Yesterday afternoon was the occasion of the Aquis Showcase. It has to be said that the great and the good of the small cap area were in attendance, as well as almost all the people I did not want to see, and presumably, one or two who would have preferred it if I were not there. That said, the companies presenting were hosted well by Jeremy Naylor (who has not retired), clearly it was known I was not available.
Of the companies whose share prices moved after they talked, it was interesting that Incanthera (AQSE:INC) was up 20% and off the back of sounding like an idea of a concept or a notion for a science experiment, Delta Gold (AQSE:DGQ). On the merch front I did pick up a Westend Corporate golf ball, and a Guild Advisory biscuit (literally taking it) before the event was over.
MedPal AI plc (MPAL), the AI-native digital health and pharmacy group, announced an update on October 2026 trading. MPAL said, "New Health's revenue grew again in October, increasing by a third month-on-month to over £3.6 million, and repeat orders are now the fastest growing part of our business: revenue from returning customers more than doubled in the month to £1.34 million and is up more than thirteen-fold since August. The Group's revenue run rate is now approaching £50 million a year from a standing start twelve months ago.”
Comment: It is interesting and certainly very much part of the British mentality which has given us a failed, service based economy, that people are determined to kick the tyres of successful, growth companies / look gift horses in the mouth, purely because they cannot stand winners. MPAL is clearly a winner, not only in terms of the rate of growth from a standing start last year, but also in terms of the service it provides in a highly efficient manner. 10p remains a fair near term share price target.
Avacta Therapeutics (AVCT), a life sciences company developing innovative, targeted oncology drugs, today announces it will present AVA6207, its Next-Generation pre|CISION® dual payload peptide-drug conjugate (PDC), in a poster at the 38th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, taking place in Barcelona, Spain, from November 18-20. AVA6207 uses the Company’s pre|CISION® PDC technology to deliver two synergistic payloads directly to tumor cells in a single molecule, combining two complementary mechanisms to combat highly resistant cancers.
Comment: The beaty of being a stock market darling like AVCT is that it can still keep shuffling the pack as far as its offering, which is of course so high tech and so complex that even Einstein would be baffled. I am presuming that the double payload is the equivalent of when Gillette went from one blade to the GII. The first shaves you close, the second closer still…
Aterian plc (ATN), the Africa-focused critical metals exploration, development and trading company, announce a significant step forward in its exploration programme with Lithosquare SAS. An 800 m scout Reverse Circulation ("RC") drilling programme is set to commence imminently at the Company's 85%-owned Azrar Copper-Silver Project in Morocco. The programme is fully funded through the joint venture, with the drill rig mobilised to site and access upgrades and drill pad preparation underway.
Comment: It may be fully funded, but it is still the case that for some strange reason ATN remains a Cinderella stock as far as its fellow explorer / developers are concerned. This is despite the way that its copper -silver mix in Morocco should be a winner. Perhaps it will be once the company actually finds some of the stuff.
Corero (CNS), the distributed denial of service ("DDoS") protection specialists and champion of adaptive, real-time service availability, today announced continued investment in its European and international operations, expanding regional leadership, technical expertise, and channel resources to accelerate partner-led growth across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. As part of this expansion, Corero appointed Michael Woduschegg as General Manager and Field CTO, EMEA/APAC, bringing extensive industry experience and technical leadership. Corero will also add a Director of EMEA Channels in December to strengthen partner relationships and accelerate regional go-to-market initiatives.
Comment: Shares of CNS are thankfully up over 50% so far this year. Indeed, one wonders how high they would be if more people actually know what DDoS is actually is? In the meantime one can see that the company is moving to beef up the headcount, something which should see the share price respond yet further in coming months.
Metir plc (MET) , the leading global provider of fast response mobile and point-of-use water and environmental testing technology, announced that it has conditionally raised gross proceeds of £1,775,000 (approximately £1.78 million) at a price of 0.275p. As set out in its interim results announcement on 28 September 2026, the Company’s working capital has been constrained, and the business required additional funding. The Fundraising will support a revised strategy focused on stabilising and growing revenue streams from its Microtox® and QuickChek® product ranges, improving margins on those sales and pursuing innovation to meet emerging safety testing needs in the water and other industries through partnerships and non-dilutive grant funding.Dr Alastair Smith, Chief Executive Officer-designate of Metir, commented: “Metir has multiple revenue-generating opportunities in sectors that have significant and urgent testing needs, often driven by increasing regulatory pressures and penalties. With my technical and commercial background in bioanalysis, instrumentation and diagnostics, I can see how we can make immediate changes to help us realise those commercial opportunities quickly, build a profitable business and grow from that solid base.”
Comment: One was initially tempted to ask AI whether MET makes money. However, judging by the comments of the CEO designate regarding “revenue-generating opportunities” we are not there yet, and it will be up to Dr Smith to deliver the goods.
Richmond Hill Resources PLC (RHR), a gold exploration company focused on the Martello Gold Project near Dryden in north-western Ontario, Canada, announces that the drill crew have now mobilised and the drill rig is expected to be in position this week. The programme comprises nine diamond drillholes for approximately 1,400 m from six drill pads. Three holes are designed to provide modern verification of the main Sakoose vein at depths of approximately 80–150 m vertical. The remaining six are aimed to test the continuity of the vein between these positions, its down-plunge extension to the west, its extension beneath the historical workings at Shaft 1, the eastern limit of the workings, and a structural zone where the vein is interpreted to widen.
Comment: Shares of RHR rocketed at the start of the year, and therefore despite the operational progress reported today, it is all the more disappointing that the shares are near year lows. It would appear that unlike some months back, just reporting you are going to drill is not enough to get the share price moving.