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Tekcapital #TEK – Portfolio Companies Update
Tekcapital Plc (AIM: TEK), the UK intellectual property investment group is pleased to provide a summary of latest developments across certain of its portfolio companies.
Belluscura
Belluscura plc (“Belluscura” AIM: BELL), announced on 16 August 2023 it has received purchase orders for over 6,500 of its next-generation DISCOV-R portable oxygen concentrator. This represents approximately US$15 million of potential revenue to Belluscura plc, as estimated by its management team. The recent purchase orders follow the signing of several distribution agreements with medical device distributors and other home healthcare providers, including a distribution agreement with a division of McKesson, one of the largest distributors of pharmaceuticals and medical devices in North America, earlier this month and a marketing agreement with GoodRx®, a leading digital healthcare platform, in February 2023. Belluscura has received multiple additional requests from leading oxygen homecare providers in the US to distribute the DISCOV-R.
Tekcapital owns 15,138,767 shares of Belluscura plc (11.16%).
MicroSalt
MicroSalt Ltd (“MicroSalt”) has been making steady progress towards its planned IPO. Advanced discussions with commercial partners including key players in the snack food industry are taking place in order to launch multiple products using Microsalt this year, with purchase orders anticipated in short order. MicroSalt has also demonstrated good traction in the B2C segment, with:
– two new partners based in the Philippines – Healthy Options and S&R Membership Shopping placing commercial orders for SaltMe!® Crisps; and
– expanding its US retail footprint for its low-sodium, full-flavour saltshakers by 131 stores as announced in June 2023.
Tekcapital owns 97% of the share capital of MicroSalt Ltd. and 6,034,683 shares (78%) of MicroSalt Inc., its U.S. subsidiary.
Innovative Eyewear
Lucyd Ltd (“Lucyd”) and its US subsidiary, Innovative Eyewear Inc announced a multi-year, global licensing agreement with Authentic Brands Group for Reebok® Smart Eyewear. Lucyd believe this represents a significant accomplishment towards revolutionizing the sport eyewear segment with the convenient access to info and audio content and freedom from reliance on phone screens made possible by its Bluetooth frame technologies.
In June 2023, Lucyd conducted a successful secondary offering to raise the capital (US$4.7m) needed to launch smart eyewear collections under its new Nautica, Eddie Bauer and Reebok partnerships, and its forthcoming Bluetooth safety eyewear. Both the Nautica Powered by Lucyd line and its Lucyd Safety smart eyewear line are expected to be launched in Q4 2023. The Eddie Bauer and Reebok Powered by Lucyd lines are expected to launch in early Q1 2024.
The proceeds received from the recent fundraise will be used to manufacture and market all four of these new product lines, as well as make further enhancements to the Lucyd app. At the same time, Lucyd has announced in the last few months:
– new transitional blue light blocking lens designed to maximize utility, eye protection and user satisfaction of Lucyd eyewear.
– a significant update to the Lucyd App, its patent-pending, voice-controlled onramp to ChatGPT for smart eyewear. This includes the development of an improved user experience, new tools and prompts to help the user get the most out of ChatGPT, a streamlined onboarding experience, and a premium subscription with unlimited access to ChatGPT and additional premium features
– a new modular retail display system which has so far been deployed in about 20 partner locations, providing an immersive Lucyd brand experience with a 10″ video screen.
Tekcapital currently owns 5,189,086 shares of Innovative Eyewear, Inc. (approximately 40%).
The Company intends to provide an update on Guidant’s recent commercial and operational progress in due course.
For further information, please contact:
Tekcapital Plc |
Via Flagstaff |
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Clifford M. Gross, Ph.D. |
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SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP (Nominated Adviser and Broker) |
+44 (0) 20 3470 0470 |
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Richard Morrison/Charlie Bouverat (Corporate Finance)/Abigail Wayne / Rob Rees (Corporate Broking)
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Flagstaff Strategic and Investor Communications |
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+44 (0) 20 7129 1474 |
Tim Thompson/Andrea Seymour/Fergus Mellon |
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About Tekcapital plc
Tekcapital creates value from investing in new, university-developed discoveries that can enhance people’s lives and provides a range of technology transfer services to help organisations evaluate and commercialise new technologies. Tekcapital is quoted on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange (AIM: symbol TEK) and is headquartered in the UK. For more information, please visit www.tekcapital.com.
LEI: 213800GOJTOV19FIFZ85
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release is for informational purposes only. The information herein does not constitute investment advice nor an offer to invest and may contain statements related to our future business and financial performance and future events or developments involving Innovative Eyewear, Inc., Lucyd or Tekcapital that may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by words such as “expect,” “look forward to,” “anticipate” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” “will,” “project” or words of similar meaning. We may also make forward-looking statements in other reports, in presentations, in material delivered to customers, stakeholders and in press releases. In addition, our representatives may from time to time make oral forward-looking statements. Such statements may be based on the current expectations and certain assumptions of Tekcapital or Lucyd’s management. Please note that these are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and factors, including, but not limited to those described in various disclosures. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying expectations not occur or assumptions prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements of Innovative Eyewear Inc., Lucyd and/or Tekcapital may vary materially from those described explicitly or implicitly in the relevant forward-looking statement. Neither Innovative Eyewear Inc, Lucyd nor Tekcapital intends, nor assumes any obligation, to update or revise these forward-looking statements in light of developments which differ from those anticipated.
UK Investor Magazine Podcast – CEO Alan Green discusses NatWest, Tekcapital, and the FTSE 100 at 8,000
Alan Green joins the UK Investor Magazine Podcast for a deep dive into a selection of UK equities and the key market themes.
We discuss:
- Natwest (LON:NWG)
- Tekcapital (LON:TEK)
- Logistics Development Group (LON:LDG)
NatWest shares fell on Friday after the UK bank’s profit before tax grew to £5.1bn in 2022 from £3.9bn in the year prior. However it was their outlook that worried investors. We run through the numbers.
Tekcapital’s Guidient has signed a partnership to provide remote safety monitoring and human-in-the-loop supervision to Auve Tech’s new MiCa autonomous shuttle.
We finish with a look at Logistics Development Group.
#TEK Tekcapital plc – Conversion of outstanding loan amount in MicroSalt
Tekcapital Plc
(“Tekcapital” or the “Group”)
Portfolio Company Update: MicroSalt, Ltd. (“MicroSalt”)
Tekcapital converts outstanding loan amount in MicroSalt Inc.
Tekcapital Plc (AIM: TEK), (OTCQB: TEKCF) the UK intellectual property investment group focused on creating valuable products that can improve people’s lives, is pleased to announce that it has converted its outstanding convertible loan note of c.US$1.35m in MicroSalt’s U.S. operating subsidiary, MicroSalt Inc. at a value of US$2.18 per share. This values MicroSalt at US$ 20.0m.
Following this transaction, Tekcapital owns 97% of the share capital of MicroSalt Ltd. and 6,034,683 shares (78%) of MicroSalt Inc., its U.S. subsidiary.
About MicroSalt
MicroSalt, is the developer and manufacturer of a proprietary low-sodium salt called MicroSalt®. We are passionate about improving peoples’ lives with better-for-you seasonings and snacks by taking the lead in the industry by providing the best low-sodium salt solution, based on the mechanical transformation of the salt particle itself. This solution is the only one that delivers real salt flavour because it is salt. Our new patented technology produces salt crystals that are approximately one hundred times smaller than typical table salt, delivering a powerful saltiness as the micro-grains dissolve in the mouth, with approximately 50% less sodium consumption. Additionally, the ultra-small particle size enhances product adhesion, which reduces waste and provides improved flavor consistency. MicroSalt® and SaltMe® are registered trademarks of MicroSalt Inc.
To learn more about MicroSalt please visit https://www.microsaltinc.com/
To learn more about SaltMe! snacks please visit https://saltme.com/
Tekcapital #TEK – Investee co Innovative Eyewear, Inc. Announces Multi-Year, Global Licensing Agreement with Authentic Brands Group for Eddie Bauer® Smart Eyewear
Tekcapital Plc (AIM: TEK, OTCQB: TEKCF), the UK intellectual property investment group notes that Innovative Eyewear, Inc. (“Innovative Eyewear”) (NASDAQ: LUCY; LUCYW), the developer and retailer of smart eyewear under the Lucyd® and Nautica® brands, has announced that through an agreement with Authentic Brands Group (Authentic), it has licensed the iconic outdoor brand Eddie Bauer® for smart eyewear.
“We are pleased to partner with Lucyd to expand Eddie Bauer’s eyewear offering,” said Henry Stupp, President, Lifestyle EMEA-India at Authentic. “Eddie Bauer is known for delivering innovation across all of its product categories. Through Lucyd’s Bluetooth technology, we reinforce the brand’s standards in this emerging category.”
Eddie Bauer is rooted in its commitment to research and invention, beginning with the creation of the first-ever quilted goose-down insulated jacket in 1942. Throughout the brand’s history, Eddie Bauer has registered dozens of patents on various outdoor clothing construction and sporting equipment.
“Few names are as renowned as Eddie Bauer in outdoor recreation,” says Harrison Gross, CEO of Innovative Eyewear, Inc. “Our Eddie Bauer smart eyewear collection, powered by Lucyd, will continue Eddie Bauer’s legacy of bold and beautiful craftsmanship, coupled with innovation, and will align perfectly with today’s adventurous lifestyles. We believe outdoor enthusiasts are looking for designer eyewear that both protects their vision and allows them to remain connected to their digital lives in an open-ear, handsfree format.”
The Eddie Bauer smart eyewear collection is expected to launch in 2023.
About Innovative Eyewear, Inc.
Innovative Eyewear is a developer and retailer of cutting-edge smart eyewear, under the Lucyd®, Nautica® & Eddie Bauer® brands. True to our mission to Upgrade Your Eyewear®, our Bluetooth audio glasses allow users to stay safely and ergonomically connected to their digital lives, and are offered in hundreds of frame and lens combinations to meet the needs of the optical market. To learn more and explore our continuously evolving collection of smart eyewear, please visit www.lucyd.co .
About Eddie Bauer
For more than 100 years, outdoor brand Eddie Bauer has been inspiring, enabling, and empowering people to live their adventure with products that are built to last. Their products are available at eddiebauer.com and more than 200 stores in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Japan, and other international markets. To learn more please visitwww.eddiebauer.com .
About Authentic Brands Group
Authentic Brands Group (Authentic) is a global brand development, marketing and entertainment platform, which owns a portfolio of more than 40 iconic and world-renowned Lifestyle, Entertainment and Media brands. Headquartered in New York City, with offices around the world, Authentic connects strong brands with best-in-class partners and a global network of operators, distributors and retailers to build long-term value in the marketplace. Its brands have an expansive retail footprint, including more than 9,100-plus freestanding stores and shop-in-shops in more than 150 countries and generate approximately $23 billion in global annual retail sales.
Authentic is committed to transforming brands by delivering powerful storytelling, compelling content, innovative business models and immersive experiences. It creates and activates original marketing strategies to drive the success of its brands across all consumer touchpoints, platforms and emerging media. Authentic’s brand portfolio includes Marilyn Monroe®, Elvis Presley®, Muhammad Ali®, Shaquille O’Neal®, David Beckham®, Dr. J®, Greg Norman®, Neil Lane®, Thalia®, Sports Illustrated®, Reebok®, Eddie Bauer®, Spyder®, Volcom®, Airwalk®, Nautica®, Izod®, Brooks Brothers®, Barneys New York®, Judith Leiber®, Ted Baker®, Hervé Léger®, Frye®, Juicy Couture®, Vince Camuto®, Lucky Brand®, Aéropostale®, Forever 21®, Nine West®, Jones New York®, Tretorn®, Prince®, Van Heusen®, Arrow®, Hickey Freeman®, Hart Schaffner Marx® and Thomasville®.
For more information, visit authentic.com .
Follow Authentic on LinkedIn , Instagram and Twitter .
Tekcapital currently owns 5,189,086 shares (approximately 71%) of Innovative Eyewear, Inc.
For further information, please contact:
Tekcapital Plc |
Via Flagstaff |
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Clifford M. Gross, Ph.D. |
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SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP (Nominated Adviser and Broker) |
+44 (0) 20 3470 0470 |
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Richard Morrison/Charlie Bouverat (Corporate Finance)/Abigail Wayne / Rob Rees (Corporate Broking)
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Flagstaff Strategic and Investor Communications |
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+44 (0) 20 7129 1474 |
Tim Thompson/Andrea Seymour/Fergus Mellon |
Tekcapital Plc #TEK- Innovative Eyewear, Inc. Provides Year-end Review
Tekcapital Plc
Innovative Eyewear, Inc. Provides Year-end Review
Tekcapital Plc (AIM: TEK, OTCQB: TEKCF), the UK intellectual property investment group notes that Innovative Eyewear, Inc. (“Innovative Eyewear”) (NASDAQ: LUCY; LUCYW), a developer and retailer of cutting-edge smart eyewear and operator of the Lucyd® and Nautica® brands for smartglasses, announced on 27 December 2022 a summary of its activities in 2022 including innovations in R&D, new business partnerships, and significant team expansion. The Company believes these developments have furthered its goal of building the global standard in smart eyewear.
Set out below is a copy of Innovative Eyewear’s announcement and to view a video of CEO Harrison Gross explaining these developments, please click here .
Product Launches & Tech Development
In 2022 Innovative Eyewear completed development on the following products:
1. Digital Try-on Display. A Lucyd-branded digital retail fixture that provides a virtual try-on experience to in-store clients at our partner retail stores. The proprietary software that operates the kiosk was designed and created in house and performs as smoothly as leading VTO (virtual try-on) applications developed by companies that focus solely on this software vertical. The Company is able to remotely update the Displays with new brand content and glasses styles, and the tablet can also be scanned to download the Company’s Vyrb mobile app, making it a comprehensive Lucyd brand experience in all deployed locations. Launched early in 2022.
2. Cordless Charging Dock. This patent-pending accessory was developed in house, launched in 2022 and is a first in the smartglass space. It allows the customer to charge their Lucyd glasses simply by dropping them on their nightstand. The Dock includes three additional USB ports to enable the user to charge their phone, smartwatch, tablet and smartglasses simultaneously with one device.
3. 2022 Frame Collection. In 2022 we introduced four new models of our flagship product, including our Lucyd Lyte Jupiter model, which is leading the industry in terms of product weight. Weight is a proxy for comfort when it comes to eyewear, and the Jupiter model weighs just 28 grams, which is tied for the lightest smart eyewear on the market. Central to the luxurious look and feel of this new collection was the design and creation of new proprietary hinges that enable a more seamless appearance to the frames, which are being rolled out across all models. The launch of this collection also brought the number of Lucyd frame varieties to 16 total, which makes the Company’s offering the most diverse in the space.
4. The Company is pleased to announce it has completed initial production of its second generation product, Lucyd Lyte 2.0, slated to launch in Q1 2023. The Lyte 2.0 carries several new features including high-end styling from the Company’s new design team, a four-speaker array for immersive audio, and the longest playback time of any smart eyewear device, with 12 hours of music playback and talk time per charge. The battery life of the Lyte 2.0 surpasses the vast majority of true wireless audio devices in any form factor.
5. The Company has completed the development of a live streaming feature to its Vyrb social application for iOS and Android, which brings live audio chatrooms to the beta app. This will enable Lucyd glasses wearers to create and enjoy live audio events right on their smart eyewear, and this utility is also useful for real-time team communications.
6. The Company had six US design patents and one US software utility patent granted in 2022, as well as one Chinese patent granted, to protect its eyewear designs and software utilities. The Company has also filed new patents in 2022 in the US, Canada and/or China to protect its recently released Lucyd Dock and several pending products. The Company’s total number of pending and issued patents now stands at 47.
Partnerships
1. In late 2022, Innovative Eyewear acquired a multi-year, global license to the Nautica brand for smart eyewear and related accessories. Along side the transaction, the owner of the Nautica brand, Authentic Brands Group, is assisting the Company with introductions to Nautica.com, independent Nautica store operators and buyers, and the Sports Illustrated online store. The Company has finished designing a dozen styles for an initial line of Nautica Smart Eyewear and expects to launch the line in H1 2023.
2. Lucyd products began to be carried on the Dick’s Sporting Goods (DSG) main website in March 2022, as a trial for consideration for an in-store presence. DSG is the largest sporting goods retailer in the US with 800+ stores.
3. Lucyd products began to be carried on Academy Sports + Outdoor’s mainsite, the second largest sporting goods retailer in the US with 260+ locations.
4. Lucyd partnered with Everest.com, a new sporting goods marketplace, to offer Lucyd Lyte glasses to their rapidly growing customer base.
5. In 2022, the Company grew its retail presence to 250+ locations carrying Lucyd Lyte in-store.
6. The Company conducted a successful research project to identify two additional manufacturing partners to provide supply chain redundancy for its smart eyewear.
Team Expansion
1. The Company hired Joaquin Abondano as VP Ecommerce and Product Sourcing. Joaquin is a very experienced digital marketer and product developer who has launched a significant number of products on digital marketplaces that have generated substantial direct to consumer sales. His expert level knowledge of Amazon systems is expected to improve the company’s direct to consumer brand awareness and advertising ROI.
2. The Company also hired Jan Cory as VP optical sales. Her background with over a decade of experience building Luxottica’s US business makes her an excellent fit for growing the retail presence of Lucyd products in the optical channel.
3. Furthermore, the Company hired two leading eyewear designers in 2022. One comes from a leading global sunglass brand, bringing their heritage of classic and timeless sunglass design to the team. The other designer has a background designing eyewear for some of the world’s leading fashion brands, bringing high fashion experience to the team.
The Year Ahead
There have been many significant developments and product improvements in 2022, and we believe the coming year will bring many more key advancements for the Company, with the following products anticipated to go live in 2023:
1. The launch of the second generation Lucyd Lyte 2.0 product line with improved sound, battery and styling. Lyte 2.0 will be launched initially in 15 sunglass and 6 blue light styles. This launch includes several styles of smart eyewear designed specifically for women and youth, a key differentiator from other smart eyewear collections.
2. The launch of Nautica Powered by Lucyd smart eyewear and introduction into many Nautica points of sale around the world, kicking off what the Company expects to be a powerful combination of its user-friendly Bluetooth technology with iconic fashion brands.
3. The introduction of the Lucyd Bluetooth temple into new eyewear verticals such as sport wrap frames and rimless frames, which are minimal or non-existent on the market.
4. The full commercial release of the Vyrb social audio application and the addition of in-app purchases, content monetization and creator tools to the app.
5. An updated website with a vastly improved prescription ordering process to make it easier to purchase Rx-upgraded Lucyd products.
6. A dedicated wholesale website for the Company’s retail partners to be able to conveniently learn about and stock Lucyd products.
In sum, these developments and forecasted releases position the Company well to achieve its mission to Upgrade Your Eyewear® in 2023.
About Innovative Eyewear, Inc.
Innovative Eyewear is a developer and retailer of cutting-edge smart eyewear, under the Lucyd® and Nautica® brands. True to our mission to Upgrade Your Eyewear®, our Bluetooth audio glasses allow users to stay safely and ergonomically connected to their digital lives, and are offered in hundreds of frame and lens combinations to meet the needs of the optical market. To learn more and explore our continuously evolving collection of smart eyewear, please visit www.lucyd.co .
Tekcapital currently owns 5,189,086 shares (approximately 71%) of Innovative Eyewear, Inc.
Tekcapital #TEK investee company Belluscura #BELL receives certification to major ISO standard
Belluscura, a leading medical device developer focused on lightweight and portable oxygen enrichment technology, is pleased toannounce today that it has been certified as compliant with ISO standards for Quality Management (ISO 13485:2016), allowing for design, development, manufacture and distribution of its portable oxygen concentrators (POC) following an extensive audit process undertaken by leading global assurance provider SGS.
The Group’s manufacturing facilities in both Texas and China achieved ISO 13485 certification ahead of schedule, following a complete review of our quality systems and processes, including the newly insourced manufacturing facility.
The International Organization for Standardization (“ISO”) is one of the world’s leading standards-settings bodies. The Organization develops standards to ensure the quality, safety and efficiency of products, services and systems; those standards are recognised globally as the benchmark for operational excellence among leading manufacturing companies.
The individual standards to which Belluscura is now certified are core to the Company’s business. ISO 13485:2016 specifies requirements for a quality management system where an organization needs to demonstrate its ability to provide medical devices and related services that consistently meet customer and applicable regulatory requirements. The certification, therefore, enables the Group to apply to distribute the X-PLOR and DISCOV-R in Europe (CE mark), UK (CA mark), China and the rest of the world.
Robert Rauker, CEO of Belluscura plc, said:
“This is a hugely significant step for the Group, as ISO 13485 certification will enable the company to begin the process to start distributing its products globally. Our existing market in the US represents approximately 45% of the Portable Oxygen Concentrator market, so this certification more than doubles the available market opportunity for the Group.”
“The certification shows the dedication of our team to not only developing a quality product, but to being a leading manufacturer of portable oxygen concentrators. Compliance with this standard will enable Belluscura’s commercial development by proving to new customers that the Company adheres to the highest standards of quality management excellence.
“It will, therefore, contribute to our growth as we expand production of our X-PLOR® device and the Nomad Biometric™ App, as well as the DISCOV-R™, which we expect to launch in Q1 2023 as the world’s first ambulatory dual flow portable oxygen concentrator.”
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Belluscura plc |
www.belluscura.com |
Robert Rauker, Chief Executive Officer |
via MHP |
Anthony Dyer, Chief Financial Officer |
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SPARK Advisory Partners Limited (NOMAD) |
Tel: +44 (0)20 3368 3550 |
Neil Baldwin |
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Dowgate Capital Limited (Broker) |
Tel: +44 (0)20 3903 7715 |
James Serjeant / Nicholas Chambers |
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MHP Communications (Financial PR and Investor Relations) |
Tel: +44 (0)20 3128 8100 |
Katie Hunt / Pete Lambie / Matthew Taylor |
Email: belluscura@mhpc.com |
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About Belluscura plc ( www.belluscura.com )
Belluscura is a UK medical device company focused on developing high performing, lightweight and portable oxygen enrichment technology used in a broad range of industries and therapies. Our innovative oxygen technologies are designed with a global purpose: to create improved health, mobility and economic outcomes for patients, healthcare providers and insurance organisations.
Glossary
X-PLOR® is a lightweight portable oxygen concentrator with user replaceable oxygen enrichment cartridges and direct-charge batteries. Weighing only 3.75 lbs, its AirgonomicTM Design ensures user-friendly experience and maximum comfort. It has multiple Pulse Flow Settings including X-PLORATIONTM Mode (750mL for 10 mins).
DISCOV-R™ will deliver 2000mL of continuous flow oxygen and have 8 Pulse Flow Settings. Weighing only 6.5 lbs, it will be the first a mbulatory 2L portable oxygen concentrator, producing more oxygen per pound than others in its class.