A UK-based nanotechnology firm and a London-headquartered diamond producer with operations in South Africa have been named as the winners of the first ever IR Magazine Awards dedicated to European small caps.
Nanoco Group, which specializes in heavy metal-free quantum dots and semiconductor nanoparticles – used in high-resolution TV displays, lighting, solar energy and bio-imaging – won the best IR by a small cap company (under €250 mn).
In the €250 mn-€500 mn category, Petra Diamonds took home the gong for best IR by a small-cap company. The firm operates four mines in South Africa and one in Tanzania, and has exploration projects in Botswana, the world’s second-largest diamond producer by value.
The focus of Nanoco Group’s entry to the awards was its annual report, highlighting the health risks of traditional quantum dots. These use the heavy metal cadmium, which, along with cadmium compounds, have been classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, ‘creating an interesting investment case for Nanoco’.
Petra Diamonds’ entry focused on the firm’s efforts to improve investor understanding around the company’s operations and long-term prospects following a challenging financial year in 2017.
The announcement of the winners was backed up by a dedicated IR Magazine Webinar offering a small cap-focused Q&A with the investment community. The webinar, which kicked off at 10.30 am BST today, featured:
- Mike Allen, head of research at Zeus Capital
- Philip Best, chief investment officer and fund manager at Quaero Capital
- John Mann, executive director and head of communications at Highland Gold Mining
- Gervais Williams, senior executive director at Miton Group.
