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Note 5 - Business Combination

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Notes to Financial Statements

Business Combination Disclosure [Text Block]

NOTE 5: BUSINESS COMBINATION

On November 12, 2021, the Company and Reflect, entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (as amended on February 8, 2022 and February 11, 2023, the “Merger Agreement") pursuant to which a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Creative Realities, CRI Acquisition Corporation, would merge with and into Reflect, with Reflect surviving the merger and becoming our wholly owned subsidiary, which transaction is referred to herein as the “Merger.” On February 17, 2022, the parties consummated the Merger.

Reflect provides digital signage solutions, including software, strategic and media services to a wide range of companies across the retail, financial, hospitality and entertainment, healthcare, and employee communications industries in North America. Reflect offers digital signage platforms, including ReflectView, a platform used by companies to power hundreds of thousands of active digital displays. Through its strategic services, Reflect assists its customers with designing, deploying and optimizing their digital signage networks, and through its media services, Reflect assists customers with monetizing their digital advertising networks.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, at the Closing, Reflect stockholders as of the effective time of the Merger collectively received from the Company, in the aggregate, the following Merger consideration: (i) $16,166 in cash, (ii) 777,778 shares of common stock of Creative Realities (valued based on an issuance price of $6 per share) (the “CREX Shares”), and (iii) the Secured Promissory Note (as described below). In addition, the Merger Agreement requires the Company to pay to the Reflect stockholders additional contingent supplemental cash payments (the “Guaranteed Consideration”), if any, payable on or after February 17, 2025 (subject to the Extension Option described below, the “Guarantee Date”), in an amount by which the value of the CREX Shares on such anniversary is less than $6.40 per share, or if certain customers of Reflect collectively achieve over 85,000 billable devices online at any time on or before December 31, 2022, is less than $7.20 per share (such applicable amount, the “Guaranteed Price”), multiplied by the amount of CREX Shares held by the Reflect stockholders on the Guarantee Date (subject to the Extension Option described below). The Company has recorded contingent liabilities related to the Guaranteed Consideration to reflect the Company's 1-for-3 reverse stock split that occurred on March 23, 2023. At or before December 31, 2022, the condition of certain customers of Reflect collectively to achieve over 85,000 billable devices online was not met. Accordingly, the amount of the Company's potential liability related to the contingent consideration was reduced at December 31, 2022 from $21.60 per share to $19.20 per share, a reduction of $2.40 per share.

The Company may exercise an extension option (the “Extension Option”) to extend the Guarantee Date by six (6) months, from February 17, 2025 to August 17, 2025, if (i) the Extension Threshold Price is greater than or equal to 70% of the Guaranteed Price described above, and (ii) the Company provides written notice of its election to exercise the Extension Option no later than February 7, 2025. The “Extension Threshold Price” means the average closing price per share of Creative Realities common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market (or NYSE) in the fifteen (15) consecutive trading day period ending February 2, 2025. The Merger Agreement provides that if the Extension Threshold Price is less than 80% of the Guaranteed Price, then the Guaranteed Price will be increased by $1.00 per share.

In connection with the Merger, the Company adopted a Retention Bonus Plan and raised capital to, among other things, pay the cash portion of the Merger consideration. The Retention Bonus Plan is described below.

Retention Bonus Plan

On February 17, 2022, in connection with the Closing, the Company adopted a Retention Bonus Plan, pursuant to which the Company is required to pay to key members of Reflect’s management team an aggregate of $1,334 in cash, which was paid 50% at the Closing, and subject to continuous employment with Reflect or Creative Realities, 25% was paid on February 17, 2023 (the one-year anniversary of Closing) and 25% was paid on February 17, 2024 (the two-year anniversary of the Closing). In connection with the closing of the Merger, the future cash payments due on the one-year and two-year anniversaries of the Closing were deposited into an escrow agreement. The Retention Bonus Plan also requires the Company to issue Common Stock having an aggregate value of $667 to the plan participants as follows: 50% of the value of such shares were issued at the Closing, and subject to continuous employment with Reflect or Creative Realities, 25% of the value of such shares was issued on February 17, 2023 (the one-year anniversary of Closing) and the remaining 25% of the value of such shares will be issued on February 17, 2024 (the two-year anniversary of the Closing). The shares issued on the Closing were valued at $6.00 per share. The shares issued on the one-year anniversary were valued at $2.22 based on the value of shares issuable divided by the trailing 10-day volume weighted average price ("VWAP") of the shares as of February 17, 2023 as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The Company issued 62,475 shares to key members of Reflect's management team pursuant to the Retention Bonus Plan. Certain participants made an election to have stock withheld to cover applicable withholding taxes. In such cases, the Company reduced the stock award issued to the employee and settled the employees tax liability by remitting cash to the applicable taxing authorities. The shares issued on the two-year anniversary were valued at $3.29 based on the value of shares issuable divided by the trailing 10-day volume weighted average price ("VWAP") of the shares as of February 17, 2024 as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The Company issued 37,632 shares to key members of Reflect's management team pursuant to the Retention Bonus Plan. Certain participants made an election to have stock withheld to cover applicable withholding taxes. In such cases, the Company reduced the stock award issued to the employee and settled the employees tax liability by remitting cash to the applicable taxing authorities.

Upon the resignation of a participant’s employment for “good reason,” or termination of the employment of a participant without “cause,” each as defined in the Retention Bonus Plan, the participant will be fully vested and will receive all cash and shares allocated to such participant under the Retention Bonus Plan. Any amounts unpaid by reason of a lapse in continuous employment or otherwise will be reallocated among the remaining Retention Bonus Plan participants.

Purchase price

The preliminary purchase price of Reflect consisted of the following items:

		Consideration
Cash consideration for Reflect stock		$	16,664	⁽¹⁾
Cash consideration for Retention Bonus Plan			1,334	⁽²⁾
Common stock issued to Reflect shareholders			4,667	⁽³⁾
Common stock issued to Retention Bonus Plan			333	⁽⁴⁾
Secured Promissory Note			2,500	⁽⁵⁾
Contingent consideration			10,862	⁽⁶⁾
Total consideration			36,360
Vendor deposit with the Company			(818	)⁽⁷⁾
Cash acquired			(812	)⁽⁸⁾
Net consideration transferred		$	34,730

(1)	Cash consideration for outstanding shares of Reflect capital stock per Merger Agreement.

(2)	Cash consideration utilized to fund the Retention Bonus Plan per Merger Agreement.

(3)	Company common stock issued in exchange for outstanding shares of Reflect capital stock per Merger Agreement.

(4)	Company common stock issued to fund initial issuances under the Retention Bonus Plan per Merger Agreement.

(5)

The Secured Promissory Note accrued interest at 0.59% (the applicable federal rate at the time of issuance of the Secured Promissory Note) and required the Company and Reflect to collectively pay equal monthly principal installments of $104 on the fifteenth (15th) day of each month, commencing on March 15, 2022. On February 11, 2023, the Company and the Stockholders’ Representative executed an amendment (the “Note Amendment”) to the Secured Promissory Note. The Note Amendment eliminated the balloon payment, extending the maturity date for a one-year period, to February 17, 2024. During the extended period, the Company continued to make monthly principal payments of $104, and the annual interest rate on the outstanding principal increased from 0.59% to 4.60%, which will accrue and is payable in full on the new maturity date.

(6)

Represents an estimate of the fair value of the Guaranteed Consideration as of the Merger, which, if any, is payable on or after February 17, 2025 (subject to the Extension Option), in an amount by which the value of the CREX Shares on such anniversary is less than $6.40 per share, multiplied by the amount of CREX Shares held by the Reflect stockholders on the Guarantee Date (subject to the Extension Option), subject to the terms of the Merger Agreement. The Company has recorded contingent liabilities related to the Guaranteed Consideration to reflect the Company's 1-for-3 reverse stock split that occurred on March 23, 2023.

(7)	Prior to the Merger, Reflect had engaged the Company on a project and paid the Company a deposit of $818. These amounts reduced consideration paid by the Company in accordance with ASC 805.

(8)	Represents the Reflect cash balance acquired at Closing.

The Company incurred $444 of direct transaction costs related to the Reflect Merger for the year ended December 31, 2022. These costs are included in deal and transaction expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The Company accounted for the Merger using the acquisition method of accounting. The final allocation of the purchase price is based on the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of February 17, 2022, which included the following:

		Total
Accounts receivable		$	1,359
Inventory			190
Prepaid expenses & other current assets			666
Property and equipment			96
Operating right of use assets			555
Other assets			36
Identified intangible assets:
Definite-lived trade names			960
Definite-lived developed technology			5,130
Definite-lived customer relationships			11,040
Definite-lived noncompete agreements			30
Goodwill			18,935
Accounts payable			(104	)
Accrued expenses			(483	)
Customer deposits			(1,661	)
Deferred revenues			(1,259	)
Current maturities of operating leases			(277	)
Long-term obligations under operating leases			(278	)
Other liabilities			(205	)
Net consideration transferred		$	34,730

The Company engaged a third-party valuation specialist to assist in the identification and calculation of the fair value of those separately identifiable intangible assets.

The Company completed its valuation procedures by asset utilizing the following approaches:

(1) Customer relationship asset was estimated using the income approach through a discounted cash flow analysis wherein the cash flows will be based on estimates used to price the Merger. Discount rates were benchmarked with reference to the implied rate of return from the Company’s pricing model and the weighted average cost of capital.

(2) Trade name asset represents the “Reflect” brand name as marketed primarily as a full services digital software solution, marketed in numerous verticals with the exception of food service. The Company applied the income approach through an excess earnings analysis to determine the fair value of the trade name asset. The Company applied the income approach through a relief-from-royalty analysis to determine the fair value of this asset.

(3) The developed technology assets are primarily comprised of know-how and functionality embedded in Reflect’s proprietary content management applications, which drive currently marketed products and services. The Company applied the income approach through a relief-from-royalty analysis to determine the preliminary fair value of this asset.

The Company is amortizing the identifiable intangible assets on a straight-line basis over the weighted average lives ranging from 2 to 10 years as outlined in the table below. The table below sets forth the valuation and amortization period of identifiable intangible assets:

					Amortization
		Valuation			Period
Identifiable definite-lived intangible assets:
Trade names		$	960		5 years
Developed technology			5,130		10 years
Noncompete			30		2 years
Customer relationships			11,040		10 years
Total		$	17,160

The Company estimated the preliminary fair value of the acquired property, plant and equipment using a combination of the cost and market approaches, depending on the component. The preliminary fair value of such property, plant and equipment is $96.

The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the tangible net assets and identifiable intangible assets acquired was recorded as goodwill. The factors contributing to the recognition of the amount of goodwill are based on several strategic and synergistic benefits that are expected to be realized from the Merger. These benefits include a comprehensive portfolio of iconic customer brands, complementary product offerings, enhanced national footprint, and attractive synergy opportunities and value creation. None of the goodwill is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes.