Preliminary Results

IP2IPO Group PLC 14 March 2006 For immediate release 14 March 2006 IP2IPO Group plc Preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2005 IP2IPO Group plc (AIM: IPO), the intellectual property commercialisation company, today announces its audited preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2005. Highlights • Value of shares in spin-outs at 31 December 2005: £44 million (2004: £36 million) • Six university partners at year end (2004: four) • 37 Spin-out companies at 31 December 2005 (2004: 20) • Successful flotation of two portfolio companies during 2005 (2004: three) • Realisation from the sale of shares in a spin out company of £0.8m (2004: £0.8m) • Profit after tax of £5.6m (2004: £21.0m) • Cash balance at 31 December 2005 of £40 million (2004: £35 million) • Acquisition of Techtran Group Limited in January 2005 • Successful launch of Modern Biosciences • 25 Year partnership signed with The University of Bristol Post year end highlights • 25 Year partnership signed with The University of Surrey • Modern Biosciences entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Manchester • Partnership with the University of York extended to span the entire university Commenting on the Group's preliminary results, Alan Aubrey, Chief Executive Officer of IP2IPO, said: '2005 has been a year of expansion for IP2IPO. At 31 December 2005 the Group had six university partnerships and 37 spin-out businesses, of which five are quoted on AIM. The total value of the Group's equity stakes now exceeds £44m. During 2005 the Group has expanded beyond its existing university partnership business with the formation of Modern Biosciences which has established a promising pipeline of opportunities and an experienced management team. 'The first quarter of 2006 has seen IP2IPO enter into a 25 year commercialisation partnership with the University of Surrey and an extension of IP2IPO's University of York partnership to cover the entire University. In addition, Modern Biosciences has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Manchester allowing Modern Biosciences to invest in life-science based IP generated by the university.' For more information contact: IP2IPO (www.ip2ipo.com) 020 7489 5210 Alan Aubrey, Chief Executive Officer Buchanan Communications Tim Anderson, Mark Court, Mary-Jane Johnson 020 7466 5000 IP2IPO Group plc Chairman's statement I am pleased to report that your company has made considerable progress in the year ended 31 December 2005. University partnerships IP2IPO began 2005 with four university partners. By the end of 2005, the Group had six partnerships, and since the year end your company has entered into its seventh long term partnership agreement. In January 2005, the Group completed the acquisition of Techtran Group Limited. The acquisition brought a number of benefits to the Group, including an additional long term partnership with the University of Leeds, an exciting portfolio of ten spin out companies and an exceptional management team. The integration of Techtran with IP2IPO has been extremely successful, with Dr Alison Fielding appointed as Director of Technology Transfer and Alan Aubrey becoming Chief Executive Officer of IP2IPO with effect from 1 January 2006. In December 2005 the Group entered into a long term partnership with the University of Bristol. Subsequent to year end the Group announced its first spin out investment and is working on a promising pipeline of further spin out opportunities. Since 31st December 2005, IP2IPO has entered into a partnership with the University of Surrey. This is IP2IPO's seventh university partnership and the third IP2IPO university partner from the SETSquared group of universities. Surrey enjoys a strong reputation for innovation and enterprise. Since 31 December 2005 the Group has announced an extension of its partnership with the University of York to the cover the whole university. IP2IPO will continue to assess further opportunities and to enter into long term partnerships with leading research universities on a selective basis where it identifies institutions with sufficient breadth and depth of research and the right innovative culture to build a diversified portfolio of high growth spin out companies over the lifetime of a partnership. Modern Biosciences In May 2005 the Group raised £13.7m through a placing. This enabled the Group to launch Modern Biosciences, a company formed to in-licence life science intellectual property on a selective basis not only from IP2IPO's seven existing university partnerships but any other university or research group. Modern Biosciences will develop further the intellectual property and then either out-licence the IP to industry or form a spin out company. This enables IP2IPO to generate value from intellectual property which either addresses too narrow a market and/or is at too early a stage at the time that we identify it to support the formation of a company. The progress of Modern Biosciences to date has been encouraging with the development of a promising pipeline of opportunities, and I am delighted to report that Dr Ian Wilding has been appointed to the Board as the Chief Scientific Officer. Dr Wilding is recognised globally as an innovator in early drug development with extensive experience of scientific and commercial solutions to problem issues in early drug development. Subsequent to year end Modern Biosciences has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Manchester. Under the terms of the agreement, Modern Biosciences will work with the University of Manchester to identify and assess drug related investment opportunities IP2IPO Group plc Chairman's statement (Continued) arising from research carried out across the University. Modern Biosciences will provide investment for suitable opportunities and also take on responsibility for the development and commercialisation of the IP. Board changes In January 2006 I assumed the role of Executive Chairman. Professor Graham Richards remains on the Board of IP2IPO as Senior Non-Executive Director. Alan Aubrey has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Group, and I would like to welcome Alan to his new role and thank him for his contribution to the Group to date. I am also delighted to welcome Stephen Brooke to the Board as Director of Business Development. Stephen has played an important role in the strategy and direction of the Group to date, and I wish him well in his new position. Outlook for 2006 I am confident that 2006 will prove to be another good year in the development of IP2IPO. The pipeline of spin-outs looks very promising. Potential opportunities include technologies as diverse as diagnostic tests for debilitating and currently incurable diseases, to novel fuel technologies for efficient and clean energy production. UK universities continue to be a source of world-leading scientific innovation and achievement, but in the past have sometimes floundered in the exploitation of those ideas. I believe that the IP2IPO business model can create first class businesses from UK science, for the benefit of our university partners, the wider community and our shareholders. I would like to conclude by thanking our shareholders, our University partners, the mangers of our portfolio companies and our staff for their support in what has been an important year in the growth and development of IP2IPO. DAVID NORWOOD Executive Chairman 14 March 2006 IP2IPO Group plc Chief Executive's Statement The year ended 31 December 2005 has proven to be a year of expansion for IP2IPO. With healthy cash reserves, a promising portfolio of 37 spin-out companies and an encouraging pipeline of new spin-out opportunities, your company is extremely well positioned. Results for the year ended 31 December 2005 During the year ended 31 December 2005 the Group made a profit after taxation of £5,605,000 (2004: £21,046,000). This profit, in the most part, can be attributed to net fair value gains of £5,737,000 (2004: £24,014,000). Gross fair value gains and losses are shown in the following table: 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Fair value gains 14,107 24,249 Fair value losses (8,370) (235) 5,737 24,014 There were a number of encouraging fair value gains during the year. The IPO of Proximagen Neurosciences plc resulted in a gain of £5,990,000. In October 2005 the University of Leeds spin-out GETECH Group plc floated on AIM valuing the Group's stake at £1,983,000 on an initial investment of £480,000. In 2005 we announced a multi-million dollar collaboration between ReOx Limited and a major bio-pharmaceutical company. In addition, IP2IPO received a dividend of £209,000 from ReOx in the year. These factors led to a fair value gain of £2,300,000. Your company also realised £762,000 from the acquisition of Toumaz Technology Limited by Nanoscience Inc and its subsequent sale of Nanoscience consideration shares. The fall in the share price of Offshore Hydrocarbon Mapping plc ('OHM plc') led to a full year loss on IP2IPO's holding of OHM plc stock of £4,700,000. Since 31 December 2005 the OHM plc share price has recovered. It is in the nature of IP2IPO's business that its portfolio companies, as well as having breakthroughs and successes, will also have setbacks from time to time and that when these companies are quoted and IP2IPO still has a material shareholding the impact on the Group will be greater. Over time as the number of quoted companies increases, individual gains and losses will have a reduced proportional effect on total portfolio performance. Portfolio At the beginning of the year the Group had a portfolio of 20 companies. During the year ended 31 December 2005 the Group added 17 spin-out businesses to its portfolio taking the total number of spin-outs to 37. The movement in the number of spin-outs is set out below: Unquoted spin-outs Quoted spin-outs (number) (number) At 1 January 2005 17 3 New spin-out businesses 17 - Companies floated during the year (2) 2 At 31 December 2005 32 5 At 31 December 2005, your Company had 32 unquoted investments. These 32 investments are recorded on the balance sheet at fair value and total £18,252,000 (2004: £8,415,000). The Group invested a total of £4,209,000 (2004: £3,728,000) in spin-out companies during the year. IP2IPO Group plc Chief Executive's Statement (Continued) The Group expects to establish approximately 10 to 15 new spin out companies per year from its existing university partnerships. Three companies in the portfolio raised a total of £6.6 million in private equity finance from third parties during the year and subsequent to year end Perpetuum Limited announced the completion of a £2.2 million financing. Cash Your Company's cash position remains strong. Cash at the end of the year stood at £39,947,000 (2004: £34,801,000). Your Company has outstanding commitments to invest significant sums in university spin out companies under the terms of its university partnerships. As at 31 December 2005, these commitments totalled £19,570,000. Since the year end the Company has entered into a partnership with the University of Surrey and extended the terms of its partnership with the University of York to cover the entire university. These two new arrangements have resulted in a combined cash commitment of up to £10,000,000. In addition a further commitment of £1,155,000 is payable in deferred consideration, due as a result of the acquisitions during 2005. The acquisition of Techtran in January 2005 resulted in net cash outflows of approximately £5,400,000. IP2IPO continues to control costs carefully. In the year ended 31 December 2005 administrative expenses amounted to £4,529,000 (2004: £6,594,000). IP2IPO has continued to generate income from the management of venture capital funds through its subsidiary, Top Technology Ventures Ltd, and revenues through the provision of advisory and private placement services to portfolio companies. The Group generated operating revenues during the year of £1,682,000 (2004: £1,183,000) and received interest income during the period of £1,744,000 (2004: £1,616,000). Outlook for 2006 The Group has recorded significant unrealised gains to date, and we will seek to unlock this value through disposals of equity stakes when prudent to do so. The Group will continue to seek to control costs where possible, and cover operating costs with revenues from advisory services and interest on cash balances. Your company has made progress to date in 2006. I am confident in both the strength of the current portfolio and pipeline of new intellectual property opportunities available to IP2IPO and the ability of the IP2IPO business model and management team to turn these opportunities into value for the Group. ALAN AUBREY Chief Executive Officer 14 March 2006 IP2IPO Group plc CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT For the year ended 31 December 2005 Note 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Turnover 1,682 1,183 Equity investments Fair value gains 14,107 24,249 Fair value losses (8,370) (235) Surplus on disposal of equity investments 762 790 Dividends 209 - 6,708 24,804 Administrative expenses Accrual for employee bonuses (1,174) (4,202) Other administrative expenses (3,355) (2,392) (4,529) (6,594) Operating profit 3,861 19,393 Finance income - interest receivable 1,744 1,616 Profit before taxation 5,605 21,009 Taxation - 37 Profit attributable to equity holders of the parent 3 5,605 21,046 4 12.58 51.61 Basic earnings per ordinary share Diluted earnings per ordinary share 4 12.27 49.90 CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET As at 31 December 2005 2005 2004 Note £'000 £'000 ASSETS Non-current assets Property, plant and equipment 91 55 Intangible assets: Goodwill 18,403 2,091 Acquired intangible assets 605 757 Investment in patents 14 15 Equity rights and related contract costs 20,202 20,170 Equity investments 44,255 35,536 Financial asset 1,337 - Investment in limited partnerships 84 87 Total non-current assets 84,991 58,711 Current assets Trade and other receivables 1,957 2,271 Cash and cash equivalents 39,947 34,801 Total current assets 41,904 37,072 Total assets 126,895 95,783 EQUITY AND LIABILITIES Equity attributable to equity holders Called up share capital 4,575 4,129 Share premium account 73,294 59,605 Merger reserve 12,797 783 Retained earnings 29,113 23,264 Total equity 119,779 87,781 Non-current liabilities Trade and other payables 3,564 3,534 Provisions 539 1,123 Total equity and non-current liabilities 123,882 92,438 Current liabilities Trade and other payables 3,013 3,345 Total equity and liabilities 126,895 95,783 CONSOLIDATED CASHFLOW STATEMENT For the year ended 31 December 2005 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Operating activities Operating profit 3,861 19,393 Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 37 35 Fair value movements in equity investments (5,737) (24,014) Amortisation and impairment of intangible non-current assets 216 96 Decrease / (Increase) in trade and other receivables 262 (736) (Decrease) / Increase in trade and other payables and provisions (1,689) 3,689 Profit on disposal of equity investments (762) (790) Dividends (209) - Profit on disposal of property, plant and equipment - 6 Share-based payment charge 282 300 Net cash from operating activities (3,739) (2,021) Investing activities Purchase of property, plant and equipment (65) (34) Purchase of equity investments (4,209) (3,728) Financial asset (1,400) - Purchase of subsidiary undertaking (3,545) (911) Net cash acquired with subsidiary 1,838 230 Proceeds from sale of equity investments 762 965 Dividends 209 - Interest received 1,346 1,374 Net cash used in investing activities (5,064) (2,104) Financing activities Proceeds from issue of share capital 13,949 681 Net increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 5,146 (3,444) Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period 34,801 38,245 Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period 39,947 34,801 IP2IPO Group plc Notes 1. The preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2005 have been extracted from audited accounts which have not yet been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The financial information set out in this announcement does not constitute statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 2005 or 31 December 2004. The financial information for the year ended 31 December 2005 is derived from the statutory accounts for that year, except that comparative information has been restated as a result of the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The report of the auditors on the statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 2005 was unqualified and did not contain a statement under Section 237 of the Companies Act 1985. The statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 2004 have been delivered to the registrar, while the statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 2005 will be delivered to the registrar following the company's Annual General Meeting. This financial information has been prepared on the basis of the accounting policies set out in the interim financial statements dated 30 June 2005. 2. Availability of statutory accounts Copies of this announcement and the full statutory accounts will be available in the week commencing 27 March 2006 from the registered office at Warwick Court, 5 Paternoster Square, London EC4M 7BP, and from the offices of the Group's nominated advisor, KBC Peel Hunt, 111 Old Broad Street, London, EC2N 1PH. 3. Basic and diluted profit per ordinary share The basic and diluted profit (loss) per ordinary share is based on profits attributable to ordinary shareholders for the year of £5,605,000 (2004: £21,046,000). The basic profit (loss) per share is based on the weighted average number of ordinary shares of 44,562,701 in issue during the year (2004 40,777,614). The diluted profit (loss) per ordinary share in 2005 is based on the weighted average number of ordinary shares plus the potentially dilutive options over ordinary shares of 45,676,327 (2004: 42,171,821). Consolidated statement of changes in shareholders' equity Total Share Retained Merger Share Equity capital earnings reserve premium £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 At 1 January 2004 (restated) 64,954 4,064 1,918 - 58,972 Consolidated profit for the year to 31 December 21,046 - 21,046 - - 2004 Employee share option charge in the year to 31 300 - 300 - - Dec 2004 Issue of share capital in the year to 31 December 1,481 65 - 783 633 2004 At 31 December 2004 (restated) 87,781 4,129 23,264 783 59,605 Consolidated profit for the year to 31 December 5,605 - 5,605 - - 2005 Employee share option charge in the year to 31 282 - 282 - - Dec 2005 Pre-acquisition reserves attributable to the (38) - (38) - - Group Issue of share capital in the year to 31 December 26,149 446 - 12,014 13,689 2005 At 31 December 2005 119,779 4,575 29,113 12,797 73,294 5. Notice of AGM The Annual General Meeting will be held at 3pm on 25 April 2006 at Buchanan Communications, 45 Moorfields, London EC2Y 9AE. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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