Last checked at 6 Apr 2021 17:55
Vela Technologies plc
("Vela")
Cornerstone FS plc - Admission to trading on AIM and Further Investment
The Board of Vela (AIM: VELA) is pleased to note that the shares in its investee company, Cornerstone FS plc ("Cornerstone"), have today been admitted to trading on AIM.
In December 2020 Vela invested £200,000 in Cornerstone in a private placing by subscribing for 400,000 new ordinary shares of 1 penny each at a price of 50 pence per ordinary share, thus valuing Cornerstone at £8.3 million. Additionally, Vela received 400,000 warrants with a 5-year term, each warrant carrying the right to subscribe for one Cornerstone share at a price of 50 pence.
As part of its Admission to AIM, Cornerstone has raised £2.24 million (before expenses) through a placing of 3,664,648 new ordinary shares at a price of 61 pence per ordinary share. Vela has invested a further £150,000 through a subscription for 245,902 new ordinary shares in Cornerstone. Upon admission to AIM the market capitalisation of Cornerstone was approximately £12.4 million. Vela's aggregate shareholding in Cornerstone represents approximately 3.2% of its issued share capital.
About Cornerstone
Cornerstone's strategy is to build a significant business in the provision of payment services, foreign exchange and currency risk management. The Company makes it easy for SMEs to handle international payments and currency. The Company's primary customer base is small and medium sized enterprises, generally businesses with fewer than 250 employees. It also provides services for some HNWIs, some of whom are owners or directors of SME customers. The Company currently has over 740 clients.
Cornerstone has developed and built, in-house, its own proprietary cloud-based software platform. The platform can be fully customised to allow third parties and marketing partners to integrate it into their own businesses and websites presenting it as their own branded platform. This platform is currently provided, on a white label Saas basis, to approximately 26 third-party client aggregators.
As previously announced, on 9 September 2020, Cornerstone acquired FXPress Payment Services Limited ("FXPress"). For the 9 months ended 31 December 2019, FXPress generated revenue of £1.24 million and recorded a net loss of £0.08 million. Cornerstone's unaudited pro forma net assets as at 30 June 2020 were £2.71 million.
Further details on Cornerstone are contained in its admission document which is available to download from Cornerstone's website at: www.cornerstonefs.com
Vela Technologies plc Brent Fitzpatrick, Non-Executive Chairman James Normand, Executive Director
| Tel: +44 (0) 7421 728875 |
Allenby Capital Limited (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) Nick Athanas / Nick Naylor
| Tel: +44 (0) 20 3328 5656 |
Peterhouse Capital Limited (Joint Broker) Lucy Williams / Duncan Vasey / Eran Zucker | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7469 0930 |
For further information, please contact:
About Vela Technologies
Vela Technologies (AIM: VELA) is an investing company focused on early stage and pre-IPO long term disruptive technology investments. Vela's investee companies have either developed ways of utilising technology or are developing technology with a view to disrupting the businesses or sector in which they operate. Vela Technologies also invests in listed companies where valuations may offer additional opportunities.