Phunware redefining the way Fortune 500 brands engage with the public on mobile

Offers fully integrated enterprise cloud platform for mobile Multiscreen-as-a-Service platform offering includes software development kits, vertical solutions, a mobile application framework, and data products Top-tier customers and partners What Phunware does: Phunware Inc (NASDAQ:PHUN), which launched in 2009, provides a fully integrated enterprise cloud platform for mobile that provides products, solutions, data, and services for brands, companies, and governments. The company’s Multiscreen-as-a-Service (MaaS) offerings include engagement, management, and monetization initiatives that help the world’s most respected brands create category-defining mobile experiences. The platform is also targeted at four other verticles: Healthcare, Smart Cities, Corporate Campus, and Political Advocacy. The platform is currently largely focused on providing solutions to healthcare workers and cities confronting the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis fallout.  The Austin, Texas-based company also operates PhunCoin and PhunToken, cryptocurrencies that let users monetize their digital identity. Phunware's Software Development Kits (SDKs) include location-based services, mobile engagement, content management, messaging, advertising, loyalty and rewards (PhunCoin and Phun), and analytics, as well as a mobile application framework of pre-integrated iOS and Android software modules for building an in-house or channel-based mobile application and vertical solutions. Since its inception, Phunware has created more than 2.5 billion Phunware IDs representing mobile devices connected to networks. Phunware’s Knowledge Graph uses machine learning and proprietary algorithms to curate over five terabytes of data every day from approximately one billion of these active devices each month. Phunware’s data offerings enable brands to more accurately reach their target consumers. How is it doing: In a boost for shareholders, on June 28 Phunware joined the Russell Microcap Index in a move that will raise its profile with investors. Joining also means automatic inclusion in the appropriate growth and value style indexes, which are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for active investment strategies. In August, Phunware reported its second-quarter results showing that it generated revenue of $1.4 million. Most of that revenue came from its Multiscreen-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform subscriptions and services, at $1.2 million, during the quarter ended June 30, 2021.  And that same month, Phunware announced the launch of its MaaS Smart City Solution on Apple iOS and Google Android for the city of Pasadena, Texas to improve citizen engagement and address critical challenges to managing emergencies. Meanwhile, the recently company announced the launch of its PhunToken Purchase Portal to begin selling PhunToken to consumers, developers, and brands. Consumers will also have an opportunity to receive PhunToken from brands who integrate the PhunToken MaaS Loyalty SDK into their mobile applications for Apple iOS and Google Android, which will allow any publisher to track and reward in-app customer behavior. PhunToken, as well as PhunCoin, will be managed by PhunWallet on Apple iOS and Google Android, which was expected to be released later in the month following application approvals by the Apple App Store and Google Play, respectively. PhunToken is an innovative cryptocurrency utilized by a blockchain-enabled Mobile Loyalty Ecosystem to help drive engagement by unlocking the features and capabilities of its MaaS platform. It is designed to promote profitable behavior by rewarding consumers for their activity, such as watching branded videos, completing surveys designed to understand purchase intent, and visiting points of interest. In June, Phunware announced the initial release of its new mobile application software PhunWallet on Google Play for Android. While PhunCoin is a regulated store of value that seeks to compensate users for their data, the company noted that PhunToken is intended to be a medium of exchange that promotes profitable behavior by unlocking key features of its MaaS platform that rewards and measure engagement.  Later in the same month, Phunware announced details of its Ten Million PhunToken Sweepstakes to coincide with the release of PhunWallet on iOS on Apple App Store. The sweepstakes gives participants an opportunity to earn daily entries to win by engaging with content inside of the PhunWallet app. Ten winners will be selected to receive 1 million PhunToken each. In April, Phunware released its Data Software Development Kit (SDK) for Apple iOS and Google Android on GitHub so third-party mobile applications can reward consumers with PhunCoin for their data. By integrating this lightweight SDK, any mobile application publisher can monetize and reward their audiences by signing them up to be compensated any time their data is purchased by brands. A week earlier, Phunware had released its Loyalty Software Development Kit (SDK) for Apple iOS and Google Android on GitHub to support the issuance of PhunToken by third-party mobile applications. By integrating this lightweight SDK, any mobile application publisher can track and reward in-app customer behavior on Apple iOS and Google Android.  And at the start of April, Phunware said its board had authorized bitcoin purchases in preparation for the commercial launch of its MaaS Customer Data Platform (CDP) and MaaS Mobile Loyalty Ecosystem. The company noted that it had completed an initial purchase of 25.8 bitcoin at an average price of $58,133 per bitcoin. Phunware kicked off 2021 with a big contract expansion in hand – widening its MaaS platform and MaaS Location Based Services (LBS) at Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF) through its channel partnership with Presidio. Presidio’s expanded deployment of Phunware’s MaaS platform at BHSF enables even more patients, staff members, and visitors to seamlessly engage with critical healthcare functions and navigate across an additional 3.1 million square feet of medical facilities, bringing the total MaaS LBS coverage to 6.3 million sq/ft and the total contract value to more than $1 million. In March, the company announced a partnership with Vizzia Technologies to offer its digital front door solution on mobile to leading healthcare organizations that leverage Vizzia’s real-time location systems (RTLS) technology. And in the same month, the firm revealed that it had been selected by Dignity Health, Yavapai Regional Medical Center in Arizona for its MaaS Location-Based Services in a five-year expanded deployment. And in May, Phunware announced that it has partnered with Infinite Leap as a reseller of its digital front door on mobile. Phunware noted that Infinite Leap enables healthcare organizations to fully leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) through the seamless implementation of RTLS-enabled solutions and services. Inflection points: List Phun Tokens on initial exchange(s) to support the compliant trading of utility tokens List PhunCoin on initial Alternative Trading System (ATS) platform(s) to support the compliant trading of security tokens on a licensed exchange Release MaaS PhunWallet mobile application portfolio update to enable staking and expand feature set to enhance the user experience (UX) What the broker says: On June 3, 2021, in a note to clients, Roth Capital Partners analysts repeated a 'Buy' rating and $2.50 price target on Phunware stock (current price: $1.40). Analysts noted that Phunware had now "formally" named Carrier Fire & Security Americas Corp, a subsidiary of Carrier Global Corp (NYSE:CARR), as its distribution partner. Security systems group LenelS2 is part of CARR and Phunware has already pre-integrated its Location Based Services (LBS) SDK technology into LenelS2’s BlueDiamond mobile application. Now, Phunware has licensed its Location-Based Services SDK (and potentially other services) to CARR and its affiliates for integration into 'some or all' of its existing mobile platforms, noted Roth analysts. CARR is expected to initially begin marketing PHUN’s LBS SDK and other services across its LenelS2 customer base of around 100,000, although this could lead to much larger distribution down the road, they added. "We believe much, if not all of the potential customers gained through this indirect sales distribution channel would be incremental to 2H21 revenue assumptions and lead to potential better growth overall in FY21 (currently modeled at around 21% y/y)," said Roth. What the boss says: “We were extremely encouraged by the continued operational momentum for our business during Q2 despite the ongoing pandemic, as we further accelerated our MaaS platform vision and adoption across a number of key fronts including new product introduction and indirect channel expansion,” said CEO Alan Knitowski in a statement, after reporting 2Q results. “Not only have we formally rolled out our entire blockchain-enabled Mobile Loyalty Ecosystem specific to PhunToken, PhunCoin and PhunWallet on a direct-to-consumer basis as promised, but we have also executed a brand new, global, multi-year distribution agreement with an anchor Fortune 500 distribution partner for our indirect channel." Knitowski added: “Looking ahead, I am confident that the near-term and long-term opportunities for our business are promising, as we enter the second half of the year with a solid balance sheet, a growing pipeline of customers and a robust slate of enterprise cloud solutions for mobile." Contact the author: patrick@proactiveinvestors.com Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham