Proactive - Interviews for investors

The FTSE 100 edged higher as the markets opened, with investors bracing for a busy week of macro news.

On Wednesday, inflation data will be released, before the Bank of England meets on Thursday to decide whether to maintain interest rates at 5.25% or drop them for the first time since August 2023.

In company news, Aviva announced the sale of its Singapore Life stake for £937 million as it continues to streamline its focus towards Irish, British and Canadian markets.

Additionally, Pfizer has confirmed plans to sell part of its stake in Haleon, reducing its holding from 32% to 24% in a sale which is expected to generate around £2 billion.

Early risers include Reckitt Benckiser, which was up following a sharp fall on Friday after it was ordered to pay US$60 million in damages as part of a baby formula case.

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Versarien PLC (AIM:VRS, OTC:VRSRF) CEO Stephen Hodge speaks to Proactive's Stephen Gunnion about the significant steps the company has taken to refine its business strategy and focus on its core technologies and intellectual properties (IP).

In a notable move, the company has sold its Korean assets, including equipment and IP related to graphene manufacturing by chemical vapour deposition (CVD), to MCK Tech, a South Korean graphene company. This sale, valued at approximately £604,000, includes the equipment and exclusive licensing of five patents to MCK Tech, alongside future royalties. Hodge emphasized the company's shift towards a manufacturing-light operation, seeking to monetize its developed IP and know-how by collaborating with strategic partners globally, leveraging local resources to produce graphene sustainably.

Hodge said a just-announced five-year licensing deal with Brazilian-headquartered multinational business Montana Quimica for Versarien's Graphinks branded goods will help the company capitalise on Brazil's abundant natural graphite, circumventing Brazil's high import restrictions and utilising local materials cost-effectively.

The company's global strategy includes expanding its licensing and royalty agreements with various partners across the UK, USA, Middle East, and Asia, with current agreements including companies like Graphene Lab and MCK Tech in South Korea, and Flux Footwear in the USA.

Additionally, Ben Harries returns to Versarien as head of 3D Construction Printing, bringing valuable experience from the water sector to bolster the company's sales and business development efforts.

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Abingdon Health PLC (AIM:ABDX) CEO and co-founder Chris Yates discusses the company's interim results and business operations in an interview with Proactive's Stephen Gunnion.

Abingdon Health is a lateral flow, contract development, and manufacturing organisation (CDMO), supporting customers from product ideation to commercial success. It offers services including development, scale-up manufacturing, regulatory and analytical laboratory provision, and packaging.

Yates said a 117% revenue increase to £2.4 million during the interim period was primarily driven by its CDMO division. This growth was attributed to increases in development, operational revenues, and the emergence of regulatory area revenues.

Despite an inflationary environment, Abingdon Health managed to maintain stable operating costs, resulting in improved gross margins to over 50%.

The company has a robust opportunity pipeline with 29 ongoing projects, emphasizing its fully integrated solution's appeal to customers. Yates also highlighted a good start to the second half of the year, with revenues expected to grow significantly while controlling costs to enhance operating profit performance.

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Prominence Energy (ASX:PRM) CEO and Managing Director Alex Parks joins Proactive's Stephen Gunnion with more on how the company is expanding its footprint in the global energy market.

The Perth, Australia-based company has a diversified portfolio that includes oil and gas projects primarily in the US, alongside ventures in underground salt cavern storage in Australia, and a uranium rehabilitation project in Kazakhstan through an investment in startup company Umine.

The company is actively seeking partnerships to develop its large Big Apple gas prospect in the Gulf of Mexico and a small oil project in Louisiana, aiming to transition towards a lower carbon future.

It has invested in Ecossaus, a pre-IPO company focusing on creating salt caverns for hydrocarbon or hydrogen storage, and has taken a 20% stake in Umine, which aims to rehabilitate uranium stockpiles left from the Soviet era in Kazakhstan.

The recent capital raise of $1.55 million will further support these initiatives, particularly the development of the Big Apple gas prospect in the Gulf of Mexico.

Prominence Energy's strategy reflects a blend of developing traditional energy resources while positioning itself for the future energy transition.

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Quantum Blockchain Technologies PLC (AIM:QBT) chairman and CEO Francesco Gardin discusses the company's game-changing ‘Method C' bitcoin mining technology, a novel approach leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence oracle technology.

Method C, described as an AI-driven "Oracle," predicts the future of data processing, potentially reducing necessary computations by up to 30%, a significant innovation in Bitcoin mining efficiency and energy consumption. This advancement aligns with the company's goal of applying AI to enhance mining processes, a venture that has produced three distinct methods so far.

Gardin said QBT is at a crucial stage, moving from formula to functional product, facing challenges with third-party hardware integration. Method C's predictive performance and its potential for reducing SHA-256 computations position it as a transformative approach in mining, offering cost and energy savings.

The company plans to integrate Method C with a second patent application and prototype chips, including for GPUs and ASICs, to demonstrate viability to potential partners. Despite complexities in scaling and documentation, discussions with large mining rig manufacturers are advancing, focusing on demonstrating real mining performance enhancements.

Upcoming milestones include updates on the application of Method A and Method B to mining rigs and further developments with Method C, including live comparisons demonstrating its efficiency over conventional methods.

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Vobile Group Ltd (OTCQX:VOBIF, HKG:3738) CEO Yangbin Wang tells Stephen Gunnion how the Software as a Service (SaaS) company is embracing AI as it provides intellectual property (IP) protection and content monetization solutions for the media industry, including major studios, TV networks, and sports leagues.

Since its inception in 2005, coinciding with the rise of YouTube and affordable streaming, Vobile has addressed the dual challenge of enabling content sharing while combating piracy. The company developed Video DNA fingerprinting technology, an early application of AI for content tracking rather than generation, and later introduced watermarking technology. This suite of tools aids content owners in managing and monetizing their digital media across the internet.

Wang highlights the vast market potential for Vobile's services, emphasizing the central role of IP in generating value within the media and entertainment sectors. With a client base comprising Hollywood studios and major media companies, Vobile stands as the largest provider in its niche.

The company's expansion into the Asian market post-IPO on the Hong Kong mainboard has balanced its revenue sources between Asia and its US home base, where it trades on the OTCQX to make its stock available to US investors.

Wang envisions leveraging AI to enhance the value of creative content further, viewing technological advances as tools that democratize content creation and distribution, thus potentially expanding Vobile's market.

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Arksen Ltd CEO Jasper Smith tells Proactive's Stephen Gunnion that the UK-based design and engineering company is focused on creating products for adventure enthusiasts, including explorer vessels, overland vehicles, and apparel, underpinned by a philosophy of sustainable and authentic design.

Founded around four years ago, Arksen has grown significantly, aiming to challenge industry norms by adhering to circular economy principles, emphasizing the manufacture of products within planetary boundaries.

Smith highlighted the company's commitment to environmental respect, comparing its growth strategy to established brands through OEM manufacturing and low overheads paired with significant investments in intellectual property and marketing.

Outlining Arksen's multifaceted market approach, Smith said the company sells directly, through a growing dealer network expected to expand from seven to eighty dealers, and via agents and brokers for larger, bespoke products. It targets a wide customer base, from high-net-worth individuals and corporations seeking research vessels to consumers interested in their apparel line. The market across Arksen's sectors is large, with a 7% compound annual growth rate and a total size of about $840 billion, undergoing transformations towards sustainability and changing consumer behaviors.

Arksen plans to raise £6 million for expansion, particularly in the US, where 60-70% of its engagement lies. This funding, coupled with potential government-backed debt from a £4 billion investment into the UK shipbuilding industry, aims to scale production and meet dealer demand.

Additionally, Smith discussed "10% for the Ocean," a philanthropic initiative supporting ocean conservation, reflecting the company's commitment to environmental stewardship alongside its business objectives.

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The FTSE 100 gained ground as the week’s final day of trading got underway.

All eyes were on Vodafone though, which climbed after putting pen to paper on the £6.8 billion sale of its Italian operations to Swisscom.

Also in the green was Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, after it announced £1 billion was being set aside for share buybacks over the next two years.

Housebuilder Berkeley faced a worse start to the day though, as it fell after confirming sales were still muted and that full-year profits would likely be lower in a trading update.

Peers Barratt and Redrow also faced a blow meanwhile, with news that the Competition and Markets Authority had begun a probe into their proposed merger.

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Asara Resources Ltd (ASX:AS1) managing director Timothy Strong is back in the Proactive studio to bring investors up to speed on a slew of company updates. After updating its company name and management team in late 2023, Asara has welcomed strong support from shareholders via an $805,000 placement. The extra capital will fund exploration and early metallurgical work on the oxide gold portion of the Kada Gold Project in eastern Guinea. With divestment of non-core projects and early-stage development options on the cards, Strong is excited for the year ahead.

#ProactiveInvestors #AsaraResources #ASX #Gold #Kada

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Torque Metals Ltd (ASX:TOR) managing director Cristian Moreno sits down in the Proactive studio to talk through exceptional high-grade lithium assay results from recent drilling at the New Dawn Lithium Project, in Western Australia. The exploration included 5,000 metres of reverse circulation (RC) drilling and 1,000 metres of diamond drilling, revealing spodumene-bearing pegmatites with notable lithium oxide (Li2O) concentrations, peaking at 4.42%.

Moreno emphasises the success of the campaign, highlighting consistent intersections of vertically stacked pegmatites which suggest extensive mineralisation potential open in all directions. Moreno also provides an update on the Paris Gold Project, signifying Torque's dual focus on expanding its lithium and gold resources.

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