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Big Technologies 311p  £897m (BIG.L)

The UK-based remote people monitoring technology company, issues a trading update ahead of the announcement scheduled for 24th March 2022 of its full year results for the year ended 31st December 2021. “The Group continued to deliver a robust performance throughout 2021 and has continued to win new customers which underpins our revenue forecast for 2022. As a result, revenue for the year ended 31st December 2021 is expected to be at least £36.5m (2020: £29.6m) and adjusted EBITDA is expected to be slightly ahead of current market expectations of c.£20.2m (2020: £15.7m). Net cash as at 31st December 2021 increased to £48m which provides significant financial flexibility to invest in our operations and technology. As we look forward to 2022 the Group expects to deliver year on year revenue growth at a similar growth rate to that experienced in 2021 and a further increase in the adjusted EBITDA margin as we continue to penetrate new geographic markets and scale-up our business activities.”

Capital For Colleagues 68.5p  £12.7m (AQSE:CFCP)

The investment vehicle focused on opportunities in the Employee Owned Business (EOB) sector, announces an investment update in respect of the quarter ended 30 November 2021. Portfolio comprised of 14 unquoted EOBs at the end of the quarter (31 August 2021: 15). Net Asset Value (‘NAV’) of £10,953,799 (31 August 2021: £10,764,556). NAV per share increased to 70.94 pence in the quarter (31 August 2021: 69.71 pence per share). The Company sold its investment in portfolio company Office for Public Management Limited (‘OPML’), for cash consideration of £469k. The Company invested £250k in OPML in 2016 and realised its investment to leave OPML as a 100% EOB. As at 30 November 2021, the Company’s portfolio of investments was valued at £8,433,691 (including loans) and comprised 14 companies operating across a range of sectors.

Creo Medical 129p  £233.5m (CREO.L)

The medical device company focused on the emerging field of surgical endoscopy, provides an update on its Kamaptive Technology licensing and partnership programme. The Company has entered into non-binding heads of terms with a number of parties which relate to the Company’s SpydrBlade, Cool Plasma and MicroBlate technologies. As outlined previously, Creo is developing its business through a three-tiered Build, Buy and Partner strategy.  Having already demonstrated execution on the Build and Buy elements, the Partner strategy aims to create shareholder value through granting third-party access to Creo’s advanced energy technology in markets adjacent to those where the Company is already operating. This includes fields such as laparoscopic surgery, robotically assisted surgery, and non-thermal plasma sterilisation.  

Croma Security Solutions Group 88.5p  £13.2m (CSSG.L)

The total security services provider, has entered into a new strategic partnership with FinGo, a biometric identity authentication and payments platform. The new alliance will complement and strengthen each company’s leading solutions in the provision of non-invasive biometric technology. Croma currently deploys FASTVEIN™ biometrics across the education and construction sectors, providing customers with a quick, easy to use, accurate and cost-effective identity management. Working with FinGo will allow Croma to expand its product suite to include payments alongside existing identity and access control offerings in these sectors. This partnership will also expand FinGo’s digital identity management and payment expertise to include access management. Over the last 12 months, FinGo has adapted its solutions to integrate with COVID-support services, including secure contact tracing within hospitality settings and verification of employee COVID test results within the care industry. The company is also in talks with policy makers over the use of FinGo and vein ID for vaccine certification.

 LendInvest 215p  £296m (LINV.L)

The UK’s leading technology driven asset manager for property finance, has reached £2bn Assets Under Management as of 17 January 2022. LendInvest achieved £1bn AuM in July 2019 after more than ten years of growth. Two and a half years later it has doubled this figure to £2bn driven by the success of its technology offering and strong demand for its Buy-to-Let assets and the launch of innovative products including its EPiC range for green properties and 7-Year fixed rate loan. LendInvest is on track for its 8th consecutive year of profitable growth from operations and remains poised to capture an increasing share of the property finance market in years to come as it enters the specialist homeowner segment in the next financial year.

Microlise Group 170p  £197.1m (SAAS.L)

The provider of transport management software to fleet operators, updated on trading for the eighteen months ended 31 December 2021. The Group expects to publish its results for the Period in early April. Strong growth in Revenue and EBITDA, in line with market expectations. Annual Recurring Revenue run rate as at 31 December 2021 was £39m, an increase of 9% on December 2020 (£35.7m) . Net cash at Period end of £13.4m. Over 65 new customers added in the Period supported by new long-term contracts with existing customers, including a new 5-year agreement with JCB, leading to a 10% increase in the number of like-for-like subscriptions to 551k from 502k. Broadened product offering with launch of new software solutions to grow recurring revenue per customer. Successful admission to AIM, raising £61.2m of gross proceeds including £18.6m for the Company, to accelerate organic growth and support the Group’s M&A strategy. Lucy Sharman-Munday will be joining the Board on 1 February 2022 as an independent Non-Executive Director. Lucy will chair the Audit Committee. With over 16 years of experience in the technology sector, including working for 5one Group, Adapt Group Ltd and iSOFT plc, Lucy is the Chief Financial Officer of AIM-listed Eagle Eye Solutions Group PLC, a leading SaaS technology company, having joined in 2014.

Mirriad Advertising 20p  £55.8m (MIRI.L)

The in-content advertising company, today issues a trading update for the year ended 31 December 2021. Total revenue for FY2021 is expected to be approximately £2.0m. The Company has seen strong year-on-year growth in the key US market, with the number of campaigns in the US more than doubling between FY2020 and FY2021, and the average campaign size also increasing by more than a third year-on-year. As a result, US revenue rose by more than 180% to approximately £884k. Of this, approximately 70% was generated in H2 2021, illustrating substantial momentum in this key advertising market for Mirriad. European revenues rose by more than 68% to approximately £143K, with 65% of this booked in H2 2021; a similar pattern  to the US.  The Company is building on its strong momentum and adoption in the US to scale further, with additional investment for the integration of Mirriad into the media buying ecosystem and business development hires now expected throughout 2022. Recent product developments include an important AdTech partnership in the US that will help accelerate Mirriad’s strategy to make in-content inventory available at scale in industry-leading digital media buying platforms. The Company closed the year with a cash balance of £24.5m.

Oracle Power 0.36p  £9.5m (ORCP.L)

The international natural resources project developer, has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Sui Southern Gas Company Limited , a publicly listed company on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, which is majority-owned by the Government of Pakistan, relating to the joint development of a synthetic natural gas (syngas) project utilising coal from Thar.  The MoU establishes the basis for Oracle and SSGC to explore and carry out feasibility studies for the potential development, owning, operating and sale of syngas from Thar coal to SSGC. Syngas produced from this arrangement would be integrated into SSGC’s transmission and distribution network which delivers pipeline quality indigenous natural gas and re-gasified liquified natural gas (LNG) to domestic, commercial & industrial consumers. SSGC is a Public Listed Large Scale Company and is a Pakistan’s leading integrated gas company, the Government of Pakistan is the company’s largest shareholder. Pakistan is facing a severe shortage of natural gas, expected to be approximately 2,000 MMCFD in the next five years. Securing imported LNG has also become problematic given commodity and transport price inflation. Therefore the fundamentals for domestically produced syngas are very compelling. Feasibility studies will now be initiated with a view to entering into definitive agreements for the sale and purchase of syngas and evaluate potential for investment and support by SSGC in the project.

Samarkand 155p  £80m (AQSE:SMK)

The cross-border eCommerce technology solution provider, has formed an Alliance Partnership with FedEx, utilising the Nomad technology platform to power cross-border eCommerce from international markets into China. The Nomad Checkout solution will be available to all FedEx clients via the Compatible Solutions Program through a direct integration between the Nomad platform and FedEx. Under the Compatible Solutions Program, merchants will be able to discover the Nomad Checkout solution and quickly be onboarded using their FedEx account.  Nomad Checkout will be the first specific solution within the program for the Chinese CBEC market. FedEx sales teams will be trained on the benefits of the Nomad solution along with co-branded marketing activities to promote the solution to merchants globally. 

Touchstar 86p  £7.3m (TST.L)

The suppliers of mobile data computing solutions and managed services to a variety of industrial sectors, gave a trading update for the year ended 31 December 2021 . The unaudited full year outcome for FY21 is above market expectations in terms of profitability and cash generation. The Board anticipates profit after tax to be approximately 200% higher than FY20; EBITDA growth of over 20% compared to FY20; cash generation to be considerably stronger than expected; a year-end cash balance of £2.5m (31 December 2020:£1.9m); and  an order book at year end of £646k (31 December 2020: £475k). Touchstars evolution to a SaaS model continues, this brings benefits from long term contracts and high levels of customer retention.  Recurring revenue accounted for 38% of total revenue in 2021 (FY20: 35%). Rate of growth in recurring revenue of 14%. The Board believes that the prospects for the Group appear more positive and more certain than for a long time;  the rate of growth in revenue and EBITDA will accelerate in 2022 driving further substantial improvement in financial performance; the growth in SaaS revenues is likely to outpace the Company’s overall growth rate with the aim for recurring revenue moving towards 40% of total revenue by the end of FY22: and recent and continuing supply chain constraints appear manageable.

What’s cooking in the IPO kitchen?

Artemis Resources ltd, an ASX listed mining exploration and development company intends to join AIM. The Company owns projects based in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, the Greater Carlow Gold-Copper-Cobalt Project in the West Pilbara and the Paterson Central exploration project in the East Pilbara. The Company also owns the Radio Hill processing plant that is currently on care and maintenance. This plant is strategically located only 35km from the Greater Carlow Project. Mkt Cap TBC, Capital to be raised approximately £5m. Due 7th Feb.

Hercules Site Services a technology enabled labour supply company for the UK infrastructure sector,  intends to float on AIM.  Hercules is seeking to raise approximately £5.5m to rapidly deliver on the significant demand it is experiencing for its diverse range of services across the UK infrastructure sector, including to scale up its operations to supply labour to the northern section of the HS2 rail project from London to Birmingham. In addition, up to £4.5m will be raised for the existing shareholder from the sale of part of its interest in the Company. Hercules has a sustained track record of revenue growth from £9.7m in FY 2015 to £30.7m in FY 2019 and has experienced a strong rebound following Covid-19 growing to £14.0m in H1 FY 2021. Expected early Q1 2022.

Spinnaker Acquisitions plc, intends to join the Main Market (Standard). The Company have conditionally agreed to acquire the entire issued share capital of HomeServe Labs Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of FTSE250 quoted public company HomeServe Plc, by way of a reverse takeover conditional, inter alia on relisting and successful completion of fundraising activities to be undertaken by way of a placing and direct subscriptions by new and existing investor. If the Proposed Transaction proceeds to completion, it is proposed to change the name of the Company to Ondo InsurTech Plc and the name of Labs, which will become a subsidiary of the Company, to LeakBot Ltd. Should the Proposed Transaction not proceed, then the Company would need to apply for the suspension of its listing of ordinary shares to be lifted and for trading to be restored. £5m capital to be raised. Due early 2022.

Unbound Group PLC, (currently called Electra Private Equity PLC) to join AIM. Unbound Group, will be the parent company for a range of brands focused on the 55 plus demographic.  Initially focused on Hotter Shoes, Unbound’s curated, multi-brand retail platform will offer additional products and services that will enhance the enjoyment and wellbeing of its targeted customer community.  This online platform will be based on the foundations of Hotter Shoes as a trusted brand, cloud-based digital infrastructure, and strong customer personalisation through data insight. No capital being raised on Admission. Anticipated Mkt Cap c.£30m. Due 31st Jan.

Clean Power Hydrogen, the UK-based green hydrogen technology and manufacturing company that has developed the IP-protected Membrane-Free Electrolyser is seeking to join AIM. The Group designs and manufactures hydrogen production units and is focused on the commercial production of green hydrogen in a simple, safe, and sustainable manner. The Group intends to raise approximately £50m. Timing TBC.

SuperSeed Capital Limited, to join the AQSE Growth Market. The Company will invest in technology-led innovation primarily through unquoted funds managed by SuperSeed Ventures, the Company’s Investment Manager, with the objective of maximising the investors’ long term total returns – principally through capital appreciation. Mkt Cap and Capital to be raised TBC.

Carbon Air, a nano-technology company which leverages the adsorption properties of activated carbon and other advanced materials to improve suspension systems, enhance acoustics or reduce noise, to join AIM. The Company’s proprietary technology has allowed it to develop a unique portfolio of solutions for a variety of sizeable end markets, including vehicle suspension systems, acoustic insulation for domestic appliances and micro-speakers for smartphones. Mkt Cap and Capital to be raised TBC. Due Late Jan.

i(x) Net Zero, the investing company which focusses on Energy Transition and Sustainability in the Built Environment, announces its intention to join AIM and raise money to provide development and expansion capital to certain of its investee companies, for future investments in companies that fall primarily within its areas of interest in Energy Transition and Sustainability in the Built Environment and to provide working capital for the Group. Capital to be raised £20m. Expected admission late Jan.

Spiritus Mundi due to join the Main Market (Standard), a special purpose acquisition vehicle which will seek acquisition targets in Europe and Asia in the clinical diagnostics sector. The Company has already raised approximately £1.2m in a pre-IPO fundraising round. Due late Jan 2022.

Recycling Tech Group to join AIM, a UK-based engineering, research and manufacturing company that has developed a modular and mass producible machine, the RT7000, which processes hard to recycle plastic waste into a synthetic oil that can be sold back to the petrochemicals industry as a chemical feedstock to make new plastics. Targeting a £40m raise. Due early Q1 2022. 

Nu-Oil and Gas  to acquire Guardian Maritime Ltd and Guardian Barriers IP Ltd and become Guardian Global Security plc and join the Main Market (Standard). Guardian is a technology group that supplies products to prevent unauthorised entry into areas that are deemed to have value, with maritime security being the main focus initially. Due late Jan 2022.

Superdielectrics to join AIM, a Company which is focused on developing technology to build supercapacitors with high energy density, low cost, and environmentally benign electrical energy storage devices that will help create a clean and sustainable global energy and transportation system. Admission is expected to take place in Late Jan 2022. Mkt Cap and Capital to be raised TBC.

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