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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 20-F

(Mark One)

☐REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(B) OR 12(G) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

OR

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024

OR

☐TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from __________ to __________

OR

☐SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of event requiring this shell company report:

Commission File Number:001-41639

SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited Company

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Not applicableIreland
(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

Mespil Business Centre

Mespil House, Sussex Road

Dublin 4, Ireland, D04 T4A6

+353-1-920-1000

(Address of principal executive offices)

Haggai Alon

haggai@securitymattersltd.com

Mespil Business Centre

Mespil House, Sussex Road

Dublin 4, Ireland, D04 T4A6

Tel:+353-1-920-1000

(Name, Telephone, Email and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person)

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each classTrading Symbol(s)Name of each exchange on which registered
Ordinary Shares, with a nominal value of $0.00000000000001 per shareSMXNasdaq Stock Market LLC
Warrants, each exercisable for one Ordinary Share at an exercise price of $540,787.50 per shareSMXWWNasdaq Stock Market LLC

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report: On December 31, 2024, the issuer had 1,163,365 Ordinary Shares, with a par value of $4.70250015 per share and 132 public warrants each exercisable for one Ordinary Share at an exercise price of $540,787.50 per share outstanding (“Public Warrants”).

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes☐ No ☒

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Yes☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer☐Accelerated filer☐
Non-accelerated filer☒Emerging growth company☒

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.☐

†The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting over Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.☐

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b).☐

Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

US GAAP ☐International Financial Reporting Standards as issued ☒Other ☐
by the International Accounting Standards Board ®

If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow. Item 17☐ Item 18☐

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes☐ No☒

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL INFORMATION1
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS1
PART I3
ITEM 1. IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISORS3
A. Directors and Senior Management3
B. Advisors3
C. Auditors3
ITEM 2. OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE3
A. Offer Statistics3
B. Method and Expected Timetable3
ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION3
A. [Reserved]3
B. Capitalization and Indebtedness3
C. Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds3
D. Risk Factors3
ITEM 4. INFORMATION OF THE COMPANY27
A. History and Development of the Company27
B. Business Overview30
C. Organizational Structure43
D. Property, Plants and Equipment43
ITEM 4A. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS43
ITEM 5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS44
A. Operating Results46
B. Liquidity and Capital Resources51
C. Research and Development, Patents and Licenses, Etc.61
D. Trend Information72
E. Critical Accounting Estimates73
ITEM 6. DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES74
A. Directors and Senior Management74
B. Compensation79
C. Board Practices81
D. Employees83
E. Share Ownership84
F. Disclosure of a Registrant’s Action to Recover Erroneously Awarded Compensation84
ITEM 7. MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS84
A. Major Shareholders84
B. Related Party Transactions86
C. Interests of Experts and Counsel90
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL INFORMATION90
A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information90
B. Significant Changes91
ITEM 9. THE OFFER AND LISTING94
A. Offer and Listing Details94
B. Plan of Distribution94
C. Markets94
D. Selling Shareholders95
E. Dilution95
F. Expenses of the Issue95
ITEM 10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION95
A. Share Capital95
B. Memorandum and Articles of Association95
C. Material Contracts95
D. Exchange Controls96

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E. Taxation96
F. Dividends and Paying Agents106
G. Statement by Experts106
H. Documents on Display106
I. Subsidiary Information107
ITEM 11. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK107
ITEM 12. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES107
A. Debt Securities107
B. Warrants and Rights107
C. Other Securities107
D. American Depositary Shares107
PART II108
ITEM 13. DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES108
ITEM 14. MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS108
ITEM 15. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES108
A. Disclosure Controls and Procedures108
C. Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm109
D. Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting109
ITEM 16. [RESERVED]109
ITEM 16A. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT109
ITEM 16B. CODE OF ETHICS109
ITEM 16C. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES110
ITEM 16D. EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARD FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES110
ITEM 16E. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS110
ITEM 16F. CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT110
ITEM 16G. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE111
ITEM 16H. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE112
ITEM 16I. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS112
ITEM 16J. INSIDER TRADING POLICIES112
ITEM 16K. CYBERSECURITY112
PART III113
ITEM 17. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS113
ITEM 18. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS113
ITEM 19. EXHIBITS114
EXHIBIT INDEX114

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The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.