Shares in specialist infection prevention and control specialist Byotrol (BYOT:AIM) leapt 15% to 7.1p after the company said it expected full-year results to 31 March to be substantially ahead of the prior year.
Revenues are expected to be in excess of £11 million, 80% higher than the previous year, while adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) is expected to be above £1.7 million compared with £0.3 million last year.
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
The directors said they were ‘highly confident’ in the continued growth of the industry reflecting clear changes in practices and behaviours across consumer, corporate and institutional worlds, brought about by the pandemic.
Large businesses have increased their understanding and need for infection prevention strategies while consumers are taking more proactive measures, creating sustainable demand from retailers and consumer goods companies.
Bytrol therefore expects to announce further licensing and intellectual property agreements this year and beyond.
Recently signed agreements include Turtle Wax Europe Ltd which has licensed the company’s long-lasting surface sanitiser in Europe for the automotive industry. These are already available in Halfords (HFD) stores in the UK.
A long-standing company agent, Byoworks Ltd in South Africa, has licensed all Byotrol’s technologies for distribution in sub-Saharan Africa.
Soltech (Solution Technology Qatar, part of the QALCO group of companies) has licensed the company’s alcohol-free hand sanitizers in Qatar and the Middle East.
The company already supplies its alcohol-free anti-viral hand sanitising foam into all 2,500 Boots stores in the UK.
UNTAPPED POTENTIAL
The long-term potential from Byotrol’s licensing agreement with Belgium’s advanced materials giant Solvay is significant. Solvay has recently launched Actizone globally, a long-lasting antimicrobial surface sanitiser co-developed with Byotrol, and will pay Byotrol an ongoing commission on all sales of the product.
The chief executive of Solvay has described Actizone as a ‘potential blockbuster’. Commissions are expected to begin in the 2022 fiscal year.
