5/7/2026

speaker
Operator
Conference Operator

Greetings and welcome to the Reliance Global Group 2026 first quarter business update call. At this time, all participants are placed on a listen-only mode and a question and answer session will follow the formal presentation. If anyone should require operator assistance during the conference, please press star zero on your telephone keypad. And please note, this conference call is being recorded. I will now turn the conference over to your host, Mr. Ted Avis, Investor Relations. Sir, the floor is yours.

speaker
Ted Avis
Investor Relations

Thanks, Ali. Good afternoon and thank you for joining Reliance Global Group's 2026 First Quarter Financial Results and Business Update Conference Call. On the call with us today are Ezra Bayman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Reliance Global Group, Joel Markovits, Chief Financial Officer of Reliance, and Moish Fishman, Senior Vice President of Strategic Ventures for Reliance. Earlier today, the company announced its operating results for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, and the press release is posted on the company's website, www.relianceglobalgroup.com. In addition, the company will be filing its quarterly report on Form 10Q with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission today, which can also be accessed on the company's website as well as the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. If you have any questions after the call or would like any additional information about the company, please contact Crescendo Communications at 212-671-1020. Before Mr. Bayman reviews the company's operating results for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, we would like to remind everyone that this conference call may contain forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in the conference call, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, strategy and plans, and our expectations for future operations are forward-looking statements. The words anticipate, estimate, expect, project, plan, seek, intend, believe, may, might, will, should, could, likely, continue, design, and the negative of such terms and other words in terms of similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the company's current expectations and projections about future events and trends that it believes may affect its financial condition, result of operations, strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives, and financial needs. These forward-looking statements are subject to several risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, as described in the company's Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Because of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in the conference call may not occur, and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance, or achievements. In addition, neither the company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. The company disclaims any duty to update any of these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements attributable to the company are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements, as well as others made on this conference call. You should evaluate all forward-looking statements made by the company in the context of these risks and uncertainties. Having said that, I'd like to turn the call over to Ezra Baiman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Reliance Global Group. Ezra?

speaker
Ezra Bayman
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Thank you very much, Ted, and good afternoon, everyone. The first quarter represents an important step as we continue executing the strategy we established over the past year. During that time, we focused on simplifying the business, strengthening the balance sheet, and creating a clear framework for long-term growth. We are now building on that foundation and advancing into a more active phase of execution. Our business model is built around two complementary segments. The first is our insurance segment, an insured tech platform, which provides recurring revenue, established carrier and agent relationships, and a scalable distribution infrastructure supported by our technology platforms. This business not only generates consistent operating cash flow, but also provides visibility into market trends, customer behavior, and product demand, all of which support our broader strategic initiatives. The second is our strategic venture segment, which is anchored by Ezra International Group and our Scale 51 model, which together form the foundation of our investment strategy. Ezra International serves as the platform through which we identify and evaluate opportunities across technology and life sciences. While Scale 51 provides the operating discipline we use to deploy capital in stages and scale those businesses over time through an ownership-driven approach. This combination allows us to maintain a stable operating base while selectively allocating capital into opportunities where we identify a high potential for growth and value over time. Within our insurance operations, we continue to operate a more streamlined and efficient business following the portfolio realignment completed in 2025. Those actions reduce complexity, improve cost structure, and position the platform for more scalable growth. ReliExchange remains a central component of this strategy. It provides a technology-enabled distribution network connecting independent agents with carrier markets while allowing us to expand our tech reach without a corresponding increase in fixed costs. During the quarter, we continued to enhance the platform with the rollout of ReliExchange 2.0. which is designed to improve scalability, streamline agent onboarding, and increase overall operating efficiency. These enhancements are intended to support continued growth across the network while improving productivity and reducing friction within the platform. We continue to see a steady engagement in cross-reliance exchange. I believe it positions us well to drive organic growth over time. In addition, 5minuteinsured.com continues to support direct-to-consumer acquisition, complementing our agency network and expanding our distribution capabilities. Taken together, these operations provide a stable foundation that supports both current performance and our broader strategic initiatives. Turning to Ezra International Group and our Scale 51 model, this is where we are beginning to see the strategy translate into execution. Ezra International serves as the platform through which we identify and evaluate opportunities across technology and life sciences, while Scale 51 provides the framework we use to structure investments, deploy capital progressively, and expand our ownership as businesses demonstrate tangible progress. Our focus is on identifying emerging technologies early, deploying capital in a disciplined manner, and increasing ownership of those businesses as those businesses achieve defined technical and commercial milestones. This approach allows us to align capital deployment with performance, manage risk more effectively, and build positions in companies that demonstrate measurable progress. A clear example of the ESJA strategy in action is our investment in Quantum. And Quantum is developing post-Quantum cybersecurity technology designed to address what we believe is a significant long-term challenge in data security. As quantum computing advances, existing encryption methods may become vulnerable, creating the need for a quantum-resistant solution across industries. Through our milestone-based investment structure to date, we have increased our ownership in EnQuantum to approximately 29%, with the increase tied directly to the achievement of defined technical and commercial milestones. This reflects the performance-driven investment model we are applying a core scale 51, where additional capital is committed as execution is demonstrated. We have supercharged the existing top tier in quantum team with commercialization experts that serve to further enhance the reach of the posting quantum cryptography solutions that they provide their customers. More recently, we expanded into a new vertical with the launch of LifeSci Global Group, led by highly qualified biotech professionals, David Turner and Scott Corman. Life sciences represent an area of significant long-term opportunity, particularly as advancements in data, diagnostics, and artificial intelligence continue to reshape how diseases are detected, monitored, and treated. We are seeing increasing demand for early detection, more precise diagnostics, and less invasive testing methods, all of which are driving innovation across the healthcare ecosystem. These trends are creating opportunities for emerging platforms with differentiated technologies to scale over time. LifeSci provides a dedicated platform through which we can pursue these opportunities using the same-stage investment approach, with a focus on expanding our participation in businesses as they progress both technically and commercially. LifeSci Global marked its initial transaction with the completion of a strategic investment into Invernate, I'm sorry, into innovative radiopharmaceuticals. A developer of position imaging, I'm sorry, positron emission tomography imaging and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals focused initially on neuroblastoma and broader future applications in cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. We also continue to evaluate and support additional opportunities within its expanding pipeline. Opportunities like this align with our focus on emerging technologies that address meaningful clinical needs, particularly in areas where innovation can improve outcomes and expand over time into broader indications. The investment into Innovate reflects the type of differentiated platforms we are targeting within the life sciences sector using our faith capital deployment strategy. In summary, we are building a business with two complementary drivers of value, a stable cash-generating insurance platform and a scalable acquisition plus investment strategy focused on innovation and long-term growth. What is important is how these two components work together. Our insurance platform provides a consistent operating foundation and financial flexibility, while our investment strategy allows us to deploy capital into emerging opportunities where we believe we can build larger ownership stakes as those businesses gain traction. As we look ahead, our focus is on continuing to execute this model in a disciplined and repetitive way, broadening our opportunity set, advancing current investments, and increasing exposure to platforms that demonstrate meaningful progress. While we are still in the early stages of this strategy, we believe the foundation we have established, combined with progress, we are beginning to see across multiple verticals position us well, to create long-term value for our shareholders. I would like now to turn the call over to Joel Markowitz, Chief Financial Officer of Reliance Global, to review the Q1 2026 financial results. Joel?

speaker
Joel Markovits
Chief Financial Officer

Thank you very much, Ezra, and good afternoon, everyone. It's my absolute pleasure to review our key financial highlights for the quarter-ended March 31, 2026. All figures discussed are approximate. Starting with a consolidated balance sheet, we continued to strengthen our financial position during the quarter. At March 31, 2026, compared to December 31, 2025, unrestricted cash increased to $2.3 million, compared with $1.3 million. Combined cash, including restricted cash, increased to $3.2 million versus $2.7 million. Wealth and capital improved to $2.6 million, compared with $1.9 million, and stockholders' equity increased to $7.4 million, compared with $6.4 million. These improvements reflect our continued focus on maintaining financial flexibility while supporting the execution of our strategic initiatives. Planning to consolidate financial results. Commission income for the quarter was $3.8 million, compared with $4.2 million in the prior year period. The decrease was primarily due to the 2025 divestiture of certain non-core operations, and the decline was partially offset by 11% organic revenue growth from the company's retained businesses. Commission expense was $1.6 million compared with $1.5 million for the same period in 2025. The increase primarily reflects higher commission rates driven by general market conditions, as well as increased commission expense consistent with 11% organic revenue growth in the retained businesses. Salaries and wages were $1.6 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, compared with $2.2 million in the prior year period. The decrease was primarily attributable to lower stock-based compensation expense as well as reduced personnel costs following the divestiture of the non-cooperations during 2025. General and administrative expenses were $1.4 million in the first quarter of 2026, compared with $1.5 million in the prior year period. The decrease primarily reflects continued cost optimization efforts and lower non-cash equity compensation expense. Net loss improved to $1.4 million for the first quarter of 2026, compared with $1.7 million for the same period in 2025. Improvement was primarily attributable to lower operating expenses and reduced interest expense. Just as EBITDA, our EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, was negative 0.4 million compared with positive EBITDA of 0.1 million for the same period in 2025. The decrease primarily reflects lower stock-based compensation add-backs in 2026 compared to the prior year period. Partially offset, by improved operating performance, including lower salaries and wages, and reduced general and administrative expenses. Turning briefly to segment performance, our strategic ventures segment, net loss of $0.4 million, primarily reflects costs associated with the launch and ongoing development of Azure International Group and Scale 51 operating models. as well as equity investment loss related to our investment in quantum. Our insurance segment net income improved to $0.7 million for the first quarter of 2026, compared with $0.5 million for the same period in 2025. Improvement was driven by lower operating expenses, continued efficiencies from the company's one-firm initiative, and 11% year-over-year revenue growth from the company's retained businesses. Overall, our financial results reflect a company that is more streamlined, more focused, and operating from a stronger balance sheet, while continuing to invest selectively in growth initiatives aligned with our long-term strategy. With that, I'll turn it back to the operator for questions.

speaker
Operator
Conference Operator

Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, at this time, we'll be conducting our question and answer session. If you would like to ask a question, please press star 1 on your telephone keypad. A confirmation tone will indicate your line is in the question key. You may press star 2 if you would like to remove your question from the queue. And for participants using speaker equipment, it may be necessary to pick up your handset before pressing the star key. One moment, please, while we poll for questions. Thank you. Our first question is coming from Chaim Englender, who is an investor. Your line is live.

speaker
Chaim Englender
Investor

Hello. Hi. Can you hear me?

speaker
Ezra Bayman
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Yes, we do.

speaker
Chaim Englender
Investor

Yeah. Hi, Ezra. Okay. Congratulations on all your milestones, and you should keep having much success. I just wanted to compliment you guys. I know you went into the Zcash. I don't know if you're following it, but it was almost 600 last night on the plan on doing any more or we did observe the growth.

speaker
Ezra Bayman
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Yeah, that's actually one of the is probably the best performing crypto around. You know, our main strategy is right now. Yeah, right. It's a great story. So right now we feel comfortable we did the Z cash but and we did it, you know, smartly not recklessly not putting that deploying that much but we are in the in the positive now with it actually. But we're looking to see if we should do further. We're focusing more on the bread and butter businesses, both in insurance and the tech. But, you know, we will look at it. But we are going to thank God, happy that we made the Zcash choice.

speaker
Chaim Englender
Investor

I can go through your whole 10K. Is it listed as your asset here?

speaker
Ezra Bayman
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Yes, I believe it is. Joe, you can say where is it listed as an asset?

speaker
Joel Markovits
Chief Financial Officer

Of course, yeah. It would be on the the heading digital assets and the balance sheet.

speaker
Chaim Englender
Investor

Okay, and just make sure they pick it up out there. Oh, yeah.

speaker
Ezra Bayman
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

One of your great assets that you have. Thank you. I appreciate that. Thank you very much.

speaker
Operator
Conference Operator

Thank you. Once again, ladies and gentlemen, if you do have any questions, please press star 1 on your telephone keypad. Our next question is coming from Nicole Kaufman with Black Ridge Capital. Your line is live.

speaker
Nicole Kaufman
Analyst, Black Ridge Capital

Good afternoon, gentlemen. Congratulations on the progress this quarter, and thank you for taking my questions. My first question, would you please provide some additional color on a quantum model and what the milestones to continue increasing your ownership position towards 51% are based on? And more broadly, how should investors think about the pace of deployment under the Ezra Scale 51 model going forward towards additional acquisitions or investments?

speaker
Ezra Bayman
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Okay, I think Moshe Fishman is best equipped to answer those questions.

speaker
Moish Fishman
Senior Vice President of Strategic Ventures

Hello, everybody. Moshe Fishman here. I'll tell you with the milestones, while they're not publicly announced, but they all have underlying similarities, that the equity for Ezra is designed to increase as the company risks decrease. And that's really, we want to have a bigger piece increase. and not continue funding until we see any risk profile look healthier. And that's really with every young company. As it matures, the risks go down, and that's purposely designed in that manner. As well as additional acquisitions, investments into additional companies, we have and we continue to review many companies that are looking to be acquired or invested by Ezra. and we are looking at many aspects of these potential companies, and we're quite selective to partner with a company that we feel our combined skill set from our team combined with the current company leadership is going to create tremendous value for our shareholders. That's really the front and center looking at the big picture of trying to create value for the shareholders.

speaker
Nicole Kaufman
Analyst, Black Ridge Capital

Thank you. Yeah, I appreciate that. And you guys mentioned approximately 11% organic revenue growth from the retained insurance operations despite the portfolio realignment. Could you discuss what is driving that growth and how you see the insurance platform contributing to the company's broader strategy going forward?

speaker
Ezra Bayman
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Absolutely. I'll handle that. The truth is we're very proud to say that, you know, we bought Real Eye Exchange. It was originally Barron Associates in 2022. It's about four years now. And we've pretty much over the last year or two perfected the system of getting new agents. Remember when we started and we acquired that business, it had about 60-something agents. We're now over 300. And the system is getting better and stronger, even, you know, exponentially somewhat. And we are really – I think I could say this because no secret everyone in the world is – using AI to better things. We actually were, you know, in serious discussions with some real AI experts, some of which we have in-house, to really supercharge that business, really. In other words, we're just getting, because the system works. You know, with the agents, they bring business, we give them five-minute insurance, strong support, they're able to quote and save tremendous amount of time not having to go back and forth getting quotes from carriers. Literally in five minutes, they have it all in front of them. So the system works. We're getting compliments. We're giving them good back office support. But as AI improves, less back office support is needed. So it's really ripe for super growth on that. And we're in the midst of that. So we look forward to even showing much bigger than 11% increases. It is going in the right direction, and we're proud of that. But now with different things going on in AI and technology on our also are stronger as we grow. We're getting stronger on better connections with the carriers, specifically meaning we get better commissions, better service. They're happy because we're spread also geographically, but not just in one location. So the carriers like that too. So we're looking forward to someone asking that question next quarter or in a few quarters and even getting a stronger response. But we're on it and it's working and The old saying, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, just improve it. That's what we're doing.

speaker
Nicole Kaufman
Analyst, Black Ridge Capital

Yeah, well, thank you. I look forward to seeing that. And my last question, can you elaborate on the strategic rationale behind launching LifeSite Global Group and how you evaluate opportunities like Intervate? Like what characteristics are you looking for when considering additional life sciences investments?

speaker
Ezra Bayman
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

So as you probably know, life science investments are, You know, very often at very early stages, you know, that's what they remain early stages. In the life science field where you need FDA approval and, you know, of the like, we're really focusing more on companies that already have somewhat of a proven performance. In fact, the first one, Intervate, that's already after stage three testing. So it's already clinically been tested and proven. It works. It actually works. It's not hypothetical anymore. And now as we get closer to FDA approval, but it's really just going through the motions because it already works, it's really exciting. So that's one thing we look for. We're not looking for very early stage. We want to see some proven performance. And another component in the biotech sector is we look for the team. The team, the people are, you know, that's one thing even with modern technology and AI and everything else, You need people. You need good people. And that comes with a very good team. I mean, as you know, it says that Scott Corman has been a board member with us for six years. He's an expert. He's actually, him and his partner, David Turner, have several, this is probably the most important, they have several successful exits. So they've been, they know it, they know what to do, where to focus on, and they've made significant dollar and cent exits. That's what we're looking for. So it's a combination of better than just early stage, good team, and that it makes sense, common sense. We happen to be helping the world too, in this case, you know, curing a rare child's disease, which is devastating. This would be a beautiful thing to literally help the world. Thank you very much.

speaker
Nicole Kaufman
Analyst, Black Ridge Capital

Well, I appreciate that. Yes, I appreciate the clarity on my questions. And if I have any others, I'll jump back in the queue. Thank you very much.

speaker
Ezra Bayman
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Great. Thanks. Thanks very much.

speaker
Operator
Conference Operator

Thank you. We currently have no further questions in the queue at that time. If there will be any final questions, please indicate so now by pressing star one. Okay, as there are no further questions at this time, I'd like to turn the call back over to management for any closing remarks.

speaker
Joel Markovits
Chief Financial Officer

Thank you very much. Before we conclude today's call, I'd like to briefly highlight a few key takeaways from the quarter. First, we continue to strengthen our balance sheet with meaningful improvements in cash, working capital, and stockholders' equity, providing us with increased financial flexibility. Second, the benefits of the portfolio management completed during 2025 are becoming increasingly evident as you continue operating with a more streamlined and efficient structure that is better aligned with our long-term strategic priorities. Our insurance segment and InsurTech platform continue to provide a stable operational and financial foundation for the business, generating recurring revenues and supporting investment and future growth opportunities. Finally, we are continuing to execute on our strategic venture strategy through Azure International Group and Scale 51 operating model, advancing current investments while expanding our pipeline in a disciplined and selective manner. As we look ahead, Our focus remains on maintaining this disciplined approach while continuing to execute across both our operating platforms and strategic venture initiatives. We appreciate your time today and your continued interest in Reliance Global Group. We look forward to updating you again next quarter. In the meantime, on behalf of Ezra and the entire Reliance team, thank you and have a great day.

speaker
Operator
Conference Operator

Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen this does conclude today's call. You may disconnect your lines at this time and we thank you for your participation.

Disclaimer

This conference call transcript was computer generated and almost certianly contains errors. This transcript is provided for information purposes only.EarningsCall, LLC makes no representation about the accuracy of the aforementioned transcript, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the information provided by the transcript.

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