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.

Checkit - FY24 revenue and ARR in line, EBITDA ahead

Checkit’s FY24 trading update confirmed that revenue and year-end annual recurring revenue (ARR) were in line with our forecasts, up 17% and 16% respectively. Better cost control resulted in a smaller EBITDA loss than expected, highlighting good progress towards reaching profitability. Product development is focused on expanding into new verticals and enhancing the platform with tools to turn data into actionable insights.

Rounding out another good year

CKT has released a positive update, as FYJan24 EBITDA has come in slightly better at £-3.4m vs. £-3.6mE, meaning a c.50% y/y reduction in losses, thanks to; continued strong ARR progression (+16% to £13.3m – in line) alongside; effective cost control, reflecting a focus on efficient, recurring growth. This second quality is visible though impressive ‘existing customer metrics’, specifically GRR of +99% highlights strong customer retention, while +111% NRR speaks to continued up-selling/cross-sel

Checkit - Making good progress towards profitability

Checkit reported annual recurring revenue (ARR) growth of 24% y-o-y in H124, with more than half of the growth from upsells and cross-sells to its existing customer base. Revenue was 19% higher y-o-y and EBITDA losses nearly halved y-o-y. We have upgraded our FY24 EBITDA forecast on better gross margins and operating efficiencies. Recent contract wins provide upsell potential and the recent John Lewis contract renewal highlights the stickiness of the technology.

Scale, revenue quality & margins - all on the up

Interims are consistent with a prior update and show very respectable progress, with CKT achieving 24% ARR growth, recurring revs +22%, all while LBITDA has almost halved to £-1.9m thanks to improved gross margins and cost discipline. Other metrics and qualities continue to impress too: churn is negligible, upselling is consistently strong, furthermore CKT is now a 95% subscription business. We think these solid fundamentals, in combination with the company’s differentiating software and ambitio

Checkit - Trading on track in tough environment

Checkit made good progress in H124, growing annual recurring revenue (ARR) by 24% y-o-y and revenue by 19% y-o-y. Net revenue retention of 113% highlights the company’s ability to cross-sell and upsell, and the recent contract renewal with John Lewis and master service agreement with Compass provide further expansion opportunities. We maintain our forecasts.

Marching on & taking strides towards breakeven

CKT has released a positive H1 update to July, which highlights continued strong ARR growth of +24% y/y to £12.6m, while FCF burn has almost halved - from £-5.0m to £-2.8m and so means Checkit is making meaningful steps towards breakeven. Progress on both fronts is very supportive of the investment case in our view. Driving this, CKT has continued to see very encouraging growth in the US – ARR: +41% y/y to £3.2m, while adjacent to this, upsell/cross-sell deals (with existing customers) also cont

Checkit - Adapting growth strategy to market conditions

Over the last few years, Checkit has evolved its business to a subscription-based revenue model and adapted its operations to drive and support growth. Providing intelligent operations software for deskless workers, Checkit is focused on driving adoption of its software by large, multinational enterprises. Recent contract wins and upsells in the US show progress towards the target of generating the majority of annualised recurring revenue (ARR) in the US.

Checkit - Land-and-expand focus paying off

Having completed its transition to a subscription-based revenue model during the year, Checkit grew recurring revenue by 41% and total revenue by 22% in FY23. Year-end annual recurring revenue (ARR) was 28% higher y-o-y as the company successfully executed on its land-and-expand strategy. As flagged last year, the focus on accelerating profitability has slowed cash consumption. Management anticipates meeting current market expectations for FY24; our FY24 forecasts are substantially unchanged

FY23 comfortably in line, well positioned for ‘24

FYJan23 finals show pleasing resilience, with the company posting 28% ARR growth to £11.5m, after sustained progress H1/H2 (notwithstanding a more challenging macro backdrop) as existing customers in particular doubled-down - for temperature monitoring and workflow management - evidencing strong ROI for both solutions. Alongside this sustained momentum CKT also demonstrate tighter cost control (LBITDA narrowed from £-3.7m to £-2.4m H1/H2) and this in turn provides confidence regarding our unchan

Checkit - FY23 ARR ahead of expectations

Checkit’s FY23 trading update confirmed that year-end annual recurring revenue (ARR), FY23 reported revenue and year-end net cash beat our forecasts. ARR increased 28% y-o-y despite the challenging economic environment, as the company made good progress signing up new customers and expanding existing contracts. With 93% recurring revenue for continuing operations, the transition to a subscription-based model is complete. We will review our forecasts following FY23 results on 27 April.

TU: Strong finish to FY23, well positioned for FY24

Checkit has released a positive FYJan23 update, where key numbers: ARR, recurring revenue and cash are all ahead of updated estimates, showing how (despite cautioning over a challenging environment) robust trading has been maintained, as Checkit continues to see strong and broad-based demand, particularly in the US a strategically important market - where ARR grew 91% y/y to £2.8m. Checkit enters FY24 in a strong position having now successfully transitioned into subscription business (FY23: 93%

Checkit - US contract wins and major renewal

Checkit has made further progress with its US growth strategy, recently signing three new material contracts in the US with a total minimum value over three years of $1m. The company has also signed a contract renewal with a major UK customer, worth £2.1m over four years. These wins confirm Checkit’s ability to win new customers in the US and retain existing customers. We maintain our forecasts.

Checkit - Moderating costs to accelerate breakeven

During H123 Checkit made further progress in its transition to a 100% subscription business, achieving 82% recurring revenue and a 48% y-o-y increase in annual recurring revenue (ARR). The pipeline has grown and includes material opportunities with enterprise customers for which conversion timing is uncertain. As customers have become more cautious, sales cycles have lengthened, and we conservatively reduce our ARR and revenue forecasts. Despite this, we have improved our EBITDA loss forecasts f

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.

Initial Equity Trading Comments - 1 December 2023

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

HY results - strong growth continues

Eleco - FY23E EBITDA +3% ahead, FY24-26E EBITDA & EFCF reiterated

Eleco’s FY23 trading update highlights record recurring revenue growth of +22% to £20.7m, strong profitability that leads us to expect FY23E adjusted EBITDA +3% ahead of our previous forecast, and a confident outlook that leads us to reiterate our FY24-26E EBITDA and EFCF. Across the group, excellent execution of the SaaS transition has driven recurring revenue to 74% of group revenue from 64% in FY22, and ARR is +24% yoy to £22.6m (£19.7m at H1), including c£2m of ARR from the successful acquis

LIBERUM: Cirata plc: Cirata from the flames

Zeus Top Picks for 2024 - 2023 review and outlook for 2024

On 9 January last year, we set out our ten top stock picks for 2023, for what turned out to be another relatively poor twelve months for UK equities due to two wars, stubbornly high inflation and further tightening of monetary policy. This was even as other major markets, such as the US, largely recovered in the year. In the 2023 calendar year, the AIM All-Share index fell 8.2% and is still 42% off its 2021 high. From the release of our 2023 top picks note, the average total return (assuming div

Synectics + (SNX, House Stock at 185p) - Strong FY23A profit growth to continue

Record revenue and profitability, FY24 on track

Maintel - Strong FY23 year-end TU continues trend of over-delivery

Maintel has reported a trading update for the year ending December 2023, indicating revenue in of at least £101m and adj EBITDA of “in excess of £9m”, compared with respective forecasts of £98m and £8.6m. Net debt of £18.1m also outperforms our expected year-end net debt of £18.6m. The group is continuing the trend established with the reintroduction of forecasts in April 2023, where growing confidence in delivery led to upgraded forecasts in both August and September, and still achieving outper

Morning Note – 4 April 2024

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).

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