RCS - Quantum Base Hldgs - Intention to Float on the AIM Market
17/03/2025 08:15
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RNS Number : 8261A Quantum Base Holdings Limited 17 March 2025
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subscribe for any transferable securities referred to in this announcement
except on the basis of the information in the final form of an admission
document (the "Admission Document") which may be published in due course in
connection with the proposed admission of Quantum Base Holdings plc's issued
and to be issued ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each in the capital of the
Company ("Ordinary Shares") to trading on AIM, a market of that name operated
by London Stock Exchange plc ("AIM"). Upon any such publication the Admission
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on the basis of the information contained therein. Copies of the Admission
Document will, following publication, be available during normal business
hours on any day (except Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) at the
registered office of the Company and online at www.quantumbase.com, subject to
applicable securities laws or regulations.
17 March 2025
Quantum Base Holdings plc
("Quantum Base" or the "Company")
Intention to Float on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange
Quantum Base, the quantum science company creating a new global standard in
authentication, is pleased to announce its intention to apply for admission to
trading ("Admission") on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange ("AIM")
during April 2025.
Highlights
· Quantum Base is a quantum science company creating a new global
standard in authentication through its patented Quantum Identities ("Q-ID®s")
- near unbreakable and non-replicable authenticity tags that can be applied to
a vast array of products, significantly mitigating counterfeiting, and can be
authenticated with a smartphone.
· The business was founded in 2013 as a spin-out from Lancaster
University through which Professor Robert Young's discoveries in the field of
quantum physics could be commercialised.
· The Company is seeking to raise between £3 million and £5 million
from new institutional and other shareholders through a placing, alongside an
exempt public offer to retail investors in the UK through the RetailBook
platform.
· The net proceeds of the placing will be used on product development
and new key commercial and operational hires.
· The Company has signed two framework agreements with printing
partners, which contain pre-agreed terms to allow the partners to market and
sell the Company's Q-ID technology to their clients:
o Customer #1, a major security printer, intends to apply the Q-ID
technology to tax stamps for government clients.
o Signe, a Madrid based security printer specialising in the document
security space, is currently carrying out scoping work for the first work
order.
Tom Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of Quantum Base, commented:
"I'm delighted to announce our intention to seek admission of Quantum Base on
AIM, in doing so, providing the London market with the opportunity to share in
our growth, future development and success. As a UK-based company and a
British scientific success story, floating in London was the obvious choice
for us.
"This is a very exciting time for Quantum Base. For over a decade, we have
been developing our patented Q-ID solution - a quantum-secure tag that is
virtually impossible to replicate or clone. As the first innovation of its
kind to be easily integrated with the most common printing methods and quickly
authenticated with a smartphone, it has been vital for us to maintain
independence and credibility so that we can grow our solution in a sustainable
manner. We believe that floating on AIM will provide us with this
independence, whilst also enabling us to leverage access to a world-leading
market and potential investor base.
"I would like to extend my thanks to our existing stakeholders and partners
for their continued support, and I look forward to welcoming new investors as
we continue on this exciting journey of establishing a new global standard in
authentication."
Key Strengths
The Directors believe the success of the Company and the expectations for its
future growth are founded on the following key strengths:
· The technology underpinning Q-IDs harnesses randomness at the atomic
level, and this volume and variation ensures that there is a virtually
infinite number of combinations that can be created. The Q-ID is practically
impossible to replicate using even the most advanced available technology.
· The Q-ID can be integrated with most common printing methods and
substrates, enabling application on all of the products in the Company's
initial target markets with minimal intervention to existing production
processes. Q-IDs can be produced and registered as quickly as 1,000 tags per
second on a single manufacturing line.
· The authentication process to identify printed tags is undertaken
using existing and unmodified smartphone technology coupled with the Quantum
Base software. This process does not require a change of existing consumer
behaviour, or any further hardware or infrastructure.
· Counterfeiting is estimated to cost businesses and tax authorities at
least $2.8 trillion in lost revenue per year. Quantum Base's solution can be
utilised in a vast number of end markets, significantly mitigating global
counterfeiting.
· Quantum Base's commercialisation drive is based on a "design and
licence" model. In its first stage of commercialisation, the Company has
signed two framework agreements with leading security printers.
· Q-ID technology and its application processes have undergone rigorous
adversarial and competitive testing from the two existing printing partners
and from various other potential clients. Additionally, the science has
undergone peer review, with publication in leading open-access science
journals.
· The Company benefits from an experienced management team with a
diverse background suitable for its needs from each of a scientific,
commercial, sales and corporate governance perspective.
Rationale for Admission
Quantum Base believes Admission to AIM will provide it with several
advantages, including:
· Maintaining independence to allow the Company to create a new global
standard in authentication.
· Providing direct access to the London capital market, improving the
Company's ability to finance its future growth.
· Enabling the Company to broaden its investor base and access a wider
range of potential shareholders.
· Providing the Company with greater ability to incentivise and retain
key staff.
· Ensuring the Company upholds the highest levels of corporate
governance and transparency, providing sustainable growth whilst enhancing its
reputation and credibility with global customers.
The Company has appointed Strand Hanson Limited as its Nominated and Financial
Adviser and Cavendish Capital Markets Limited as its Broker in respect of
Admission.
The Quantum Base Business
A New Global Standard
· Quantum Base is creating a new global standard in authentication
through its patented Q-ID solution - near unbreakable and non-replicable
authenticity tags that can be applied to a vast array of products,
significantly mitigating counterfeiting.
· Quantum Base is, to the knowledge of the Board, the only solution
that combines high levels of security, unique identification, simple
implementation on manufacturing lines, scalability, low cost application and
authentication with a smartphone.
Secure Technology
· The technology underpinning Q-ID harnesses the randomness that is
inherent at nanometre length scales.
· The sheer volume and variation of the interactions between molecules
that occur at nanoscale means that there is a virtually infinite number of
combinations that can be created.
· The traditional solutions to counterfeiting, such as holograms,
taggants and security inks, are often susceptible to replication and are
expensive to produce. Additionally, some other alternative commercial
methodologies require reading technology that isn't readily available to the
average consumer or manufacturer.
Ease and Speed of Integration
· The authentication process to identify printed tags is undertaken
using existing and unmodified smartphone technology.
· This technology is coupled with the Quantum Base software, either
through an app or via a software development kit ("SDK"). The SDK provision of
the Company's software enables integration into third party mobile apps.
· The ink bases used to print Q-IDs are industry-standard and readily
available. Small proportions of low-cost additives are incorporated into these
bases before printing using existing processes. This makes Q-IDs relatively
inexpensive to mass produce.
Vast Applicable Market and Versatile Product
· Counterfeiting is estimated to cost businesses and tax authorities at
least $2.8 trillion in lost revenue per year.
· Q-IDs can be applied to almost any print line and in certain cases
can be entirely non-intrusive to a product's existing design, meaning that
they can be utilised in a vast number of end markets.
· Beyond the initial application of tax stamps, principally through its
framework agreements, the Directors are confident that Q-IDs can be applied to
postage stamps, banknotes, clothing, luxury goods, pharmaceuticals, aerospace
parts and more.
Proven and Protected Technology
· The Q-ID technology and its application processes have undergone
rigorous adversarial and competitive testing from the two existing printing
partners and from various other potential clients.
· The science underpinning this technology was spearheaded by research
led by Professor Robert Young. This has undergone peer review, been published
in leading open-access science journals, and has been well-received by the
scientific community.
· Key results from this research, and Quantum Base's research and
development (R&D) activities, have translated into a broad patent
portfolio protecting the intellectual property surrounding Q-ID. The Company
uses various forms of intellectual property protection to safeguard its
technology and know-how, including patents, copyright and trademarks.
Framework Agreements with Security Printers
· The Company has signed a framework agreement with Customer #1, a
major security printer, to apply its Q-ID technology to tax stamps, and has
also signed a first contract.
o The framework agreement has pre-agreed terms for the potential supply of
Q-IDs to all tax stamps printed by Customer #1 annually.
o The first signed contract is for a specific tax stamp programme.
o Each additional tax stamp programme under the framework will be agreed
individually.
· The Directors believe that the tax stamp industry represents a strong
first application for Q-IDs as they are produced globally in vast quantities
and the Q-ID stamp can be readily applied to existing print runs. Due to the
strict regulations governing this industry, the adoption of Q-ID within it
provides strong validation of the legitimacy and value of the Quantum Base
commercial solution.
· Q-ID has been subjected to significant external adversarial testing
by prospective partners, with Quantum Base's authentication app correctly
identifying all counterfeits.
· Another framework agreement has been signed with Signe, a Madrid
based security printer specialising in the document security space. Scoping is
currently underway for the first work order under this framework agreement.
· The Company intends to access further customers using channel
partnerships across a wide range of verticals.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Quantum Base info@quantumbase.com
Tom Taylor, CEO
Strand Hanson Limited (Financial and Nominated Adviser) +44 (0)207 409 3494
Christopher Raggett
James Bellman
David Asquith
Edward Foulkes
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (Broker) +44 (0)20 7908 6000
Ed Frisby / Isaac Hooper - Corporate Finance
Andrew Burdis - Corporate Broking
Michael Johnson / Dale Bellis / Tamar Cranford-Smith - Sales
BlytheRay (Financial PR) quantumbase@blytheray.com
+44 (0)20 7138 3204
Tim Blythe
Megan Ray
Will Jones
About Quantum Base
Quantum Base is a quantum science company creating a new global standard in
authentication through its patented Q-ID solution - near unbreakable and
non-replicable authenticity tags that can be applied to a vast array of
products, significantly mitigating counterfeiting.
The technology underpinning Q-IDs harnesses randomness at the atomic level,
and this volume and variation ensures that there is a virtually infinite
number of combinations that can be created. The Q-ID is practically impossible
to replicate using even the most advanced available technology.
Q-IDs can be applied to almost any print line and in certain cases can be
entirely non-intrusive to a product's existing design, meaning that they can
be utilised in a vast number of end markets. The authentication process to
identify printed tags is undertaken using existing and unmodified smartphone
technology, providing easy authentication and proven security for global
brands, governments and consumers.
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The contents of this announcement, which has been prepared by and is the sole
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The Ordinary Shares referred to in this Announcement have not been and will
not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U5
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afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Admission
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