Majestic Corporation has announced plans to accelerate its UK expansion with the launch of a new critical minerals recycling facility in Wrexham, Wales.
Majestic Corporation is a specialist recycler of e-waste, battery materials, IT infrastructure, and solar renewables with a global supply and refining network.
Hot on the heels of record-breaking 2024 full-year results, Majestic Corporation has outlined plans to launch a new 50,000 sq. ft. facility in Wrexham. The group will continue to operate its existing 4,000 sq. ft Deeside facility.
The new Wrexham facility ‘will be integral to Majestic’s strategy to increase the annual volume of processed materials to 100,000 tonnes by 2030’ as the group enhances its capabilities through proprietary processing methods and increased capacity.
Demonstrated by 2024 revenues surging 67% to $49m, the group is rapidly becoming one of the major players in the UK critical minerals recycling sector.
The UK is estimated to produce 1.65 million tonnes of e-waste per year, representing a substantial growth opportunity for the company.
“This facility marks a major step forward in our mission to enable a truly circular economy,” said Peter Lai, Chairman, CEO and Founder of Majestic Corporation
“By increasing our capacity to handle complex waste streams, we’re not only meeting rising demand but also ensuring more of this critical processing happens locally, here in the UK. Ultimately, this means we’re delivering more to our customers – with greater efficiency.”
Majestic Corporation shares were trading at 125p at the time of writing on Thursday, giving the company a Price-to-Sales ratio of just 0.55x. The group’s EPS jumped 6% in 2024.
There’s a quiet revolution happening beneath our feet. It’s about real-world, physical change – transforming the way we power cities, and creating tangible environmental impact. Pavegen have pioneered a technology that generates energy and data from footsteps. Each step can produce up to 5 watts of power and its already proven in the hottest and coldest environments on earth, from Saudi Arabia to Korea to Washington DC. The scaleup, Pavegen, saw 68% revenue growth last year and has launched an investment round on Crowdcube a few days ago.
Cleantech has matured from niche sustainability projects into a cornerstone of modern infrastructure investment. In 2023, global cleantech investment hit an astonishing $468 billion, nearly tripling year-on-year. Meanwhile, UK cleantech companies secured over £5 billion in 2024 alone, a 100%+ increase from the previous year.
From soaring energy prices to ambitious net-zero targets, demand for sustainable solutions has never been higher. As cities race to cut emissions and corporations double down on ESG commitments, smart investors are pivoting to cleantech as both a moral and financial imperative.
Enter Pavegen: Turning Steps into Power, Data and Impact
At the heart of this revolution is Pavegen, the London-born innovator transforming everyday footsteps into clean off-grid energy, real-time data insights, and measurable social impact. With over 250 installations across 45 countries and 1 billion footsteps already harvested, Pavegen is a proven global platform. From NFL stadiums and smart city districts to shopping centres and transport hubs, Pavegen’s technology engages the public while delivering immediate ESG results.
But the company isn’t stopping there. Its new Solar+ hybrid technology now generates 100%+ more energy, further enhancing its sustainability proposition. And with a data platform designed to support AI-driven engagement and predictive footfall insights, Pavegen is positioning itself at the intersection of clean energy and smart city analytics.
Investors Are Stepping In – Literally
Midway through its current Crowdcube raise, Pavegen has already attracted over £1 million from 550 investors, including family offices, private investors, and institutional backers. Major supporters include Hinduja Group and Tamar Capital, who see Pavegen as part of the next infrastructure revolution.
This funding round supports global expansion, including flagship deployments in Saudi Arabia’s giga-projects like the $890k contract at Sports Boulevard and upcoming projects across MENA, Asia, North America, and Europe.
The focus? To develop the rollout of Pavegen’s AI platform, launch and accelerate Solar+ adoption, and transition from one-off project revenues to recurring data licensing and SaaS streams – a move designed to unlock high-margin, scalable growth.
Why Pavegen, Why Now?
Market-ready technology: Proven installations across the world, already engaging millions of people.
Hybrid energy approach: Combining kinetic and solar power for maximum energy capture.
AI-powered data platform: Unique capability to generate real-time behavioural data and ESG metrics.
Strong pipeline: Over 20 smart city projects in development, plus major brand activations.
Defensible IP: Three international patents and a first-mover advantage in a rapidly growing sector.
Massive market opportunity: Tapping into the $4.7 trillion smart city market expected by 2030.
Brand trust: Trusted by Google, Siemens, NFL, Adidas, Volvo, and major governments worldwide.
Impact that Resonates
Beyond financial returns, Pavegen’s projects can achieve direct social and environmental impact. Recent activations during London Climate Action Week at 22 Bishopsgate – the second tallest building in the UK and Old Spitalfields Market have resulted in the planting of over 2,000 trees, showing that every step can contribute to a tangible, positive outcome.
At Wimbledon this summer, Pavegen’s kinetic floor powered the Barclays Tennis Energy Challenge, transforming fans’ footsteps into an unforgettable experience. The activation sparked important climate action conversations and built strong brand loyalty.
Final Thoughts: Follow the Footsteps
For investors Pavegen represents a grounded, human-centric opportunity in cleantech. A chance to power the cities of tomorrow, shape smarter public spaces, and create real climate impact, all while accessing the explosive growth potential of the global ESG movement.
With momentum building and over 550 investors already stepping in, this is your chance to be part of a cleantech success story in the making.
The FTSE 100 was on the up on Thursday amid rising hopes of an interest rate cut by the Bank of England. Diploma was the top riser after boosting full-year guidance.
There was high drama going into yesterday’s close after a White House official said Trump was on the verge of sacking Fed Chair Powell, only for Trump himself to deny it minutes later.
The FTSE 100 sank into the close yesterday in line with a decline in US stocks before futures rebounded sharply on Trump’s denial, leading to a higher open for the index this morning.
UK stocks were also boosted by poor jobs data, which raised hopes that the Bank of England would act to steady the UK economic ship. The UK is losing jobs at a rate that cannot be left unchecked by the central bank, and interest setters will be under pressure to step in and ease monetary policy.
“The UK labour market has seen a net loss of 178,000 jobs over the past year, in stark contrast to the previous year when there was a gain of 260,000 jobs,” said Seemanti Ghosh, Principal Economistat the Institute for Employment Studies.
“The labour market continues to weaken with the unemployment rate ticking up to 4.7%, a further 75,000 drop in payrolled employees on quarter and vacancies falling for the 36th consecutive period.”
The poor state of the UK jobs market makes an interest rate cut at the BoE’s next meeting a near certainty. Investors, businesses and households will hope it’s followed by more cuts later this year.
Sterling weakened slightly against the dollar in the immediate reaction to the jobs number, providing support for the FTSE 100.
“Having seen a rapid retreat from the briefly attained 9,000 mark earlier this week, the FTSE 100 made steady progress on Thursday to put this milestone level back within reach,” says AJ Bell investment analyst Dan Coatsworth.
“Financial stocks were among the gainers, while specialist distributor Diploma led the way as it lifted its full-year target for organic growth.”
Diploma surged over 7% to all-time highs after upgrading its full-year outlook. Lloyds gained 2.5% and NatWest added 1.3%.
Easyjet was the FTSE 100’s biggest casualty despite the group announcing respectable profit expansion. Investors are evidently concerned about the outlook, as higher oil prices erode margins, and the success of the key summer trading period depending on late bookings.
“easyJet’s underlying pre-tax profits flew 21% higher in the third quarter to £286 billion, boosted by strong demand and the timing of the Easter break,” said Derren Nathan, head of equity research, Hargreaves Lansdown.
“But the no-frills airline is running up against some turbulence. The price of jet fuel shot up following military action against Iran, and it’s proving to be stickier than crude oil prices. Meanwhile, the widespread disruption over French airspace due to an air traffic control strike is also weighing on the outlook. These are factors outside of the group’s control, but with the trend towards later booking patterns holding firm, passengers look to be holding out for last-minute bargains. That adds an extra degree of uncertainty around the peak travel period, which falls in the group’s final quarter.”
Ocado Group has posted robust first-half results driven by its Technology Solutions division, which more than doubled EBITDA to £72.8m whilst expanding margins from 14.4% to 26.3%. Group revenue climbed 13.2% to £674.0m, with Technology Solutions up 14.9% and Ocado Logistics advancing 12.1%.
The company’s adjusted EBITDA surged 76% to £91.8m from £52.0m in the prior year, reflecting the growing profitability of its international partnerships and operational improvements across its automated fulfilment network. Investors will be pleased to see the group consistently turning a profit after a prolonged period of being loss-making.
Technology Solutions EBITDA surged to £72.8m in the first half from £34.8m in the same period last year.
“Ocado Group has delivered a strong first half and we have reached important milestones both in our UK business, as well as across our international partnerships,” said Tim Steiner, CEO of Ocado Group.
“Our Technology Solutions division has more than doubled EBITDA and our underlying cash flow has improved significantly, ending the period with liquidity in excess of £1 billion. Our focus remains on turning cash flow positive during FY26, supported by continued growth with our partners and cost discipline across the business.”
CFC Network Expansion Accelerates
Many have viewed Ocado as a technology business with a bolt-on retail arm, so slow progress with the rollout of their Customer Fulfilment Centres (CFCs) was a major concern in recent years. Thankfully, things look to be improving.
Ocado’s CFC network is building momentum, with total weekly volumes across the global network growing 23% year-on-year. The group now operates 119 live modules, up from 112 at the half-year mark, with average live modules increasing 8.9% to 122.
The rollout of Re:Imagined technologies continues to unlock additional capacity for partners. In Detroit, Kroger’s CFC has achieved 50% more throughput than its original design capacity, prompting an order for an additional module expected to go live in early 2026. The deployment of On Grid Robotic Pick (OGRP) technology has reached 265 units worldwide, up from 92 at the full year, with the mature Luton CFC now processing almost 40% of volumes robotically.
Ocado expanded into two new markets during the period, launching AI-powered in-store fulfilment software in South Korea with Lotte and Saudi Arabia with Panda. Lotte’s first CFC near Busan is scheduled to go live in early 2026.
The company has extended its partnership with Spain’s Bon Preu, its longest-standing international partner, with plans for an automated CFC outside Barcelona featuring the full suite of Re:Imagined technologies. Australian partner Coles continues to report strong progress with volume ramp-up and improved customer satisfaction.
Ocado Retail
Ocado Retail maintained its position as the UK’s fastest-growing grocer for the 12th consecutive month, with revenue up 16.3% and EBITDA rising to £33.3m. The successful migration of all UK customers to the Ocado Smart Platform enables access to advanced capabilities including variable delivery slots and same-day delivery options through Ocado Swift-Router.
Defence company Cohort (LON: CHRT) increased full year revenues by one-third to £270m, while earnings are 27% higher at 54.44p/share. The dividend is 10% higher at 16.3p/share. Net cash of £5.3m was better than expected. The order book was worth £616.4m at the end of April 2025, which means that 79% of this year’s forecast revenues are covered. There are opportunities from the UK Strategic Defence Review. This year’s earnings will be ahead of expectations. The share price increased 14.2% to 1759p.
Alien Metals (LON: UFO) says joint venture partner West Coast Silver has announced the completion of a 12 hole drilling programme at the Elizabeth Hill silver project in Western Australia. Alien Metals has a 30% free-caried interest. The first drill hole had a significant silver zone and there are also signs of gold. The share price rose 20.6% to 0.1025p.
Capital Metals (LON: CMET) has received the first drill results from the Taprobane minerals project in Sri Lanka. There were exceptional heavy mineral grades with very low slimes content. Grades of over 60% have been confirmed. There will be further new of existing drilling. Capital Metals believes it is near to finalising a $2m investment related to the Ambeon option at 2.75p/share. The share price recovered 14.6% to 3.15p.
Hospital accounting software developer Craneware (LON: CRW) issued a trading statement with 2024-25 revenues 9% higher at $205.7m. Annual recurring revenues rose 7% to $184m. Net revenues retention is 107%. EBITDA increased 12% to more than $65m. Sales are not subject to tariffs. The share price improved 12.2% to 2525p.
FALLERS
Cybersecurity service provider Corero Network Security (LON: CNS) has increased annual recurring revenues by one-quarter to $21.6m because of demand for managed services, but recognised revenues are lower in the first quarter. Canaccord Genuity has cut its 2025 forecast revenues from £28.7m to £24.1m and that would mean the company returning to loss. Software and equipment sales are lower, and visibility of orders is poor. The share price slumped 37.3% to 9.25p.
Beauty products manufacturer Creightons (LON: CRL) increased full year revenues by 2% to £54.1m. The growth came in private label with lower contributions from branded products and contract manufacturing. Underlying pre-tax profit improved from £1.2m to £3.5m due to cost savings. Net cash was £3m at the end of March 2025. The final dividend is raised from 0.45p/share to 0.5p/share. The share price declined 9.3% to 39p.
Transport analytics services provider Cordel (LON: CRDL) says full year revenues were in line with downgraded expectations of £4.8m. Net cash was better than expected at £1.5m. A move into profit is still forecast for this year. The share price slipped 6.9% to 6.75p.
Petro Matad (LON: MATD) raised £156,000 from the retail offer at 0.8p/share. There was up to £500,000 on offer. The share price fell 4.37% to 0.765p.
McBride shares fell on Wednesday after the hygiene and cleaning goods firm reported revenue growth of 0.7% for the year to June 2025, with adjusted operating profit expected to meet expectations.
The European manufacturer of private label and contract cleaning products saw total volumes rise 4.3%.
However, the company highlighted a slowdown in private label growth. Private label volumes increased just 1.4%, whilst contract manufacturing surged 48.9% due to new long-term deals.
McBride noted that demand for private label products remains strong, but market share has stabilised at current levels. The company said retailers are increasingly seeking cost reductions to support lower market pricing amid ongoing inflationary pressures.
Slowing private label growth will hamper the outlook for the group, and shares were trading down 12% at the time of writing.
Contract manufacturing proved the standout performer, benefiting from significant new long-term contracts secured in recent periods.
The group continued reducing debt, with net debt falling £26.3m to £105.2m. This represents a net debt cover ratio of 1.2x.
McBride announced plans to reinstate annual dividends for the current financial year, with details to be revealed alongside full-year results on 17 September 2025.
Mining giants Antofagasta and Rio Tinto helped the FTSE 100 higher on Wednesday as investors digested hotter-than-expected UK inflation and the latest instalment of Trump’s tariff threats.
After trading above 9,000 for the first time in history yesterday morning, the FTSE 100 sold off during the afternoon and finished the session deep in the red.
Despite an overnight wobble in US stocks and UK inflation coming in at 3.6%, London’s leading index was 0.2% higher at the time of writing.
Interest rate futures markets quickly priced in fewer interest rate cuts this year after the latest UK inflation reading, which weighed on UK-centric sectors such as REITs and the housebuilders.
“The spectre of inflation has returned to haunt markets after a period when investors’ attention has largely been centred elsewhere,” said AJ Bell investment analyst Dan Coatsworth.
“UK inflation increasing to an 18-month high in June thanks to higher fuel and food prices will only reinforce concern about inflationary pressures as the market weighs the potential impact on interest rates,” said AJ Bell investment analyst Dan Coatsworth.
Rio Tinto and Antofagasta were among the gainers after the miners released their Q2 production reports. Both rallied in early trade before falling back.
“Rio Tintodelivered a solid Q2 production performance, with standout results in copper and bauxite, and the strongest iron ore production for a second quarter since 2018,” explained Adam Vettese, market analyst for eToro.
“However, despite the headline strength in output, iron ore shipments fell short of expectations and the increasing share of lower-grade SP10 ore raises concerns about price realisations and margin pressure. The reaffirmation of guidance at the low end of the shipment range suggests lingering operational constraints, particularly around logistics and equipment availability, following Q1’s weather disruptions.”
Antofagasta reported a 16.9% increase in copper sales year-to-date.
AstraZeneca offset gains in the miners with a 1.2% loss after a disappointing clinical trial.
“Heavyweight stock AstraZeneca dragged on the index after a late-stage trial on an experimental treatment for a rare condition failed to meet its primary target,” said Coatsworth.
Real Estate Investment Trust Land Securities was the FTSE 100’s top faller with losses of 2%.
An 11% year-on-year rise in Intermediate Capital Group’s AuM sent the stock to the top of the FTSE 100 leaderboard with a 3.5% increase.
Barratt Redrow shares are trading near multi-year lows after reporting worse-than-expected completions for FY2025 and warning of historical remedial costs.
Investors baulked at lower-than-expected completions in 2025 and an outlook for 2026 that would mean two years of lost progress.
Barratt Redrow shares were down nearly 10% on the session after releasing their 2025 trading statement, and are trading at the lowest levels since 2022.
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UK inflation increased again in June, piling further pressure on UK households and businesses at a time when the labour market is slowing and interest rates remain at elevated levels.
“CPI came in at 3.6% in June, up from 3.4% in May with core inflation quite a bit higher at 3.7% in June compared with 3.5% in May,” explained Rob Morgan, Chief Investment Analyst at Charles Stanley.
“Perhaps more importantly, annual services inflation stayed at 4.7% despite many forecasting it would fall back. This is a key metric to watch as it is driving the overall headline number and is highly sensitive to employment costs which have recently been on the rise.”
Economists had predicted inflation would rise 3.4% in June.
The primary concern for households, businesses, and equity bulls is that the higher inflation rate alters the trajectory of UK interest rates and hinders the Bank of England’s ability to cut interest rates in the near future.
Interest rate futures markets quickly priced in fewer rate cuts this year as the news broke on Wednesday. The pound rose against the dollar, and the FTSE 100 opened lower.
However, analysts point to upcoming jobs data that may force the BoE’s hand. The UK labour market is showing signs of slowing down, and interest rate setters will be mindful of the need to support the economy to avoid any threats to price stability in the future.
“Today’s CPI data spells more pressure for consumers thanks to the surge in food prices, but the overall picture doesn’t quite spell the end for any further rate cuts,” said Chris Beauchamp, Chief Market Analyst at IG.
“Core goods and services inflation was broadly contained, and the focus shifts now to the job numbers tomorrow to see if there are further signs of weakness that might keep the BoE on course to ease policy in upcoming meetings.”
Rome-based cybersecurity firm Exein has raised €70 million in Series C funding to expand its protection of critical infrastructure against backdoor attacks through connected devices.
Balderton led the round, with new investors Supernova and Lakestar joining existing backers 33N, United Ventures, and Partech.
The funding comes as hackers increasingly target smart devices as entry points into critical systems. One in three cyber attacks on companies now involves connected devices, creating urgent demand for specialised IoT security solutions.
Founded by repeat entrepreneur and cyber intelligence veteran Gianni Cuozzo, Exein has become the world’s largest embedded runtime security provider. The company currently protects over one billion connected devices globally and is experiencing explosive growth of more than 450% year-over-year.
Exein’s AI-enabled platform provides real-time threat detection across critical infrastructure, semiconductors, energy, automotive, healthcare, and robotics sectors. The company has forged strategic partnerships with leading manufacturers, including MediaTek, Supermicro, Kontron, SECO, and AAEON.
The fresh capital will fuel Exein’s global expansion into the US, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, while strengthening its European operations. The company is also developing runtime security solutions for AI infrastructure and large language models operating within devices, rather than centralised cloud environments.
“Exein’s extraordinary growth is a testament to the urgent demand to secure devices which are ubiquitous in our everyday lives,” said Gianni Cuozzo, Founder & CEO, of Exein.
“Embedded security at the device level is fundamental, and we are proud to support manufacturers in providing the highest levels of security, offering them confidence in knowing they are compliant with the latest security legislation. I’m extremely proud to be fortifying the foundations of European tech innovation, and to have the trust of our partners and investors as we expand globally and continue our mission of building the digital immune system for the connected world.”
