Merkur Market companies nominated for awards in Brussels
Companies listed with Oslo Børs have been nominated in three of the four categories of the European Commission’s European Small and Mid-Cap Awards, which are awarded to European companies that have recently listed on a stock exchange. This year’s award ceremony will take place on 22 November. The three nominated companies have in common that they have all been admitted to trading on Merkur Market.
Gentian, Induct and Songa Bulk have been nominated in three different categories of the European Small and Mid-Cap Awards. An independent jury appointed by the European Commission will announce the winners at a ceremony taking place in Brussels on 22 November.
Gentian has been nominated in the Star of Innovation category, Induct in the Rising Star category, and Songa Bulk in the International Star category, which is awarded to the most internationally-oriented newly listed company in Europe.
Common to all three Norwegian candidates is that they were admitted to Merkur Market in 2016.
Merkur Market’s launch has been a success. One of the objectives for the new marketplace when it was launched in January 2016 was to make it easier for SMEs to access the capital markets. 15 companies have now been admitted to the new marketplace, and Merkur Market companies have raised a combined total of NOK 2.3 billion in new capital through share issues.
Songa Bulk, a dry bulk shipping company, was set up in 2016 and was admitted to trading on Merkur Market in December of the same year. The company has since raised NOK 882 million through share issues and NOK 1.1 billion by stock exchange listing a bond (SBULK01).
“As a newly founded company, we as well as our investors wanted our shares to be tradable as soon as was possible on a marketplace that offered orderly and transparent trading. Merkur Market offered this and became an important part of our journey”, comments Herman Billung, CEO of Songa Bulk.
Induct, a software company, became the first company to be admitted to trading on Merkur Market at its launch on 13 January 2016, and has since raised NOK 46.5 million in new equity through new share issues. Its shareholder base has also more than doubled in size during this period, climbing to 370 from 180.
“Merkur Market has given us greater visibility and helped us attract new investors. It has consequently played a key role in terms of our growth, our acquisition of new customers from across the world, and our becoming a global company”, comments Alf Martin Johansen, founder and CEO of Induct.
Gentian Diagnostics, which specialises in clinical tests, was admitted to trading on Merkur Market on 14 December 2016. The healthcare company has raised NOK 100 million in new equity on Merkur Market, and has also attracted numerous new investors. It now has 210 shareholders, up from 45.
Merkur Market is suitable for all types of company, ranging from newly incorporated growth companies to savings banks and more mature industrial companies that wish to raise equity but either prefer not to have a full listing on a regulated market or do not satisfy the criteria for this.
Some Merkur Market companies choose to take the next step and to list on one of the two other Oslo Børs marketplaces for equities, namely Oslo Axess and Oslo Børs. Songa Bulk took this step in May when it transferred to Oslo Axess.
