This announcement contains inside information for the purposes
of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it
forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("MAR"), and is disclosed in accordance with
the Company's obligations under Article 17 of
MAR.
25 September
2024
Tekcapital
plc
("Tekcapital", the "Company" or the "Group")
Unaudited Half-yearly Report for the period
ending 30 June 2024
Net
Assets increased ~46%
to US$69.8m
Tekcapital Plc (AIM: TEK), the UK
intellectual property investment group focused on transforming
university technologies into valuable products that can improve
people's lives, is pleased to announce its results for the
six-month period ended 30 June 2024.
Dr.
Clifford M. Gross, Chairman said:
"We are excited to report
significant progress across our portfolio companies. This has
resulted in the growth of our Net Assets during the period
by ~ 46% reaching
US$69.8m with an NAV per share of US$0.35.
"Our first half performance reflects
strong commercial progress of the portfolio companies during the
period. I'm delighted that each portfolio company has grown its
respective revenues this year, validating our investment case for
each company and the Tekcapital investment process.
"I believe Tekcapital is at an
inflection point. With all but two portfolio companies trading
publicly including recently incorporated GenIP, Tekcapital has
never had greater flexibility to manage its cash position and seize
new opportunities in a manner we believe will create shareholder
value. We have demonstrated this post-period with the measured
monetisation of a portion of our Belluscura investment. Tekcapital
will remain committed long-term investors in Belluscura and other
technologies we believe have the potential to improve the lives of
a great number of people and will proactively manage our portfolio
to maximise long-term value creation for our
shareholders.
"As part of our strategy to create
value from innovative technologies, we launched GenIP this summer.
We feel its forthcoming IPO will provide UK-focused investors with
a unique opportunity to secure exposure to the fast-growing
Generative AI analytics market.
"Elsewhere in the portfolio,
Microsalt Plc and Innovative Eyewear Inc. have recorded significant
milestones in 2024 and are well placed for further growth as
standalone listed companies.
"Guident has made material progress
in commercialising its autonomous vehicle safety solutions, and
revenue generation has increased accordingly. We believe improving
market conditions and Guident's commercial advancements are
creating the ideal opportunity for Tekcapital to crystalise the
balance sheet value held in the company while providing a greater
pool of investors the chance to join us in the next phase of
Guident's scale-up. As previously announced, Guident is
seeking a private investment round and, once consummated, should
have the investor support for a range of possible future funding
opportunities, including an initial public offering."
Financial highlights
· Net
Assets at US$69.8m (31 December 2023: US$47.9m).
· NAV
per share at US$0.35 (31 December 2023: US$0.27).
· Portfolio valuation at US$61.9m (31 December 2023:
US$41.1m).
· H1
2024 profit after tax US$19.5m (H1 2023 Loss: US$10.1m), primarily
due to unrealised increase of US$20.5m in the fair value of our
portfolio companies and successful IPO of Microsalt plc.
· H1
2024 share placements of US$2.5m (H1 2023 share placements:
US$5.2m)
Operational highlights: Portfolio Companies
Microsalt® plc ("Microsalt") www.microsalt.co (AIM: SALT)
· Successfully completed its Initial Public Offering with
listing price of 43p per share and commenced trading on the AIM
market of the London Stock Exchange on February 1st, 2024.
Microsalt's share price as of 30 June 2024 was
92.5p.
· Has
been granted an important additional patent protecting the IP of
its micron-sized salt. This patent, entitled Low Sodium Salt
Composition, is focused on how Microsalt's low-sodium salt adheres
to food particles vs traditional table salt.
· Announced multiple placements of its products including
placement of SaltMe! Crisps on Thrive Market, a US-based healthy
snack marketplace with 1.2 million members, and Carma Hospital
Group, marking Company's entrance into the food service
market.
· Introduced Microsalt® shakers on Amazon UK and laid the
foundation for the UK expansion of Microsalt's bulk business with
local distribution and storage via Reliable Express.
· Continued progress towards securing large volume purchase
commitments of Microsalt® with leading food manufactures as well as
placements of its salt shakers across multiple retail locations,
and large volume commitments post period end.
Tekcapital owns 69.6% ownership of
Microsalt Ltd, valued at US$39.1m as of 30 June 2024.
Guident Ltd ("Guident") www.guident.co
· Hosted
the grand opening of its first U.S. commercial Remote Monitor and
Control Centre (RMCC) for enhancing Autonomous Vehicle ("AV")
safety. Guident's new best-in-class RMCC including video wall
displays and visualisation system, is now commercially available.
This deployment is strategically located at the Boca Raton
Innovation Campus (BRiC), the largest office complex
in Florida (1.7 million sq ft), and the Southeast's premier
technology and life-sciences hub.
· Entered into Strategic Partnership agreement with
Star Robotics, a leading Spanish security robotics company. The
Strategic Partnership will aim to
integrate Guident's teleoperation solution into Star
Robotics' products and provide an autonomous security surveillance
solution with a human-in-the-loop capability. The partnership
enables both companies to work on a combined go to market strategy
and roll out in North America
· Announced incorporation of its RMCC technology into AuVe Tech
OÜ ("Auve Tech") Level 4 MiCa autonomous shuttles. The MiCa
vehicle offers turnkey autonomous transportation solutions tailored
to diverse environments and simple integration into existing
transport networks.
Tekcapital owns 100% of the shares
of Guident Ltd, valued at US$18.1m as of 30 June 2024. Guident owns
approximately 91% of shares in Guident Corp, its US operating
subsidiary.
Belluscura® Plc ("Belluscura") www.belluscura.com
(AIM: BELL)
· Announced significant progress on sales of its X-PLOR portable
oxygen concentrator in the U.S. in the three months to May 2024
were US$820,000, monthly sales having doubled over this period. The
Company achieved sales of US$450,000 in May 2024, its highest
recorded monthly sales figure, across both D2C and B2B channels.
Sales in China continue to grow, with X-PLOR sales of over
US$200,000 in May 2024.
Tekcapital owns 6.4% of shares of
Belluscura plc, valued at US$2.2m as of 30 June 2024.
Innovative Eyewear Inc ("Lucyd")
www.lucyd.co (NASDAQ: LUCY)
· Announced a new partnership with Windsor Eyes, a leading
eyewear manufacturing and distribution firm. Over the last 50
years, Windsor has become a leading manufacturer and supplier of
fashion eyewear under the Bruno Magli, Sanctuary, Pier Martino,
Adolfo, Eyecroxx, as well as private label options
· Announced a partnership with New Look Vision Group to
distribute its smart eyewear in Canada. New Look Vision Group is
one of the largest optical groups in Canada and has been rapidly
expanding in the United States.
· Production planning and preparation for launches of its
licensed branded smart eyewear products: Nautica, Eddie Bauer and
Reebok.
· Appointed Micah Richards as a brand ambassador. Micah is a
former Olympic athlete and English footballer, turned successful
broadcaster. He is currently working for Sky Sports, CBS Sports and
BBC Sport whilst he is also a co-host of "The Rest is Football" - a
top ten UK podcast.
Tekcapital owns 100% of the shares
of Lucyd Ltd, valued at US$2.6m as of 30 June 2024. Lucyd Ltd owns
approximately 19% of shares in Innovative Eyewear, Inc.
GenIP Ltd ("GenIP")
GenIP Ltd was incorporated on 23
February 2024 with a goal of building a GenAI B2B service business.
Subsequently, Tekcapital's Invention Evaluator® and
VortechsTM business services were developed into new
services with the introduction of Generative AI large language
models (LLMs) into their workstreams. Effective 4 June 2024, GENIP
acquired certain assets and liabilities from Tekcapital related to
Invention Evaluator and Vortechs business service lines. These
assets and liabilities, disclosed in the Related Parties note to
the financial information below, were transferred to GENIP Ltd as
part of a US$191,564 capital contribution by Tekcapital plc
(recorded as Investment in GEN IP by Tekcapital). GenIP's new
products were launched in September 2024.
As of 30 June 2024, Tekcapital owned
90% of GenIP Ltd, valued at US$191,564.
Post period end highlights:
· GenIP
plc has announced a proposed an initial public offering ("IPO") on
the AIM Market through the publishing of a Schedule One through a
regulatory news service
· Belluscura announced record sales for the month of July 2024
with revenues of US$708,000. This
follows the previous monthly high set in June of US$521,000.
Belluscura noted that it expects strong sales to continue with the
broader market acceptance of the X-PLOR® and the upcoming full
release of its new patented DISCOV-R™ device.
· Guident announced on 11 July 2024 a second grant from Space
Florida to add low earth orbit, low-latency satellite connectivity
to its AV remote monitoring service. This
Space Florida-Israel Innovation grant will support the development
and implementation of a leading-edge system architecture,
leveraging non-geostationary satellite technology.
· Microsalt announced the expansion of its retail distribution
with the new placement of saltshakers in Loblaws, one
of Canada's oldest and largest supermarket retailers
which operates over 2,400 stores across Canada. This new
distribution is for both the 2oz and 6oz saltshakers. The product
is expected in stores in Q4 2024. Microsalt announced purchase
commitments of up to 350,000 lbs of Microsalt from B2B
buyers.
· Microsalt also announced further availability of its take home
saltshakers and SaltMe! branded low sodium crisps in major US based
chains including Winn-Dixie (350 stores), Sedano's (30 stores),
Fresh Thyme (70 stores), Cub Foods (80 stores). This brings the
total number of retail stores in which Microsalt's shakers or
SaltMe! crisps are available across the United States to
approximately 1,200.
· Innovative Eyewear Inc reported second quarter revenue growth
of 82% compared to the second quarter of 2023, also noting
improvement in gross margins. Innovative Eyewear anticipates the
potential for additional growth in the fourth quarter of 2024 as
the new Lucyd ArmorTM and Reebok® Powered by Lucyd lines are launched,
as the unit cost of these new products are estimated to be
significantly lower than current Lucyd Lyte models.
· Innovative Eyewear Inc also announced its Lucyd Lyte frames
are now available on Target.com.
· Tekcapital has taken steps to support the balance sheet by
monetising a portion of its stake in Belluscura whilst remaining
committed to our long-term investment in the company.
For
further information, please contact:
Tekcapital Plc
|
|
Via Flagstaff
|
Clifford M. Gross,
Ph.D.
|
|
|
|
|
|
SP Angel Corporate Finance
LLP
(Nominated Adviser and
Broker)
|
|
+44 (0) 20 3470
0470
|
Richard Morrison/Charlie Bouverat
(Corporate Finance)
Abigail Wayne / Rob Rees (Corporate
Broking)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Flagstaff Strategic and Investor
Communications
|
|
+44
(0) 20 7129 1474
|
Tim Thompson/Andrea Seymour/Fergus
Mellon
|
|
|
About Tekcapital plc
Tekcapital creates value from
investing in new, university-developed discoveries that can enhance
people's lives. Tekcapital is quoted on the AIM market of the
London Stock Exchange (AIM: symbol TEK) and is headquartered in the
UK. For more information, please visit www.tekcapital.com.
LEI: 213800GOJTOV19FIFZ85
Chairman's statement
Tekcapital brings innovations from
laboratory to market. We commercialise university intellectual
property, a process known as technology transfer. In the first half
of 2024, our key portfolio companies continued to make significant
progress and we are bullish on their future performance.
We continue to believe that when you
couple commercialisation ready, compelling university IP with
strong senior management, you increase the probability that vibrant
companies will emerge, net assets will grow, returns on invested
capital are likely to increase over time and exits, if they occur,
should happen faster. When we realise material exits, the Group's
goal is to distribute a portion of the proceeds as a special
dividend to our shareholders.
A common theme across our portfolio
companies is that they have proprietary intellectual property,
capable management, and if successful over the long-term, can
improve the quality of life for the customers they
serve.
The Company's key investments
include:
Microsalt plc (www.microsalt.co)
MicroSalt® manufactures a new
patented salt that tastes great, can be used just about everywhere
traditional salt is used, yet delivers full flavour with
approximately half the sodium of regular salt.
Investment Rationale: The food
industry is focused on developing and providing better-for-you
products that taste good but enable reduced sodium consumption. The
reason for this is that excess sodium consumption contributes to
cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of premature death
globally. According to the WHO, "Almost all populations are
consuming too much sodium. The global mean intake of adults is 4310
mg/day sodium (equivalent to 10.78 g/day salt). This is more than
double the World Health Organization recommendation for adults of
less than 2000 mg/day sodium (equivalent to < 5 g/day salt). The
primary health effect associated with diets high in sodium is
raised blood pressure, increasing the risk of cardiovascular
diseases, gastric cancer, obesity, osteoporosis, Meniere's disease,
and kidney disease. An estimated 1.89 million deaths each year are
associated with consuming too much sodium. Reducing sodium intake
is one of the most cost-effective measures to improve health and
reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases: for every US$1
invested in scaling up sodium reduction interventions, there will
be a return of at least US$12."[1]
Lucyd Ltd (www.lucyd.co)
LUCYD and its U.S. subsidiary
Innovative Eyewear Inc. is seeking to UPGRADE YOUR EYEWEAR® by
producing designer eyewear with smart features at affordable
prices. Their frames help you stay connected safely, ergonomically
and with designer styling.
Investment Rationale:
Pedestrian fatalities are at a 40 year high[2]. This is due primarily because drivers and
pedestrians alike are distracted with their smartphones.
Approximately 2/3 of the population wear corrective lenses.
Bluetooth technology has evolved, enabling it to be incorporated
into traditionally sized designer eyewear. This enables eyeglass
wearers to remain connected to their digital lives such as when
taking calls and listening to music while maintaining situational
awareness. Individuals can keep their phones in their pocket and no
ear buds are required, as the eyeglass frames contain miniature
speakers and microphones. Much as the smart watch business has
begun to eclipse the traditional watch business, we believe smart
eyewear will follow suit.
Guident Ltd (www.guident.co)
Guident Ltd seeks to improve the
safety and efficiency of autonomous vehicles and land-based
delivery drones with a software platform that enables the remote
monitoring and control of these vehicles to rapidly resolve any
mishaps.
Investment Rationale: Vehicles
of all types are rapidly becoming electric and autonomous. While
AV's are projected to be significantly safer than traditional
vehicles, there will still be mishaps and in many instances there
will be no vehicle operator present to help resolve these problems.
Guident's remote monitoring and control centre will monitor
vehicles and if necessary, provide additional support such as call
a first responder, take over control of the vehicle to move it out
of harm's way and provide real-time communication with passengers
or pedestrians.
Belluscura plc (www.belluscura.com)
Respiratory medical device company
that has developed an improved portable oxygen concentrator (POC)
to provide on-the-go supplemental O2. The company's
products are the first FDA cleared devices that enable the user to
upgrade the filter cartridge to provide a greater flow of oxygen as
a patient's disease progresses, thereby obviating the need to
purchase a new POC.
Investment Rationale:
Approximately 300m individuals suffer from COPD. Many of these
patients require supplemental oxygen to perform activities of daily
living. According to the WHO, COPD is the third leading cause of
death in the world causing 3.23 million premature deaths per
year.[3] As there is no cure for COPD, over
time patients require greater amounts of oxygen, and if they use a
portable oxygen concentrator, this means they must replace their
devices with devices with greater capacity as their disease
progresses. With Belluscura's new patented device, users can
exchange the filter cartridges to enable higher capacity oxygen
flow without having to change the device they are using. Like
upgrading memory on a laptop. The result is the potential to reduce
the cost and increase the availability of oxygen therapy for
patients that need POC's.
GenIP plc (www.GenIP.ai)
GenIP uses generative artificial
intelligence aimed at empowering companies to better evaluate and
commercialise technological discoveries through its
services.
Investment Rationale: The GenAI
market is currently experiencing exponential growth. In 2023, 426
start-ups received total funding in excess of US$21 billion.
GenIP provides Services to evaluate new technologies and identify
capable individuals to market those technologies. We believe the
incorporation of GenAI large language models (LLMs) into these
services will help companies, research institutions and venture
funds mitigate adverse selection, improve returns on invested
capital and more efficiently deploy capital to produce useful
businesses that can become financially successful and contribute to
the quality of life of the customers they serve.
Financial performance
In the first half of 2024 we
reported unrealized gain in our portfolio totaling US$20.5m,
primarily due to the increase in fair value of Microsalt plc upon
its IPO. Microsalt has increased in value and Guident has remained
relatively constant in value since the last reporting period. Our
Net Assets increased to US$69.8m and our Net Assets per share to
US$0.35 (27p).
Fundraisings
In H1 2024, we closed share
placements totaling US$2.5m. Proceeds were used primarily to
accelerate the commercial progress and IPO readiness of Microsalt
and fuel the further fabrication and testing of Guident's
regenerative shock absorbers coupled with building Guident's new
remote monitoring and control centre in Boca Raton, Florida. This
contributed to a corresponding increase in the Group's portfolio
company investments during the period and helped enable both
Microsalt and Guident to maintain their growth and accelerate their
market traction. Additionally, we used a portion of the
proceeds to develop a new Generative AI services business and for
the full repayment of an intercompany loan.
Current Trading and Outlook
We are pleased with the performance
of our portfolio companies and we are bullish in our belief that
they will continue to grow from strength to strength. We are
executing on our strategy, and this should result in increases in
returns on invested capital as our portfolio companies continue to
mature and achieve meaningful milestones, which we hope to see in
the next year.
Whilst the Company is progressing
very well, please note that our net asset values and revenues will
fluctuate from period to period, sometimes significantly, due to
individual portfolio company performance, valuations and changes in
market conditions and macro-economic financial conditions including
recent strains of the Coronavirus and residual inflationary
pressures from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
We continue to be grateful for the
patience and support of our shareholders and we are sincerely
appreciative of our dedicated, and incredibly hardworking team
without whom none of the results reported herein would be possible.
Tekcapital has set about reducing its cost base post-period by
streamlining its operations. Tekcapital's strengths lie in
identifying technology with strong chances of commercial success
and creating shareholder value in a transaction-focused approach to
achieving growth. Recent strategic decisions underscore our
relentless commitment to maximising shareholder returns by
increasing our portfolio's value coupled with managing
costs.
Dr Clifford M Gross
Chairman and CEO
25 September 2024
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
For
the six months ended 30 June 2024
|
Notes
|
Six months
ended
30 June
2024
|
Six months
ended
30
June
2023
|
Year
ended
31
December
2023
|
|
|
Unaudited
|
Unaudited
|
Audited
|
|
|
US$
|
US$
|
US$
|
Continuing operations
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue from services*
|
|
254,397
|
349,515
|
735,265
|
Cost of sales*
|
|
(143,710)
|
(81,777)
|
(314,083)
|
Changes in fair value on financial
assets at fair value though profit or loss
|
7
|
20,500,240
|
(9,253,282)
|
(14,229,009)
|
Interest from financial assets at
fair value through profit and loss
|
|
334,412
|
209,197
|
455,096
|
Operating expenses
|
|
(1,482,460)
|
(1,361,471)
|
(2,353,704)
|
Other income
|
|
123
|
37,382
|
20,384
|
Operating profit/(loss) and profit/(loss) before
tax
|
|
19,463,002
|
(10,100,436)
|
(15,686,051)
|
Income tax expense
|
5
|
(1,674)
|
(1,675)
|
(2,266)
|
Profit/(loss) after tax for the period/year
|
|
19,461,328
|
(10,102,111)
|
(15,688,317)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other comprehensive income/(loss)*
|
|
|
|
|
Translation of foreign
operations
|
|
59,051
|
556,760
|
900,722
|
Total other comprehensive income/(loss)
|
|
59,051
|
556,760
|
900,722
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total comprehensive income/(loss) for the
period/year
|
|
19,520,379
|
(9,545,351)
|
(14,787,595)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings per share
|
6
|
|
|
|
Basic earnings per share
|
|
0.10
|
(0.06)
|
(0.09)
|
Diluted earnings per
share
|
|
0.10
|
(0.06)
|
(0.09)
|
|
|
|
|
|
* The Invention Evaluator and
Vortechs assets were transferred to GENIP Limited on 4 June 2024,
which should be considered when comparing with previous
periods.
All comprehensive income as
presented above belongs to the owners of the Group.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL
POSITION
At
30 June 2024
|
Notes
|
As at 30
June 2024
|
As at 30
June
2023
|
As at 31 December
2023
|
|
|
Unaudited
|
Unaudited
|
Audited
|
|
|
US$
|
US$
|
US$
|
|
|
|
|
|
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
Non-current assets
|
|
|
|
|
Intangible assets
|
|
-
|
242,940
|
218,158
|
Financial assets at fair value
through profit and loss
|
7
|
69,481,993
|
48,649,780
|
46,653,995
|
Property, plant and
equipment
|
|
14,271
|
15,965
|
14,271
|
|
|
69,496,264
|
48,908,685
|
46,886,424
|
Current assets
|
|
|
|
|
Trade and other
receivables
|
|
552,188
|
2,442,368
|
1,114,753
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
315,960
|
2,249,058
|
620,248
|
|
|
868,148
|
4,691,426
|
1,735,001
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
assets
|
|
70,364,412
|
54,600,611
|
48,621,425
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
Trade and other payables
|
|
334,302
|
338,538
|
517,154
|
Deferred revenue
|
|
211,206
|
173,109
|
217,391
|
Total liabilities
|
|
545,508
|
511,647
|
734,545
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
assets
|
|
69,818,904
|
53,088,964
|
47,886,880
|
Equity attributable to owners of the parent
|
|
|
|
|
Ordinary shares
|
|
1,074,357
|
973,329
|
973,329
|
Share premium
|
|
31,214,052
|
28,937,011
|
28,937,011
|
Retained earnings
|
|
36,568,521
|
22,619,663
|
17,073,617
|
Translation reserve
|
|
1,034,143
|
631,130
|
975,092
|
Other reserve
|
|
(72,169)
|
(72,169)
|
(72,169)
|
Total equity
|
|
69,818,904
|
53,088,964
|
47,886,880
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Asset Per Share
|
|
0.35
|
0.30
|
0.27
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share capital represents the amount
subscribed for share capital at nominal value.
Share premium represents the amount
subscribed for share capital in excess of nominal value and net of
any directly attributable issue costs.
Translation reserve - foreign
exchange differences recognised in other comprehensive
income.
Other reserve - historic other
reserve outside of share premium and translation
reserve.
Retained earnings - cumulative net
gains and losses recognised in the consolidated statement of
comprehensive income, net of dividends paid.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH
FLOWS
For
the six months ended 30 June 2024
Group
|
|
Six months
ended
30 June
2024
|
Six months
ended
30 June
2023
|
For the year
ended
31 December
2023
|
|
|
US$
Unaudited
|
US$
Unaudited
|
US$
|
Net
cash outflows from operating activities
|
|
|
|
|
Cash outflows from
operations
|
|
(1,089,713)
|
(1,484,929)
|
(1,261,144)
|
Taxation paid
|
|
(1,674)
|
(1,675)
|
(2,265)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
cash outflows from operating activities
|
|
(1,091,387)
|
(1,486,604)
|
(1,263,409)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
flows from investing activities
|
|
|
|
|
Additions to financial assets at fair
value through profit and loss
|
|
(2,288,574)
|
(1,764,274)
|
(3,999,072)
|
Proceeds from disposals of financial
assets at fair value through profit and loss
|
|
718,154
|
-
|
478,008
|
Purchases of intangibles
|
|
-
|
-
|
(59,004)
|
Purchases of property, plant and
equipment
|
|
-
|
(6,087)
|
(6,825)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
cash outflows from investing activities
|
|
(1,570,420)
|
(1,770,361)
|
(3,586,893)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
flows from financing activities
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from issuance of ordinary
shares
|
|
2,525,696
|
5,179,499
|
5,179,498
|
Costs of raising finance
|
|
(147,627)
|
(349,812)
|
(349,812)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
cash inflows from financing activities
|
|
2,378,069
|
4,829,687
|
4,829,686
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
(decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents
|
|
(283,738)
|
1,572,722
|
(21,351)
|
Cash and cash equivalents at
beginning of period/year
|
|
620,248
|
628,640
|
628,640
|
Exchange gain/(loss) on cash and cash
equivalents
|
|
(20,550)
|
47,697
|
12,961
|
Cash
and cash equivalents at end of the period/year
|
|
315,960
|
2,249,059
|
620,248
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes to the financial
information
1. General
information
Tekcapital PLC is a company
incorporated in England and Wales and domiciled in the UK. The
address of the registered office is 12 New Fetter Lane, London,
United Kingdom, EC4A 1JP. The Company is a public limited company,
which has been quoted on the AIM market of the London Stock
Exchange since 2014.
The principal accounting policies
applied in the preparation of this consolidated financial
information are set out below. These policies have been
consistently applied to all the periods presented, unless otherwise
stated.
2. Basis of
preparation
The financial information for the
six months ended 30 June 2024 set out in this interim financial
information is unaudited and does not constitute statutory
financial statements. The interim condensed financial information
has been presented in US Dollars ("$") and is rounded to the
nearest dollar.
3. Accounting
policies
3.1
Statement of compliance
The accounting policies applied by
the Group and its subsidiaries in these unaudited half year results
are consistent with those applied in the annual financial
statements for the year ended 31 December 2023.
The financial statements of
Tekcapital PLC Group have been prepared in accordance with
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and IFRS
Interpretations Committee (IFRS IC) as adopted by the United
Kingdom and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have
been prepared under the historical cost convention.
The preparation of financial
statements in conformity with IFRS requires the use of certain
critical accounting estimates. It requires management to exercise
its judgement in the process of applying the Group's accounting
policies. The areas involving a higher degree of judgment or
complexity, or areas where assumptions and estimates are
significant to the consolidated financial statements are disclosed
in note 4 of the FY 2023 accounts. The estimates that changed since
then are disclosed in Note 7.
4. Going
concern
The 2024 interim financial
information has been prepared on a going concern basis.
The Group and Company meet its day
to day working capital requirements through its service offerings,
monetisation of quoted equity stakes and monies raised through
issues of equity.
The Group's forecasts and
projections indicate that the Group and Company have sufficient
cash reserves to operate within the level of its current funds. The
Group has no third party debt facilities.
The Directors have prepared detailed
cash flow projections for the period to 30 September 2025 ("going
concern assessment period"). The cash flow projections have been
subjected to sensitivity analysis which demonstrates that the Group
and Company will maintain a positive cash balance through the going
concern assessment period.
The Directors have also considered
the geo-political environment, including rising inflation, and
whilst the impact on the Group is currently deemed minimal, the
Directors remain vigilant.
On this basis, the Directors have
therefore concluded that it is appropriate to prepare this
financial information on a going concern basis.
5.
Taxation
Immaterial charge of US$1,675 has
arisen in the six-month period ended 30 June 2024 (30 June 2023:
US$1,089).
6. Earnings per
share
Basic earnings per share is
calculated by dividing the earnings attributable to ordinary
shareholders by the weighted average number of Ordinary Shares
outstanding during the period.
Diluted earnings per share is
calculated by dividing the earnings attributable to ordinary
shareholders by the sum of weighted average number of (1) Ordinary
Shares outstanding during the period and (2) Ordinary Shares to be
issued assuming exercise of outstanding stock options with
intrinsic value above $0 at 30 June 2024:
|
Six months ended 30 June
2024
|
Six months ended 30 June
2023
|
Year ended 31 December
2023
|
|
US$
|
US$
|
US$
|
|
|
|
|
Profit/(Loss) attributable to equity
holders of the Company
|
19,461,328
|
(10,102,111)
|
(15,688,317)
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average number of Ordinary
Shares in issue:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
|
191,604,646
|
166,243,663
|
172,214,589
|
Diluted
|
196,071,312
|
170,660,330
|
176,681,255
|
|
|
|
|
Basic profit per share
(US$)
|
0.10
|
(0.06)
|
(0.09)
|
Diluted profit per share
(US$)
|
0.10
|
(0.06)
|
(0.09)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit or
Loss
The Group's financial assets at fair
value through profit and loss consist of equity investments (2024:
US$61,934,271, 31 December 2023: US$41,125,568) and convertible
loan notes (2024: US$7,547,721 December 2023: US$5,528,427)
totaling US$69,481,993 (31 December 2023:
US$46,653,995).
Equity investments
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30 June
2023
|
|
31 December
2023
|
Additions/(Disposals)
|
Other
adjustments
|
Fair value
gain/(loss)
|
30 June
2024
|
|
|
US$
|
|
US$
|
US$
|
US$
|
US$
|
US$
|
|
Guident Limited
|
18,083,264
|
|
18,083,264
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
18,083,264
|
|
Lucyd Limited
|
4,644,231
|
|
2,189,794
|
-
|
-
|
378,803
|
2,568,597
|
|
Belluscura plc
|
6,350,716
|
|
4,142,940
|
(718,154)
|
(316,406)
|
(946,029)
|
2,162,351
|
|
Microsalt plc
|
17,095,379
|
|
16,671,147
|
1,397,359
|
(245,899)
|
21,067,466
|
38,890,073
|
|
Smart Food Tek Limited
|
38,422
|
|
38,422
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
38,422
|
|
GENIP Limited
|
-
|
|
-
|
191,564
|
-
|
-
|
191,564
|
|
Total Balance
|
46,212,012
|
|
41,125,567
|
870,769
|
(562,305)
|
20,500,240
|
61,934,271
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The valuation techniques used fall
under, Level 1 - Observable inputs that reflect quoted prices
(unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets,
and Level 3- Other techniques as defined by IFRS 13. These
techniques were deemed to be the best evidence of fair values
considering the early stage of portfolio
companies.
Microsalt plc commenced trading on
the London Stock Exchange on 1 February 2024. As such, the Group's
investment in Microsalt has been re-classified under Level 1 as of
30 June 2024. Fair value measurement hierarchy for financial assets
as at 30 June 2024 with comparative amounts as of 31 December
2023:
|
Total
|
Level 1
|
Level 2
|
Level 3
|
30 June 2024
|
US$
|
US$
|
US$
|
US$
|
Belluscura Plc
|
2,162,351
|
2,162,351
|
-
|
-
|
Lucyd Limited
|
2,568,597
|
-
|
2,568,597
|
-
|
Guident Limited
|
18,083,264
|
-
|
-
|
18,083,264
|
Microsalt Limited
|
38,890,073
|
38,890,073
|
-
|
-
|
Smart Food Tek Limited
|
38,422
|
-
|
-
|
38,422
|
GENIP Limited
|
191,564
|
-
|
-
|
191,564
|
Total Balance
|
61,934,271
|
41,052,424
|
2,568,597
|
18,313,250
|
|
Total
|
Level 1
|
Level 2
|
Level 3
|
31 December 2023
|
US$
|
US$
|
US$
|
US$
|
Belluscura Plc
|
4,142,940
|
4,142,940
|
-
|
-
|
Lucyd Limited
|
2,189,794
|
-
|
2,189,794
|
-
|
Guident Limited
|
18,083,264
|
-
|
-
|
18,083,264
|
Microsalt Limited
|
16,671,147
|
-
|
-
|
16,671,147
|
Smart Food Tek Limited
|
38,422
|
-
|
-
|
38,422
|
Total Balance
|
41,125,567
|
4,142,940
|
2,189,794
|
34,792,833
|
Guident (Nil Gain / Nil loss)
The total fair value remains
unchanged from 31 December 2023 and is based on a Private Placement
Memorandum outlining offering of securities at $1 per unit, with
18,115,942 shares held. Upon review of business updates in H1 2024,
management noted no material events necessitating
revisions.
Microsalt (US$21.1m gain)
The total fair value of
US$38,890,073 is based on valuation of 33,305,749 shares held in
Microsalt plc at GBP0.925, the observed closing price on the London
Stock Exchange as of 30 June 2024. Accounting for cost addition of
US$1.39m, fair value gain of US$21.0m was arrived at as of 30 June
2024.
Lucyd Ltd (US$0.4m gain)
The fair value of the holding
increased by US$0.4m during the year due to the movement in the
Company's share price at NASDAQ market, and closing price of
US$0.495 as of 30 June 2024, compared to US$0.42 as of 31 December
2023. With 5,189,085 shares held by Tekcapital plc, a fair value of
US$2,568,597 was arrived at as of 30 June 2024.
Belluscura (US$0.9m loss)
The fair value of the holding
decreased by US$0.9m during the period due to the movement in
Company's share price at AIM market of London Stock Exchange and
closing price of 16p as of 30 June 2024, compared to 23p as of 31
December 2023. With 10,638,767 shares held by Tekcapital plc and
disposal of 3,500,000 shares during the period at 16.15p per share,
a fair value of US$2,162,351 was arrived at as of 30 June
2024.
GENIP Limited (Nil Gain / Nil loss)
The fair value of the holding,
following the transfer of assets from Tekcapital LLC as of 4 June
2024, totals US$0.2m
Other investments (Nil Gain / Nil loss)
Given early stage of
commercialisation, the fair value of Smart Food TEK was recorded
based on the cost of acquired IP, as the carrying amounts represent
a reasonable approximation of fair value.
Under level 3 unobservable inputs.
In the absence of observable inputs, the directors have considered
the entities own data to determine the fair value, which equates to
the original funds invested. They do not consider that any other
available information would materially change or give a more
reliable representation of the value.
This is the only category of
financial instruments measured and re-measured at fair
value.
Convertible loan
notes
During the year, the Group also held
multiple convertible loans issued by its portfolio companies,
including:
•
Convertible note issued by Guident Ltd for the
total of US$5,000,000, issued at 10% coupon rate including option
to convert the debt into shares at market price (no discount
against future equity placements offered). The note can be
converted into Guident's equity upon occurrence of certain
conversion events including future share
placements. The US$5,000,000 note
originated in September 2023 or can be converted into Guident's
equity upon occurrence of certain conversion events. No conversions
occurred during the period. As of 30 June 2024, US$4,262,903 was
outstanding.
•
Convertible loan note instruments in favour of
Microsalt Inc were constituted on 21 September 2020 (2020 CLN) and
1 June 2022 (2022 CLN). The principal amounts of convertible loan
notes under the 2020 CLN and the 2022 CLN was each limited to
US$2,000,000. The convertible loan notes under the 2020 CLN and the
2022 CLN each carry interest at the rate of 10 per cent. per annum.
As of 30 June 2024, US$2,000,000 was outstanding on the convertible
loan notes.
•
A convertible loan note
instrument in favour of Tek Europe was constituted by the Company
on 1 March 2023. The principal amount of convertible loan notes was
limited to US$2,000,000. The convertible loan notes carry interest
at the rate of 10 per cent. per annum. A convertible loan note
instrument in favour of Tek Europe, as assignee of Tekcapital, was
constituted by the Company on 7 November 2023. The principal amount
of convertible loan notes was limited to US$2,000,000. The
convertible loan notes carry interest at the rate of 10 per cent.
per annum. As of 30 June 2024, US$1,221,275 was outstanding on the
convertible loan notes.
7. Related party
transactions
The Group has generally taken
advantage of the exemption in IAS 24 "related parties" not to
disclose transactions with Group companies other than newly formed
GENIP Ltd, disclosed below. During the period the Group did not
employ any services of non-Group companies meeting the definition
of related parties.
On 14 August 2024, the Company
entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Tekcapital plc and
Tekcapital LLC. In accordance with the terms of the Agreement,
effective 4 June 2024, the Company acquired certain assets and
liabilities related to Invention Evaluator and Vortechs business.
Following assets and liabilities were transferred to the Company as
part of capital contribution of US$191,564 by Tekcapital plc, for
the consideration of US$1. US$191,564 was recorded as an addition
to Financial Assets at Fair Value as of 30 June 2024 being the book
value of the assets and liabilities transferred from Tekcapital
LLC.
Assets:
Intangible Assets of US$183,229,
representing Net Book Value of Invention Evaluator (US$397,773 cost
and US$318,897 accumulated depreciation) and Vortechs (US$462,771
cost and US$358,418 accumulated depreciation).
Trade receivables of US$58,370
representing trade receivables of Invention Evaluator and Vortechs
businesses.
Trademark cost related to Invention
Evaluator value of $2,089.
Liabilities:
Deferred income of US$50,035
representing prepayments made in 2023 and 2024 by customers of
Invention Evaluator before the reports were delivered.
Additionally, the Company entered
into a management service agreement with Tekcapital Europe ltd as
of 23 February 2024, compensating Tekcapital Europe Limited in the
amount of US$35,000 per quarter for a number of support services.
This agreement expired effective 30 June 2024, with US$38,846
charged and unpaid as of 4 June 2024.
8. Interim
results
The interim results for the six
months ended 30 June 2024 will not be sent to shareholders but will
be available from the Company's website at
http://tekcapital.com/
General Risk Factors and
Forward-Looking Statements
This Report is directed only at
Relevant Persons and must not be acted on or relied upon by persons
who are not Relevant Persons. Any other person who receives this
Report should not rely or act upon it. By accepting this Report the
recipient is deemed to represent and warrant that: (i) they are a
person who falls within the above descrip-tion of persons entitled
to receive the Report; (ii) they have read, agreed and will comply
with the contents of this notice. The securities mentioned herein
have not been and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or under any U.S.
State securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United
States of America or its territories or possessions (the "United
States") unless they are registered under the Securities Act or
pursuant to an exemption from or in a transaction not subject to
the registration requirements of the Securities Act. This Report is
not being made available to persons in Australia, Canada, Japan,
the Republic of Ireland, the Republic of South Africa or any other
jurisdiction in which it may be unlawful to do so, and it should
not be delivered or distributed, directly or indirectly, into or
within any such jurisdictions.
Investors must rely on their own
examination of the legal, taxation, financial and other
consequences of an investment in the Com-pany, including the merits
of investing and the risks involved. Prospective investors should
not treat the contents of this Report as advice relating to legal,
taxation or investment matters and are advised to consult their own
professional advisers concerning any acquisition of shares in the
Company. Certain of the information contained in this Report has
been obtained from published sources prepared by other parties.
Certain other information has been extracted from unpublished
sources prepared by other parties which have been made available to
the Company. The Company has not carried out an independent
investigation to verify the accuracy and completeness of such
third-party information. No responsibility is accepted by the
Company or any of its directors, officers, em-ployees or agents for
the accuracy or completeness of such information.
All statements of opinion and/or
belief contained in this Report and all views expressed represent
the directors' own current as-sessment and interpretation of
information available to them as at the date of this Report. In
addition, this Report contains certain "forward-looking
statements", including but not limited to, the statements regarding
the Company's overall objectives and strategic plans, timetables
and capital expenditures. Forward-looking statements express, as at
the date of this Report, the Company's plans, estimates,
valuations, forecasts, projections, opinions, expectations or
beliefs as to future events, results or performance.
Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and
uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, and
there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be
accurate. No assurance is given that such forward looking
statements or views are correct or that the objectives of the
Company will be achieved. Further, valuations of Company's
portfolio investments and net asset value can and will fluctuate
over time due to a wide variety of factors both company specific
and macro-economic. Changes in net asset values can have a
significant impact on revenue and earnings of the Company and its
future prospects. As a result, the reader is cautioned not to place
reliance on these statements or views and no responsibility is
accepted by the Company or any of its directors, officers,
employees or agents in respect thereof. The Company does not
undertake to update any forward-looking statement or other
information that is contained in this Report. Neither the Company
nor any of its shareholders, directors, officers, agents, employees
or advisers take any responsibility for, or will accept any
liability whether direct or indirect, express or implied,
contractual, tortious, statutory or otherwise, in respect of, the
accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this
Report or for any of the opinions contained herein or for any
errors, omissions or misstatements or for any loss, howsoever
arising, from the use of this Report. Neither the issue of this
Report nor any part of its contents is to be taken as any form of
contract, commitment or recommendation on the part of the Company
or the directors of the Company. In no circumstances will the
Company be responsible for any costs, losses or expenses incurred
in connection with any appraisal, analysis or investigation of the
Company. This Report should not be considered a recommendation by
the Company or any of its affiliates in relation to any prospective
acquisition or disposition of shares in the Company. No
undertaking, Report, warranty or other assurance, express or
implied, is made or given by or on behalf of the Company or any of
its affiliates, any of its directors, of-ficers or employees or any
other person as to the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the
information or opinions contained in this Report and no
responsibility or liability is accepted for any such errors or
omissions.
Intellectual Property Risk Factors
Tekcapital's mission is to create
valuable products from university intellectual property that can
improve people's lives. Therefore, our ability to compete in
the market may be negatively affected if our portfolio companies
lose some or all of their intellectual property rights, if patent
rights that they rely on are invalidated, or if they are unable to
obtain other intellectual property rights. Our success will depend
on the ability of our portfolio companies to obtain and protect
patents on their technology and products, to protect their trade
secrets, and for them to maintain their rights to licensed
intellectual property or technologies. Their patent applications or
those of our licensors may not result in the issue of patents in
the United States or other countries. Their patents or those of
their licensors may not afford meaningful protection for our
technology and products. Others may challenge their patents or
those of their licensors by proceedings such as interference,
oppositions and re-examinations or in litigation seeking to
establish the invalidity of their patents. In the event that one or
more of their patents are challenged, a court may invalidate the
patent(s) or determine that the patent(s) is not enforceable, which
could harm their competitive position and ours. If one or more of
our portfolio company patents are invalidated or found to be
unenforceable, or if the scope of the claims in any of these
patents is limited by a court decision, our portfolio companies
could lose certain market exclusivity afforded by patents owned or
in-licensed by us and potential competitors could more easily bring
products to the market that directly compete with our own. The
uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of their patent
applications and the cost of enforcement or defense of their issued
patents could have a material adverse effect on our business and
financial condition.
To protect or enforce their patent
rights, our portfolio companies may initiate interference
proceedings, oppositions, re-examinations or litigation against
others. However, these activities are expensive, take significant
time and divert management's attention from other business
concerns. They may not prevail in these activities. If they are not
successful in these activities, the prevailing party may obtain
superior rights to our claimed inventions and technology, which
could adversely affect their ability of our portfolio companies to
successfully market and commercialise their products and services.
Claims by other companies may infringe the intellectual property
rights on which our portfolio companies rely, and if such rights
are deemed to be invalid it could adversely affect our portfolio
companies and ourselves as investors in these companies.
From time to time, companies may
assert patent, copyright and other intellectual proprietary rights
against our portfolio company's products or technologies. These
claims can result in the future in lawsuits being brought against
our portfolio companies or their holding company. They and we may
not prevail in any lawsuits alleging patent infringement given the
complex technical issues and inherent uncertainties in intellectual
property litigation. If any of our portfolio company products,
technologies or activities, from which our portfolio companies
derive or expect to derive a substantial portion of their revenues
and were found to infringe on another company's intellectual
property rights, they could be subject to an injunction that would
force the removal of such product from the market or they could be
required to redesign such product, which could be costly. They
could also be ordered to pay damages or other compensation,
including punitive damages and attorneys' fees to such other
company. A negative outcome in any such litigation could also
severely disrupt the sales of their marketed products to their
customers, which in turn could harm their
relationships with their customers, their market share and their
product revenues. Even if they are ultimately successful in
defending any intellectual property litigation, such litigation is
expensive and time consuming to address, will divert our
management's attention from their business and may harm their
reputation and ours.
Several of our portfolio companies
may be subject to complex and costly regulation and if government
regulations are interpreted or enforced in a manner adverse to
them, they may be subject to enforcement actions, penalties,
exclusion, and other material limitations on their operations that
could have a negative impact on their financial performance. All of
the above-listed risks can have a material, negative affect on our
net asset value, revenue, performance and the success of our
business and the portfolio companies we have invested
in.
-
Ends -