of 
reasonably possible changes in trading performance, show that the Group is able to generate sufficient 
liquidity. The Group enjoys a strong income stream from its fleet subscription base while current 
liabilities include a substantial provision for deferred revenue which is a non-cash item. 

In addition to the base case scenario, the Board reviewed two further scenarios as part of its going 
concern assessment. The first scenario took an assumption that the national lockdown, as a result of the 
coronavirus pandemic, would have a significantly detrimental impact to the Group’s trading performance 
for the first quarter of 2021, whilst the second scenario considered the impact of a more severe turn of 
events which would continue throughout 2021. Neither scenario was considered likely, but was included 
in the assessment. 

After assessing the forecasts and liquidity of the business, including the two going concern scenarios, for 
the next two calendar years and the longer term strategic plans, the Directors have a reasonable expectation 
that the Group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The 
Group therefore continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing consolidated financial statements. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

58 

1 

Summary of significant accounting policies (continued) 

Revenue recognition 
Revenue is the amount receivable for goods and services, excluding sales taxes, rebates, and trade discounts.  

Revenue comprises the provision of telematics-based fleet and vehicle management solutions. Revenue is 
recognised either at a point in time or over time, when (or as) the Group satisfies performance obligations 
by transferring the promised goods or services to its customers. 

Under  IFRS  15,  the  Group  must  evaluate  the separability  of  the  promised  goods  or  services  based  on 
whether they are ‘distinct’. A promised good or service is ‘distinct’ if both: 

 

 

the  customer  benefits  from  the  item  either  on  its  own  or  together  with  other  readily  available 
resources; and 
it  is  ‘separately’  identifiable  (i.e.  the  Group  does  not  provide  a  significant  service  integrating, 
modifying or customising it). 

For the adoption of IFRS 15 the Group completed a detailed assessment of its sources of revenue and, 
assessed whether the components of hardware, installation and set-up of units and data services are distinct 
under the definitions of IFRS 15. The tracker hardware can’t be utilised by a competitor and neither can it 
be sourced from an alternative supplier.  The tracking services can’t be delivered until a unit is successfully 
installed and set up.   

The Group concluded that the Group’s activities of supplying telematics units and installing telematics units 
are not distinct and are activities the Group undertakes to provide its telematics services and are supplied 
as part of a contract with the customer.  This means that the Group considers these goods and services as 
one single performance obligation.  Consequently, the Group does not recognise revenue separately for 
these goods and services; rather, it recognises this revenue together as the provision of vehicle telematics 
services.  

The Group recognises contract liabilities for consideration received in respect of unsatisfied performance 
obligations and reports these amounts as contract liabilities in the statement of financial position (see note 
19). 

If the Group satisfies a performance obligation before it received the consideration, the Group recognises 
a receivable in its statement of financial position. 

In relation to costs, the hard-wired unit and associated installation costs are recognised when the Group 
relinquishes  control  of  the  unit  since,  once  installed,  the  unit  relates  to  both  unsatisfied  performance 
obligations and to satisfied performance obligations (or partially satisfied performance obligations).  The 
Group outsources the installation of hard-wired units to its large base of skilled engineers.  In the case of 
‘self-install’ units, which customers are able to physically install into their vehicles themselves, the Group’s 
judgement  is  that  it  still  has  obligations  in  relation  to  the  technical  set-up  of  these  units  (including 
connectivity); however, the Group will keep this judgement under review.  

In  line  with  IFRS  15  ‘Revenue  from  Contracts  with  Customers’,  the  commissions  incurred  in  winning 
customer contracts are capitalised and are amortised through profit and loss, over the period it is expected 
that  the  revenue  will  be  realised  from  that  customer.  These  are  described  as  contract  cost  assets  and 
disclosed in note 15 with trade and other receivables.   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

59 

1 

Summary of significant accounting policies (continued) 

Revenue recognition (continued) 
Insurance telematic services 
For insurance telematic services, the customer commits to purchase data services for 12 months. Quartix 
raises a single invoice upon installation of the unit, payable in the following month, with revenue recognised 
over the 12 month period on a straight line basis, since the customer benefits from the Group’s services 
evenly throughout the contract term and receives the benefit of the services as they are made available. The 
contract price, which is subject to periodic review, is set for each insurance customer, depending on the 
level of services provided.  

If the driver’s policy is extended, then Quartix will raise further charges, these are invoiced either as a one-
off annual fee or as monthly fees, depending upon the contractual arrangements, which are payable within 
30 days. 

Fleet telematic services 
Fleet customers enter into contracts typically with a commitment to purchase data services for 12 months.  
The price is fixed for the contract term.  Generally, invoices are raised quarterly in advance, with payment 
due within 30 days. Quartix satisfies its performance obligations over time as services are rendered. 

If promotional offers include any free months, then total revenue is allocated on a straight line basis over 
the  whole  period  (including  the  free  period)  of  data  services  in  accordance  with  the  performance 
obligations, since the customer benefits from the Group’s services evenly throughout the contract term and 
receives the benefit of the services as they are made available. 

Support Services 
Quartix  performs  additional  services,  such  as  removing,  upgrading  or  transferring  units  to  alternative 
vehicles,  and  theft  tracking.    These  are  considered  to  be  separate  performance  obligations  for  which  a 
separate charge and invoice is raised.  Revenue is recognised once the additional service obligation has been 
delivered to the customer, at a point in time.  

Segmental reporting 
The Directors have included segmental financial information for its insurance and fleet operations. These 
two segments have been identified as they are managed separately, with different marketing approaches 
for the discrete market sectors and for which the Group has difference strategies.  Their reported revenue 
each meet the quantitative thresholds of IFRS 8.  

The Group has aggregated fleet operations for all geographical markets. However, to increase transparency, 
the Group has decided to include an additional voluntary disclosure, separating the fleet segment into two 
sub-categories in order to highlight the different costs structures within the business: 

  Customer acquisition, for new customer contracts; and  
  Fleet telematics services for recurring revenue and repeat contracts with existing customers. 

There are no inter segment transfers between the insurance and fleet segments. The Group uses the same 
measurement  policies  as those  used  in  its  financial  statements,  except for  certain  items  not  included  in 
determining  the  segmental  profit  of  the  operating  segments,  since  these  relate  to  both  the  fleet  and 
insurance segments. These include Central overhead costs such as Director salaries, development, audit and 
legal  fees,  property  costs  and  infrastructure  costs.    Detailed  segmental  information,  including  a 
reconciliation to the financial statements, are included in note 4. 

The Group’s chief operating decision maker has been provided with only consolidated information on the 
Group’s financial position as it is not possible to provide segmentation of total assets or total liabilities.  
With  the  exception  of  insurance  trade  receivables  and  contract  obligations,  where  the  customer  base  is 
clearly identifiable, it is not possible to segregate the other assets or liabilities. For example, tangible assets 
for IT servers and cash can’t be allocated since they are shared between the segments. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

60 

1 

Summary of significant accounting policies (continued) 

Intangible assets 
Goodwill arising on consolidation represents the excess of the consideration transferred and the amount 
of any non-controlling interest in the acquiree over the fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities 
(including intangible assets) of the acquired entity at the date of the acquisition. Goodwill is recognised as 
an asset and assessed for impairment annually or as triggering events occur. The goodwill arose in 2008 
from the acquisition of Quartix Limited, the main trading entity in the Group, which at the time only had 
commercial fleet operations, therefore the entirety of the goodwill has been allocated to the fleet segment 
for the impairment review.  Any impairment is recognised immediately in profit or loss. 

Property, plant and equipment 
Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost, net of depreciation and any provision for impairment. 

Depreciation 
Depreciation  is charged  so as  to  write  off the cost of assets  over their  estimated useful lives, using the 
straight-line method, on the following bases: 

  Leasehold properties  
  Tools and equipment 
  Office equipment 
  Motor Vehicles 

The life of the lease 
25% straight line 
25% straight line 
The life of the lease  

Research and development 
Expenditure on research activities is recognised as an expense in the period in which it is incurred. Costs 
that  are  directly  attributable  to  a  projects  development  phase  are  recognised  as  internally  generated 
intangible assets, provided they meet all of the following recognition requirements:  

  The development costs can be measured reliably 
  The project is technically and commercially feasibly  
  The Group intends to and has sufficient resources to complete the project 
  The Group has the ability to use or sell the software/hardware  
  The software/hardware will generate probable future economic benefits. 

Development costs not meeting these criteria for capitalisation are expensed as incurred.  

Directly attributable  costs include employee costs  incurred on research and development along with an 
appropriate portion of relevant costs. Where no internally generated intangible asset can be recognised, 
development expenditure is recognised as an expense in the period in which it is incurred. 

Impairment testing of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment 
An  impairment  loss  is  recognised  for  the  amount  by  which  the  asset’s  carrying  amount  exceeds  its 
recoverable amount, which is the higher of fair value less costs of disposal and value-in-use. To determine 
the value-in-use, management estimates expected future cash flows and determines a suitable discount rate 
in order to calculate the present value of those cash flows. The data used for impairment testing procedures 
are directly linked to the Group’s latest approved budget. Discount factors are determined individually for 
each cash-generating unit and reflect management’s assessment of respective risk profiles, such as market 
and asset-specific risks factors.  The cash-generating unit used for the impairment test of goodwill is the 
fleet segment as explained in the Intangible Assets policy above. Goodwill is assessed for impairment at 
least annually (assessed at each reporting date).   

Property, plant and equipment are tested for impairment if events or changes in circumstances (assessed at 
each reporting date) indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

61 

1 

Summary of significant accounting policies (continued) 

Impairment testing of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment (continued) 
If a cash-generating unit is impaired, provision is made to reduce the carrying amount of the related assets 
to  their  estimated  recoverable  amount,  charged  to profit  &  loss.  Impairment  losses  are  allocated  firstly 
against goodwill, and secondly on a pro rata basis against intangible and other assets. 

Leases 
For any new lease contract entered into, the Group considers whether a contract is, or contains a lease. A 
lease is defined as ‘a contract, or part of a contract, that conveys the right to use an asset (the underlying 
asset) for a period of time in exchange for consideration’.  

At lease commencement date, the Group recognises a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the 
balance sheet. The right-of-use asset is measured at cost, which is made up of the initial measurement of 
the lease liability, any initial direct costs incurred by the Group, an estimate of any costs to dismantle and 
remove the asset, or restore a property at the end of the lease, and any lease payments made in advance of 
the lease commencement date (net of any incentives received). 

The Group depreciates the right-of-use assets on a straight-line basis from the lease commencement date 
to the earlier of the end of the useful life of the right-of-use asset or the end of the lease term. The Group 
also assesses the right-of-use asset for impairment when such indicators exist.  

At the commencement date, the Group measures the lease liability at the present value of the lease payments 
unpaid at that date, discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease if that rate is readily available or 
the Group’s incremental borrowing rate. 

Lease payments included in the measurement of the lease liability are made up of fixed payments (including 
in substance fixed), variable payments based on an index or rate, amounts expected to be payable under a 
residual value guarantee and payments arising from options reasonably certain to be exercised.  

Subsequent  to  initial  measurement,  the  liability  will  be  reduced  for  payments  made  and  increased  for 
interest. It will also be remeasured to reflect any reassessment or modification, or if there are changes in 
the in-substance fixed payments. 

When the lease liability is remeasured, the corresponding adjustment is reflected in the right-of-use asset, 
or profit and loss if the right-of-use asset is already reduced to zero. 

The Group has elected to account for short-term leases and leases of low-value assets using the practical 
expedients. Instead of recognising a right-of-use asset and lease liability, the payments in relation to these 
are recognised as an expense in profit or loss on a straight-line basis over the lease term. 

Inventories 
Components held for manufacture of vehicle tracking units and units not yet deployed to customers are 
classified as inventory. Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value less provision for 
obsolete, slow moving or defective items. Cost is based on the cost of purchase on a first in first out basis. 
Provision against inventories is recognised as an expense in the period in which the write-down or loss 
occurs. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

62 

1 

Summary of significant accounting policies (continued) 

Taxation 
Current tax is provided at amounts expected to be paid (or recovered) using the tax rates and laws that have 
been enacted or substantively enacted at the Statement of Financial Position date. 

Deferred income taxes are calculated using the liability method on temporary differences. Deferred tax is 
generally provided on the difference between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax 
bases.  However,  deferred  tax  is  not  provided  on  the  initial  recognition  of  goodwill,  nor  on  the  initial 
recognition of an asset or liability unless the related transaction is a business combination or affects tax or 
accounting profit. Tax losses available to be carried forward as well as other income tax credits to the Group 
are assessed for recognition as deferred tax assets and are recognised to the extent that it is regarded as 
more likely than not that they will be recovered from future trading profits. 

Deferred  tax  liabilities  are  provided  in  full,  with  no  discounting.  Current  and  deferred  tax  assets  and 
liabilities  are  calculated  at  tax  rates  that  are  expected  to  apply  to  their  respective  period  of  realisation, 
provided they are enacted or substantively enacted at the Statement of Financial Position date. 

Changes in deferred tax assets or liabilities are recognised as a component of tax expense in profit or loss, 
other comprehensive income or equity as appropriate. 

Cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and demand deposits, together with other short-term, 
highly liquid investments that are readily convertible into known amounts of cash and which are subject to 
an insignificant risk of changes in value. 

Financial assets 
The Group has reviewed its business model for its financial assets, which comprise only basic loans and 
receivables, and concluded that they are held for collecting contractual associated cash flows. Under IFRS 
9 loans and receivables, are initially recognised at fair value and will subsequently be measured at amortised 
cost.  

The Group makes use of a simplified approach in accounting for trade and other receivables and record 
the loss allowance as lifetime expected credits. These are the expected shortfalls in contractual cashflows, 
considering the potential for default at any point during the life of the financial instrument. In calculating, 
the Group uses its historical experience, external indicators and forward-looking information to calculate 
the expected credit losses using a provision matrix.  

The Group assess impairment of trade receivables on a collective basis as they possess shared credit risk 
characteristics they have been grouped based on days past due. Refer to note 16 for an analysis of how the 
impairment requirements of IFRS 9 are applied.   

The Group will recognise in profit or loss, as an impairment gain or loss, the amount of expected credit 
losses (or reversal) that is required to adjust the loss allowance at the reporting date to the amount that is 
required to be recognised in accordance with IFRS 9. 

Financial liabilities 
Financial liabilities are obligations to pay cash or other financial assets and are recognised when the Group 
becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument. 

Financial liabilities are recorded initially at fair value and subsequently at amortised cost using the effective 
interest method, with interest-related charges recognised as an expense in finance cost in the profit and 
loss. 

A financial liability is derecognised when the obligation is extinguished. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

63 

1 

Summary of significant accounting policies (continued) 

Provisions, contingent assets and contingent liabilities 
Provisions for product warranties and replacement of units are recognised when the Group has a present 
legal  or  constructive  obligation  as  a  result  of  a  past  event,  it  is  probably  that  an  outflow  of  economic 
resources will be required from the Group and amounts can be estimated reliably. The timing or amount 
of the outflow might be uncertain.  

In line with IAS 37, provisions are measured at the estimated expenditure required to settle the present 
obligation, based on the most reliable evidence available at the reporting date.  

Equity 
Equity comprises the following: 

 
 

"Called Up Share capital" represents the nominal value of equity shares 
"Share  premium  account"  represents  the  excess  over  nominal  value  of  the  fair  value  of 
consideration received for equity shares, net of expenses of the share issue 

  “Capital redemption reserve” represents the amount by which the Company's issued share capital 
is diminished when shares are redeemed or purchased wholly out of the Company's profits  
  “Equity reserve” is used to reflect the expenses associated with granting share options to employees 

and the issue of warrants 

  “Translation reserve” represents the exchange difference arising on the consolidation of foreign 

operations. 
"Retained earnings" represents retained profits 

 

Dividends 
Dividends attributable to the equity holders of the Company approved for payment during the year are 
recognised directly in equity. 

Foreign currencies 
The  Parent  Company's  functional  currency  is  Sterling;  the  French  branch’s  is  Euros,  with  its  results 
translated for inclusion in Quartix Limited’s Sterling accounts. Quartix Inc has a functional currency of US 
Dollars. 

The consolidated financial statements are presented in Sterling, which is the Group’s presentation currency. 
Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into the respective currencies of Group companies at the 
exchange rate ruling at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities in foreign currencies are 
translated at the rates of exchange ruling at the Statement of Financial Position date. Foreign exchange 
differences  arising  on  translation  of  monetary  assets  and  liabilities  are  recognised  in  the  Consolidated 
Statement of Comprehensive Income. Non-monetary assets and liabilities that are measured at historical 
costs in a foreign currency are translated using the exchange rates at the dates for the transactions. 

Income  and  expenses  for  all  the  Group  entities that  have  a  functional  currency  other  than  Sterling  are 
translated  at  the  average  rate  prevailing  in  the  month  of  the  transaction.    The  assets  and  liabilities  are 
retranslated at the closing exchange rate at the reporting date. 

On consolidation, exchange differences arising from the translation of the net investment in foreign entities 
are recognised in the translation reserve, as a separate component of equity. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

64 

1 

Summary of significant accounting policies (continued) 

Employee benefits 
The only pension provision is participation in the UK Government’s NEST pension scheme, which is a 
defined contribution scheme. Contributions to defined contribution pension schemes are recognised as an 
employee benefit expense within personnel expenses in the income statement, as incurred. Other employee 
benefits including holiday pay, company sick pay and a range of tailored incentive schemes, some of which 
include the grant of share options, are recognised in the period that related employee services are received. 

Employee benefits: share based payments  
The Group  operates  several employee share schemes for employees of its UK trading subsidiary under 
which it makes equity-settled and cash-settled share-based payments. 

Where  employees  are  rewarded  using  share-based  payments,  the  fair  values  of  employees'  services  are 
determined indirectly by reference to the fair value of the instrument granted to the employee. This fair 
value is assessed at the grant date, for the schemes where there are no market performance conditions using 
the  Black-Scholes  model,  which  excludes  the  impact  of  non-market  vesting  conditions.  Under  a  share 
scheme where there are market performance conditions, the binomial option pricing model has been used 
which includes the impact of market vesting conditions (such as the growth in the share price). 

All equity-settled share-based remuneration is ultimately recognised as an expense in profit or loss with a 
corresponding credit to retained earnings. If vesting periods or other vesting conditions apply, the expense 
is allocated over the vesting period, based on the best available estimate of the number of share options 
expected to vest.  

Estimates are subsequently revised if there is any indication that the number of share options expected to 
vest differs from previous estimates. Any cumulative adjustment prior to vesting is recognised in the current 
period.  No  adjustment  is  made  to  any  expense  recognised  in  prior  periods  if  share  options  ultimately 
exercised are different to that estimated on vesting. 

All cash-settled share-based remuneration is ultimately recognised as an expense in profit or loss with a 
corresponding credit to a share-based payment liability. The fair value is re-measured at each reporting 
date and at the date of settlement, with any changes in fair value recognised in profit or loss for the 
period.  

2 

Key judgements and estimates 
The Group  make  estimates  and  assumptions  regarding  the future.  Actual results may  differ from  these 
estimates. The estimates and assumptions that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to 
the carrying amount of assets and liabilities within the next financial year are addressed below. 

Key judgement: capitalisation of development costs 
The  point  at  which  development  costs  meet  the  criteria  for  capitalisation  is  critically  dependent  on 
management’s judgment of the point at which development projects become technically and commercially 
feasible. No development expenditure was capitalised in the year ended 31 December 2020. The research 
and  development  expenditure  primarily  related  to  the  on-going  research  work  on  the  Group’s  existing 
vehicle telematics services to ensure that the functionality is maintained. The research work undertaken 
may  successfully  come  to  fruition  in  the  development  of  a  marketable  service  or  technology,  but  this 
development  work  cannot  be  identified  or  separated  from  the  research  work  and  therefore  the  entire 
expenditure has been expensed in the year. See the Strategic Report on page 11 for further information 
about the Group’s approach to research and development 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

65 

2 

Key judgements and estimates (continued) 

Key judgement: timing of revenue and cost recognition 
The adoption of IFRS 15, see note 1, required the Group to identify its performance obligations, determine 
the transaction price and allocate this to the performance obligations and to recognise revenue when/as 
performance obligations are satisfied, which are the subject of key judgements.  The Group’s judgement is 
that supplying  telematics  units, installing telematics units and the provision  of data services  are a  single 
performance obligation, under contracts with customers. 

The performance obligation is satisfied over time, since the Group has the obligation to deliver the data 
services for the contract term.  Customers simultaneously receive and consume the benefits of the tracking 
services as Quartix delivers its performance obligation. 

Key judgement: timing of revenue and cost recognition 
Where customer contracts are structured so that tracking units and installations are separately identified, 
the  Group  recognises  this  revenue  as  part  of  the  single  performance  obligation  of  delivering  tracking 
services. 

As described in note 1, it is the Group’s judgement that, once installed, the hard-wired units relate to both 
unsatisfied  performance  obligations  and  to  satisfied  performance  obligations  (or  partially  satisfied 
performance obligations).  In the case of ‘self-install’ units, which customers can physically install into their 
vehicles themselves, the Group’s judgement is that it still has obligations in relation to the technical set-up 
of these units (including connectivity); however, the Group will keep this judgement under review.  

Key judgement: recognition of 3G units replacement provision  
The Group considers the communication to all US customers of the replacement of their units, free of 
charge, in response to the 3G mobile network sunsetting to be sufficient action as a past event, which has 
created a constructive obligation at the year end to incur costs for all US customers that accept the offer of 
the free of charge replacement of their existing 3G unit to an upgraded 4G unit. Management consider this 
to  be  a  constructive  obligation  as  an  expectation  in the  market  has  been  created. This  is  based  on  our 
estimate of the costs, based on our judgement of the take up of the offer of the replacement units to our 
existing customer base. 

3 

Revenue 
The Group’s revenue disaggregated by primary geographical markets is as follows: 

For the period ended 31 December 2020 
United Kingdom 
France 
New European Territories 
United States of America 

For the period ended 31 December 2019 
United Kingdom 
France 
Other European territories 
United States of America 

Fleet  Insurance 
£’000 
£’000 

15,633 
3,826 
202 
2,398 
22,059 

3,776 
- 
- 
- 
3,776 

Fleet 
 £’000 

 Insurance 
£’000 

15,504 
3,236 
53 
2,015 
20,808 

4,813 
- 
- 
- 
4,813 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

66 

3 

Revenue (continued) 
During 2020 revenue of £3.4m (2019: £4.2m) was derived from one insurance customer, as a proportion 
of total revenue this one customer makes up 13.2% of the Group’s revenue (2019: 16.4%). 

There are no material non-current assets based outside the UK. 

The Group’s revenue disaggregated by pattern of revenue recognition is as follows: 

Goods and services transferred over time 
Revenue recognised at a point in time 

2020 
£’000 
24,955 
880 
25,835 

 2019 
£’000 
24,461 
1,160 
25,621 

Goods and services transferred over time represent 96.6% of total revenue (2019: 95.5%). 

For 2020, revenue includes £4.8m (2019: £4.6m) included in the contract liability balance at the beginning 
of the period (see note 19). Changes to the Group’s contract liabilities (i.e. deferred revenue) are 
attributable solely to the satisfaction of performance obligations.  

4 

Segmental analysis 
As highlighted in note 1, Significant accounting policies (Segmental reporting), the Group has identified 
two operating segments (see below) which are now monitored by the Group’s chief operating decision 
maker and strategic decisions are made on the basis of adjusted segment operating results. The main sources 
of revenue for all segments is from the provision of vehicle telematics services. 

The information used by the Group’s chief operating decision maker with regard to the Group’s assets and 
liabilities is presented on a consolidated Group basis and accordingly no segmental analysis is presented for 
these.  

The Group has two reportable segments: Total Fleet and Insurance.  The Total Fleet segment has been 
sub-divided  into  two  further  categories.    This  has  been  done  to  give  clarity  as  to  the  level  of  upfront 
investment the Group is making in acquiring new customers, as well as the associated impact on recurring 
revenue.  The two sub-categories are: 

  Customer Acquisition: This is the sales and marketing cost of acquiring new fleet customers and 
the cost associated with units installed for those customers.  Recurring subscription revenue is not 
recognised in this sub-category, only equipment and installation income attributed to new fleet 
customers.  

  Fleet  Telematics  Services:  This  is  the  recurring  revenue  associated  with  the  Group’s  active 
subscription base and the cost of servicing that subscription base.  The costs in this sub-category 
include  the  cost  of  installing  additional  units  for  existing  customers,  as  well  as  the  associated 
marketing costs.  

These two elements, together with central fleet costs, make up the Total Fleet segment.   

Estimated allocations of cost have been made between the segments and within the Total Fleet segment, 
particularly in relation to equipment and installations.  These allocations have been performed by reviewing 
the products sold to each segment, their associated cost of manufacture or installation and whether those 
products were installed by the customer.  These costs are then applied to each segment as appropriate. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

4 

Segmental analysis (continued) 

Segmental analysis 
Year ended 31 December 
2020 

Customer 
Acquisition 
£’000 

Fleet 
Telematics 

Services  Total Fleet 
£’000 

£’000 

Insurance 
£’000 

Recurring revenue 
Other sales 
Total revenue 
Segmental costs: 
Sales and marketing costs 
Equipment, installation, carriage 
Cost of service 

- 
223 
223 

20,801 
1,035 
21,836 

(5,546) 
(1,592) 
- 

(941) 
**(1,158) 
(2,253) 

20,801 
1,258 
22,059 

(6,487) 
(2,750) 
(2,253) 

- 
3,776 
3,776 

- 
(1,365) 
(290) 

67 

Total 
Business 
£,000 

20,801 
5,034 
25,835 

(6,487) 
(4,115) 
(2,543) 

(Loss)/Profit before central 
fleet costs 

(6,915) 

17,484 

10,569 

2,121 

12,690 

Central fleet costs 

Segmental profit 

Central costs 

Adjusted EBITDA (see note 5) 

(829) 

- 

(829) 

9,740 

2,121 

11,861 

(3,990) 

7,871 

** The figures above do not include the £1.6m provision for replacing the 3G units in the US market. As 
the replacement units relate to existing customers, the total cost would be allocated to the Fleet Telematics 
Services sub-segment costs. 

Reconciliation of the total Segmental costs to the cost of sales on the income statement is as below: 

Total Segmental costs 
Less elements included in administrative expenses: 
Cost of service: employees  
Selling and marketing costs (excluding direct commissions) 
Bad Debts 
Add: 
3G replacement provision not included in Segmental costs 
Cost of sales  

2020 
£’000 
13,145 

(657) 
(4,967) 
(343) 

1,610 
8,788 

 2019 
£’000 
13,583 

(600) 
(3,839) 
(149) 

- 
8,995 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

68 

4 

Segmental analysis (continued) 

Segmental analysis 
Year ended 31 December 
2019 

Recurring revenue 
Other sales 
Total revenue 
Segmental costs: 
Sales and marketing costs 
Equipment, installation, carriage 
Cost of service 

(Loss)/Profit before central 
fleet costs 

Central fleet costs 

Segmental profit 

Central costs 

Adjusted EBITDA (see note 5) 

Customer 
Acquisition 
£’000 
- 
338 
338 

Fleet 
Telematics 
Services 
£’000 
19,297 
1,173 
20,470 

Total 
Fleet 
£’000 
19,297 
1,511 
20,808 

Insurance 
£’000 
- 
4,813 
4,813 

(4,429) 
(1,969) 
- 

(740) 
(1,194) 
(2,039) 

(5,169) 
(3,163) 
(2,039) 

- 
(2,837) 
(375) 

Total 
Business 
£,000 
19,297 
6,324 
25,621 

(5,169) 
(6,000) 
(2,414) 

(6,060) 

16,497 

10,437 

1,601 

12,038 

(747) 

- 

(747) 

9,690 

1,601 

11,291 

(4,229) 

7,062 

Revenue note 3 discloses the geographical analysis by destination and revenue generated from our major 
customer.   

5 

Profit for the year before taxation 
The profit for the year for the Group is stated after charging: 

Research and development expenses 
3G replacement unit provision 
Rentals under short term lease agreements: 
   Other leases 

Land and buildings 

  Depreciation on property, plant and equipment, owned 
  Depreciation on property, plant and equipment, right of use 

Share-based payment expense 
Foreign exchange losses 
Expected credit loss charge  

Audit services: 

Fees paid to Company auditor for the audit of the Company and 
consolidated financial statements 
The audit of the Company’s subsidiary pursuant to legislation 
Other services 

2020 
£’000 
806 
1,610 

6 
76 
175 
182 
224 
21 
120 

31 
33 
3 

 2019 
£’000 
712 
- 

- 
62 
171 
199 
254 
108 
19 

30 
35 
3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

69 

5 

Profit for the year before taxation (continued) 

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA): 

Operating profit 
Depreciation on property, plant and equipment, owned 
Depreciation on property, plant and equipment, right of use 
EBITDA 
Share-based payment expense (incl. cash-settled) 
Provision for replacement of 3G units  
Adjusted EBITDA 

6 

Employee remuneration 
Expenses recognised for employee benefits is analysed below for the Group. 

Staff costs, including Directors, during the year were as follows: 

Wages and salaries 
Social security costs 
Contributions to defined contribution pension plan 
Share-based payment 

2020 
£’000 
5,680 
175 
182 
6,037 
224 
1,610 
7,871 

2020 
£’000 
5,077 
496 
115 
224 
5,912 

The average number of employees, including all Directors, during the year was as follows: 

Administration 
Operations 
Sales 
Customer service 
Research and development 

2020 
21 
26 
65 
22 
24 
158 

 2019 
£’000 
6,438 
171 
199 
6,808 
254 
- 
7,062 

 2019 
£’000 
4,754 
453 
94 
254 
5,555 

2019 
20 
25 
57 
20 
25 
147 

7 

Key management remuneration and Directors’ remuneration 
Key management personnel are those persons having authority and responsibility for planning, directing, 
and controlling the activities of the entity, directly or indirectly, including any Directors (whether Executive 
or otherwise) of the entity. For 2020, the Group identified six such individuals: three Executive Directors, 
two  Non-Executive  Directors,  and one  member  of Senior  Management,  a  Director  on  the  Operations 
Board of Quartix Limited.  In 2019, the Group identified eight such individuals: three Executive Directors, 
two Non-Executive Directors, and three members of Senior Management. 

Wages and salaries 
Social security costs 
Contributions to defined contribution pension plan 
Share-based payment  
Total employee benefits 

2020 
£’000 
451 
56 
9 
87 
603 

2019 
£’000 
639 
81 
10 
100 
830 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

70 

7 

Key management remuneration and Directors’ remuneration (continued) 
Details of Directors’ remuneration and the highest paid Director is disclosed on page 35. 

The Group introduced the NEST pension arrangements in 2015 for all employees.  During 2020, three 
members of the key management personnel team were members of the NEST scheme. No Director was a 
member of any other pension scheme or other post-employment benefit to which the Group contributed 
in either the current or the prior years. 

The following relates to key management, including Directors: 

Share based payment charge: equity options (£’000) 
Share based payment charge: cash options (£’000) 

Equity settled share options  
Cash settled options 
Options exercised 
Shares held 

Included in above relating only to Directors of Quartix Holdings plc are: 

Share based payment charge: equity options (£’000) 
Share based payment charge: cash options (£’000) 

Equity settled share options  
Cash settled options 
Options exercised 
Shares held 

2020 

2019 

52 
35 
87 

97 
5 
102 

465,184 
238,000 
nil 
18,199,642 

465,184 
170,000 
nil 
18,199,642 

2020 

2019 

44 
35 
79 

52 
5 
57 

372,592 
238,000 
nil 
17,983,208 

372,592 
170,000 
nil 
17,983,208 

The only change in key management options, including Directors, during the year was the issue of new cash 
settled options to a Director as outlined on page 35. Key management did not exercise any options. 

8 

Finance income receivable 

Bank interest 

9 

Finance costs payable 

Lease interest expense 

2020 
£’000 
19 

2020 
£’000 
40 

2019 
£’000 
34 

2019 
£’000 
21 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

71 

10 

Tax expense 

Analysis of tax charge in the year 
Current tax 
UK corporation tax charge on profit for the year 
Adjustments in respect of prior periods 
Total corporation tax 

Deferred tax 
Origination and reversal of temporary differences 
Adjustments in respect of prior periods 
Total deferred tax  

Tax on profit of ordinary activities 

2020 
£’000 

1,013 
21 
1,034 

(105) 
2 
(103) 

931 

 2019 
£’000 

1,098 
60 
1,158 

(115) 
(2) 
(117) 

1,041 

The relationship between the expected tax expense based on an effective tax rate of the Group of 19.00% 
(2019: 19.00%), being the UK rate of corporation tax for the year, and the tax expense actually recognised 
in profit or loss can be reconciled as follows: 

Result for the year before taxation 

Tax rate (%) 

Expected tax expense 
Adjustments to tax charge in respect of prior periods* 
Adjustments for tax rate differences in France** 
Expenses not deductible for tax purposes 
Losses in the USA not provided 
Research and development tax credit 
Patent box credit 
Remeasurement of deferred tax 
Tax adjustment on exercise of options 
Tax on profit on ordinary activities 

2020 
£’000 
5,659 

19.00 

1,075 
23 
55 
8 
85 
(155) 
(140) 
5 
(25) 
931 

 2019 
£’000 
6,451 

19.00 

1,226 
58 
- 
9 
70 
(123) 
(205) 
(5) 
11 
1,041 

Effective rate of tax 
*Effective rate of tax ignoring adjustments in respect of prior years’ 
**The French branch, which has utilised its trading losses, is now subject to local tax and there is a 
differential rate between the UK and France.  

16.4% 
16.0% 

16.1% 
15.2% 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

72 

11 

Earnings per share and dividends 

Earnings per share 
The calculation of the basic earnings per share is based on the profits attributable to the shareholders of 
Quartix Holdings plc divided by the weighted average number of shares in issue during the year. All earnings 
per share calculations relate to continuing operations of the Group.   

Profits 
attributable 
to 
shareholders 
£’000 

Weighted 
average 
number of 
shares 

Basic 
profit per 
share 
amount 
in pence 

Fully 
diluted 
weighted 
average 
number of 
shares 

Diluted 
profit per 
share 
amount in 
pence 

4,728  47,953,023 
5,410  47,916,951 

9.86 
11.29 

48,170,860 
48,095,333 

9.82 
11.25 

6,338  47,953,023 

13.22 

48,170,860 

13.16 

Earnings per ordinary share 
Year ended 31 December 2020 
Year ended 31 December 2019 
Adjusted earnings per 
ordinary share 
Year ended 31 December 2020 

For diluted earnings per share, the weighted average number of ordinary shares is adjusted to assume the 
conversion  of  all  dilutive  potential  ordinary  shares.  Dilutive  potential  ordinary  shares  are  those  share 
options where the exercise price is less than the average market price of the Company’s ordinary shares 
during that year. 

Adjusted earnings per ordinary share excludes the exceptional 3G replacement unit provision of £1.6m, in 
order to illustrate the underlying earnings for the year. 

Dividends 
During  the  year  ended  31  December  2020,  the  Group  paid  interim dividends of £1.6m (2019: £1.1m), 
equivalent to 2.50p per share, plus a supplementary dividend of 0.87p, totalling 3.37p per ordinary share 
(2019: 2.40p).  

The Board is recommending dividends of £8.6m (2019: £4.8m) comprising a final ordinary dividend of 
2.4p per share, together with a supplementary dividend of 15.3p per share, giving a final pay out of 17.7p 
per share and a total dividend for the year of 21.07p per share. As the distribution of dividends require 
approval  at  the  Annual  General  Meeting,  no  liability  in  this  respect  is  recognised  in  the  2020  Group 
consolidated financial statements. 

12 

Goodwill  

Cost and net book value 
At 1 January and 31 December 2019 and 2020 

Goodwill on 
consolidation 
£’000 

14,029 

Goodwill arose on the consolidation of the Group following the acquisition of Quartix Limited in 2008.  

Goodwill is recognised as an asset and assessed for impairment annually or where there is indication of 
impairment. Any impairment is recognised immediately in profit or loss (see note 1). 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

73 

12 

Goodwill (continued) 
The Group considers the fleet segment of Quartix Limited to be the sole cash-generating unit (CGU) for 
the assessment of goodwill (see  Intangible Assets policy included in note 1) and as such, it  is reviewed 
annually  for  impairment.  The  Group  has  determined  its  recoverable  amount  based  on  value  in  use 
calculations.  The  value  in  use  was  derived  from  discounted  management  cash  flow  forecasts  for  the 
business, using the budgets and strategic plans based on past performance and expectations for the market 
development of the CGU, incorporating an appropriate business risk. The key assumptions for the value 
in  use  calculations  are those  regarding  the  discount rates,  growth  rates  and  expected  changes  to  selling 
prices and direct costs during the period based on industry sector forecasts. 

These budgets and strategic plans cover a four-year period. The growth rate in years one and two were 
based on detailed management expectations. The growth rate used for the third and fourth year is 2.0% 
which is in line with the long-term GDP forecasts. The discount rate used is 8.68% based on the Group’s 
weighted average cost of capital. Sensitivity analysis is carried out on all budgets, strategic plans and discount 
rates used in the calculations. The estimate of the recoverable amount for the cash generating unit is not 
particularly sensitive to the discount rate. 

Management’s  key  assumptions  are  based  on  past  experience  and  the  current  trading  performance  of 
Quartix  Limited.  These  value  in  use  calculations,  including  sensitivity  analysis,  have  not  identified  any 
requirement  for  impairment  of  the  Goodwill  stated  above.  Management  is  not  aware  of  any  probable 
changes that would necessitate changes in key estimates that indicate any impairment sensitivity. 

13 

Property, plant and equipment 

Cost: 
At 1 January 2019 
Additions 
Disposals 
Foreign exchange 

At 31 December 2019 
Additions 
Disposals 
Foreign exchange 

At 31 December 2020 

Leasehold 
properties 
£’000 

Tools and 
equipment 
£’000 

Office 
equipment 
£’000 

Motor 
vehicles 
£’000 

531 
72 
(60) 
(1) 

542 
808 
(200) 
(2) 

1,148 

12 
- 
(12) 
- 

- 
- 
- 
- 

- 

1,278 
191 
(55) 
(2) 

1,412 
80 
(7) 
(4) 

1,481 

12 
18 
(5) 
- 

25 
19 
(8) 
- 

36 

Total 
£’000 

1,833 
281 
(132) 
(3) 

1,979 
907 
(215) 
(6) 

2,665 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

13 

Property, plant and equipment (continued) 

Depreciation: 
At 1 January 2019 
Provided in the year 
Disposals 
Foreign exchange 

At 31 December 2019 
Provided in the year 
Disposals 
Foreign exchange 

At 31 December 2020 

Net book amount: 
At 31 December 2020 

At 31 December 2019 

At 1 January 2019 

Leasehold 
properties 
£’000 

Tools and 
equipment 
£’000 

Office 
equipment 
£’000 

Motor 
vehicles 
£’000 

13 
194 
(60) 
- 

147 
178 
(89) 
(3) 

233 

915 

395 

518 

12 
- 
(12) 
- 

- 
- 
- 
- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

873 
165 
(55) 
(2) 

981 
170 
(1) 
(4) 

1,146 

335 

431 

405 

- 
11 
(5) 

6 
9 
(8) 
1 

8 

28 

19 

12 

74 

Total 
£’000 

898 
370 
(132) 
(2) 

1,134 
357 
(98) 
(6) 

1,387 

1,278 

845 

935 

14 

Inventories 
Components held for manufacture of vehicle tracking units and units not yet deployed to customers: 

Raw materials 
Work in progress 
Finished goods and goods for resale 

2020 
£’000 
489 
79 
126 
694 

2019 
£’000 
346 
350 
181 
877 

Included in the analysis above are impairment provisions against inventory amounting to £88,000 (2019: 
£194,500). The cost of vehicle tracking units are recognised as an expense and included in “cost of sales” 
amounted to £2.3m (2019: £3.0m). 

15 

Trade and other receivables 

Trade receivables 
Contract cost assets 
Other receivables 
Prepayments and accrued income 

2020 
£’000 
2,620 
896 
5 
290 
3,811 

2019 
£,000 
2,784 
832 
13 
278 
3,907 

All the amounts are due within in year. Trade receivables are measured initially at fair value and subsequently 
at amortised cost.  At each period end, there is an assessment of the expected credit loss in accordance with 
IFRS 9 with any increase or reduction in the credit loss provision charged or released to administration 
costs in the statement of comprehensive income.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

75 

15 

Trade and other receivables (continued) 
The loss allowance for expected credit losses has been recorded as follows. 

Loss allowance at 1 January 
Increase in loss allowance 
Foreign exchange 
Loss allowance at 31 December 

2020 
£’000 
134 
120 
3 
257 

2019 
£’000 
118 
19 
(3) 
134 

As  explained  in  note  29,  the  Group’s  trade  receivables  arise  from  transactions  that  do  not  contain  a 
significant financing component, therefore the loss allowance is always measured at an amount equal to 
lifetime expected credit losses. 

The expected credit loss for trade receivables at 31 December was determined as follows: 

Not more than 1 month 
More than one month but not more than 3 months 
More than 3 months but not more than 6 months 

Contract cost assets are analysed as follows: 

Not more than 12 months 
More than 12 months 

16 

Cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents include the following components: 

Cash at bank and in hand 

2020 
£’000 
258 
28 
- 
286 

2020 
£’000 
896 
297 
1,193 

2019 
£’000 
313 
100 
- 
413 

 2019 
£’000 
832 
304 
1,136 

2020 
£'000 
10,570 

2019 
£’000 
6,789 

Quartix Limited uses Barclay’s Business Premium account to aggregate Sterling instant access balances and 
earn interest, which up until March 2020 was at 0.65% and since then is at 0.01%. Since August 2020, the 
Group has placed deposits in HSBC UK Bank plc money market deposit accounts earning interest ranging 
from 0.01%-0.09%. At 31 December 2020, HSBC deposits were £2.2m. 

17 

Trade and other payables 
Amounts falling due within one year: 

Trade payables 
Social security and other taxes 
Other payables 
Accruals 
Lease liabilities (see note 20) 

2020 
£'000 
1,612 
575 
137 
364 
135 
2,823 

2019 
£’000 
1,750 
619 
85 
454 
156 
3,064 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

76 

18 

Provisions 
All provisions are considered current. The carrying amounts and the movements in the provision account 
are as follows: 

Carrying amount at 1 January 
Additional Provision  
Amount utilised 
Foreign exchange 
Carrying amount at 31 December 

3G Replacement 
£’000 
- 
1,610 
- 
(18) 
1,592 

Other 
£’000 
247 
- 
(54) 
- 
193 

Total 
£’000 
247 
1,610 
(54) 
(18) 
1,785 

The additional provision recognised in the period relates to the estimated cost of replacing active 3G 
units that are with US customers at the year end.  

The majority of the other provision relates to standard or extended warranties for which customers 
are covered for the cost of repairs or replacement units as appropriate. 

19 

Contract liabilities 

Deferred insurance tracking data services income 
Deferred fleet tracking data services income 

2020 
£'000 
932 
2,718 
3,650 

2019 
£’000 
2,108 
2,735 
4,843 

Deferred  tracking  data  services  income  represents  customer  payments  received  in  advance  of 
performance  (contract  liabilities)  that  are  expected  to  be  recognised  as  revenue  in  future  years,  as 
described in note 1 

  Under insurance contracts, the customer commits to purchase data services for 12 months. 
Quartix raises a single invoice upon installation and recognises revenue over 12 months on a 
straight-line basis, since the customer benefits from the Group’s services evenly throughout the 
contract term and receives the benefit of the services as they are made available. 

  Fleet customers enter into contracts typically with a commitment to purchase data services for 
12-36 months and are generally invoiced quarterly in advance and recognises revenue over the 
period covered by the invoice, as the performance obligations are satisfied. 

The amounts recognised as a contract liability will generally be utilised within the next reporting period.  

Changes to the Group’s contract liabilities (i.e. deferred revenue) are attributable solely to the satisfaction 
of  performance  obligations.  The  reduction  in  contract  liabilities  was  due  to  the  release  of  deferred 
contract revenue in the year arising from the reduction in the number of new insurance installations. 

Contract liabilities at 1 January 
Contract liabilities released to revenue in the period 
Contract revenue deferred in the period, net of releases in the period 
Contract liabilities at 31 December 

2020 
£'000 
4,843 
(4,773) 
3,580 
3,650 

 2019 
£’000 
4,655 
(4,578) 
4,766 
4,843 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

77 

20 

Lease liabilities 
The Group has leases for the property it occupies and motor vehicles. With the exception of short-term 
leases, each lease is reflected on the balance sheet as a right of use asset and a lease liability. The Group 
classifies  its  right-of-use  assets  in  a  consistent  manner  to  its  property,  plant  and  equipment  for 
presentation purposes. 

Included in the net carrying amount and depreciation provided for in the year of property, plant and 
equipment (note 13) are right-of-use assets as follows: 

Right-of-use asset carrying amounts 
Property 
Equipment 
Total  

Depreciation 
Property 
Equipment 
Total 

2020 
£’000 
899 
28 
927 

173 
9 
182 

2019 
£’000 
373 
18 
391 

188 
11 
199 

Each lease imposes a restriction that the right-of-use asset can only be used by the Group. Some leases 
have  a  break  clause;  however,  the  majority  are  either  non-cancellable  or  may  only  be  cancelled  by 
incurring a substantial termination fee.  

Notice was served in January 2021 for the Dukes Court lease in Cambridge, which expires on 31 August 
2021. The impact of this is a reduction in the lease liability of £135k. There are no penalty payments for 
early termination.  

The  Group  is  prohibited  from  selling  or  pledging  the  underlying  leased  assets  as  security.  For  the 
property leases, the Group must keep the property in a good state of repair and return the properties in 
their original state at the end of the lease.  Furthermore, the Group must insure items of property, plant 
and equipment and incur maintenance fees on such items in accordance with the lease contracts.  

Lease liabilities are presented in the statement of financial position as follows: 

Current lease liability 
Non-current lease liability 
Total lease liability 

 2020 
£’000 
135 
822 
957 

2019 
£’000 
156 
241 
397 

The increase in lease liabilities in the year relates to new lease premises for the main office in Newtown 
Powys in March 2020. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

78 

20 

Lease liabilities (continued) 
Future minimum lease payments at 31 December 2020 were as follows: 

31 December 2020 
Lease payments 
Finance charges 
Net present value 

31 December 2019 
Lease payments 
Finance charges 
Net present value 

Minimum lease payments due                 

  Within 1 
year 
£000 
174 
(39) 
135 

1 to 5 
years 
£000 
537 
(101) 
436 

After 5 
years 
£000 
420 
(35) 
385 

Total 
£000 
1,131 
(175) 
956 

170 
(14) 
156 

255 
(14) 
241 

- 
- 
- 

425 
(28) 
397 

Total cash outflow for the year ended 31 December 2020 was £185k (2019: £257k). 

Lease payments not recognised as a liability: 
The Group has elected not to recognise a lease liability for short term leases (leases with an expected 
term of 12 months or less). Payments made under such leases are expensed on a straight-line basis.  

The expense relating to payments not included in the measurement of the lease liability at 31 December 
2020 was £82,000 (2019: £62,000). At the year end the Group was committed to short-term leases and 
the total commitment at that date was £12,000 (2019: £18,000). 

21 

Deferred tax 
Deferred tax assets/(liabilities) recognised by the Group at 31 December 2020 and 31 December 2019 are 
as follows: 

Deferred tax asset/(liability) 
Accelerated Capital Allowances 
Short term temporary differences 
Equity settled share options 

(Credit)/charge to profit and loss 
Accelerated Capital Allowances 
Short term temporary differences 
Equity settled share options 

2020 
£’000 
(45) 
33 
147 
135 

2020 
£’000 

(7) 
(38) 
(58) 
(103) 

 2019 
£’000 
(52) 
55 
(1) 
2 

2019 
£’000 

14 
(133) 
2 
(117) 

There are unprovided tax losses related to the USA business of $731,000 (2019: $973,000). Included within 
net profit for the year is a non-deductible provision of £1.6m. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

79 

22 

Equity 

Allotted, called up and fully paid 
At 1 January 2020 
Shares issued 
At 31 December 2020 

Number of 
ordinary 
shares of 
£0.01 each 

  47,938,320 
24,196 
  47,962,516 

Share 
capital 
£’000 

Share 
premium 
£’000 

479 
- 
479 

5,230 
22 
5,252 

All the shares issued in the year to 31 December 2020 related to the exercise of share options.  

23 

Share-based payment 
The  Company  has  share  option  schemes  for  certain  employees.  Share  options  are  exercisable  at  prices 
determined at the date of grant. The vesting periods for the share options range between 12 and 63 months. 
Options are forfeited if the employee leaves the Company before the options vest.  

In June 2020 cash-settled options were issued to Laura Seffino, an incentive programme linked to the share 
price, to facilitate the exercise of existing equity-settled share options. These cash-settled share options are 
linked  to  both  service  and  market  performance  conditions.  The  options  have  a  contractual  term 
commencing  on the grant date 1 June 2020 and maturing on 6 April 2025, there are four vesting dates 
commencing on 6 April 2021, where a number of shares depending on the performance of the share price 
will be eligible for exercise at the share price less the exercise price of 320 pence. The net cash value after 
tax must be used to exercise Laura’s existing share options, and the resulting shares must subsequently be 
held for a minimum of 12 months.   

The fair value at grant date of the cash-settled options has been calculated using a binomial option pricing 
model.  The average  share price of  326 pence, exercise price of 320 pence, a risk free rate of -0.04%, a 
volatility rate of 49% and a time to maturity of 4 years has generated a fair value of 419 pence per share 
option with the estimated number of shares to ultimately vest being 68,000 cash-settled share options. The 
volatility of the share price over the previous 12 months from the grant date and the risk-free rate on the 
market were used to build in probabilities of the share price performance over the duration of the vesting 
period.  

Movements in the number of equity-settled share options outstanding and their related weighted average 
exercise prices are as follows: 

Weighted 
average exercise 
price per share 
in pence 
276.9 
255.2 
257.4 
89.0 
279.3 

2020 

2019 

Weighted 
average exercise 

Options 
number 
1,193,469 
167,700 
(104,905) 
(24,196) 
1,232,068 

price per share  Options 
number 
1,365,554 
46,600 
(126,925) 
(91,760) 
1,193,469 

in pence 
267.6 
180.2 
313.8 
38.5 
276.9 

Outstanding at 1 January 
Granted 
Lapsed 
Exercised 
Outstanding at 31 December 

Exercisable at 31 December 

290.5 

356,974 

360 

37,482 

The weighted average fair value of equity-settled options issued during the year ended 31 December 2020 
was 118.37p (2019: 175.49p). Included in the equity-settled options granted in 2020 none (2019: none) were 
granted to staff with performance conditions.  
The weighted average share price at the date of exercise of options during the year ended 31 December 
2020 was 265.75p (2019: 265.0p). 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

80 

23 

Share based payments (continued) 
At 31 December Quartix Holdings plc had the following outstanding equity-settled options and exercise 
prices: 
2020 

Period when exercisable 
Starting from March 2019 
Starting from March 2020 
Starting from March 2020 
Starting October 2020 
March 2021 
Starting from May 2021 
March 2022 

Expiry dates 
31 March 2025 
31 March 2024 
31 March 2026 
30 September 2025 
2 December 2024 
1 May 2026 
1 December 2025 

2019 

Average 
exercise price 
per share 
in pence 
360.0 
270.0 
270.0 
335.0 
1.0 
291.0 
1.0 
279.3 

Period when exercisable 
Starting from March 2019 
Starting from March 2020 
Starting from March 2020 
March 2020 
Starting October 2020 
March 2021 

Expiry dates 
31 March 2025 
31 March 2024 
31 March 2026 
06 December 2023 
30 September 2025 
2 December 2024 

Average 
exercise price 
per share 
in pence 
360.0 
270.0 
270.0 
1.0 
335.0 
1.0 
276.9 

Weighted 
average 
remaining 
contractual 
life 
in months 
51 
39 
63 
57 
47 
64 
59 
46 

Weighted 
average 
remaining 
contractual 
life 
in months 
63 
51 
75 
47 
69 
59 
55 

Options 
number 
187,408 
742,268 
92,592 
25,000 
17,100 
147,000 
20,700 
1,232,068 

Options 
number 
187,408 
850,184 
92,592 
16,835 
25,000 
21,450 
1,193,469 

The fair value of equity-settled share-based payments have been calculated using the Black-Scholes option 
pricing  model.  Expected  volatility  was  determined  based  on  the  historic  volatility of  the Group’s  share 
price. The expected life is the expected period from grant to exercise based on management’s best estimate. 
The risk-free return is based on UK Government gilt yields at the time of the grant. 

The following assumptions were used in the model for equity-settled options granted during the year ended 
31 December: 

2020: 

Number granted 
Grant date 
Share price at grant date (pence) 
Exercise price (pence) 
Fair value per option (pence) 
Expected life in years 
Expected volatility (%) 
Risk-free interest rate (%) 
Dividend yield (%) 

147,000
04-May
291.0
291.0
85.5
3.00
49.6
0.1 
2.1 

20,700 
01-Dec 
363.0 
1.0 
352.0 
1.3 
112.3 
0.0 
2.1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

81 

23 

Share based payments (continued) 
The following assumptions were used in the model for equity-settled options granted during the year ended 
31 December: 

2019: 

Number granted 
Grant date 
Share price at grant date (pence) 
Exercise price (pence) 
Fair value per option (pence) 
Expected life in years 
Expected volatility (%) 
Risk-free interest rate (%) 
Dividend yield (%) 

25,000 
26-Sep 
335.0 
335.0 
55.1 
3.0 
33.6 
0.37 
4.2 

21,600 
02-Dec 
334.0 
334.0 
314.8 
1.3 
31.7 
0.63 
4.2 

Movements in the number of cash-settled share options outstanding and their related weighted average 
exercise prices are as follows: 

Weighted 
average exercise 
price per share 
in pence 
322.0 
320.0 
321.4 

2020 

2019 

Weighted 
average exercise 

Options 
number 
170,000 
68,000 
238,000 

price per share  Options 
number 
n/a 
170,000 
170,000 

in pence 
n/a 
322.0 
322.0 

Outstanding at 1 January 
Granted 
Outstanding at 31 December 

Exercisable at 31 December 

n/a 

n/a 

n/a 

n/a 

At  31  December  Quartix  Holdings  plc  had  the following  outstanding  cash-settled options  and  exercise 
prices: 
2020 

Period when exercisable 
Starting from August 2020 
Starting from March 2020 

Expiry dates 
5 April 2024 
5 April 2025 

2019 

Period when exercisable 
Starting from August 2020 

Expiry dates 
5 April 2024 

Average 
exercise price 
per share 
in pence 
322.0 
320.0 
321.4 

Average 
exercise price 
per share 
in pence 
322.0 
322.0 

Weighted 
average 
remaining 
contractual 
life 
in months 
39 
51 
42 

Weighted 
average 
remaining 
contractual 
life 
in months 
51 
51 

Options 
number 
170,000 
68,000 
238,000 

Options 
number 
170,000 
170,000 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

24 

Notes to the cash flow statement 
Cash flow adjustments and changes in working capital 

Profit before tax 

Foreign exchange  
Depreciation 
Loss on disposal of fixed asset 
Interest income 
Lease interest expense 
Share based payment expense 

Operating cash flow before movement in working 
capital 

(Increase)/decrease in trade and other receivables 
(Increase)/decrease in inventories 
Increase in trade and other payables 
Increase/(decrease) in contract liabilities 
Cash generated from operations 

Notes 

13 

8 
9 

2020 
£’000 
5,659 

183 
357 
3 
(19) 
40 
224 

6,447 

69 
181 
1,189 
(1,188) 
6,698 

82 

2019 
£’000 
6,451 

156 
370 
- 
(34) 
21 
250 

7,214 

(453) 
(106) 
410 
198 
7,263 

25 

Reconciliation of liabilities arising from financing activities 
The changes in the Group’s liabilities arising from financing activities, is entirely as a result of lease 
liabilities which is as follows: 

1 January  
Non-cash: Addition 
Cash-flows: Repayment  
31 December (see note 20) 

2020 
£’000 
397 
745 
(185) 
957 

2019 
£’000 
654 
- 
(257) 
397 

26 

Related party transactions and controlling related party 
The Group’s related parties comprise its Board of Directors and its key management (see note 7). There 
were  no  related  party  transactions  with  Directors  to  disclose  other  than  dividends  received  based  on 
shareholdings disclosed in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on page 35 and note 7. 

The  Directors  consider  the  Board  and  shareholding  structure  to  mean  there  is  no  directly  identifiable 
controlling party. 

27 

Purchase commitments and contingent liabilities 
Quartix Limited has signed agreements with suppliers which commit the Group to purchase inventory to 
the value of £570,000 (2019: £407,000).  

Short term lease commitment at year end is £12k rental on a property (2019: £18k).  

There were no other financial commitments or contingent liabilities at 31 December 2020 or 31 
December 2019. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

83 

28 

29 

Capital commitments 
The Group had no capital commitments as at 31 December 2020 (2019: £57,000). 

Risk management objectives and policies  

Financial instruments 
The Group uses various financial instruments; these include cash deposits and bank loans and various items 
such as trade receivables and trade payables that arise directly from its operations. The main purpose of 
these financial instruments is to raise finance for the Group's operations and manage working capital. 

The main risks arising from the Group's financial instruments are credit risk and currency risk. The Board 
reviews and agrees policies for managing each of these risks and they are summarised below. 

Credit risk 
The Group's exposure to credit risk is limited to the carrying amount of financial assets recognised at the 
Statement of Financial Position date, as summarised below: 

Loans and receivables 
Trade receivables and other receivables 
Cash and cash equivalents 

2020 
£’000 

2,625 
10,570 
13,195 

 2019 
£’000 

2,797 
6,789 
9,586 

The Group's principal financial assets are cash deposits and trade receivables. Risks associated with cash 
deposits  are  limited  as  the  banks  used  have  high  credit  ratings  assigned  by  international  credit  rating 
agencies. 

The principal credit risk relates to trade receivables and is mitigated, where possible, by third party credit 
clearance for new customers and collection by direct debit, or similar. The Group has one large customer 
whose debts have been as much as £0.5m and the credit risk on this balance is carefully monitored. The 
Group has established credit control procedures to undertake various tasks at different stages as invoices 
move further from their issue date.  At 45 days past due date, the credit risk is believed to have increased 
substantially and customers are included in the loss allowance assessment. 

The  Group  uses  the  practical  expedient  in  the  calculation  of  the  expected  credit  losses  on  all  its  trade 
receivables using a provision matrix, to estimate the lifetime expected credit losses, with fixed provision 
rates, based on its historical credit loss experience adjusted where possible for current observable data.  The 
Group uses such data to make reasonable forward-looking estimates of recoverability. 

The Group continues to work with customers to recover trade receivables and may take legal action or use 
third-party collection specialists where necessary.  Only after these steps have been completed and there is 
no reasonable expectation of recovery, would the receivable be written off. 

Currency risk 
The Group is exposed to transaction foreign exchange risk as a consequence of procuring tracking unit 
components in both euros and dollars. The risk with the Euro has been mitigated by trading in France 
which generates enough Euros to cover the Group’s needs. Whilst the Group also trades in the US, in 2020, 
the Group purchased about $1.1m, primarily to purchase components for the vehicle tracking units (2019: 
$2.4m). 

Transaction exposures, including those associated with forecast transactions, are managed through the use 
of bank accounts held in foreign currencies.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

84 

29 

Risk management objectives and policies (continued) 

Currency risk (continued) 
It is estimated that a 5.0% strengthening of Pound Sterling to the US dollar would have reduced purchase 
costs by £35,000 and vice versa (2019: £90,000). (This is assuming that Dollar denominated prices do not 
adjust for currency movements.) 

It is estimated that a 5.0% strengthening of Pound Sterling to the Euro would have reduced net profit by 
£75,000 and vice versa (2019: £55,000).  

The Group’s financial instruments denominated in foreign currencies were: 

Cash and cash equivalents 
Trade receivables 
Trade payables 

2020 

£’000 
US$ 
261 
- 
(354) 
(93) 

£’000  £’000 
zl 
0 
5 
0 
5 

€ 
1,119 
465 
(385) 
1,199 

2019 

£’000 
US$ 
87 
- 
(407) 
(320) 

£’000 
€ 
792 
385 
(303) 
874 

£’000 
zl 
0 
2 
0 
2 

As set out in the accounting policies (note 1), the assets and liabilities of Group entities that have a 
functional currency other than Sterling are translated at the closing exchange rate at the reporting date.  
The US dollar exchange rate increased by 3.3% from 31 December 2019 to 31 December 2020 (2019: 
increased by 3.5%).  The total translation reserve movement for the year reported in the Consolidated 
Statement of Changes in Equity was a credit of £99,000 (2019: credit £93,000). The majority of this 
movement related to the retranslation of Quartix Inc’s opening net liabilities as at 1 January 2020. 

Quartix Inc’s net liabilities in the previous year mainly related to amounts owed to other Group entities, 
but this year net liabilities include the 3G units swap out provision. The foreign exchange differences arising 
on translation of these monetary liabilities are recognised in the Consolidated Income Statement.  

It is estimated that a 5.0% weakening of Pound Sterling to the US dollar would give an exchange gain of 
around £192,000 from the retranslation Quartix Inc. net liabilities, the exchange gain that relates to the 
retranslation of amounts owed by Quartix Inc is around £107,000 (2019: £172,000). 

Interest rate risk 
The Group has no debt so it is not exposed to fluctuations in interest rates.  

Liquidity risk 
The Group seeks to manage financial risk by ensuring sufficient liquidity is available to meet foreseeable 
needs. Cash flow is forecast and monitored as are working capital requirements. The Group generates funds 
from  operational  activities  in  excess  of  its  operational  requirements  and  has  substantial  cash  balances 
available  for its  current investment  activities.  Consequently,  liquidity  is  not seen  as a  key  risk.  As  at  31 
December 2020, the Group’s non-derivative financial liabilities that have contractual maturities of more 
than 12 months are lease liabilities; see note 20 for the maturity analysis of lease liabilities.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

85 

30 

Summary of financial assets and liabilities by category 
The carrying amounts of the assets and liabilities as recognised at the Statement of Financial Position date 
of the years under review may also be categorised as follows: 

Loans and receivables 
Trade and other receivables 
Cash and cash equivalents 

Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost 
Trade and other payables 
Lease liabilities 

2020 
£’000 

2,625 
10,570 
13,195 

2020 
£’000 

3,761 
957 
4,718 

 2019 
£’000 

2,797 
6,789 
9,586 

 2019 
£’000 

2,451 
397 
2,848 

31 

Capital management policies and procedures 
The Group's capital management objectives are to ensure the Group's ability to continue as a going concern 
and to provide an adequate return to shareholders, by balancing its trading performance with continuing 
investment in research and development. 

The Group monitors capital on the basis of the carrying amount of equity less cash and cash equivalents as 
presented on the face of the Statement of Financial Position.  

The Group makes adjustments to its capital in the light of changes in economic conditions and the risk 
characteristics of the underlying assets. In order to maintain or adjust the capital structure, the Group may 
adjust the amount of dividends paid to shareholders, return capital to shareholders, issue new shares or sell 
assets. Capital for the reporting years under review is summarised as follows: 

Capital 
Total equity 
Less cash and cash equivalents 

Overall financing 
Total equity 
Lease liabilities 

2020 
£’000 

21,433 
(10,570) 
10,863 

21,433 
957 

 2019 
£’000 

17,981 
(6,789) 
11,192 

17,981 
397 

Capital-to-overall financing ratio (%) 

48.5 

60.9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

86 

32 

Subsidiaries 
As at the 31 December 2020 the subsidiaries of the Group were: 

Subsidiary 
Country of registration 

Registered office 

Quartix Ltd 
England & Wales 

New Church Street, 
Newtown, Powys       
SY16 1AF 

Quartix Inc 
USA 

901 2nd Street, 
Springfield, Sangamon IL 
62704-7909 

Class of share capital held 

Ordinary shares 

Common shares 

Proportion held by the Company 

100% 

100% 

Nature of the business 

Vehicle Tracking 

Vehicle Tracking 

33 

Post balance sheet events 
Since the year end the Board have agreed to give notice on the property in Cambridge, which at 31 
December 2020 contributed £165k to the Group lease liabilities and £146k to the Group’s right of use 
assets. As a result of the remainder of the lease term being reassessed, the lease liability and right of use 
asset has been remeasured with an expiry date of 31 August 2021, resulting in a reduction in the lease 
liability and right of use asset of £135k as at 31 January 2021.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

87 

Parent Company Statement of Financial Position 
Company registration number 06395159 

Notes 

2020 
£’000 

2019 
£'000 

Fixed assets 
Investments 

Current assets 
Debtors 
Current tax asset 
Cash at bank and in hand 
Total current assets 

Creditors – amounts falling due within one year 

Net current assets 

Total assets less current liabilities 

Net assets 

Capital and reserves 
Called up share capital 
Share premium account 
Equity reserve 
Capital redemption reserve 
Retained earnings 
Total equity attributable to equity shareholders of Quartix 
Holdings plc 

4 

5 

6 

7 

19,741 

19,518 

2,306 
46 
2,102 
4,454 

1,460 
53 
55 
1,568 

(77) 

(3,447) 

4,377 

(1,879) 

24,118 

17,639 

24,118 

17,639 

479 
5,252 
763 
4,663 
12,961 

479 
5,230 
617 
4,663 
6,650 

24,118 

17,639 

Profit  for  the  year  and  total  comprehensive  income  attributable  to  the  equity  shareholders  of  Quartix 
Holdings plc was £7,884,000 (2019: £5,832,000) 

Approved by the Board of Directors, authorised for issue and signed on behalf of the Board on 28 February 
2021. 

Andrew Walters 
Chief Executive Officer 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

88 

Parent Company Statement of Changes in Equity 

Balance at 31 December 2018 
Shares issued 
Increase in equity reserve in 
relation to options issued 
Adjustment for exercised options 
Dividend paid 
Transactions with owners 
Profit for the year and total 
comprehensive income 
Balance at 31 December 2019 
Shares issued 
Increase in equity reserve in 
relation to options issued 
Adjustment for exercised options  
Dividend paid 
Transactions with owners 
Profit for the year and total 
comprehensive income 
Balance at 31 December 2020 

Share 
capital 
£’000 
478 
1 

Share 
premium 
account 
£,000 
5,196 
34 

Capital 
redemption 
reserve 

Equity 
reserve 
£’000  £’000 
426 
4,663 
- 
- 

Retained 
earnings 

Total 
equity 
£’000  £’000 
17,467 
6,704 
35 
- 

- 
- 
- 
1 

- 
479 
- 

- 
- 
- 
- 

- 
- 
- 
34 

- 
5,230 
22 

- 
- 
- 
22 

- 
- 
- 
- 

- 
4,663 
- 

- 
- 
- 
- 

- 
479 

- 
5,252 

- 
4,663 

249 
(58) 
- 
191 

- 
617 
- 

189 
(43) 
- 
146 

- 
763 

- 
58 

249 
- 
(5,944)  (5,944) 
(5,886)  (5,660) 

5,832 
6,650 
- 

5,832 
17,639 
22 

- 
43 

189 
- 
(1,616)  (1,616) 
(1,573)  (1,405) 

7,884 
7,884 
12,961  24,118 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

89 

Notes to the Parent Company Financial Statements 

1 

Summary of significant accounting policies 

Accounting convention 
These financial statements were prepared in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 101 Reduced 
Disclosure  Framework  (FRS  101).  The  financial  statements  are  prepared  under  the  historical  cost 
convention.  

No profit and loss account is presented by the Company as permitted by Section 408 of the Companies 
Act 2006. 

The financial statements are prepared in Sterling and are rounded to the nearest thousand pounds (£000). 

Basis of preparation 
The Company transitioned to FRS 101 in 2016. The accounting policies which follow were those applied 
in preparing the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 and the year ended 31 December 
2019. The Company has taken advantage of the following disclosure exemptions under FRS 101: 

a)  Share-based Payment disclosure, as Quartix Holdings plc is the ultimate parent, the share-based 
payment arrangement concerns its own equity instruments and its separate financial statements are 
presented alongside the consolidated financial statements of the Group. 

b)  Financial Instruments disclosures, given that equivalent disclosures are included in the consolidated 

financial statements of the Group in which the entity is consolidated. 

c)  Fair Value Measurement disclosures.  
d)  Certain  disclosures  required  by  IAS  1  Presentation  of  Financial  Statements,  including  certain 

comparative information in respect of share capital movements. 

e)  Statement of Cash Flows and related notes. 
f)  Related Party Disclosures relating to key management personnel compensation. 
g)  Disclosure of related party transactions entered into between two or more members of a group, 
given that any subsidiary which is a party to the transaction is wholly owned by such a member. 

h)  Capital management disclosures. 

Going concern 
As a holding company, its main source of income is dividends receivable from its trading subsidiaries and 
in particular Quartix Limited.  For further details, refer to the accounting policy note on Going Concern 
for the Group on page 57. 

Investment in subsidiaries 
The  Company’s  interests  in  investments  presently  comprise  only  interest  in  wholly  owned  subsidiary 
undertakings.  Investments are recognised initially at cost. Subsequent to initial recognition the financial 
statements include the adjustments in respect of Share Based Payments or provision for impairment.   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

90 

1 

Summary of significant accounting policies (continued) 

Impairment of assets 
The Company assesses at each reporting date whether there is any indication that an asset may be impaired. 
If any such indication exists, the Company estimates the recoverable amount of the asset, being the higher 
of an asset’s or cash generating unit’s fair value less costs to sell and its value in use. To determine the value-
in-use, management estimates expected future cash flows and determines a suitable interest rate in order to 
calculate the present value of those cash flows. The data used for impairment testing procedures are directly 
linked to the Group’s latest approved budget. Discount factors are determined individually for each cash-
generating unit and reflect management’s assessment of respective risk profiles, such as market and asset-
specific risks factors. 

A reversal of an impairment loss for an asset shall be recognised immediately in profit or loss, unless the 
asset is carried at revalued amount. Any reversal of an impairment loss of a revalued asset shall be treated 
as a revaluation increase. 

Taxation 
Current tax is provided at amounts expected to be paid (or recovered) using the tax rates and laws that have 
been enacted or substantively enacted by the Statement of Financial Position date.  

Deferred income taxes are calculated using the liability method on temporary differences. Deferred tax is 
generally provided on the difference between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax 
bases.  However,  deferred  tax  is  not  provided  on  the  initial  recognition  of  goodwill,  nor  on  the  initial 
recognition of an asset or liability unless the related transaction is a business combination or affects tax or 
accounting profit. Tax losses available to be carried forward as well as other income tax credits to the Group 
are assessed for recognition as deferred tax assets and are recognised to the extent that it is regarded as 
more likely than not that they will be recovered from future trading profits. 

Deferred  tax  liabilities  are  provided  in  full,  with  no  discounting.  Current  and  deferred  tax  assets  and 
liabilities  are  calculated  at  tax  rates  that  are  expected  to  apply  to  their  respective  period  of  realisation, 
provided they are enacted or substantively enacted at the Statement of Financial Position date. 

Changes in deferred tax assets or liabilities are recognised as a component of tax expense in profit or loss, 
other comprehensive income or equity as appropriate. 

Dividends 
Dividends attributable to the equity holders of the Company approved for payment during the year are 
recognised directly in equity. 

Cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and demand deposits, together with other short-term, 
highly liquid investments that are readily convertible into known amounts of cash and which are subject to 
an insignificant risk of changes in value. 

Financial assets 
As required by IFRS 9, the Company will apply the impairment requirements and recognise a loss allowance 
for expected credit losses on its financial assets. At each reporting date, it will measure the loss allowance 
at an  amount equal  to  the  lifetime expected credit losses, if the credit risk on financial instruments has 
increased significantly since initial recognition. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

91 

1 

Summary of significant accounting policies (continued) 

Financial assets (continued) 
The Company will recognise in profit or loss, as an impairment gain or loss, the amount of expected credit 
losses (or reversal) that is required to adjust the loss allowance at the reporting date to the amount that is 
required to be recognised in accordance with IFRS 9. 

Financial liabilities 
Financial  liabilities  are  obligations  to  pay  cash  or  other  financial  assets  and  are  recognised  when  the 
Company becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument. 

Financial liabilities are recorded initially at fair value and subsequently at amortised cost using the effective 
interest method, with interest-related charges recognised as an expense in finance cost in the profit and 
loss. 

A financial liability is derecognised only when the obligation is extinguished. The Company does not enter 
into derivative contracts for hedging or speculative purposes.  

Foreign currencies 
Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into Sterling at the exchange rate ruling at the date of the 
transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities in foreign currencies are translated at the rates of exchange ruling 
at the Statement of Financial Position date. 

Any exchange differences arising on the settlement of monetary items or on translating monetary items at 
rates different from those at which they were initially recorded are recognised in profit or loss in the period 
in which they arise. 

Employee benefits: Share-based payments 
The Group  operates  several employee share schemes for employees of its UK trading subsidiary under 
which  it  makes  equity-settled  and  cash-settled  share-based  payments.  The  fair  value  of  the  employee 
services received in exchange for the grant of the options is recognised as an increase in the investment in 
the subsidiary, with a corresponding increase in equity, over the period that the employees unconditionally 
become entitled to the awards. 

The  fair  values  of  employees'  services  are  determined  indirectly  by  reference  to  the  fair  value  of  the 
instrument granted to the employee. This fair value is assessed at the grant date, using the Black-Scholes 
method, and excludes the impact of non-market vesting conditions. 

The expense is allocated over the vesting period, based on the best available estimate of the number of 
share options expected to vest.  Estimates are subsequently revised if there is any indication that the number 
of  share  options  expected  to  vest  differs  from  previous  estimates.  Any  cumulative  adjustment  prior  to 
vesting  is  recognised  in  the  current  period.  No  adjustment is  made  to  any  expense  recognised in prior 
periods if share options ultimately exercised are different to that estimated on vesting. 

All cash-settled share-based remuneration is ultimately recognised as an expense in profit or loss with a 
corresponding credit to a share-based payment liability. The fair value is re-measured at each reporting date 
and at the date of settlement, with any changes in fair value recognised in profit or loss for the period.  

Upon exercise of the equity-settled share options the proceeds received are allocated to share capital and 
share premium.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

92 

1 

Summary of significant accounting policies (continued) 

Share capital and reserves 
Share capital and reserves comprises the following: 

 
 

"Called up share capital" represents the nominal value of equity shares 
"Share  premium  account"  represents  the  excess  over  nominal  value  of  the  fair  value  of 
consideration received for equity shares, net of expenses of the share issue 

  “Capital redemption reserve” represents the amount by which the Company's issued share capital 
is diminished when shares are redeemed or purchased wholly out of the Company's profits  
  “Equity reserve” is used to reflect the expenses associated with granting share options to employees 

and the issue of warrants 
"Retained earnings" represents retained profits 

 

2 

Profit and loss account 
No Statement of profit and loss is presented for Quartix Holdings plc as provided by section 408 of the 
Companies Act 2006. The Company’s profit for the financial year was £7.8m (2019: £5.8m). 

Auditors' remuneration attributable to the Company is as follows: 

Audit fees – statutory audit 
Other services 

Details of Directors’ emoluments are set out on page 35. 

3 

Directors and employees 
Staff costs, including Directors, comprised the following: 

Wages and salaries 
Social security costs 

2020 
£’000 
31 
2 
33 

2019 
£’000 
30 
1 
31 

2020 
£’000 
95 
11 
106 

2019 
£’000 
90 
10 
100 

The average number of employees for the company, being the Non-Executive Directors only, during 
the year was 2 (2019: 2). 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

93 

4 

Investments – non-current 
The amounts recognised in the Company’s Statement of Financial Position relate to the following: 

Cost: 
At 1 January 2019 

Increase due to granting of share options to subsidiary employees: 
New investments 

At 1 January 2020 

Increase due to granting of share options to subsidiary employees: 
New investments 

Net book amount at 31 December 2020 

There is no provision for impairment for the investment in subsidiaries. 

Subsidiary 
undertakings 
£’000 

19,263 

255 

19,518 

223 

19,741 

Subsidiary 
Quartix Limited 
Quartix Inc 

Country of 
registration 
England & Wales  Ordinary shares 
Common shares 
USA 

Class of share 
capital held 

Proportion held 
by the Company 
100% 
100% 

Nature of 
business 
Vehicle Tracking 
Vehicle Tracking 

5 

Debtors 

Social security and other taxes 
Prepayments 
Amounts owed by subsidiary undertakings 

2020 
£’000 
11 
11 
2,284 
2,306 

2019 
£’000 
7 
7 
1,446 
1,460 

All receivables fall due within one year of the Statement of Financial Position date.  

The amount owed by subsidiary undertakings includes a US dollar loan to Quartix Inc of £1.0m (2019: 
£1.4m) which is repayable on or before 31 December 2021 but can be extended by mutual agreement. 
Interest  is charged quarterly at 1% per quarter on  the quarter end balance. The balance relates to the 
current account with Quartix Limited. 

6 

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 

Social security and other taxes 
Accruals and deferred income 
Amounts owed to subsidiary undertakings 

2020 
£’000 
- 
77 
- 
77 

2019 
£’000 
4 
55 
3,388 
3,447 

The amount owed to subsidiary undertakings in 2019 related to the current account with Quartix Limited. 
Which  is  changed  to  a  debtor  position  in  2020,  following  a  dividend  declaration  in  December  2020, 
however the dividend has not been received yet, it is owed by Quartix Limited to Quartix Holdings plc at 
31 December 2020. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

94 

7 

Called up share capital 

Allotted, called up and fully paid  
47,962,516 (2019: 47,938,320) ordinary shares of £0.01 each 

2020 
£’000 

2019 
£’000 

479 

479 

Details of movements in share options and those outstanding at 31 December 2020 are disclosed in note 
23 of the Group accounts. 

Related party transactions and ultimate controlling party 
The  Company  has  taken  advantage  of  the  exemption  not  to  disclose  transactions  with  wholly  owned 
subsidiaries.  Details  of  Directors’  remuneration  and  interests  in  shares  are  disclosed  in  the  Directors’ 
Remuneration Report (see page 35) and key management remuneration in note 7 of the Group accounts. 

Contingent liabilities 
There are no material contingent liabilities subsisting at 31 December 2020 or 31 December 2019. 

Financial commitments 
The Company had no financial commitments at 31 December 2020 or 31 December 2019. 

Risk management objectives and policies 

8 

9 

10 

11 

Financial Instruments 
The Company uses various financial instruments; these include cash deposits and bank loans and various 
items  such  as  Group  receivables  and  Group  payables  that  arise  directly  from  its  operations.  The  main 
purpose of these financial instruments is to manage working capital. 

The main  risks arising from the Company’s financial instruments are credit risk and currency risk. The 
Board reviews and agrees policies for managing each of these risks and they are summarised below. 

Credit risk 
The Company’s exposure to credit risk is limited to the carrying amount of financial assets recognised at 
the Statement of Financial Position date, as summarised below: 

Loans and receivables 
Cash and cash equivalents 
Amounts owed by subsidiary undertakings 

2020 
£’000 

2,102 
2,284 
4,386 

2019 
£’000 

55 
1,446 
1,501 

Credit risk 
Risks  associated  with  cash  deposits  are  limited  as  the  banks  used  have  high  credit  ratings  assigned  by 
international credit rating agencies. The amount owed by subsidiary undertakings includes a US dollar loan 
to Quartix Inc of £1.0m (2019: £1.4m) which is repayable on or before 31 December 2021 but can be 
extended by mutual agreement. Interest is charged quarterly at 1% per quarter on the quarter end balance.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quartix Holdings plc 
Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2020 

95 

11 

Risk management objectives and policies (continued) 

Currency risk 
The Company is exposed to transaction foreign exchange risk. The Group mitigates its risk to the US Dollar 
by trading in the USA; however, the Company is exposed to exchange movements on its US Dollar loan 
to Quartix Inc to fund its start-up losses and working capital requirements.  

The Company’s financial assets denominated in foreign currencies (all US dollars) were: 

Loan and receivables 
Cash at bank 
Amounts owed by subsidiary undertakings  

2020 
£’000 

123 
1,046 
1,169 

2019 
£’000 

8 
1,446 
1,454 

The Company’s net profit would not be materially impacted by 5% strengthening of Pound Sterling to the 
US dollar or Euro. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
96 

Notice of Annual General Meeting 

Notice is hereby given that the sixth Annual General Meeting (the “Meeting”) of Quartix Holdings plc will 
be  held  virtually  on  Tuesday  23  March 2021  at  11.00  am  at 9 Dukes  Court,  54-62  Newmarket  Road, 
Cambridge, CB5 8DZ for the purpose of considering the resolutions below. 

This  year’s  Meeting  will  be  a  closed  meeting  in  light  of  the  UK  Government’s  restrictions  on  public 
gatherings  and  non-essential  travel  which  are  in  place  at  the  time  of  issue  of  this  Notice  of  Meeting. 
Shareholders will not be permitted entry to the Meeting. 

In order to ensure that their votes are registered, shareholders are strongly encouraged to submit their proxy 
votes  in  advance  of  the  Meeting  by  appointing  the  Chairman  of  the  Meeting  as  their  proxy,  and  the 
Chairman will then vote on a poll in accordance with those proxy instructions. All votes on the resolutions 
contained in this Notice will be held by poll, so that all proxy votes are counted.   

To consider, and if deemed fit, to pass the following as ordinary resolutions: 

1. 
2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 
10. 

To receive and adopt the audited annual accounts for the year ended 31 December 2020. 
To approve and declare a final dividend for the year ended 31 December 2020 of 2.40p per ordinary 
share and supplementary dividend of 15.30p per ordinary share, a total final dividend of 17.70p 
per share. This will be paid on 30 April 2021 to shareholders on the register as at the  close of 
business on 1 April 2021. 
To  re-elect  Andrew  Walters  as  a  Director  who,  in  accordance  with  the  Company’s  Articles  of 
Association, retires as a Director and is eligible for re-election. 
To  re-elect  Daniel  Mendis  as  a  Director  who,  in  accordance  with  the  Company’s  Articles  of 
Association, retires as a Director and is eligible for re-election. 
To  re-elect  Laura  Seffino  as  a  Director  who,  in  accordance  with  the  Company’s  Articles  of 
Association, retires as a Director and is eligible for re-election. 
To  re-elect  Paul  Boughton  as  a  Director  who,  in  accordance  with  the  Company’s  Articles  of 
Association, retires as a Director and is eligible for re-election. 
To  re-elect  David  Warwick  as  a  Director  who,  in  accordance  with  the  Company’s  Articles  of 
Association, retires as a Director and is eligible for re-election. 
To re-appoint Grant Thornton UK LLP as the auditors of the Company until the end of the next 
Annual General Meeting. 
To authorise the Directors to determine the remuneration of the auditors. 
To give the Directors general and unconditional authorisation for the purposes of section 551 of 
the Companies Act 2006 (the “Act”) to exercise all powers of the Company to allot shares in the 
Company or to grant rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares in the Company 
up to a maximum nominal value of £159,875 (representing approximately 33% of the issued share 
capital of the Company as at 26 February 2021) to such persons at such times and on such terms 
they deem proper provided that this authority shall expire at the conclusion of the next Annual 
General Meeting of the Company or 30 June 2022, whichever is earlier, save that the Company 
may, before such expiry, make an offer or agreement which would or might require equity securities 
(as defined in section 560 of the Act) to be allotted after such expiry and the Directors may allot 
such securities in pursuance of such offer or agreement as if the authority conferred hereby had 
not expired; and all prior authorities to allot securities (to the extent unutilised) be revoked, but 
without prejudice to the allotment of any shares or securities already made or to be made pursuant 
to such prior authorisation. 

To consider, and if deemed fit, to pass the following as special resolutions: 

11. 

That the Directors be and are empowered, pursuant to section 570 of the Companies Act 2006 
(the “Act”), to allot equity securities (as defined in section 560 of the Act) for cash pursuant to the 
authority conferred upon them by resolution 10 above and to allot equity securities (as defined in 
section 560(3) of the Act (sale of treasury shares)) for cash in each case as if section 561 of the Act did 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
97 

not apply to any such allotment provided, however, that the power conferred by this resolution 
shall be limited to: 

a. 

b. 

The allotment of equity securities in connection with a rights issue, open offer or any other 
offer of, or invitation to apply for, equity securities in favour of holders of ordinary shares 
in the Company on  the register of members at such record dates as the Directors may 
determine  and  other  persons  entitled  to  participate  therein  where  the  equity  securities 
respectively attributable to the interests of the ordinary shareholders are proportionate (as 
nearly as may be) to the respective number of ordinary shares in the Company held or 
deemed to be held by them on any such record dates, subject to such exclusions or other 
arrangements as the Directors may consider necessary or expedient to deal with fractional 
entitlements,  treasury  shares,  record  dates,  or  legal  or  practical  problems  arising  or 
resulting from the application of the laws of any overseas territory or the requirements of 
any other recognised regulatory body or stock exchange in any territory or by virtue of 
shares being represented by depository receipts or any other matter whatever; and 
The allotment, other than pursuant to sub-paragraph ‘a’ above, to any person or persons 
of equity securities up to an aggregate nominal value not exceeding £23,981, representing 
approximately 5% of the ordinary share capital in issue as at 26 February 2021. 

This power shall expire at the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company or 
30  June  2022,  whichever  is  the  earlier,  unless  previously  varied,  revoked  or  renewed  by  the 
Company in general meeting provided that the Company may, before such expiry, make any offer 
or agreement which would or might require securities to be allotted, or treasury shares sold, after 
such expiry and the Directors may allot securities or sell treasury shares pursuant to any such offer 
or agreement as if the power conferred had not expired; and all prior powers granted under section 
570 of the Act shall be revoked provided that such revocation shall not have retrospective effect. 

12. 

That the Directors be generally and unconditionally authorised, for the purposes of section 701 of 
the Companies Act 2006 (the “Act”), to make market purchases, as defined in section 693(4) of 
the Act, of ordinary shares of £0.01 each in the Company on such terms and in such manner as 
the Directors shall determine, provided that: 

a. 

b. 
c. 

The maximum aggregate number of ordinary shares which may be purchased is 2,397,000 
(representing approximately 5% of the ordinary share capital in issue as at 26 February 
2021); 
The minimum price that may be paid for an ordinary share is its nominal value (£0.01); 
The maximum price, exclusive of any expenses, which may be paid for an ordinary share 
shall be the higher of: 
i. 

an amount equal to 105% of the average middle market quotations for the ordinary 
shares  of  the  Company  as  derived  from  the  AIM  appendix  to  the  London  Stock 
Exchange Daily Official List for the five business days immediately preceding the day 
on which the ordinary share is purchased; and 
an amount equal to the higher of the price quoted for the last independent trade of 
an ordinary share and the highest current independent bid for an ordinary share on 
the trading venue where the purchase is carried out. 

ii. 

d. 

This authority shall expire, unless previously renewed, revoked or varied, on the date of 
the  next  Annual  General  Meeting  or  30  June  2022,  whichever  is  earlier,  save  that  the 
Company  may  enter  into  a  contract  for  the  purchase  of  ordinary  shares  under  this 
authority which would or might be completed, wholly or partly, after this authority expires. 
That the name of the Company be change to “Quartix Technologies plc” effective from the issue 
of the certificate of incorporation on change of name. 

13. 

By order of the Board on 28 February 2021.  

Daniel Mendis 
Company Secretary  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
98 

Notes to the Notice of Annual General Meeting 

The following notes explain your general rights as a shareholder and your right to vote at this Meeting or 
to appoint someone else to vote on your behalf. 

Arrangements for the meeting under coronavirus restrictions 
This  year’s  Meeting  will  be  a  closed  meeting  in  light  of  the  UK  Government’s  restrictions  on  public 
gatherings  and  non-essential  travel  which  are  in  place  at  the  time  of  issue  of  this  Notice  of  Meeting. 
Shareholders will not be permitted entry to the Meeting. 

The Board: 
 

encourages shareholders to submit their votes via proxy as early as possible, and shareholders should 
appoint the Chairman of the meeting as their proxy. If a shareholder appoints someone else as their 
proxy, that proxy will not be able to attend the General Meeting in person or cast the shareholder's 
vote. 
strongly recommends CREST members to vote electronically through the CREST electronic proxy 
appointment service as your vote will automatically be counted. 

 

All proxy appointments should be received by no later than 11.00 a.m. on 19 March 2021. 

To be entitled to vote at the Meeting (and for the purpose of the determination by the Company of the 
number  of  votes  they  may  cast),  shareholders  must  be  registered  in  the  Register  of  Members  of  the 
Company at 6.00pm on 19 March 2021. Changes to the Register of Members after the relevant deadline 
shall be disregarded in determining the rights of any person to vote at the Meeting. 

A vote withheld is not a vote in law, which means that the vote will not be counted in the calculation of 
votes for or against the resolution. 

In order for a proxy appointment to be valid, a form of proxy must be completed.  You can appoint a proxy 
and indicate how you would like your proxy to vote at the Meeting or any adjournment by using any of the 
following methods: 
 

by  logging  on  to  www.signalshares.com  and  following  the  instructions,  ensuring  that  your 
submission is completed before 11.00 am on 19 March 2021; 
by  completing  and  returning  a  hard  copy  proxy  form  to  Link  Group  at  34  Beckenham  Road, 
Beckenham, Kent, BR3 4ZF to be received by 11.00 am on 19 March 2021; or   
in the case of CREST  members, by utilising the CREST electronic proxy appointment service in 
accordance with the procedures set out below, transmitting the instructions so as to be received by 
11.00 am on 19 March 2021. 

 

 

You may request a hard copy form of proxy directly from the registrars, Link Group (previously called 
Capita), on Tel: 0371 664 0391. Calls are charged at the standard geographic rate and will vary by provider. 
Calls  outside  the  United  Kingdom  will  be  charged  at  the  applicable  international  rate.  Lines  are  open 
between 09:00 – 17:30, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays in England and Wales. 

If  you  return  more  than  one  proxy  appointment,  either  by  paper  or  electronic  communication,  the 
appointment  received  last  by  the  Registrar  before  the  latest  time  for  the  receipt  of  proxies  will  take 
precedence. You are advised to read the terms and conditions of use carefully. Electronic communication 
facilities are open to all shareholders and those who use them will not be disadvantaged. 

CREST  members  who  wish  to  appoint  a  proxy  or  proxies  through  the  CREST  electronic  proxy 
appointment  service  may  do  so  for  the  Meeting  (and  any  adjournment  of  the  Meeting)  by  using  the 
procedures  described  in  the  CREST  Manual  (available  from  www.euroclear.com/site/public/EUI). 
CREST Personal Members or other CREST sponsored members, and those CREST members who have 
appointed a service provider(s), should refer to their CREST sponsor or voting service provider(s), who 
will be able to take the appropriate action on their behalf. 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
99 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

In order for a proxy appointment or instruction made by means of CREST to be valid, the appropriate 
CREST  message  (a  ‘CREST  Proxy  Instruction’)  must  be  properly  authenticated  in  accordance  with 
Euroclear  UK  &  Ireland  Limited’s  specifications  and  must  contain  the  information  required  for  such 
instructions, as described in the CREST Manual. The message must be transmitted so as to be received by 
the issuer’s agent (ID RA10) by 11.00 am on 19 March 2021. For this purpose, the time of receipt will be 
taken to mean the time (as determined by the timestamp applied to the message by the CREST application 
host) from which the issuer’s agent is able to retrieve the message by enquiry to CREST in the manner 
prescribed by CREST. After this time, any change of instructions to proxies appointed through CREST 
should be communicated to the appointee through other means. 

CREST members and, where applicable, their CREST sponsors or voting service providers should note 
that  Euroclear  UK  &  Ireland  Limited  does  not  make  available  special  procedures  in  CREST  for  any 
particular message. Normal system timings and limitations will, therefore, apply in relation to the input of 
CREST Proxy Instructions. It is the responsibility of the CREST member concerned to take (or, if the 
CREST member is a CREST personal member, or sponsored member, or has appointed a voting service 
provider(s), to procure that his CREST sponsor or voting service provider(s) take(s)) such action as shall 
be necessary to ensure that a message is transmitted by means of the CREST system by any particular time. 
In  this  connection,  CREST  members  and,  where  applicable,  their  CREST  sponsors  or  voting  system 
providers are referred, in particular, to those sections of the CREST Manual concerning practical limitations 
of the CREST system and timings. The Company may treat as invalid a CREST Proxy Instruction in the 
circumstances set out in Regulation 35(5)(a) of the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001. 

Any  corporation  which  is  a  shareholder  can  appoint  one  or  more  corporate  representatives  who  may 
exercise  on  its  behalf  all  of  its  powers  as  a  shareholder  provided  that  no  more  than  one  corporate 
representative exercises powers in relation to the same shares. 

As at 26 February 2021 (being the latest practicable business day prior to the publication of this Notice), 
the Company’s ordinary issued share capital consists of 47,962,516 ordinary shares, carrying one vote each. 
Therefore, the total voting rights in the Company as at 26 February 2021 are 47,962,516. 

You may not use any electronic address (within the meaning of Section 333(4) of the Companies Act 
2006) which is provided in either this Notice or any related documents (including the form of proxy) to 
communicate with the Company for any purposes other than those expressly stated. 

A copy of this Notice, and other information required by Section 311A of the Companies Act 2006, can 
be found on the Company’s website at www.quartix.com/en-gb/company/investors/ 

Any general queries by members about the Annual General Meeting should be addressed to the Company 
Secretary by letter or email at Quartix Holdings plc, 9 Dukes Court, 54~62 Newmarket Rd, Cambridge 
CB5 8DZ or investors@quartix.net