TRADING UPDATES: Ilika Hits New Milestones For Stereax Scale-Up

(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Thursday and not separately reported by Alliance News:

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Ilika PLC - solid-state battery technology firm based in Romsey, England - Hits new milestones in implementing manufacturing scale-up plans for Stereax, its brand of miniature solid-state batteries designed for industrial wireless sensors. This includes completing a lease on a facility just four miles from its headquarters and awarding an outfitting contract to build cleanroom facilities at the facility to house its Stearex manufacturing line. Fabrication of an industrial evaporator is also complete, and the firm has progressed on-track fabrication of a multi-wafer sputterer for use in depositing other active layers in Stereax batteries. Expects installation of Stereax manufacturing equipment at facility to begin in first half of 2021 calendar years, with commissioning and process qualification in the second half, with a resultant 70 times increase in Stereax production capacity by 2021 end. Initial product sales expected in first half of 2022. Ilika says: "The company has been made aware that some construction materials suppliers are experiencing supply chain delays, particularly from Europe, which the company is managing in order to minimise any impact on overall project implementation and do not believe this will have a fundamental effect on expected timings."

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Great Western Mining Corp PLC - mineral exploration and development company with gold, silver and copper assets in the US - Stakes new claims at Olympic gold project Nevada and agreed a rig contract for 10,000 feet of drilling programmes both at Olympic and and Rock House group of claims, starting April. Trial drilling for copper at the M4 copper target, also in Nevada, is also planned and a coring rig is being upgraded in-hour to drill prospects with difficult access at M4 and Mineral Jackpot. Also noted that laboratory tests indicate commercial viability for processing silver and gold via gravity separation. After equipment repairs, Great Western plans to completed its scheduled processing of spoil heap materials at Mineral Jackpot. "Promising new material" has also been collected in the past two weeks from the eastern sheer zone at Rock House and will be processed too, with another 3.5 tonnes of material to be processed through the pilot plant once it is operational.

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Trakm8 Holdings PLC - Birmingham-based telematics and data insight provider - Wins long term contract to deploy more than 1,000 RH600 integrated telematics and cameras systems to the Parts Alliance Group. Trakm8 is to supply full fleet management and driver behaviour solutions based on its Insight platform. Expects second-half revenue to be around 15% higher than the first, despite the "significant adverse effect" of Covid-19 on its Insurance customers thanks to the temporary suspension of driving tests. Annual revenue will be 20% lower than in financial 2020, as Covid compromised "what would otherwise have been a year of growth". Expects "modest" adjusted pretax loss, broadly similar to the previous year. Remains "confident that the group is well positioned to return to growth driven by its expanding Insurance customer base and continually improving Fleet sales team performance."

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Digitalbox PLC - mobile-first digital media business and owner of the Daily Mash - Confirms revenue and profit for second half of 2020 exceeded first half, now expects annual revenue to be approximately GBP2.2 million, flat year-on-year. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation forecast at around GBP300,000, down from GBP500,000 the prior year. January 31 net cash position GBP1.9 million, up from GBP1.2 million June 30. Says: "The current financial year has started well with Q1 2021 to-date performing ahead of our initial expectations. The Tab continues its positive integration into the Digitalbox model reaching profitability (previously loss making) after three months of ownership; together with audience growth across the portfolio, Digitalbox now has a reach of more than 12 million monthly users."

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Gear4Music PLC - York, England-based online retailer of musical instruments - Reports continued strong trading performance in 2021 calendar year to date. Says UK and European operations performing well post-Brexit. This helped drive revenue growth and supported margins ahead of prior expectations, with Gear4music now expecting an Ebitda for the 12 months ending March 31 of not less than GBP18.2 million. Prior guidance was for an annual Ebitda of not less than GBP16.5 million.

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KKV Secured Loan Fund Ltd - equipment leasing and asset finance investment firm - Agrees revised fee arrangements with portfolio manager KKV Investment Management Ltd for ongoing management of its ordinary share portfolio following approval by shareholders to place ordinary share class into managed wind-down alongside C share class. Management fee payable on ordinary shares falls from 1% of ordinary net asset value per annum to 0.96% for 2021, then 0.92% for 2022 and 0.8% for 2023 onwards. Agrees to waive and release portfolio manager from obligation to use 5% of management fees to purchase shares. Other terms unchanged.

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Uniphar PLC - healthcare services firm - Board committee approves migration of migrating shares to Euroclear Bank central securities depository, following shareholder approval for replacing CREST with Euroclear-operated system for electronic settlement of trading in Uniphar shares. "The migration will take place as part of the wider market migration which will occur on the date determined by Euronext Dublin and which is currently expected to be on or around [March 15]."

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By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com

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