|  Updated: 

AIM ropes in best year for fundraising in over a decade

Despite falling into a shallow recession in the second half of last year, business surveys have pointed to an upturn at the beginning of the year.
Despite falling into a shallow recession in the second half of last year, business surveys have pointed to an upturn at the beginning of the year.

London’s junior stock market roped in its best year for fundraising in nearly a decade and a half this year, reveal new figures released today.

Money raised on AIM in 2021 topped £9.4bn, the highest value since 2007, according to the London Stock Exchange.

Some 64 companies floated on the junior market, its most active year since 2014, illustrating that strong investor appetite to find higher yields amid a record low interest rate environment led to a wave of smaller private firms taking the plunge and listing.

AIM, set up in 1995, is geared toward smaller firms that have yet to mature into large businesses.

Years of regulatory improvements and the development of deeper capital pools have strengthened the market’s attractiveness.

Marcus Stuttard, head of UK primary markets and AIM at London Stock Exchange Group, said: “We’ve seen a broad range of companies from the UK and internationally join the market, from small companies with valuations in the tens of millions to some of the largest companies ever to float on AIM, from sectors including tech, healthcare and those supporting the transition to the green economy.”

The news was first reported by The Times.