Interim Results

Oxford Catalysts Group PLC 11 September 2006 11th September 2006 OXFORD CATALYSTS GROUP PLC ('Oxford Catalysts' or 'the Company') Interim Results for Period Ended 30th June 2006 Oxford Catalysts Group PLC, the leading catalyst innovator for clean fuels, announces today its maiden set of interim results since its successful flotation on the AIM market in April of this year. Highlights • Listed on AIM on 26th April 2006 • Raised ca. £14 million net of expenses • Nine-month prototype development program with Proventec Plc, a provider of specialist steam cleaning equipment • Award of a £150,000 joint-grant from the Carbon Trust in partnership with leading UK-based Solid Oxide Fuel Cell company (ca. £118,000 will accrue to Oxford Catalysts) • Over 25 non-disclosure / material transfer agreements in place enabling active discussions with potential partners, including oil majors, oil refiners, oil services companies, coal mining and processing, catalyst, consumer electronics and fuel cell companies • Achieved key technical milestone relating to continuous stop-start cycling in hydrogen-on-demand technology • First patent granted in Europe, second patent granted in South Africa; all filings proceeding as expected • On track to achieve recruitment target; new offices and laboratory being fitted out • Expenditure remains in line with budget: cash reserves managed prudently Roy Lipski, Chief Executive of Oxford Catalysts, said: 'We have some very special technology, we have a first class team and a clear and focussed strategy. During the period, Oxford Catalysts has made significant progress in all areas of its strategy. We remain committed to continuing to deliver on the milestones set out during our IPO, and we look forward to the future with confidence.' For further information, please contact: Roy Lipski, CEO, Oxford Catalysts 07958 970 855 Megan MacIntyre, KBC Peel Hunt 020 7418 8900 Jonathon Brill, Billy Clegg, Financial Dynamics 020 7831 3113 Oxford Catalysts designs and develops specialty catalysts for the generation of clean fuels from both conventional fossil fuels and certain renewable sources. The Company has two key platform technologies resulting from some 19 years of research at the University of Oxford's prestigious Wolfson Catalysis Centre. The first platform is for a novel class of catalysts made from metal carbides, which can match or exceed the benefits of traditional precious metal catalysts, at a lower cost, for several key processes used in the petroleum and petrochemical industries. The second, relates to a series of unique chemical reactions which can be used to generate either hydrogen gas or high-temperature steam, instantaneously, starting from room temperature, using a cheap and safe liquid fuel alongside the Company's patented catalysts. Such unprecedented hydrogen or steam on-demand has exciting potential applications in a broad range of markets, from portable fuel cells, to motive power and stationary electricity generation. Copies of this interim report will be sent to shareholders and will be available at the Business Office of the Company, Wolfson College, Linton Road, Oxford, OX2 6UD and on the Company's website, www.oxfordcatalysts.com for one month free of charge from 11th September 2006. CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT Dr Pierre Jungels It is with great pleasure that I make my first interim report as Chairman of Oxford Catalysts Group PLC. The Company has made good progress in the first half of 2006 and since its admission to AIM on 26th April of this year, when we raised £15 million before expenses through a placing of 8,620,690 new shares. Oxford Catalysts' business model is to license its technology for commercial exploitation. The Company aims to enter into a relatively small number of key co-development partnerships with leading manufacturers, producers or suppliers in three main application areas: petroleum and petrochemical catalysts; hydrogen production for fuel cells, and; high-temperature steam for a varierty of markets. I am pleased to report that we have experienced impressive growth in interest from, and engagement with, potential partners. To date, we have entered into over 25 non-disclosure or material transfer agreements, and we are in active discussions with numerous companies over testing, and the potential co-development and licensing of our technology. These include oil majors, oil refiners, oil services companies, coal mining and processing, catalyst, consumer electronics and fuel cell companies, as well as others. I would also like to congratulate Dr Will Barton, our COO, for his recent admission as a Fellow of The Royal Society of Chemistry, and separately, for his appointment to the Council of The Chemical Industries Association. As well as recognising Will's long and distinguished service to the chemical industry, these appointments will help raise the profile of Oxford Catalysts within the wider chemicals community. Outlook The Board looks to the future with confidence. Since the beginning of the year, and significantly since the IPO in April, we have progressed on or are ahead of plan in all three key areas of our strategy: commercialisation; technology development, and; the protection and enhancement of our intellectual property. These areas will continue to be the main focus of the Company's activities over the next 6 months. I look forward to reporting further success in our year-end results. CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S STATEMENT Roy Lipski Oxford Catalysts has made excellent progress over the period since 31st December 2005, and since its flotation. We remain committed to continuing to deliver on the milestones set out during our listing on the London Stock Exchange. Commercialisation Since the IPO, we have provided several catalyst samples for testing, including samples to, amongst others, a leading global consumer electronics manufacturer and an oil major (for hydrogen-on-demand and Fischer-Tropsch respectively). Furthermore, we recently agreed a client-funded testing program with a large Far Eastern company to explore a novel application of hydro-treatment (this technology is still at an early stage of development). In July 2006, we announced that we have progressed to a nine-month prototype development program with Proventec Plc, a provider of specialist steam cleaning equipment. This followed the successful completion of an evaluation phase of our technology, pursuant to a contract signed in February 2006 which is worth up to £100,000 to the Company and, more importantly, provides for the future licensing of our technology to Proventec. More recently, we announced the award of a £150,000 joint-grant from the Carbon Trust, of which ca. £118,000 will accrue to the Company. The grant will support the development of reforming catalysts and associated technologies for fuel cells, based on the Company's metal carbide platform. Our partner in the project, a leading UK-based Solid Oxide Fuel Cell ('SOFC') company, will contribute its considerable expertise in fuel cell systems to define the specification for the catalysts, as well as testing the technology as it is developed. I am confident that the high level of interest from, and engagement with, potential partners will lead to further developments that we shall be able to announce in due course. Technical Development I am pleased to report that we are making strong progress in the development of our technology platforms, and are on, or ahead of, our schedule. We have successfully achieved a key technical milestone relating to continuous stop-start cycling in our hydrogen-on-demand technology. This was completed some nine months ahead of plan and was achieved through catalyst improvement. Separately, we have improved our method for the deposition of our catalyst pre-curser, particularly for shaped supports. This approach, which we are currently applying to our Fischer-Tropsch catalyst, will facilitate larger scale testing of our catalysts. Intellectual Property We continue to make good progress protecting and enhancing our intellectual property. During the period, the first of the patents licensed exclusively to us from Isis Innovation Ltd (WO 03/002252 A1 - A Process for the Activation of a Catalyst Comprising a Cobalt Compound and a Support) was granted in Europe, and is progressing through final examination in the US. The second patent (WO 04/ 000456 A2 - Catalyst) was granted in South Africa and has progressed to examination in Japan and China; whilst the third patent (WO 05/075342 A1 - Catalytic Reaction Between Methanol and a Peroxide) has recently entered national phases. The 4th and 5th patent filings, which relate to the extension of our hydrogen-on-demand and high-temperature steam technologies, have been consolidated under a single filing to be published later this year. We look forward to sharing more information, in due course, concerning the significant developments that this new patent represents. People & Premises Oxford Catalysts is making good progress in the identification and recruitment of key personnel. Since the IPO, the Company has hired 5 research scientists and a chemical engineer, to work on existing development and commercialisation projects. We have been delighted by the high-calibre of candidates found and are confident of having put in place the foundations of a world-class catalysis team. We remain on track to achieve our recruitment target of 25 people by 4Q07, which will include bolstering our business development team. Finally, I am pleased to report that the Company has agreed on the location of its new offices and laboratory. These will be at a business park in the Oxford area, and will contain custom-fitted high specification facilities for the development and testing of catalysts and small-scale devices. We anticipate being fully installed in the new premises during the fourth quarter of the current year. Financials In accordance with accounting standards, the Group is required to recognise a fair value charge for executive share options. This charge, however, has no effect on the Group's net assets or cash as at 30 June 2006. The total executive share options charge to the profit and loss account for the period is £277,000. Cash resources continue to be managed prudently. Cash reserves at period-end were £14,313,000. Our current spend is in line with expectations and will rise as the company enters the next stage of its development, with expenditure on staff, premises, technical and business development increasing over the next six months. GROUP PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 30 JUNE 2006 Notes 6 months ended 30 June 2006 Unaudited £000 Turnover 12 Administrative expenses - operational (231) Administrative expenses - share based payments (FRS20) (277) Other operating income 1 Operating loss (495) Interest receivable and similar income 113 Loss on ordinary activities before taxation (382) Taxation - Loss on ordinary activities after taxation (382) (Deficit) for the period £(382) Loss per share Basic 2 (0.99)p Diluted 2 (0.99)p The group has no recognised gains or losses other than as shown above. GROUP BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30 JUNE 2006 Notes Oxford Catalysts Limited As at As at 30 June 2006 31 December 2005 (Unaudited) (Audited) £000 £000 FIXED ASSETS Intangible assets 60 51 Tangible 36 - 96 51 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 83 51 Cash at bank and in hand 14,313 486 14,396 537 CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year (41) (110) NET CURRENT ASSETS 14,355 427 NET ASSETS £14,451 £478 CAPITAL AND RESERVES Called up share capital 5 385 - Share premium account 5 13,662 625 Merger reserve 5 656 - Profit and loss account 5 (252) (147) EQUITY SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS £14,451 £478 GROUP CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 30 JUNE 2006 Notes 6 months ended 30 June 2006 (Unaudited) £000 3 Net cash outflow from operating activities (316) Returns on investment and servicing of finance Interest received 113 Capital expenditure and financial investment Purchase of intangible fixed assets 10 Purchase of tangible fixed assets 38 (48) Cash outflow before financing (251) Financing Issue of ordinary share capital 385 Share premium received on share issues 14,737 Preliminary set up costs (1,044) 4 Cash inflow from financing 14,078 Increase in cash £13,827 NOTES TO THE INTERIM REPORT FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 30 JUNE 2006 1. BASIS OF PREPARATION Basis of preparation These interim statements have been prepared on a consistent basis with the AIM admission document dated 20 April 2006, subject to the changes in accounting guidelines since that date. These interim statements do not constitute statutory financial statements within the meaning of Section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. Results for the six month periods ended 30 June 2006 have not been audited. The Balance Sheet for the period ended 31 December 2005 has been extracted from the statutory financial statements of Oxford Catalysts Limited for the period to 31 December 2005 that have been filed with the Registrar of Companies and upon which the auditors reported without qualification. Basis of consolidation The consolidated accounts incorporate the financial statements of the Company and all of its subsidiaries. In order to enable the successful flotation of the Group, it was necessary to undertake a restructuring of the Group. As part of the Group reconstruction, on 12 April 2006 Oxford Catalysts Group plc acquired, in return for the issue of new ordinary share capital, the entire share capital of Oxford Catalysts Limited. This acquisition has been accounted for as a merger in line with the reporting requirements of Financial Reporting Standard No.6 ' Acquisitions and Mergers'. Therefore the Group financial statements have been prepared as if the Group was in existence for the whole of the current and prior years. 2. LOSS PER SHARE 6 months ended 30 June 2006 (Unaudited) £'000 Basic and Diluted loss per share has been calculated on the loss of £(382) The number of shares used was: 38,490,608 3. RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING LOSS TO NET CASH OUTFLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES £'000 Operating loss (495) Depreciation charges 2 Amortisation charges 1 Increase in debtors (32) Decrease in creditors (69) Non-cash share-based payments (FRS20) 277 Net cash outflow from operating activities £(316) 4. RECONCILIATION OF NET CASH FLOW TO MOVEMENT IN NET FUNDS £'000 Increase in cash 13,827 Change in net funds resulting from cash flows 13,827 Net funds at 1 January 2006 486 Net funds at 30 June 2006 £14,313 5. CHANGES IN SHARE CAPITAL AND RESERVES Called Up Profit & Share Share Merger Loss Capital Premium Reserve Account £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Issued during the period to 30 June 2006 97 13,662 Arising on acquisition of Oxford Catalysts Limited 288 656 (147) Loss for the period (382) Employee share based payments (FRS20) 277 Balance carried forward £385 £13,662 £656 £(252) This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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