This year’s AIM Awards are being held at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in London on Thursday 15 October.
There are eight companies on the shortlist for AIM company of the year with all but two of them up for other awards.
They are embedded computing products developer Concurrent Technologies, antennas and satellite equipment supplier Filtronic, musical instruments retailer Gear4Music, Australian gold miner Greatland Resources, oil palm plantations company MP Evans, customer engagement software provider Netcall, plus asset managers Polar Capital and Tatton Asset Management.
Last year's AIM company of the year was digital payments technology provider Boku Inc.
SigmaRoc returns to acquisition trail
Building materials supplier SigmaRoc (SRC) is expanding in the Baltics through the acquisition of Akcine Bendrove Dolomitas for €110m – funded from the company’s debt facility and by a share issue.
The deal brings a reserve of dolomitic lime, which is used in steel production. Annual production is 3.4 million tonnes and there are 25 years of proven and permitted reserves. Last year’s EBITDA was €18m. This deal could enhance 2027 earnings by 2%.
In the first half of 2026, SigmaRoc revenues grew 2% to £523m. The like-for-like decline was 1%. Volumes are improving. Underlying earnings improved 12% to 5.2p/share. Forecast 2026 pre-tax profit is £173.3m.
IQE to move back to Main Market
Semiconductor wafers manufacturer IQE (IQE) interim revenues recovered, and it plans to move back to the Main Market in the first half of 2027.
In the first half of 2026, revenues rose from £45.3m to £64.6m, and this helped to reduce the loss from £16m to £8.2m. The cash outflow from operating activities was £6.4m. The recent fundraising meant that net cash was £30.2m at the end of June 2026.
Wireless revenues were two-fifths higher. Photonics revenues grew 45% to £38.5m, helped by increased defence demand and growth in data centre business. Longer-term, there will be opportunities with wearable sensing applications, augmented reality and autonomous vehicles.
