Trading Update
Summary by AI BETAClose X
13 July 2026
Aptamer Group plc
("Aptamer", the "Company" or the "Group")
Trading Update
Aptamer Group plc (AIM: APTA), the developer of next-generation synthetic Optimer® binders, today provides a trading update for the year ended 30 June 2026 ("FY2026").
This update reflects another year of commercial progress, with revenue growth, an expanding sales pipeline, the Group's first licensing revenue and strong operational delivery.
Key highlights
· Expected FY2026 revenue of approximately £1.5 million, representing 25% year-on-year growth.
· Sales pipeline increased 55% to £4.8 million, with an FY2027 order book of £0.6 million, providing enhanced visibility over future revenues.
· First licensing revenues generated following commercial agreements with Twist Bioscience and Alphazyme, marking an important milestone in the Group's higher-margin licensing strategy.
· Strong operational progress across commercial partnerships, proprietary therapeutic programmes and strategic collaborations with leading global pharmaceutical companies.
· Continued investment in the Group's AI-enabled discovery platform, platform automation and internal therapeutic pipeline to support future value creation.
· Well-funded following the April 2026 fundraise, with cash runway into at least 2028, supporting continued execution of the Group's commercial and development strategy.
Financial performance
The Group expects to report revenue of approximately £1.5 million for FY2026, representing a 25% increase on the £1.2 million reported for the year ended 30 June 2025. In the period, the Group focused on progressing higher-value licensing and asset development opportunities and growth has been driven by increased activity across fee-for-service programmes and the initial contribution from licensing revenues following agreements signed with Twist Bioscience and Alphazyme LLC in December 2025.
Sales pipeline
As at 30 June 2026, the Group's sales pipeline stands at £4.8 million, a 55% increase from the £3.1 million reported in the half-year trading update in January 2026.
The pipeline comprises repeat business from existing customers, new commercial engagements, and licensing opportunities, providing good visibility into future revenues.
The Company has recognised £1.5 million in revenue for FY26, most of which has come from the last reported order book of £2.1 million. The Company carries forward an order book of £0.6 million of contracted work scheduled for FY2027, while the broader £4.8 million sales pipeline includes later-stage discussions and early-stage licensing opportunities that are expected to convert over multiple periods.
Operational delivery
The second half of FY2026 has seen strong execution, including:
· Delivery of Optimers to a global life sciences conglomerate for customer validation, having demonstrated function in internal testing at Aptamer. The agreement includes a commercial license under which Aptamer will receive a 2% royalty on sales of immunohistochemistry and diagnostic assay kits incorporating the Optimer® binders, subject to successful customer testing.
· Continued progress on the Metir plc's Cryptosporidium programme with successful completion of Optimer selection and binders now undergoing functional testing internally at Aptamer before streamlining for manufacturing.
· The original Unilever collaboration, targeting the C-S Lyase bacterial enzyme, continues to advance, having progressed to on-skin testing, with further testing to follow as the programme moves ahead.
· Delivery of binders to Invizius, with the Optimers demonstrated to be functional in Invizius' in-house assays. The binder sequences are now being entered into patent filings, while Aptamer continues to optimise the sequences for clinical use, improve affinity and further enhance performance.
· Successful progress on the food fortification rapid test programme, announced on 8 June 2026, with low-technology extraction methods for folic acid successfully developed for the majority of food matrices and temperature conditions, and further optimisation ongoing to refine the remaining conditions. The work remains on track for binders to be provided to Imperial College London for development into a lateral flow device in July 2026, with field-based validation anticipated towards the end of 2026.
· Continued development of the radiopharmaceutical programme with a top 3 global pharmaceutical company. Aptamer has explored multiple development approaches, with one method generating strong selection data that is now being assessed for progression.
· Multiple projects with top pharmaceutical companies, including signed contracts representing a value of approximately £769,000 with a top 5 pharma partner and £190,000 with a top 10 global pharmaceutical company, show continued progression through Optimer® selection and contribute to the FY2027 order book and pipeline.
Licensing and strategic partnerships
Following the licensing agreements signed in December 2025 with Twist Bioscience and Alphazyme, the Group has delivered initial batches and generated its first licensing revenues.
Early customer evaluations, including positive results from a global supplier of hot‑start enzymes and new licensing discussions with another supplier, support management's view that licensing can become a meaningful, high‑margin revenue stream over time. The inhibitor products are being evaluated by additional companies, including a global supplier of hot-start enzymes that has reported positive results, and another supplier that has entered into licensing discussions.
Research and development
The Group successfully completed a fundraise in April 2026, generating net proceeds of £4.1m, which has allowed it to expand and continue its development pipeline. As reported in June 2026, this includes an AI development programme, platform automation and a therapeutic pipeline, all of which are continuing at pace.
Outlook
The Group enters FY2027 with a growing revenue base, supported by an order book of £0.6 million, an expanded sales pipeline and early-stage validation of its licensing strategy. The Group continues to work with many of the top pharma companies globally and sees strong interest in its commercial offering.
The Group aims to convert more of these successful projects into licensing opportunities and grow its portfolio of assets. As previously reported, the Group's cash position, including net proceeds of £4.1 million from the April 2026 fundraise, provides a funding runway into at least 2028, supporting continued execution of the commercial and development strategy.
Dr Arron Tolley, Chief Executive Officer of Aptamer Group, commented: "We are pleased to report strong revenue growth for FY2026, reflecting continued commercial momentum and successful delivery across the business. The increase in revenues, alongside the expansion of our pipeline to £4.8 million, demonstrates growing demand for our Optimer® platform and our ability to convert opportunities into contracted programmes.
Operationally, the second half of the year has been particularly encouraging, with delivery across several important customer programmes highlighting both the breadth of applications for our platform and the strength of our production capabilities.
A key strategic milestone was achieved in the generation of our first licensing revenues following agreements signed in December 2025. Together with encouraging partner feedback and ongoing commercial discussions, this reinforces our confidence in the long-term potential of our higher-margin licensing strategy.
With a strong sales pipeline, increasing commercial traction and an emerging licensing revenue stream, we believe the Group is well positioned to continue its progress into FY2027 and beyond."
- Ends -
For further information, please contact:
|
Aptamer Group plc Dr Arron Tolley, Chief Executive Officer |
+44 (0) 1904 217 404 |
|
SPARK Advisory Partners Limited - Nominated Adviser Andrew Emmott / Dillon Wall |
+44 (0) 20 3368 3550 |
|
Turner Pope Investments (TPI) Limited - Broker Andrew Thacker / Guy McDougall |
+44 (0) 20 3657 0050 |
|
Northstar Communications Limited - Investor Relations Sarah Hollins |
+44 (0) 113 730 3896 |
About Aptamer Group
Aptamer Group plc (AIM: APTA) develops Optimer® binders, next-generation synthetic alternatives to antibodies that offer high specificity, improved stability, lower cost and access to targets beyond the reach of conventional modalities.
The Group operates a dual-revenue model, generating near-term revenues through fee-for-service discovery programmes while building a portfolio of proprietary therapeutic assets designed to create long-term value through licensing, royalties and supply agreements.
Aptamer is strategically focused on two of the most significant challenges in modern drug development: targeting "undruggable" proteins and enabling delivery of therapeutics to tissues beyond the liver. Its proprietary Optimer® platform, supported by more than 15 years of discovery data and an expanding AI-enabled discovery engine, is designed to accelerate the identification of high-quality binders against challenging biological targets.
The Group's internal pipeline includes targeted delivery vehicles for oligonucleotide therapeutics and radioligand therapy programmes, with upcoming in vivo studies expected to support future partnering and licensing opportunities.
Founded in 2008 and headquartered in York, UK, Aptamer works with many of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, combining platform expertise, proprietary data and therapeutic innovation to create shareholder value.
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