Since the reopening of economies mid-last year, the European continent has experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. On the one hand, things have slowly returned to normal, and businesses are picking up again. While on the other, atrocities such as the war in Ukraine continue to happen and have devastating effects on businesses all over the continent. However, some private companies have braved the waters and chosen to have their IOPs this year despite all this.

An IPO or an initial public offering is when a private company sells shares to the general public for the first time. This allows the company to raise capital from public investors for further development and business-building activities. As well as allows you, as the public, to invest in growing companies. The UK has already witnessed many successful IPOs this year, and this piece will look at some of the noteworthy ones. 

1. Viral Biolabs Group

On July 21, 2022, Viral Biolabs Group completed its IPO and trading of its shares commenced on the Nasdaq. It put out 1,350,000 ordinary shares for $5 per unit, which added to a gross proceed of $6.75 million before expenses, commissions, and discounts. One of the UK’s most respected representatives, Bousted Securities, oversaw the IPO, which went on without a glitch. 

Viral Biolabs Group is a biotech company founded in 2013, innovating in the field of viral diseases. Its main aim is to aid in detecting, preventing, and diagnosing virally transmitted infections and improving the human condition by eradicating them. The company owns a few proprietary T-cell test technologies that help assess an individual’s immune deficiencies to viral threats. And if the last few years are anything to go by, this technology is undoubtedly needed.

2. ClimateRock

ClimateRock is a newly formed blank-check company led by Chairman Charles Ratelband V and CEO Per Regnarsson. Earlier this year, the new company announced an IPO of 7,500,000 shares and an over-allotment option of 375,000 more. The IPO’s asking price per share was $10 for a total gross proceeds of $78.75 million before expenses, and the Maxim Group LLC ran it. 

Trading of the shares on the Nasdaq began on April 28, 2022, using the CLRC symbol. In addition, Charles and Per have not yet confirmed what the company will be doing, but it’s widely speculated that they will be looking to merge and purchase shares and assets from varying industries.

3. TC Biopharm

TC Biopharm is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that also announced its IPO earlier this year. Its initial offer was for 4,117,648 shares, but unlike the rest of the companies we’ve looked at, these were American Depositary Shares (ADSs). Furthermore, the underwriter also availed 8,235,296 ADSs warrants to acquire ADSs at the current market price within six years. If some of these concepts fly over your head, this trading guide will provide you with a comprehensive list of online brokers in the UK who can help you navigate some of these offerings. 

After the company’s IPO was over, it raised $17.5 million in gross proceeds before deducting expenses and commissions. 

The company hopes to advance its research efforts on gamma-delta T-cell therapies, which have extensive use in treating cancers and viral infections like myeloid leukaemia. It’s also one of the leading companies in this field, and prospects are not looking too bad. 

4. Akanda Corp

One of the more exciting companies to launch their IPO this year is Akanda Corp, a fast-growing medical cannabis company. The IPO consisted of 4,000,000 common shares priced at $4 each, adding to a pretty gross proceed of $16,000,000 before expenses. Boustead Securities spearheaded this effort, and as of March 15 this year, the shares had started trading on the Nasdaq using the symbol AKAN.

Akanda hopes to upgrade its facilities and increase its working capital to help streamline operations. Its primary purpose is to provide the public with high-quality cannabis products that help reduce life pressures and improve people’s quality of life. In addition, it’s also developing a seed-to-patient supply chain that makes it easier for its customers in the UK and Europe to access its range of products based on competitively advantaged grown cannabis from Lesotho.

When it comes to business, your focus needs to be on growth, profit, and ways to increase efficiency across the board. Boosting efficiency, however, is sometimes easier said than done. In between keeping vendors happy and finding ways to increase your ROI, it’s easy to lose sight of ways to be efficient. Even if you’re buried in your to-do list, there are still things you can do to make your business work like a well-oiled machine. You just need to know what to focus on.

Utilize the Right Software

Behind every successful business are employees who know how to get the job done. Finding, hiring, and training new hires is both time-consuming and expensive. You need to have the right tools in place to facilitate daily processes. Some of the most common ones you should automate are payroll, supply chain management, customer management, and even tracking your fleet. If you’re not sure how to do the latter, all you need to do is install a fleet tracker. GPS tracking allows you to see first-hand where your drivers are in real time, which can decrease late deliveries while increasing your company’s efficiency.

Communication Tools

With so many people working from home, and the cost of living crisis creating so many stressors in life outside work, proper communication is non-negotiable. Aside from texting on the phone, you now have a variety of options to improve and enhance how you and your employees communicate. While come companies still use Facebook messenger and Yahoo, others have already streamlined the communication process and use more modern applications like Slack. Slack gives you and your team a way to communicate in a blink of an eye without having to sign into a social media platform. You can also share files with your team or one on one with individual person.

Think Like a Customer

One of the best ways to reach career goals and improve how your business operates is to think like the customer. Put yourself in their shoes and think about all the things you’ve noticed when you interact with a business. Think about positive and negative experiences and try to identify things that stand out. When a business is efficient and operates well, is it because employees are in sync and work well together, or is it because they have a strong leader who gives them proper direction? The same holds true in negative situations. What was going on that made things not flow properly? Did it appear like no one was on the same page, or was it evident that the boss really didn’t care about what their employees did?

Keep Meetings Short

No one wants to sit in long-winded meetings. Most people want to keep meetings to 30 minutes or less. In fact, unless there is a major change happening, longer meetings can actually hinder productivity and efficiency. After sitting for long periods of time, it’s not uncommon to feel tired, bored and unmotivated. Shorter meetings that are short and to the point can inspire people do what’s expected.

Minimize Distractions

Whether you have a team of one or 100, you need to minimize distractions. Depending on the situation, you may need to put cell phones away, limit internet use while at work, and keep background noise to a minimum. People work better when they’re able to focus, not try to dodge ringing phones, incoming Facebook messages, or loud music playing overhead.

Reconsider Multi-Tasking

It might seem like a good idea to get as much done as possible, however, there are times this can backfire. Not everyone can juggle more than one thing at a time, which often leads to poor quality, missed deadlines, and even a loss of customers. Instead of putting too much pressure on yourself or an employee, consider single-tasking. Delegate work in a way that anyone who’s responsible for it can perform their duties to the best of their abilities. If it’s you, try focusing on one task until completion. Take note of how quickly you can complete the task and whether it was less stressful. Often, many realize an uptick in overall efficiency when they focus on one task at a time.

Automate Processes

There are so many processes you can automate. From order filling to completing payroll, you’d be surprised how much time routine tasks actually take to complete. In fact, it’s not uncommon to lose hours every week completing tasks that could easily be automated. Even your marketing efforts can be automated, which can help you build a following without having to check your phone every hour on the hour. The key is finding out which automation processes work best for you.