London Stock Exchange: AIM Reaches £100 Billion Raised Mark

• AIM the world’s most successful growth market, reaches £100 billion raised through IPO and Secondary issues in it’s 22nd year
• Since 1995, more than 3,500 UK and international companies have joined AIM to raise growth capital
• New AIM companies in 2016 up 39 per cent post-IPO; raised record average of £30m
• Market maturity demonstrated in development over the last ten years

London Stock Exchange today announces that AIM, the market for smaller growth companies, has helped companies from the UK and around the world to raise more than £100 billion, underlining its status as the world’s leading growth market.

Founded in 1995, AIM has been a source of long term, growth capital for more than 3,500 companies from around the world. Of the almost 1,000 companies quoted on AIM today, 290 are headquartered or have the majority of their operations outside the UK. Last year alone more than 300 companies used the market to raise new or further development capital, underlining its unparalleled capacity to act as a vital source of permanent capital.

In the three years following the financial crisis, AIM businesses raised more than £16bn, providing a crucial lifeline to companies caught in the period’s economic turbulence. In total, more than £58bn has been raised via further issue by AIM companies and investment in the market today is now split evenly between retail and major institutional investors.

The market finished 2016 on a high as the 38 companies that floated on AIM, including household names such as Joules, Hotel Chocolat and Time Out Group, ended the year up more than 39 per cent on average.

This success is one of many signs of AIM’s increasing maturity as a market. Post-IPO performance over the last three years has been: +16 per cent on average. And compared to 10 years ago, the average new AIM company is significantly larger: £88m versus £17m in 2005 and raising more capital: £30m versus £5m.

Xavier Rolet, CEO, London Stock Exchange Group said:
“AIM is a jewel in Britain’s financial crown, a uniquely successful global market created in the UK. It is fulfilling its promise to fund the real economy, supporting ambitious, innovative, job creating growth companies. The firms in London and across the UK that support AIM should feel immensely proud of this achievement. This is yet more evidence of London’s unique financial ecosystem that distinguishes it as a leading global financial centre.”

AIM: - Key statistics

AIM – A global market

AIM is truly a market for companies from around the world. Of the almost 1,000 quoted AIM companies, 290 are headquartered or have the majority of their operations outside the UK.

Top performing new AIM companies 2016

Top performing new AIM companies 2014-16

Of particular note has been the variety of the highest performing new AIM companies over the last three years. They operate in sectors as diverse as beverages to high end software and IT. They all joined AIM with relatively large initial market capitalisations, demonstrating the market’s ability to fund high growth mid-caps as well as smaller businesses.