SMALL CAP MOVERS: Pulsar Helium lifted by £5m IPO fundraise

There was that rarest of sightings on AIM this week – the lesser-spotted IPO.

Pulsar Helium, which listed on Friday raising around £5million, got off to a decent start with its shares moving 12 per cent higher in the first few hours of trading to 28p.

And while the appetite for new listings has been subdued (and that’s putting it mildly), new helium companies appear to have few problems finding investment.

Helix and Georgina Energy set the IPO trend this year, while Helium One, a stalwart of the small-cap exploration sector, laid most of the groundwork.

H1’s efforts in Tanzania showed it was possible to sink a well and find and isolate the inert gas in a way broadly similar to exploiting conventional hydrocarbons.

IPO: Pulsar Helium, which listed on Friday raising around £5million, got off to a decent start with its shares moving 12 per cent higher in the first few hours of trading to 28p

Now we are seeing a flurry of interest from companies that have either converted to helium from more traditional prospecting or have used stock market-listed shells to find and float assets.

So, from a single UK helium listing just over a year ago, we have a vibrant sub-sector that boasts names such as Mendell Helium (formerly Voyager Life), Mosman Oil & Gas, Predator, Zephyr Energy and 8Mile (previously BlueJay Mining).

Why all the fuss? Well, helium plays a crucial role in the modern economy due to its unique properties.

It is a lightweight, non-reactive gas that doesn’t burn or explode, making it ideal for various high-tech applications.

It is vital for cooling the powerful magnets in MRI scanners, which are essential in healthcare diagnostics.

It is also used in the production of semiconductors, which power the electronics in everything from smartphones to computers – so it will be central to the AI revolution.

In scientific research, helium cools particle accelerators and nuclear reactors. It’s also crucial in space exploration for purging fuel tanks and pressurizsing rocket systems.

The demand for helium is high because it’s non-renewable; it escapes into space once released, making it a valuable and finite resource.

Lesson over. Now let’s turn to the wider market. The AIM All-Share had a solid week, advancing 1.4 per cent to 744.11, marginally outperforming a buoyant FTSE 100.

One standout was Cloud CoCo, which surged 180 per cent to 0.32p after announcing the sale of its IT services subsidiary for £9.2million; a move that will help clear its debts. The company also revealed it is in advanced talks to sell its Connect data centre services business.

Mothercare shares jumped 24 per cent on Friday to 4.37p following news of a refinancing, joint venture, and return to profitability. 

Investors were particularly excited about a tie-up with Reliance Brands to target key markets like India and Bangladesh, where the brand is expected to resonate strongly.

Oncimmune enjoyed a positive end to a volatile week with the shares rising 12 per cent to 15.6p on Friday. 

The autoantibody profiling specialist unveiled plans to recapitalise the business, aiming to raise at least £2million while slashing its debt by half.

Emmerson shares dropped 72 per cent this week, which many believe to be an overreaction.

The drop followed an ‘unfavourable recommendation’ in the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) process for its Khemisset Potash Project in Morocco.

However, Panmure Liberum noted that this is not the formal decision from the regional investment authority, reminding investors that a previous rejection had been overturned at the ministerial level.

Oxford Biodynamics had an equally rough five trading days, with 70 per cent of its market value wiped out after announcing it was seeking new funding.

The company outlined plans for senior staff to take a quarter of their pay in newly issued shares and revealed a review into further funding options, alongside potential asset sales or a spin-off of its US division. The stock ended the week at 1.17p.

Shares in security technology firm Thruvision tanked 41 per cent to 9.5p after it sounded the earnings alarm. 

The update came with this little nugget: Chief executive Colin Evans would be leaving the group to ‘further his non-executive directorship portfolio’.

Finally, Versarien shares slumped 41 per cent to 0.3p after the advanced materials specialist raised £450,000 by issuing cut-price shares.