LIBERUM: 1Spatial: Pivotal year ahead

1Spatial - SaaS applications to build on Enterprise strength

1Spatial expects its FY24 results to be at least in line with our forecasts on revenue and EBITDA, driven by continued Enterprise strength, though higher rates and working capital swings affected PBT and net cash. Recent wins, including the €9m utility project, coupled with a robust pipeline and order book, underpin strong FY25 momentum. The transition to higher-margin recurring revenue models and rising SaaS adoption improved the sales mix. In the US, five new annual NG9-1-1 licences demonstrat

1Spatial - Landmark 1Streetworks contract

SPA has announced that following a successful trial, UK Power Networks has signed a contract to deploy 1Streetworks, 1Spatial’s traffic plan automation application. This is a landmark win for this key SaaS product, the market opportunity for which management sizes at £400m for UK low-speed roads alone. The contract is worth at least £0.34m over 12 months, but with scope to significantly exceed this over time and UK Power Networks advocacy for the product is notable. A growing pipeline of paid t

LIBERUM: 1Spatial: 1Streetworks: advocacy should drive adoption

1Spatial - €9m enterprise win with European utility

1Spatial has announced a significant contract win with a leading electricity and gas distribution network operator in Belgium. The work is to support the client in building a digital twin of its distribution network and was won following a competitive tender, which included Tier 1 systems integrators, further highlighting 1Spatial’s strength in location master data management. 1Spatial will be the primary contractor on the €9m project, of which €4.1m of services will be delivered directly by 1Sp

1Spatial - Enterprise growth through key contract wins

1Spatial has announced several enterprise contract wins across key geographies, with the group executing on its growth strategy through land and expand, strategic partnerships and investment in sales. Contract extensions with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and a major European utility customer provide further validation of the core enterprise offering, while the new contract with ATKIS-1Gen for cloud-based solutions signifies growing market demand away from on-premise tec

1Spatial - Improving mix, SaaS potential draws nearer

1Spatial’s H124 results show robust revenue growth and continued improvement in the revenue mix, with recurring revenue growing by 24%. Investment in sales resource, inflationary pressures and FX compressed margins, but a strong pipeline for both renewals and SaaS products could drive revenues and margins in H2 and beyond. In particular, the market opportunity for both 1Streetworks and NG9-1-1 has the potential to be transformative. We have upgraded our revenue forecast but leave earnings largel

LIBERUM: 1Spatial: The Company with a (Traffic) Plan

1Spatial - SaaS progress and pipeline support prospects

1Spatial’s AGM statement provides further support for our view that the company is establishing a good platform for scalable recurring revenue growth. 1Spatial has secured its first customer for its Next Generation 911 (NG 911) solution in the US and three customers for its SaaS 1Streetworks product (including an additional one since 19 June). The opportunity for both products is significant, in our view. Sales cycles continue to be somewhat protracted within the current macro-economic environm

1Spatial - First wins for key SaaS product

1Spatial has won its first two contracts for 1Streetworks, the company’s SaaS-based Traffic Management Plan Automation product. This is an important development for the company in that the potential addressable market for this product is large; management estimates around £250m for low speed roads in the UK alone and 1Spatial looks well positioned to gain a significant market share. 1Streetworks also runs on the company’s newly launched cloud-based platform, representing an important milestone i

1Spatial - New SaaS apps to drive high-margin growth

1Spatial’s full year results confirm the solid progress made over the course of the year with revenue growing 11%, recurring revenues growing 21% and EBITDA margins expanding from 15.5% to 16.7%. With momentum continuing into this year, and a healthy order book and pipeline, the company looks well set for 2024. Progress in its key strategic growth pillars – traffic management, US expansion and smart partnerships – looks promising and could accelerate scalable high-margin recurring revenue growth

Alphawave Semi: FY23 trading update, amended forward guidance

Alphawave Semi has reduced guidance for FY23 and prospectively citing lower revenues from China, changes in expected revenue recognition from long-term contracts, and continuing investment in R&D. The share price has reacted negatively, giving up most of the gains since the trading statement at the end of January. Current consensus, which is a good match for pre-existing guidance, should be reduced, most likely following release of the FY23 results and full 1Q24 trading update due on 23 April. H

Audioboom Group - Q1 24 revenue growth of +11%, FY24E forecasts reiterated

Audioboom’s FY23 results and Q1 trading update show Q1 24 revenue growth of +11% yoy, $6.7m of March 2024 revenue marking the platform’s highest revenue month since May 2022, and a confident outlook that leads us to reiterate our FY24E forecasts. Following the focus on new initiatives through FY23, the platform is now in its strongest ever operational position, with a record 1.1bn monthly ad impressions created in March 2024, record global audience reach of 38.6m unique global listeners in Janua

Crimson Tide - FY23 reports +15% revenue; investment phase complete

Crimson Tide has reported FY23 results to December in line with expectations, with additional operating leverage benefitting updated FY24 and maiden FY25 and FY26 forecasts. FY23 delivered +15% revenue growth to £6.2m at 86% GM, of which over 90% is recurring, and maintained £5.8m ARR even after unexpected customer churn in the year as we previously noted. Crucially, the Group achieved milestone adj EBITDA profitability of £0.4m at 7% EBITDA margin, and edges closer to adj PBT profitability expe

Morning Note – 16 April 2024

Devolver Digital (DEVO LN) - Rebuild year

Devolver Digital encouragingly delivered 2023 results slightly ahead of expectations and provided a steady medium-term outlook that leads us to reiterate our 2024 Adjusted EBITDA estimates. Longer term, the company is now planning to further develop its two major planned titles, Human Fall Flat 2 and System Era's next major new release. We now expect those major titles to be released in 2026 rather than 2025, meaning we lower our 2025 Adjusted EBITDA forecast to $10.6m from $17.6m but introduce

Morning Note – 15 April 2024

Intelligent Ultrasound Group - GE Healthcare launches new Voluson Signature with

GE Healthcare has announced the launch of the Voluson Signature 20 and 18 ultrasound systems, with the related press release noting these systems ‘comprehensively integrate artificial intelligence’ to improve the ultrasound procedure for clinicians and the women being scanned. These ultrasound systems include SonoLyst, the AI which incorporates Intelligent Ultrasound’s ScanNav Assist and ScanNav AutoCapture AI software. The launch of additional Voluson systems including the SonoLyst suite of AI

Checkit - New product launch and contract wins

Checkit has won contracts with two customers worth at least £417k over the three-year lives of the contracts, confirming its ability to upsell to its existing customer base and supporting our forecasts. Having trialled the new technology with multiple customers, Checkit has launched its Asset Intelligence module, which uses advanced analytics and machine learning to enhance customer sustainability, reduce costs and increase revenue.

Soft growth patch

Auction Technology Group - H1/24 Trading update

ATG’s H1/24 trading statement indicates revenue for the six-month period to 31 March 2024 was $86m, a 6% increase on H1/23 (1% organic growth), helped by the addition of the EstateSales.Net (ESN) marketplace last year, which performed well in the period. Total marketplace revenue increased 2% (organic), driven by growth in value-added services (VAS) and event fees, offsetting a decline in commission revenue (mainly through lower asset prices).

Morning Note – 17 April 2024

Touchstar - Full year results: Recurring revenue strategy delivers further profit growth

Touchstar is a supplier of mobile data computing solutions and managed services to a variety of industrial sectors. This morning's full year results reflect the outcome of a multi-year strategy coming to fruition for the group, with recurring revenue growth of 8.7% delivering overall revenue growth of 7.1% and in turn a 60% increase in PBT to £0.7m. Over the past few years, Touchstar has focused on enhancing the returns from their product offering through a shift towards recurring software licen

It’s not what you sell, it’s the way that you sell it

This report is intended to help UK small- and mid-cap investors gain a better understanding of software companies’ routes to market, and to highlight how one of the most important facets of the way in which they grow and deliver value is routinely ignored.  We examine sales processes for six UK-listed companies and one that has recently been taken over, and consider why they have followed their respective paths.

LIBERUM: Cirata plc: Cirata from the flames

Engage XR Holdings - Expanding from FY23, FY24E forecasts reiterated

ENGAGE XR’s FY23 results show revenue and net cash in line with the February trading update, EBITDA ahead at -€4.0m vs -€4.5m due to the split of cash outflow between opex and working capital, and a confident outlook that leads us to reiterate our FY24E forecasts. FY23 revenue for the core ENGAGE platform was unchanged vs FY22 at €3.3m, as H2 23 revenue was impacted by the record seven-figure contract announced in February shifting to 2024, and several enterprise customers scaling back renewals