Valereum (AQSE: VLRM) announced a placing by Fortified Securities for a total of £0.5 million at an issue price of £0.04.
VLRM also announced a US $2.5 million strategic investment in Blubird Global, a Delaware-based SaaS business, which provides mission-critical tools to Web3 startups, as well as traditional Web2 companies migrating to Web3’s blockchain technology, with the aim of innovating and disrupting traditional markets. Blubird’s tools provide cap table management, tokenomics modeling, Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenisation, and smart contract deployment.
Comment: Given that I was asked about the VLRM share price just a couple of days ago, it was just as well I said that the shares needed to break a resistance line at 6p. After today’s news, it may take a little longer for this level to be broken.
Pri0r1ty Intelligence Group (PR1), a pioneering company in AI-driven professional growth services for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), is pleased to announce that it has successfully raised gross proceeds of £1,046,800. The Company has signed a non-binding term sheet to acquire Halfspace Limited, an award-winning sports data management business, in an all-share deal. The potential acquisition would build on the Company and Halfspace’s existing “Capitano” joint venture as announced on 5 March 2025.
Comment: What a surprise! An acquisition and another Oak Securities deal. Hopefully now PR1 can move ahead as a business, with the Halfspace move.
Ariana Resources (AAU), the AIM-listed mineral exploration and development company with gold project interests in Africa and Europe, announced the appointment of Michael Atkins to the Board as Deputy Chairman of the Company.
Comment; Hopefully after the latest appointment, the crackpot commentary that has blighted AAU will stop. Or maybe not.
Directa Plus (DCTA), a leading producer and supplier of graphene-based products for use in consumer and industrial markets, announced its final results for the year ended 31 December 2024. Adjusted LBITDA increased by 42% to €3.64m (2023: €2.56m), driven by lower revenues, offset in part by continued cost control and improved production efficiencies. Trading in Q1 FY2025 has been robust, with revenues of approximately €2 million, up c. 40% on the same period in 2024, primarily driven by several contract renewals across the Environmental and Textiles divisions, including with Grassi, Ford Otosan, Cummins and Metchem.
Comment: With the shares down in consecutive years, 2022-2024, there is plenty of work to be done to turn the DCTA ship around. At least as far as this year is concerned there are some green shoots.
TheraCryf (TCF), the clinical stage drug development company focussing on brain diseases, announced its full year results for the year to 31 March 2025. £5.15m gross proceeds raised during the year; the majority (£4.25m gross) raised in February 2025. Cash runway extended from Q4 2025 to Q4 2026 – orexin-1 antagonist* (Ox-1) programme now funded to clinical readiness. TheraCryf in top 20% of European listed biotech companies by duration of cash runway.
Comment: Given that TCF is still a company that hardly anyone has heard of, the company may just as well be called Johan Cruyff, one can at least see that it is on the front foot fundamentally, with the promise of more near term progress to come.
Mkango Resources (MKA) announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lancaster Exploration Limited, has entered into a US$750,000 Note Purchase Agreement and an affiliate of the other sponsor of Crown PropTech Acquisitions, in connection with the previously announced (8 January 2025) proposed merger between Lancaster, certain other wholly-owned subsidiaries of Mkango, and CPTK. The Merger would create a vertically integrated global pure play rare earths platform that is intended to result in the ordinary shares of Lancaster being listed on NASDAQ.
Comment: MKA continues to finesse the latest stellar share price run with today’s announcement. There is every reason for this to be a £100m market cap company by the end of the summer.
Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals (HEMO) announce that the second patient has been successfully treated in the ongoing Phase I clinical trial of HG-CT-1, the Company’s proprietary Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy for relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (R/R AML) in adults.
Comment: One can see that HEMO is conquering the world one person at a time, something which at the present rate of progress will require further millions of investment and several years.
Helium One Global (HE1), the primary helium explorer in Tanzania with a 50% working interest in the Galactica-Pegasus helium development project in Colorado, USA, provided an update following the Blue Star Helium (ASX: BNL) announcement issued today regarding the Galactica Project. State-9 well successfully drilled to total depth of 1,225ft (373m) measured depth with free gas confirmed by wireline logs. Well flowed naturally during drilling and at TD.
Comment: It is interesting how helium companies spend their time looking for the stuff, or discovering it, but somehow not actually producing it.
Rainbow Rare Earths (RBW) announced an update on the Company’s laboratory test work and the trade-off studies that are being evaluated to further optimise capital and operating costs for the Phalaborwa project. George Bennett, CEO, commented: “We are very proud of the laboratory we have built in Johannesburg which incorporates state-of-the-art equipment that enables the performance of test work across the full Phalaborwa processing flow sheet.”
Comment: Given the China export ban as far as rare earths are concerned, RBW should be maximising its position in the space, and see the results feed through to the share price.
Solvonis Therapeutics (SVNS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel medicines for addiction and mental health disorders, is pleased to announce that Professor David Nutt, who has served as Senior Scientific Advisor to the Company since July 2024, has been appointed to the Company’s management team as Chief Scientific Officer with immediate effect. Professor Nutt is one of the world’s foremost authorities in brain science and psychiatric medicine.
Comment: The reboot from being Graft Polymer continues at pace with SVNS, and the latest high profile appointment.
Disclaimer & Declaration of Interest:
The information, investment views, and recommendations in this Zaks Traders Cafe interview are provided for general information purposes only. Nothing in this interview should be construed as a promotion or solicitation to buy or sell any financial product relating to any companies under discussion or referred to or to engage in or refrain from doing so or engage in any other transaction. Any opinions or comments are made to the best of the knowledge and belief of the commentator but no responsibility is accepted for actions based on such opinions or comments. The commentators may or may not hold investments in the companies under discussion.
