RNS Number : 1093W
TMT Investments PLC
16 August 2022
 

16 August 2022

 

TMT INVESTMENTS PLC

("TMT" or the "Company")

 

Half-year report for the six months to 30 June 2022

 

TMT Investments Plc (AIM: TMT), the venture capital company investing in high-growth technology companies, is pleased to announce its unaudited interim results for the half-year ended 30 June 2022.

 

The interim report will shortly be available on the Company's website, www.tmtinvestments.com.

 

Highlights:

 

·    NAV per share of US$6.68 (down 25.8% from US$9.00 as of 31 December 2021)

·    Total NAV of US$210.1 million (down from US$283.1 million as of 31 December 2021)

·    5-year IRR of 26.6% per annum

·    US$7.3 million of investments across 6 new and existing companies in the first half of 2022

·    Diversified global portfolio of over 55 companies focused mainly around SaaS (software-as-a-service), marketplaces, big data/cloud, EdTech, FinTech, e-commerce, and FoodTech solutions

·    US$13 million in cash reserves as of 15 August 2022

 

Alexander Selegenev, Executive Director of TMT, commented:

 

"The first half of 2022 saw continued investor interest in high-growth, high-quality digital technology companies, resulting in positive revaluations of several of TMT's portfolio companies that have demonstrated ongoing growth throughout the period and received further validation for their business models by raising fresh equity capital at higher valuations, namely Accern, Outfund, FemTech, Spin Technology and Feel. In tandem, most other portfolio companies have continued to either grow their businesses quietly in the background or diligently react to the evolving market situation, adapting and repositioning their businesses as required.

 

We were reasonably pleased with our portfolio companies' performance in the first half of 2022, especially against the backdrop of the recent market volatility and the worsening economic outlook for the global economy.  While the recent period of uncertainty has not been long enough to have a broad and sustained negative effect on the underlying businesses of technology companies, the recent larger-cap public market sell-off has led to reduced valuations of privately held start-ups, although with a significantly lower negative effect on the valuations of earlier-stage start-ups, the stage at which TMT is most closely focused.

 

The significantly reduced share prices of publicly traded technology companies negatively affected the value of TMT's equity stake in NASDAQ-traded cloud storage company Backblaze (www.backblaze.com), resulting in a US$43.6 million reduction in the value of TMT's investment in Backblaze as at 30 June 2022. Despite such financial market volatility, Backblaze's business has been developing well, recording 28% revenue growth in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the same period of 2021 and the recent announcement of many new partnerships and integrations.  Backblaze remains well capitalised with a reported net cash position of approximately US$51 million at 30 June 2022.

 

Consistent with TMT's prudent valuation policy, the Company has also decided to reduce the fair value of its equity stake in Bolt (www.bolt.eu) by 28%, despite the fact that the previous valuation level was established on the back of Bolt's successful €628 million equity raise, which completed only recently in January 2022 - after the market correction had started.  This decision reflects the significant reduction in the values of Bolt's publicly traded peers, namely Uber and Lyft, as of 30 June 2022.

 

Business-wise, both Bolt and Backblaze, as well as most of TMT's other portfolio companies, have continued to perform reasonably well, with very few investees experiencing clear difficulties at this juncture.

 

Substantial recent cash exits from Wrike ($23m in 2018), Pipedrive (US$41m in 2020) and Depositphotos (initial cash exit consideration of US$12.9m in 2021), together with other cash exits and the proceeds of the Company's fund raise conducted in October 2021 (which raised US$19.3 million before expenses), have been reinvested into earlier and mid-stage companies as part of planning the next generation of the portfolio's potential winners. In the first half of 2022, TMT made US$7.3m of investments into 6 existing and new portfolio companies. As of 30 June 2022, early and mid-stage companies represented 45.1% of TMT's total portfolio value and 95% of the total number of portfolio companies.

 

TMT is continuing to source and identify investment opportunities very selectively and at appropriate valuation levels, whilst employing an extremely cautious general investment approach for the time being.  With no financial debt and cash reserves of approximately US$13 million at 15 August 2022), TMT is well positioned to ride out the current market volatility and make selective investments when the right opportunities present themselves. The Company expects a number of positive revaluations across its portfolio by the end of 2022 and will update shareholders on relevant developments as appropriate."

 

 

For further information contact:

 

TMT Investments Plc

Alexander Selegenev

Executive Director

www.tmtinvestments.com

 

+44 (0)1534 281 800

(Computershare - Company Secretary)

 

alexander.selegenev@tmtinvestments.com

 

Strand Hanson Limited

(Nominated Adviser)

James Bellman / James Dance

 

+44 (0)20 7409 3494

Cenkos Securities plc

(Joint Broker)

Ben Jeynes

 

+44 (0)20 7397 8900

Hybridan LLP

(Joint Broker)

Claire Louise Noyce

 

+44 (0)20 3764 2341

Kinlan Communications

David Hothersall

 

+44 (0)20 7638 3435

davidh@kinlan.net

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 as it forms part of United Kingdom domestic law by virtue of the European (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (as amended).

 

 

About TMT Investments Plc

 

TMT Investments Plc invests in high-growth technology companies across a number of core specialist sectors and has a significant number of Silicon Valley investments in its portfolio. Founded in 2010, TMT has a current investment portfolio of over 55 companies and net assets of US$210 million as of 30 June 2022.  The Company's objective is to generate an attractive rate of return for shareholders, predominantly through capital appreciation.  The Company is traded on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. www.tmtinvestments.com.

 

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

 

The first half of 2022 saw substantially increased market and economic volatility.  The effect of this volatility has had a mixed effect on privately held technology companies.

 

While the recent period of uncertainty has not been long enough to have a broad and sustained negative effect on the underlying businesses of technology companies, the recent larger-cap public market sell-off has led to reduced valuations of privately held start-ups, although with a significantly lower negative effect on the valuations of earlier-stage start-ups, the stage at which TMT Investments Plc ("TMT" or the "Company") is most closely focused.  Indeed, the period saw continued investor interest in high-growth, high-quality digital technology companies, resulting in positive revaluations of several of TMT's portfolio companies which have demonstrated ongoing growth throughout the period and received further validation for their business models by raising fresh equity capital at higher valuations during the period.

 

As can be seen from the BVP Cloud Index (https://cloudindex.bvp.com/), median valuation multiples for larger-cap publicly traded technology companies have fallen sharply, in effect returning to the more sustainable levels seen in 2013-2017.  With regard to privately held start-ups, it is mainly the valuations of later-stage companies (i.e. Series B and later) that have been negatively affected (https://stack.angellist.com/valuations).

 

The significantly reduced share prices of publicly traded technology companies negatively affected the value of TMT's equity stake in NASDAQ-traded cloud storage company Backblaze (www.backblaze.com), resulting in a US$43.6 million reduction in the value of TMT's investment in Backblaze as at 30 June 2022.

 

Consistent with TMT's prudent valuation policy, the Company has also decided to reduce the fair value of its equity stake in Bolt (www.bolt.eu) by 28%, despite the fact that the previous valuation level was established on the back of Bolt's successful €628 million equity raise, which completed only recently in January 2022 - after the market correction had started.  This decision reflects the significant reduction in the values of Bolt's publicly traded peers, namely Uber and Lyft, as of 30 June 2022.

 

Business-wise however, both Bolt and Backblaze, as well as most of TMT's other portfolio companies, have continued to perform reasonably well, with very few investees experiencing clear difficulties at this juncture.

 

The main negative effect of increased market and economic volatility on earlier-stage start-ups is not a reduction in valuation levels per se, but the generally lower availability of funding.  We are seeing that founders are having to go the extra mile to prove the quality and potential of their businesses, as investors become more discerning.  High-quality fast-growing earlier-stage start-ups, however, can still currently demand broadly similar valuation levels as they did prior to 2022.

 

In that sense, the current composition of TMT's portfolio has turned out to be quite auspicious.  Following a number of successful exits from later-stage portfolio companies (such as Wrike, Pipedrive, and Depositphotos) in recent years, TMT redeployed the cash proceeds into mainly late-Seed / pre Series-A opportunities, whose valuations have proven to be much more defensive in the current environment.  TMT's approach to investing in earlier-stage stage companies is to avoid overpaying and to remain highly diligent when investing in follow-on rounds, which provides extra buffer in the event of future down rounds.  In addition, the fact that many of the investments TMT made at those stages were structured in the form of convertible notes currently provides further defence against potential down rounds.

 

NAV per share

 

The Company's NAV per share decreased by 25.8% in the first half of 2022 to US$6.68 as at 30 June 2022 (31 December 2021: US$9.00), mainly as a result of the significant downward revaluation of Backblaze and Bolt during H1 2022.

 

Operating expenses

 

In the first half of 2022, the Company's administrative expenses of US$772,317 were slightly below corresponding 2021 levels (H1 2021: US$802,919), reflecting the Company's reduced level of investment and business development activities during the period.

 

Financial position

 

As of 30 June 2022, the Company had no financial debt and cash reserves of approximately US$14 million (31 December 2021: US$26 million).  As of 15 August 2022, the Company had cash reserves of approximately US$13 million.

 

Outlook

 

TMT has a diversified investment portfolio of over 55 companies, focused primarily on big data/cloud, SaaS (software-as-a-service), marketplaces, e-commerce, FinTech, EdTech and FoodTech, most of which continue to benefit from the ongoing shift to online consumer habits and remote working.

 

The recent military conflict in Ukraine, followed by the broad sanctions against Russia, have undoubtedly added significantly to global market uncertainty.  TMT invests globally and its portfolio is highly diversified in terms of revenue origin from its underlying companies.  Given the international nature of online/digital businesses, a small number of the Company's earlier-stage portfolio companies have varying degrees of revenue exposure to Russia and Ukraine.  At the time of TMT's 2021 Annual Report published in March 2022, the Company said it had identified a total of approximately US$4.6 million of potential write-downs across eight of its portfolio companies that were most likely to be negatively affected by the military conflict in Ukraine.  The actual negative effect from the relevant events estimated in this report has turned out to be smaller than initially anticipated, with only four portfolio companies' valuations negatively affected (see the Portfolio Developments section below).  This has resulted in a corresponding US$2.25 million negative effect on the Company's NAV.

 

A number of negative trends and factors continue to affect the prospects of the wider global economy, and the ultimate effect on the technology sector and its participants will depend on how global dynamics unfold in the coming months.

 

Despite the ongoing volatility, investors continue to be interested in high-quality technology businesses, and TMT is continuing to source and identify such opportunities very selectively and at appropriate valuation levels, whilst employing an extremely cautious general investment approach for the time being.  With no financial debt and cash reserves of approximately US$13 million at 15 August 2022), TMT is well positioned to ride out the current market volatility and make selective investments when the right opportunities present themselves.  The Company expects a number of positive revaluations across its portfolio by the end of 2022 and will update shareholders on relevant developments as appropriate.

 

Alexander Selegenev

Executive Director

15 August 2022

 



PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENTS

 

We were reasonably pleased with our portfolio companies' performance in the first half of 2022, especially against the backdrop of the recent market volatility and worsening economic outlook for the global economy.  A number of portfolio companies received further validation for their business models by raising fresh equity capital at higher valuations.  In tandem, most other portfolio companies have continued to either grow their businesses quietly in the background or diligently react to the evolving market situation, adapting and repositioning their businesses as required.  In addition, the Company continues its policy of seeking to reduce the value of underperforming investees as soon as there is enough evidence to support such decisions.

 

While the selling pressure on publicly-traded technology companies in the first half of 2022 has directly negatively affected the valuation of NASDAQ-traded Backblaze (TMT's second largest portfolio holding), Backblaze's business has been developing well - with 28% revenue growth in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the same period of 2021 and the recent announcement of many new partnerships and integrations.  Backblaze remains well capitalised with a reported net cash position of approximately US$51 million at 30 June 2022, and at its share price as of 11 August 2022 was valued at approximately 2.2 times its announced expected 2022 revenue.

 

Despite the prudent reduction in the estimated value of Bolt based on comparable multiples, Bolt remains well-capitalised and continues to grow successfully across its multiple business lines and geographic markets.

 

As for the rest of the portfolio, many of the Company's investees entered the current period of volatility with freshly raised funds and continue to grow and optimize their businesses.

 

Portfolio performance:

 

The following developments have had an impact on, and are reflected in, the Company's NAV and/or financial statements as of 30 June 2022 in accordance with applicable accounting standards.

 

Full and partial cash exits, and positive revaluations:

 

·    Accern, a no-code AI platform for the financial service industry (www.accern.com), completed a new equity funding round.  The transaction represented a revaluation uplift of US$1.6 million (or 124%) in the fair value of TMT's investment, compared to the previous reported amount as of 31 December 2021.

 

·    MTL Financial, trading as Outfund, a revenue-based financing provider (www.out.fund), completed a new equity funding round.  The transaction represented a revaluation uplift of US$1.5 million (or 112%) in the fair value of TMT's investment, compared to the previous reported amount as of 31 December 2021.

 

·    FemTech, a London-based technology accelerator focused on female founders (www.femtechlab.com), completed a new equity funding round.  The transaction represented a revaluation uplift of US$0.9 million (or 318%) in the fair value of TMT's investment, compared to the previous reported amount as of 31 December 2021.

 

·    Spin Technology, an all-in-one SaaS data protection platform for mission-critical SaaS apps (www.spin.ai), completed a new equity funding round.  The transaction represented a revaluation uplift of US$0.7 million (or 221%) in the fair value of TMT's investment, compared to the previous reported amount as of 31 December 2021.

 

·    Feel, a subscription-based multivitamin and supplement producer (www.wearefeel.com), completed a new equity funding round.  The transaction represented a revaluation uplift of US$0.1 million (or 3%) in the fair value of TMT's investment, compared to the previous reported amount as of 31 December 2021 (adjusted for the value of TMT's additional investment made in Feel in 2022).

 

Negative revaluations:

 

The following of the Company's portfolio investments were negatively revalued in the first half of 2022:

 

Portfolio Company

Write-down amount (US$)

Reduction as % of fair value reported as of 31 Dec 2021

Reasons for write-down

Academy of Change

670,000

67%

Insufficient progress in the last year; revenue exposure to Russia

Anews

330,000

100%

Lack of progress in the last year

Backblaze

43,593,102

69%

Based on the closing mid-market price of US$5.23 per share on 30 June 2022

Bolt

29,054,520

28%

Based on comparable company multiple analysis (reduction from the previous valuation based on Bolt's independent equity financing round completed in January 2022)

EdVibe

750,001

50%

Insufficient progress in the last year; revenue exposure to Russia

Hugo

1,976,290

53%

Acquisition by Delivery Hero announced in Oct 2021 has not completed; valuation returned to the previous level

StudyFree

500,000

50%

Lack of progress in the last 1.5 years

Total

76,873,913

 

 

 

Key developments for the five largest portfolio holdings in the first half of 2022 (source: TMT's portfolio companies):

 

Bolt (ride-hailing and food delivery service):

·    Active in over 450 cities globally (up from over 400 cities as of 31 December 2021)

·    Triple-digit annualised revenue growth

 

Backblaze (cloud storage provider):

·    Double-digit annualised revenue growth continued

·    Multiple new integrations and partnerships building basis for future growth

 

PandaDoc (proposal automation and contract management software):

·    Double-digit annualised revenue growth

·    Over 35,000 paying clients (from over 30,000 as of 31 December 2021)

·    Acquisition of LiveNotary to launch a remote online notarisation service

 

3S Money Club (provider of corporate multi-currency bank accounts):

·    Triple-digit annualised revenue growth

·    Profitable and cash flow positive

 

Scentbird (Perfume, wellness and beauty product subscription service):

·    Stable revenue

·    Near break-even

·    Over 600 scents in the product range

 

New investments:

 

Given the high level of market uncertainty and volatility, TMT was even more selective in the first half of 2022, investing approximately US$7.3 million across the following companies:

 

·    Initial €825,000 in Bairrissimo, LDA, trading as Bairro, an instant food and grocery delivery company in Portugal (www.bairro.io);

·    Initial US$4,000,000 in SOAX Ltd, a SaaS-enabled marketplace of tools to collect publicly available data on a scale (https://soax.com);

·    Additional €400,000 in Postoplan OÜ, a social network marketing platform, which helps create, schedule, and promote content (www.postoplan.app);

·    Initial £999,918 in Laundryheap Limited, a marketplace for on-demand laundry and dry-cleaning services (www.laundryheap.com);

·    Additional US$250,000 in Legionfarm, Inc., an online game coaching platform (www.legionfarm.com); and

·    Additional £250,000 in Feel Holdings Limited, a subscription-based multivitamin and supplement producer (www.wearefeel.com).

 

 

ESG POLICY

 

Introduction

 

As with most business sectors, technology has the capacity to make the world a better place. Given the high pace of technology innovation we are witnessing, TMT believes this capacity is intensified in the case of technology. However, technological innovation for its own sake is meaningless unless it results in tangible benefits in terms of productivity, improved user experience, higher efficiency, positive impact in its chosen sectors, improved profitability or other desired objectives.

 

ESG evaluation can be carried out in a number of different ways. Among other factors, its effectiveness will depend on the questions being addressed, the principles being applied and the quality of data available. Indeed, at times the prioritising of some principles can have a negative impact on others, given the asymmetric nature of benefits that can sometimes arise. An example is when alleviation of poverty in the short term comes at a higher environmental cost.

 

The social and economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has served to put the ESG agenda into sharper relief and has accelerated the intensity of focus. TMT started to formalise its approach to ESG in its initial ESG Policy announced in the 2021 Annual Report, which is being confirmed in this 2022 Interim Report and will be subsequently updated as required.

 

As an investment company, TMT has been monitoring ESG issues and taking them into account before they began to enter the mainstream investment agenda. As such, the Company has made a number of investments in ESG-focused companies that also meet TMT's investment criteria. These include Timbeter, a SaaS solution for quick and accurate timber measurement and data management, which is making the forestry industry more sustainable, profitable and efficient (www.timbeter.com); eAgronom, which provides a unique combination of services to grain farmers: carbon programmes, an AI-powered consulting service and farm management software enabling farmers to build sustainable businesses and preserve nature (www.eagronom.com); Mobilo, an eco-friendly solution allowing users to digitally share contact details instead of using paper/plastic business cards and turn meetings into leads (www.mobilocard.com); and FemTechLab, Europe's first tech accelerator focused on female founders (www.femtechlab.com);

 

TMT holds minority positions in its portfolio companies and therefore can exert influence on ESG matters in two main ways: first, by screening investments for exclusion from investment and second, by engaging in constructive dialogue with portfolio companies and monitoring progress. The Company's ESG policy reflects this approach.

 

TMT itself, as an investment company with limited internal resources, has little impact on the environment. The Company's team is mindful of reducing its travel, paper consumption, energy costs and other environmental impact wherever possible. TMT has adopted the Quoted Companies Alliance (QCA) Corporate Governance Code for Small & Mid-Sized Companies, which already covers a number of well-established ESG items.

 

TMT's ESG policy is outlined below.

 

 

TMT's 3 guiding ESG principles for portfolio companies: relevant, realistic and accountable

 

TMT's three ESG principles guide and inform potential portfolio companies of the Company's approach to ESG and are at the core of what good ESG looks like. They are specific and challenging, whilst allowing portfolio companies to engage with them both at an earlier stage of development and as they grow in size. 

 

Relevant

·    Is the investee addressing ESG where it can make the greatest impact in terms of its business model?

·    Has the investee undertaken an ESG materiality assessment and, if so, how has this informed its ESG framework?

·    Have ESG risks, as well as opportunities, been identified?

 

Realistic

·    Is the investee developing an ESG roadmap as part of its business plan?

·    Are the investee's ESG objectives achievable in view of its current resources?

·    What resources does the investee need to consider in order to progress on its ESG roadmap?

 

Accountable

·    How is the investee evaluating its ESG activities and engagement?

·    Is the investee conducting ESG benchmarking against its peers?

·    Does the investee review its ESG metrics and reporting process in view of latest ESG, scientific and technological developments?

 

TMT's approach

 

TMT's ESG policy is based on a 3-step approach:

 

Step 1: Filter out by Exclusion list

 

TMT's exclusion list sets out the sectors, businesses and activities in which the Company will not invest due to having as their objective, or direct impact on, any of the following:

 

1.     Slavery, human trafficking, forced or compulsory labour, or unlawful / harmful child labour.

2.     Production or sale of illegal or banned products, or involvement in illegal activities.

3.     Activities that compromise endangered or protected wildlife.

4.     Production or sale of hazardous chemicals, pesticides and waste.

5.     Manufacture, distribution or sale of arms or ammunitions.

6.     Manufacture of, or trade in, tobacco or drugs.

7.     Manufacture or sale of pornography.

8.     Trade in human body parts or organs.

9.     Animal testing other than for the satisfaction of medical regulatory requirements.

10.  Production or other trade related to unbonded asbestos fibres.

 

Step 2: Assess level of ESG Engagement

 

Step 2 focuses on assessing how the proposed portfolio company incorporates ESG in its business model and company culture.

 

In its investment selection process, TMT examines how each potential investee company is addressing and incorporating ESG issues based on TMT's principles of being relevant, realistic and accountable, feeding the results into an evaluation sheet for presentation to TMT's Initial Investment Committee and the Formal Investment Committee. If necessary, remedial actions or areas for improvement are agreed with the investee company. For follow-on investments, TMT requires a formal update from the investee highlighting any divergence from TMT's initial assessment.

 

Step 3: Engagement with portfolio companies on ESG

 

ESG by its very nature is a journey, which needs to adapt to changing environmental, social and governance dynamics, in view of latest developments. Two-way dialogue and engagement with portfolio companies is an essential part of this journey, in which both parties are sharing and learning. TMT therefore includes ESG topics as part of its continuous engagement with portfolio companies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Statement of Comprehensive Income (unaudited)

 

 

 

For the six months ended 30/06/2022


For the six months ended 30/06/2021



Notes

USD


USD

 

 





 

(Losses)/Gains on investments

3

(72,148,629)


41,971,813

 

Dividend income


105,700


-

 

Total investment (loss)/income


(72,042,929)


41,971,813

 

Expenses



 


 

Bonus scheme payment charge

6

-


(372,556)

 

Administrative expenses

5

(772,317)


(802,919)

 

Operating (loss)/ gain


(72,815,246)

 

40,796,338

 

Currency exchange loss


(185,967)


(81,059)

 

(Loss)/Gain before taxation

 

(73,001,213)

 

40,715,279

 

Taxation

7

-

 

-

 

(Loss)/Gain attributable to equity shareholders

 

(73,001,213)

 

40,715,279

 

Total comprehensive (loss)/income for the year


(73,001,213)


40,715,279

 

(Loss)/Gain per share

 

 

 

 

 

Basic and diluted (loss)/gain per share (cents per share)

8

(232.11)


139.50


 

 

 

 

 

 

Statement of Financial Position

 



At 30 June

2022

USD


At 31 December

2021

USD

 


Unaudited


Audited

 

Notes




Non-current assets

 




Financial assets at FVPL

9

200,560,955


265,454,136

Total non-current assets

 

200,560,955

 

265,454,136

 

 




Current assets

 

 

 

 

Trade and other receivables

10

1,745,642


2,050,649

Cash and cash equivalents

11

13,957,990


25,527,801

Total current assets

 

15,703,632

 

27,578,450

Total assets

 

216,264,587

 

293,032,586






Current liabilities

 




Trade and other payables

12

6,138,037


9,904,823

Total current liabilities

 

6,138,037


9,904,823






Total liabilities

 

6,138,037


9,904,823






 

 

 

 

 

Net assets

 

210,126,550

 

283,127,763

 

 

 

 

 

Equity

 

 

 

 

Share capital

13

53,283,415


53,283,415

Retained profit


156,843,135


229,844,348

Total equity

 

210,126,550

 

283,127,763

 

 

 

 

 

 

Statement of Cash Flows (unaudited)

 


 

For the six months ended 30/06/2022

For the six months ended 30/06/2021

 


Notes

USD

USD

 





 

Operating activities




 

Operating (loss)/gain


(72,815,246)

40,796,338

 

Adjustments for non-cash items

 

 

 

 

Changes in fair value of financial assets at FVPL

3

72,176,280

(41,852,901)


Currency exchange loss


(185,966)

(81,059)



 

(824,932)

(1,137,622)

 

Changes in working capital


 

 

 

Decrease/(Increase) in trade and other receivables

10

305,007

(291,387)

 

Decrease in trade and other payables

12

(3,766,786)

(2,252,526)

 

Net cash used in operating activities


(4,286,711)

(3,681,535)

 

Investing activities


 

 

 

Interest received


-

-

 

Purchase of financial assets at FVPL

9

(7,283,100)

(14,081,056)

 

Proceeds from sale of financial assets at FVPL

9

-

1,628,923

 

Net cash used in investing activities


(7,283,100)

(12,452,133)

 

Financing activities




 

Net cash from financing activities


-

-

 

Decrease in cash and cash equivalents


(11,569,811)

(16,133,668)

 

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period

11

25,527,801

39,004,288

 

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period

11

13,957,990

22,870,620

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Statement of Changes in Equity (unaudited)

 



Share capital

Retained profit

Total

 



USD

USD

USD

 

Balance at 01 January 2021


34,790,174

143,132,533

177,922,707

 

Gain for the year


-

86,711,815

86,711,815

 

Total comprehensive income for the year

 

-

86,711,815

 

Transactions with owners in their capacity as owners:

 

 

 

 

 

Issue of shares

 

18,493,241

-

18,493,241

 

 

Balance at 31 December 2021


53,283,415

229,844,348

283,127,763

 

Loss for the period

 

-

(73,001,213)

(73,001,213)

 

Total comprehensive (loss)/ income for the period

 

-

(73,001,213)

(73,001,213)

 

Balance at 30 June 2022


53,283,415

156,843,135

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 30 JUNE 2022

 

1.         Company information

 

TMT Investments Plc ("TMT" or the "Company") is a company incorporated in Jersey with its registered office at 13 Castle Street, St Helier, JE1 1ES, Channel Islands.

 

The Company was incorporated and registered on 30 September 2010 in Jersey under the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 (as amended) with registration number 106628 under the name TMT Investments Limited.  The Company obtained consent from the Jersey Financial Services Commission pursuant to the Control of Borrowing (Jersey) Order 1985 on 30 September 2010.  On 1 December 2010 the Company re-registered as a public company and changed its name to TMT Investments Plc.  The Company's ordinary shares were admitted to trading on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange on 10 December 2010.

 

The memorandum and articles of association of the Company do not restrict its activities and therefore it has unlimited legal capacity.  The Company's ability to implement its Investing Policy and achieve its desired returns will be limited by its ability to identify and acquire suitable investments.  Suitable investment opportunities may not always be readily available.

 

The Company will seek to make investments in any region of the world.

 

Financial statements of the Company are prepared by and approved by the Directors in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, International Accounting Standards and their interpretations issued or adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board as adopted by the European Union ("IFRSs").  The Company's accounting reference date is 31 December.

 

2.         Summary of significant accounting policies

 

2.1     Basis of presentation

 

Interim financial statements for the six months ended 30 June 2022 and 2021 are unaudited and were approved by the Directors on 15 August 2022.  They do not constitute statutory accounts as defined in section 434 of the Companies Act 2006.  The financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2021 were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the EU.  The report of the auditor on those financial statements was unqualified and did not draw attention to any matters by way of emphasis of matter.

 

The principal accounting policies applied by the Company in the preparation of these unaudited financial statements are set out below and have been applied consistently.

 

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, under the historical cost basis as modified by the fair value of financial assets at ("FVTPL"), as explained in the accounting policies below, and in accordance with IFRS.  Historical cost is generally based on the fair value of the consideration given in exchange for assets.

 

2.2     Foreign currency translation

 

(a) Functional and presentation currency

Items included in the financial statements of the Company are measured in United States Dollars ('US dollars', 'USD' or 'US$'), which is the Company's functional and presentation currency.

 

(b) Transactions and balances

Foreign currency transactions are translated into US$ using the exchange rates prevailing at the dates of the transactions.  Exchange differences arising from the translation at the year-end exchange rates of monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are recognised in the statement of comprehensive income.

 

Conversation rates, USD

Currency

 

 

 

 

At 30/06/2022

Average rate, for six months ended 30/06/2022

 

British pounds, £





1.2143

1.2987

 

Euro, €





1.0452

1.0933

 

 

2.3     New IFRSs and interpretations

 

The following standards and amendments became effective from 1 January 2022, but did not have any material impact on the Company:

• Amendments to IAS 16 "Property, Plant and Equipment"

• Amendments to IAS 37 "Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Asserts"

• Amendments to IFRS 3 "Business Combination"

 

3          (Loss)/Gain on investments

 

For six months ended 30/06/2022

For six months

 ended 30/06/2021


USD

USD

Gross interest income from convertible notes receivable

19,780

18,844

Net interest income from convertible notes receivable

19,780

18,844

(Losses)/Gains on changes in fair value of financial assets at FVPL

(72,176,280)

41,852,901

Other gains on investment (revaluation of receivables)

7,871

100,068

Total (loss)/gain on investments

(72,148,629)

41,971,813

 

4          Segmental analysis

 

Geographic information

The Company has investments in six principal geographical areas - USA, Estonia, the United Kingdom, British Virgin Islands ('BVI'), Cyprus, and The Cayman Islands.

 

Non-current financial assets

As at 30/06/2022


USA

Other

BVI

Cyprus

Estonia

United Kingdom

The Cayman Islands

Total


USD

USD

USD

USD

USD

USD

USD

USD

Equity investments

66,399,723

500,000

1,780,250

330,000

77,382,608

25,656,362

-

172,048,943

Convertible notes & SAFEs

17,349,132

942,233

-

3,600,000

1,784,185

3,806,462

1,030,000

28,512,012

Total

83,748,855

1,442,233

1,780,250

3,930,000

79,166,793

29,462,824

1,030,000

200,560,955

 

As at 31/12/2021


USA

Other

BVI

Cyprus

Estonia

United Kingdom

Cayman Islands

Total


USD

USD

USD

USD

USD

USD

USD

USD

Equity investments

112,296,648

-

3,756,540

1,000,000

106,437,128

20,017,105

-

243,507,421

Convertible notes & SAFEs

14,620,030

-

-

3,600,000

1,332,985

1,363,700

1,030,000

21,946,715

Total

126,916,678

-

3,756,540

4,600,000

107,770,113

21,380,805

1,030,000

265,454,136

 

5          Administrative expenses

 

Administrative expenses include the following amounts:

 

For six months ended 30/06/2022

For six months ended

30/06/2021


USD

USD

Staff expenses (note 6)

414,602

395,818

Professional fees

188,923

228,715

Legal fees

60,092

83,048

Bank and LSE charges

6,746

8,034

Audit and accounting fees

25,522

17,851

Other expenses

76,432

69,453


772,317

802,919

 

6          Staff expenses

 

For six months ended 30/06/2022

For six months ended 30/06/2021


USD

USD

Directors' fees

108,002

103,218

Wages and salaries

306,600

292,600


414,602

395,818

 

Wages and salaries shown above include fees and salaries relating to the six months ended 30 June. Bonus Plan costs are not included in administrative expenses and are shown separately.

 

The Directors' fees for the six months ended 30 June 2022 and 2021 were as follows:

 


For six months ended 30/06/2022

For six months ended

30/06/2021


USD

USD

Alexander Selegenev

55,000

55,000

Yuri Mostovoy

27,500

27,500

James Joseph Mullins

14,171

15,218

Andrea Nastaj

1,984

-

Petr Lanin

9,347

5,500


108,002

103,218

 

The Directors' fees shown above are all classified as 'short term employment benefits' under International Accounting Standard 24. The Directors do not receive any pension contributions or other benefits. The average number of staff employed (excluding Directors) by the Company during the six months ended 30 June 2022 was 7 (six months ended 30 June 2021: 7).

 

Key management personnel of the Company are defined as those persons having authority and responsibility for the planning, directing and controlling the activities of the Company, directly or indirectly. Key management of the Company are therefore considered to be the Directors of the Company. There were no transactions with the key management, other than their Directors fees, bonuses and reimbursement of business expenses.

 

 

For six months ended 30/06/2022

For six months ended 30/06/2021


USD

USD

Bonus scheme payment charge related to previous periods

-

372,556


-

372,556

 

Under the Company's Bonus Plan, subject to achieving a minimum hurdle NAV and high watermark conditions, the team receives an annual cash bonus equal to 10% of the net increases in the Company's NAV, adjusted for any changes in the Company's equity capital resulting from issuance of new shares, dividends, share buy-backs and similar corporate transactions. The Company`s bonus year runs from 1 January to 31 December. If, pursuant to the Company's Bonus Plan, the bonus attributable to the NAV increase from 1 January 2022 to 30 June 2022 had been accrued during the period, it would have resulted in a bonus charge of US$nil (2021: US$4,108,784).

 

7       Income tax expense

 

The Company is incorporated in Jersey. No tax reconciliation note has been presented as the income tax rate for Jersey companies is 0%.

 

8       (Loss)/Gain per share

 

The calculation of basic loss per share is based upon the net loss for the six months ended 30 June 2022 attributable to the ordinary shareholders of US$73,001,213 (for the six months ended 30 June 2021: net gain of US$40,715,279) and the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding calculated as follows:

 

(Loss)/Gain per share

For the six months ended 30/06/2022

For six months ended 30/06/2021

Basic (loss)/gain per share (cents per share)

(232.11)

139.50

(Loss)/Gain attributable to equity holders of the entity

(73,001,213)

40,715,279

 

The weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding was calculated as follows:

 

 

 

 

For the six months ended 30/06/2022

For the six months ended 30/06/2021

Weighted average number of shares in issue

 

 

Ordinary shares

31,451,538

29,185,831

 

31,451,538

29,185,831

 

During the six months ended 30 June 2022 and 30 June 2021 there were no dilutive instruments in issue.

 

 

 

 

 

9       Non-current financial assets

 

Reconciliation of fair value measurements of non-current financial assets:


At 30 June 2022

USD

At 31 December 2021

USD

Investments held at fair value through profit and loss



- unlisted shares (i)

178,170,405

241,461,421

- promissory notes (ii)

3,354,215

4,266,715

- SAFEs (iii)

19,036,335

17,680,000

- Shares to be issued (iv)

-

2,046,000


200,560,955

265,454,136

 


At 30 June 2022

USD

At 31 December 2021

USD

Opening valuation

265,454,136

144,803,154

Purchased at cost

7,283,100

40,540,924

Disposal proceeds

-

(18,489,994)

Disposal due to full impairment

(330,000)

-

Realised gain

-

6,294,635

Unrealised (losses)/gains

(71,846,281)

92,305,417

Closing valuation

200,560,955

265,454,136

 

Movement in unrealised gains

 

 

Opening accumulated unrealised gains

195,706,888

111,980,464

Movement in unrealised (losses)/gains

(71,846,281)

92,305,417

Transfer of previously unrealised losses/(gains) to realised reserve on disposal of Investments

670,000

(8,578,993)

Closing accumulated unrealised gains

124,530,607

195,706,888

 

Reconciliation of investments, if held under the cost (less impairment) model:

 

 

Historic cost basis

 

 

Opening book cost

69,747,248

32,822,690

Purchases (including consulting and legal fees)

7,283,100

40,540,924

Disposal on sale of investment

-

(3,616,366)

Disposal due to impairment

(1,000,000)

-

Closing book cost

76,030,348

69,747,248

 

Valuation methodology

 

 

Mid-market price

19,553,338

63,146,440

Revenue multiple

80,912,234

6,590,954

Cost or price of recent equity funding round (reviewed for impairment and fair value adjustment)

100,095,383

195,716,742

 

200,560,955

265,454,136

 

Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss are measured at fair value, and changes therein are recognised in profit or loss.

 

When measuring the fair value of a financial instrument, the Company uses relevant transactions during the year or shortly after the year end, which gives an indication of fair value and considers other valuation methods to provide evidence of value. The "price of recent investment" methodology is used mainly for venture capital investments, and the fair value is derived by reference to the most recent equity financing round or sizeable partial disposal. Fair value change is only recognised if that round involved a new external investor. From time to time, the Company may assess the fair value in the absence of a relevant independent equity transaction by relying on other market observable data and valuation techniques, such as the analysis of revenue multiples of comparable companies and/or comparable transactions. The nature of such valuation techniques is highly judgmental and dependent on the market sentiment at the time of the analysis.

 

(i)         Equity investments as at 30 June 2022:

Investee company

Date of initial investment

Value at

1 Jan 2022,

USD

Additions to equity investments during the period, USD

Conversions from loan notes, USD

Gain/(loss) from changes in fair value of equity investments, USD

Disposals, USD

Value at 30 Jun 2022, USD

Equity stake owned

Wanelo

21.11.2011

602,447

-

-

-

-

602,447

4.69%

Backblaze

24.07.2012

63,146,440

-

-

(43,593,102)

-

19,553,338

11.82%

Remote.it

13.06.2014

1,512,642

-

-


-

1,512,642

1.64%

Anews

25.08.2014

330,000

-

-

(330,000)

-

-

9.41%

Bolt

15.09.2014

103,375,800

-

-

(29,054,520)

-

74,321,280

1.26%

PandaDoc

11.07.2014

16,185,773

-

-

-

-

16,185,773

1.18%

FullContact

11.01.2018

244,506

-

-

-

-

244,506

0.19%

ScentBird

13.04.2015

6,590,954

-

-

-

-

6,590,954

4.18%

Workiz

16.05.2016

3,971,659

-

-

-

-

3,971,659

1.89%

Usual (Vinebox)

06.05.2016

450,015

-

-

-

-

450,015

1.91%

MEL Science

25.02.2019

2,663,696

-

-

-

-

2,663,696

3.40%

Hugo

19.01.2019

3,756,540

-

-

(1,976,290)

-

1,780,250

3.55%

Qumata (Healthy Health)

06.06.2019

1,818,822

-

-

-

-

1,818,822

2.52%

eAgronom

31.08.2018

447,087

-

-

-

-

447,087

1.41%

Rocket Games(Legionfarm)

16.09.2019

200,000

-

-

-

-

200,000

1.26%

Timbeter

05.12.2019

221,688

-

-

-

-

221,688

4.64%

Classtag

03.02.2020

200,000

-

-

-

-

200,000

1.70%

3S Money Club

07.04.2020

8,253,630

-

2,046,000

-

-

10,299,630

11.38%

Hinterview

21.09.2020

891,107

-

-

-

-

891,107

4.97%

Virtual Mentor (Allright)

12.11.2020

772,500

-

-

-

-

772,500

2.95%

NovaKid

13.11.2020

2,949,855

-

-

-

-

2,949,855

1.55%

MTL Financial (OutFund)

17.11.2020

1,322,100

-

-

1,478,052

-

2,800,152

3.66%

Scalarr

15.08.2019

1,378,282

-

-

-

-

1,378,282

7.66%

Accern

21.08.2019

1,282,705

-

-

1,591,179

-

2,873,884

3.21%

Feel

13.08.2020

2,035,512

314,275

1,363,700

92,975

-

3,806,462

11.30%

Affise

18.09.2019

3,470,870

-

-

-

-

3,470,870

8.71%

3D Look

03.03.2021

1,000,000

-

-

-

-

1,000,000

3.77%

FemTech

30.03.2021

274,220

-

-

871,325

-

1,145,545

9.36% 

Muncher

23.04.2021

2,059,999

-

-

-

-

2,059,999

4.77% 

Cyberwrite

20.05.2021

500,000

-

-

-

-

500,000

3.71% 

VertoFX

16.07.2021

1,132,999

-

-

-

-

1,132,999

3.24% 

Academy of Change

02.08.2021

1,000,000

-

-

(670,000)

-

330,000

7.69% 

EstateGuru

06.09.2021

1,780,200

-

-

-

-

1,780,200

2.73% 

Prodly

06.09.2021

1,800,000

-

-

-

-

1,800,000

4.39% 

Sonic Jobs

08.09.2021

712,018

-

-

-

-

712,018

2.77% 

EdVibe (Study Space, Inc)

02.11.2021

1,500,001

-

-

(750,001)

-

750,000

7.36% 

1Fit (Alippe, Inc)

24.12.2021

500,000

-

-

-

-

500,000

4.70% 

Laundry Heap

01.01.2022

-

1,325,392

-

-

-

1,325,392

2.44% 

SOAX

21.01.2022

-

4,000,000

-

-

-

4,000,000

9.41% 

Agendapro

15.04.2021

515,000

-

-

-

-

515,000

2.00%

Outvio

22.06.2021

612,353

-

-

-

-

612,353

4.00%

Total


241,461,421

5,639,667

-

(72,340,382)

-

178,170,405


 

 

 

 

 

(ii)         Convertible loan notes as at 30 June 2022:

Investee company

 

Date of initial investment

Value at 1 Jan 2022,

USD

Additions to convertible note investments during the period, USD

Conversions from loan notes, USD

Gain/(loss) from changes in fair value of convertible notes, USD

Disposals/ conversions, USD

Value at 30 Jun 2022, USD

Term, years

Interest rate, %

ShareThis

26.03.2013

570,030

-

-

-

-

570,030

5.0

1.09%

Metrospeedy

16.07.2021

1,000,000

-

-

-

-

1,000,000

-

0.00%

Feel

08.10.2021

1,363,700

-

-

-

(1,363,700)

-

-

-

Postoplan

18.12.2020

1,332,985

451,200

-

-

-

1,784,185

1.0

5.00%

Total

 

4,266,715

451,200

-

-

-

3,354,215

 

 

 

(iii)        SAFEs as at 30 June 2022:

Investee company

 

Date of initial investment

Value at 1 Jan 2022,

USD

Additions to SAFE investments during the period, USD

Gain/(loss) from changes in fair value of SAFE investments, USD

Disposals, USD

Value at 30 Jun 2022, USD

Adwisely (Retarget)

24.09.2019

1,600,000

-

-

-

1,600,000

Spin Technology

17.12.2018

300,000

-

664,102

-

964,102

Cheetah (Go-X)

29.07.2019

350,000

-

-

-

350,000

Rocket Games (Legionfarm)

17.09.2019

1,200,000

250,000

-

-

1,450,000

Classtag

03.02.2020

200,000

-

-

-

200,000

Moeco

08.07.2020

500,000

-

-

-

500,000

Collectly

13.07.2021

2,060,000

-

-

-

2,060,000

StudyFree

08.12.2020

1,000,000

-

(500,000)

-

500,000

Aurabeat

03.05.2021

1,030,000

-

-

-

1,030,000

OneNotary (Adorum)

01.10.2021

500,000

-

-

-

500,000

BaFood

05.11.2021

2,000,000

-

-

-

2,000,000

Educate online

16.11.2021

1,000,000

-

-

-

1,000,000

My Device Inc

30.11.2021

850,000

-

-

-

850,000

Mobilo (Lulu Systems, Inc)

09.12.2021

1,030,000

-

-

-

1,030,000

Muncher

13.12.2021

2,000,000

-

-

-

2,000,000

Bairro (BAIRRÍSSIMO, LDA)

12.01.2022

-

942,233

-

-

942,233

Synder (CloudBusiness Inc)

26.05.2021

2 060,000

-

-

-

2,060,000

Total

 

17,680,000

1,192,233

164,102

-

19,036,335

 

(iv)     Shares to be issued as at 30 June 2022:

Investee company

 

Date of initial investment

Value at 1 Jan 2022,

USD

Additions to equity

investments during

the period, USD

Conversions from loan notes, USD

Gain/loss from changes in fair

value of equity investments, USD

Disposals/ conversions, USD

Value at 30 Jun 2022, USD

 

3S Money Club

07.04.2020

2,046,000

-

-

-

(2,046,000)

-

Total

 

2,046,000

-

-

-

-

-

 

10     Trade and other receivables

 

At 30 June 2022

At 31 December 2021


USD

USD

Prepayments

36,248

53,412

Other receivables

1,610,220

1,917,843

Interest receivable on promissory notes

99,174

79,394


1,745,642

2,050,649

 

The fair values of trade and other receivables approximate to their carrying amounts as presented above. During the six months ended 30 June 2022 and 2021 no balances were past due or impaired, and no credit losses had been expected.

Other receivables include the amounts receivable from the disposal of TMT's investments in DepositPhotos (US$1,262,484), Klear (US$227,658), and KitApps (US$5,521), as well as the value (US$114,557 as of 30 June 2022) of the publicly traded shares in 3D Systems Inc., received by TMT as partial consideration for the disposal of its investment in Volumetric.

 

11     Cash and cash equivalents

 

The cash and cash equivalents as at 30 June 2022 include cash in banks. Cash and cash equivalents comprise the following:


At 30 June 2022


USD

USD

Bank balances

13,957,990

25,527,801


13,957,990

25,527,801

 

The following table represents an analysis of cash and equivalents by rating agency designation based on Moody`s Investors Service and Standards & Poor`s credit rating or their equivalent:

 


At 30 June 2022

At 31 December 2021


USD

USD

Bank balances



A3 rating

13,939,893

25,512,940

Baa3 rating

2,709

3,296

Not rated

15,388

11,565


13,957,990

25,527,801

 

12     Trade and other payables


At 30 June 2022

At 31 December 2021


USD

USD

Salaries payable

140,752

82,500

Directors' fees payable

-

40,534

Bonus payable

5,977,983

9,676,043

Trade payables

7,785

73,042

Other current liabilities

3,513

-

Other accrued expenses

8,004

32,704


6,138,037

9,904,823

 

The fair values of trade and other payables approximate to their carrying amounts as presented above.  The bonus payable amount as of 30 June 2022 relates to the bonuses earned in year 2021.

 

13     Share capital

 

On 30 June 2022 the Company had an authorised share capital of unlimited ordinary shares of no par value and had issued ordinary share capital of:


At 30 June 2022

At 31 December 2021


USD

USD

Share capital

53,283,415

53,283,415

 



Issued capital comprises:

Number

Number

Fully paid ordinary shares

31,451,538

31,451,538


 


 

 


Number of shares

Share capital, USD

Balance at 31 December 2021

31,451,538

53,283,415

Balance at 30 June 2022

31,451,538

53,283,415

 

There have been no changes to the Company's ordinary share capital between 30 June 2022 and the date of approval of these financial statements.

 

14     Related party transactions

 

The Company's Directors receive fees and bonuses from the Company, details of which can be found in Note 6.

 

 

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