The latest Investing Matters Podcast episode featuring Jeremy Skillington, CEO of Poolbeg Pharma has just been released. Listen here.
I admire posters who can spend inordinate amounts of time writing on shares which they don't own " Who really has time to do that"....quiet astonishing really ....I'm truly fascinated. No children, cat, dog misses or anything don't get it. I personally have no time to spend spouting on shares I do not own nor I suspect do most of the country, so it's either these dudes have " cracked the work life balance secret" or perhaps theres voids to be filled. Look, I hold stock here, thank god it's a much reduced amount, but as soon as I've sold the last note ......as they say on Dragons Den "I'm out". IMTK using the Sod's law theory bounce as I get out but I wouldn't care as any bounce would be unlikely to match my subsequent purchases.
Sorry the post somehow doubled up.
I know the Strawberry Patch kid has a take on RT role in the Watchstone episode, this is mine written on IMTK. Rob Terry's failed attempt take over the limping IMTK technology company has signalled the close of a chapter but not the book. Spikes your fascination with RT I think I can safely say is one of a highly sceptical observer convinced that the man had dubious intent. Rob Terry mercurial technology misguided genius or the ultimate Madoff principled business conman with selfish and greedy intent. Thoes free thinkers not easily mesmerised by elaborate but inaccurate reporting, mass hysteria and a crazy witch hunts often galvanised by the academically blind, the jury may still be out. Terry emerged from the Innovations debacle in which the company he build and took to a 1.5bn valuation at its height unceremoniously ejected him amidst acrimonious claims of business maladministration. Despite the screams by impropriety claims and criminal implications, Terry walked away with a relatively modest renumeration and importantly ( no charges to answer). If you upset the fianancial founded fathers you better have a broad back because "death by a thousand cuts" could well be your fate. It became evident that a lot of ' high net worth ' investors had lost money and their influence ' like the curse of pharaohs' was intent to seek and destroy future Terry's ambitions. They say 'entrepreneurs don't die they just fade away' and his re-emergence from the Innovation debacle was dramatic as the undoubted disruptive technology genius launched Quindell vowing to superseding past achievements despite facing the daunting task of taking on the establishment. The cynically named delboy businessman faced derision from the chattering fat guts classes ably assisted by a frenzied often rabid like media circus keen to accentuate any discrepancies and often manifesting stories akin to the sublim to the ridiculous. The mysterious Gotham attack on Quindell started a round of events that would eventually near obliterate the company as unsubstantiated claims of false accounting and the TW relentless castigation of Rob Terry saw a top valuation of 2bn crash and burn with millions of pounds wiped off shareholder accounts. TW claims of a zero value company gained traction and many of the normally astute " lost their minds" and followed the idiots every sardonic word. A mass scrum of press business fraud accusations, shareholder panic, FSA lobbying followed ensuring that in effect the Quindell dream of FT100 achievement decintigrated. What followed next demonstrated the folly of vindictive public pressure. The bumbling SFO entered the fray while the FSA were still attempting to conclude a spurious report, it resembled something out of a ' Monty Python' sketch where discombobulation and Caous ruled the waves. Amidst these comedy of errors TW continued to claim Quindell was worthless and Rob Terry was going to jail.
My perspective is that RobTerry had a genuine ambition to take Quindell to main market status but as with some highly driven individuals, the lines between achievement and boundaries often become blurred and I believe Terry struggled with sustaining seemingly restrictive boundaries but orcastrated criminal motivations ...not convinced. As the bumbling Investigations drag on what next for ROb Terry ( The Teflon Don). Terry's third attempt to reinvent himself via the acquirement of IMTK has failed and many suggest this was actually his " last throw of the dice" and having already achieved multi-millionaire status, perhaps the curtin has come down and the curse of the disgruntled Innovation big wigs finally took its tool. As mentioned before I attempt to substantiate my claim that greed was never RT intention by pointing to the fact the combined wealth of both companies reached approximately 1.5 Innovations 2bn Quindell, RT had 20% stake in each company so if sold out out the heights returns of 800m could have been selfishly banked, in stead of the 40 including 30m sold share options. RT still heads QUob Park Estates with a current 50m market cap, with the police investigation destined to produce sweet FA, don't rule out the Phoenix rising fir the fourth time with a new venture.
I think Rob Terry's failed attempt take over the limping IMTK technology company has signalled the close of a chapter but not the book. Spikes your fascination with RT I think I can safely say is one of a highly sceptical observer convinced that the man had dubious intent. Rob Terry mercurial technology misguided genius or the ultimate Madoff principled business conman with selfish and greedy intent. Thoes free thinkers not easily mesmerised by elaborate but inaccurate reporting, mass hysteria and a crazy witch hunts often galvanised by the academically blind, the jury may still be out. Terry emerged from the Innovations debacle in which the company he build and took to a 1.5bn valuation at its height unceremoniously ejected him amidst acrimonious claims of business maladministration. Despite the screams by impropriety claims and criminal implications, Terry walked away with a relatively modest renumeration and importantly ( no charges to answer). If you upset the fianancial founded fathers you better have a broad back because "death by a thousand cuts" could well be your fate. It became evident that a lot of ' high net worth ' investors had lost money and their influence ' like the curse of pharaohs' was intent to seek and destroy future Terry's ambitions. They say 'entrepreneurs don't die they just fade away' and his re-emergence from the Innovation debacle was dramatic as the undoubted disruptive technology genius launched Quindell vowing to superseding past achievements despite facing the daunting task of taking on the establishment. The cynically named delboy businessman faced derision from the chattering fat guts classes ably assisted by a frenzied often rabid like media circus keen to accentuate any discrepancies and often manifesting stories akin to the sublim to the ridiculous. The mysterious Gotham attack on Quindell started a round of events that would eventually near obliterate the company as unsubstantiated claims of false accounting and the TW relentless castigation of Rob Terry saw a top valuation of 2bn crash and burn with millions of pounds wiped off shareholder accounts. TW claims of a zero value company gained traction and many of the normally astute " lost their minds" and followed the idiots every sardonic word. A mass scrum of press business fraud accusations, shareholder panic, FSA lobbying followed ensuring that in effect the Quindell dream of FT100 achievement decintigrated. What followed next demonstrated the folly of vindictive public pressure. The bumbling SFO entered the fray while the FSA were still attempting to conclude a spurious report, it resembled something out of a ' Monty Python' sketch where discombobulation and Caous ruled the waves. Amidst these comedy of errors TW continued to claim Quindell was worthless and Rob Terry was going to jail. The subsequent Slater & Gordan 655m deal was generally viewed as undersold with figures of 1bn muted,
Ah...Spikey poetic thoughts of those that have wilted and fallen like autumn leaves but emphatically joined the 'Big Man' in the sky. What would you predict for end of year share price for IMTk and what would be a reasonable time period for IMTK to look to break even. I'm intrigued.
Should add, study the similarities with the BigSofa and IMTK and watch this space for a lesson in how very academically and innovative boards with market leading software and A list clients take different paths. The IMTK board reluctance to consider partnership and their continued introspective approach and the equally as talented BigSofa CEO and BOD embracing partnership enhancement in order to reach their target as market leaders in their field. Both very similar in development of amazingly high spect software but totally different management approaches. Remember these notes and refer back to them in two years time and let's see which company has achieved its market leading object. I will be speaking to some senior KOOVS people on Saturday by the way because convinced they'll have some fascinating things to talk about.
Rylidan its on honest appraisal made of one of many companies that I'm invested in, sorry if you feel my rationale is bitter. My investing strategy is relatively simple, the CEO and directors have a duty to work hard on the companies behalf, if this happens I'm the quietest investor you'll find, but if they don't .....well I'll get in a few faces It's how I am I'm afraid. Example: prior to investing in a number of Adam Reynolds recovery play ventures, I was invited to a small Q&A which he was staging. Read my stuff and initially thought him too good to be true and my intention was not to play ball, like the other cult followers but to grill him like his never been grilled before. To my amazement every difficult question I lobbed at him, and some were very challenging indeed, he conceptualised and never attempted to duck the question. From a skeptic I left very impressed with his honesty, Constance reference to shareholder value, and high level of business acumen. Bought and sold several of his lifestyle recovery plays and did very well and have advised my colleagues to snap of BigSofa shares when they return from the RTO scenario because the company is going to be very successful in a multi-billion pound developing video anaylitics and diagnostics arena. If the company ticks my boxes I won't hesitate to wax lyrical but if they're fallen from grace they will be critised. I've said before there are some absolutely excellent CEO and BOD members out there at the moment, and half a dozen stand out like a sore thumb. Not all their companies are flying at the moment but their credentials and relationship with their shareholders is worthy of praise. I had to laugh when a poster started dropping Watchstone directors names with his several meetings quip, to impress I think. To be honest not interested, I'm more interested in speaking to the Mary Turners' , Emiliy Sheffields, Dave Walls and others who have never ducked a question tabled, perhaps that's why I'm invested in their companies. One must be able to critically analyse their investments without being hoodwinked.
IMO, cling on to substantial funds in this company and further furnish the lavish ' fat watch, grand designs' lifestyle of a ( consistently under-performing tech company) for 18 months and compare the revenue turn over of competitors, including companies currently off the market and in talks, and it will make grim reading for IMTK shareholders. Been in the game over 20 years, early investment in the AIM rollerciaster has afforded me my current lifestyle which I'm great full for. Hanging on to dead wood will prove bad for your wealth!!!
Having miraculously manageing to sprit away placing money from ' punch drunk investors' subliminally sending out prior messages of (break even results) helped by a number of flag waving posters on here, the enthusiastic public once again coughed of the cash, which without it would have signalled the rapid capitulation to insolvency of IMTK. Of course lame claims of preferring a successful placing but having ( plan B) alternative straties were disguised bull- shit. No successful placing the company would have been toast. In effect what the company did was use smart marketing techniques that likely worker exploiting some of the following principles: 1- Accentuatate RT/QPE as the moroding enenmy intent on destroying any hope of shareholder success 2-Production of a ' money no object' marketing campaign to produce a glitzy business proposal to influence the placing fiasco. 3-Skillfully and subliminally intimate several times throughout the year that ' the company was on the verge of breaking even, when in truth they new full well those spurious claims by no doubt cajoled associates and finance house were a load of rubbish. Investors pile in head first " like hungry shopper at Harrod on Sale day" only for the real eased results to reveal a 900k debts. Wow!! they didn't see that coming .....yeah right !!!!. For the record Rylidan the funds I have slowly drawn down from here have gone into a number of dynamic companies with top draw managements and CEO' s which I have met and those meeting further convinced me that substantial growth can be made. Indian retail market focused KOOVS, Adam Reynolds at Soon to re-launched BIGSOFA, Oil exponents 88E, very impressive management fianancers and BOD at Cloudtag, sleeping giants SAR and I should add two companies with IPO's imminent that will IMO create new early investment records by virtue of the product high tech potential. This is the most exciting investment period on AIM in my book since the dot.com era. With successes we have to be big enough and honest enough to accept the duds. No investor hits 100% investing rates ever. I'm not bitter but totally realistic to the fact that IMTK a company I perceived to have the kind of ' cutting edge technology' to eventually harbour ambitions for FT 100 perhaps, was a totally naive and over-ambitious evaluation and I put my hands up. I'm glad however, that my probing of this investments by sifting through public documents, third party same industry consensus, reoccurring company anomalies, claims from external organisations and the perspectives from the founder easily drew me to the conclusion that IMTK is and will remain an AIM flop. The company has continued to make extravagant excuses for year on year losses and the current 900k deficit supposedly is being chipped away at. I know it's hard to face up to the fact that we bought a " pup" but it happens to all of us even Spikey,
Rylidan as one of the brighter members on here I'm surprised you have allowed your eagerness to promote the bitter theory to impaire your apprehension of my posts. I said quiet clearly that I sold this further reducing my holding. So I'm afraid dusting off the chestnut ( not invested why are you here thing) is floored. I still hold some. We know expenses itself are necessary but you well know the issue has always been ( the exorbitant ) numbers mentioned by RT and the aledgiliy extravagant regime backed by someone who would have an idea. I think even you have had to think hard recently.
Oh Rylidan Despite your tambourine banging ' break even' imminent stance prior to results can you explain the £900k loss. I'd look at the expense payouts.
Sometimes you just have to " give up the ghost".
I noticed that you skilfully avoided addressing the "exorbitant expenses claims" firstly highlighted by Rob Terry, as he tied to explain quiet candidly, the current failings of the company and why they needed cash and how he would rejuvenate fortunes. Theses guys have developed some kind of internal " King solomans tomb" of riches in which senior sales people and others deemed to be in their exclusive club are paid huge bonuses and sums of money for securing business. Hold up!!! Incentive schemes in itself is not a problem but the figures that ROb Terry and the ex IMTK founder confirmed are horrendous. These fools have decimated the share price and made little attempt to drive aggressive revenue targets but yet they can pay themselves huge lumps of cash......Relly!!!. Not only do they have a ! Brass neck! they somehow managed to hoodwink comatose investors to " dig deep again" for God sake, throwing good money after bad. I must admit, the management skillfully used the threat of the "Dragon -AkA QPE / ROb Terry to whip up emotions as they conveniently cash him as this " bad man wanting your shares folks". Like lambs to the slaughter the psychological ...." He's behind you ploy" worked like a dream and like lemmings, must admit even I was tempted, already beleaguered investors decided to throw that last dice which just had to be Black. Well the hardest these guys have worked it seems is when they want more money to plug the holes in the IMTK ship The publicy document was great ....only to turn out to be a clever but" Smoke and Mirrors" job. No doubt they paid their advertising friends serious money for the job. Look, investors need to get off their butts and start asking the sort of questions that will liven this firm up. At the moment it appears that they are basking in a sea of shareholders cash, paying themselves very well for what is in effect many years of under-performance. I think the ex company founder quoted hundreds of thousands of pounds per month, please read his posts before a IMTK insider has it taken off the site.
I use the "Custers last stand" historical ananlogy because I see lots of simulatities with IMTK. The distorted and airbrushed American and British history books painted a picture of the legenerary General Custer with a few hundred men holding off thousands of stupid Indians before after several days succumbing to weight of numbers. What a brave and coragus dude !!!!!! The real research however shows that Custers bitallion lost their lives unnecessarily after he ignored the advice of a ' stupid Indian scout' who urged him to wait for backup which was 2 days away. Clusters narcissistic/arrogant manner saw him ignore the advice and subsequently send his men to ' what should have been re-named ! Death Valley!. The so thought of stupid Indians had already strategically out thought the ' famous enough general and doubled back forming a circle and several pincer forays ensuring that the bitalion in effect were toast!!! It's quietly accepted that unlike the 'John Wayne' films showing brave stand offs against massive odds for days, if the truth be told, they were likely wiped out like fools in less than 30 minutes. Connotations with IMTK, arrogants and blind belief cocktails with misguided confidences in business ' is a recepie for disaster. IMTK looks likely to suffer a similar fate to Custer from the business perspective, because arrogance as in battle is a killer!!!! Those Indians weren't so stupid after all were they ?
QPE suggested that it would be a poor business decision to reject the cash offer from ROb Terry, but an impressive publicly campaign convinced investors to dip into their pockets again but for what?
I have taken more out today at a loss to buy addition Cloudtag stock and hold some primed for the return of former NEW company RTO BigSofa. Investors at break even should consider future options IMO.
Rylidan, as one of the main flag wavers for IMTK in recent months and champion of the ' break even promise' prior to results, I fully understand that having a lot of skin in here must be painful. I have a small amount but it hurts just the same. There's absolutely no point 'burying your head in the sand' and preying for a turn around in fortunes that seems unlikely to be achieved. The company appears to be 'running on empty'. The CEO has been laying out personal loans to prop up the company and the IMTK placing made specific mention to repaying this debt in full from shareholder coffers. The post from the original founder only confirmed what I had eventually found out for myself. If I remember rightly, you were one of the first ones to laugh and intimate that Rob Terry's claims of the companies exorbitant expense systems was tantamount to the company 'taking the ****' with shareholders money'. The fact that this has been confirmed by the founder says it all. I think deep down despite your ' custers last stand' rhetoric, which I fully understand, I believe when you try to join the dots together too many holes appear. I genuinely hope I'm wrong but " the management just don't have the skills to pull it round". I have no association with IMTK or the original owner but know some impressive people in the technology industry. The consensus is that the company is unlikely to survive 18 months. Shareholders have coughed up their last penny.
I was attracted by the claims of cutting edge technology and concept savvy directors, a fact that was confirmed by some tech friends who I go to for honest opinion. As the founder of the company and your claim of ' setting the industry standards' there seems literally no period when the company was ever bulging with revenue success, so one could suggest your business concept, although possessing world class software was a ' busted flush' from the outset and built on unrealistic dreams. Continuing the devils advocate bit, why would the mystery maestro who brought in half of the BOD be aggressively outed of his own company?. It suggests that fundamentally things weren't right in the first place. I took the liberty of scanning your posts and was a bit confused. You make several references to the ' dodgy RT pump and dump antics' intimating your distain for him and company, yet in other paragraphs talk of " not understanding why they didn't take RT money, if indeed it was at some time available?. I agree with many of your points including being a " zombie company' with poor managemnet, but if your posts to date are to be believed, thoes silly investors that jumped to the defence of IMTK when QPE/Rob Terry claimed that astronomical monthly expenses and senior sales staff incentives appeared to take precedent over revenue growth, aggressively dismissed and backed by some foolish posters you have illustrated were true with your hundreds of thousands a month quote. You also suggested " the management needed to be changed" that became pretty obvious to me once my money had entered the company. Genuinely not regarding you as bitter disgruntled ex boss, you paint a tragic picture of a company traditionally haemorrhaging money on lavish expense systems, constantly having to borrow money to keep afloat, over reliance on the leaders personal loans to the business, lacking the early vision and mechanics for profitability, with a suggestion that they should have taken the company private in an attempt to re-group. I stated clearly when QPE/RT made advances that love him or hate him, with the state IMTK found themselves that the RT offer was their best bet of success. The combined valuation of both Innovations and Quidell passed 3.5bn at the heights, with the newly formed QPE valued at 50m with plans to multiply its size by the scheduled ' high net worth placing'. Of course those allowed to be lead by the nose and the flying visitors here spouting ' break even was imminant' have now dissapered leaving many investors heavily snookered with in cases hundreds of thousands locked in a rubbishy company. You mentioned that a non-dodgy company ideally should take IMTK over but if Rob Terry was able find out and mention many of the points, especially the state of the company and the ludicrase expense scheme, not only would other companies also be frightened off but it's arguable what IMTK actually have to sell? Thank you again f
Thank you Mark for your company incite into IMTK. You can get very little better than the ex founder of the company giving a perspective. In terms of my attitude to investing and directors be uses its very simple. If I'm investing my hard earned cash in a company I reserve the right to ask any business question I like and can reasonably expect an answer. I'm very straight talking and this has got me in trouble on boards before because people struggle with the truth and are more comfortable sitting on the fence. I don't give a rats arse if I've hurt a directors feelings when their dicing with my money so expect my question to be direct. Before I begin, I was on another site recently and tabled similar sentiments about the company, suddenly out of the blue a first time poster appeared ( with a first post) and literally bleed their heart out about the future prospects of the company and the improved top end client list ...blah...blah. My colleagues quickly came to the conclusion that the level of detailed information volunteered meant that it was either Matt Cooper himself or someone very close to him. They seemed desperate to try and dismiss my general pessimism realising that the other board has a large following and further adverse publicly was not helpful. No doubt they complained to the administrators in a bid for me to toe the line but it was never going to happen. I tend to say the things others are frightened or too apprehensive fearing consequences. You end up having chat forums in which visiting or resident directors are lorded but never challenged. 90% of the enlisted BOD contributors are treated like royalty as mesmerised investors act so greatful for them doing everybody a favour. An absolute crazy environment, needless to say the word sanction is synonymous with Onthevmoney...hey ho, now a few questions.