Quarterlytics / Basic Materials / Other Precious Metals / Almirall

Almirall

alm · LSE Basic Materials
Claim this profile
Ticker alm
Exchange LSE
Sector Basic Materials
Industry Other Precious Metals
Employees 201-500
← All annual reports
FY2017 Annual Report · Almirall
Sign in to download
Loading PDF…
A

L

L

I

E

D

M

I

N

D

S

A

N

N

U

A

L

R

E

P

O

R

T

A

N

D

A

C

C

O

U

N

T

S

2

0

1

7

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
For the year ended 31 December 2017 
TRANSFORMING U.S. INVENTION INTO INNOVATION

ANNUAL REPORT AND 
ACCOUNTS 2017

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONTENTS    

Overview ......................................................................................................... 1

Chairman’s Report .............................................................................................. 2

Strategic Report ................................................................................................ 3

CEO’s Report ..................................................................................................... 3

Highlights ......................................................................................................... 5

Company Overview ......................................................................................... 10

Portfolio Summary ............................................................................................. 14

Subsidiary Valuation.......................................................................................... 16

Key Performance Indicators ................................................................................ 17

Portfolio Review and Developments ...................................................................... 19

Financial Review .............................................................................................. 32

Risk Management ............................................................................................. 36

Management and Governance .......................................................................... 44

The Board ....................................................................................................... 44

Directors’ Report ............................................................................................... 47

Corporate Governance Report ............................................................................ 55

Sustainability ................................................................................................... 66

Directors’ Remuneration Report ............................................................................ 70

Audit Committee Report ................................................................................... 104

Financial Statements ...................................................................................... 108

Independent Auditor’s Report ............................................................................ 108

Consolidated Financial Statements ..................................................................... 117

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements ................................................... 121

Company Financial Statements ......................................................................... 170

Notes to the Financial Statements ...................................................................... 173

Company Information .................................................................................... 177

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
OVERVIEW    

Allied Minds plc (Allied Minds or the Company or the Group) is an IP commercialisation company focused on 
early stage company creation and development within the technology and life science sectors. With origination 
relationships spanning US federal laboratories, universities, and leading US corporations, Allied Minds sources, 
operates and funds a portfolio of companies to generate long-term value for its investors and stakeholders. Based 
in Boston, Allied Minds supports its businesses with capital, management, expertise and shared services.

A  key  strength  of  the  Group  lies  in  its  ability  to  access  a  wide  range  of  innovative  scientific  research  and 
technology via its relationships with leading US research institutions and corporations, and the businesses and 
ecosystems built over the years. The Group focuses on maintaining strong connections with targeted institutions 
producing research output relevant to Allied Minds’ investment theses and areas of expertise, including but not 
limited to space, connectivity, data and machine learning, drug discovery, medtech, and medical wearables. The 
Group currently is comprised of 12 subsidiary businesses in the technology and life sciences sectors based upon 
a broad range of underlying innovative technologies ranging from semiconductors, wireless communications, 
and space-based sensors to medical devices and molecular compounds.

1

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT    

I am pleased to present this Annual Report to shareholders for the financial year ended 31 December 2017, 
which was a critical period in Allied Minds’ development.

In March 2017 the Board appointed Jill Smith as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Jill’s extensive 
leadership experience, including most recently as CEO of DigitalGlobe where she led the business to growth 
and a successful IPO, is well-aligned with our overarching priorities at Allied Minds: to deliver shareholder returns 
by driving commercialisation and monetisations at our key subsidiaries, and building a growth engine of new 
investments. The substantial and decisive actions undertaken since her appointment position the Group well to 
deliver against these priorities.

In the first half of the year, the decision was made to rationalise the portfolio of subsidiary companies. This was 
completed after careful review of the capital requirements, competitive position and market opportunities facing 
each  company.  Since  then,  capital  and  management  resources  have  been  redirected  to  the  most  promising 
subsidiary businesses in the  portfolio. Greater discipline is being exerted in the management and support of 
the portfolio, through more effective boards and greater accountability and transparency. The result is that our 
subsidiary businesses are operating with substantially greater focus, energy and urgency and are well-positioned 
to achieve the goals set.

After a year of focusing primarily on driving value from the existing portfolio, in 2018 we look forward to returning 
to opportunities to build and support new businesses. The same discipline brought to company operations is 
being applied to our new investment strategy. It is designed to seek out technology and innovations aligned to 
investment theses that are grounded in Allied Minds’ depth of experience and access, in particular with medical 
institutions and federal laboratories, and working in regulated industries and with the US Government.

Together with the Board, I am satisfied that as a result of actions undertaken in 2017 to rationalise the portfolio, 
improve  capital  allocation  and  operational  discipline  and  bring  renewed  focus  on  commercialisation  and 
monetisation, Allied Minds is in a stronger position today than it has ever been.

Non-Executive  Director  Rick  Davis  will  retire  and  not  seek  re-election  at  the  AGM  to  be  held  in  May  2018 
after completing over seven years of service to the Company. We have greatly appreciated his dedication, 
experience, wealth of knowledge and insights he brought to Board deliberations over his years of service on the 
Board.

Finally, I would like to thank our shareholders for their continued support and our management team and staff for 
their hard work and commitment.

Peter Dolan 
Chairman

22 March 2018

2

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
 
CEO’S REPORT

CEO’S REPORT    

Shortly after my appointment in March 2017 we set out three key strategic priorities critical to enhancing our 
capital allocation discipline:

•  Earlier and broader syndication of our subsidiaries, focusing on strategic investors, where we see scope for 

valuable validation and acceleration or de-risking of the path to commercialisation and monetisation;

•  Strengthened leadership, governance and accountability at our subsidiary businesses, including changes in 
personnel where required, additional Board and advisory Board members, and clearer accountability for 
tangible milestone delivery; and

•  A transition to thematic investing, focusing on theses and areas of competitive advantage, and on deeper 

relationships with a smaller number of research institutions aligned to these areas.

The actions undertaken across our investment, syndication and operating activities have been consistent with 
these priorities.

We  completed  subsidiary  funding  rounds  in  2017  for  HawkEye360,  BridgeSat,  Federated  Wireless  and 
Signature  Medical  that  each  included  external  strategic  investors.  As  financial,  strategic  or  commercial  co-
investors, they offer both validation of the respective company’s business model and expand and/or de-risk the 
path to commercialisation.

We made good progress against a majority of the management objectives set for 2017, and I would like to 
recognise the teams for their accomplishments. Further, we strengthened leadership at several of our subsidiaries, 
including the appointment of two new CEOs, Tom Sparkman at Spin Transfer and Barry Matsumori at BridgeSat.

The  addition  of  representatives  from  the  strategic  investors  to  the  respective  boards,  and  experienced  non-
executive directors to others have enhanced governance and strategic insight.

In terms of new opportunities, we have focused our origination activities around theses or areas of competitive 
advantage, and sourcing on a more selective group of university and federal laboratories, and medical institutions 
with expertise in these areas, in addition to leveraging our own strong networks. As part of this enhanced focus, 
we are expanding the types of new investments we make, to consider both majority and minority investments at 
seed or Series A rounds where the opportunity is aligned to one of our theses and where we can leverage our 
experience and network.

Simon Davidson joined the team in June as Executive Vice President, Technology Investments, bringing extensive 
experience working with federal laboratories and government customers. He is driving focus on areas including 
space, connectivity and data, all of which leverage expertise and access derived from our current portfolio and 
team. Omar Amirana, MD, Senior Vice President, Life Sciences Investments, has focused on investment theses 
revolving  around  proprietary  minimally-invasive  solutions  for  procedures  with  a  clear  reimbursement  path  that 
reduce morbidity, mortality and costs. We are largely focused in areas where adoption can be dramatic such 
as interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, neuroradiology, pulmonology, and gastroenterology.

3

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
(CONTINUED)

CEO’S REPORT (CONTINUED)  

2017 was a year in which we focused on strengthening and repositioning the current portfolio. In 2018, we will 
continue to build on the strategic priorities identified with a view to focusing on two drivers of shareholder returns:

•  Accelerate the path to commercialisation/monetisation at our top six companies, and nurture progress at our 

earlier stage companies; and

•  Grow our new opportunity platform by increasing the number of high quality new investments.

Given  the  disruptive  innovations  and  significant  market  opportunities  our  subsidiaries  face  and  the  steps  we 
have  taken  to  strengthen  and  focus  operations,  we  believe  that  our  portfolio  holds  the  potential  to  deliver 
premium exit valuations and attractive returns to our shareholders. We believe each of our top six subsidiaries 
has strong sources of sustainable competitive advantage, including via patent portfolios which were markedly 
strengthened in 2017. The highly capable, experienced management teams have the necessary mix of technical 
and commercial skills, and have a clear line of sight to the critical goals and inflection points necessary to drive 
value and maximise exit optionality. Strategic, commercial and financial co-investors have validated the business 
plans and opportunities for those companies and provided invaluable support for the management teams.

I look forward to 2018 as a year in which we consolidate the hard work undertaken in 2017 and deliver further 
demonstrable progress against our objectives. I would like to thank our shareholders, our employees and our 
partners and customers for their ongoing support.

Jill Smith 
President and Chief Executive Officer

22 March 2018

4

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
HIGHLIGHTS

HIGHLIGHTS   

INVESTMENT HIGHLIGHTS

During 2017, an aggregate of $81.1 million was invested into new and existing subsidiary businesses, including:

•  $64.5  million  from  subsidiary  fundraisings  with  $35.1  million  coming  from  third-party  investment  and 
$29.4 million from Allied Minds, to support and accelerate the development of four of the Group’s existing 
companies: Federated Wireless; BridgeSat; HawkEye360 and Signature Medical.

 o On 7 February 2017, HawkEye360 completed the second closing of its $13.8 million Series A preferred 
funding round of $1.3 million, adding additional investors to a syndicate including Razor’s Edge Ventures 
and a defence market leader.

 o On  5  May  2017,  BridgeSat  closed  a  $6.0  million  Series  A  preferred  funding  round,  including 
participation from Space Angels, a prominent angel investor network of experts focused on Space 2.0.

 o On  26  July  2017,  Signature  Medical  completed  a  $2.5  million  Series  A  preferred  funding  round, 

including participation from Riot Ventures and Bose Corporation.

 o On  14  September  2017,  Federated  Wireless  announced  the  closing  of  a  $42.0  million  Series  B 
preferred funding. The round was led by new investors who are key members of the shared spectrum 
ecosystem:  Charter  Communications  (NASDAQ:  CHTR);  American  Tower  (NYSE:  AMT);  and  ARRIS 
International plc (NASDAQ: ARRS), and by GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund. The balance of the 
raise was subscribed principally by Allied Minds and Woodford Investment Management (WIM).

 o On 5 October 2017, Spin Transfer Technologies, Inc. announced that it had secured $22.8 million of 
funding via a convertible bridge facility. Proceeds from the bridge are to be applied to fund development 
work of next-generation ST-MRAM. The convertible bridge was underwritten by Allied Minds with initial 
subscription of $12.7 million. The note was designed to bridge the company to the completion of a Series 
B round, targeting strategic investors. Post-period end on 11 January 2018, the company announced 
that  existing  shareholders  Invesco  Asset  Management  and Woodford  Investment  Management  would 
subscribe for a combined $10.3 million of the bridge facility.

•  In  addition  to  these  fundraisings,  $16.6  million  was  invested  by  the  Group  into  new  and  other  existing 

subsidiary businesses.

CORPORATE HIGHLIGHTS

•  On 13 March 2017, the Company appointed Jill Smith, formerly a Non-Executive Director, as interim CEO. 

Jill’s appointment as President and CEO was confirmed on 30 May 2017.

•  On 29 June 2017, Allied Minds announced the appointment of Simon Davidson as Executive Vice President, 

Technology Investments.

•  On 19 September 2017, Allied Minds announced the appointment of Harry Rein as an Independent Non-

Executive Director.

5

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED)  

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

•  Net  cash  and  investments*  of  $169.1  million  (2016:  $226.1  million)  of  which  $84.2  million  (2016: 

$136.7 million) is held at the parent level.

* includes funds in form of fixed income securities.

•  Revenues  of  $5.0  million  (2016:  $2.7  million)  mainly  from  non-recurring  engineering  (NRE)  and  service 

contracts, reflecting the early stage nature of our portfolio of subsidiary businesses.

•  Net  loss  of  $111.1  million,  (2016:  $128.7  million)  primarily  reflects  G&A  and  R&D  spending  of 
$55.2  million  and  $49.0  million,  respectively,  to  support  the  portfolio  activities,  offset,  in  part,  by  NRE 
revenue of $5.0 million.

•  Group  Subsidiary  Ownership  Adjusted  Value  (GSOAV)  of  $395.6  million  as  of  22  March  2018 
($416.2 million as at 24 April 2017), reflecting the estimated ownership adjusted value of Allied Minds’ 
investment in the group subsidiaries.

CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS

•  On 30 October 2017, Allied-Bristol Life Sciences, LLC, a biopharmaceutical enterprise jointly owned by 
Allied Minds and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced that it had formed a new subsidiary, ABLS IV, 
to enter into an alliance with Weill Cornell Medicine and an exclusive licensing agreement with Cornell 
University in relation to a novel class of inhibitors of immunoproteasomes.

SELECTED SUBSIDIARY HIGHLIGHTS

•  On  11  July  2017,  Spin  Transfer  Technologies  announced  the  appointment  of  Tom  Sparkman  as  CEO, 
signalling a transition to focus on the commercial exploitation of its product differentiators. Tom is a veteran 
of the semiconductor industry who has held CEO and senior executive roles at Spansion, Integrated Device 
Technologies, and Maxim Integrated Products.

•  On 12 July 2017, BridgeSat announced the appointment of Barry Matsumori, formerly a senior executive at 
Qualcomm, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic, as CEO. In April 2017, BridgeSat secured an agreement with The 
Swedish Space Corporation to install its optical ground stations in at least three ground sites and announced 
a partnership with York Space Systems (York) to include its optical downlink technology on York satellites 
delivering the Harbinger Mission for the U.S. Army.

•  Federated Wireless concluded or currently is in live trials with a total of 30 partners across the spectrum 
sharing ecosystem, and continued to make progress towards full FCC certification expected later in 2018.

•  HawkEye360 progressed in its preparations for the Pathfinder launch scheduled for Q2 2018 and entered 
into  revenue  contracts  with  commercial  and  government  entities  to  provide  demonstrations  of  capabilities 
anticipated to be available with the Pathfinder cluster.

•  Precision Biopsy completed enrolment for its ClariCore™ Cohort A trial and has delivered its algorithm for 

system level U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) validation and verification.

6

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED)  

•  On 28 September 2017, SciFluor Life Sciences announced positive top-line results of a Phase 1/2 study 
of SF0166, the company’s lead drug in development for the topical (eye drop) treatment of patients with 
Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). The Phase I/II study assessed the safety and preliminary efficacy of SF0166 
in 40 evaluable patients with DME who were randomized to one of two dose strengths (2.5% and 5.0% 
solutions) self-administered by patients as an eye drop twice-a-day for 28 days, with a 28 day follow-up 
period.

•  On  16  October  2017,  Spin  Transfer  Technologies  and  Tokyo  Electron  Ltd.  announced  that  they  signed 
an agreement for a collaborative engineering program for next-generation Static Random-Access Memory 
(SRAM) and Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM)-class Spin-Torque Magnetoresistive Random-Access 
Memory (ST-MRAM) devices.

•  On  18  December  2017,  SciFluor  announced  positive  top-line  results  of  a  Phase  I/II  trial  studying  the 
treatment of ‘Wet’ Age-Related Macular Degeneration patients with SF0166, the company’s lead eye drop 
drug for back of the eye diseases. The double masked Phase I/II study assessed the safety, tolerability and 
preliminary efficacy of SF0166 in 42 evaluable subjects with neovascular (wet) AMD who were randomised 
1:1 to self-administer an eye drop containing either a 2.5% or a 5% solution of SF0166 twice-a-day for 28 
days.

•  Post-period end on 17 January 2018, Allied Minds announced that it had completed the sale of Percipient 

Networks to WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.

7

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED)  

OUTLOOK FOR TOP SIX SUBSIDIARIES

Highlighted below are the key operational management objectives for 2018 across the top six subsidiaries. In 
addition, several of these subsidiaries aim to secure additional funding in the course of 2018. It is in the nature 
of early stage company creation and development that business plans need to adapt dynamically in response to 
changing circumstances. Where this becomes necessary we will provide an update on materially revised plans.

Subsidiary

BridgeSat

2018 Key Operational Management Objectives

•  Successfully  demonstrate  end-to-end  service:  Network  Operations  Centre 

(NOC), at least one ground station, and customer pathfinder(s)

•  Sign 2+ customer agreements; build strong commercial revenue backlog

Federated Wireless

•  FCC certification

•  Support multiple customer launches and realise commercial revenue

•  Build out national availability of Environmental Sensing Capability (ESC) network 

to meet customer requirements

HawkEye360

•  Successfully launch Pathfinder satellite cluster

•  Launch  Marine  Domain  Awareness  (MDA)  products  and  realise  commercial 

revenue

Precision Biopsy

•  Gain CE Mark

•  Complete Cohort B trial

SciFluor

•  Initiate at least one Phase II trial for SF0166

•  Complete  in-life  Investigational  New  Drug  (IND)  enabling  study  for  one  new 

asset

Spin Transfer Technologies •  Successfully demonstrate the advantages of the Spin Polarizer and Endurance 

Engine

•  Sign 2+ customer/partner agreements

8

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED)  

BOARD AND MANAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Following Jill Smith’s appointment as President and CEO, vacating her previous Non-executive Directorship, the 
Board appointed Harry Rein as a Non-executive Director in August 2017. Harry brings extensive experience 
from the venture capital sector, most recently serving as General Partner for 10 years at Foundation Medical 
Partners (Foundation), an early stage venture capital firm focused on the healthcare sector. Prior to Foundation, 
Harry served as Founder and Managing Partner at Canaan Partners (Canaan). Harry was responsible for life 
sciences investments at both Foundation and Canaan. Earlier in his career Harry was President and CEO of GE 
Venture Capital Corporation, having joined General Electric Company in 1979.

In July, Simon Davidson was appointed Executive Vice President, Technology Investments. In this role Simon has 
lead responsibility for the origination of new technology investments and plays an important role in the oversight 
of our existing technology subsidiaries. Simon has 25 years’ experience in the technology sector and joins Allied 
Minds from In-Q-Tel, where he was a Managing Partner of the US-based strategic investor that identifies and 
partners with start-up companies that develop innovative technologies for the US intelligence community.

In addition to Chris Silva’s resignation as Chief Executive Officer on 10 March 2017, the Company accepted 
the resignation of Marc Eichenberger as Chief Operating Officer on 26 April 2017.

9

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
COMPANY 

OVERVIEW

COMPANY OVERVIEW    

THE OPPORTUNITY

The US is the world’s largest market for research and development (R&D) investment, with more than $125.0 billion 
in annual spending by the US federal government, resulting in thousands of US patent applications per annum. 
However, despite having established technology transfer processes designed to commercialise this intellectual 
property, only a relatively small number of patents per year are licensed, and only a small fraction progress to the 
next stage of development. Likewise, corporations have large areas of R&D output which may not align with their 
core strategy and target markets but could be refocused on other markets with cooperation from outside investors.

Allied Minds seeks to collaborate with targeted US federal research institutions, universities, medical institutions, 
and select corporations and entrepreneurs to identify early stage innovations and inventions that have the potential 
to transform markets, and to invest to build strong companies that can bring differentiated products and services 
to market. We seek to deliver attractive returns for our shareholders, as well as generate an additional source 
of funds for company creation and development, by realising superior exit valuations from those businesses that 
achieve commercialisation.

OUR STRATEGY AND CAPITAL ALLOCATION

Allied Minds sources, operates and funds a portfolio of subsidiary companies to generate long-term value for its 
investors and stakeholders, supporting its businesses with capital, management, expertise and shared services.

We seek to invest in companies at an early stage, including seed investment to build a company based on a 
technical breakthrough or invention. As such, our investments have significant upside potential, but also carry 
significant risk inherent in the early stage model. Allied Minds provides equity funding at the initial seed or Series 
A investment round and participates in follow-on investment rounds. Additionally, we provide hands-on support 
through the appropriate level of management, operating and governance support and expertise, and shared 
services over the life of the subsidiary to commercialisation and monetisation. A key component of the Company’s 
strategy is to maintain strict discipline in the allocation of financial and human capital to those businesses meeting 
the objectives or milestones set, and ceasing funds for those where the path to commercialisation is no longer 
attractive.

Allied Minds invests in technologies that have the potential to disrupt large markets and builds companies with 
a strong focus on those criteria that together best position them for successful commercialisation and ultimately 
an exit at a superior valuation. The company has defined six key success factors that, if present, can create the 
conditions for a superior exit valuation:

•  Disruptive innovation solving an important problem (ideally with first mover advantage)

•  Favourable market dynamics (large market and/or high growth rate)

•  Sustainable competitive advantage (unique or superior solutions, with sustainable barriers to entry, potentially 

including IP)

•  Route to widespread adoption (minimum barriers to adoption; known/available distribution channels)

•  Capable management with aligned interest (right skill mix and accountability for delivery)

•  Potential for competitive tension (operate to maximise exit optionality and nurture potential buyers)

10

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
(CONTINUED)

COMPANY OVERVIEW (CONTINUED)  

Source

Since  inception,  Allied  Minds  has  sought  to  deliver  the  commercial  potential  of  IP  developed  in  universities, 
federal laboratories, and medical institutions, by working with technology transfer offices (TTOs). It maintains 
relationships with several US Department of Defense laboratories and federal government agencies such as the 
Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Energy.

The  Company  typically  receives  certain  access  and  licensing  rights  to  inventions  selected  for  investment. 
Additionally, the Company has established certain partnerships and alliances with US corporations, including 
Bristol  Myers  Squibb  (BMS)  (via  Allied-  Bristol  Life  Sciences,  LLC  (ABLS))  and  GE  Ventures,  which  provide  us 
with access to technology, expertise and capital. Finally, we leverage our own businesses and operators, as 
well as our network of partners and advisors to help identify emerging market and/or breakthrough technology 
opportunities. We prioritise those technologies or companies that benefit from the “network effect”, i.e. where 
we  can  leverage  our  market  insight,  operating  expertise  and  network,  often  gained  from  those  companies 
already in our portfolio, to benefit the early stage opportunity, or where it can deliver incremental value to our 
own companies.

Operate

We evaluate on an on-going basis the progress and potential of each of the Company’s businesses, and make 
strategy and funding decisions based on the achievement of key milestones. Together with management, the 
Company defines the critical milestones, or inflection points, for each subsidiary and measures tangible progress 
towards  commercialisation  and  the  key  success  factors  for  a  successful  monetisation  event.  Management  is 
accountable for these milestones, which are developed into annual management objectives (or MBOs).

Allied  Minds  actively  supports  its  businesses  throughout  their  life-cycle.  During  the  early  stages,  Allied  Minds 
typically provides technical and executive leadership, as well as shared services support. At the appropriate time 
we will support a subsidiary business in hiring a full time CEO and other critical talent and in putting in place 
incentives to drive results. As businesses evolve, Allied Minds builds and leads the Board, recruits advisors and 
forms advisory Boards comprising of seasoned industry experts who act as mentors, while maintaining dedicated 
personnel to oversee progress.

It  is  a  fact  of  life  in  early  stage  company  creation  and  development  that  not  all  ideas  or  technologies  will 
successfully  transition  to  commercialisation. We  carefully  scrutinise  our  portfolio  of  subsidiary  businesses  with 
the objective of ensuring that we identify early signs that successful commercialisation and attractive returns on 
investment may not be obtainable. Where it becomes evident that a company does not have a clear path to 
commercial traction we seek to terminate early and with minimum sunk capital, while treating all parties involved 
fairly and with respect. Although our model assumes that not all of our investments will succeed, we expect to 
make  sufficient  successful  investments  to  generate  attractive  returns  across  the  portfolio  as  a  whole  because 
we enjoy competitive advantages via our origination platform and central operating expertise, and focus on 
investing in innovations that are disruptive to large and growing markets and maintaining large positions where 
appropriate.

Allied Minds has established scalable shared services capabilities designed to enable our businesses to focus 
on research, product development and commercialisation activities and at the same time benefit from strong, 
cost-effective operational and financial infrastructure and support. The administrative support provided includes 
payroll, IT support, legal, HR and fund-raising support, as well as hands-on operational advice.

11

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
COMPANY OVERVIEW (CONTINUED)  

Fund

As our companies meet the objectives identified for success, we seek to participate in subsequent capital raises 
to mitigate dilution, to the extent consistent with our goal to maximise risk adjusted returns for our shareholders 
and, taking into account competing uses of capital across our portfolio and pipeline. Co-investors in later rounds 
include  financial,  strategic  and  commercial  partners.  Where  appropriate,  we  seek  to  include  partners  who 
validate the market opportunity and can provide support and/or commercial commitments to accelerate, expand 
and/or de-risk the path to commercialisation.

Portfolio composition

Allied  Minds  has  identified  six  subsidiaries  as  defined  earlier  that  we  believe  are  well-positioned  for 
commercialisation and have the potential to realise superior exit valuations.

These subsidiaries currently represent the substantial majority of Group Subsidiary Ownership Adjusted Value. 
Allied Minds’ ownership stakes range from 48.40% (Spin Transfer Technologies) to 98.15% (BridgeSat).

Outside  these  subsidiaries  Allied  Minds  has  two  earlier  stage  investments  (LuxCath  and  Signature  Medical). 
These  represent  exciting  opportunities  in  medtech,  albeit  with  more  work  to  be  done  to  commercialise  their 
technologies.

In addition Allied Minds operates an early stage drug development joint venture with Bristol Myers Squibb: Allied 
Bristol Life Sciences (ABLS). Currently ABLS has two drug candidates in initial feasibility studies and a third in 
lead optimisation.

Origination activities

Allied  Minds  focuses  its  origination  activities  on  technologies  or  companies  that  are  aligned  with  our  theses 
on the future direction of market segments we are close to. Leveraging proprietary knowledge, expertise and 
networks – often gained from the companies already in our portfolio - we believe we have differentiated insight 
enabling  us  to  identify  new  opportunities  in  dynamic  markets,  as  well  as  market  and  operating  experience 
and expertise that can deliver meaningful benefits to early stage companies. This is particularly true for market 
opportunities in regulated industries, or where target markets include government customers.

Areas where we have established ourselves as one of the leading operators, and where we believe there will be 
large or transformational market opportunities include: space/analytics; connectivity; data/machine learning; 
wearables; and minimally-invasive solutions where adoption can be dramatic such as interventional cardiology, 
electrophysiology, neuroradiology, pulmonology, and gastroenterology.

In order to fully participate in these emerging market opportunities, Allied Minds expects to take majority positions 
to build new companies and selectively take minority positions in already-formed companies. We will consider 
the latter where an opportunity is financially compelling in its own right and fits with an existing thesis or area of 
competitive advantage, and where participation is expected to also yield additional knowledge and expertise 
or strengthen our network in that area, thereby consolidating our competitive advantage.

12

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
COMPANY OVERVIEW (CONTINUED)  

PARTNER NETWORK

The Group has well-established relationships with some of the most prestigious academic research institutions 
across the United States. Allied Minds aims to gain direct access to technologies at the forefront of research by 
working to deepen our relationships with selected institutions and selectively adding highly regarded research 
centres across the US. As described above, thematic investing demands a more selective approach to institutional 
relationships,  matching  origination  efforts  to  those  entities  with  expertise  aligned  to  the  Group’s  investing 
theses. We anticipate focusing more on US government laboratories and other Federal Funded Research and 
Development Centers (FFRDCs), given our areas of interest.

Corporate partnerships provide an additional valuable source of new investments. This began with the formation 
of our ABLS partnership with BMS, and has continued with our strategic alliance with GE Ventures formed in 
September 2016. We continue to actively explore additional sources of world-class technology innovation.

13

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
PORTFOLIO 

SUMMARY

PORTFOLIO SUMMARY    

During 2017, an aggregate of $81.1 million was invested into new and existing subsidiary businesses. This 
included $64.5 million from fundraisings, of which $35.1 million came from third-party investment, to further 
accelerate the development of HawkEye360, Signature Medical, BridgeSat, Federated Wireless, Spin Transfer. In 
addition to these fundraisings, $16.6 million was invested by the Group into other existing subsidiary businesses.

Allied Minds currently has majority ownership in, or operating control of, all of its subsidiary businesses. Below 
we provide an overview of our 12 current operating subsidiary businesses, including year formed, and Allied 
Minds’ ownership interest. These 12 subsidiary businesses include two entities which do not directly provide 
or are not directly developing products and services: Allied-Bristol Life Sciences (ABLS) (the holding company 
for  ABLS  drug  development  subsidiaries);  and  ABLS  Capital  (a  funding  vehicle  for  ABLS  drug  development 
subsidiaries). There are some additional non-operating or holding companies not listed in the table below.

Operating Subsidiary(2)(3)(4)

Year Formed

Ownership 
Interest(1)

Overview

Corporate partnerships

Allied-Bristol Life Sciences, LLC

2014

80.00%

ABLS Capital, LLC

2015

30.25%

ABLS II, LLC

2014

35.95%

ABLS IV, LLC

2017

80.00%

Life sciences

LuxCath, LLC

2012

98.00%

Precision Biopsy, Inc.

2008

64.59%

SciFluor Life Sciences, Inc.

2010

69.89%

Signature Medical, Inc.

2016

88.09%

Created with BMS to identify and conduct pre-clinical 
development of therapeutic candidates which are intended to 
be sold to BMS prior to clinical development

Funding vehicle with up to $80 million of binding commitments 
to support development of ABLS drug compounds proceeding 
to lead optimisation phase

Novel small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of fibrotic 
and autoimmune diseases, developed in the Harvard University 
laboratory of Professor Malcolm Whitman

Novel inhibitors of immunoproteasomes targeting inflammatory 
and autoimmune diseases, developed by Dr. Ramanuj 
Dasgupta at the NYU School of Medicine

Catheter ablation initially focused on atrial fibrillation using 
novel proprietary real-time tissue and lesion visualisation 
technology

Medical device and analytics company using spectral analysis 
to distinguish tissue characteristics in real-time, with the aim 
of improving diagnostics and therapies. Initially focused on 
prostate cancer, the technology is potentially applicable to 
other cancers

Drug development company focused on creating a portfolio 
of best- in- class compounds in the fields of ophthalmology, 
neuroscience and fibrosis. Lead clinical asset SF0166 is a 
topical eye droplet treatment for retinal diseases including Wet 
AMD and DME

Developing cardiac signature technology on a wearable 
device enabling diagnosis and monitoring of heart failure 
during hospital therapy and post discharge 

14

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
(CONTINUED)

PORTFOLIO SUMMARY (CONTINUED)  

Operating Subsidiary(2)(3)(4)

Year Formed

Ownership 
Interest(1)

Overview

Technology

BridgeSat, Inc.

2015

98.15%

Federated Wireless, Inc.

2012

52.26%

HawkEye360, Inc.

2015

53.06%

Spin Transfer Technologies, Inc.

2007

48.40%

Developing an optical communications service for data transfer 
from LEO and Geostationary Equatorial Orbit (GEO) satellites 
to earth (and vice versa), and between satellites, targeting 
significantly lower cost and faster rates than current Radio 
Frequency (RF) solutions

Plans to offer a cloud-based SaaS service that unlocks spectrum 
previously unavailable to commercial users by enabling 
government and commercial users to securely share the same 
spectrum band

Data analytics company seeking to commercialise the 
capability to detect, independently geo-locate and analyse 
diverse RF signals from space

Developing technology solutions that have the potential 
to materially enhance the endurance, speed and size 
characteristics of MRAM (magneto-resistive random access 
memory) – the emerging next generation memory technology

In addition Allied Minds is party to an agreement with GE Ventures establishing a Strategic Alliance through 
which the two parties envisage cooperating to jointly invest in technologies from their pipelines.

Notes:

(1)   Ownership interests are as at 19 March 2018 (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this document), and are based upon 

percentage interest in issued and outstanding share capital in the subsidiary undertakings.

(2)   Not  reflected  in  the  above  list  of  operating  subsidiaries  are  the  two  platform  companies:  Foreland  Technologies  and  Allied  Minds  Federal 

Innovations.

(3)   ABLS  and  BMS  together  resolved  that  ABLS  III,  which  was  pursuing  feasibility  studies  on  proprietary  compounds  that  target  the Wnt  signaling 

pathway and nuclear beta catenin, had not met pre-set objectives and accordingly the program was terminated.

(4)   Post-period  end,  Allied  Minds  ceased  operations  and  dissolved  each  of  Whitewood  Encryption  Systems,  Inc.  (Whitewood  Encryption)  and 

Seamless Devices, Inc. (Seamless Devices), and sold the assets of Percipient Networks, LLC. (Percipient Networks).

15

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
 
 
 
 
SUBSIDIARY 

VALUATION

SUBSIDIARY VALUATION    

All of the Company’s subsidiary companies are currently majority owned and/or controlled and therefore fully 
consolidated  in  the  Company’s  consolidated  financial  statements  prepared  in  accordance  with  International 
Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the EU (IFRS). As a result, the Consolidated Statements of Financial 
Position incorporated within the Company’s consolidated financial statements do not include current valuations 
of the Company’s subsidiary companies.

At the close of each annual financial period, the Directors formally approve the value of all subsidiary businesses 
in the Group, which is used to derive the GSOAV. There can be no guarantee that the aforementioned valuation 
of the Group will be considered to be correct in light of the future performance of the various Group businesses, 
or that the Group would be able to realise proceeds in the amount of such valuations, or at all, in the event of a 
sale by it of any of its subsidiaries. These valuations assume there will be available funds for the subsidiaries to 
reach next stages of their development towards commercial success or an exit event.

The GSOAV was $395.6 million as of 19 March 2018 (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication 
of this document), of which $375.3 million (or 94.9%) is attributed to the top six companies ($371.6 million 
or 89.4% as last reported). Of the total GSOAV, 95.9% is valued by reference to the valuation implied by the 
most recent third party funding round. Compared to $415.8 million when last reported, this reflects a decrease 
of $20.2 million, or 4.9%. This decrease is primarily attributed to the liquidation of several subsidiary businesses 
subsequent to current year end and write off of their value, namely Percipient Networks, Seamless Devices, and 
Whitewood Encryption as well as write downs in platform companies Allied Minds Federal Innovations, Inc. 
(AMFI) and Foreland Technologies Inc. (Foreland). This decrease was partially offset by an increase in value at 
BridgeSat and Federated Wireless demonstrated by the consummation of third-party fundraisings.

Ownership adjusted value represents Allied Minds’ interest in the equity value of each subsidiary and is calculated 
as follows: (Business Enterprise Value – Long Term Debt + Cash) x Allied Minds percentage ownership plus the 
value of debt provided by Allied Minds plc to each subsidiary business.

16

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
KEY PERFORMANCE 

INDICATORS

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS    

The  following  Key  Performance  Indicators  (KPIs)  were  selected  to  measure  the  performance  of  the  Company 
in  2017.  These  objectives  seek  to  link  financial,  operational,  technical  and  other  performance  milestones 
established by the Board directly to remuneration and KPIs.

•  Change in Group Subsidiary Ownership Adjusted Value (GSOAV); and

•  Percentage level of achievement of management by objectives (MBOs).

Performance against 2017 KPIs is set out below:

KPI

GSOAV

2017

2016

Performance

$395.6 million

$416.2 million

$20.6 million / 4.9% decrease

MBO Achievement; Percentage of Target; See Detail 
Below

131.0%

111.2%

Substantially above target

Notes:

(1)  $416.2 million is GSOAV estimated as at 24 April 2017, following the Board’s decision to discontinue funding at several subsidiary businesses.

The MBOs set by the Board for 2017, along with the level of achievement against such MBOs, is set forth 
below:

MBO

Deliver Validating Events(1) and Technical 
Milestones(2) for Key Subsidiaries

Secure Funding and Strategic Relationships 
for Subsidiary Companies

Strengthen Investment Committee Process:

Establish Corporate Partner Goals and 
Commitments

Expand New Company Pipeline 
Development

Define Path to Commercialisation, 
Liquidity Event or Key Commercial or 
Strategic Differentiators

Develop Strategic Plan to Drive Shareholder 
Value

Manage Cash

Total Percentage of Target

Threshold 
Weightings

Target 
Weightings

Maximum 
Weightings

Achieved 
Weightings

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

40.0%

20.0%

5.0%

5.0%

60.0%

30.0%

7.5%

7.5%

57.0%

24.0%

5.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

15.0%

10.0%

10.0%

100.0%

15.0%

15.0%

150.0%

15.0%

10.0%

131.0%

17

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
 
 
(CONTINUED)

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (CONTINUED)  

The  following  Key  Performance  Indicators  (KPIs)  were  selected  to  measure  the  performance  of  the  Company 
in  2018.  These  objectives  seek  to  link  financial,  operational,  technical  and  other  performance  milestones 
established by the Board directly to remuneration and KPIs.

The 2018 KPIs, including financial, operational, technical and other performance targets and their weightings 
for the upcoming year were set at the start of 2018, as follows:

KPIs

Deliver Validating Events(1) and Technical Milestones(2) for Key Subsidiaries

Secure Funding and Strategic Relationships for Subsidiary Companies

Strengthen Investment Committee Process; Progress Longer Term Strategy:

Initiate New Company Formation and Investment

Deepen Specific Federal Lab Relationships

Expand Sources of New Deal Pipeline

Strengthen Core Business for Sustainability

Manage Cash

Broaden Shareholder Base

Bolster Portfolio Company Support and Services

Total Percentage of Target

Notes:

Target 
Weightings

30.0%

20.0%

15.0%

5.0%

5.0%

15.0%

5.0%

5.0%

100.0%

(1)   “Validating Events” represent various material achievements, such as fundraisings, mergers and acquisitions, development partnerships, strategic 

alliances, customer contracts and other significant corporate events.

(2)  “Technical Milestones” represent various research and development achievements, as well as advancement of clinical trials.

18

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
 
PORTFOLIO REVIEW 

AND DEVELOPMENTS 

PORTFOLIO REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENTS     

TOP SIX SUBSIDIARY BUSINESSES

BridgeSat, inc.

Overview

Formed in 2015, BridgeSat is seeking to develop an optical communications service for data transfer from LEO 
and GEO satellites to earth (and vice versa), and between satellites, at significantly lower cost and faster rates 
than  current  RF  solutions.  The  technology  underpinning  BridgeSat’s  offering  was  sourced  originally  from  The 
Aerospace Corporation and Draper Laboratories. BridgeSat is based in Denver, Colorado.

Problem statement – RF cannot meet exponential growth in demand for satellite data downlink

LEO satellite data downlink demand is expected to grow over 125% annually through 2024, as a result of an 
expected three-fold increase in number of satellites by 2022 carrying a broader range of data-intensive sensors. 
The cost and speed characteristics of RF, together with increasingly scarce spectrum, make it difficult to support 
this increase in data downlink demand.

Proposed solution – optical-based data delivery service

BridgeSat  is  seeking  to  build  an  optical-based  data  delivery  service  that  will  enable  data  transfer  to/from 
satellites at speeds of up to 10Gbps (roughly 10x the speed of current RF communications technologies) and 
significantly lower cost (up to 10x cheaper on a $/byte basis at speeds above 1Gbps). Other advantages 
include the fact that optical does not use spectrum, which is a scarce resource with competing demands; does 
not suffer spectrum interference issues; and is more secure since the narrow optical beam is difficult to jam.

BridgeSat’s optical communications system has three core elements. The first is the space terminal that is installed 
on customer satellites. The second is a network of optical ground stations that will receive data from BridgeSat 
space  terminals  and  is  planned  to  be  compatible  with  those  manufactured  by  other  suppliers.  The  company 
estimates that a network of 10 ground stations is needed to meet the service requirements of LEO and GEO 
customers. The third is the Network Operations Centre (NOC), located in Colorado, required to operate the 
network and manage data delivery against customer service levels.

BridgeSat enjoys first mover advantages and is thought to be the only commercial entity currently building out a 
network of optical communications ground stations.

Business model and target markets

BridgeSat’s service contracts will vary based on volume of data and service levels.

BridgeSat’s first target market is the fast-growing LEO data downlink segment, currently estimated to be worth 
$1.5 billion annually. In addition it will target the GEO and inter-satellite data markets.

2017 management objectives

•  Complete series A fund-raise

•  Acquire launch customers

•  Demonstrate operation of first BridgeSat ground station

19

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
(CONTINUED)

PORTFOLIO REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENTS  (CONTINUED)  

Progress in 2017

•  Appointed Barry Matsumori as CEO

•  Completed a $6.0 million series A fund-raise completed in May 2017, including participation by Space 

Angels, a venture capital firm focused on emerging space

•  Signed ground station partnership with Swedish Space Corporation (SSC)

•  First ground station designed and contracted with completion due in 2018

•  Contracted with launch customers (3 pathfinder customers signed and one space terminal delivered)

•  Signed an agreement with Tesat to develop interoperability with BridgeSat’s ground station network

•  Received a contract award in Japan to deliver a GEO space terminal for the ETS-IX GEO satellite programme

2018 key operational management objectives

•  Successfully demonstrate end-to-end service: NOC, at least one ground station, and customer pathfinder(s)

•  Sign 2+ customer agreements; build strong commercial revenue backlog

Federated WireleSS, inc.

Overview

Based in Arlington, Virginia, Federated Wireless plans to offer a cloud-based SaaS service that unlocks spectrum 
previously unavailable to commercial users by enabling government and commercial users to securely share the 
same spectrum band. Founded in 2012, the company’s solution is based on technology developed with support 
from Virginia Tech University and the US Department of Defense (DoD).

Problem statement – the spectrum crunch

Demand for more spectrum to meet the growing needs of wireless broadband, IoT and next generation services 
while  also  ensuring  the  protection  of  critical  missions  performed  by  federal  agencies  is  challenging  existing 
allocation  models.  These  include  licensed  spectrum,  which  can  be  high  cost  and  inefficient,  and  unlicensed 
spectrum, such as Wi-Fi, which has no or very low cost but may be congested and unpredictable, and lacks 
carrier-grade technologies such as LTE. According to the FCC, “service quality is likely to suffer and prices are 
likely to rise” without new models that address the expected shortage of usable spectrum.

Proposed solution – shared spectrum model

Pioneered by Federated Wireless, spectrum sharing enables government and commercial users to securely share 
the same spectrum band.

In  the  US,  the  FCC  initially  plans  to  open  up  for  shared  use  150MHz  of  spectrum  in  the  3.5GHz  band 
previously held by the Department of Defense, following an order creating the Citizens Broadband Radio Service 
(CBRS) that makes 3.5G available for mobile broadband and other commercial users. 150MHz of spectrum is 
equivalent to a large wireless carriers’ spectrum holdings. The cost to deploy the necessary equipment to utilise 
shared spectrum is approximately on par with that for wi-fi systems, but the technology is based on robust, carrier-

20

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
PORTFOLIO REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENTS  (CONTINUED)  

grade LTE. The first commercial spectrum sharing services of the 3.5 GHz band are slated to be launched in 
2018, pending FCC certification.

Federated Wireless’ Technology

There are two key elements to the core Federated Wireless spectrum controller product. The Spectrum Allocation 
System  (SAS)  is  cloud-based  software  that  dynamically  allocates  available  spectrum  in  the  3.5GHz  band 
to  registered  users.  Spectrum  is  allocated  according  to  the  three  tier  priorities  determined  by  FCC  rules  and 
regulations.  Access  to  the  spectrum  is  gained  via  “access  points”  -  equivalent  to  a  wi-fi  router  -  which  are 
deployed close to the end user.

The second element is the ESC sensors that detects use by the incumbent (in the case of 3.5GHz the U.S. Navy) 
and secures priority access on an as needed basis. Federated Wireless is installing and will operate over one 
hundred  ESC  sensors  along  substantial  stretches  of  the  US  coastlines.  Dozens  of  ESC  sensors  are  currently 
deployed at the time of writing.

Business model and target markets

There are five core markets for Federated Wireless’ spectrum sharing technology.

1.  Mobile  Network  Operators  (MNOs)  are  expected  to  provide  access  by  adding  access  points  in  highly 
populated  areas  to  densify  their  existing  networks,  improve  coverage  and  extend  capacity  and  service 
quality.

2.  Cable companies, also  known  as multiple system operators (MSOs), are expected to provide access  by 

installing access points in homes and destinations to provide mobile offload.

3.  Neutral hosts can harness shared spectrum by installing access points at private venues such as stadiums, 
campuses and other commercial properties to provide local networks at significantly reduced cost compared 
to current distributed antenna system technologies.

4.   Wireless broadband providers (also known as WISPs) can install access points in rural locations otherwise 

underserved by fixed line broadband.

5.  Enterprise, industrial and other commercial customers can install access points to enable private LTE networks 

in factories and other venues, in support of IoT.

Overall, Federated Wireless estimates that the total addressable US market for 3.5GHz shared spectrum equates 
to more than 135 million access points, including 100 million home cable and broadband MSO installations; 
30 million enterprise installations; and 5 million in last mile access installations for rural homes. Not included 
is additional demand expected from MNOs for network densification and underserved travel and commercial 
hubs. Assuming FCC certification in 2018 and adoption rates equivalent to wi-fi, it is estimated that  the  US 
market could reach 5.4 million access points by 2022 (less than 4% of the total addressable US market).

2017 management objectives

•  Complete Series B fund-raise

•  Receive formal SAS and ESC FCC certification

•  Launch SAS commercial product

21

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
PORTFOLIO REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENTS  (CONTINUED)  

Progress in 2017

•  Completed a $42.0 million Series B financing led by Charter Communications, Arris International, American 

Tower and GIC, together with participation from existing investors

•  Launched the Spectrum Controller commercial product, with FCC approval for selected use by customers in 

field trials in US cities.

•  In Q4 began field trials with customers covering all five of the spectrum sharing verticals, including Charter 
Communications; Arris International; American Tower as well as Verizon and Telrad (a wireless broadband 
provider or WISP)

•  After the period end, signed a multi-year commercial agreement with Telrad in January to deliver LTE fixed 

wireless services

2018 key operational management objectives

•  FCC certification

•  Support multiple customer launches and realise commercial revenue

•  Build out national availability of ESC network to meet customer requirements

HaWkeye360, inc.

Overview

Formed in 2015, HawkEye360 is a data analytics company seeking to commercialise the capability to detect, 
independently geo-locate and analyse diverse RF signals from space. Using proprietary algorithms, HawkEye360 
aims to combine RF signals detection with other forms of geospatial information to produce contextually relevant 
analytics and reports for government and commercial end market applications. HawkEye360 is based in Herndon, 
Virginia.

Problem statement – current space-based RF signals detection and mapping capabilities are limited

Wireless  communications,  using  RF  signals,  are  proliferating  yet  there  is  currently  no  commercial  provider  of 
RF detection, mapping and analytics with signal diversity and independent geolocation capabilities that can 
support sophisticated data analytic products. These capabilities have the potential to enhance government and 
commercial activities across a range of applications including spectrum mapping and interference management, 
maritime domain awareness and infrastructure management.

Proposed solution – RF signals detection, mapping and analytics from formation satellite constellations

HawkEye360 plans to operate clusters of 3 low earth orbit (LEO) small satellites flying in formation to provide 
independent  data  streams  that  can  be  used  to  accurately  geo-locate  diverse  RF  signals.  Using  proprietary 
algorithms, signals data will be used individually or in combination with multiple other data sources to deliver 
contextual, timely analysis and predictions related to sources of RF signals, such as ships and fishing vessels. 
For example maritime vessels engaged in illegal fishing may seek to evade detection by switching off their AIS 
(Automatic Identification System) and going “dark”. HawkEye360’s capability may be used to detect other forms 

22

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
PORTFOLIO REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENTS  (CONTINUED)  

of RF emissions from the “dark” ship making it possible to detect vessels that are attempting to hide or spoof their 
location and avoid interception.

The  company  estimates  that  at  full  capacity  it  will  operate  with  up  to  10  commercial  clusters.  HawkEye360’s 
satellites  and  payloads  are  provided  by  third  parties  and  have  flight  heritage,  and  its  signals  detection  and 
geo-location capability has been simulated successfully using aircraft. The algorithms that form the foundation of 
HawkEye360‘s signals processing and data analytics are proprietary to HawkEye360.

HawkEye360 enjoys first mover advantages and is thought to be the only commercial entity currently planning for 
launch of satellite clusters with diverse RF signals detection, mapping and analytics capabilities.

Business model and target markets

The first market targeted by HawkEye360 is maritime domain awareness (MDA). Per Frost and Sullivan, this is 
currently a $1.7 billion market, forecast to grow to $2.2 billion by 2024 (excluding defence and intelligence 
expenditure). In civil government the market is anticipated to include: anti-piracy and pollution; illegal, unreported 
and  unregulated  (IUU)  fishing:  and  anti-illegal  transshipment.  Other  representative  markets  include:  spectrum 
mapping; emergency response and search and rescue; communications/spectrum interference detection; critical 
infrastructure awareness; and government mission support.

HawkEye360’s subscription model is expected to generate recurring revenue.

2017 management objectives

•  Prepare for 2018 pathfinder launch

•  Initiate contract for development of next commercial satellite clusters

Progress in 2017

•  Pathfinder satellites, payloads and software developed, tested and integrated on track for readiness ahead 

of summer 2018 launch schedule, with additional testing conducted following launch delay

•  Ground infrastructure for relay of data/analytics to end customers operational, with software complete and 

awaiting deployment

2018 key operational management objectives

•  Successfully launch Pathfinder satellite cluster

•  Launch MDA products and realise commercial revenue

PreciSion BioPSy, inc.

Overview

Precision  Biopsy  is  a  medical  device  and  analytics  company  using  spectral  analysis  to  distinguish  tissue 
characteristics  in  real-time,  with  the  aim  of  improving  diagnostics  and  therapies.  Initially  focused  on  prostate 
cancer, the technology is potentially applicable to other cancers. Precision Biopsy was formed in 2008 based 
on technology originally sourced from the University of Colorado. It is based in Aurora, Colorado.

23

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
PORTFOLIO REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENTS  (CONTINUED)  

Problem statement – poor diagnosis rates and invasive therapies for prostate cancer

The location of the prostate means that cancer tumours cannot be accurately imaged so biopsies are performed 
“blind”, with 12 to 14 cores sampled randomly. Poor diagnosis rates mean that cancer is missed nearly half 
of the time and patients are subjected to repeat treatments. Further, 90% of tissue cores are negative, resulting 
in  unnecessary  pathology  costs  of  around  $900  million  annually  in  the  US  alone.  Because  tumours  cannot 
be  accurately  mapped,  treatments  for  prostate  cancer  are  predominantly  whole  gland  treatments,  principally 
prostatectomy, carrying c. 85% side effects including sexual dysfunction and incontinence.

Proposed solution – “smart” diagnosis and therapy

Precision Biopsy’s ClariCore™ system uses spectral analysis to distinguish benign and cancerous tissue in real-
time during the biopsy procedure, guiding the urologist, and potentially improving diagnosis rates and reducing 
pathology  costs.  The  same  technology  is  anticipated  to  be  leveraged  to  produce  accurate  3D  mappings  of 
prostate cancer tumours, which in turn builds the foundation for focal therapy. Targeted therapy has the potential 
to  replace  certain  prostatectomies,  and  potentially  move  treatment  from  the  operating  room  to  the  clinic  at 
significantly reduced cost.

Today’s standard of care involves a random biopsy of 12-14 cores under ultrasound. Where routine biopsies of 
high risk patients fail to diagnose the cancer, physicians typically prescribe an MR Fusion biopsy which involves 
an MRI scan (typically in the hospital) followed by the biopsy (typically in the urology office). An MRI scan is 
expensive and has an estimated 10mm error margin. ClariCore™ is estimated to have an error margin of 1mm, 
which is accurate enough for focal therapy, in which only the cancerous tissue is treated.

Target markets

In the US, Precision Biopsy’s ClariCore™ diagnostic product targets a c. $1.5 billion segment of the estimated 
$7 billion prostate cancer market, or approximately 1 million biopsies annually. Precision Biopsy believes an 
estimated 100,000 prostate cancer patients may be eligible for 3D mapping, worth c. $300 million annually in 
the US, plus an additional $500 million US market for an integrated focal therapy device. The European market 
is of a similar size to the US.

Precision Biopsy’ performance against 2017 management objectives

•  Complete Cohort A study

•  Initiate Cohort B trial

•  Progress ClariCore™ CE Mark and FDA approval

Progress in 2017

•  Completed Cohort A study

•  Improved algorithm accuracy – supports biopsy, 3D mapping and focal therapy

•  Confirmed de novo 510k approval path with FDA (on average a markedly cheaper route to FDA approval 

for a medical device versus the PMA alternative)

•  Cohort B IDE submission completed

24

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
PORTFOLIO REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENTS  (CONTINUED)  

•  Good progress against ClariCore™ CE mark approval

•  3D mapping prototype developed, ready for first in man studies

2018 key operational management objectives

•  Gain CE Mark

•  Complete Cohort B trial

SciFluor liFe ScienceS, inc.

Overview

SciFluor is a drug development company focused on creating best in class compounds in the fields of ophthalmology, 
neuroscience and fibrosis. SciFluor’s lead clinical asset, SF0166, is a topical eye droplet treatment for Age-
related Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Macular Edema, both widely prevalent retinal diseases that lead 
to blindness if left untreated. The company has a pipeline of compounds in pre-clinical development. SciFluor is 
based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The disclosure below focuses on SF0166.

Problem statement – treatment of AMD and DME requires regular injections to the back of the eye

AMD  and  DME  require  monthly  injections  to  the  back  of  the  eye,  causing  patient  discomfort  and  imposing 
significant costs on payors.

Proposed solution – topical eye droplet

SF0166 is a fluorinated compound administered via daily topical eye droplets. The patented fluorination process 
modifies a compound known to be safe and lends it qualities intended to enable passage to the back of the eye. 
In the second half of 2017 SciFluor concluded separate Phase I/II clinical trials for DME and Wet-AMD. The 
results of these trials, as interpreted by SciFluor’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), indicate that SF0166 is safe 
and well-tolerated by patients. In addition, the trials provided a preliminary indication that the drug is reaching 
the retina and having a biological effect. Of the 40 patients in the DME trial 53% were deemed responders 
as  assessed  by  reduction  in  retinal  thickness.  In  the  Wet-AMD  study  21%  of  the  42  patients  were  deemed 
responders, as assessed by reduction in retinal thickness, elimination or significant reduction of subretinal fluid 
and clinical judgement. In the view of SciFluor’s Board and SAB the results of these trials provide a clear basis 
to proceed to full Phase II trials for both indications. SciFluor is in the planning and design phase for these trials.

Target markets

20 million patients globally suffer from DME and 15 million suffer from Wet-AMD, with a further 150 million 
patients suffering from earlier stage Dry-AMD. In 2016 worldwide combined revenue for Lucentis and Eylea, 
the  two  leading  injectable  drugs  treating  these  diseases,  exceeded  $8  billion.  Ageing  populations  and  the 
projected increased prevalence of diabetes are expected to drive future growth.

2017 management objectives

•  SF0166: complete Phase I/II trials in DME (AMD in 2018)

•  SF0034: file IND and complete enrollment

25

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
PORTFOLIO REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENTS  (CONTINUED)  

Progress in 2017

•  Phase I/II trial for DME successfully completed

•  Phase I/II trial for wet-AMD successfully completed

•  Both SF0166 trials with positive safety profile and preliminary evidence of biological effect

•  SciFluor secured 12 additional patents in relation to SF0166, and filed 4 patents in relation to new compounds

•  SF0034 enrollment completed, but trial halted due to metabolic response. New alternatives under development

2018 key operational management objectives

•  Initiate at least one Phase II trial for SF0166

•  Complete in-life IND enabling study for one new asset

SPin tranSFer tecHnologieS, inc. (SPin tranSFer)

Overview

Spin Transfer is developing technology solutions that have the potential to materially enhance the endurance, speed 
and size characteristics of MRAM (magneto-resistive random access memory) – the emerging next generation 
memory  technology.  Spin  Transfer  believes  these  technologies  hold  the  potential  to  unlock  the  widespread 
adoption of MRAM technology as a replacement for existing SRAM and DRAM. Based in Fremont, California, 
Spin Transfer was formed in 2006 and employs over 20 PhDs in fields including engineering, physics, materials 
sciences and mathematics.

Problem statement – current pervasive SRAM and DRAM technologies are reaching obsolescence

Current pervasive SRAM and DRAM memories deliver powerful size, speed and endurance performance, but 
have  limitations  in  terms  of  volatility,  i.e.  they  do  not  retain  memory  when  power  is  cut,  and  have  a  high 
power consumption. Memory demand is growing, driven by more devices and more complex, data-intensive 
applications, including AI and VR, that require rapidly increasing amounts of memory to store data. At the same 
time, downward pressure on size and cost continues.

Proposed solution – universal technologies that enable DRAM-grade MRAM

Spin Transfer is developing 3 patented, universal technologies that hold the potential to enable MRAM (which 
is inherently non-volatile and low power) to meet or exceed the size, speed and endurance characteristics of 
SRAM and DRAM.

•  Endurance Engine - circuitry designed to correct for inherent errors or non-idealities of MRAM, improving 
endurance by up to 6 orders of magnitude, taking current MRAM technologies from 108 to 1014 compared 
to DRAM at up to 1015 or above. The Endurance Engine also improves cell size, speed, power consumption, 
density and retention. The Endurance Engine has parallels to innovations pioneered by SanDisk to correct for 
non-idealities in Flash memory leading to the widespread adoption of this technology.

26

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
PORTFOLIO REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENTS  (CONTINUED)  

•  Spin Polarizer (also known as PSC) – series of materials that can be layered onto a perpendicular magnetic 
tunnel junction (pMTJ – the core magnetics technology of MRAM) to improve switching speeds and increase 
efficiency by an estimated 30%, and reduce size by a corresponding amount.

•  3D multi-level cell (3D-MLC) – allows increases in densities to a level which, when combined with the Spin 

Polarizer and Endurance Engine, will allow MRAM to match or exceed the characteristics of DRAM.

Spin Transfer has more than 150 patents issued or pending in relation to these three technologies.

Target markets and business model

Through  a  phased  roll-out  of  capabilities  with  partners,  Spin  Transfer  expects  first  to  target  SRAM  markets 
estimated at $500 million, and later DRAM with a total addressable market estimated to be worth $20 billion.

Spin Transfer plans to commercialise its technology through a combination of licensing agreements, potentially 
delineated  by  component  and  field  of  use,  NRE-type  agreements  or  sponsorship  agreements,  and  other 
commercial partnerships. It does not possess a large scale manufacturing capability and would need to partner 
with a manufacturer at some stage to move beyond a licensing model if this were deemed desirable.

On a cost evaluation basis, the Endurance Engine is intended to decrease the overall silicon area (and hence 
cost)  of  a  large  (>  32  Megabit)  MRAM  memory.  The  Spin  Polarizer  adds  an  infinitesimal  processing  cost 
(fractions  of  a  per  cent)  while  greatly  reducing  silicon  area.  The  3D-MLC  will  add  an  as-yet  undetermined 
processing cost that should also be significantly outweighed by the further silicon area reduction.

2017 management objectives (as of March 2017)

•  Advance technology to demonstrate differentiators

•  Secure strategic development/investing partner

•  Complete Series B fund-raise

Note: After Tom Sparkman was hired as CEO, new objectives were set, including:

•  Partner with Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL)

•  Create 1G of data to demonstrate advanced pMTJ capability

•  Meet with 25+ potential partners

•  Increase patent portfolio

Progress in 2017

•  In July recruited Tom Sparkman as CEO, with previous executive roles at Maxim, Spansion

•  New strategy in place, transformed operational and commercial focus

•  In September signed a collaborative engineering program with TEL providing expedited access to MRAM 

deposition tools and engineering resource

27

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
PORTFOLIO REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENTS  (CONTINUED)  

•  1G data measured

•  Held over 50 partner meetings

•  87 new patents filed

•  $22.8 million bridge finance facility underwritten by Allied Minds in October 2017. Spin Transfer secured 
$10.3 million of funding via a convertible bridge facility with existing shareholders of the Group in January 
2018, which satisfied Allied Minds’ commitment to fulfill the remaining balance of the 2017 bridge facility 
with Spin Transfer.

2018 key operational management objectives

•  Successfully demonstrate the advantages of the Spin Polarizer and Endurance Engine

•  Sign 2+ customer/partner agreements

Spin Transfer is engaged in active dialogue regarding its Series B fundraising activities with multiple high quality 
strategic investors and commercial partners. Spin Transfer has sufficient cash resources to bridge to the Series B 
round without making any material changes to its technical development and operational plans.

CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS

aBlS, llc

ABLS is a drug discovery and development company created in August 2014 through a partnership between 
Allied Minds and BMS. The company’s mission is to create novel drug candidates against serious diseases with 
large market potential. These include fibrosis, cardiovascular, immune-science, immuno-oncology and oncology, 
aligning to BMS’s strategic areas of focus. BMS has the option to acquire drug candidates from ABLS upon 
completion  of  the  lead  optimisation  phase  for  a  pre-agreed  multiple  of  invested  capital,  with  Allied  Minds 
retaining rights to potential milestone and royalty payments.

ABLS sources novel mechanisms and initial lead molecules from Allied Minds’ network of institutional research 
partners and funds the initial feasibility study. Recently ABLS has in certain cases sought to de-risk projects by 
undertaking early work via a materials transfer agreement and an exclusive option, prior to forming a subsidiary 
and entering into an exclusive license.

If the drug does not pass the initial feasibility stage, funding is ceased and the subsidiary or project is closed with 
losses capped at the up to approximately $1 million of seed investment. If the drug passes the initial feasibility 
state it will enter into the lead optimisation phase to further advance the lead molecules, typically requiring further 
capital investment of up to $15.0 million. Funding for lead optimisation is provided by a combination of ABLS 
Capital, LLC (ABLS Capital) (80.0%) and BMS (20.0%). The lead optimisation phase studies are in part carried 
out at a BMS R&D Site in India, called Biocon-BMS Research Center (BBRC).

ABLS Capital was formed to provide the majority of the capital required to fund up to ten (10) ABLS subsidiaries 
though the lead optimisation phase. In April 2016 ABLS Capital secured commitments amounting to $80.0 million, 
including $40.0 million from Woodford Investment Management and $20.0 million from Invesco Perpetual. 
These funding commitments will be used to invest alongside the up to $20.0 million from BMS to fund these lead 
optimisation phases.

28

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
PORTFOLIO REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENTS  (CONTINUED)  

The ABLS partnership aligns Allied Minds with a seasoned large pharmaceutical partner and creates a natural 
early stage (pre-clinical) acquirer of developing assets, potentially de-risking the drug development process for 
Allied Minds and providing attractive risk adjusted returns.

ABLS II, LLC

ABLS  II  was  formed  in  June  2015  to  undertake  pre-clinical  discovery  and  development  of  molecules  against 
a  novel  target  (Prolyl  tRNA  Synthetase)  for  treatment  of  fibrotic  diseases.  Harvard  University  researchers  had 
earlier identified the mechanism of halofuginone (a natural product with anti-fibrotic properties) as an inhibitor 
of Prolyl tRNA Synthetase. ABLS II’s objective is to discover and develop halofuginone analogues with novel IP, 
better safety and superior efficacy. ABLS II has synthesised various molecules and is evaluating them for safety 
and  efficacy.  In  May  2016  ABLS  announced  that  ABLS  II  had  successfully  passed  feasibility  and  in  August 
ABLS II successfully raised $15.0 million of funding from ABLS Capital and BMS to fund the Lead Optimisation 
phase.  The  work  is  underway  at  BBRC  with  several  proprietary  molecules  synthesised.  However,  the  current 
lead molecules have not yet improved the therapeutics index (TI) using the industry standard Bleomycin model of 
Fibrotic diseases. Selected lead molecules are being evaluated in another disease model of Duchenne Muscular 
Dystrophy (DMD).

ABLS IV, LLC

ABLS IV was formed in October 2017 to enter into an alliance with Weill Cornell Medicine and an exclusive 
licensing  agreement  with  Cornell  University  to  conduct  initial  feasibility  studies  in  relation  to  a  novel  class  of 
inhibitors of immunoproteasomes. The class of inhibitors under development is targeted at a specific sub-unit of 
the immunoproteasome playing a critical role in inflammation and autoimmune diseases, including lupus and 
rheumatoid  arthritis,  with  the  potential  to  develop  safer  treatments  with  better  efficacy.  The  market  for  unmet 
medical needs in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases is estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars. Initial 
Feasibility Phase is underway at BBRC.

Strategic alliance WitH ge VentureS

Created in September 2016 to jointly identify and invest in technologies from Allied Minds’ and GE Ventures’ 
combined  technology  and  innovation  pipelines.  Through  this  agreement,  Allied  Minds  has  an  exclusive  right 
of  first  refusal  to  license  certain  technologies,  chosen  by  GE,  for  the  spin-out  and  commercialisation  of  that 
technology.

Consistent with our focus on thematic investing, our efforts with GE Ventures have been focused on discovering the 
overlap of our strategic themes with commercialisation candidates from GE Ventures. Through this joint discovery 
process between Allied Minds and GE Ventures’ technology licensing group, multiple promising candidates for 
eventual spin-out have been reviewed. While we have not yet identified a candidate that meets each of our 
investment criteria and objectives, we continue to seek an opportunity for Allied Minds to form new entities based 
on the cutting-edge technologies developed by one of the world’s leaders in technology innovation. The strategic 
alliance with GE will expire by its terms in September 2018 unless extended by mutual agreement of the parties.

OTHER SUBSIDIARIES

luxcatH, llc

LuxCath is developing a proprietary ablation catheter technology to enable live, optical interrogation of heart 
tissue during cardiac ablation, applying fluorescence to allow a cardiologist to assess on a real-time basis the 
impact  of  ablation  therapy  on  targeted  heart  tissue.  Current  procedures  are  typically  executed  on  a  “blind” 

29

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
PORTFOLIO REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENTS  (CONTINUED)  

basis with the cardiologists unable to visually assess whether there is tissue contact before commencing ablation 
and  unable  to  determine  whether  ablation  has  successfully  killed  target  tissue,  or  left  gaps  between  lesions 
which  could  lead  to  recurrence.  LuxCath’s  technology  can  be  applicable  to  all  cardiac  ablation  procedures 
and is focused on atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation as its initial target market. It aims to improve clinical outcomes 
while reducing procedure times, fluoroscopy exposure, costs, and clinical recurrences. AF is the most common 
cardiac arrhythmia in the US, affecting more than two million people and projected to affect 15.9 million in the 
year 2050, half of whom will be over 80 years old. AF has been implicated as a significant cause of strokes, 
thromboembolic events, and heart failure, costing the US healthcare system billions of dollars annually.

During  2017  LuxCath  began  developing  a  proprietary  catheter  into  which  its  optical  tissue  interrogation 
technology will be integrated. A prototype integrated device is expected to be delivered and tested in 2018. The 
prototype will have the capability to interrogate cardiac tissue radially (not only in a straight line), enabling more 
comprehensive lesion assessment. Subject to testing, LuxCath expects to move the integrated device to patient 
trials. LuxCath has recruited a highly qualified Scientific Advisory Board comprising leading electrophysiologists 
at  Mount  Sinai  Health  System  (New  York),  Massachusetts  General  Hospital,  Beaumont  Health  (Michigan), 
Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center and L’Institut de Rythmologie et Modelisation 
Cardiaque (Bordeaux, France).

Signature Medical, inc.

Signature Medical is developing smart wearable devices to evaluate and monitor patients remotely and on a 
real time basis. Its lead AcoustiCare™ device is designed for patients with heart failure and other indications.

While acoustic signature analysis represents an excellent and well-founded approach to cardiac evaluation and 
monitoring, AcoustiCareTM and other products under development by Signature Medical, differ from other sensor-
based wearables based on proprietary artificial intelligence coupled with cloud-based audio technology. Most 
existing technologies are based on measurement of rhythm, movement or impedance.

AcoustiCareTM  is  being  developed  with  the  objective  of  providing  a  more  effective  and  non-invasive  heart 
monitoring and evaluation system for patients suffering from heart failure and other indications. Remote, cloud-
based monitoring of data transmitted by the device offers patients the potential for earlier and more targeted 
intervention,  with  the  benefit  to  the  healthcare  system  of  improving  clinical  outcomes,  reducing  hospital  re-
admissions and material associated cost. Heart failure recurrence represents an enormous under-served market 
opportunity  and  ranks  among  the  most  prevalent  and  costly  chronic  diseases.  It  is  the  number  one  cause  of 
hospitalisation  among  US  adults  over  the  age  of  65  and  consumes  1-2%  of  all  healthcare  expenditures  in 
developed countries. Heart failure re-admission rates alone are estimated to be approximately 25% within 30 
days of hospital discharge at a cost of approximately $5 billion in the US annually.

During  2017,  Signature  Medical  completed  a  $2.5  million  Series  A  preferred  financing  round,  including 
participation  by  Riot  Ventures,  an  early  stage  investment  fund  focused  on  emerging  technology,  and  Bose 
Corporation, a global leader in audio innovation. The company has begun work on building an AcoustiCareTM 
prototype,  integrating  a  proprietary  algorithm  capable  of  assessing  cardiac  function,  and  expects  to  collect 
acoustic data to train and validate the algorithm and build its IP position. Signature Medical has formed an expert 
Scientific Advisory Board comprising of heart failure thought leaders at renowned institutions including University 
of California, San Francisco Brigham & Women’s Hospital and the Cardiovascular Research Foundation in New 
York City.

30

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
PORTFOLIO REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENTS  (CONTINUED)  

DISCONTINUED SUBSIDIARIES

Consistent with the Allied Minds’ model, where a project has failed to deliver sufficient additional proof points for 
ultimate commercialisation and financial return, no longer supports on-going development and commercialisation 
activity, and cannot be successfully redirected to an alternative commercial path, Allied Minds will look to cease 
operations and terminate the project.

In  April  2017,  Allied  Minds  announced  that  it  would  cease  operations  at  the  following  subsidiaries,  having 
determined  that  the  path  to  commercialisation  was  not  sufficiently  clear  and  that  capital  and  management 
resource should be redirected to more promising areas of the portfolio and pipeline: Biotectix; Cephalogics; 
CryoXtract; Novare Pharmaceuticals; Optio Labs; RF Biocidics; SoundCure; and Tinnitus Treatment Solutions. 
The  related  net  restructuring  cost  for  the  period  was  $7.3  million,  which  included  $4.7  million  of  non-cash 
charges for impairment of tangible and intangible assets and inventory write-offs and is net of $1.1 million in net 
proceeds from the sale of assets.

Also in 2017, ABLS I and ABLS III ceased operations and were dissolved following Board determination that 
they had not successfully completed initial feasibility studies. Vatic Materials was closed following unsatisfactory 
due diligence outcomes.

Post period-end the Group sold the assets of Percipient Networks to WatchGuard Technologies, and ceased 
operations and dissolved each of Whitewood Encryption and Seamless Devices.

31

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
FINANCIAL REVIEW     

During 2017, $81.1 million was invested into new and existing subsidiary businesses. This included $64.5 million 
from  subsidiary  fundraisings,  with  $35.1  million  coming  from  third-party  investment,  to  further  accelerate  the 
development  of  four  of  the  Group’s  existing  companies,  HawkEye360,  BridgeSat,  Federated  Wireless,  and 
Signature Medical. In addition to these fundraisings, $16.6 million was invested by the Group into new and 
other existing subsidiary businesses.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

For the years ended 31 December 

Revenue

Cost of revenue

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Research and development expenses

Finance cost, net

Other comprehensive income

Total comprehensive loss

of which attributable to:

  Equity holders of the parent

  Non-controlling interests

2017 
$ ‘000

5,001

(5,242)

(55,214)

(49,012)

(6,545)

(103)

2016 
$ ‘000

2,664 

(5,563)

(55,484)

(55,292)

(15,267)

208

(111,115)

(128,734)

(75,778)

(35,337)

(96,125)

(32,609)

Revenue  increased  by  $2.3  million,  to  $5.0  million  in  2017  (2016:  $2.7  million).  This  increase  is  mainly 
attributable to the higher NRE revenue at Federated Wireless and HawkEye360. Cost of revenue was lower by 
$0.4 million at $5.2 million (2016: $5.6 million), reflecting prior year higher cost from write offs of inventory 
at two liquidated subsidiaries.

Selling,  general  and  administrative  (SG&A)  expenses  decreased  by  $0.3  million,  to  $55.2  million,  for  the 
year  ended  31  December  2017  (2016:  $55.5  million),  largely  due  to  savings  from  the  restructuring  and 
discontinued funding of subsidiaries during the year of $8.9 million. These savings were offset by an increase in 
spending at certain companies nearing commercialisation within the Group.

R&D expenses decreased by $6.3 million to $49.0 million for the year ended 31 December 2017 (2016: 
$55.3  million).  Similarly  to  SG&A  expenses,  the  decrease  in  R&D  cost  was  largely  due  to  savings  from  the 
restructuring and discontinued funding of subsidiaries during the year of $7.3 million. These savings were offset, 
in part, by the acceleration of activities at companies supported by third party financing rounds in 2016 and 
2017, such as BridgeSat and HawkEye360.

Finance cost, net decreased by $8.8 million to $6.5 million in 2017 (2016: $15.3 million) reflecting to the 
fair  value  accounting  adjustment  of  the  subsidiary  preferred  shares  liability  balance  of  $6.8  million  (2016: 
$17.6 million), and interest income, net of interest expense, of $0.3 million (2016: $1.0 million).

As a result of the above discussed factors, total comprehensive loss decreased by $17.6 million to $111.1 million 
for the year ended 31 December 2017 (2016: $128.7 million). Total comprehensive loss for the year attributed 
to  the  equity  holders  of  the  Group  was  $75.8  million  (2016:  $96.1  million)  and  $35.3  million  (2016: 
$32.6 million) was attributable to the owners of non-controlling interests.

32

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
FINANCIAL REVIEW (CONTINUED)  

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

As of 31 December 

Non-current assets

Current assets

Total assets

Non-current liabilities

Current liabilities

Equity

Total liabilities and equity

2017 
$ ‘000

28,369

184,792

213,161

867

200,202

12,092

213,161

2016 
$ ‘000

 38,282 

 232,007 

 270,239

720 

 155,402 

 114,117 

 270,239

Significant  performance-impacting  events  and  business  developments  reflected  in  the  Company’s  financial 
position at year end include:

Non-current assets

•  Property and equipment decreased by $5.3 million to $26.6 million as at 31 December 2017 (2016: 
$31.9 million), mainly reflecting depreciation expense of $5.8 million and impairment charges of $0.7 million, 
offset by purchases of approximately $1.2 million, mainly at HawkEye360 and Federated Wireless;

•  Intangible assets as of 31 December 2017 decreased by $1.7 million to $1.1 million (2016: $2.8 million) 
mainly as a result of amortisation expense of $0.3 million and impairment charges of $1.7 million, offset by 
additions of $0.3 million in acquired licenses and software assets;

•  Other investments, non-current decreased to nil (2016: $2.7 million) reflecting the maturity of investment in 

fixed income government and corporate securities into current assets;

Current assets

•  Cash and cash equivalents decreased by $51.1 million to $158.1 million at 31 December 2017 from 
$209.2  million  at  31  December  2016.  The  decrease  is  mainly  attributed  to  $90.8  million  of  net  cash 
used in operations, offset by $35.4 million of cash from financing activities mainly from subsidiary financing 
rounds,  and  $4.3  million  cash  from  investing  activities  mainly  reflecting  the  conversion  of  fixed  income 
security investments into cash and cash equivalents;

•  Other investments, current decreased to $11.1 million (2016: $14.2 million) as those securities matured 
into cash and cash equivalents, reflecting the investment of excess cash into fixed income government and 
corporate securities that have maturities shorter than twelve months;

•  Inventories decreased by $2.6 million to nil as at 31 December 2017 (2016: $2.6 million) reflecting mainly 

the obsolescence charges at discontinued subsidiaries of $2.5 million;

•  Trade and other receivables increased by $9.7 million to $15.6 million at 31 December 2017 (2016: 
$5.9 million) as a result of an increase of $6.4 million mainly from advance payments to contract manufacturers 
plus a net increase of $3.3 million in trade receivables;

33

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
FINANCIAL REVIEW (CONTINUED)  

Current liabilities

•  Subsidiary preferred shares increased by $40.7 million to $181.6 million as of 31 December 2017 (2016: 
$140.9 million) as a result of net proceeds from subsidiary preferred rounds of $33.9 million at BridgeSat, 
Federated Wireless, HawkEye360 and Signature Medical in 2017. The IAS 39 fair value adjustment for the 
year of $6.8 million additionally contributed to the increase in the subsidiary preferred shares liability;

•  Deferred revenue increased to $4.3 million as of 31 December 2017 (2016: $0.5 million) primarily due to 

$3.7 million of customer deposits on contracts mainly at BridgeSat and HawkEye360;

Equity

•  Share capital and premium increased by $1.6 million to a combined $162.3 million at 31 December 2017 
(2016: $160.7 million) primarily due to exercises of stock options under the U.S. Stock Option Plan. The 
increase in accumulated deficit of $65.0 million to $354.4 million (2016: $289.4 million) mainly reflected 
the net comprehensive loss attributable to equity holders of the Group for the year of $75.8 million (2016: 
$96.1 million). This increase is offset by the effect from dissolution of subsidiaries of $4.7 million (2016: 
nil) and the share-based compensation expense charge for the year of $6.1 million (2016: $5.9 million).

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

For the years ended 31 December 

Net cash outflow from operating activities

Net cash inflow from investing activities

Net cash inflow from financing activities

Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents in the beginning of the year

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

2017 
$ ‘000

(90,779)  

4,331

35,372

(51,076)  

209,151

158,075

2016 
$ ‘000

 (95,220)  

 70,729

 128,087

 103,596 

 105,555 

209,151 

The Group’s net cash outflow from operating activities of $90.8 million in 2017 (2016: $95.2 million) was 
primarily due to the net operating losses for the year of $104.5 million and the net effect from movement in 
working capital of $2.4 million, offset by the adjustment for non-cash items such as depreciation, amortisation, 
impairments and share-based expenses of $16.0 million and interest received net of paid and other finance 
charges of $0.1 million.

The Group had a net cash inflow from investing activities of $4.3 million in 2017 (2016: $70.7 million) mainly 
reflecting the disposal of fixed income investment securities of $5.9 million, offset by purchases or property and 
equipment, net of disposals, of $1.3 million, and purchases of intangible assets net of disposals of $0.3 million.

34

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
FINANCIAL REVIEW (CONTINUED)  

The Group’s net cash inflow from financing activities of $35.4 million in 2017 (2016: $128.1 million) primarily 
reflects $33.9 million proceeds from subsidiary financing rounds in HawkEye360, BridgeSat, Signature Medical 
and Federated Wireless and $1.6 million from exercises of stock options and issuance of share capital, offset 
by $0.1 million repayment of notes payable.

The Group’s strategy is to maintain healthy, highly liquid cash balances that are readily available for investment. 
To further minimise its exposure to risks the Group does not maintain any material borrowings or cash balances 
in foreign currency.

35

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
RISK MANAGEMENT

RISK MANAGEMENT    

The execution of the Group’s strategy is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. A key focus for the Board 
is to formally identify the principal risks facing the Group and develop a robust and effective framework to ensure 
that the risks are both well understood and appropriate for the Company’s risk appetite to achieve the stated 
corporate goals. This process needs to address both risks arising from the internal operations of the Group and 
those arising from the business environment in which it operates. It is possible that one or more of these identified 
risks could impact the Group in a similar timeframe which may compound their effects.

With our focus on early stage company creation and development, the Group inherently faces significant risks 
and challenges. The overall aim of the risk management policy is to achieve an effective balancing of risk and 
reward, although ultimately no strategy can provide an absolute assurance against loss.

The Board has carried out a robust assessment of the principal risks facing the Group, including those that would 
threaten  its  business  model,  future  performance,  solvency  and/or  liquidity.  The  major  risks  and  uncertainties 
identified by the Board are set out below along with the consequences and mitigation strategy of each risk.

1.  The  science  and  technology  being  developed  or  commercialised  by  the  Group’s  businesses  may  fail 
and/or the Group’s businesses may not be able to develop their innovations and intellectual property into 
commercially viable products or technologies. There is also a risk that some of the subsidiary businesses may 
fail or not succeed as anticipated, whether as a result of technical, product, market or other risks, resulting in 
an impairment of the Group’s value.

Impact: The failure of any of the Group’s subsidiary businesses would impact the Group’s value. A failure of one 
of the major subsidiary businesses could also impact on the perception of the Group as a builder of high value 
businesses and possibly make additional fund raising at the Group or subsidiary level more difficult.

Mitigation:

•  Before making any investment, extensive due diligence is carried out by the Group which covers all the major 

business risks including market size, strategy, adoption and intellectual property.

•  The  initial  seed  round  investment  is  typically  quite  small  with  additional  investment  only  being  made  on 

successful completion of milestones.

•  A disciplined approach to capital allocation is pursued such that proof of concept has to be achieved before 

substantial capital is committed.

•  Members of the Group’s management team who carry out the initial due diligence may initially manage the 
subsidiary in its incubation phase and will typically serve as directors, thus staying with the project to help 
ensure consistency of management.

•  Dedicated  leadership  with  deep  industry  or  sector  knowledge,  and  relevant  technical  and/or  leadership 
experience,  is  recruited  as  appropriate,  and  the  Group  ensures  that  each  subsidiary  has  independent 
directors and/or other advisors, as appropriate for the relevant stage of development.

•  During incubation stage, we closely monitor milestone developments and should a project fail to achieve 

sufficient progress, we terminate the investments.

•  Each  subsidiary  business  holds  quarterly  board  of  director  meetings,  with  participation  from  the  Group’s 
management and/or investment team, along with the senior management team of such subsidiary business.

36

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
(CONTINUED)

RISK MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED)  

•  The shared services model provides significant administrative support to the subsidiary businesses whilst the 

budgetary and financial controls ensure good governance.

•  Within the Group there is significant management expertise which can be called upon to support each of the 

subsidiary businesses where necessary.

•  The Group actively uses third party advisors and consultants, specific to the particular domain in which a 

subsidiary business operates, to assist on market strategy and direction.

2.  The Group expects to continue to incur substantial expenditure in further research and development, product 
development,  marketing  and  other  operational  activities  of  its  businesses.  There  is  no  guarantee  that  the 
Group or any of its individual subsidiaries will become profitable prior to the achievement of a subsidiary 
sale  or  other  liquidity  event,  and,  even  if  the  Group  or  any  of  its  individual  subsidiaries  does  become 
profitable, such profitability may not be sustainable. The Group may not be able to sell its ownership interests 
in subsidiary businesses during any specific time frame or otherwise on desirable terms, if at all.

Impact: The strategic aim of the business is to generate profits for its shareholders through early stage company 
creation  and  development  within  the  technology  and  life  science  sectors,  to  generate  long-term  value.  Such 
value is expected to be delivered through the commercialisation and monetisation of these businesses, including 
through generation of revenue and profits, and through sales of subsidiary businesses or other liquidity events. 
The timing and size of these potential inflows is uncertain and should liquidity events not be forthcoming, or in 
the event that they are achieved but at values significantly less than the amount of capital invested, then it would 
be  difficult  to  sustain  the  current  levels  of  investment  in  the  subsidiary  businesses  and  continue  to  make  new 
investments. This will lead to reduced activity across the Group. In turn this could make raising additional capital 
at the Group level difficult and it could ultimately lead to the failure of the Group as a whole.

Mitigation:

•  The Group retains significant cash balances in order to support its cash flow requirements, including to support 
the cash requirements for each subsidiary and for corporate resources, as well as invest in new businesses.

•  The Group has close relationships with a wide group of investors, including its shareholder base to ensure 
it can continue to access the capital markets, and continues to identify and develop strategic and financial 
relationships for co-investing in the Group’s subsidiary businesses.

•  Senior  management  continually  seek  to  create  additional  strategic  relationships  for  the  Group,  and  each 
subsidiary continually seeks to engage in strategic relationships relevant to their respective markets and to 
maintain current information on and awareness of potential monetisation strategies.

3.  If a significant number of the Group’s relationships with US universities and federal government institutions 
were to break down or be terminated or expire, then the Group would lose any rights that it has to act as a 
private sector partner in the commercialisation of intellectual property being generated by such universities, 
other research intensive institutions or US federal research institutions.

Impact:  Termination  of  certain  of  the  Group’s  existing  relationships  would  impact  the  quantity  and  potential 
quality  of  the  Company’s  deal  flow.  This  may  in  turn  prevent  the  Company  from  completing  promising  new 
deals and reduce its opportunity to create new subsidiaries. This could potentially have an adverse effect on the 
Group’s long term prospects and performance.

37

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
RISK MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED)  

Mitigation:

•  The Group continues to strengthen its partner network. The Group seeks to ensure that it has a diversity of 
relationships to ensure that no one university or US government laboratory has inordinate influence on our 
prospects.  At  the  same  time  we  seek  to  develop  deep  relationships  with  select  research  institutions  and 
corporate partners, as well as build out a network of industry-specific relationships, in order to strengthen the 
quality and quantity of new deal opportunities.

•  The risk of losing deal flow through the termination of relationships is greatly lessened by the wide portfolio 

and geographic spread of our partners.

•  The  Group  is  fostering  new  relationships  with  strategic  corporate  partners  to  expand  and  strengthen  its 

partner network and pipeline for opportunities.

4.  A majority of the Group’s intellectual property relates to technologies originated in the course of research 
conducted in, and initially funded by, US universities or other federally-funded research institutions. Although 
the Group has been granted exclusive licenses to use this intellectual property, there are certain limitations 
inherent in these licenses, for example as required by the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980.

Impact: There are certain circumstances where the US government has rights to utilise the underlying intellectual 
property without any economic benefit flowing back to the Group. In the event this were to happen, this could 
impact the financial return to the Group on its investment in the applicable subsidiary businesses.

Mitigation:

•  To the Board’s knowledge, while these so called “march in” rights exist, the US government has never had 

cause to use them.

•  The Group seeks to develop dual use capabilities for the technology it licenses and generally tends to avoid 

use cases directly applicable to government use.

•  This risk is also mitigated through employing experienced technology transfer experts supported by our legal 

team to assess risks that may arise out of this eventuality.

5.  The Group, including certain of the subsidiary businesses, currently has in place cooperative research and 
development  agreements  with  certain  US  Department  of  Defense  laboratories  and  other  federally  funded 
government institutions. Certain regulatory measures apply to these agreements which restrict the export of 
information and material that may be used for military or intelligence applications by a non-US person, and 
compliance with these regulatory measures may be complex and limit commercial alternatives.

Impact: If the Group were to breach restrictions on the use of certain licensed technologies, particularly those 
derived from federally funded research facilities, this could materially impact upon the Group’s ability to license 
additional  intellectual  property  from  these  establishments.  In  certain  circumstances  it  may  also  lead  to  the 
termination of existing licenses. In the event that this were to happen, this could materially affect a number of the 
Group’s businesses and potentially harm the reputation and standing of the Group and cause the termination of 
certain important relationships with federally funded research institutions.

38

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
RISK MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED)  

Mitigation:

•  Prior  to licensing any technology under these agreements, the Group’s management seeks to identify the 
commercial and other alternatives available for products and services associated with such technology and 
innovations, and to ensure that there are sufficient markets available to justify the capital investment.

•  Prior to the commercialisation process, the Group’s management seeks to obtain all the necessary clearances 
from applicable regulatory bodies to ensure that the export of products based upon the licensed IP is strictly 
in accordance with government guidelines.

•  The Group employs a number of individuals with experience in working with various government agencies.

•  Senior  management  is  fully  cognisant  of  the  regulations  and  sensitivities  in  relation  to  this  issue  and  in 
particular  with  International  Traffic  in  Arms  Regulations  (ITAR)  which  regulate  the  use  of  technologies  for 
export, and has numerous mitigating actions available should issues arise.

6.  The  Group  operates  in  complex  and  specialised  business  domains  and  requires  highly  qualified  and 
experienced management to implement its strategy successfully. All of the operations of the Group and its 
subsidiary businesses are located in the United States, which is a highly competitive employment market. 
Furthermore, given the relatively small size of the senior management at the corporate level, the Group is 
reliant on a small number of key individuals.

Impact: There is a risk that the Group may lose key personnel, or fail to attract or retain new personnel. The 
loss of key personnel would have an adverse impact on the ability of the Group to continue to grow and may 
negatively affect the Group’s competitive advantage.

Mitigation:

•  The Board annually seeks external expertise to assess the competitiveness of the compensation packages 
of its senior management, and to ensure that the structure of compensation is designed to properly incent 
performance and retention.

•  Senior  management  continually  monitor  and  assess  compensation  levels  to  ensure  the  Group  remains 

competitive in the employment market.

•  While staff turnover has historically been low and the Group continues to attract highly qualified individuals, 

management encourages development and inclusion through coaching and mentoring programmes.

7.  A large proportion of the overall value of the Group’s businesses may be concentrated in a small proportion 
of the Group’s businesses. If one or more of the intellectual property rights relevant to a valuable business 
were terminated, this would have a material adverse impact on the overall value of the Group’s businesses.

Impact: The termination of critical IP licenses would materially impact the value of the subsidiary business and 
have a consequent effect on the value of the overall Group.

39

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
RISK MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED)  

Mitigation:

•  In each subsidiary, the management is specifically directed to pursue a policy of generating and patenting 
additional intellectual property to both provide additional protection and create direct IP ownership for the 
subsidiary business.

•  Where possible, the Group seeks to negotiate intellectual property ownership rights in any research and 
development agreement it enters into with a network partner, such that the Group becomes a part owner of 
the underlying IP.

•  The Group has a diversified portfolio of subsidiary businesses. The value of any one of its subsidiaries relative 
to the aggregate value of the Group is closely monitored to ensure that the concentration of risk of any one 
subsidiary is not disproportionate.

8.  Clinical  studies  and  other  trials  to  assess  the  commercial  viability  of  a  product  are  typically  expensive, 
complex and time-consuming, and have uncertain outcomes. If the Company fails to complete or experiences 
delays in completing trials for any of its product candidates, it may not be able to obtain regulatory approval 
or commercialise its product candidates on a timely basis, or at all.

Impact: Significant delays in any of the clinical studies to support the appropriate regulatory approvals could 
significantly impact the amount of capital required for the subsidiary business to achieve final regulatory approval, 
which in turn may impact the value of such subsidiary. A critical failure in any stage of a clinical testing programme 
would probably necessitate a termination of the project and a loss of the Group’s investment.

Mitigation:

•  The Group has dedicated internal resources within each subsidiary business to establish and monitor each 

of the clinical programmes in order to try and maximise successful outcomes.

•  During the evaluation and due diligence phase prior to the initial investment, focus is placed on an analysis 

of the risks of the clinical phase of development.

•  Prior to the launch of any clinical trials it will be normal for a dedicated management team (and an advisory 
team to include key opinion leaders (KOLs)) to be hired, and experience with the management of clinical 
programmes would be a prerequisite qualification.

•  In the event of the outsourcing of these trials, care and attention is given to assure the quality of the Contract 

Research Organization (CRO) vendors used to perform the work.

9.  The US Investment Company Act of 1940 regulates companies which are engaged primarily in the business 
of  investing,  reinvesting,  owning,  holding  or  trading  in  securities.  Securities  issued  by  companies  other 
than consolidated partner companies are generally considered ‘‘investment securities’’ for purposes of the 
Investment Company Act, unless other circumstances exist which actively involve the company holding such 
interests in the management of the underlying company.

40

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
RISK MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED)  

Impact: If the Company is deemed to be an ‘‘investment company’’ subject to regulation under the Investment 
Company  Act,  applicable  restrictions  could  make  it  impractical  for  the  Group  to  continue  its  business  as 
contemplated  and  could  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  its  business.  If  anything  were  to  happen  which 
would cause the Company to be deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, 
requirements imposed by the Investment Company Act, including limitations on capital structure, ability to transact 
business with subsidiaries and ability to compensate key employees, could make it impractical for it to continue 
its business as currently conducted.

Mitigation:

•  The Company intends to monitor and conduct its operations so that it will not be deemed to be an investment 

company under the Investment Company Act.

•  The Company seeks to build value by forming majority-owned or primarily controlled subsidiary companies; it 
is not engaged primarily in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading in securities and 
does not own or propose to acquire investment securities above prescribed thresholds under the Investment 
Company Act.

•  Currently the Company holds more than 50% of the voting securities of each of its subsidiary companies 
(other than Spin Transfer Technologies, where it owns 48.40%), and intends to continue to try to structure 
its new businesses in such a way as to hold majority of the voting securities in its operating subsidiaries, or 
otherwise obtain and maintain primary control.

•  In addition to ownership levels, the Company seeks to obtain and maintain primary control of its subsidiary 

businesses through a combination of the following:

 o Rights  to  elect  representatives  to  the  board  of  directors,  with  ability  to  exercise  influence  over  the 

subsidiary’s business strategy, operating plans, budgets and key corporate decisions;

 o Legal  rights,  such  as  access  to  information  (books  and  records)  and  financial  statements,  liquidation 

preferences, registrations rights, rights of first refusal, pre-emptive rights and co-sale rights;

 o Protective provisions, such as rights to block certain subsidiary actions; and

 o Active  involvement  in  the  management  of  the  subsidiary,  such  as  shared  service  support,  business 

development introductions, co-locating, and key management recruiting.

10.The Group expects to remain viable through December 2020 given its current cash and financial position. 
However, if the Group is unable to raise capital, generate sufficient revenue, appropriately manage expenses, 
or  exit  any  of  its  existing  Group  businesses  prior  to  the  end  of  such  period,  then  the  Group’s  business, 
financial condition, results of operations, prospects and future viability could be adversely affected.

Impact: Lack of capital could restrict the Group’s ability to further fund, develop and commercialise its existing 
businesses and prevent the Group from investing in attractive new opportunities. In turn, this could ultimately lead 
to failure of individual subsidiaries and loss of investment as well as failure of the Group as a whole.

41

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
RISK MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED)  

Mitigation:

•  The Group maintains close relationships with its shareholder base, strategic partners, and a wide group of 

investors to ensure it continuous access to the capital markets.

•  The Group has historically had a strong financial position, including prior to its initial public offering (IPO), 
and holds significant control over the Company’s investments and how subsidiary company working capital 
requirements are met.

•  The Company strives to maintain majority ownership and/or control over all of the subsidiary companies, so 

that it can seek to influence optimal capital allocation, use of cash, and fund-raising strategy.

•  The Company has built a valuable portfolio of subsidiary businesses since its inception.

•  The Company continuously and critically reviews the progress of its subsidiaries against pre-set milestones 
to ensure its financial capital and human resource is properly allocated to the more promising areas of its 
portfolio to help strengthen and accelerate the Group’s path to monetisation.

BREXIT

On 23 June 2016, the UK electorate voted to leave the European Union in a so-called “Brexit” referendum. The 
full consequences of the decision to leave the European Union will not be known for some time. The uncertainty 
surrounding  the  implementation  and  effect  of  Brexit  has  caused  and  is  likely  to  continue  to  cause  increased 
economic volatility.

It is expected that companies based in the UK and with significant UK and EU operational focus will be the most 
directly impacted by Brexit. All of the Group’s subsidiary businesses are based in the US, and substantially all of 
the business and operations of the Group are conducted in the US. However, the Group has raised significant 
capital in the UK and may need to raise additional capital in the UK in the future to support the growth and 
development of its subsidiaries. The uncertainty caused by Brexit may result in the Group being unable to obtain 
additional capital on a timely basis on commercially acceptable terms.

In addition, Brexit exposes the Group to increased foreign currency risk. Foreign exchange risk is an exposure for 
the Group as it derives substantially all of its revenue in US dollars and the Group’s businesses borrow, account 
in, and are valued in, US dollars, but its shares trade in amounts denominated in pounds sterling. Any capital 
raised by the Group in the UK would be denominated in pounds sterling, but would be allocated to subsidiary 
businesses which operate in the US and whose functional currency is US dollars.

If the Group requires and fails to obtain sufficient capital on acceptable terms, it may be forced to curtail or 
abandon its planned growth activity and to forego further investment in developing certain of its current businesses, 
and otherwise be subject to a material adverse impact on the Group’s business and financial condition.

42

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
RISK MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED)  

CORPORATE AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Details  on  the  Group’s  policies,  activities  and  aims  with  regard  to  its  corporate  and  social  responsibilities, 
including diversity, are included in the Sustainability section on pages 66 to 69 and are incorporated into this 
Strategic Report by reference.

This Strategic Report has been approved by the Board of Directors.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Peter Dolan 
Chairman 

22 March 2018

Jill Smith
Chief Executive Officer

43

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017Strategic Report   
 
THE BOARD    

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

Jill Smith – Chief Executive Officer and President

Jill joined Allied Minds as a Non-Executive Director in January 2016, and has served in the role of Chief Executive 
Officer, President and Executive Director since March 2017. Jill has more than 25 years of experience as an 
international business leader, including 16 years as Chief Executive Officer of private and public companies in 
the technology and information services markets. Most recently, Jill served as Chairman, Chief Executive Officer 
and President of DigitalGlobe Inc. (NYSE:DGI), a global provider of satellite imagery products and services. 
Beginning her career as a consultant at Bain & Company, where she rose to become Partner, other leadership 
capacities in which she has served include Vice President of Sara Lee, Chief Executive Officer and President of 
eDial, Chief Executive Officer and President of SRDS, L.P., Chief Operating Officer of Micron Electronics, and 
Co-Founder of Treacy & Company, a consulting and boutique investment business. Currently, Jill serves as an 
independent director on the Boards of Directors of Endo International plc (NASDAQ: ENDP), Gemalto N.V. 
(Euronext: GTO), and J.M. Huber Corporation. She will not be standing for re-election at the Endo AGM in 
June 2018. Jill also expects to resign from the Board of Gemalto in the second half of 2018, when Gemalto 
expects to complete its sale to Thales (Euronext Paris: HO). Jill holds a Master of Science degree in Business 
Administration  from  the  MIT  Sloan  School  of  Management.  Jill  served  as  a  member  of  the  Audit  Committee 
until March 2017, when she was replaced by Kevin Sharer upon her appointment as Chief Executive Officer, 
President and Executive Director.

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

Peter Dolan – Non-Executive Chairman

Peter joined Allied Minds in April 2014. Peter has 30 years of operating experience, including 18 years at 
Bristol-Myers Squibb, where he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He subsequently served as 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Gemin X, a venture capital backed oncology company that was sold 
to Cephalon. Peter is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Tufts University having served in several leadership 
capacities, including Vice Chair, and as a member of the Compensation, Academic Affairs and Audit Committees, 
before his election as Chairman in November 2013. Most recently, Peter served on the Board of Overseers of 
the Tuck School at Dartmouth College and on the Board of Directors of the National Centre on Addiction and 
Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Additionally, he has served on the Boards of the American Express 
Company,  C-Change  (a  cancer  coalition  organisation),  and  was  Chairman  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Research 
and Manufacturers of America. Peter holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tufts University in Social Psychology 
and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Peter was 
appointed to the Board in May 2014, and has served as Chairman since May 2015.

Rick Davis – Senior Independent Director

Rick joined Allied Minds in August 2011. Rick is an internationally recognised political leader with more than 
30 years of experience in business and public affairs. Rick currently serves as a Partner and Chief Operating 
Officer at Pegasus Capital Advisors, a $2.2 billion private equity fund founded in 1995. He has a long and 
distinguished career in both the public and private sector. Having served on President Ronald Reagan’s political 
team,  Rick  also  served  in  three  Reagan  Administration  Cabinet  Agencies  including  as White  House  Special 
Assistant to the President for the Domestic Policy Council. In his capacity in the White House, Rick managed all 
policy development related to Climate, Energy and Environment. President George H.W. Bush appointed him 
as Deputy Executive Director for the White House Conference on Science and Economic Research Related to 
Global Climate Change. While in the private sector, Rick built one of the most influential and successful public 
affairs  companies  in  the  United  States.  In  2000  and  2008,  Rick  served  as  Senator  John  McCain’s  national 
campaign  manager  leading  all  aspects  of  the  campaign  activity.  While  serving  as  Senator  McCain’s  chief 

44

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
THE BOARD (CONTINUED)  

strategist and political advisor, Rick was integral in the development of some key legislative initiatives including 
ground breaking Climate Legislation and Campaign Finance Reform. Rick currently serves on the Board of The 
Environmental  Defense  Action  Fund  developing  initiatives  and  ties  to  the  corporate  community  that  promotes 
better stewardship of the environment. Rick was appointed to the Board in May 2014, but was a member of the 
predecessor company board since 2011. Rick serves on each of the Audit and Nomination (Chair) Committees, 
and served on the Remuneration Committee until November 2017 when he was replaced by Harry Rein. Rick 
will retire and not seek re-election at the AGM to be held in May 2018, and will be replaced by Kevin Sharer 
as Senior Independent Director, and Harry Rein as Chair of the Nomination Committee.

Harry Rein – Independent Non-Executive Director

Harry  joined  Allied  Minds  in  November  2017.  Harry  brings  extensive  experience  from  the  venture  capital 
sector,  most  recently  serving  as  General  Partner  for  10  years  at  Foundation  Medical  Partners,  having  been 
instrumental in its formation. Foundation is an early stage venture capital firm focused on the healthcare sector. 
Prior to Foundation, Harry served as Founder and Managing Partner at Canaan Partners. Harry was responsible 
for life sciences investments at both Foundation and Canaan. Prior to Canaan, Harry was President and CEO 
of GE Venture Capital Corporation, having joined General Electric Company in 1979. He directed several of 
General Electric’s lighting businesses before joining the venture capital subsidiary. Mr Rein currently serves on the 
Board of DeliverCareRX and served on the Board of Anadigics (NASDAQ: ANAD) until 2016. He has served 
on the Board of over 20 public and private entrepreneurial companies, including: Cell Pathways; OraPharma; 
National  MD;  OmniSonics;  GenVec  (NASDAQ:  GNVC);  CardioNet  (NASDAQ:  BEAT)  and  Spine  Wave, 
and  was  an  investor  in  Praecis  Pharmaceuticals  (NASDAQ:  PRCS).  Mr  Rein  attended  Emory  University  and 
Oglethorpe College (1969) and holds a MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia (1973). Harry 
serves on each of the Audit and Remuneration Committees.

Jeff Rohr – Independent Non-Executive Director

Jeff joined Allied Minds in April 2014. He has 30 years of senior management experience at Deloitte LLP. Jeff 
has career long experience serving clients in a multitude of industries and extensive experience in governance 
processes having last served in the role of Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer at Deloitte. In the role of 
Chief Financial Officer, Jeff was responsible for all aspects of financial affairs of the Deloitte Global Firm and the 
Deloitte US Firm, including strategy, accounting and financial reporting, treasury, capital adequacy, liquidity, 
taxes, pensions, and risk management. Previously, Jeff served as the Managing Partner of Deloitte’s Midwest 
and Mid-Atlantic regions as well as National Director of Deloitte’s Business Planning. Currently, Jeff serves on 
a number of Boards and Foundations. He is a member of the Board of Directors of American Express National 
Bank where he is the Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee, has served for ten years as Chairman of the 
Audit Committee of the Florida State University Foundation Board of Trustees and is Chairman of the College of 
Business Board of Governors. Jeff is a graduate of Florida State University with a B.S. degree in Accounting and 
is a Certified Public Accountant. Jeff was appointed to the Board in May 2014, and serves on each of the Audit 
(Chairman), Nomination, and Remuneration Committees.

Kevin Sharer – Independent Non-Executive Director

Kevin joined Allied Minds in June 2015. Globally recognised as a leader and mentor to senior management 
teams engaged in high-growth strategies, Kevin spent more than 20 years leading Amgen, the world’s largest 
independent  biotechnology  firm,  starting  as  President  and  Chief  Operating  Officer  and  then  taking  over  as 
Chairman  and  Chief  Executive  Officer.  Kevin  began  his  career  in  the  United  States  Navy,  serving  as  Chief 
Engineer on the USS Memphis and later rising to become a Lieutenant Commander. After his service, Kevin 
worked  as  a  consultant  at  McKinsey  &  Co.,  in  corporate  development  at  General  Electric  Co.,  and  as  an 
Executive Vice President in Marketing at MCI Telecommunications Corp. Having previously served on the Boards 

45
45

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
THE BOARD (CONTINUED)  

of Directors of Chevron Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp., Kevin is currently a faculty member at Harvard 
Business School, where he teaches General Management and other classes. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Science 
degree and a Master of Arts degree in Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of 
Business Administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. 
Kevin was appointed to the Board in June 2015, and serves on each of Nomination, and Remuneration (Chair) 
Committees,  and  served  on  the  Audit  Committee  from  March  2017  until  November  2017  when  he  was 
replaced by Harry Rein.

FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Chris Silva – Chief Executive Officer (resigned)

Chris  joined  Allied  Minds  in  March  2006,  and  resigned  his  appointments  as  Chief  Executive  Officer  and 
Executive Director in March 2017. Chris was appointed to the Board in April 2014, but was a member of the 
predecessor company board since 2006.

TABLE OF BOARD ATTENDANCE

The table below summarises the attendance of the Directors at the scheduled meetings held during the year:

Director

Jill Smith

Peter Dolan

Rick Davis

Harry Rein

Jeff Rohr

Kevin Sharer

Chris Silva

Notes:

Meetings Attended

Audit 
Committee

Nomination 
Committee

Remuneration 
Committee

1 of 1

n/a

2 of 4

1 of 1

4 of 4

1 of 2

n/a

n/a

n/a

1 of 3

n/a

3 of 3

3 of 3

n/a

n/a

n/a

4 of 5

1 of 1

6 of 6

5 of 6

n/a

Board

8 of 8

8 of 8

6 of 8

1 of 1

7 of 8

7 of 8

1 of 1

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

 Ms. Smith served as a member of the Audit Committee until 10 March 2017, when she was replaced by Kevin Sharer upon her appointment 
as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director.

 Mr. Davis served as a member of the Remuneration Committee until 6 November 2017, when he was replaced by Harry Rein upon Mr. Rein’s 
appointment as a Non-Executive Director.

 Mr. Sharer served as a member of the Audit Committee from 10 March 2017 until 6 November 2017, when he was replaced by Harry Rein 
upon Mr. Rein’s appointment as a Non-Executive Director.

(4) 

 Mr. Silva resigned as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director as of 10 March 2017.

(5) 

The missed meetings were as a result of unexpected scheduling conflicts.

46

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REPORT     

The  Directors  present  their  report  together  with  the  audited  financial  statements  for  Allied  Minds  plc  and  its 
subsidiaries for the year ended 31 December 2017. The Company was incorporated on 15 April 2014 under 
the UK Companies Act 2006 (Companies Act).

DIRECTORS

The Directors of the Company as at 31 December 2017 were those listed on pages 44 to 46, and these pages 
are incorporated into this Directors’ Report by reference. The changes to the composition of the Board during the 
year were:

•  The  appointment  of  Jill  Smith  as  an  Executive  Director  in  March  2017  upon  her  appointment  as  Chief 

Executive Officer.

•  The resignation of Chris Silva as an Executive Director in March 2017 in connection with his resignation as 

Chief Executive Officer.

•  The appointment of Harry Rein as a Non-Executive Director in November 2017.

Each of Chris Silva and Rick Davis served on the predecessor company board. The Directors’ interests in the 
share capital of the Company are as shown in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on page 92. None of the 
Directors were materially interested in any significant contract to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries 
were party during the year.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Information that fulfils the requirements of the corporate governance statement can be found in the Corporate 
Governance Report on pages 55 to 65, the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 70 to 103, and the Audit 
Committee Report on pages 104 to 107, and is incorporated into this Report of the Directors by reference.

DIRECTORS’ COMPENSATION FOR LOSS OF OFFICE

During 2017, a payment for loss of office was made to Mr. Silva as a result of his resignation as Chief Executive 
Officer on 10 March 2017. Full detail is disclosed on page 91, and pages 98 to 100, within the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report.

EMPLOYEES

The Group’s policies in relation to employees are disclosed on page 69, and these pages are incorporated into 
this Directors’ Report by reference.

RESULTS AND DIVIDENDS

During the period, the Group generated a net comprehensive loss after taxation for the year ended 31 December 
2017 of $111.1 million (2016: $128.7 million). The Directors do not recommend the payment of a dividend 
for 2017 (2016: nil).

47
47

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONTINUED)  

STRATEGIC REPORT

The  Group’s  Strategic  Report  can  be  found  on  pages  3  to  43,  and  includes  information  as  to  the  Group’s 
activities in the field of research and development, and as to the likely future development of the Group. Financial 
key performance indicators can be found on pages 17 to 18.

The  Strategic  Report  contains  forward-looking  statements  with  respect  to  the  business  of  Allied  Minds.  These 
statements reflect the Board’s current view, are subject to a number of material known and unknown events, risks 
and uncertainties, and could change in the future. Factors that could cause or contribute to such changes include, 
but are not limited to, general economic climate and trading conditions, as well as specific factors relating to the 
financial or commercial prospects or performance of the Group’s individual subsidiary companies, the ability to 
consummate expected transactions, and the ability to identify promising new technologies invented by university 
or Federal laboratory partners.

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES AND FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

The  Group  through  its  operations  is  exposed  to  a  number  of  risks.  The  Group’s  risk  management  objectives 
and policies are described on pages 36 to 43 and in the Corporate Governance Report on page 64. Further 
information  on  the  Group’s  financial  risk  management  objectives  and  policies,  including  those  in  relation  to 
credit risk, liquidity risk and market risk, is provided in note 23 to the consolidated financial statements, along 
with further information on the Group’s use of financial instruments. The pages referenced in this paragraph are 
incorporated into this Directors’ Report by reference.

SIGNIFICANT AGREEMENTS

The Group has not entered into any significant agreements which may be impacted by a change of control 
following a takeover bid.

SHARE CAPITAL

Details of the structure of the Company’s share capital and the rights attaching to the Company’s shares are set 
out in note 16 to the consolidated financial statements. Other than the minimum share ownership policy adopted 
by the Board in April 2016 with respect to Executive Directors, there are no specific restrictions on the holding 
of securities or on the transfer of shares, which are both governed by the general provisions of the Company’s 
Articles of Association (Articles) and prevailing legislation. None of the ordinary shares carry any special rights 
with regard to control of the Company and there are no restrictions on voting rights.

In connection with the strategic alliance entered into with GE Ventures in September 2016, GE Ventures received 
an option to participate in any future capital raise by the Company for at least 6% of the total raise, subject to 
current pre-emption rights, applicable authorisations and applicable laws and regulations.

At the last Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 1 June 2017 (2017 AGM), authority was given to 
the Directors pursuant to the relevant provisions of the Companies Act to allot unissued relevant securities in the 
Company up to a maximum amount equivalent to approximately one-third of the issued ordinary share capital 
on 24 April 2017 at any time up to the earlier of the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting (AGM) of 
the Company and 1 September 2018. In addition, at the 2017 AGM, the Directors were also given authority 
effective for the same period as the aforementioned authority to allot relevant securities in the Company up to a 
maximum of approximately two-thirds of the total ordinary share capital in issue on 24 April 2017 in connection 

48

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONTINUED)  

with an offer by way of a fully preemptive rights issue. The Directors propose to renew both of these authorities 
at the Company’s next AGM to be held on 23 May 2018. The authorities being sought are in accordance with 
guidance issued by the Investment Association.

A special resolution passed at the 2017 AGM granted authority to the Directors to allot equity securities in the 
Company for cash, without regard to the pre-emption provisions of the Companies Act, both: (i) up to a maximum 
of approximately two-thirds of the total ordinary share capital in issue on 24 April 2017 in connection with a 
fully preemptive rights issue; and (ii) up to a maximum of approximately 5% of the aggregate nominal value of 
the shares in issue on 24 April 2017. A further special resolution passed at the 2017 AGM granted authority 
to the Directors to allot equity securities in the Company for cash, without regard to the pre-emption provisions of 
the Companies Act, up to a maximum of approximately 5% of the aggregate nominal value of the shares in issue 
on 24 April 2017, to be used only for the purposes of financing (or refinancing, if the authority is to be used 
within six months after the original transaction) a transaction which the Directors determine to be an acquisition 
or other capital investment of a kind contemplated by the Pre-emption Group’s Statement of Principles. These 
authorities are exercisable at any time up to the earlier of the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company and 
1 September 2018. None of these authorities were used during 2017. The Directors will seek to renew these 
authorities for a similar period at the next AGM to be held on 23 May 2018. Further details of such authorities 
are set forth in the Notice of AGM circulated with this Report and Accounts.

The Directors intend to adhere to the provisions in the Pre-emption Group’s Statement of Principles, as updated 
in March 2015, and not to allot shares for cash on a non-pre-emptive basis:

•  in excess of an amount equal to 5% of the total issued ordinary share capital of the Company (excluding 

treasury shares); or

•  in excess of an amount equal to 7.5% of the total issued ordinary share capital of the Company (excluding 

treasury shares) within a rolling three-year period, without prior consultation with shareholders,

in each case, other than in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment which is announced 
contemporaneously  with  the  allotment  or  which  has  taken  place  in  the  preceding  six-month  period  and  is 
disclosed in the announcement of the allotment.

Under the Companies Act, the Company has the power to purchase its own shares in accordance with Part 
18,  Chapter  5  of  the  Companies  Act.  At  the  2017  AGM,  a  special  resolution  was  passed  which  granted 
the Directors authority to make market purchases of the Company’s shares pursuant to these provisions of the 
Companies Act up to a maximum of approximately 10% of the Company’s issued share capital on 24 April 
2017 provided that the authority granted set a minimum and maximum price at which purchases can be made 
and is exercisable at any time up to the earlier of the conclusion of the next AGM and 1 September 2018. This 
authority has not been used during the year and therefore the outstanding authority is 23,424,624. The Directors 
will seek to renew the authority within similar parameters and for a similar period at the next AGM to be held 
on 23 May 2018.

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

The Company’s Articles may be amended by a special resolution of the shareholders.

49
49

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONTINUED)  

SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDERS

As at 31 December 2017, the Company had been advised of the following notifiable interests in the Company’s 
voting rights under DTR 5. Other than as shown, so far as the Company (and its directors) are aware, no other 
person holds or is beneficially interested in a disclosable interest in the Company.

Shareholder

Woodford Investment Management

Invesco Asset Management Limited

GIC Private Limited

Mark Pritchard

P3 Private Equity Fund

Number of Shares

Percentage

 65,939,855 

 52,250,164 

 19,382,360 

 15,197,240 

7,721,846

27.53%

21.82%

8.09%

6.35%

3.22%

POLITICAL AND CHARITABLE DONATIONS

The Group did not make any political or charitable donations in 2016, and did not make any political donations 
in 2017. Allied Minds made a charitable contribution in the amount of $25,000 in 2017 to the American Red 
Cross in order to assist the victims who were displaced and severely impacted due to the catastrophic effects of 
Hurricane Harvey.

CORPORATE AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Details on the Group’s policies, activities and aims with regard to its corporate and social responsibilities are 
included in the Sustainability section on pages 66 to 69, and are incorporated into this Director’s Report by 
reference.

DIRECTORS’ INDEMNITY AND LIABILITY INSURANCE

During the year, the Company has maintained liability insurance in respect of its directors who held office during 
the period. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act, the Articles provide that every director is entitled to 
be indemnified out of the funds of the Company against any liabilities incurred in the execution or discharge of 
his or her powers or duties.

ISSUANCE OF EQUITY BY MAJOR SUBSIDIARY UNDERTAKING

None of the Company’s major subsidiary undertakings (as defined in the Listing Rules) issued equity in 2017.

50

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONTINUED)  

REQUIREMENTS OF THE LISTING RULES

The following table provides references to where the information required by Listing Rule 9.8.4R is disclosed:

Section

Listing Rule requirement

Interest capitalised

Publication of unaudited financial information

Details of long-term incentive schemes

Waiver of emoluments by a director

Location

Not applicable

Not applicable

Directors’ Remuneration Report, page 70

Directors’ Remuneration Report, page 70

Waiver of future emoluments by a director

Not applicable

Non pre-emptive issues of equity for cash

Non pre-emptive issues of equity for cash by any major
subsidiary undertaking

Parent participation in a placing by a listed subsidiary

Contract of significance with director

Contract of significance with a controlling shareholder

Provision of services by a controlling shareholder

Shareholder waivers of dividends

Shareholder waivers of future dividends

Relationship agreements with the controlling shareholder

Notes to the Consolidated Financial 
Statements, Note 16

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

1

2

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

POST BALANCE SHEET EVENTS

Material events occurring since the balance sheet date are disclosed in the Strategic Report. In summary, they 
are:

•  Spin Transfer secured $10.3 million of funding via a convertible bridge facility with existing shareholders of 
the Group in January 2018, which satisfied Allied Minds’ commitment to fulfill the remaining balance of the 
2017 bridge facility with Spin Transfer.

•  Percipient completed a sale of assets to WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. in January 2018.

•  The  Group  ceased  operations  and  dissolved  each  of  Whitewood  Encryption  and  Seamless  Devices 

subsequent to year end.

VIABILITY STATEMENT

While the financial statements and accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis, section C.2.2 of 
the 2016 revision of the UK Corporate Governance Code (Code) requires the Directors to make a statement 
in the Annual Report with regard to the viability of the Group, including explaining how they have assessed the 
prospects of the Group, the period of time for which they have made the assessment, and why they consider that 
period to be appropriate. Accordingly, the Directors conducted this assessment over the three years to December 
2020, taking into account the Group’s current position, investment strategy, and the principal risks detailed in the 
Strategic Report. The three year period is on the assumption that further external funding is provided to the Group 
either in the form of proceeds from subsidiary exit events or further parent company fund raises. In the event that 

51
51

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONTINUED)  

further  external  funding  is  not  obtained,  the  Directors  have  mitigating  actions  available  such  as  lowering  the 
deployment of capital. The Directors believe that a three-year assessment is most appropriate as it aligns with the 
Group’s normal and well-established budgeting process. In making their assessment, the Directors considered a 
wide range of information, including present and future economic conditions, future projections of profitability, 
cash flows and capital requirements and the Group’s ability to raise further capital from external fundings.

The Group’s annual budgeting process builds into a robust three-year plan, which is the period the Directors 
consider as an appropriate period to be covered by the viability statement. This plan forms the basis for strategic 
decisions across the Group. The consolidated plan is reviewed and approved annually by the Directors at the 
beginning of the year. The plan is then deployed down to the subsidiary businesses and used to set performance 
metrics and objectives (MBOs). Progress against the original plan is reviewed quarterly by the Directors, and 
adjustments to the plan can be made if needed to address new risks or take advantage of new opportunities.

In summary, the Directors have assessed the viability of the Group over the three year period to December 2020. 
They  were  comforted  by  the  Group’s  strong  financial  position,  its  ability  to  raise  or  borrow  capital,  its  long-
term investment objectives, the stability of the business model, the Group’s control over its investments and how 
working capital requirements are met. Based on this assessment, the Directors have a reasonable expectation 
that the Group will be able to continue in operation and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the three year 
period to December 2020.

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO AUDITOR

Each of the persons who is a Director at the date of approval of this Annual Report confirms that:

•  so far as the Director is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the Company’s auditor is 

unaware; and

•  the Director has taken all steps that he or she ought to have taken as a Director in order to make himself or 
herself aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the Company’s auditor is aware of that 
information.

This confirmation is given and should be interpreted in accordance with the provisions of Section 418 of the 
Companies Act.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held at 11 a.m. BST on 23 May 2018 at the offices of DLA Piper 
UK LLP, 3 Noble Street, London EC2V 7EE, United Kingdom. The Notice of AGM circulated with this Report and 
Accounts contains a full explanation of the business to be conducted at that meeting. This includes a resolution 
to re-appoint KPMG LLP as the Company’s auditors.

DIRECTORS’ RESPONSIBILITIES STATEMENT

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and Accounts and the Group and parent Company 
financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company  law  requires  the  Directors  to  prepare  Group  and  parent  Company  financial  statements  for  each 
financial year. Under that law, they are required to prepare the Group financial statements in accordance with 

52

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONTINUED)  

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), as adopted by the European Union (EU) and applicable law 
and have elected to prepare the parent Company financial statements on the same basis.

Under company law, the Directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they 
give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Group and parent Company and of their profit or loss for that 
period. In preparing each of the Group and parent Company financial statements, the Directors are required to:

•  select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

•  make judgements and estimates that are reasonable, relevant and reliable;

•  state whether they have been prepared in accordance with IFRS as adopted by the EU;

•  assess the Group and parent Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, 

matters related to going concern; and

•  use the going concern basis of accounting unless the Directors either intend to liquidate the Group or the 

parent Company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain 
the parent Company’s  transactions and  disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position 
of  the  parent  Company  and  enable  them  to  ensure  that  its  financial  statements  comply  with  the  Companies 
Act 2006. The Directors are responsible for such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the 
preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and 
have general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the 
Group and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.

Under  applicable  law  and  regulations,  the  Directors  are  also  responsible  for  preparing  a  Strategic  Report, 
Directors’ Report, Directors’ Remuneration Report and Corporate Governance Statement that complies with that 
law and those regulations.

The  Directors  are  responsible  for  the  maintenance  and  integrity  of  the  corporate  and  financial  information 
included  on  the  Company’s  website.  Legislation  in  the  UK  governing  the  preparation  and  dissemination  of 
financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT OF THE DIRECTORS IN RESPECT OF THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT

We confirm that to the best of our knowledge:

•  the financial statements, prepared in accordance with the applicable set of accounting standards, give a 
true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Group and the parent 
Company and the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole; and

•  the  Strategic  Report  includes  a  fair  review  of  the  development  and  performance  of  the  business  and  the 
position of the Group and the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole, together with a 
description of the principal risks and uncertainties that they face.

53
53

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONTINUED)  

We consider the Annual Report and Accounts, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and understandable and 
provides the information necessary for shareholders to assess the Group’s position and performance, business 
model and strategy.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Peter Dolan 
Chairman 

22 March 2018

Jill Smith 
Chief Executive Officer

54

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT     

COMPLIANCE WITH THE UK CORPORATE GOVERNANCE CODE

The Directors are committed to a high standard of corporate governance and compliance with the best practice 
of the UK Corporate Governance Code (Code) which was issued by the Financial Reporting Council in 2010 
and revised in April 2016. The Code is available at the Financial Reporting Council website at www.frc.org.uk. 
During the twelve months ended 31 December 2017, the Directors consider that the Company has been in 
compliance with the provisions set out in the Code with the following exception:

•  Contrary to provision D.1.3 of the Code, certain Non-Executive Directors hold restricted stock units (RSUs) 
that vest over time. These RSUs were granted to the Non-Executive Directors in 2015, 2016 and 2017, and 
do not have performance conditions. The Board does not believe that ownership of these RSUs impacts the 
independence of the Non-Executive Directors.

Further explanation as to how the provisions set out in the Code have been applied by the Company is provided 
in  the  following  statement,  the  Directors’  Remuneration  Report,  the  Audit  Committee  Report  and  the  Strategic 
Report.

THE BOARD

Role and Responsibilities of the Board

The  Board  is  responsible  to  shareholders  for  the  overall  management  of  the  Group  as  a  whole,  providing 
entrepreneurial leadership within a framework of controls for assessing and managing risk; defining, challenging 
and interrogating the Group’s strategic aims and direction; maintaining the policy and decision-making framework 
in which such strategic aims are implemented; ensuring that the necessary financial and human resources are 
in  place  to  meet  strategic  aims;  monitoring  performance  against  key  financial  and  non-financial  indicators; 
succession planning; overseeing the system of risk management; setting values and standards in governance 
matters  and  monitoring  policies  and  performance  on  corporate  social  responsibility.  The  Directors  are  also 
responsible for ensuring that obligations to shareholders and other stakeholders are understood and met and a 
satisfactory dialogue with shareholders is maintained. All Directors are equally accountable to the Company’s 
shareholders for the proper stewardship of its affairs and the long-term success of the Group.

The responsibility of the Directors is collective, taking into account their respective roles as Executive Directors and 
Non-Executive Directors. The Executive Directors are directly responsible for running the business operations and 
the Non-Executive Directors are responsible for constructively challenging proposals on strategy, scrutinising the 
performance of management, determining levels of remuneration and for succession planning for the Executive 
Directors. The Non-Executive Directors must also satisfy themselves on the integrity of financial information and 
that financial controls and systems of risk management are robust.

The Board reviews strategic issues on a regular basis and exercises control over the performance of the Group 
by  agreeing  on  budgetary  targets  and  monitoring  performance  against  those  targets.  The  Board  has  overall 
responsibility for the Group’s system of internal controls and risk management, as described on pages 63 to 64. 
Any decisions made by the Board on policies and strategy to be adopted by the Group or changes to current 
policies and strategy are made following presentations by the Executive Directors and a detailed process of 
review and challenge by the Board. Once made, the Executive Directors are fully empowered to implement 
those decisions.

Except for a formal schedule of matters which are reserved for decision and approval by the Board, the Board 
has delegated the day-to-day management of the Group to the Chief Executive Officer who is supported by the 

55
55

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Executive Directors and other members of the senior management team. The schedule of matters reserved for 
Board decision and approval are those significant to the Group as a whole due to their strategic, financial or 
reputational implications.

This schedule is reviewed and updated regularly and currently includes those matters set forth below:

•  Approval and monitoring of the Group’s strategic aims and objectives, and approval of the annual operating 

budget.

•  Strategic acquisitions by the Group.

•  Major disposals of the Group’s assets or subsidiaries.

•  Changes to the Group’s capital structure, the issue of any securities and material borrowing of the Group.

•  Approval of the annual report and half-year results statement, accounting policies and practices or any matter 

having a material impact on future financial performance of the Group.

•  Ensuring a sound system of internal control and risk management.

•  Approval of all circulars, prospectuses and other documents issued to shareholders governed by the FCA’s 
Listing Rules, Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules or the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers.

•  Approving Board appointments and removals, and approving policies relating to directors’ remuneration.

•  The division of responsibility between the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer.

•  Approval of terms of reference and membership of Board Committees.

•  Considering and, where appropriate, approving directors’ conflicts of interest.

•  Approval, subject to shareholder approval, of the appointment and remuneration of the auditors.

•  Major changes in employee share schemes.

•  Insurance and litigation.

The schedule of matters reserved to the Board is available on request from the Company Secretary or within the 
Investors section of the Group’s website at www.alliedminds.com.

The  Board  delegates  specific  responsibilities  to  certain  Committees  that  assist  the  Board  in  carrying  out  its 
functions and ensure independent oversight of internal control and risk management. The three principal Board 
Committees (Audit, Remuneration and Nomination) play an essential role in supporting the Board in fulfilling its 
responsibilities and ensuring that the highest standards of corporate governance are maintained throughout the 
Group. Each Committee has its own terms of reference which set out the specific matters for which delegated 
authority has been given by the Board. The initial terms of reference for each of the Committees, which are 
fully compliant with the provisions of the Code and which reflect both best practice and the recommendations 
arising from the external evaluation process undergone by the Board and its Committees in connection with the 
Company’s IPO, were adopted by the Board during 2014. These were reviewed and updated in November 
2017, and will be reviewed annually on an ongoing basis and updated where necessary. All of these are 

56

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (CONTINUED)  

available  on  request  from  the  Company  Secretary  or  within  the  Investors  section  of  the  Group’s  website  at 
www.alliedminds.com.

Board Size and Composition

As at 31 December 2017, there were six Directors on the Board: the Non-Executive Chairman, one Executive 
Director and four Non-Executive Directors. During the year, changes to the composition of the Board were:

•  The  appointment  of  Jill  Smith  as  an  Executive  Director  in  March  2017  upon  her  appointment  as  Chief 

Executive Officer.

•  The resignation of Chris Silva as an Executive Director in March 2017 in connection with his resignation as 

Chief Executive Officer.

•  The appointment of Harry Rein as a Non-Executive Director in November 2017.

The biographies of all of the Directors are provided on pages 44 to 46.

The Company’s policy relating to the terms of appointment and the remuneration of both Executive and Non-
Executive Directors is detailed in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 70 to 103.

The size and composition of the Board is regularly reviewed by the Board, and in particular the Nomination 
Committee, to ensure there is an appropriate and diverse mix of skills and experience on the Board.

The  Company’s  Articles  of  Association  allow  appointment  of  Directors  by  ordinary  resolution  and  require  all 
Directors to submit themselves for re-election by the shareholders at the Company’s AGM following their first 
appointment and thereafter at each AGM in respect of which they have held office for the two preceding AGMs 
and  did  not  retire  at  either  of  them.  In  addition,  each  director  who  has  held  office  with  the  Company  for  a 
continuous period of nine years or more must retire and offer themselves up for re-election at every AGM.

However, the Company has determined to continue its past practice, and all Directors will submit themselves for 
annual re-election by shareholders at the AGM of the Company to be held on 23 May 2018, with the exception 
of Rick Davis who is retiring from the Board after seven years of service to the Company. The Board recommends 
to shareholders the reappointment of all Directors retiring at the meeting and offering themselves for re-election on 
the basis that independent performance reviews demonstrated that they each contribute effectively to the Board 
and continue to display the appropriate level of commitment in their respective roles.

Diversity

The Board is committed to a culture that attracts and retains talented people to deliver outstanding performance 
and further enhance the success of the Company. In that culture, diversity across a range of criteria is valued, 
primarily in relation to skills, knowledge and experience and also in other criteria such as gender and ethnicity. 
The Company will give careful consideration to issues of overall Board balance and diversity in making new 
appointments to the Board and, in identifying suitable candidates, the Nomination Committee will seek candidates 
from a range of backgrounds, with the final decision being based on merit against objective criteria. In addition, 
the terms of reference of the Nomination Committee include a requirement for the Committee to consider diversity, 
including gender, in evaluating the composition of the Board and in identifying suitable candidates for Board 
appointments. A breakdown of employee gender showing the percentage of persons who were Directors of the 
Company and senior managers during the period covered by this Annual Report can be found on page 69.

57
57

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Non-Executive Directors

The Non-Executive Directors provide a wide range of skills and experience to the Group. They bring their own 
senior level of experience in each of their respective fields, robust opinions and an independent judgement on 
issues of strategy, performance, risk and people. They are well-placed to constructively challenge and scrutinise 
the performance of management at Board and Committee meetings. The Code sets out the circumstances that 
should be relevant to the Board in determining whether each Non-Executive Director is independent. The Board 
considers Non-Executive Director independence on an annual basis as part of each Non-Executive Director’s 
performance evaluation. Having undertaken this review and with due regard to provision B.1.1 of the Code, 
the Board has concluded this year that all of the Non-Executive Directors are considered by the Board to be 
independent of management and free of any relationship or circumstance which could materially influence or 
interfere with, or affect, or appear to affect, the exercise of their independent judgement.

Non-Executive  Directors  are  required  to  obtain  the  approval  of  the  Chairman  before  taking  on  any  further 
appointments and the Chairman and Executive Director require the approval of the Board before adding to their 
commitments. In all cases, the Directors must ensure that their external appointments do not involve excessive time 
commitment or cause a conflict of interest.

The Roles of Chairman and Chief Executive

Peter Dolan is the current Non-Executive Chairman. The division of responsibilities between the Chairman and 
the Chief Executive Officer is clearly established, set out in writing and agreed by the Board. The Chairman is 
responsible for the leadership and conduct of the Board, the conduct of the Group’s affairs and strategy and for 
ensuring effective communication with shareholders. The Chairman facilitates the full and effective contribution of 
Non-Executive Directors at Board and Committee meetings, ensures that they are kept well informed and ensures 
a  constructive  relationship  between  the  Executive  Directors  and  Non-Executive  Directors.  The  Chairman  also 
ensures that the Board Committees carry out their duties, including reporting back to the Board either orally or 
in writing following their meetings at the next Board meeting. The Chairman was deemed to be independent of 
management upon his appointment to the role.

The role of the current Chief Executive Officer, Jill Smith, is to lead the delivery of the strategy and the executive 
management  of  the  Group  and  its  operating  businesses.  She  is  responsible,  amongst  other  things,  for  the 
development and implementation of strategy and processes which enable the Group to meet the requirements 
of shareholders, for delivering the operating plans and budgets for the Group’s businesses, monitoring business 
performance against key performance indicators (KPIs) and reporting on these to the Board and for providing 
the appropriate environment to recruit, engage, retain and develop the high quality personnel needed to deliver 
the Group’s strategy.

Senior Independent Director

Rick Davis is the current Senior Independent Director. A key responsibility of the Senior Independent Director is to 
be available to shareholders in the event that they may feel it inappropriate to relay views through the Chairman 
or Chief Executive Officer. In addition, the Senior Independent Director serves as an intermediary between the 
rest of the Board and the Chairman where necessary and takes the lead when the Non-Executive Directors assess 
the Chairman’s performance and when the appointment of a new Chairman is considered. Further, the Senior 
Independent Director will lead the Board in its deliberations on any matters on which the Chairman is conflicted. 
Kevin Sharer, who was appointed to the Board in June 2015, will succeed Rick Davis as Senior Independent 
Director when Rick retires from the Board at the AGM of the Company to be held on 23 May 2018.

58

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Board Support

The Company Secretary is responsible to the Board for ensuring Board procedures are followed, applicable rules 
and regulations are complied with and that the Board is advised on governance matters and relevant regulatory 
matters.  All  Directors  have  access  to  the  impartial  advice  and  services  of  the  Company  Secretary.  There  is 
also an agreed procedure for directors to take independent professional advice at the Company’s expense. In 
accordance with the Company’s Articles of Association and a contractual Deed of Indemnity, directors have 
been granted an indemnity issued by the Company to the extent permitted by law in respect of liabilities incurred 
to third parties as a result of their office. The indemnity would not provide any coverage where a director is 
proved  to  have  acted  fraudulently  or  with  willful  misconduct.  The  Company  has  also  arranged  appropriate 
insurance coverage in respect of legal action against its directors and officers.

Board Meetings and Decisions

The Board meets regularly during the year, as well as when required by business need. The Board had eight 
scheduled  Board  meetings  in  2017.  During  their  term  of  service,  each  of  the  Directors  were  present  at  the 
meetings during the year as set out in the table on page 46. The Chairman and Non-Executive Directors also 
met without the presence of the Executive Directors four times during the year.

The  schedule  of  Board  and  Committee  meetings  each  year  is,  so  far  as  is  possible,  determined  before  the 
commencement of that year and all Directors or, if appropriate, all Committee members are expected to attend 
each meeting. Supplementary meetings of the Board and/or the Committees are held as and when necessary. 
Each  member  of  the  Board  receives  detailed  Board  packs,  including  an  agenda  based  upon  the  schedule 
of  matters  reserved  for  its  approval,  appropriate  reports  and  briefing  papers  in  advance  of  each  scheduled 
meeting. If a director is unable to attend a meeting due to exceptional circumstances, he or she will still receive 
the supporting papers and is expected to discuss any matters he or she wishes to raise with the Chairman in 
advance of the meeting. The Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary 
work together to ensure that the Directors receive relevant information to enable them to discharge their duties 
and that such information is accurate, timely and clear. This information includes quarterly management accounts 
containing analysis of performance against budget and other forecasts. Additional information is provided as 
appropriate or if requested. At each meeting, the Board receives information, reports and presentations from the 
Chief Executive Officer and, by invitation, other members of senior management as required. This ensures that 
all Directors are aware of, and are in a position to monitor effectively, the overall performance of the Group, its 
development and implementation of strategy and its management of risk.

Any matter requiring a decision by the Board is supported by a paper analysing the relevant aspects of the 
proposal  including  costs,  benefits,  potential  risks  involved  and  proposed  executive  management  action  and 
recommendations.

The majority of Board meetings are held at the Group’s offices in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, which gives 
members of the Company’s senior management team, as well as the senior managers of the subsidiaries, the 
opportunity to formally present to the Board on business development and new investment opportunities. This 
assists the Board in gaining a deeper understanding of the breadth, stage of development and diversity of the 
Group’s subsidiaries. Meetings between the Chairman and Non-Executive Directors, both with and without the 
presence of the Chief Executive Officer, are also held as the need arises.

Directors’ Conflicts of Interest

Each director has a statutory duty under the Companies Act to avoid a situation in which he or she has or can 
have  a  direct  or  indirect  interest  that  conflicts  or  may  potentially  conflict  with  the  interests  of  the  Company. 

59
59

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (CONTINUED)  

This duty is in addition to the continuing duty that a director owes to the Company to disclose to the Board 
any  transaction  or  arrangement  under  consideration  by  the  Company  in  which  he  or  she  is  interested.  The 
Company’s Articles of Association permit the Board to authorise conflicts or potential conflicts of interest. The 
Board  has  established  procedures  for  managing  and,  where  appropriate,  authorising  any  such  conflicts  or 
potential conflicts of interest. It is a recurring agenda item at all Board meetings and this gives the directors the 
opportunity to raise at the beginning of every Board meeting, any actual of potential conflict of interests that 
they may have on the matters to be discussed, or to update the Board on any change to a previous conflict of 
interest already declared. In deciding whether to authorise any conflict, the directors must have regard to their 
general duties under the Companies Act and their overriding obligation to act in a way they consider, in good 
faith, will be most likely to promote the Company’s success. In addition, the directors are able to impose limits or 
conditions when giving authorisation to a conflict or potential conflict of interest if they think this is appropriate. 
The authorisation of any conflict matter, and the terms of any authorisation, may be reviewed by the Board at any 
time. The Board believes that the procedures established to deal with conflicts of interest are operating effectively.

Induction, Awareness and Development

A comprehensive induction process is in place for new directors. The programme is tailored to the needs of each 
individual director and agreed with him or her so that he or she can gain a better understanding of the Group 
and its businesses. This will generally include an overview of the Group and its businesses, structure, functions 
and strategic aims; site visits to the Group’s head office in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; and, upon request, 
site visits to a number of the Group’s subsidiary companies, which will include meeting with such companies’ 
management and a presentation from them on their businesses. In addition, the Company facilitates sessions as 
appropriate with the Group’s advisers, in particular its joint corporate brokers, Credit Suisse International and 
Numis Securities Limited, as well as with appropriate governance specialists, to ensure that any new directors 
are fully aware of and understand their responsibilities and obligations as a director of a listed company and 
of  the  governance  framework  within  which  they  must  operate.  A  new  director  may  also  seek  to  meet  major 
shareholders.

In order to ensure that the Directors continue to further their understanding of the issues facing the Group, the 
Board is also exposed to the early-stage opportunities in which the Group has invested through presentations 
at Board meetings by relevant members of the Group’s staff. In addition, other members of senior management 
present  to  the  Board  to  enhance  the  Board’s  awareness  of  how  the  Group  operates  on  a  day-to-day  basis 
and how such functions operate so as to assist in the execution of the Group’s core strategy of systematically 
developing an IP commercialisation company focused on venture creation and early stage investments within the 
technology and life science sectors, which sources, operates and funds a portfolio of subsidiary businesses to 
generate long-term value for its investors and stakeholders.

As a further aspect of their ongoing development, each Director also receives feedback on his or her performance 
following  the  Board’s  performance  evaluation  in  each  year  and,  through  the  Company  Secretary,  access  is 
facilitated  to  relevant  training  and  development  opportunities  including  those  relevant  to  the  Non-Executive 
Directors’ membership on the Board’s Committees.

Board Effectiveness and Performance Evaluation

A performance evaluation of the Board and its Committees is carried out annually to ensure that they continue 
to be effective and that each of the Directors demonstrates commitment to his or her respective role and has 
sufficient time to meet his or her commitment to the Company. The Board conducts an internally facilitated Board 
evaluation led by the Chairman, assisted by the Company Secretary, and covering the effectiveness of the Board 
as a whole, its individual Directors and its Committees. This review includes each of the Board and Committee 

60

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (CONTINUED)  

members  completing  a  detailed  and  tailored  survey  and  one-to-one  discussions  between  the  Chairman  and 
each  of  the  individual  Directors.  A  summary  of  the  results  of  the  review,  together  with  the  Chairman  and 
Company Secretary’s observations and recommendations, are prepared and shared with members of the Board. 
In  addition  to  the  above,  the  Non-Executive  Directors,  led  by  the  Senior  Independent  Director,  appraise  the 
Chairman’s performance, following which the Senior Independent Director provides feedback to the Chairman. 
The  performance  of  each  of  the  Directors  on  the  Board  is  reviewed  by  the  Chairman  and  the  operational 
performance of the other Executive Directors is reviewed by the Chief Executive Officer as part of the annual 
appraisal process. In addition to the aforementioned annual reviews, the performance of Executive Directors is 
reviewed by the Board on an ongoing basis, as deemed necessary, in the absence of the Executive Director 
under review.

During the 2017 financial year, the Board assessed its own effectiveness through an internal Board evaluation 
process. This process was based on: a review of documentation including Board and Committee terms of reference, 
the completion of a survey to Directors comprising quantitative and qualitative questions; and discussions with 
all Board members and a number of stakeholders who regularly interact with the Board, including the Company 
Secretary.

The  results  were  analysed  by  the  Chairman  and  the  Company  Secretary,  and  a  detailed  discussion  was 
facilitated with the Board to outline the observations and recommendations. Overall it was concluded that the 
Board continues to work effectively. The changes to the Board composition in 2015, 2016 and 2017 have 
resulted in a well-balanced Board with a range of skills and experience. The Board did not recommend any 
changes it considered necessary.

COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD

The composition of the three Committees of the Board and the attendance of the members throughout the year 
is set out in the table on page 46. The terms of reference of each Committee are available on request from the 
Company Secretary or within the Investors section of the Group’s website at www.alliedminds.com.

Remuneration and Audit Committees

Separate reports on the role, composition, responsibilities and operation of the Remuneration Committee and the 
Audit Committee are set out on pages 101 to 102, and pages 104 to 107, respectively, and are incorporated 
by reference into this Corporate Governance Report.

Nomination Committee

The Nomination Committee leads the process for Board appointments, re-election and succession of directors 
and the Chairman. Its key objective is to ensure that the Board comprises individuals with the necessary skills, 
knowledge  and  experience  to  ensure  that  it  is  effective  in  discharging  its  duties.  It  is  responsible  for  making 
recommendations to the Board and its Committees concerning the composition and skills of the Board including 
any  changes  considered  necessary  in  the  identification  and  nomination  of  new  directors,  the  reappointment 
of existing directors and the appointment of members to the Board’s Committees. It also assesses the roles of 
the existing directors in office to ensure there continues to be a balanced Board in terms of skills, knowledge, 
experience  and  diversity.  In  addition,  the  Nomination  Committee  reviews  the  senior  leadership  needs  of  the 
Group  to  enable  it  to  compete  effectively  in  the  marketplace.  The  Nomination  Committee  also  advises  the 
Board on succession planning for Executive Director appointments, although the Board itself is responsible for 
succession generally.

61
61

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (CONTINUED)  

The Committee is chaired by Rick Davis and its other members as at 31 December 2017 were Jeff Rohr and Kevin 
Sharer, being a majority of independent Non-Executive Directors as prescribed by the Code. The Nomination 
Committee meets as and when required or requested by the Board and met three times during 2017 to review 
the structure, size and composition of the Board, following which it discussed the conclusions with the Chairman 
and the Chief Executive Officer. Messrs. Rohr and Sharer were present at all meetings during the year, and Mr. 
Davis missed two meetings due to unexpected scheduling conflicts.

Before  selecting  new  appointees  to  the  Board,  the  Nomination  Committee  shall  consider  the  balance,  skill, 
knowledge, independence, diversity (including gender) and experience on the Board to ensure that a suitable 
balance is maintained. The Committee shall adopt a formal, rigorous and transparent procedure for the appointment 
of new directors to the Board. Consideration shall always be given as to whether identified candidates have 
sufficient time available to devote to the role. When searching for appropriate candidates, the Committee shall 
give consideration to using an external search company, but may also consider candidates who are proposed 
by existing Board members or employees of the Group. When the Committee has found a suitable candidate, 
the Chairman of the Committee will make a proposal to the whole Board. The appointment of a candidate is the 
responsibility of the whole Board following recommendation from the Committee. The Committee did not use the 
services of an external search company in 2017.

As part of its annual duties in 2017, the Committee and the full Board fulfilled its duties which resulted in the 
appointment of Jill Smith as an Executive Director in March 2017, and the appointment of Harry Rein as a Non-
Executive Officer in November 2017. The Committee did not use an external search firm to identify and recruit 
Mr. Rein, as he was known to members of the Board as a result of his prior business experience leading several 
venture capital firms, including GE Ventures, and his service on several public and private company boards. In 
the year ahead, the Nomination Committee will continue to assess the Board’s size and composition and how 
it may be enhanced.

Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director Succession

Over  the  past  few  years,  the  Company  has  been  taking  steps  taken  to  enhance  its  Non-Executive  Director 
representation on the Board, which included the appointment of Jill Smith in January 2016. Ms. Smith’s extensive 
leadership experience at a number of public and private technology companies was seen as a perfect complement 
to the life science and other leadership experience possessed by Messrs. Dolan and Sharer.

When the Board determined to accept the resignation of Mr. Silva in March 2017, the Company was well 
placed to accelerate an orderly CEO succession and transition plan. The Board, with full participation of all the 
Chairman of the Board and all other Non-Executive Directors, spent time considering the future strategic direction 
of the Group and, with input from advisors to the Group, compiled a CEO role profile. The profile contained a 
brief of the requirements and the desired skill-set that a potential successor would need. This brief emphasised the 
importance that the Board and Committee placed on the CEO being a great business leader and commercial 
operator.

The Board quickly determined that Ms. Smith’s experience and skills, and most importantly, her track record of 
successful commercialisation and operating experience, made her well-qualified for the CEO role. Ms. Smith 
interviewed  with  each  of  the  Non-Executive  Directors  and  certain  advisors  to  the  Group,  and  outlined  her 
preliminary strategy for the Group. Each Non-Executive Director made it clear that they supported Ms. Smith’s 
appointment, and then Ms. Smith met with Mr. Sharer to agree on a remuneration proposal. The Nomination 
Committee then recommended that Ms. Smith be appointed as interim Chief Executive Officer and Executive 
Director, with effect from 10 March 2017.

62

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (CONTINUED)  

The Board was unanimous in supporting the appointment of Jill Smith as interim Chief Executive Officer. It was 
felt that her service as a Non-Executive Director and knowledge of the Company and its business, taken together 
with her extensive international leadership and operating experience and track record of delivering commercial 
success, would bring the right experience and skills to the role at an important point in Allied Minds’ development.

On 26 May 2017, Ms. Smith accepted the Board’s offer to transition to serve as “permanent” Chief Executive 
Officer and President. The revised terms of Ms. Smith’s employment, including base salary, annual incentive 
bonus awards, equity grants and other terms of remuneration are detailed in the Directors’ Remuneration Report 
on pages 70 to 103. The terms of Ms. Smith’s service contract and remuneration are in accordance with the 
Remuneration Policy, subject to the considerations set forth in the approach to remuneration recruitment set forth 
in this Annual Report.

INTERNAL CONTROL

The Board fully recognises the importance of the guidance contained in Guidance on Risk Management, Internal 
Control and Related Financial and Business Reporting (Financial Reporting Council). The Group’s internal controls 
and risk management systems, which are Group wide, were in place during the whole of 2017, were reviewed 
by the Board and Audit Committee and were considered to be effective throughout the year ended 31 December 
2017 and up to the date of approval of the Annual Report and Accounts.

The Board and Audit Committee are responsible for establishing and monitoring internal control systems and 
for reviewing the effectiveness of these systems. The Board views the effective operation of a rigorous system of 
internal control as critical to the success of the Group; however, it recognises that such systems are designed to 
manage rather than eliminate risk of failure and can provide only reasonable and not absolute assurance against 
material misstatement or loss. The key elements of the Group’s internal control system, all of which have been 
in place during the financial year and up to the date these financial statements were approved, are as follows:

Control Environment and Procedures

The Group has a clear organisational structure with defined responsibilities and accountabilities. It adopts the 
highest values surrounding quality, integrity and ethics, and these values are documented and communicated 
clearly throughout the whole organisation.

Detailed written policies and procedures have been established covering key operating and compliance risk 
areas. These are reviewed and updated at least once a year. The effectiveness of the systems of internal control 
is reviewed at least annually by the Board. The Board considers that the controls have been effective for the year 
ended 31 December 2017.

Identification and Evaluation of Risks

The Board actively identifies and evaluates the risks inherent in the business, and ensures that appropriate controls 
and  procedures  are  in  place  to  manage  these  risks.  The  Board  obtains  an  update  regarding  the  subsidiary 
businesses on a regular basis, and reviews the performance of the Group and its subsidiaries on a quarterly 
basis, although performance of specific investments may be reviewed more frequently if deemed appropriate. 
The Board also obtains a risk management report from members of senior management on a regular basis. The 
key risks and uncertainties faced by the Group, as well as the relevant mitigations, are set out on pages 36 to 
43.

63
63

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (CONTINUED)  

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

The operations of the Group and the implementation of its objectives and strategy are subject to a number of 
key risks and uncertainties. Risks are formally reviewed by the Board and Audit Committee at least annually and 
appropriate procedures are put in place to monitor and, to the extent possible, mitigate these risks. Were more 
than one of the risks to occur together, the overall impact on the Group may be compounded. A summary of the 
key risks affecting the Group and the steps taken to manage these is set out on pages 36 to 43.

Information and Financial Reporting Systems

The  Group  evaluates  and  manages  significant  risks  associated  with  the  process  for  preparing  consolidated 
accounts by having in place systems and controls that ensure adequate accounting records are maintained and 
transactions are recorded accurately and fairly to permit the preparation of financial statements in accordance 
with  IFRS.  The  Board  approves  the  annual  operating  budgets  and  each  quarter  receives  details  of  actual 
performance measured against the budget.

RELATIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS

The Company is committed to a continuous dialogue with shareholders as it believes that this is essential to ensure 
a greater understanding of and confidence amongst its shareholders in the medium and longer term strategy of 
the Group. It is the responsibility of the Board as a whole to ensure that a satisfactory dialogue does take place.

The  Board’s  primary  shareholder  contact  is  through  each  of  the  Chairman  and  Chief  Executive  Officer.  The 
Senior Independent Director and other Directors, as appropriate, make themselves available for contact with 
major shareholders and other stakeholders in order to understand their issues and concerns. The Chairman and 
Chief Executive Officer met with major shareholders, IP commercialisation sector brokers and analysts, and other 
stakeholders, on numerous occasions throughout the year in order to discuss the Company and its business.

The  Company  uses  the  AGM  as  an  opportunity  to  communicate  with  its  shareholders.  Notice  of  the  AGM, 
which will be held at 11 a.m. BST on 23 May 2018 at the offices of DLA Piper UK LLP, 3 Noble Street, London 
EC2V  7EE,  United  Kingdom,  is  enclosed  with  this  Report  and  Accounts.  In  accordance  with  the  Code,  the 
Notice of AGM is sent to shareholders at least 20 working days before the meeting. Details of the resolutions 
and the explanatory notes thereto are included with the Notice. To ensure compliance with the Code, the Board 
proposes  separate  resolutions  for  each  issue  and  proxy  forms  which  allows  shareholders  who  are  unable  to 
attend the AGM to vote on each resolution. The results of all proxy voting shall be published on the Group’s 
website after the meeting and at the meeting itself to those shareholders who attend. Shareholders who attend 
the AGM will have the opportunity to ask questions and the Chairman and the Executive Directors are expected 
to be available to take questions.

The Group’s website at www.alliedminds.com is the primary source of information on the Group. The website 
includes an overview of the activities of the Group, details of its subsidiary companies and its key university and 
federal government partnerships, and details of all recent Group and subsidiary business announcements.

POLITICAL EXPENDITURE

It is the Board’s policy not to incur political expenditure or otherwise make cash contributions to political parties 
and it has no intention of changing that policy.

64

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT (CONTINUED)  

GOING CONCERN

The Directors confirm that they have a reasonable expectation that the Group will have adequate resources to 
continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future and accordingly they continue to adopt the going 
concern basis in preparing the financial statements.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Rick Davis 
Chairman of the Nomination Committee

22 March 2018

65
65

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
SUSTAINABILITY     

POLICY STATEMENT

Allied Minds aims to conduct its business in a socially responsible manner, to contribute to the communities in 
which it operates and to respect the needs of its employees and all of its stakeholders.

The Group is committed to growing the business while ensuring a safe environment for employees as well as 
minimising the overall impact on the environment.

Allied  Minds  endeavours  to  conduct  its  business  in  accordance  with  established  best  practice,  to  be  a 
responsible  employer  and  to  adopt  values  and  standards  designed  to  help  guide  staff  in  their  conduct  and 
business relationships.

GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) EMISSIONS

Given  the  overall  size  of  the  Group,  we  consider  the  direct  environmental  impact  of  the  Group  as  relatively 
low. However, we firmly recognise our responsibility to ensure that our business operates in an environmentally 
responsible  and  sustainable  manner.  The  Group  complies  with  all  current  regulations  on  emissions  including 
GHG emissions, where such regulation exists in our markets.

Though the Group’s day-to-day operational activities have a relatively limited impact on the environment, we do 
recognise that the more significant impact occurs indirectly through the nature and operations of the companies 
that we choose to support with human and financial capital.

The Group therefore considers it important to establish and nurture businesses that comply with existing applicable 
environmental, ethical and social legislation. It is also important that these businesses can demonstrate that an 
appropriate strategy is in place to meet future applicable legislative and regulatory requirements and that these 
businesses can operate to specific industry standards, striving for best practice.

The section below includes our mandatory reporting of GHG emissions. The reporting period is the same as the 
Group’s financial year.

Organisation Boundary and Scope of Emissions

We have reported on all of the emission sources required under the Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report 
and Directors’ Reports) Regulations 2013. These sources fall with the Group’s consolidated financial statements.

An operational control approach has been used in order to define our organisational boundary. This is the basis 
for determining the Scope 1 and 2 emissions for which the Group is responsible.

Methodology

For the Group’s reporting, the Group has employed the services of a specialist adviser, Verco, to quantify and 
verify the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions associated with the Group’s operations.

The following methodology was applied by Verco in the preparation and presentation of this data:

•  the Greenhouse Gas Protocol published by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the 

World Resources Institute (WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol);

•  application of appropriate emission factors to the Group’s activities to calculate GHG emissions;

66

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
SUSTAINABILITY (CONTINUED)  

•  scope 2 reporting methods – application of location-based and market-based emission factors for electricity 

supplies;

•  inclusion of all the applicable Kyoto gases, expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents, or CO2e; and

•  presentation of gross emissions as the Group does not purchase carbon credits (or equivalents).

Absolute Emissions

The total Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions from the Group’s operations in the year ending 31 December 2017 
were:

•  907.9 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) using a ‘location-based’ emission factor methodology for Scope 

2 emissions; and

•  912.4 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) using a ‘market-based’ emission factor methodology for Scope 2 

emissions.

This is the second year of reporting for the Group so we can now show a comparison between 2017 and 
2016. There have been a number of changes to the Group’s operations since 2016 with the closing of some 
business entities but also the opening of new entities.

Overall, there has been a drop in total emissions. There was a small increase in scope 1 emissions, but there 
was a decrease in scope 2 emissions (both location-based and market-based).

Intensity Ratio

As well as reporting the absolute emissions, the Group’s GHG emissions are reported below on the metrics of 
tonnes of CO2 equivalent per employee and tonnes of CO2 equivalent per square foot of the occupied areas. For 
some of the companies, floor area was not known therefore they are not included in the kg per square footage 
of office space intensity metric. These are the most appropriate metrics given that the majority of emissions result 
from the operation of the Group’s offices and the day-to-day activities of the employees.

Target and Baselines

Given the comparatively low GHG impact of the Group’s operations, the Group’s objective is to maintain or 
reduce its GHG emissions per employee and per square foot of office space each year and will report each 
year whether it has been successful in this regard.

For 2017, the intensity metrics have decreased from 0.012 tCO2e per ft2 to 0.010 tCO2e per ft2 using the 
location-based method and decreased from 0.013 tCO2e per ft2 to 0.010 tCO2e per ft2 using the market-based 
method. The main source of this is due to reduction in occupied space and a reduction in total emissions.

67
67

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
SUSTAINABILITY (CONTINUED)  

Key Figures

Allied Minds PLC- Breakdown of emissions by scope

2017  
(location-based) 

103.5 

e
2
O
C

f

o

s
e
n
n
o
T

2017  
(market-based)

103.5 

804.4 

808.9 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

Scope 1 

Scope 2 

2017

2016

GHG emissions

Tonnes CO2e

tCO2e / 
emp.(4)

tCO2e / 
sq. ft.(5) 

Tonnes CO2e

tCO2e / 
emp. 

tCO2e / 
sq. ft.(6)

Scope 1(1)

Scope 2(2)

Scope 2(3)

Total GHG emissions 
(Location-based Scope 2)

Total GHG emissions 
(Market-based Scope 2)

Notes:

103.5

804.4

808.9

0.53

4.15

4.17

0.001

0.009

0.009

97.6

841.4

915.7

0.46

4.01

4.36

0.001

0.011

0.012

907.9

4.68

0.010

939.0

4.47

0.012

 912.4 

4.70

0.010

 1,013.3 

4.83

0.013

(1) 

Scope 1 being emissions from the Group’s combustion of fuel and operation of facilities.

(2) 

Scope 2 being electricity (from location-based calculations), heat, steam and cooling purchased for the Group’s own use.

(3) 

Scope 2 being electricity (from market-based calculations), heat, steam and cooling purchased for the Group’s own use.

(4) 

Employee numbers: 194

(5)  Occupied office space: 91,589 sq.ft (this does not include sites where floor area was not known)

(6)  Occupied office space: 66,696 sq.ft (this does not include sites where floor area was not known)

68

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUSTAINABILITY (CONTINUED)  

Understanding the Indirect Environmental Impacts of Our Business Activities

The  Group’s  day-to-day  operational  activities  have  a  limited  impact  on  the  environment.  We  do,  however, 
recognise that the more significant impact occurs indirectly, through the investment decisions we make and the 
operation of the companies we choose to invest in. The Group therefore considers it important to establish and 
invest in businesses that comply with existing applicable environmental, ethical and social legislation. It is also 
important that these businesses can demonstrate that an appropriate strategy is in place to meet future applicable 
legislative  and  regulatory  requirements  and  that  these  businesses  can  operate  to  specific  industry  standards, 
striving for best practice.

OUR BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The Group seeks to conduct all of its operating and business activities in an honest, ethical and socially responsible 
manner. We are committed to acting professionally, fairly and with integrity in all our business dealings and 
relationships wherever we operate, and for its directors and staff to have due regard to the interest of all of its 
stakeholders including investors, university and government partners, employees, suppliers and the businesses in 
which the Group invests.

We  take  a  zero  tolerance  approach  to  bribery  and  corruption  and  implement  and  enforce  effective  systems 
to  counter  bribery.  The  Group  is  bound  by  the  laws  of  the  UK,  including  the  Bribery  Act  2010,  and  has 
implemented policies and procedures to address such laws, as well as the laws in each jurisdiction where the 
Group operates, including the US.

The Group’s management and employees are fundamental to our success and as a result we are committed to 
encouraging the ongoing development of our staff with the aim of maximising the Group’s overall performance. 
Emphasis is placed on staff development through work-based learning, with senior members of staff acting as 
coaches and mentors. Allied Minds has continued to employ regular all-staff update meetings as the main source 
of employee communication.

EMPLOYEE DIVERSITY AND EMPLOYMENT POLICIES

The Group seeks to operate as a responsible employer and has adopted standards which promote corporate 
values designed to help and guide employees in their conduct and business relationships. The Group seeks to 
comply with all laws, regulations and rules applicable to its business and to conduct the business in line with 
applicable established best practice. The Group’s policy is one of equal opportunity in the selection, training, 
career development and promotion of employees, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, 
religion  and  whether  disabled  or  otherwise.  The  Group  had  184  employees  as  at  31  December  2017.  A 
breakdown of employees by gender as at 31 December 2017 can be seen in the illustrations below. Allied 
Minds supports the rights of all people as set out in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and ensures 
that all transactions the Group enters into uphold these principles.

Total Employees

Senior Management

Directors

23%

77%

10%

17%

90%

83%

Female

Male

69
69

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT     

STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN OF THE REMUNERATION COMMITTEE

I am pleased to present, on behalf of the Board, the Remuneration Report for the year ended 31 December 
2017. Our Remuneration Policy, which was approved by shareholders at our 2016 AGM, was applied in 
2017. During 2017, the Remuneration Committee continued to review all of the elements of remuneration for 
Executive Directors and senior management to assess whether the Remuneration Policy approved at the 2016 
AGM was meeting its design objectives. Based on this review and the application of the Remuneration Policy, 
the Remuneration Committee resolved that no further changes were necessary or appropriate, and the current 
Remuneration Policy will remain in effect.

The Work of the Remuneration Committee

The Committee met on six occasions during the year. Mr. Rohr was present at all meetings during the year, 
Mr.  Davis  missed  two  meetings  due  to  unexpected  scheduling  conflicts,  and  I  missed  one  meeting  due  to 
an  unexpected  scheduling  conflict.  I  met  several  times  during  the  year  with  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  and 
other members of senior management in order to review all elements of remuneration and their operation. The 
Committee also received professional advice from Korn Ferry where appropriate.

A  key  objective  of  this  review  was  to  ensure  the  Remuneration  Policy  remained  appropriate  for  a  UK  listed 
company, whilst also ensuring that it was designed to continue to attract and retain US-based management and 
employees of the highest calibre. The programme is weighted toward rewarding entrepreneurial achievement 
and the creation of shareholder value over time. During the year, the key activities carried out by the Committee 
were:

•  Conducted a review of all elements of remuneration for Executive Directors and senior management, including 

in connection with the Chief Executive Officer transition;

•  Reviewed feedback received from major shareholders and shareholder advisory services in connection with 

the adoption and implementation of the revised Remuneration Policy in 2016;

•  In connection with the annual review of the Remuneration Policy, the Remuneration Committee resolved that 
no further changes were necessary or appropriate, and the current Remuneration Policy will remain in effect;

•  Reviewed the Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) to ensure that it continues to advance the Committee’s policy to 
provide a competitive, performance-linked, long-term incentive mechanism to align the interests of management 
and shareholders;

•  Determined the cash incentive bonus awards for the Executive Officers for the last financial year;

•  Determined base salaries of the Executive Directors, for the period starting 1 January 2018;

•  Issued LTIP awards on 15 May 2017 (annual grants), 20 June 2017 (new hire grants) and 6 November 

2017 (new hire grants);

•  Reviewed progress against 2015, 2016 and 2017 LTIP award performance targets for the last financial 

year;

•  Established 2015, 2016 and 2017 LTIP award performance targets for the current financial year; and

70

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

•  Reviewed the remuneration reporting regulations in connection with the review of the Group’s Remuneration 

Policy and preparation of the Directors’ Remuneration Report.

Objectives of the Remuneration Policy

Pursuant to the current Remuneration Policy, the Committee focuses on simple and transparent market competitive 
remuneration and incentive schemes. The current Remuneration Policy is designed to:

•  attract, retain and motivate high calibre US-based senior management, and to focus them on the delivery of 

the Company’s long-term strategic and business objectives;

•  promote a strong, fair and sustainable performance culture;

•  incentivise growth and the achievement of milestones;

•  align  the  interests  of  Executive  Directors  and  members  of  the  senior  management  team  with  those  of 

shareholders through equity ownership; and

•  be simple to understand and implement, and designed taking into account best practice guidelines for UK 

listed companies.

The key components of remuneration are set out in detail within the Remuneration Policy approved by shareholders 
at the 2016 AGM.

Performance and Reward for 2017

As detailed in the Annual Report on Remuneration, the Committee determined to provide cash incentive bonus 
awards and LTIP awards to the Executive Directors that reflected the level of performance and achievement in 
2017.

Shareholder Feedback

The Committee recognises that building a close relationship with shareholders can complement the work of the 
Committee in developing the Remuneration Policy. During 2017, we received feedback from major shareholders 
and shareholder advisory services with respect to our remuneration programme. One of our overarching aims 
has been to implement the Remuneration Policy which closely aligns the interests of our senior executives and 
our shareholders.

We continue to appreciate any feedback shareholders may have.

Kevin Sharer 
Chairman of the Remuneration Committee

22 March 2018

71
71

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

What is in this report?

The  Directors’  Remuneration  Report  sets  out  the  Remuneration  Policy  for  the  Company  on  pages  74  to  84, 
and  describes  the  implementation  of  that  Remuneration  Policy.  It  has  been  prepared  in  accordance  with  the 
Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, as amended. The 
Remuneration Policy was developed taking into account the principles of the UK Corporate Governance Code 
2016, the Listing Rules and shareholders’ executive remuneration guidelines. The Remuneration Policy for the 
Executive and Non-Executive Directors was put to a binding shareholder vote at the 2016 AGM and approved 
by shareholders. The Remuneration Policy took formal effect from that date, and remains in effect.

The Statement by Chairman of the Remuneration Committee on pages 70 to 71, together with the Annual Report 
on Remuneration on pages 85 to 103, will be subject to an advisory vote at the AGM.

Remuneration Policy Overview

The  Remuneration  Committee  has  responsibility  for  determining  remuneration  for  the  Executive  Directors,  and 
monitoring the level and structure of remuneration for senior management. The Committee’s terms of reference 
are available on the Company’s website.

The  Committee  designed  this  Remuneration  Policy  with  close  regard  to  market  practice  in  other  UK  listed 
companies so as to ensure that the arrangements are appropriately competitive and structured in line with best 
practice. However, the Remuneration Policy also retains some of the key elements which helped to drive the 
Group’s success prior to IPO, and other customary service arrangements and incentive elements for US-based 
management and employees.

Allied  Minds’  success  depends  in  part  on  the  talent  of  its  management  and  employees.  The  Company  has 
a  highly  skilled  workforce,  with  significant  expertise  throughout  the  Group  across  a  range  of  science  and 
technology disciplines, as well as a highly experienced management team. Allied Minds seeks to ensure that 
its management team and its employees and consultants working within the Group’s individual businesses are 
fairly and appropriately rewarded and incentivised. The Company seeks to achieve this through a combination 
of competitive levels of remuneration that is appropriate to the scale of responsibility and performance of the 
employee or consultant, and incentives tied directly to increasing shareholder value.

The  Group  operates  in  the  highly  competitive  US  market,  and  attraction  and  retention  of  individual  talent  is 
important to success of the Group’s businesses. Allied Minds deploys a careful and considered approach to 
remuneration with the objective of attracting, motivating and retaining individuals of the necessary calibre. It is 
important to note that each national market for talent is different, making cross-border comparisons very difficult. 
In  addition  to  general  standard  of  living  costs,  there  are  large  differences  with  respect  to  taxes,  pensions, 
provision of cars, and medical plans and costs, among many others.

The  Company  believes  that  it  is  important  that  remuneration  is  weighted  toward  rewarding  entrepreneurial 
achievement and the creation of shareholder value over time as its employees work toward the commercialisation 
of scientific and technological innovations. Accordingly, Allied Minds has established share incentive plans with 
the aim of incentivising and rewarding employees and Directors to achieve long term shareholder value. The 
Directors believe the share incentive arrangements at the level of the subsidiary businesses, as well as the overall 
Group, are an important factor in the promotion of shareholder value creation.

72

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

The  aim  of  the  Remuneration  Policy  is  to  attract,  retain  and  motivate  high  calibre  senior  management  and 
employees, and to focus them on the delivery of the Company’s long-term strategic and business objectives, to 
promote a strong and sustainable performance culture, incentivise growth and the achievement of milestones, 
and to align the interests of Executive Directors and senior management team with those of shareholders through 
equity ownership. In promoting these objectives the Remuneration Policy aims to be simple in design, transparent 
and  understandable  both  to  participants  and  shareholders,  and  has  been  structured  so  as  to  adhere  to  the 
principles of good corporate governance and appropriate risk management.

73
73

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

REMUNERATION POLICY (PAGES 74 TO 84)

The Remuneration Policy for the Executive and Non-Executive Directors was approved by shareholders at the 
2016  AGM.  The  Remuneration  Policy  took  formal  effect  from  that  date.  The  Remuneration  Committee  will 
consider  the  Remuneration  Policy  annually  to  ensure  that  it  continues  to  align  with  the  Company’s  strategic 
objectives; however, it is intended that the Remuneration Policy will apply for three years from the 2016 AGM. 
If, during that timeframe, any amendments need to be made to the Remuneration Policy, it will be presented to 
the shareholders to be voted on.

How the Views of Shareholders and Employees are Taken into Account

The Committee does not formally consult directly with employees on executive pay but does receive periodic 
updates in relation to salary and bonus reviews across the Company. As set out in the Remuneration Policy table 
below, in setting remuneration for the Executive Directors, the Committee takes note of the overall approach to 
reward for employees in the Company and salary increases will ordinarily be considered in light of those of the 
wider workforce. Thus, the Committee is satisfied that the decisions made in relation to Executive Directors’ pay 
are made with an appropriate understanding of the wider workforce.

Any feedback received from time to time from shareholders will be considered as part of the Committee’s annual 
review of the Remuneration Policy. The Committee will seek to engage with shareholders and their representative 
bodies when it is proposed that any material changes are to be made to the Remuneration Policy. The voting 
outcomes from the 2016 AGM are available on page 103.

The Future Remuneration Policy Table for Executive Directors

The total remuneration package is structured so that variable elements (annual bonus and long-term incentives) 
make  up  a  significant  proportion  of  the  package,  with  the  emphasis  on  variable  pay  focused  on  long-term 
incentives. The tables below summarise  the key aspects of the Company’s Remuneration Policy for  Executive 
Directors.

74

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Element of 
Remuneration

Salary

How it supports the 
Company’s Short and 
Long-Term Strategic 
Objectives

The Company is required 
to provide an appropriate 
level of salary in order to be 
competitive and to maintain 
its ability to recruit and retain 
Executive Directors. Salaries 
are set to achieve this 
objective.

The Committee wishes to 
ensure that fixed costs are 
minimised and that total 
actual payments to executives 
will be driven to a more 
significant extent through the 
operation of the performance 
related elements of the 
package.

As described in this 
Remuneration Policy, the 
performance elements of 
total reward are directly 
linked to the achievement 
of the Company’s strategic 
objectives.

Operation

Opportunity

Performance Metrics

There is no prescribed 
maximum annual salary. The 
Committee seeks to ensure 
that the salaries conform to 
its strategy, whilst remaining 
competitive against similar 
roles within the relevant peer 
groups.

There are no performance 
conditions attached to the 
payment of salary although 
there are a number of 
performance-based factors 
both at the individual and 
Company level that influence 
the level of salaries provided 
to Executive Directors 
for annual performance 
appraisals.

An Executive Director’s basic 
salary is considered by the 
Committee on appointment 
and normally reviewed once 
per year or when there is a 
significant change to role or 
responsibility.

When making a 
determination as to the 
appropriate remuneration, 
the Committee, where it is 
relevant, benchmarks the 
remuneration against the 
Company’s peer groups.

For the purpose of 
benchmarking salaries and 
other remuneration, the 
principal peer grouping used 
by the Company consists 
of companies within similar 
industry sectors which are 
either US or UK listed with a 
range of capitalisations.

The results of benchmarking 
will, however only be one of 
a number of factors taken into 
account by the Remuneration 
Committee and which will 
include:

• 

• 

• 

• 

 scale, scope and 
responsibility of the role;

 skills and experience of 
the individual;

 retention risk;

 base salary of other 
employees; and

• 

 economic environment.

75
75

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Element of 
Remuneration

Benefits

How it supports the 
Company’s Short and 
Long-Term Strategic 
Objectives

The Committee’s intention is to 
provide a benefits package 
in line with US employment 
market practice.

The Company is required to 
provide this benefits package 
in order to be competitive 
and to maintain its ability to 
recruit and retain Executive 
Directors.

Operation

Opportunity

Performance Metrics

There are no performance 
conditions attached to the 
payment of benefits.

The cost of benefits provided 
changes in accordance 
with market conditions and 
will, therefore, determine 
the maximum amount that 
would be paid in the form of 
benefits. There is therefore no 
overall maximum opportunity 
under this component of the 
Remuneration Policy.

The Executive Directors may 
be entitled to the following 
benefits:

• 

 life insurance;

•  disability insurance;

• 

• 

• 

 medical benefits and 
dental care;

 a car allowance; and

 an annual payment to 
cover personal legal and 
tax advice.

Executive Directors may 
also participate in any 
all-employee share plans 
that may be operated by 
the Group from time to time 
on the same terms as other 
employees.

Additional benefits, which 
may include relocation 
expenses, housing allowance 
or other benefits-in-kind, 
may be provided in certain 
circumstances if considered 
appropriate and reasonable 
by the Committee, including 
as may be required on 
recruitment.

76

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Element of 
Remuneration

Cash Incentive 
Bonus Awards

How it supports the 
Company’s Short and 
Long-Term Strategic 
Objectives

The cash incentive bonus 
award, taken together with 
base salary, is required in 
order to be competitive and 
to maintain the ability to 
recruit and retain Executive 
Directors. Cash incentive 
bonus awards are set to 
achieve this objective.

As described in this 
Remuneration Policy, the 
performance elements of 
cash incentive bonus awards 
and total reward are directly 
linked to the achievement 
of the Company’s strategic 
objectives.

Operation

Opportunity

Performance Metrics

There are no caps on the 
amount of bonus which may 
be paid. However, each year 
the Committee determines 
the maximum opportunity for 
each Executive Director.

When making a 
determination as to the 
appropriate maximum bonus, 
the Committee, where it is 
relevant, benchmarks the 
remuneration against the 
Company’s peer groups.

For the purpose of 
benchmarking cash incentive 
bonus awards and other 
remuneration, the principal 
peer grouping used by 
the Company consists of 
companies within similar 
industry sectors which are 
either US or UK listed with a 
range of capitalisations.

The Committee and senior 
management review the 
Group’s management by 
objectives (MBOs) annually 
prior to the start of each 
financial year to ensure 
the detailed performance 
measures and weightings are 
appropriate and continue to 
support the business strategy.

Annual MBOs, including 
financial, operational, 
technical and other 
performance targets and their 
weightings for the upcoming 
year are set at or around the 
start of each financial year.

An Executive Director’s cash 
incentive bonus award is 
considered by the Committee 
upon completion of each 
financial year. The decision 
to provide any cash incentive 
bonus award and the amount 
and terms of any such award, 
are determined solely by 
the level of achievement 
against the MBOs set by the 
Committee at the start of the 
financial year.

As noted in “Operation”, 
the decision to provide any 
cash incentive bonus award 
and the amount and terms 
of any such award, are 
determined solely by the level 
of achievement against the 
MBOs set by the Committee 
at the start of the financial 
year.

The Committee may consider 
any and all performance 
criteria in setting the annual 
MBOs to be used in the 
determination to provide an 
award, and may generally 
consider:

• 

 the general performance 
of the Group, including 
financial, operational, 
technical and other 
performance targets; and

• 

 the individual 
performance of the 
Executive Director.

Weighting will be primarily 
towards Group, and not 
individual, MBO performance 
for Executive Directors.

Performance will typically be 
measured over one year.

77
77

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Element of 
Remuneration

Pension

How it supports the 
Company’s Short and 
Long-Term Strategic 
Objectives

It is the Committee’s intention 
to provide pension benefits 
in line with US employment 
market practice.

The Company is not required 
to provide pension benefits 
in order to be competitive 
and to ensure its ability to 
recruit and retain Executive 
Directors.

Operation

Opportunity

Performance Metrics

None.

None.

No element of the Executive 
Directors’ remuneration is 
pensionable. The Group 
does not operate any pension 
scheme or other scheme 
providing retirement or 
similar benefits. The Group 
does not contribute to any 
personal pension schemes for 
employees.

However, the Company 
offers a retirement plan in 
accordance with subsection 
401(k) of the Internal Revenue 
Code (401(k) Plan) in which 
Executive Directors may make 
voluntary pre-tax contributions 
toward their own retirement. 
The Company does not make 
any payments or contributions 
to such 401(k) Plan.

78

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Element of 
Remuneration

Allied Minds 
Long Term 
Incentive Plan 
(LTIP)

How it supports the 
Company’s Short 
and Long-Term 
Strategic Objectives

The LTIP provides 
a competitive, 
performance-linked 
long-term incentive 
mechanism that will:

• 

• 

 attract, retain 
and motivate 
individuals with the 
required personal 
attributes, skills and 
experience;

 provide a real 
incentive to 
achieve the 
Company’s long-
term strategic 
objectives; and

• 

 align the interests 
of management 
and shareholders.

Operation

Opportunity

Performance Metrics

The LTIP is reviewed 
annually at or around 
the start of each 
financial year to 
ensure the detailed 
performance measures 
and weightings are 
appropriate and 
continue to support the 
business strategy.

Financial and/or non-
financial performance 
targets are set at or 
around the start of each 
financial year.

Awards under the LTIP 
to Executive Directors 
will normally take 
the form of restricted 
share units (RSUs) (a 
form of conditional 
share award) in 
respect of shares in 
Allied Minds (although 
instruments with similar 
economic effect may 
be used if considered 
appropriate.)

Calculations of the 
achievement of 
the vesting targets 
are reviewed and 
approved by the 
Committee.

Awards are subject 
to cancellation or 
clawback provisions 
under which in the 
event of a material 
correction of any 
accounts of the 
Company used to 
assess satisfaction 
of any performance 
conditions, or in the 
event of a participant’s 
gross misconduct, 
awards may be 
reduced, adjusted 
or cancelled as 
determined by the 
Committee. Clawback 
applies for the two 
year period following 
vesting.

Under the terms of the 
LTIP, the maximum value 
of ordinary shares over 
which awards under 
the LTIP may be granted 
to a participant in any 
financial year of the 
Company may not 
generally exceed 300% 
of base salary for that 
financial year, unless 
circumstances arise 
which the Committee 
believe justify granting 
an award outside this 
limit. The Committee 
would only envisage 
overriding the 300% 
limit in exceptional 
circumstances such 
as where there was a 
need to do so to attract 
a new executive.

Notwithstanding 
the maximum value 
permitted under the 
terms of the LTIP, each 
year the Committee 
determines the 
maximum opportunity 
for each Executive 
Director.

When making a 
determination as to the 
appropriate maximum 
LTIP award, the 
Committee where it is 
relevant, benchmarks 
the remuneration 
against the Company’s 
peer groups.

For the purpose of 
benchmarking LTIP 
awards and other 
remuneration, the 
principal peer grouping 
used by the Company 
consists of companies 
within similar industry 
sectors which are either 
US or UK listed with a 
range of capitalisations.

Specific performance targets may vary from year 
to year in accordance with priorities support the 
business strategy.

In respect of the LTIP awards made in 2014 and 
2015, vesting is dependent upon performance 
metrics measured as follows:

• 

• 

 60% of each award will be subject to 
performance conditions based on the 
Company’s total shareholder return (TSR) 
performance in respect of a three-year 
period; and

 40% of each award will be subject to 
performance conditions based on a basket 
of shareholder value metrics, including, but 
not limited to:

(i) the increase in quality of pipeline intellectual 
property reviewed; (ii) the increase in quality 
of the partnership pipeline; and (iii) subsidiary 
level performance (assessed by reference to such 
matters as external funding raised, corporate 
collaborations, product co-development and 
proof of principal commercial pilots and 
revenues). Performance will be assessed on 
these measures on a scorecard basis over a 
three-year period.

At the end of the three-year period, performance 
against the relevant measures will be calculated 
to determine the number of ordinary shares 
capable of vesting. For the 2014 awards, 50% 
of the award will then vest at that time. The 
remaining 50% will vest in two equal tranches in 
years 4 and 5 subject to the relevant participant 
still being employed within the Group at the 
relevant vesting date. For the 2015 awards, 
100% of the award will vest at the end of the 
three-year period.

The level of vesting for threshold performance for 
the 2015 awards is 33.33% of the maximum. 
The level of vesting for target performance is 
66.67% of the maximum.

Starting in 2016, the Committee expects 
to make annual awards under the LTIP with 
100% of each award subject to performance 
conditions based on the Company’s relative total 
shareholder return (rTSR) performance in respect 
of a three-year period. The Group TSR will be 
measured relative to the FTSE 250, the S&P 
500, and a peer group of four publicly-traded 
companies.

The level of vesting for threshold performance is 
16.67% of the maximum. The level of vesting for 
target performance is 66.67% of the maximum.

79
79

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Element of 
Remuneration

Allied Minds 
Phantom Plan

How it supports the 
Company’s Short and 
Long-Term Strategic 
Objectives

The Committee’s intention 
is to reward participants 
for a successful subsidiary 
company liquidity event. 
The Committee recognises 
that successful subsidiary 
company liquidity events 
are a key strategic objective 
of the Group and its 
shareholders, and believes 
that the Phantom Plan is 
designed to align the interests 
of the Executive Directors and 
management of Allied Minds 
with such objective.

Operation

Opportunity

Performance Metrics

The maximum aggregate 
number of units that may be 
awarded under the Phantom 
Plan is 200,000 units.

Upon a liquidity event Allied 
Minds will distribute 80% of 
the Phantom Plan account 
to the participants based 
on their pro rata share of all 
vested units on the date of the 
applicable liquidation event, 
and the remaining 20% of 
the Phantom Plan account will 
be distributed to participants 
at the discretion of the 
Committee.

No amounts accrue under 
the Phantom Plan, and no 
amounts are distributed to 
participants, until and unless 
a successful subsidiary 
company liquidity event 
occurs, and the cash 
generated in such liquidity 
event exceeds the amount 
Allied Minds invested in 
such subsidiary company, 
plus accrued interest and 
expenses in respect of 
such investment. No other 
performance metrics apply.

The Phantom Plan is a 
performance-based, cash 
settled bonus plan for 
Allied Minds’ Executive 
Directors and management. 
The Plan is triggered by 
a successful subsidiary 
liquidity event, including 
(i) a subsidiary IPO, (ii) the 
sale of all or substantially all 
of a subsidiary company’s 
assets, (iii) the sale of at least 
two-thirds of the outstanding 
shares of a subsidiary 
company’s voting equity, (iv) 
the merger or consolidation 
of a subsidiary company 
with or into another entity, or 
(v) a subsidiary company’s 
liquidation. Upon a liquidity 
event, Allied Minds will 
deduct the amount it 
invested in such subsidiary 
company and deduct the 
accrued interest in respect 
of such investment, and will 
then allocate 10% of the 
remaining net proceeds to 
the Phantom Plan account 
for allocation among the 
participants.

Participation in the Phantom 
Plan is evidenced by “units.”

Vesting of units is determined 
at the time of grant of the 
units.

80

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Element of 
Remuneration

Non-Executive 
Directors’ Fees

How it supports the 
Company’s Short and 
Long-Term Strategic 
Objectives

The Company’s intention 
is to set fees at a level 
necessary to attract and 
retain experienced and skilled 
Non-Executive Directors with 
the necessary experience and 
expertise to advise and assist 
in establishing and monitoring 
the strategic objectives of the 
Company. Fees also reflect 
the time commitment and 
responsibilities of the roles.

An additional fee is paid 
for Chairmanship of a 
Board Committee and to the 
Chairman of the Board.

Operation

Opportunity

Performance Metrics

There are no performance 
conditions attached to the 
payment of fees or the vesting 
under the awards granted 
under the LTIP.

The fees paid take account 
of responsibilities in acting 
as Chairman of the Board, 
Chairman of a Board 
Committee or as Senior 
Independent Director.

The fees paid to the 
Chairman shall only be 
payable where the Chairman 
is a Non-Executive Director. 
Given the US-based nature 
of the Group’s business, 
and the need to attract and 
retain independent directors 
with significant US business 
and leadership experience, 
the fees include an equity 
component, based upon a 
recommendation from Korn 
Ferry.

The Committee is satisfied 
that the level of fees 
conform to its strategy, 
whilst remaining competitive 
against similar roles within the 
relevant peer groups. Careful 
consideration has been given 
as to whether including an 
equity component would 
affect the independence of 
the Non-Executive Directors, 
and the conclusion was 
reached that it would not, 
given the level of the awards 
and the fact that they are not 
performance-related.

Non-Executive Directors have 
specific terms of engagement 
provided in formal letters 
of appointment. Their 
remuneration is determined 
by the Board, taking into 
account recommendations 
from the Remuneration 
Committee, within the 
limits set by the Articles of 
Association and based on 
equivalent roles in FTSE 250 
companies and the peer 
groups used for Executive 
Directors. The fees for 
Non-Executive Directors 
are reviewed annually and 
fixed for the fiscal year. The 
Non-Executive Directors are 
appointed for a three year 
term, subject to annual re-
election by the shareholders, 
at the Company’s AGM.

Non-Executive Directors 
do not receive any cash 
incentive bonus and do not 
participate in any Company 
pension scheme.

The Non-Executive Directors 
are eligible for RSU awards 
under the LTIP. Awards to 
the Non-Executive Directors 
will be subject to time-based 
vesting provisions, and will 
not be subject to performance 
metrics. Each Non-Executive 
Director is also entitled to 
reimbursement of reasonable 
and properly documented 
expenses incurred in 
performing the duties of their 
office.

81
81

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

The  Committee  reserves  the  right  to  make  any  remuneration  payments  and  payments  for  loss  of  office, 
notwithstanding that they are not in line with the Remuneration Policy set out in the tables on the previous pages, 
where the terms of the payment were agreed either: (i) before the policy came into effect, or (ii) at a time when 
the relevant individual was not a director of the Company and, in the opinion of the Committee, the payment 
was not in consideration for the individual becoming a Director of the Company. For these purposes “payments” 
include the Committee satisfying awards of variable remuneration and, in relation to an award over shares, the 
terms of the payment are “agreed” at the time the award is granted. Details of any such payments will be set out 
in the Annual Report on Remuneration as they arise.

Differences Between the Remuneration Policy and That Applied to Employees Generally

The components of remuneration set out on the previous pages for Executive Directors are also generally applied 
to  the  Group’s  senior  management  team  and  differ  only  in  vesting  terms,  values  and  award  maxima.  The 
basic benefits package is typically available to all US employees at the Group level following completion of 
a probationary period. Overall, there is more emphasis on variable pay for the Executive Directors and senior 
management,  but  all  US  employees  at  the  Group  level  are  eligible  for  discretionary  cash  incentive  bonus 
awards. In addition, the Company is committed to fostering alignment with shareholders through widespread 
share  ownership,  and  thus  all  US  employees  at  the  Group  level  are  eligible  to  participate  in  the  LTIP.  The 
Group  has  also  implemented  equity  incentive  plans  within  its  subsidiaries  in  order  to  incentivise  employees 
within  the subsidiary businesses. Generally, the employees of the subsidiary businesses do not participate in 
any of the Group level incentive plans. The Chief Executive Officer of each of our most significant subsidiaries 
may participate in the LTIP, but the levels of such awards under the LTIP are not expected to be a significant 
percentage of their total compensation.

Schemes or Arrangements Under Which Allocations or Awards are no Longer Being Made

In addition to the Executive Directors’ remuneration arrangements set forth in the Remuneration Policy, the Group 
previously  maintained  the  Allied  Minds  Stock  Option/Stock  Issuance  Plan  (US  Stock  Plan).  The  Company 
does not intend to make any further grants under the US Stock Plan. The interests of the Executive Directors in 
outstanding options under the US Stock Plan are shown in the statement of directors’ shareholding and share 
interest on page 92 of this Annual Report.

The exercise price of the options is equivalent to the fair market value of Common Stock of Allied Minds, Inc. 
(now Allied Minds, LLC) as at the date of grant of the options and all outstanding options have already vested 
and become exercisable.

82

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Approach to Recruitment Remuneration

The  Committee  will  apply  the  Remuneration  Policy  for  any  new  Executive  Director  recruited  to  the  Board  in 
respect  of  all  elements  of  forward-looking  remuneration.  The  maximum  level  of  variable  remuneration  under 
the cash incentive bonus awards and LTIP that may be awarded will be within the usual maximums set out in 
the Remuneration Policy, subject to the exceptions permitted under the LTIP. The Committee retains flexibility to 
provide benefits in kind, pensions and other allowances, such as relocation, education and tax equalisation, 
required in order to recruit the intended candidate.

The  Committee  may  make  awards  on  hiring  an  external  candidate  to  buy  out  remuneration  arrangements 
forfeited on leaving a previous employer. In doing so, the Committee will seek to structure buyout awards on a 
comparable basis to awards forfeited, taking into account relevant factors including any performance conditions 
attached to these awards, the form in which they were granted (e.g. cash or shares) and the timeframe of awards. 
It is intended that the value awarded would be no higher than the expected value of the forfeited awards. The 
Committee would seek as far as possible to make such buyout awards under the Company’s existing share plans 
but, if necessary, may rely on the Listing Rules exemption which allows for the grant of awards to facilitate, in 
exceptional circumstances, the recruitment of a Director.

Similarly, the Remuneration Policy for a new Chairman or new Non-Executive Directors would be to apply the 
same remuneration elements as applicable to existing Non-Executive Directors under the Remuneration Policy.

In  addition  to  the  above  principles,  the  following  additional  considerations  may  be  applied  as  appropriate 
depending on the circumstances:

•  In  the  case  of  internal  promotion,  any  existing  performance-related  elements  arising  from  an  individual’s 
previous role will continue to be honoured under the Remuneration Policy, even if they may not otherwise be 
consistent with the Remuneration Policy prevailing when the commitment is fulfilled.

•  In the case of promotion to Executive Director following an acquisition or other business combination, the 
Committee may permit equity-based incentive arrangements to continue in force if they can be “rolled-up” 
into  awards  over  Allied  Minds’  shares  provided  the  performance  and  vesting  conditions  are  considered 
appropriate.

•  In the case of the recruitment of an executive at a time of the year when it would be inappropriate or not 
possible to provide an LTIP award for that year (for instance due to price sensitive information or if there is 
insufficient time to assess performance), the quantum in respect of the months employed during the year may 
be transferred to and amalgamated with the subsequent year’s award if considered reasonable to do so by 
the Committee.

The  Committee  will  include  details  of  the  implementation  of  the  Remuneration  Policy  in  respect  of  any  such 
recruitment to the Board in its future Annual Reports on Remuneration.

Letters of Appointment

Each of Rick Davis, Peter Dolan and Jeff Rohr had Non-Executive Director letters of appointment that commenced 
May  2014,  which  were  updated  and  renewed  in  August  2017.  Kevin  Sharer  and  Harry  Rein  have  Non-
Executive Director letters of appointment that commenced June 2015 and November 2017, respectively. Each 
of the letters of appointment are for an initial fixed term of three years, which are reviewed and may be extended, 
and  are  terminable  on  one  months’  notice  by  either  party.  The  letters  of  appointment  for  the  Non-Executive 
Directors do not provide for any compensation on termination.

83
83

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

At 10 March 2017, Jill Smith’s Non-Executive Director letter of appointment previously entered into in January 
2016  was  terminated,  and  she  entered  into  a  new  Executive  Director  letter  of  appointment.  The  letter  of 
appointment immediately terminates upon the termination of her appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of 
the Company. The letter of appointment does not provide for any compensation on termination.

The letters of appointment are available for inspection at the Company’s registered office. In accordance with 
the Code, all Directors submit themselves for election at the first AGM since their appointment to the Board, and 
for annual re-election by shareholders at each AGM.

Remuneration Policy on Payment for Loss of Office

The Directors believe the payments owed upon loss of office detailed below are customary and appropriate to 
attract and retain US-based senior management of the highest calibre.

The Committee reserves the right to make payments where they are made in good faith in discharge of an existing 
obligation (or by way of damages for breach of such an obligation) or by way of settlement or compromise of 
any claim arising in connection with the termination of a Director’s office or employment where they are in the 
best interests of Allied Minds and its shareholders and reflecting the directors’ contractual and legal rights.

Impact of Loss of Office on Awards under LTIP

Participants who cease to be employees, directors or service providers to the Group will normally forfeit any 
unvested awards.

However,  if  a  participant  leaves  as  a  result  of  death,  disability,  dismissal  other  than  for  cause  or  any  other 
reason determined by the Committee, awards will vest on the normal vesting date on a pro-rata basis taking into 
account performance and the period of time during the applicable performance measurement period in which 
the  participant  continuously  provided  services.  The  Committee  may  in  its  discretion  determine  that  there  are 
exceptional circumstances justifying vesting to a greater or lesser extent.

Impact of Change of Control on Awards under LTIP

If there is a change of control of the Company, the number of ordinary shares over which awards will vest will 
be calculated on the basis of the extent to which the performance criteria applicable to those awards have been 
satisfied as at the date of the change of control. The resulting number of shares will then be reduced on a pro 
rata basis to reflect the reduced period between the date the award was made and the date of the change of 
control, unless the Committee decides otherwise. In exceptional circumstances, the Committee may recommend 
full vesting. This discretion to accelerate vesting upon a change of control is included in the LTIP to meet the 
expectations of a US-based workforce.

Statement of Consideration of Employment Conditions Elsewhere in the Company

In  considering  changes  to  the  remuneration  of  the  Executive  Directors,  the  Committee  is  mindful  of  pay  and 
conditions in the wider Group. Whilst the Group operates a range of bonus plans appropriate to its various 
businesses,  the  main  drivers  of  these  subsidiary  plans,  in  common  with  the  cash  incentive  bonus  awards  to 
Executive Directors, are the achievement of company milestones, and other company and individual objectives. 
The Committee has not expressly sought the views of employees and no remuneration comparison measurements 
were used when drawing up the Remuneration Policy. Through the Board, however, the Committee is regularly 
updated as to employees’ views on remuneration generally.

In the event that an employee is promoted to the Board, that individual would be allowed to retain any pre-
existing incentive entitlement that had not vested at that time.

84

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

ANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION (PAGES 85 TO 103)

The Annual Report on Remuneration will be subject to an advisory vote at the AGM.

Single Total Figure of Remuneration for Each Director (audited information)

The following table sets out the single total figure for remuneration for Directors for the financial years ended 31 
December 2017 and 2016.

Base salary/ 
fees(1)

Benefits(2)

Pension

Annual Bonus

EBP(3)

Total

In $’000

2017

2016

2017

2016

2017

2016

2017

2016

2017

2016

2017

2016

Executive Directors

Jill Smith(4)

Chris Silva(5)

610

117

Non-Executive Directors

Rick Davis

Peter Dolan

Harry Rein(6)

Jeff Rohr

Kevin Sharer

Jill Smith(7)

Notes:

85

150

21

100

85

14

—

515

85

150

—

100

85

72

11

9

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

61

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

573

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

68

9

14

—

9

9

—

—

621

—

8,029

194

9,178

8

12

—

8

8

—

94

164

21

109

94

14

93

162

—

108

93

72

(1) 

Actual Executive Directors’ and Non-Executive Directors’ fees, pro-rated for the portion of the year they served on the Board.

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

 Includes, where applicable, Company contribution to medical and dental insurance premiums, car allowance, and reimbursement for personal 
legal and tax advice.

 Equities based payments in 2016 include the value of LTIP awards granted to the Executive Directors in 2014 which vested in June 2017 
based upon performance conditions met as of 31 December 2016. As noted on pages 89 and 90, the Remuneration Committee made an 
assessment that these awards vested at 94.33% of the maximum number of shares under the award. The 2016 value has been calculated using 
the 94.33% level of vesting, and the share price at 31 December 2016 (net of settlement price).

 Equities based payments in 2017 include the value of LTIP awards granted to the Executive Directors in 2015 which are expected to vest in 
May 2018 based upon performance conditions met as of 31 December 2017. As noted on pages 90 and 91, the Remuneration Committee 
has made a preliminary assessment that these awards will vest at 33.00% of the maximum number of shares under the award. The 2017 value 
has been calculated using the expected 33.00% level of vesting, and the share price at 31 December 2017 (net of settlement price).

 Equities based payments also include the value of LTIP awards granted to the Non-Executive Directors that vested in 2016 and 2017 (based 
on the value on the date the awards vested and the shares were granted).

 Ms. Smith was appointed as interim Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director as of 10 March 2017. On 26 May 2017, Ms. Smith 
transitioned to serve as “permanent” Chief Executive Officer and President.

 Mr.  Silva  resigned  as  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  Executive  Director  as  of  10  March  2017.  Details  of  the  effect  of  his  resignation  on 
outstanding payments and benefits are given on pages 98 to 100.

(6)  Mr. Rein was appointed as a Non-Executive Director in November 2017.

(7) 

 Ms. Smith was appointed as a Non-Executive Director in January 2016. Ms. Smith resigned as Non-Executive Director on 10 March 2017 
when she transitioned to her role as an Executive Officer.

85
85

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Individual Elements of Remuneration

Base Salary and Cash Incentive Bonus Awards during 2017

The  Remuneration  Committee  engaged  Korn  Ferry  to  conduct  a  compensation  benchmarking  study  for  the 
Company’s senior management in conjunction with the Company’s year-end compensation process, including 
an analysis of the traditional elements of executive pay (base salary, annual cash incentive bonus, long-term 
equity incentives and total direct compensation). Korn Ferry utilised a variety of information sources to evaluate 
the market for executive compensation, including an analysis of eight publicly-traded companies, and other Korn 
Ferry survey data. For the purpose of benchmarking salaries and other remuneration the principal peer grouping 
used by the Company consisted of listed companies within similar industry sectors with a range of capitalisation.

Based upon the results of the benchmarking study and the strong Company performance in 2016, the Remuneration 
Committee recommended to the Board the following for 2017:

•  For Chris Silva, an increase in base salary from $515,000 to $600,000, and in increase of maximum cash 
incentive bonus award from 150% of base salary to 187.5% of base salary (125% at target), in both cases 
to address the continued peer benchmarking results that placed the CEO below the median;

•  For Jill Smith, during the period that she served as “interim” Chief Executive Officer, she was paid a base 
salary of $100,000 per month, and she was not be eligible for any cash incentive bonus awards, LTIP 
awards, or any other incentive or equity schemes; and

•  For Jill Smith, commencing on 26 May 2017 when she transitioned to serve as “permanent” Chief Executive 
Officer and President, her base salary was set at $600,000, and her maximum cash incentive bonus award 
was  set  at  225%  of  base  salary  (150%  at  target),  to  be  pro-rated  for  her  number  of  days  of  service  as 
“permanent” CEO during 2017.

The  Remuneration  Committee  designed  the  increase  in  base  salary  and  potential  increase  in  cash  incentive 
bonus  award  to  reflect  its  policy  of  moving  the  Executive  Director  compensation,  in  connection  with  target 
performance, towards the median of the peer group. The Remuneration Committee also designed the potential 
increases to emphasise the variable component of compensation, by allocating more of the potential increase to 
the cash incentive bonus award and not base salary.

As  described  in  the  Remuneration  Policy,  the  Remuneration  Committee  and  senior  management  review  the 
Group’s management by objectives (MBOs) annually prior to the start of each financial year to ensure the detailed 
performance  measures  and  weightings  are  appropriate  and  continue  to  align  with  business  strategy.  Annual 
MBOs, including financial, operational, technical and other performance targets and their weightings for the 
upcoming year are set at or around the start of each financial year. An Executive Director’s cash incentive bonus 
award is considered by the Remuneration Committee upon completion of each financial year. The decision to 
provide any cash incentive bonus award and the amount and terms of any such award, are determined solely by 
the level of achievement against the MBOs set by the Remuneration Committee at the start of the financial year. 
In keeping with the emphasis on the variable component of compensation and strong management incentives, 
the Remuneration Committee set the threshold for cash incentive bonus awards at nil.

86

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

The  MBOs  set  by  the  Remuneration  Committee  for  2017,  along  with  the  level  of  achievement  against  such 
MBOs, is set forth below:

MBO

Deliver Validating Events(1) and Technical 
Milestones(2) for Key Subsidiaries

Secure Funding and Strategic Relationships 
for Subsidiary Companies

Strengthen Investment Committee Process:

Establish Corporate Partner Goals and 
Commitments

Expand New Company Pipeline 
Development

Define Path to Commercialisation, Liquidity 
Event or Key Commercial or Strategic 
Differentiators

Develop Strategic Plan to Drive Shareholder 
Value

Manage Cash

Total Percentage of Target

Notes:

Threshold 
Weightings

Target 
Weightings

Maximum 
Weightings

Achieved 
Weightings

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

40.0%

20.0%

5.0%

5.0%

60.0%

30.0%

7.5%

7.5%

57.0%

24.0%

5.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

15.0%

10.0%

10.0%

100.0%

15.0%

15.0%

150.0%

15.0%

10.0%

131.0%

(1) 

 “Validating Events” represent various material achievements, such as fundraisings, mergers and acquisitions, development partnerships, strategic 
alliances, customer contracts and other significant corporate events.

(2) 

“Technical Milestones” represent various research and development achievements, as well as advancement of clinical trials.

The  Remuneration  Committee  determined  that  the  MBO  percentage  achievement  for  2017  was  131.0%  of 
target percentage. The Remuneration Committee determined such achievement in accordance with the MBOs 
set at the beginning of 2017, and refined in April 2017, and did not exercise any material discretion. As noted 
above, the target cash incentive bonus award for the Chief Executive Officer was set at 150% of base salary for 
2017, with maximum award set at 225% of base salary. Based upon the MBO achievement, the cash incentive 
bonus award to the Chief Executive Officer was set at 196.5% of base salary, and pro-rated for her number of 
days of service as “permanent” CEO during 2017, resulting in a 2017 cash incentive bonus of $707,400.

87
87

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

LTIP Awards made during 2017 (audited information)

Executive Directors

Jill Smith

Type

Annual
RSU

New-Hire
RSU

Basis of 
award

Number of 
shares

Face value 
of award 
($’000)

% of value 
to vest at 
threshold

% of value 
to vest at 
target

Vesting 
conditions

See below

979,112

$1,800

16.67%

66.67%

See below

1,631,854

$3,000

0.00%

100.00%

Non-Executive Directors

Rick Davis

RSU

See below

26,938

$50

n/a

n/a

Peter Dolan

RSU

See below

40,407

$75

n/a

n/a

Harry Rein

RSU

See below

20,500

$50

n/a

n/a

Jeff Rohr

RSU

See below

26,938

$50

n/a

n/a

Kevin Sharer

RSU

See below

26,938

$50

n/a

n/a

Based on 
performance 
achievement, 100% 
at 30 April 2020

Based on 
performance 
achievement, 100% 
at 13 March 2020

Based on service, 
annually over three 
years to May 2020

Based on service, 
annually over three 
years to May 2020

Based on service, 
annually over three 
years to November 
2020

Based on service, 
annually over three 
years to May 2020

Based on service, 
annually over three 
years to May 2020

At 20 June 2017, the annual LTIP award above was granted to the Chief Executive Officer. The total value of 
the award has been calculated using the closing share price of 144p on such date. The level of award was 
determined by the Committee after giving due consideration to the 2016 Korn Ferry compensation benchmarking 
study which concluded that the target amount of the award ($1,200,000), or 200% of base salary, would 
position the CEO at or below the median for the peer group for total compensation during 2017. The maximum 
value of such award which could be received by Ms. Smith is 300% of base salary. Vesting of the LTIP award is 
dependent upon performance metrics measured over the three years to 30 April 2020, details of which are set 
out in the Remuneration Policy table on page 79 of the Report. The level of vesting for threshold performance is 
16.67% of the maximum. The level of vesting for target performance is 66.67% of the maximum.

At 20 June 2017, Ms. Smith was also granted a new hire LTIP award. The total value of the award has been 
calculated  using  the  closing  share  price  of  144p  on  such  date.  The  level  of  award  was  determined  by  the 
Committee after giving due consideration to the level of long-term incentive required to successfully recruit Ms. 
Smith to the permanent role, and the Company’s remuneration policy and approach to recruitment. The level 
of vesting for threshold performance is 0.00% of the maximum. The level of vesting for target performance is 

88

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

100.00% of the maximum. Vesting of the LTIP award is dependent upon performance metrics measured over the 
three years from her start date to 13 March 2020, details of which are set forth below:

•  Three or more monetisation events;

•  More than 50% of fund raises for portfolio companies will include co-investors with expertise in the business 

of the portfolio company;

•  The Company will have achieved the capacity to build more than five new businesses in each of the three 

years ending at the end of calendar year 2020; and

•  The Company’s positioning in Federal Laboratories has been strengthened.

At 15 May 2017, the LTIP awards above were granted to the Non-Executive Directors including Messrs. Davis, 
Dolan, Rohr and Sharer. The total value of the award has been calculated using the closing share price of 144p 
on such date. At 6 November 2017, the LTIP award above was granted to the Mr. Rein in connection with his 
appointment as a Non-Executive Director. The total value of the award has been calculated using the closing 
share price of 186p  on  such date.  The level of award for such Non-Executive Directors was determined by 
the Committee after giving due consideration to the 2016 Korn Ferry compensation benchmarking study which 
recommended such awards in light of the US-based nature of the Group’s business, and the need to attract and 
retain independent directors with significant US business and leadership experience. Vesting of the LTIP award is 
based upon time of service, with each award vesting in three equal installments over a three year period. There 
are no performance conditions attached to the vesting under the awards granted under the LTIP.

Long Term Incentive Plan Vesting during 2017 (audited information)

Non-Executive Director Awards

LTIP awards granted to the Non-Executive Directors in June 2015 and May 2016 partially vested in 2016 and 
2017. Vesting of the Non-Executive Director LTIP awards is based upon time of service, with each award vesting 
in three equal installments over a three year period. There are no performance conditions attached to the vesting 
under the awards granted under the LTIP to the Non-Executive Directors. As a result of such vesting in 2016, 
2,723 ordinary shares were allotted and issued to Mr. Dolan, and 1,815 ordinary shares were allotted and 
issued to each of Messrs. Davis, Rohr and Sharer. As a result of such vesting in 2017, 7,868 ordinary shares 
were allotted and issued to Mr. Dolan, and 5,245 ordinary shares were allotted and issued to each of Messrs. 
Davis, Rohr and Sharer.

Executive Director Awards - 2014

No LTIP awards granted to Executive Directors vested during 2016. However, the performance period for LTIP 
awards made to Executive Directors during 2014 ended on 31 December 2016, and such awards partially 
vested in June 2017 based upon the performance metrics set forth below.

In respect of the LTIP awards made to Executive Directors during 2014, vesting was dependent upon performance 
metrics measured as follows:

•  60% of each award was subject to performance conditions based on the Company’s total shareholder return 

(TSR) performance in respect of a three-year period, as follows:

 o threshold vesting (33.33% of maximum) for achievement of a 10% annualised TSR,

89
89

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

 o target vesting (66.67% of maximum) for achievement of a 15% annualised TSR, and

 o maximum vesting for achievement of a 20% annualised TSR; and

•  40% of each award was subject to performance conditions based on a basket of shareholder value metrics 

(SVM), including, but not limited to:

 o the increase in quality of pipeline intellectual property reviewed,

 o the increase in quality of the partnership pipeline, and

 o subsidiary level performance (assessed by reference to such matters as external funding raised, corporate 

collaborations, product co-development and proof of principal commercial pilots and revenues).

In  June  2017,  performance  against  the  relevant  measures  was  calculated  to  finally  determine  the  number  of 
ordinary shares capable of vesting, and the potential award vested at that time.

The Company’s annualised TSR for the measurement period was 33.99%, which consisted of an increase from 
190.0p at the Company’s IPO in June 2014 to a 30-day trailing open/close average on 31 December 2016 
of 399.2p. Thus, the TSR condition exceeded the maximum TSR and 60.00% (out of a possible 60.00%) of the 
maximum number of shares under the award vested in June 2017.

The Remuneration Committee reviewed Company performance in each of January 2015, 2016 and 2017 to 
assess the level of achievement under the SVM condition, and awarded a preliminary score of 4.0 (maximum) 
for 2014, 3.0 (target) for 2015, and 3.3 (above target) for 2016. The Remuneration Committee made its final 
assessment in June 2017, and the SVM condition averaged 3.433 over the measurement period, and 34.33% 
(out of a possible 40.00%) of the maximum number of shares under the award vested in June 2017.

Taken together, 94.33% of the maximum number of shares under the 2014 LTIP awards became eligible for 
vesting in June 2017. Under the terms of these awards, 50% of the eligible award would be vested and allotted 
in June 2017, and the remaining 50% over the following two years, but because Mr. Silva was terminated 
without cause, 100% of his eligible award (94.33%) vested and the shares were allotted in June 2017.

Executive Director Awards - 2015

The  performance  period  for  LTIP  awards  made  to  Executive  Directors  during  2015  ended  on  31  December 
2017, and such awards are expected to partially vest in May 2018 based upon the performance metrics set 
forth below.

In respect of the LTIP awards made to Executive Directors during 2015, vesting is dependent upon performance 
metrics measured as follows:

•  60% of each award will be subject to performance conditions based on the Company’s total shareholder 

return (TSR) performance in respect of a three-year period, as follows:

 o threshold vesting (33.33% of maximum) for achievement of a 10% annualised TSR,

 o target vesting (66.67% of maximum) for achievement of a 15% annualised TSR, and

 o maximum vesting for achievement of a 20% annualised TSR; and

90

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

•  40%  of  each  award  will  be  subject  to  performance  conditions  based  on  a  basket  of  shareholder  value 

metrics (SVM), including, but not limited to:

 o the increase in quality of pipeline intellectual property reviewed,

 o the increase in quality of the partnership pipeline, and

 o subsidiary level performance (assessed by reference to such matters as external funding raised, corporate 

collaborations, product co-development and proof of principal commercial pilots and revenues).

In May 2018, performance against the relevant measures will be calculated to finally determine the number of 
ordinary shares capable of vesting, and the potential award will then vest at that time.

The Company’s annualised TSR for the measurement period was negative, which consisted of a decrease from 
a 30-day trailing open/close average on 31 December 2014 of 313.5p, to a 30-day trailing open/close 
average on 31 December 2017 of 155.8p. Thus, the TSR condition was below the threshold TSR and 0.00% 
(out of a possible 60.00%) of the maximum number of shares under the award are expected to vest in May 
2018.

The  Remuneration  Committee  has  undertaken  a  preliminary  assessment  of  Company  performance  in  each  of 
January 2016, 2017 and 2018 to assess the level of achievement under the SVM condition, and awarded a 
preliminary score of 3.0 (target) for 2015, 3.3 (above target) for 2016, and 3.6 (above target) for 2017. The 
Remuneration Committee will make its final assessment in May 2018, but based upon the preliminary assessment, 
the SVM condition averaged 3.3 over the measurement period, and 33.00% (out of a possible 40.00%) of the 
maximum number of shares under the award would be on this basis expected to vest in May 2018.

Taken together, and based on the preliminary assessment, 33.00% of the maximum number of shares under the 
award are expected to be eligible for vesting in May 2018.

US Stock Plan Awards Made During 2017 (audited information)

The Company did not make any grants under the US Stock Plan in 2017, and does not intend to make any 
further grants. The interests of the Executive Directors in outstanding options under the US Stock Plan are shown 
in the statement of directors’ shareholding and share interest on page 92 of this Annual Report.

Payments to Past Directors (audited information)

No payments to past Directors were made during the last financial year.

Loss of Office Payments (audited information)

During 2017, an aggregate of $595,828 of loss of office payments were made to Mr. Silva as a result of 
his resignation as Chief Executive Officer on 10 March 2017, which included (i) payment in lieu of annual 
incentive award in the amount of $100,676, (ii) payment in lieu of base salary in the amount of $483,334, and 
(iii) payment in lieu of COBRA (health care) expense in the amount of $11,818. The Board used its discretion 
to treat Mr. Silva’s resignation as a termination without cause (good leaver). Further details of the effect of his 
resignation and the calculation of payments and benefits are given on pages 98 to 100.

91
91

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Total Pension Entitlements (audited information)

No payments for pension entitlements were made to Directors during the last financial year. The Company offers 
a retirement plan in accordance with subsection 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code (401(k) Plan) in which 
Executive Directors may make voluntary pre-tax contributions toward their own retirement. The Company does 
not make any payments or contributions to such 401(k) Plan.

Statement of Directors’ Shareholding and Share Interests (audited information)

Share ownership plays a key role in the alignment of our executives with the interests of shareholders. In April 
2016,  the  Remuneration  Committee  adopted  a  share  ownership  policy  for  Executive  Directors.  The  policy 
requires  Executive  Directors  to  acquire  and  maintain  a  minimum  ownership  level  of  ordinary  shares  in  the 
capital of the Company, thereby helping to align their interests with those of shareholders. The Committee has 
set the current requirements at share value of 400% of base salary for Executive Officers. The Committee has 
not set a timeframe during which Executive Officers are required to accumulate their share ownership level. At 
31 December 2017, the Executive Director had not acquired enough shares to meet this requirement. The table 
below sets out the number of shares held by Directors as at 31 December 2017, and the Company is not aware 
of any changes through 19 March 2018.

Shares held 
outright

Shares 
conditional on 
performance

Shares 
conditional on 
service

Options to 
purchase shares

Executive Directors

Jill Smith

Non-Executive Directors

Rick Davis

Peter Dolan

Harry Rein

Jeff Rohr

Kevin Sharer

82,000

2,610,966

—

266,660

133,991

—

46,660

7,060

—

—

—

—

—

35,614

53,421

20,500

35,614

35,614

—

—

—

—

—

—

Total

2,692,966

302,274

187,412

20,500

82,274

42,674

92

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Performance Graph

The graph below illustrates the Company’s Total Shareholder Return (TSR) performance relative to the constituents 
of the FTSE 250 index excluding investment companies and the FTSE All Share index of which the Company 
is a constituent, 31 December 2016 to 31 December 2017. The graph shows performance of a hypothetical 
£100 invested and its performance over that period.

Change in Remuneration of Chief Executive Officer Compared to US Group Employees

120 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

31-12 
2016 

ALM 

FTSE 250 

FTSE All Share 

31-12 
2017 

The table below sets out the increase in total remuneration of the Chief Executive Officer and that of our US 
Group employees (excluding Directors) from 2016 to 2017:

CEO

US Group Employees

% change 
in base salary

% change 
in cash bonus

% change in 
benefits

16.5%

3.9%

n/a

31.7%

(82.0)%

20.5%

93
93

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Historical CEO Remuneration Outcomes

The table below summarises the Chief Executive Officer single total figure for total remuneration, annual cash 
incentive bonus award, LTIP vesting as a percentage of maximum opportunity, and US Stock Plan share award 
vesting as a percentage of maximum opportunity, for the last financial year. As the company listed in 2014, the 
comparative begins with the 2013 period.

CEO single total figure for remuneration ($’000)

Annual cash incentive bonus award pay-out (% of maximum)(1)

LTIP award vesting (% of maximum)(2)

US Stock Plan award vesting (% of maximum)(3)

2017

$621

n/a

94.33%

n/a

2016

2015

2014

2013

$9,178

74.13%

n/a

n/a

$1,067

$15,942

$1,236

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

100%

100%

Notes:

(1) 

 With respect to 2017, the percentage of maximum is not applicable because no annual cash incentive bonus was paid. With respect to 2015, 
2014 and 2013, the percentage of maximum is not applicable because the Company did not have any cap on cash incentive bonus award 
payments in those financial years. As a percentage of base salary, the award was 65.7% in 2013, 125.0% in 2014 and 105.0% in 2015. 
For 2016, the maximum cash incentive bonus award for Executive Officers was 150% of base salary.

(2) 

 No equity-based awards vested under the LTIP during 2016, 2015, 2014 or 2013. However, the performance period for LTIP awards made 
to Executive Directors during 2014 ended on 31 December 2016, and such awards are expected to partially vest in May 2017. As noted 
above, 94.33% of the maximum number of shares under the 2014 LTIP award became eligible for vesting in June 2017. As noted above, 
33.00% of the maximum number of shares under the 2015 LTIP award are expected to be eligible for vesting in May 2018.

(3) 

 Equity-based payments include awards under the US Stock Plan. All equity awards, including stock options and restricted stock, under the US 
Stock Plan became vested and fully exercisable, or vested and fully transferable, in connection with the IPO.

94

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Relative Importance of Spend on Pay

The chart below shows the total employee costs, change in Group Subsidiary Ownership Adjusted Value, and 
change in share price from 2016 to 2017.

The information shown in this chart is based on the following:

•  Total employee pay: Total US Group employee staff costs from note 5 on page 138, including wages and 

salaries, social security and healthcare costs, and share-based payments.

•  Change in Group Subsidiary Ownership Adjusted Value (GSOAV) taken from page 16.

•  Returns  to  shareholders:  since  the  Group  does  not  currently  pay  a  dividend,  returns  to  shareholders  are 
represented  by  the  change  in  the  Group’s  share  price  over  the  period  from  31  December  2016  to  31 
December 2017.

•  Please note that for the purposes of this chart only, the GSOAV determined in April 2017 shall be assumed 

retroactive to 31 December 2016.

 50.2 

 48.3 

 470.0 

 416.2 

 395.6 

 165.0 

Total employee costs 
($m) 

GSOAV ($m)

Share Price (p) 

(+3.9%) 

(-4.9%) 

(-64.9%) 

2017 

2016 

Statement of Implementation of Remuneration Policy in the Following Financial Year

Base Salary and Benefits

Effective from 1 January 2018, the base salary of the current Executive Director will be:

Jill Smith

Base Salary

Increase

% Increase

$600,000

0

0.0%

The  Committee  considers  that,  as  part  of  a  competitive  overall  package,  base  salaries  should  be  within  a 
market-competitive range, which is considered to be at or up to median level compared with the Company’s 
peer  groups. As noted above, based  upon the results of the peer benchmarking study, the strong Company 
performance in 2016, and the achievement of Company and individual goals, the Board recommended Ms. 

95
95

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Smith’s base salary remain constant at $600,000. This compares to an average increase of 3.9% base salary 
increase that was implemented across the Group to US employees.

The  benefits  package  during  2017  will  continue  to  be  in  line  with  US  employment  market  practice  and  the 
Remuneration Policy.

Cash Incentive Bonus Awards

The Remuneration Committee expects to implement the following to the cash incentive bonus awards, which is 
permitted under the Remuneration Policy. During 2017, the maximum cash incentive bonus award opportunity 
for  each  Executive  Director  was  set  at  225%  of  base  salary  upon  Ms.  Smith’s  transition  to  permanent  Chief 
Executive  Officer.  Under  the  Remuneration  Policy,  each  year  the  Remuneration  Committee  will  determine  the 
maximum opportunity for each Executive Director. The maximum opportunity for each Executive Director in 2018 
will remain constant and may be up to 225% of base salary.

The Executive Director’s cash incentive bonus awards shall be considered by the Remuneration Committee upon 
completion  of  the  financial  year.  The  decision  to  provide  any  cash  incentive  bonus  award  and  the  amount 
and terms of any such award, are determined solely by the level of achievement against the MBOs set by the 
Committee at the start of the financial year. The annual MBOs, including financial, operational, technical and 
other performance targets and their weightings for the upcoming year were set at the start of 2018, as follows:

MBO

Deliver Validating Events(1) and Technical Milestones(2) for Key Subsidiaries

Secure Funding and Strategic Relationships for Subsidiary Companies

Strengthen Investment Committee Process; Progress Longer Term Strategy:

Initiate New Company Formation and Investment

  Deepen Specific Federal Lab Relationships

  Expand Sources of New Deal Pipeline

Strengthen Core Business for Sustainability

  Manage Cash

  Broaden Shareholder Base

  Bolster Portfolio Company Support and Services

Total Percentage of Target

Notes:

Threshold 
Weightings

Target 
Weightings

Maximum 
Weightings

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

30.0%

20.0%

15.0%

5.0%

5.0%

15.0%

5.0%

5.0%

100.0%

45.0%

30.0%

22.5%

7.5%

7.5%

22.5%

7.5%

7.5%

150.0%

(1) 

 “Validating Events” represent various material achievements, such as fundraisings, mergers and acquisitions, development partnerships, strategic 
alliances, customer contracts and other significant corporate events.

(2) 

“Technical Milestones” represent various research and development achievements, as well as advancement of clinical trials.

(3) 

 In keeping with the emphasis on the variable component of compensation and strong management incentives, the Remuneration Committee set 
the threshold for cash incentive bonus awards at nil.

Long Term Incentive Plan

The Remuneration Committee expects to implement the following changes to the LTIP awards in 2018, which are 
permitted under the current Remuneration Policy. Prior to 2016, there was no cap on the amount of LTIP award to 

96

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

be made to Executive Directors, other than the cap of 300% of base salary per financial year as specified in the 
LTIP. Under the current Remuneration Policy, each year the Committee will determine the maximum opportunity 
for each Executive Director. The maximum opportunity for each Executive Director in 2018 shall be up to 300% 
of base salary.

In 2016 and 2017, the Committee made awards under the LTIP with 100% of each award subject to performance 
conditions based on the Company’s relative total shareholder return (rTSR) performance in respect of a three-
year period. The Group TSR will be measured relative to the FTSE 250, the S&P 500, and a peer group of four 
publicly-traded companies. The level of vesting for threshold performance is 16.67% of the maximum. The level 
of vesting for target performance is 66.67% of the maximum.

With respect to any LTIP awards granted to Executive Directors in 2018, the Committee expects to continue the 
same rTSR performance vesting terms, except that the Group TSR will be measured relative to the FTSE All Shares 
Index and a peer group of five publicly-traded companies, which metrics were deemed by the Remuneration 
Committee,  based  upon  advice  from  Korn  Ferry,  to  be  more  specifically  relevant  to  the  performance  of  the 
Company’s shares.

Details of the expected vesting of the 2015 awards are given on pages 90 to 91.

Service Contract and Letter of Appointment (New CEO)

At 10 March 2017, the new interim Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director (Jill Smith) entered into a 
service contract. The employment arrangement was “at-will”, which means that either Ms. Smith or Allied Minds 
could terminate the employment arrangement at any time, with or without cause and with or without prior notice. 
During the period that Ms. Smith served as “interim” Chief Executive Officer, she was paid a base salary of 
$100,000 per month, and she was not eligible for any cash incentive bonus awards, LTIP awards, or any other 
incentive or equity schemes.

On 26 May 2017, Ms. Smith accepted the Board’s offer to transition to serve as “permanent” Chief Executive 
Officer and President. The terms of Ms. Smith’s service contract and remuneration are in accordance with the 
Remuneration Policy, subject to the considerations set forth in the approach to remuneration recruitment set forth 
in this Annual Report.

Ms. Smith has a service contract that commenced on 26 May 2017 and shall continue until terminated by either 
of Allied Minds or the Executive Director.

The Executive Director’s  contract does  not provide for extended notice periods or compensation in the event 
of a change of control. However, as noted above, the rules of the LTIP provide that, in the event of a change 
of control, awards would vest to the extent determined by the Remuneration Committee taking into account the 
extent to which the performance conditions are satisfied at the date of such event.

If  the  Executive  Director’s  employment  is  terminated  by  Allied  Minds  for  “Cause”,  she  shall  only  be  entitled 
to amounts that are accrued or owing but not yet paid and reimbursement of any properly incurred business 
expenses but excluding any bonus payments or other compensation provided pursuant to Allied Minds’ incentive 
compensation plan (such amounts, the “Standard Benefit”).

If the Executive Director terminates the service contract for “Good Reason” or Allied Minds terminates the service 
contract without Cause, the Executive Director shall be entitled to:

•  payment of twelve (12) months’ base salary in accordance with regular payroll;

97
97

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

•  an annual incentive award equal to the product of: (A) the Executive Directors bonus for the prior year; and 

(B) a fraction based on the number of days in which the Executive Director was employed during that year;

•  payment of the portion of the premiums paid by the Company at the time of such termination under COBRA 
for medical, dental, hospitalisation and other employee welfare benefit plans, programs and arrangements 
covered by COBRA, for a period of twelve (12) months for her and each of her eligible dependents; and

•  payment of the Standard Benefit.

In the event of death or disability, similar payments will be made as those payable as a termination for Good 
Reason save that the payment of base salary shall only continue for 90 days after the death of the Executive 
Director  and/or  until  the  commencement  of  long  term  disability  payments  in  the  case  of  termination  due  to 
disability.

If the Executive Director terminates her employment with Allied Minds without Good Reason (and not because of 
her death or due to disability), the Executive Director shall be entitled solely to payment of the Standard Benefit.

At 10 March 2017, Ms. Smith’s Non-Executive Director letter of appointment was terminated, and she entered 
into a new Executive Director letter of appointment. The letter of appointment immediately terminates upon the 
termination of her appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. The letter of appointment does 
not provide for any compensation on termination.

On 9 May 2016, in her capacity as a Non-Executive Director, Ms. Smith received a grant of 10,290 RSUs 
under the Company’s LTIP. The RSUs vest annually over a three-year period, with the first vesting date scheduled 
to occur on 9 May 2017. Under the terms of the RSUs, vesting is time-based and occurs so long as Ms. Smith 
continues to be a Director of the Company. Notwithstanding the terms of such RSUs, Ms. Smith surrendered the 
awards in light of her appointment Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director because such RSUs do not 
contain performance vesting conditions, and therefore are not in compliance with the Remuneration Policy.

The service contract and letter of appointment are available for inspection at the Company’s registered office. 
In accordance with the Code, Ms. Smith will submit herself for election at the AGM, and for annual re-election 
by shareholders at each AGM.

Service Contract and Post Period Loss of Office Payments (Former CEO)

At 31 December 2016, the former Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director (Chris Silva) had a service 
contract  that  commenced  in  May  2014.  With  effect  from  10  March  2017,  Mr.  Silva  resigned  as  Chief 
Executive Officer and as an Executive Director of the Company.

The  Remuneration  Committee  approved  the  arrangements  below  which  are  in  line  with  the  Company’s 
Remuneration Policy approved by the Company’s shareholders at the 2016 AGM.

98

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Payments and Benefits

Mr. Silva will be entitled to:

•  An annual incentive award for 2017, which shall be a lump sum payment of $100,676, which is equal to 
the product of: (A) $532,560 (his average annual bonus for the three full years preceding his resignation) 
and (B) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days he was employed by the Company during 
2017  and  the  denominator  of  which  is  the  number  of  days  in  such  year.  During  2017,  loss  of  office 
payments in lieu of annual incentive award was made in the amount of $100,676.

•  Continued payment of his base salary at the rate of $600,000 per year for a period of twenty-four (24) 
months. During 2017, loss of office payments in lieu of base salary was made in the amount of $483,334.

•  Participation  at  the  Company’s  expense  under  COBRA  for  six  months  for  him  and  each  of  his  eligible 
dependents in all medical, dental, hospitalisation and other employee welfare benefit plans, programs and 
arrangements covered by COBRA. During 2017, loss of office payments in lieu of COBRA expense was 
made in the amount of $11,818.

•  Life and disability insurance cover at the Company’s expense for six months. During 2017, no payments for 

loss of office in lieu of life and disability insurance expense were made.

Incentive Arrangements

Mr. Silva has outstanding restricted share unit awards (RSUs) granted under the Company’s Long Term Incentive 
Plan, outstanding share options (Options) granted under the Allied Minds Stock Option/Stock Issuance Plan, and 
outstanding awards in the form of units (Phantom Units) granted under the Allied Minds Phantom Plan (Phantom 
Plan). The RSUs and Options are settled in ordinary shares in the Company (Shares) and the Phantom Units are 
settled in cash.

In accordance with the terms of such awards and the Company’s Remuneration Policy:

•  The RSUs will continue to vest subject to achievement of the relevant performance criteria and, to the extent 
that they vest, Mr. Silva will be entitled to a pro rata number of Shares taking into account the time which 
Mr. Silva has worked in the period over which the performance criteria are measured. The Remuneration 
Committee has exercised its discretion to determine that the pro-rating shall be by reference to the number of 
days worked from the beginning of the relevant measurement period, rather than from the date of grant of the 
relevant RSU. As of 19 March 2018, Mr. Silva has outstanding RSUs to acquire an aggregate of 365,100 
Shares at maximum vesting.

•  The Options are fully vested. Following the Remuneration Committee determination to extend the period for 
exercise of the Options from three to twelve months following termination, Mr. Silva had until 10 March 
2018  to  exercise  such  Options,  failing  which  they  lapsed.  As  of  19  March  2018,  Mr.  Silva  has  no 
outstanding Options.

•  The Phantom Units are also fully vested. Settlement of Phantom Units under the Phantom Plan is triggered by a 
successful subsidiary liquidity event (Liquidity Event). Mr. Silva remains entitled to a proportion of the payment 
he would have received on a Liquidity Event had he remained an employee. That proportion is 90% if the 
Liquidity Event occurs within 9 months of his resignation date, 75% if 10-18 months from his resignation date; 
50% if 19-27 months from his resignation date; 25% if 28-36 months from his resignation date, and 0% if 
later than 36 months from his resignation date. As of 19 March 2018, Mr. Silva has 8,857 Phantom Units.

99
99

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

No further payments will be made to Mr. Silva in connection with his loss of office.

Chairman and Non-Executive Directors

Effective from 01 January 2018, the base salaries of the Chairman and Non-Executive Directors will be:

Cash Component

Non-Executive Director Annual Fee

Audit Committee Chair Annual Fee

Remuneration Committee Chair Annual Fee

Nomination Committee Chair Annual Fee

Chairman of the Board Annual Fee

Equity Component

Non-Executive Director LTIP Award Value

Chairman of the Board LTIP Award Value

2018

$75,000

$25,000

$10,000

$10,000

$75,000

$50,000

$75,000

The Chairman, Non-Executive Director and Committee Chair annual fees set forth in the table above remain 
unchanged from 2017. The additional fee for serving as Chairman shall only be payable where the Chairman 
is a Non-Executive Director. Given the US-based nature of the Group’s business, and the need to attract and 
retain independent directors with significant US business and leadership experience, the proposed fees above 
include an equity component, which will have a time-based vesting schedule. Jill Smith, as an Executive Director, 
will not be entitled to any Board fees.

Outside Appointments for Executive Directors

Any proposed external directorships are considered and approved by the Board to ensure they do not cause 
a  conflict  of  interest  but,  subject  to  this,  Executive  Directors  may  accept  outside  non-executive  appointments. 
Where such appointments are agreed with the Board, the Executive Directors may retain any fees payable for 
their services. The following Executive Directors served as Non-Executive Directors elsewhere and received fees 
or benefits for the period covered by this Annual Report.

Executive Director

Jill Smith

Notes:

Date of service 
agreement(1)

Details of any non-
executive directorship

26 May 2017

Endo International plc(2)

Gemalto N.V.(3)

Hexagon(4)

J.M. Huber Corporation

Fees retained for any 
non-executive directorship 
(local currency)

€ 321,287 (EUR)
€ 94,000 (EUR)

kr 241,667 (SEK)

$ 75,000 (USD)

(1) 

Date latest service agreement was entered into, not the date of taking up employment with the Group.

(2)  Ms. Smith will not be standing for re-election at the Endo AGM in June 2018.

(3)  Ms. Smith expects to resign from the Board of Gemalto in the second half of 2018, when Gemalto expects to complete its sale to Thales.

(4)  Ms. Smith resigned from the Board of Hexagon in May 2017.

100

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Limits on the Number of Shares Used to Satisfy Share Awards (dilution limits)

All of the Group’s incentive schemes that contain an element that may be satisfied in Allied Minds plc shares 
incorporate provisions that in any ten-year period (ending on the relevant date of grant), the maximum number 
of the shares that may be issued or issuable under all such schemes shall not exceed 10% of the issued ordinary 
share capital of the Company from time to time (excluding shares issued pursuant to awards granted prior to IPO 
under the US Stock Plan).

The Committee regularly monitors the position and prior to the making of any share-based award, considers the 
effect of potential vesting of outstanding awards to ensure that the Company remains within these limits. Any 
awards which are required to be satisfied by market purchased shares are excluded from such calculations. No 
treasury shares were held or utilised in the year ended 31 December 2017.

Remuneration Committee: Details and Governance

The full terms of reference of the Committee, which are reviewed annually, are available on the Group’s website 
at www.alliedminds.com. In summary, the Remuneration Committee has specific responsibility for advising the 
Board on the remuneration and other benefits of Executive Directors, an overall policy in respect of remuneration 
of other employees of the Group and establishing the Group’s policy with respect to employee incentivisation 
schemes.

The Remuneration Committee is currently comprised of the following independent Non-Executive Directors, whose 
backgrounds and experience are summarised on pages 44 to 46:

•  Kevin Sharer (Chair)

•  Harry Rein

•  Jeff Rohr

Messrs. Sharer and Rohr served during the entire financial year, and Harry Rein replaced Rick Davis on the 
Committee as of 6 November 2017.

Committee  meetings  are  administered  and  minuted  by  the  Company  Secretary.  In  addition,  the  Committee 
received assistance from Jill Smith, Chief Executive Officer and Joe Pignato, Chief Financial Officer, each of 
who attend certain meetings by invitation, except when matters relating to their own remuneration were being 
discussed.

During the year, the key activities carried out by the Committee were:

•  Conducted a review of all elements of remuneration for Executive Directors and senior management;

•  Reviewed feedback received from major shareholders and shareholder advisory services in connection with 

the implementation of the revised Remuneration Policy in 2016;

•  Confirmed that the Remuneration Policy was designed to be appropriate for a UK listed company, whilst 
also ensuring that it was designed to continue to attract and retain US-based management and employees 
of the highest calibre;

101
101

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

•  In accordance with the Remuneration Policy, implemented revised performance metrics for annual LTIP awards 

solely based upon relative total shareholder return (rTSR);

•  Reviewed the LTIP to ensure that it continues to advance the Committee’s policy to provide a competitive, 
performance-linked long-term incentive mechanism that will: (i) attract, retain and motivate individuals with 
the required personal attributes, skills and experience, (ii) provide a real incentive to achieve the Company’s 
long-term strategic objectives, and (iii) and align the interests of management and shareholders;

•  Set the management by objectives (MBOs), including financial, operational, technical and other performance 
targets and their weightings at the start of 2017, and determined the level of achievement against the MBOs 
at the end of the year, in order to determine the cash incentive bonus awards for the Executive Officers for 
the last financial year;

•  Considered  the  (i)  scale,  scope  and  responsibility  of  the  role,  (ii)  skills  and  experience  of  the  individual, 
(iii)  retention  risk,  (iv)  base  salary  of  other  employees,  (v)  and  economic  environment,  and  carried  out 
benchmarking, in order to determine base salaries of the Executive Directors, for the period starting 1 January 
2018;

•  Issued LTIP awards on 15 May 2016, 20 June 2017 and 6 November 2017;

•  Reviewed progress against 2015, 2016 and 2017 LTIP award performance targets for the last financial 

year; and

•  Reviewed the remuneration reporting regulations in connection with the review and revision of the Group’s 

Remuneration Policy and preparation of the Directors’ Remuneration Report.

External Advisers

The  Remuneration  Committee  is  authorised,  if  it  wishes,  to  seek  independent  specialist  services  to  provide 
information and advice on remuneration at the Company’s expense, including attendance at Committee meetings.

During  the  year,  the  Remuneration  Committee  continued  its  review  of  executive  remuneration  and  took  into 
consideration  professional  advice  from  Korn  Ferry.  Korn  Ferry  performed  peer  benchmarking  to  assist  the 
Committee with determinations regarding base salary, cash incentive bonus awards, and proposed LTIP awards. 
Korn Ferry also assisted the Remuneration Committee with a review of proposed details of the base salary, cash 
incentive bonus awards, and proposed LTIP awards (including the performance vesting criteria) in connection 
with the recruitment of Ms. Smith. Fees paid to Korn Ferry in connection with advice to the Committee in 2017 
were $81,000 (2016: $30,000). Korn Ferry did not provide any other services or advice to the Group during 
the year. They are a member of the Remuneration Consultants Group and adhere to its Code of Conduct in 
relation to executive remuneration consulting in the UK.

102

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT (CONTINUED)  

Statement of Voting at General Meeting

The table below sets out the proxy results of the vote on the Group’s Remuneration Report at the Group’s 2017 
AGM:

Votes for

Votes against

Votes cast

Votes withheld

Number % of cast votes

Number % of cast votes

Remuneration Report

129,689,124

81.61%

29,225,712

18.39%

158,916,290

1,454

Remuneration Disclosure

This Report and Accounts complies with the requirements of the Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups 
Regulations 2008 as amended in 2013, the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code (April 2016) 
and the Listing Rules.

Approval

This Directors’ Remuneration Report, including both the Remuneration Policy and Annual Report on Remuneration 
has been approved by the Board of Directors.

Kevin Sharer 
Chairman of the Remuneration Committee

22 March 2018

103
103

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
 
 
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT     

The Audit Committee plays an integral role in assisting the Board fulfil its oversight responsibilities. In performing 
its  duties,  the  Committee  strives  to  maintain  effective  working  relationships  with  the  Board,  the  Company’s 
management and the external auditors. The Committee reviews the integrity of the financial statements of the 
Group,  reviews  all  proposed  half-yearly  and  annual  results,  and  advises  the  Board  whether  it  believes  the 
annual report and accounts, taken as a whole, fairly present the Company’s financial position and provide the 
necessary information to the shareholders of the Company to assess the Company’s position and performance, 
business model, and strategy.

MEMBERSHIP

The Committee comprises three independent Non-executive Directors. Members of the Committee are appointed 
by the Board. The CEO, CFO, General Counsel and external auditors also participate in Committee meetings by 
invitation. As Chair of the Audit Committee, Mr. Jeff Rohr has relevant, recent financial experience as a Certified 
Public Accountant with over thirty years of senior management and executive experience. At the beginning of 
2017, Mr. Rick Davis and Ms. Smith served as the other two independent members of the Committee. In March 
2017, Mr. Sharer was appointed to replace Ms. Smith upon her appointment as Chief Executive Officer and 
Executive Director. In November 2017, Mr. Rein was appointed to replace Mr. Sharer.

The Committee met four times in 2017, and the external auditors participated in all of these meetings. Mr. Rohr, 
Mr. Rein and Ms. Smith were present at all meetings during the year during their term of service, and Mr. Davis 
missed two meetings due to unexpected scheduling conflicts, and Mr. Sharer missed one meeting due to an 
unexpected scheduling conflict.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Committee’s main responsibilities are to monitor the integrity of the financial statements of the Company, 
including  its  annual  and  half-yearly  reports  and  accounts  and  any  other  formal  announcement  relating  to  its 
financial performance; and reviewing and reporting to the Board on significant financial reporting issues and 
judgements  made  and  matters  communicated  to  it  by  the  auditor.  The  roles  and  responsibilities  of  the  Audit 
Committee additionally include to:

•  Review the Company’s internal financial controls and the Company’s internal control and risk management 

systems;

•  Advise on the need and monitor and review the effectiveness of the Company’s internal audit function;

•  Make recommendations to the Board, for it to put to the shareholders for their approval in general meeting, in 
relation to the appointment of the external auditor and to approve the remuneration and terms of engagement 
of the external auditor;

•  Review and monitor the external auditor’s independence and objectivity and the effectiveness of the audit 

process, taking into consideration relevant UK professional and regulatory requirements;

•  Develop and implement policy on the engagement of the external auditor to supply non-audit services, taking 
into account relevant ethical guidance regarding the provision of non-audit services by the external audit firm; 
and to report to the Board, identifying any matters in respect of which it considers that action or improvement 
is needed, and making recommendations as to the steps to be taken; and

•  Report to the Board on how it has discharged its responsibilities.

104

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT (CONTINUED)  

The Committee carries out these duties for the Company, major subsidiary undertakings and the Group as a 
whole, as appropriate.

ACTIVITIES DURING THE YEAR

The Committee’s activities for the year ended 31 December 2017 included the responsibilities set forth above, 
as well as the items set forth below:

Financial Reporting

•  Reviewed and approved the appropriate audit plan, before the start of the annual audit cycle;

•  Reviewed and provided comments and recommendations in respect of the financial statements in the half-
yearly report for the period ended 30 June 2017, and the financial statements in the Annual Report and 
Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2017;

•  Reviewed  the  Company’s  approach  and  methodology  for  determining  the  fair  value  of  investments. 
Considered and recommended the involvement of external valuation specialist firm to assist management 
and the Board in deriving the fair value of the subsidiary undertakings; and

•  Considered  significant  matters,  risk  areas,  and  areas  of  judgement  in  relation  to  the  Group’s  financial 
statements  taking  into  account  the  areas  highlighted  by  the  external  auditors  in  their  presentations  to  the 
Committee, and challenged where necessary.

The Committee is satisfied with the integrity of the financial statements of the Company in all material aspects, 
including the application of significant accounting policies, the methods used to account for significant transactions, 
use of judgements and estimates made by management, including those made in deriving the fair value of the 
subsidiary undertakings, and the quality and completeness of the disclosures in the financial statements of the 
Company.

The Committee is satisfied that this Annual Report as a whole is fair, balanced and understandable, and provides 
the information necessary for a reasonable shareholder to assess the Company’s performance, business model 
and strategy.

Internal Controls and Risk Management Systems

•  Reviewed  the  principal  elements  of  the  Company’s  risk  management  framework  as  set  out  on  pages  36 
to 43 of this Annual Report. The Committee gives consideration and provides guidance on enhancing the 
internal controls and risk management framework, as needed;

•  Reviewed  the  established  procedures,  which  provide  a  reasonable  basis  for  the  Board  to  make  proper 
judgements on an ongoing basis as to the Financial Position, Prospects and Procedures (FPPP) of the Company 
following the adopted risk approach; and

•  Reviewed the whistleblower policy that was established and approved by the Board in 2014, which has 
been communicated to employees. The Audit Committee is satisfied that the policy has been designed to 
encourage staff to report suspected wrongdoing as soon as possible, provide staff with guidance on how 
to raise those concerns, and ensure staff that they should be able to raise genuine concerns without fear of 
reprisals, even if they turn out to be mistaken.

105
105

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT (CONTINUED)  

FINANCIAL REPORTING PANEL

As part of the thematic review of companies’ reporting, the Financial Reporting Panel reviewed our 31 December 
2016 accounts and disclosures relating to significant accounting adjustments and sources of estimation uncertainty. 
The panel confirmed that it had no substantive issues to raise in relation to their review. The panel noted that it 
was considering identifying our disclosures relating to subsidiary preferred share liability as an example of better 
practices  around  explaining  when  ranges  of  outcomes  cannot  be  quantified  and  disclosing  sensitivities.  No 
changes were suggested or required to be made in our 31 December 2017 accounts as result of this review. 
This thematic review provides no assurance that our report and accounts are correct in all material respects and 
the Financial Reporting Council’s role is not to verify the information provided but to consider compliance with 
reporting requirements.

SIGNIFICANT AREAS REPORTED TO THE BOARD

Valuation of Group Subsidiaries

At the close of each annual financial period, the Directors formally approve the value of all subsidiary businesses 
in the Group, which is used to derive the Group Subsidiary Ownership Adjusted Value (GSOAV). This Group 
Subsidiary Ownership Adjusted Value is a sum-of-the-parts (SOTP) valuation of all the subsidiaries that make up 
the Group.

The  Audit  Committee  discusses  with  management  and  the  auditors  the  appropriateness  of  the  adopted 
methodology and approach in deriving the GSOAV. Further details of the Group valuation methodology are 
outlined  in  note  11  on  pages  151  to  152.  For  valuations  based  on  recent  third  party  funding  rounds,  the 
relatively low number of investors participating in some of those rounds may be an indication of risk that a recent 
funding  round  used  as  basis  for  valuation  is  not  sufficiently  at  arm’s  length  to  ensure  an  independent  market 
valuation representative of fair value. Although the fair values of the Group’s investments in subsidiaries are not 
included in the Group’s Consolidated Statement of Financial Position, additional disclosures are provided in the 
notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. This is a significant performance metric for the Group.

Financial Instruments – Subsidiary Preferred Shares

Certain of the Group’s subsidiaries have outstanding preferred shares which have been classified as subsidiary 
preferred shares in current liabilities as the subsidiaries have a contractual obligation to deliver cash or other 
assets to the holders under certain future liquidity events, and/or a requirement to deliver an uncertain number of 
common shares upon conversion. Significant judgement is used in determining the classification of these financial 
instruments in terms of liability or equity and significant estimates are made when determining the appropriate 
valuation methodology and deriving the estimated fair value of the subsidiary preferred shares. As such, they 
present a significant risk for the financial statements.

Revenue

Group subsidiaries enter into various revenue contracts with customers. Certain of these contracts require the use 
of significant key estimates and judgements when determining the appropriate accounting treatment of key terms 
in accordance with the applicable accounting standards. In particular, judgements arise in relation to allocation 
of fair values between multiple elements within contracts and recognition on delivery or over a period of time. As 
such, they present a significant risk or error for the financial statements.

106

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT (CONTINUED)  

EXTERNAL AUDIT

•  Reviewed and approved the scope of the external audit procedures over the half-yearly report for the period 

ended 30 June 2017, and the Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2017;

•  Discussed with management and agreed upon the terms of the engagement of the external auditors and the 
auditors’  remuneration  for  audit  and  non-audit  services.  In  assessing  independence,  the  Audit  Committee 
received the auditor’s presentation and confirmation that in its professional judgment, KPMG LLP is independent 
within the meaning of regulatory and professional requirements and the objectivity of the partner and audit staff 
is not impaired. The Committee was satisfied that throughout the year that the objectivity and independence 
of KPMG LLP was not in any way impaired by the non-audit services they provided to the Group during the 
year, by the amounts of non-audit fees, or by any other factors;

•  Assessed the independence, objectivity and qualifications of KPMG LLP as the external auditor and evaluated 
the quality and effectiveness of the audit procedures. In doing so, the Committee reviewed the audit plan 
and monitored performance against the plan, reviewed the periodic reports of KPMG LLP to the Committee 
that highlighted key areas of focus during the audit and the applied audit approach, and obtained feedback 
from the finance department in respect to quality and status of KPMG LLP work in the course of the audit. The 
Committee concluded that the audit process during the year was effective; and

•  Reviewed and discussed the principal areas of financial reporting risk, as highlighted above, and reported 

to the Board.

KPMG LLP has been the external auditor of the Group since the first audit of the consolidated financial statements 
of Allied Minds plc in 2014. Mr. Charles le Strange Meakin has been the audit partner throughout this period. 
The  total  fees  to  KPMG  LLP  for  the  year  ended  31  December  2017  were  $0.7  million  (see  note  5  of  the 
consolidated financial statements). The Audit Committee has considered the recent European Union audit reforms 
in terms of tendering and auditor’s tenure. Given that the Group listed on the London Stock Exchange during 
2014 and became a public interest entity (PIE), the next anticipated requirement to tender audit will be for the 
2024 calendar year. As such, the Company is complying with the Statutory Audit Services Order.

INTERNAL AUDIT

Given the size and composition of the Group, taking into account relevant significant matters, risk areas, areas of 
judgement in relation to the Group’s financial statements, and the centralised internal controls system in respect to 
the Group’s financial reporting process, the Board did not consider it necessary to have an internal audit function 
during the year. The Board will keep this decision under annual review.

Jeff Rohr 
Chairman of the Audit Committee

22 March 2018

107
107

Management & GovernanceANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT  
TO THE MEMBERS OF ALLIED MINDS PLC    

We  were  appointed  as  auditor  by  the  shareholders 
on  10  July  2014.  The  period  of  total  uninterrupted 
engagement  is  for  the  four  financial  years  ended 
31  December  2017.  We  have  fulfilled  our  ethical 
responsibilities under, and we remain independent of 
the Group in accordance with, UK ethical requirements 
including the FRC Ethical Standard as applied to listed 
public interest entities. No non-audit services prohibited 
by that standard were provided.

Overview

Materiality:

group financial 
statements as a 
whole

Coverage

Risks of material 
misstatement

Recurring risks

$1.0m (2016: $1.0m)

1.0% (2016: 1.0%) of total expenses

100% (2016:100%) of group profit before 
tax

vs 2016

Disclosure of Group 
Subsidiary Ownership 
Adjusted Value

Financial Instruments 
– preferred shares 
classification and 
valuation

Revenue recognition

Valuation of Investments 
in the Parent Company

1.  OUR OPINION IS UNMODIFIED

We  have  audited  the  financial  statements  of  Allied 
Minds  plc  (“the  Company”)  for  the  year  ended  31 
December,  2017  which  comprise  the  Consolidated 
Statement  of  Comprehensive  Loss,  Consolidated 
Statement of Financial Position, Consolidated Statement 
of Changes in Equity, Consolidated Statement of Cash 
Flows, Company Balance Sheet, Company Statement 
of  Changes  in  Equity,  Company  Statement  of  Cash 
flows and the related notes, including the accounting 
policies in note 1.

In our opinion:

– 

– 

– 

 the financial statements give a true and fair view 
of  the  state  of  the  Group’s  and  of  the  parent 
Company’s affairs as at 31 December 2017 and 
of the Group’s loss for the year then ended;

 the Group financial statements have been properly 
prepared 
International 
Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the 
European Union (IFRSs as adopted by the EU);

in  accordance  with 

 the  parent  Company  financial  statements  have 
been  properly  prepared  in  accordance  with 
IFRSs  as  adopted  by  the  EU  and  as  applied  in 
accordance with the provisions of the Companies 
Act 2006; and

the  financial  statements  have  been  prepared  in 
accordance  with  the  requirements  of  the  Companies 
Act  2006  and,  as  regards  the  Group  financial 
statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation.

Basis for Opinion

We  conducted  our  audit 
in  accordance  with 
International Standards on Auditing (UK) (“ISAs (UK)”) 
and applicable law. Our responsibilities are described 
below. We believe that the audit evidence we have 
obtained is a sufficient and appropriate basis for our 
opinion. Our audit opinion is consistent with our report 
to the audit committee.

108

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT  
TO THE MEMBERS OF ALLIED MINDS PLC (CONTINUED)  

2.  KEY AUDIT MATTERS: OUR ASSESSMENT OF RISKS OF MATERIAL MISSTATEMENT

Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgment, were of most significance in the audit of 
the financial statements and include the most significant assessed risks of material misstatement (whether or not 
due to fraud) identified by us, including those which had the greatest effect on: the overall audit strategy; the 
allocation of resources in the audit; and directing the efforts of the engagement team. We summarise below the 
key audit matters in decreasing order of audit significance, in arriving at our audit opinion above, together with 
our key audit procedures to address those matters and, as required for public interest entities, our results from 
those procedures. These matters were addressed, and our results are based on procedures undertaken, in the 
context of, and solely for the purpose of, our audit of the financial statements as a whole, and in forming our 
opinion thereon, and consequently are incidental to that opinion, and we do not provide a separate opinion on 
these matters.

Disclosure of Group 
Subsidiary Ownership 
Adjusted Value

($395.6m; 2016: $416.2m)

Refer to page 106 (Audit 
Committee Report), and 
pages 151 to 152 (financial 
disclosures).

The risk

Disclosure  quality:  The  group  has  23  subsidiaries  that 
are  consolidated  in  the  group  accounts.  The  financial 
statements  do  include  additional  disclosure  in  relation 
to  the  Group  Subsidiary  Ownership  Adjusted  Value 
(GSOAV),  as  the  Directors  have  determined  that  it 
is  appropriate  to  voluntarily  present  this  alternative 
performance  measure,  as  supplementary  information. 
The policy adopted by the Group is detailed in note 11. 
The group’s subsidiaries are, for the most part, still at the 
development stage and the majority do not yet generate 
revenues.  This  has  therefore  been  determined  to  be  a 
significant risk for our audit for the following reasons:

– 

– 

– 

– 

 as a result of the Group policy not to formally revalue 
each subsidiary at each accounting period end there 
is  significant  judgement  required  to  assess  if  there 
has been an indication of a decrease in the value of 
a subsidiary, therefore requiring a valuation;

 where  there  is  a  valuation  driven  by  Discounted 
Cash  Flow  (DCF),  the  inherent  uncertainty  involved 
in forecasting the trading of such companies and the 
significant level of judgement required to determine 
the  assumptions  used  in  the  DCFs  such  as  discount 
rate, revenue and EBIT forecasts and probability of 
success and the valuations are sensitive to changes 
in these assumptions. DCF valuation are prepared by 
an external expert on behalf of the company;

 where there is a valuation which utilises a Probability- 
Weighted Expected Return Model (PWERM) analysis 
there is significant judgement in relation to both the 
scenarios chosen as well as the weighting of those 
scenarios;

 for  valuations  based  on  recent  third  party  funding 
rounds,  the  relatively  low  number  of  investors 
partaking  in  funding  rounds  means  that  there  is  a 
risk  that  recent  investment  on  which  valuation  is 
based are not sufficiently at arm’s length to ensure an 
independent  market  valuation  representative  of  fair 
value and;

– 

 the significance of the Group Subsidiary Ownership 
Adjusted Value disclosures in the group accounts to 
the users of the financial statements.

Our response

Our procedures included:

– 

– 

– 

 GSOAV  Methodology  choice:  assessing 
the 
appropriateness  of  the  valuation  model  used  for 
each subsidiary based on the specific circumstances 
relevant  to  each  company  such  as  the  stage  of 
development, proximity to funding round, the industry 
in which it operates and also the likely exit date or 
commercialisation date and assessed for consistency 
the  prior  year, 
taken 
with 
understanding and challenging changes made.

the  approach 

in 

 Historical  comparisons:  Where 
it  had  been 
determined that no formal valuation will be prepared 
in the current year we assessed the appropriateness 
the 
this  conclusion  by  critically  assessing 
of 
performance  of  the  related  subsidiaries  compared 
to  prior  year  forecasts  to  identify  indications  of 
a  decrease  in  the  value  of  the  company.  We 
challenged  the  explanations  received  in  respect  of 
the  relative  valuations  year  on  year  in  the  context 
of  the  progression  of  the  entity  towards  achieving 
milestones set and in relation to wider industry trends 
in the period.

 Funding  assessment:  Where  valuations  are  based 
on the implied value from the most recent third party 
we  evaluated  the  independence  of  the  funding 
rounds on which the valuation was based by looking 
at the number of external investors included within the 
funding  round,  the  significance  of  their  investments 
and  whether  they  are  sufficiently  independent  from 
the Group to form a basis for the valuation.

109

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release Financial StatementsINDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT  
TO THE MEMBERS OF ALLIED MINDS PLC (CONTINUED)  

The risk

Our response

– 

– 

 Our  valuation  expertise:  Where  valuations  had 
been  prepared  by  an  external  expert  on  behalf  of 
the company we used our own valuation specialists 
to  assist  us  in  evaluating  the  assumptions  and 
methodologies used in the valuations. We assessed 
the  expertise  and  independence  of  the  external 
experts. We critically assessed the appropriateness 
of the assumptions underlying the forecasts, including 
assumptions  over  projected 
including 
forecast  product  commercialisation  or  license  date 
and  royalty  rates  where  applicable  and  operating 
costs  and  EBIT  margin  terminal  values  and  the 
probability  of  success  factors  where  applicable. 
In  doing  this  we  used  our  knowledge  of  each 
subsidiary  and  its  industry  with  reference  to  both 
internal  management  information  and  externally 
derived data and benchmarks, including market size 
data,  royalty  rates  and  competitor  analyses  based 
on information from public material.

revenue 

 Benchmarking assumptions: We critically assessed 
the  appropriateness  of  the  discount  rates  applied, 
against the assumptions used in the prior year, with 
specific  focus  (where  applicable)  on:  the  company 
specific  risk  premium  (including  appropriateness  of 
the  probability  of  success  where  applicable);  the 
control  premium;  and  the  venture  capital  rates  of 
return  utilised. We  considered  against  the  stage  of 
development of the company where capital rates of 
return  are  utilised  and  the  specific  scenarios  of  the 
company in respect of the control premium

– 

 Assessing  transparency:  We  assessed  whether 
the  group’s  disclosures  were  consistent  with  the 
valuations  performed  and  whether  the  group’s 
disclosures  adequately  highlighted  the  uncertainty 
inherent in the valuations.

Our results

– 

 We  found  the  Disclosure  of  Group  Subsidiary 
Ownership Adjusted Value to be acceptable.

110

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT  
TO THE MEMBERS OF ALLIED MINDS PLC (CONTINUED)  

Financial instruments - 
preferred shares classification 
and valuation

($181.6m; 2016: $140.9m)

Refer to page 106 (Audit 
Committee Report), pages 
124 and 125 (accounting 
policy) and pages 156 to 160 
(financial disclosures).

The risk

Accounting  treatment  and  subjective  valuation:  The 
group  finances  its  operations  and  subsidiaries  partly 
through  financial  instruments  such  as  preferred  shares. 
There  is  a  significant  level  of  judgement  in  determining 
whether  the  instruments  should  be  classified  as  debt 
or  equity  and,  when  classified  as  debt,  whether  there 
are  any  embedded  derivatives  that  require  separation 
and  would  prevent  the  designation  of  the  entire  hybrid 
contract  at  fair  value  through  profit  or  loss.  The  fair 
value  is  derived  using  the  option  pricing  model  which 
involves a significant level of judgement around the key 
assumptions, such as subsidiary values (either the implied 
value  from  a  third  party  funding  round,  a  valuation 
based  on  a  DCF  and/or  PWERM  analysis  or  asset 
based valuation – see relevant sections in “Disclosure of 
Group Subsidiary Ownership Adjusted Value”), volatility, 
expected time to the conversion event, forecast exit dates 
and scenarios and applicable probability weighting.

Revenue recognition

($5.0m; 2016: $2.7m)

Refer to page 106 (Audit 
Committee Report), page 
130 (accounting policy) and 
pages 134 to 135 (financial 
disclosures).

Accounting  treatment:  Revenue  recognition  involves  a 
significant level of judgment due to the non-standard nature 
of some of the contracts that make up the revenue streams 
of the group and the judgement required in assessing the 
implication of the terms of bespoke agreements in relation 
to the appropriate revenue recognition policy such as the 
allocation  of  consideration  to  each  component  of  the 
contract, the timing of recognition of the revenue and the 
accounting for the associated costs.

Our response

Our procedures included:

– 

– 

– 

 Accounting  analysis:  We  critically  assessed  the 
conclusions reached by the group in relation to the 
debt versus equity classification of the issued financial 
instruments by considering the key terms and features 
of  the  contracts  through  applying  and  interpreting 
relevant  accounting  standards;  Where  the  group 
designated  the  entire  hybrid  contract  at  fair  value 
through profit or loss, we evaluated whether certain 
embedded derivatives required separate accounting 
by critically assessing the key terms and features of 
those derivatives.

 Subjective  valuation:  The  value  of  the  subsidiary 
which  is  a  key  input  into  the  option  pricing  model 
to  give  the  value  per  share  is  either  based  on  a 
third  party  funding  round  or  on  a  DCF/PWERM 
analysis and therefore the procedures performed are 
detailed in ‘our responses’ to the ‘disclosure of group 
subsidiary ownership adjusted value’.

 Our valuation expertise: We used our own valuation 
specialists to assist us in critically assessing other key 
inputs  utilised  within  the  option  pricing  model.  We 
use comparable company data to critically assess the 
volatility assumption. Internal data such as strategic 
plans, forecasts and budgets and actual results are 
utilised for inputs such as exit dates and scenarios and 
probability  of  exit  scenarios.  Procedures  performed 
include  comparing  to  prior  periods  for  consistency, 
understanding  key  changes  and  critically  assessing 
current progress against milestones set and assessing 
where  there  is  an  impact  on  the  forecast  exit  date 
and  assessing  whether  the  assumptions  used  are 
consistent with the strategic plans.

– 

transparency:  Assessing  whether 
 Assessing 
the  group’s  disclosures  were  consistent  with  the 
valuations  performed  and  whether  the  group’s 
disclosures  adequately  highlighted  the  uncertainty 
inherent in the valuations.

Our results

– 

 We found the accounting treatment and valuation of 
preference shares to be acceptable.

Our procedures included:

– 

 Accounting  analysis:  Challenging  the  Group’s 
accounting treatment against applicable accounting 
standards for key revenue streams by inspecting the 
significant revenue contracts and critically assessing 
whether the key terms were in line with the Group’s 
assessment with a focus on the recognition of revenue 
over  time  and  allocation  of  consideration  to  each 
component.

– 

 Assessing  transparency:  Assessing  the  adequacy 
of the Group’s disclosures in relation to the revenue 
recognition accounting policies adopted.

Our results

– 

 We found the revenue recognition to be acceptable.

111

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release Financial StatementsINDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT  
TO THE MEMBERS OF ALLIED MINDS PLC (CONTINUED)  

Valuation of investments in the 
Parent Company

($173.5m; 2016: $158.4m)

Refer to page 173 (accounting 
policy) and page 174 (financial 
disclosures).

The risk

Low risk, High value:

Our response

Our procedures included:

The carrying amount of the parent company’s investments 
in  the  subsidiary  companies  represents  100%  (2016: 
100%) of the company’s total assets. Its recoverability is 
not at a high risk of significant misstatement or subject to 
significant judgement. However, due to its materiality in 
the  context  of  the  parent  company  financial  statements, 
this  is  considered  to  be  the  area  that  had  the  greatest 
effect on our overall parent company audit.

– 

 Comparing  valuations:  comparing  the  carrying 
amount of the investment to the market capitalisation 
of the Group, as Allied Minds Limited contains all of 
the group’s trading operations.

Our results

– 

 We  found  the  group’s  judgement  that  there  is  no 
indicator of impairment to be appropriate.

3.  OUR APPLICATION OF MATERIALITY AND AN 
OVERVIEW OF THE SCOPE OF OUR AUDIT

Materiality  for  the  group  financial  statements  as  a 
whole was set at $1.0m (2016: $1.0m), determined 
with reference to a benchmark of total expenses (being 
general  and  administrative  expenses  and  research 
and  development  expenses)  of  which  it  represents 
1.0% (2016: 1.0%). Total expenses is considered to 
be one of the principal considerations for the members 
of the company in assessing the financial performance 
of the group, since the group’s activities are currently 
principally  in  relation  to  expenditure  on  developing 
forms of intellectual property which can be exploited 
commercially  to  generate  income  and  growth  in  the 
future.

Materiality for the parent company financial statements 
as  a  whole  was  set  at  $0.9m  (2016:  $0.9m), 
determined  with  reference  to  a  benchmark  of  total 
assets, of which it represents 0.9% (2016: 0.9%).

We  agreed  to  report  to  the  Audit  Committee  any 
corrected  or  uncorrected  identified  misstatements 
exceeding  $50k,  in  addition  to  other  identified 
misstatements  that  warranted  reporting  on  qualitative 
grounds.

Of the group’s 2 (2016: 3) reporting components, we 
subjected 2 (2016: 3) to full scope audits for group 
purposes.

The components within the scope of our work accounted 
for the percentages illustrated opposite.

The Group team approved the component materiality 
of $900k, having regard to the mix of size and risk 
profile  of  the  Group  across  the  components.  The 
work, including the audit of the parent company, was 
performed by the Group team.

Total expenses
$108m (2016: $116m) 

Group materiality
$1.0m (2016: $1m)

$1m
Whole financial
statements materiality (based on 
total expenses)
(2016: $1m)

$940k
materiality at 2 components ($940k) 
(2016: 3 components, $200k to 
$900k)

Total expenses
Group materiality

$50k
Misstatements reported to the 
audit committee (2016: $50k)

Group revenue

Group loss before tax 

0

0

0

0

100%

(2016 100%)

100%

(2016 100%)

100

100

100

100

Group total assets 

0

0

100%

(2016 100%)

100

100

Full scope for group audit purposes 2017 

Specified risk-focused audit procedures 2017 

Full scope for group audit purposes 2016 

Specified risk-focused audit procedures 2016 

Residual components 

112

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
 
 
 
 
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT  
TO THE MEMBERS OF ALLIED MINDS PLC (CONTINUED)  

4.  WE HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT ON GOING CONCERN

We are required to report to you if:

– 

 we have anything material to add or draw attention to in relation to the directors’ statement in note 1 to the 
financial statements on the use of the going concern basis of accounting with no material uncertainties that 
may cast significant doubt over the Group and Company’s use of that basis for a period of at least twelve 
months from the date of approval of the financial statements; or

– 

 the related statement under the Listing Rules set out on pages 51 to 52 is materially inconsistent with our audit 
knowledge.

We have nothing to report in these respects.

5.  WE HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT ON THE OTHER INFORMATION IN THE ANNUAL REPORT

The directors are responsible for the other information presented in the Annual Report together with the financial 
statements. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, accordingly, we 
do not express an audit opinion or, except as explicitly stated below, any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether, based on our financial 
statements audit work, the information therein is materially misstated or inconsistent with the financial statements 
or our audit knowledge. Based solely on that work we have not identified material misstatements in the other 
information.

Strategic Report and Directors’ Report

Based solely on our work on the other information:

– 

 we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic report and the directors’ report;

– 

 in  our  opinion  the  information  given  in  those  reports  for  the  financial  year  is  consistent  with  the  financial 
statements; and

– 

 in our opinion those reports have been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006.

Directors’ Remuneration Report

In  our  opinion  the  part  of  the  Directors’  Remuneration  Report  to  be  audited  has  been  properly  prepared  in 
accordance with the Companies Act 2006.

Disclosures of Principal Risks and Longer-term Viability

Based on the knowledge we acquired during our financial statements audit, we have nothing material to add 
or draw attention to in relation to:

– 

 the directors’ confirmation within the viability statement pages 51 to 52 that they have carried out a robust 
assessment of the principal risks facing the Group, including those that would threaten its business model, 
future performance, solvency and liquidity;

– 

 The  principal  risks  disclosures  describing  these  risks  and  explaining  how  they  are  being  managed  and 
mitigated; and

113

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release Financial StatementsINDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT  
TO THE MEMBERS OF ALLIED MINDS PLC (CONTINUED)  

– 

 the directors’ explanation in the viability statement of how they have assessed the prospects of the Group, 
over  what  period  they  have  done  so  and  why  they  considered  that  period  to  be  appropriate,  and  their 
statement  as  to  whether  they  have  a  reasonable  expectation  that  the  Group  will  be  able  to  continue  in 
operation and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the period of their assessment, including any related 
disclosures drawing attention to any necessary qualifications or assumptions.

Under the Listing Rules we are required to review the viability statement. We have nothing to report in this respect.

Corporate Governance Disclosures

We are required to report to you if:

– 

 we have identified material inconsistencies between the knowledge we acquired during our financial statements 
audit and the directors’ statement that they consider that the annual report and financial statements taken as 
a whole is fair, balanced and understandable and provides the information necessary for shareholders to 
assess the Group’s position and performance, business model and strategy; or

– 

 the section of the annual report describing the work of the Audit Committee does not appropriately address 
matters communicated by us to the Audit Committee

We are required to report to you if the Corporate Governance Statement does not properly disclose a departure 
from the eleven provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code specified by the Listing Rules for our review.

We have nothing to report in these respects.

6.   WE HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT ON THE OTHER MATTERS ON WHICH WE ARE REQUIRED TO 

REPORT BY EXCEPTION

Under the Companies Act 2006, we are required to report to you if, in our opinion:

– 

– 

 adequate accounting records have not been kept by the parent Company, or returns adequate for our audit 
have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

 the parent Company financial statements and the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited 
are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

– 

 certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or

– 

 we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

We have nothing to report in these respects.

114

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT  
TO THE MEMBERS OF ALLIED MINDS PLC (CONTINUED)  

7.  RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

Directors’ Responsibilities

As  explained  more  fully  in  their  statement  set  out  on  pages  52  to  54,  the  directors  are  responsible  for:  the 
preparation of the financial statements including being satisfied that they give a true and fair view; such internal 
control as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material 
misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; assessing the Group and parent Company’s ability to continue as a 
going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern; and using the going concern basis 
of accounting unless they either intend to liquidate the Group or the parent Company or to cease operations, or 
have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s Responsibilities

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free 
from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or other irregularities (see below), or error, and to issue our 
opinion in an auditor’s report. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but does not guarantee that 
an  audit  conducted  in  accordance  with  ISAs  (UK)  will  always  detect  a  material  misstatement  when  it  exists. 
Misstatements can arise from fraud, other irregularities or error and are considered material if, individually or in 
aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis 
of the financial statements.

A fuller description of our responsibilities is provided on the FRC’s website at  
www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities.

Irregularities – Ability to Detect

We identified areas of laws and regulations that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the 
financial statements from our sector experience and through discussion with the directors.

We had regard to laws and regulations in areas that directly affect the financial statements including financial 
reporting (including related company legislation) and taxation legislation. We considered the extent of compliance 
with those laws and regulations as part of our procedures on the related financial statement items.

We communicated identified laws and regulations throughout our team and remained alert to any indications of 
non-compliance throughout the audit.

As with any audit, there remained a higher risk of non-detection of irregularities, as these may involve collusion, 
forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal controls.

115

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release Financial StatementsINDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT  
TO THE MEMBERS OF ALLIED MINDS PLC (CONTINUED)  

8.  THE PURPOSE OF OUR AUDIT WORK AND TO WHOM WE OWE OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

This report is made solely to the Company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 
of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Company’s 
members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the 
fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Company 
and the Company’s members, as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Charles le Strange Meakin (Senior Statutory Auditor)
for and on behalf of KPMG LLP, Statutory Auditor
Chartered Accountants
15 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5GL

22 March 2018

116

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF 

COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS    

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 

NOTE 

Revenue

Operating expenses:

Cost of revenue

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Research and development expenses

Operating loss

Finance income

Finance cost

Finance cost from IAS 39 fair value accounting 

Finance cost, net 

Loss before taxation

Taxation

Loss for the period

Other comprehensive loss:

Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss:

Foreign currency translation differences

Other comprehensive (loss)/income, net of taxation

Total comprehensive loss for the period

Loss attributable to:

Equity holders of the parent

Non-controlling interests

Total comprehensive loss attributable to:

Equity holders of the parent

Non-controlling interests

Loss per share

Basic

Diluted

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

3

4,5

4,5

4,5

7

7

7

25

17

17

8

8

2017 
$ ‘000

5,001  

(5,242)    

(55,214)    

(49,012)    

2016 
$ ‘000

2,664  

(5,563)    

(55,484)    

(55,292)    

(104,467)    

(113,675)    

485  

(180)    

(6,850)    

(6,545)    

2,879  

(561)    

(17,585)    

(15,267)    

(111,012)    

(128,942)    

—    

—    

(111,012)    

(128,942)    

(103)     

(103)     

208   

208   

(111,115)    

(128,734)    

(75,675)    

(35,337)    

(96,333)    

(32,609)    

(111,012)    

(128,942)    

(75,778)    

(35,337)    

(96,125)    

(32,609)    

(111,115)    

(128,734)    

$

$

(0.32)    

(0.32)    

(0.44)    

(0.44)    

117

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
 
 
 
CONSOLIDATED 

STATEMENT OF 

FINANCIAL POSITION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION    

AS OF 31 DECEMBER 

NOTE 

Non-current assets

Property and equipment 
Intangible assets 
Other investments
Other financial assets
Other non-current assets

Total non-current assets
Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents 
Other investments
Inventories
Trade and other receivables
Other financial assets

Total current assets

Total assets

Equity

Share capital
Share premium
Merger reserve
Translation reserve
Accumulated deficit

Equity attributable to owners of the Company

Non-controlling interests

Total equity

Non-current liabilities

Other non-current liabilities

Total non-current liabilities
Current liabilities

Trade and other payables
Deferred revenue
Loans
Subsidiary preferred shares

Total current liabilities

Total liabilities

Total equity and liabilities

9 
10 
12 
22 

13 
12 
14 
15 
22 

16 
16 
16 
16 
16 

16,17

20 

20 
3 
19 
18 

2017 
$ ‘000

26,627   
1,074   
—   
668   
—   

28,369   

158,075   
11,057   
—   
15,642   
18   

184,792   

213,161   

3,714   
158,606   
263,367   
89    
(354,443)    
71,333   
(59,241)     

12,092   

867   

867   

14,276   
4,296   
—  
181,630   

200,202   

201,069   

213,161   

2016 
$ ‘000

31,882   
2,762   
2,668   
904   
16   

38,232   

209,151   
14,244   
2,551   
5,900   
161   

232,007   

270,239   

3,657   
157,067   
263,435   
192    
(289,437)    
134,914   
(20,797)     

114,117   

720   

720   

13,941   
458   
115  
140,888   

155,402   

156,122   

270,239   

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
Registered number: 8998697
The financial statements on pages 117 to 169 were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue 
on 22 March 2018 and signed on its behalf by:

Jill Smith 
Chief Executive Officer

118

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONSOLIDATED 

STATEMENT OF 

CHANGES IN EQUITY

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY    

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

NOTE 

Share capital

Shares 

Amount 
$’ 000

Share 
premium 
$’ 000

Merger 
reserve 
$’ 000

Translation 
reserve 
$’ 000

Accumulated 
Deficit 
$’ 000

Total parent 
equity 
$’ 000

Non-
controlling 
interests 
$’ 000

Total 
equity 
$’ 000

Balance at 31 December 2015

215,637,363   

3,429   

155,867   

185,544   

(16)    

(192,819)    

152,005   

(10,631)     

141,374   

Total comprehensive loss for the year

Loss from continuing operations

Foreign currency translation

Total comprehensive loss for the year

Issuance of ordinary shares

New funds into non-controlling interest

Gain/(loss) arising from change in

non-controlling interest

Exercise of stock options

Equity-settled share based payments

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

(96,333)    

(96,333)    

(32,609)    

(128,942)    

208  

—    

208  

—    

208  

208  

(96,333)    

(96,125)    

(32,609)    

(128,734)    

16

16

17

6

6

17,457,015  

219   

—    

77,891    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

650,000  

9   

1,200   

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

78,110   

—    

78,110   

—    

—    

13,773   

13,773   

(6,229)     

(6,229)     

6,229   

—    

—    

1,209   

—    

1,209   

5,944    

5,944   

2,441   

8,385   

Balance at 31 December 2016

233,744,378   

3,657   

157,067   

263,435   

192  

(289,437)    

134,914   

(20,797)     

114,117   

Total comprehensive loss for the year

Loss from continuing operations

Foreign currency translation

Total comprehensive loss for the year

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

(75,675)    

(75,675)    

(35,337)    

(111,012)    

(103)    

—    

(103)    

—    

(103)    

(103)    

(75,675)    

( 75,778)    

(35,377)    

(111,115)    

Issuance of ordinary shares

16

3,402,567  

43   

—    

(68)      

—    

—    

(25)     

—    

(25)     

Gain/(loss) arising from change in

non-controlling interest

Dissolution of subsidiaries 

Exercise of stock options

Equity-settled share based payments

17

17

6

6

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

(50)     

(50)     

50   

4,653   

4,653   

(4,653)    

—    

—    

1,055,596  

14   

1,539   

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

—    

1,553   

—    

1,553   

6,066    

6,066   

1,496   

7,562   

Balance at 31 December 2017

238,202,541   

3,714   

158,606   

263,367   

89  

(354,443)    

71,333   

(59,241)     

12,092   

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

119

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017   
 
 
 
 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS    

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 

NOTE 

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net operating loss

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash

used in operating activities:

Depreciation

Amortisation

Impairment losses on property and equipment

Impairment losses on intangible assets

Share-based compensation expense

Changes in working capital:

Decrease/(increase) in inventory

(Increase)/decrease in trade and other receivables

Decrease in other assets

Increase/(decrease) in trade and other payables

Increase/(decrease) in other non-current liabilities

Increase in deferred revenue

Interest received

Interest paid

Other finance (expense)/income

Net cash used in operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities:

Purchases of property and equipment, net of disposals

Purchases of intangible assets, net of disposals

Disposal of investment in equity accounted investees

Disposal of other investments

Net cash provided by investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities:

Proceeds from exercise of stock options

Repayment of notes payable

Proceeds from issuance of share capital

Proceeds from issuance of share capital in subsidiaries

Proceeds from issuance of preferred shares in subsidiaries

Net cash provided by financing activities

Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period

Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period

9

10

9

10

5,6

14

15

20

20

3

7

7

7

9

10

11

12

16

19

16

17

18

2017 
$ ‘000

2016 
$ ‘000

(104,467)     

(113,675)     

5,800   

302   

701   

1,662   

7,562   

2,551   

(9,742)     

394   

335   

147   

3,838   

475   

(174)     

(163)     

5,714   

921   

340   

1,025   

8,385   

(1,040)     

1,442   

361   

(327)     

(31)     

63   

1,610   

(527)     

519   

(90,779)     

(95,220)     

(1,246)     

(276)     

—  

5,853   

4,331   

1,545   

(115)     

50   

—   

33,892   

35,372   

(51,076)     

209,151   

158,075   

(3,763)     

(324)     

2,535   

72,281   

70,729   

1,209   

(225)     

78,110   

13,773   

35,220   

128,087   

103,596   

105,555   

209,151   

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

120

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release    
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
For the year ended 31 December 2017    

(1) ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Preparation

Allied Minds plc (“Allied Minds” or the “Company”) is a company incorporated and domiciled in the UK. The 
Annual Report and Accounts of Allied Minds and its subsidiaries (together referred to as the “Group”) are presented 
for the year ended 31 December 2017. The group financial statements consolidate those of the Company and 
its subsidiaries and include the Group’s interest in associates using the equity method of accounting. The Group 
financial statements have been prepared and approved by the directors in accordance with the International 
Financial Reporting Standards, International Accounting Standards, and Interpretations (collectively “IFRS”) issued 
by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) as adopted by the European Union (“adopted IFRSs”). 
The accounting policies set out below have, unless otherwise stated, been applied consistently to all periods 
presented in these consolidated financial statements.

Basis of Measurement

The  consolidated  financial  statements,  with  exception  of  financial  instruments,  have  been  prepared  on  the 
historical cost basis.

Use of Judgments and Estimates

In preparing these consolidated financial statements, management has made judgments, estimates and assumptions 
that  affect  the  application  of  the  Group’s  accounting  policies  and  the  reported  amounts  of  assets,  liabilities, 
income and expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates. Estimates and underlying assumptions are 
reviewed on an on-going basis. Revisions to estimates are recognised prospectively. The effects on the amounts 
recognised in the consolidated financial statements, or on other alternative performance measures, is included 
in the following notes:

•  Note  4  –  revenue  recognition:  when  determining  the  correct  amount  of  revenue  to  be  recognised.  This 
includes making certain estimates and judgements when determining the appropriate accounting treatment of 
key customer contract terms in accordance with the applicable accounting standards. In particular judgment 
is required to determine the timing of revenue recognition (on delivery or over a period of time). The Directors 
also make estimates of the fair values of each component of a contract to be able to allocate the overall 
consideration to each component based on the relative fair value method.

•  Note 11 and 18 – portfolio and subsidiary preferred shares valuations: when determining the appropriate 
valuation  methodology  and  deriving  the  estimated  fair  value  of  subsidiary  undertakings  and  subsidiary 
preferred  shares.  This  includes  making  certain  estimates  of  the  future  earnings  potential  of  the  subsidiary 
businesses, appropriate discount rate and earnings multiple to be applied, marketability and other industry 
and company specific risk factors.

•  Note 18 – subsidiary preferred shares liability classification: when determining the classification of financial 
instruments  in  terms  of  liability  or  equity.  These  judgements  include  an  assessment  whether  the  financial 
instrument include any embedded derivative features, whether they include a contractual obligations upon 
the Group to deliver cash or other financial assets or to exchange financial assets or financial liabilities with 
another party, and whether that obligation will be settled by the Company’s exchanging a fixed amount of 
cash or other financial assets for a fixed number of its own equity instruments. Further information about these 
critical judgments and estimates is included below under Financial Instruments.

121

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Changes in Accounting Policies

No other new standards, interpretations and amendments effective for the first time from 1 January 2017 have 
had a material effect on the Group’s financial statements.

Going Concern

The Directors have prepared trading and cash flow forecasts for the Group covering the period to 31 December 
2020. Despite the fact that the Group is currently loss making and is likely to continue to be so, at least in the 
short term, after making enquiries and considering the impact of risks and opportunities on expected cash flows, 
and given the fact that the Group has $169.1 million of available funds in the form of cash and fixed income 
securities as at 31 December 2017, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Group has adequate 
cash  to  continue  in  operational  existence  for  the  period  to  31  December  2020.  For  this  reason,  they  have 
adopted the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.

Basis of Consolidation

Allied Minds plc was formed on 15 April 2014 and the consolidated financial statements for each of the years 
ended 31 December 2017 and 2016 comprises the financial statements of Allied Minds plc and its subsidiaries.

Subsidiaries

The financial information of the subsidiaries is prepared for the same reporting period as the parent Company, 
using consistent accounting policies. Subsidiaries are entities controlled by the Group. The Group controls an 
entity when it is exposed to, or has rights to, variable returns from its involvement with the entity and has the ability 
to affect those returns through its power over the entity. The financial statements of subsidiaries are included in 
the consolidated financial statements from the date that control commences until the date that control ceases. 
Losses applicable to the non-controlling interests in a subsidiary are allocated to the non-controlling interests even 
if doing so causes the non-controlling interests to have a deficit balance.

Changes in the Group’s interest in a subsidiary that do not result in a loss of control are accounted for as equity 
transactions. Where the Group loses control of a subsidiary, the assets and liabilities are derecognised along 
with any related NCI and other components of equity. Any resulting gain or loss is recognised in profit or loss. 
Any interest retained in the former subsidiary is measured at fair value when control is lost.

Associates

Associates are those entities in which the Group has significant influence, but not control, over the financial and 
operating policies. Significant influence is presumed to exist when the Group holds between 20 and 50 percent 
of the voting power of another entity.

Associates are accounted for using the equity method (equity accounted investees) and are initially recognised 
at cost. The Group’s investment includes goodwill identified on acquisition, net of any accumulated impairment 
losses. The consolidated financial statements include the Group’s share of the total comprehensive income and 
equity movements of equity accounted investees, from the date that significant influence commences until the date 
that significant influence ceases. When the Group’s share of losses exceeds its interest in an equity accounted 
investee, the Group’s carrying amount is reduced to nil and recognition of further losses is discontinued except 
to the extent that the Group has incurred legal or constructive obligations or made payments on behalf of an 
investee.

122

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Transactions Eliminated on Consolidation

Intra-group  balances  and  transactions,  and  any  unrealised  income  and  expenses  arising  from  intra-group 
transactions,  are  eliminated.  Unrealised  gains  arising  from  transactions  with  equity-accounted  investees  are 
eliminated  against  the  investment  to  the  extent  of  the  Group’s  interest  in  the  investee.  Unrealised  losses  are 
eliminated in the same way as unrealised gains, but only to the extent that there is no evidence of impairment.

Acquisitions and Disposals of Non-controlling Interests

Non-controlling  interests  (‘‘NCI’’)  are  measured  at  their  proportionate  share  of  the  acquiree’s  identifiable  net 
assets at the acquisition date. Changes in the Group’s interest in a subsidiary that do not result in a loss of control 
are accounted for as equity transactions.

Acquisitions and disposals of non-controlling interests that do not result in a change of control are accounted 
for as transactions with owners in their capacity as owners and therefore no goodwill is recognised as a result 
of such transactions. The adjustments to non-controlling interests are based on a proportionate amount of the 
net assets of the subsidiary. Any difference between the price paid or received and the amount by which non-
controlling interests are adjusted is recognised directly in equity and attributed to the owners of the parent.

Functional and Presentation Currency

These consolidated financial statements are presented in US dollars, which is the functional currency of most of 
the entities in the Group. All amounts have been rounded to the nearest thousand unless otherwise indicated.

Foreign Currency

Transactions in foreign currencies are translated to the respective functional currencies of Group entities at the 
foreign exchange rate ruling at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign 
currencies at the balance sheet date are retranslated to the functional currency at the foreign exchange rate ruling 
at that date. Foreign exchange differences arising on translation are recognised in the consolidated statement of 
comprehensive loss. Non-monetary assets and liabilities that are measured in terms of historical cost in a foreign 
currency are translated using the exchange rate at the date of the transaction. Non-monetary assets and liabilities 
denominated in foreign currencies that are stated at fair value are retranslated to the functional currency at foreign 
exchange rates ruling at the dates the fair value was determined.

The  assets  and  liabilities  of  foreign  operations,  including  goodwill  and  fair  value  adjustments  arising  on 
consolidation, are translated to the Group’s presentational currency (US dollar) at foreign exchange rates ruling 
at the balance sheet date. The revenues and expenses of foreign operations are translated at an average rate 
for the year where this rate approximates to the foreign exchange rates ruling at the dates of the transactions. 
Exchange  differences  arising  from  this  translation  of  foreign  operations  are  reported  as  an  item  of  other 
comprehensive income and accumulated in the translation reserve or non- controlling interest, as the case may 
be. When a foreign operation is disposed of, such that control, joint control or significant influence (as the case 
may be) is lost, the entire accumulated amount in the Translation reserve, net of amounts previously attributed to 
non-controlling interests, is reclassified to profit or loss as part of the gain or loss on disposal. When the Group 
disposes of only part of its interest in a subsidiary that includes a foreign operation while still retaining control, 
the relevant proportion of the accumulated amount is reattributed to non-controlling interests. When the Group 
disposes of only part of its investment in a subsidiary or an associate that includes a foreign operation while still 
retaining significant influence or joint control, the relevant proportion of the cumulative amount is reclassified to 
profit or loss.

123

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include all highly liquid instruments with original maturities of three months or less.

Inventories

Inventories  are  measured  at  the  lower  of  cost  and  net  realisable  value.  The  cost  of  inventories  is  based  on 
the  specific  identification  or  weighted-average  method.  The  cost  of  inventories  includes  expenditure  incurred 
in acquiring the inventories, production or conversion costs and other costs incurred in bringing them to their 
existing location and condition. In the case of manufactured inventories and work in progress, cost includes an 
appropriate share of production overheads based on normal operating capacity.

Net realisable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less the estimated costs of 
completion and selling expenses.

Financial Instruments

Financial Assets

The Group initially recognises loans and receivables and deposits on the date that they are originated. All other 
financial assets are recognised initially on the trade date at which the Group becomes a party to the contractual 
provisions of the instrument.

The Group derecognises a financial asset when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire, 
or  it  transfers  the  rights  to  receive  the  contractual  cash  flows  on  the  financial  asset  in  a  transaction  in  which 
substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the financial asset are transferred.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset and the net amount presented in the Consolidated Statement of Financial 
Position when, and only when, the Group has a legal right to offset the amounts and intends either to settle on a 
net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

The Group classifies its financial assets into the following categories: cash and cash equivalents, trade and other 
receivables, security and other deposits, other investments. Fixed income securities are recognised at fair value 
through profit and loss. The remaining categories are recognised at amortised cost using the effective interest 
rate method.

Other investments comprise fixed income debt securities, including government agency and corporate bonds, 
are stated at amortised cost less impairment. It is the Group policy to hold these investments until a maximum 
maturity of three years.

Financial Liabilities

The  Group  initially  recognises  debt  securities  issued  and  subordinated  liabilities  on  the  date  that  they  are 
originated. All other financial liabilities are recognised initially on the trade date at which the Group becomes a 
party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

The Group derecognises a financial liability when its contractual obligations are discharged, cancelled or expire.

The Group classifies non-derivative financial liabilities into the following categories: trade and other payables and 
loans. Such financial liabilities are recognised at fair value through profit and loss plus any directly attributable 
transaction costs. Subsequent to initial recognition these financial liabilities are measured at amortised cost using 
the effective interest method.

124

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Warrants are accounted for as financial liabilities and recorded at fair value.

The  Group’s  financial  liabilities  include  subsidiary  preferred  shares  some  of  which  incorporate  embedded 
derivatives.  In  accordance  with  IAS  39.11  the  Group  has  elected  not  to  bifurcate  the  embedded  derivative 
but fair value the entire instrument at each reporting date. The gain or loss on remeasurement to fair value is 
recognised immediately in profit or loss.

Financial Instruments Issued by the Group

Following the adoption of IAS 32, financial instruments issued by the Group are treated as equity only to the 
extent that they meet the following two conditions:

•  they include no contractual obligations upon the Group to deliver cash or other financial assets or to exchange 
financial assets or financial liabilities with another party under conditions that are potentially unfavourable to 
the Group; and

•  where  the  instrument  will  or  may  be  settled  in  the  Company’s  own  equity  instruments,  it  is  either  a  non-
derivative that includes no obligation to deliver a variable number of the Company’s own equity instruments 
or is a derivative that will be settled by the Company’s exchanging a fixed amount of cash or other financial 
assets for a fixed number of its own equity instruments.

To the extent that this definition is not met, the financial instrument is classified as a financial liability. Where the 
instrument so classified takes the legal form of the Company’s own shares, the amounts presented in the financial 
information for share capital and merger reserve account exclude amounts in relation to those shares.

Where a financial instrument that contains both equity and financial liability components exists, these components 
are separated and accounted for individually under the above policy.

Share Capital

Ordinary  shares  are  classified  as  equity.  The  Group  considers  its  capital  to  comprise  share  capital,  share 
premium, merger reserve, translation reserve, and accumulated deficit.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses. 
Cost includes expenditure that is directly attributable to the acquisition of the asset. Assets under construction 
represent machinery and equipment to be used in operations, R&D activities, or to be leased to customers once 
completed.

When parts of an item of property and equipment have different useful lives, they are accounted for as separate 
items (major components) of property and equipment. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method 
over the estimated useful lives of the related assets:

Computers and electronics 
Furniture and fixtures 
Machinery and equipment 
Under construction 
Leasehold improvements 

3 years
5 years
5 -20 years
Not depreciated until transferred into use
Shorter of the lease term or estimated useful life of the asset

Depreciation methods, useful lives and residual values are reviewed at least annually and adjusted if appropriate.

125

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Intangible Assets

Licenses (or Options to License) and Purchased In Process Research & Development

Licenses or options to license represent licenses or such options provided by universities, federal laboratories, 
and  scientists  in  exchange  for  an  equity  ownership  in  the  entities  or  cash.  Purchased  in  process  research  & 
development (‘‘IPR&D’’) represents time and expertise already invested by the scientist and provided in exchange 
for an equity interest in the entity. Licenses or options to license and purchased IPR&D are valued based on the 
amount of cash directly paid to acquire those assets or based on the amount of cash contributed by Allied Minds, 
at inception of the subsidiary, and the proportionate amount of equity ascribed to Allied Minds. The licenses 
or options to license and purchased IPR&D are capitalised only when they meet the criteria for capitalisation, 
namely separately identifiable and measurable and it is probable that economic benefit will flow to the entity.

Capitalised Development Costs

Research and development costs include charges from universities based on sponsored research agreements 
(“SRAs”) that the subsidiaries of Allied Minds enter into with universities. Under these agreements, the universities 
perform research on the technology that is being licensed to the subsidiaries. Research and development costs 
also include charges from independent research and development contractors, contract research organisations 
(“CROs”), and other research institutions.

Expenditure on research activities is recognised in profit or loss as incurred. Development expenditure is capitalised 
only  if  the  expenditure  can  be  measured  reliably,  the  product  or  process  is  technically  and  commercially 
feasible, future economic benefits are probable, the Group intends to and has sufficient resources to complete 
development and to use or sell the asset, and if the Group can measure reliably the expenditure attributable to 
the intangible asset during its development. The point at which technical feasibility is determined to have been 
reached  is  when  regulatory  approval  has  been  received,  where  applicable.  Management  determines  that 
commercial viability has been reached when a clear market and pricing point have been identified, which may 
coincide with achieving recurring sales. Development activities involve a plan or design for the production of 
new or substantially improved products or processes. The expenditure considered for capitalisation includes the 
cost of materials, direct labour and an appropriate proportion of overhead costs. Otherwise, the development 
expenditure is recognised in profit or loss as incurred. Subsequent to initial recognition, development expenditure 
is measured at cost less accumulated amortisation and any accumulated impairment losses.

Software

Software intangible assets that are acquired by the Group and have finite useful lives are measured at cost less 
accumulated amortisation and any accumulated impairment losses.

Finite-lived intangible assets are amortised on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives, from the date 
that they are available for use. Intangible assets which are not yet available for use (and therefore not amortised) 
are tested for impairment at least annually.

Amortisation

Amortisation is charged to the consolidated statement of comprehensive loss on a straight-line basis over the 
estimated useful lives of intangible assets unless such lives are indefinite. Intangible assets with an indefinite useful 
life and goodwill are systematically tested for impairment at each balance sheet date. Other intangible assets 
are amortised from the date they are available for use. Amortisation methods, useful lives and residual values are 
reviewed at least annually and adjusted if appropriate.

126

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

The estimated useful lives of the Group’s intangible assets are as follows:

Licences and Options to License 
Purchased IPR&D 

Development cost 
Software 

Taxation

Over the remaining life of the underlying patents
 Over  the  remaining  life  of  the  underlying  patents,  once  commercial 
viability has been achieved
Over the remaining life of the underlying technology
2 years

Tax on the profit or loss for the year comprises current and deferred tax. Tax is recognised in the income statement 
except to the extent that it relates to items recognised directly in equity, in which case it is recognised in equity.

Current Income Tax

Current tax is the expected tax payable or receivable on the taxable income or loss for the year, using tax rates 
enacted or substantially enacted at the reporting date, and any adjustment to tax payable in respect of previous 
years.

Deferred Income Tax

Deferred  tax  is  recognised  in  respect  of  temporary  differences  between  the  carrying  amounts  of  assets  and 
liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for taxation purposes. Deferred tax assets are 
recognised for unused tax losses, unused tax credits and deductible temporary differences to the extent that it is 
probable that future taxable profits will be available against which they can be used. Deferred tax assets are 
reviewed at each reporting date and are reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that the related tax 
benefit will be realised.

Deferred tax is measured at the tax rates that are expected to be applied to temporary differences when they 
reverse, using tax rates enacted or substantively enacted at the reporting date.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset if there is a legally enforceable right to offset current tax liabilities and 
assets, and they relate to taxes levied by the same tax authority on the same taxable entity, or on different tax 
entities where the Group intends to settle current tax liabilities and assets on a net basis or their tax assets and 
liabilities will be realised simultaneously.

Deferred taxes are recognised in profit or loss except to the extent that it relates to items recognised directly in 
equity or in other comprehensive income.

Impairment

Impairment of Non-Financial Assets

Non-financial  assets  consist  of  property  and  equipment  and  intangible  assets,  including  licences,  purchased 
IPR&D, capitalised development cost, with finite lives and such intangible assets which are not yet available for 
use.

The  Group  reviews  the  carrying  amounts  of  its  property  and  equipment  and  finite-lived  intangibles  at  each 
reporting date to determine whether there is any indication of impairment. If any such indication exists, then the 
asset’s recoverable amount is estimated. Intangible assets which are not yet available for use are tested annually 
for impairment.

127

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

For impairment testing, assets are grouped together into the smallest group of assets that generates cash inflows 
from  continuing  use  that  are  largely  independent  of  the  cash  inflows  of  other  assets  or  cash-generating  units 
(‘‘CGUs’’).

The recoverable amount of an asset or CGU is the greater of its value in use and its fair value less costs to sell. 
Value in use is based on the estimated future cash flows, discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount 
rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset or CGU.

An  impairment  loss  is  recognised  in  profit  and  loss  if  the  carrying  amount  of  an  asset  or  CGU  exceeds  its 
recoverable amount. Impairment losses are allocated to reduce the carrying amounts of assets in a CGU on a 
pro rata basis.

Impairment of Financial Assets

Financial  assets  not  classified  as  at  fair  value  through  profit  or  loss  are  assessed  at  each  reporting  date  to 
determine whether there is objective evidence of impairment.

Objective evidence that financial assets are impaired includes:

•  default or delinquency by a debtor;

•  restructuring of an amount due to the Group on terms that the Group would not consider otherwise;

•  indications that a debtor or issuer will enter bankruptcy;

•  adverse changes in the payment status of borrowers or issuers;

•  the disappearance of an active market for a security; or

•  observable  data  indicating  that  there  is  measurable  decrease  in  expected  cash  flows  from  a  group  of 

financial assets.

Financial Assets Measured at Amortised Cost

The Group considers evidence of impairment for these assets at both an individual asset and a collective level. 
All individually significant assets are individually assessed for impairment. Those found not to be impaired are 
then collectively assessed for any impairment that has been incurred but not yet individually identified. Assets that 
are not individually significant are collectively assessed for impairment. Collective assessment is carried out by 
grouping together assets with similar risk characteristics.

In  assessing  collective  impairment,  the  Group  uses  historical  information  on  the  timing  of  recoveries  and  the 
amount of loss incurred, and makes an adjustment if current economic and credit conditions are such that the 
actual losses are likely to be greater or lesser than suggested by historical trends.

An impairment loss is calculated as the difference between an asset’s carrying amount and the present value of the 
estimated future cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate. Losses are recognised in profit 
or loss and reflected in an allowance account. When the Group considers that there are no realistic prospects of 
recovery of the asset, the relevant amounts are written off. If the amount of impairment loss subsequently decreases 
and the decrease can be related objectively to an event occurring after the impairment was recognised, then the 
previously recognised impairment loss is reversed through profit or loss.

128

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Share-based Payments

Share-based payment arrangements in which the Group or its subsidiaries receive goods or services as consideration 
for their own equity instruments are accounted for as equity-settled share-based payment transactions, regardless 
of how the equity instruments are obtained by the Group or its subsidiaries. Grants of equity instruments under 
the subsidiary stock option incentive plans are accounted for as equity-settled in the consolidated accounts of the 
parent and are reflected in equity as a credit to Non-Controlling Interest.

The grant date fair value of share-based payment awards granted to employees is recognised as an employee 
expense, with a corresponding increase in equity, over the period that the employees become unconditionally 
entitled to the awards. The fair value of the options granted is measured using an option pricing valuation model, 
taking  into  account  the  terms  and  conditions  upon  which  the  options  were  granted.  The  amount  recognised 
as an expense is adjusted to reflect the actual number of awards for which the related service and non-market 
vesting conditions are expected to be met, such that the amount ultimately recognised as an expense is based 
on the number of awards that do meet the related service and non-market performance conditions at the vesting 
date. For share-based payment awards with non-vesting conditions, the grant date fair value of the share-based 
payment is measured to reflect such conditions and there is no true-up for differences between expected and 
actual outcomes.

Employee Benefits

Short-term Employee Benefits

Short-term employee benefit obligations are measured on an undiscounted basis and are expensed as the related 
service is provided. A liability is recognised for the amount expected to be paid if the Group has a present 
legal or constructive obligation to pay this amount as a result of past service provided by the employee, and the 
obligation can be estimated reliably.

Defined Contribution Plans

A defined contribution plan is a post-employment benefit plan under which an entity pays fixed contributions into 
a separate entity and has no legal or constructive obligation to pay further amounts. Obligations for contributions 
to defined contribution plans are recognised as an employee benefit expense in the periods during which related 
services are rendered by employees. Prepaid contributions are recognised as an asset to the extent that a cash 
refund or a reduction in future payments is available.

Phantom Plan

The Phantom Plan is a cash settled bonus plan. Expense is accrued when it is determined that it is probable that 
a payment will be made and when the amount can be reasonably estimated.

Provisions

A provision is recognised in the balance sheet when the Group has a present legal or constructive obligation as 
a result of a past event, that can be reliably measured and it is probable that an outflow of economic benefits 
will be required to settle the obligation. Provisions are determined by discounting the expected future cash flows 
at a pre-tax rate that reflects risks specific to the liability.

129

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Revenue Recognition

Sale of Goods

Revenue is recognised when the significant risks and rewards of ownership have been transferred to the customer, 
recovery of the consideration is probable, the associated costs and possible return of goods can be estimated 
reliably,  there  is  no  continuing  management  involvement  with  the  goods  and  the  amount  of  revenue  can  be 
measured reliably.

The transfer of significant risks and rewards of ownership usually occurs when products are shipped and the 
customer takes ownership and assumes risk of loss.

Rendering of Services

The Group recognises revenue from rendering of services at the time services are provided to the customer and 
the Group has no additional performance obligation to the customer.

Government Grants

Grants received are recognised as revenue when the related work is performed and the qualifying research and 
development costs are incurred.

License Revenue

The Group recognises revenue from fees associated with licensing of its technologies to third parties in the form 
of license fees and royalties on an accruals basis in accordance with the substance of the relevant agreement 
and when the Company’s right to receive payment is established, provided that it is probable that the economic 
benefits will flow to the Company and the amount of revenue can be measured reliably.

Finance Income and Finance Costs

Finance income mainly comprises interest income on funds invested and foreign exchange gains. Finance costs 
mainly comprise loan interest expense and foreign exchange losses. Interest income and interest payable are 
recognised as they accrue in profit or loss, using the effective interest method.

Fair Value Measurements

A number of the Group’s accounting policies and disclosures require the measurement of fair values, for both 
financial and non-financial assets and liabilities.

When  measuring  the  fair  value  of  an  asset  or  a  liability,  the  Group  uses  market  observable  data  as  far  as 
possible. Fair values are categorised into different levels in a fair value hierarchy based on the inputs used in the 
valuation techniques as follows:

•  Level 1: quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

•  Level 2: inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either 

directly (i.e. as prices) or indirectly (i.e. derived from prices).

•  Level 3: inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on observable market data (unobservable inputs).

130

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

If the inputs used to measure the fair value of an asset or a liability might be categorised in different levels of the 
fair value hierarchy, then the fair value measurement is categorised in its entirety in the same level of the fair value 
hierarchy as the lowest level input that is significant to the entire measurement.

The Group recognises transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy at the end of the reporting period during 
which the change has occurred.

The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, deposits, accounts payable, accrued 
expenses and other current liabilities in the Group’s Consolidated Statements of Financial Position approximates 
their fair value because of the short maturities of these instruments.

Operating Leases

Payments made under operating leases are recognised in profit or loss on a straight-line basis over the term of 
the lease. Lease incentives received are recognised as an integral part of the total lease expense, over the term 
of the lease.

Operating Segments

Allied Minds determines and presents operating segments based on the information that internally is provided to 
the executive management team, the body which is considered to be Allied Minds’ Chief Operating Decision 
Maker (‘‘CODM’’).

An operating segment is a component of Allied Minds that engages in business activities from which it may earn 
revenues and incur expenses, including revenues and expenses that relate to transactions with any of the Allied 
Minds’ other components. The operating segment’s operating results are reviewed regularly by the CODM to 
make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment, to assess its performance, and for which discrete 
financial information is available.

(2) NEW STANDARDS AND INTERPRETATIONS NOT YET ADOPTED

A  number  of  new  standards,  interpretations  and  amendments  to  existing  standards  are  effective  for  annual 
periods beginning after 1 January 2018, and have not therefore been applied in preparing this consolidated 
financial information. Management has yet to complete an analysis of these new standards, interpretations and 
amendments to existing standards on the results of its operations, financial position, and disclosures. The Group 
intends to adopt these standards on their respective effective dates.

The  following  are  amended  or  new  standards  and  interpretations  that  may  impact  the  Group.  The  Group  is 
finalising  the  required  disclosures,  which  includes  an  assessment  of  the  impact  of  the  new  guidance  on  our 
financial position and results of operations. The adoption of the proposed changes is not expected to have a 
material effect on the financial statements unless otherwise indicated:

IFRS 9, ‘Financial Instruments’ (effective 1 January 2018)

IFRS  9,  ‘Financial  instruments’,  deals  with  recognition,  measurement,  classification  and  impairment  and 
derecognition of financial assets, financial liabilities and some contracts to buy or sell non-financial items. This 
standard replaces IAS 39 ‘Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement and is required to be adopted 
from 1 January 2018. The Group has performed a preliminary assessment of the potential impact of adoption of 
IFRS 9 based on its positions at 31 December 2017 under IAS 39 and it does not expect the adoption of this 
guidance to have a material effect on its financial statements.

131

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Classification – Financial Assets

IFRS 9 contains a new classification and measurement approach for financial assets that reflects the business model 
in which assets are managed and their cash flow characteristics. IFRS 9 contains three principal classification 
categories  for  financial  assets:  measured  at  amortised  cost,  fair  value  through  other  comprehensive  income 
(“FVOCI”) and fair value through profit or loss (“FVTPL”). The standard eliminates the existing IAS 39 categories of 
held to maturity, loans and receivables, and available for sale. Under IFRS 9, derivatives embedded in contracts 
where the host is a financial asset in the scope of the standard are never bifurcated. Instead, the hybrid as a 
whole is assessed for classification.

Cash  and cash equivalents: Represent basic cash balances in banks used to fund operations. These will  be 
classified as assets at Amortised cost under the new standard;

Trade Receivables: Under IFRS 9 trade receivables that do not have a significant financing component have to 
be initially recognised at their transaction price rather than at FV. The Group initially recognises receivables and 
deposits on the date that they are originated at their transaction price, which is the same as their fair value. As 
such, Trade and other receivables will be classified as assets at Amortised cost under IFRS 9.

Security and other deposits: These generally represent security deposits paid by the Group to landlords as part 
of operating lease commitments. As the Company’s objective is that those deposits will be collected back, they 
will be classified as assets at Amortised Cost under IFRS 9.

Fixed income securities: At 31 December 2017, the Group had investments in the form of fixed income securities 
classified as assets designated as FVTPL with a fair value of $11.1 million that are held for supporting the short-
term liquidity needs of the Group. The changes in fair value year over year have been historically immaterial as 
these investments are in cash equivalent and short term position. Per the new guidance, the amounts presented 
in OCI are never reclassified to profit or loss even if such a gain or loss is realized by settling or repurchasing 
the financial instrument at fair value. However, the Company has the option to transfer the cumulative gain and 
loss within equity. Under IFRS 9, these investments will be designated as measured at FVOCI. Consequently, all 
fair value gains and losses will be reported in OCI and no impairment losses will be recognised in profit or loss. 
The Group’s preliminary assessment does not indicate any material impact from IFRS 9 on the Group’s financial 
position as of 31 December 2017 or the total comprehensive loss for the year then ended.

Investments in subsidiaries: Currently, all group subsidiaries are fully consolidated in the consolidated financial 
statements.  The  value  of  those  investments  is  disclosed  as  an  alternative  performance  measure,  which  was 
determined at $395.6 million as of 22 March 2018. In future, the Company’s position in those investments 
may be reduced to a point where the Company no longer exercises control over these entities and they are 
deconsolidated  from  the  group  accounts  and  presented  separately  as  investments  in  equity  securities  on  the 
consolidated statement of financial position. If these investments continue to then be held for the same long-term 
strategic purposes, per the application of IFRS 9, the Group may elect then to classify them as FVOCI or FVTPL. 
The Group has not yet made a decision in this regard. In the former case, all fair value gains and losses would 
be reported in other comprehensive income, no impairment losses would be recognised in profit or loss and no 
gains or losses would be reclassified to profit or loss on disposal. In the latter case, all fair value gains and losses 
would be recognised in profit or loss as they arise, increasing volatility in the Group’s profits.

Impairment – Financial Assets

IFRS 9 replaces the ‘incurred loss’ model in IAS 39 with a ‘forward looking expected credit loss’ (“ECL”) model. 
This will require considerable judgement about how changes in economic factors affect ECLs, which will be 
determined on a probability-weighted basis.

132

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

The new impairment model will apply to debt instruments accounted for at amortised cost or at FVOCI, most 
loan commitments, financial guarantee contracts, contract assets under IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with 
Customers and lease receivables under IAS 17 Leases or IFRS 16 Leases.

Under IFRS 9, loss allowances will be measured on either 12-month ECL on initial recognition and thereafter as 
long as there is no significant deterioration in credit risk; or lifetime ECL if there has been a significant increase 
in credit risk on an individual or collective basis. For trade receivables, a simplified approach may be applied 
whereby  the  lifetime  ECL  are  always  recognised.  Based  on  the  assessments  undertaken  to  date,  the  group 
expects no additional impairment provision recognised as at 1 January 2018.

Classification – Financial Liabilities

Under IAS 39 all fair value changes of liabilities designated as at fair value through profit or loss are recognised 
in profit or loss, whereas under IFRS 9 these fair value changes are generally presented as follows:

•  the  amount  of  change  in  the  fair  value  that  is  attributable  to  changes  in  the  credit  risk  of  the  liability  is 

presented in OCI; and

•  the remaining amount of change in the fair value is presented in profit or loss.

The Group has designated the subsidiary preferred shares liability at FVTPL and the trade and other payables 
and loans at Amortised Cost under IFRS 9. The Group’s preliminary assessment did not indicate any material 
impact if IFRS 9’s requirements regarding the classification of financial liabilities were applied at 31 December 
2017.

IFRS 15, ‘Revenue from Contracts with Customers’ (effective 1 January 2018)

IFRS  15  establishes  a  comprehensive  framework  for  determining  whether,  how  much  and  when  revenue  is 
recognised. It replaces existing revenue recognition guidance, including IAS 18 Revenue, IAS 11 Construction 
Contracts and IFRIC 13 Customer Loyalty Programs.

The standard outlines a comprehensive five-step revenue recognition model based on the principal that an entity 
should recognise revenue at an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled 
in exchange for transferring goods or services to a customer. The standard permits either a full retrospective or a 
modified retrospective approach for the adoption. The Group has completed an initial assessment of the potential 
impact on its consolidated financial statements and determined that this standard will not have a material impact 
on our financial position and results of operations. As of 1 January 2018, the Group’s implementation plan to 
adopt this new guidance is substantially complete. The Company intends to adopt this standard using a modified 
retrospective approach.

The majority of the Company’s subsidiaries are characterised by some early stage sales that are generally still 
considered an isolated number of sales. In 2017, the company has recognised $5.0 million in revenue. Out of 
the total revenue recognised in current year, 89% has been recorded by Federated Wireless, Inc., HawkEye360, 
Inc. and RF Biocidics, Inc. Management’s evaluation and adoption impact of IFRS 15 was performed based on 
the 5-step model and each signed revenue contract was considered unique and reviewed separately. For sale 
of products, revenue is currently recognised when the goods are delivered to the customers’ premises, which 
is taken to be the point in time at which the customer accepts the goods and the related risks and rewards of 
ownership transfer. While IAS 18 states that the revenue recognition criteria depends on each type of revenue, 
IFRS 15 implements a uniform method of recognising revenue based on the actual contract and performance 
obligation. The new standard is based on the principle that revenue is recognised when control of a good or 

133

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

service  transfers  to  a  customer.  Based  on  the  Group’s  assessment,  the  fair  value  and  the  stand-alone  selling 
prices of the good rendered and services provided are broadly similar. Therefore, the Group does not expect 
the application of IFRS 15 to result in significant differences in the timing of revenue recognition for these good 
and services.

IFRS 16, ‘Leases’ (effective 1 January 2019)

IFRS 16 replaces existing leases guidance, including IAS 17 Leases, IFRIC 4 Determining whether an Arrangement 
contains a lease, SIC -15 Operating Leases – Incentives and SIC-27 Evaluating the substance of transactions 
involving the legal form of a lease. IFRS 16 introduces a single, on-balance sheet lease accounting model for 
lessees in a similar way to finance leases under IAS 17. A lessee recognises a right-of-use asset representing its 
right to use the underlying asset and a lease liability representing its obligation to make lease payments. There 
are recognition exemptions for short-term leases and leases of low-value items. Lessor accounting remains similar 
to the current standard-i.e: lessors continue to classify leases as finance or operating leases.

The Group has completed an initial assessment of the potential impact on its consolidated financial statements 
but has not yet completed its detailed assessment. So far, the most significant impact identified is that the Group 
will recognise new assets and liabilities for its operating leases of its rented office and laboratory space. As 
at 31 December 2017, the Group’s future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases 
amounted to $8.0 million, on an undiscounted basis (see note 21). The Group plans to apply IFRS 16 initially 
on 1 January 2019, using the modified retrospective approach. Therefore, the cumulative effect of adopting IFRS 
16 will be recognised as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings at 1 January 2019, with 
no restatement of comparative information.

Other new standards and interpretations yet to be adopted, for which the Company does not expect to have a 
material impact on its financial statements include:

Amendments  to  IFRS  2,  ‘Share-based  Payment’  to  clarify  classification  and  measurement  (effective  1  January 
2018)

IFRIC Interpretation 22, Foreign Currency Transactions and Advance Consideration (effective 1 January 2018)

(3) REVENUE

Revenue recorded in the statement of comprehensive loss consists of the following:

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER: 

Product revenue

Service revenue

Total revenue in consolidated statement of loss

2017 
$’000

1,537 

3,464 

5,001 

2016 
$’000

1,829 

835 

2,664 

Product revenue includes license revenue of $22,000 and $55,000 during 2017 and 2016, respectively.

134

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Deferred revenue recorded in the statement of financial position consists of the following:

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Customer deposits

Other deferred revenue, current

Total deferred revenue in statement of financial position

(4) OPERATING SEGMENTS

Basis for Segmentation

2017 
$’000

3,750 

546 

4,296 

2016 
$’000

297 

161 

458 

For management purposes, the Group’s principal operations are currently organised in two types of activities:

(i)   Early stage companies – subsidiary businesses that are in the early stage of their lifecycle characterised by 

incubation, research and development activities; and

(ii)   Later  stage  companies  –  subsidiary  businesses  that  have  substantially  advanced  with  or  completed  their 
research  and  development  activities,  are  closer  in  their  lifecycle  to  commercialisation,  and/or  have  a 
potential of realising material return on investment through a future liquidity event.

The Group no longer recognises commercial stage companies as a separate reportable segment. Instead, a 
Later stage companies reportable segment is established in the current year, as defined above.

The Group’s CODM reviews internal management reports on these segments at least quarterly in order to make 
decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and to assess its performance.

Other operations include the management function of the head office at the parent level of Allied Minds.

135

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Information about Reportable Segments

The following provides detailed information of the Group’s reportable segments as of and for the years ended 
31 December 2017 and 2016, respectively:

Statement of Comprehensive Loss

Revenue

Cost of revenue

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Research and development expenses

Finance income/(cost), net 

Loss for the period

Other comprehensive income

Total comprehensive loss

Total comprehensive loss attributable to:

Equity holders of the parent

Non-controlling interests

Total comprehensive loss

Statement of financial position

Non-current assets

Current assets

Total assets

Non-current liabilities

Current liabilities

Total liabilities

Net assets/(liabilities)

2017 
$’000

Early stage

Later stage

Other 
operations

Consolidated 

1,607

(3,861)  

(9,544)  

(6,424)  

(11)  

(18,233)  

79

3,394

(1,381)  

(23,205)  

(42,588)  

(6,954)  

(70,734)  

—

—

—

(22,465)  

—

420

5,001

(5,242)  

(55,214)  

(49,012)  

(6,545)  

(22,045)  

(111,012)  

(182)  

(103)  

(18,154)  

(70,734)  

(22,227)  

(111,115)  

(13,794)  

(4,360)  

(18,154)  

452

22,297

22,749

(3)  

(2,237)  

(2,240)  

20,509

(39,757)  

(30,977)  

(70,734)  

26,834

77,849

104,683

(109)  

(193,523)  

(193,632)  

(88,949)  

(22,227)  

—

(75,778)  

(35,337)  

(22,227)  

(111,115)  

1,083

84,646

85,729

(755)  

(4,442)  

(5,197)  

80,532

28,369

184,792

213,161

(867)  

(200,202)  

(201,069)  

12,092

136

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Statement of Comprehensive Loss

Revenue

Cost of revenue

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Research and development expenses

Finance income/(cost), net 

Loss for the period

Other comprehensive income/(loss)

2016 
$’000

Early stage

Later stage

Other 
operations

Consolidated 

2,376

(5,436)  

(17,362)  

(15,802)  

(27)  

(36,251)  

(74)  

288

(127)  

(18,498)  

(39,490)  

(17,472)  

(75,299)  

—

—

—

(19,624)  

—

2,232

2,664

(5,563)  

(55,484)  

(55,292)  

(15,267)  

(17,392)  

(128,942)  

282

208

Total comprehensive loss

(36,325)  

(75,299)  

(17,110)  

(128,734)  

Total comprehensive loss attributable to:

Equity holders of the parent

Non-controlling interests

Total comprehensive loss

Statement of financial position

Non-current assets

Current assets

Total assets

Non-current liabilities

Current liabilities

Total liabilities

Net assets/(liabilities)

(28,161)  

(8,164)  

(36,325)  

3,629

27,644

31,273

(131)  

(3,511)  

(3,642)  

27,631

(50,854)  

(24,445)  

(75,299)  

30,778

70,042

100,820

(91)  

(148,813)  

(148,904)  

(48,084)  

(17,110)  

—

(96,125)  

(32,609)  

(17,110)  

(128,734)  

3,825

134,321

138,146

(498)  

(3,078)  

(3,576)  

134,570

38,232

232,007

270,239

(720)  

(155,402)  

(156,122)  

114,117

All discontinued subsidiaries, including those disclosed in the prior year Commercial stage segment, are presented 
in the Early stage segment at the current year end. Later stage companies in the current year comprise those that 
have graduated from Early stage by way of further advancements in their development as described above. 
Those currently include our top six subsidiaries, namely BridgeSat, Federated Wireless, HawkEye360, Precision 
Biopsy, SciFluor Life Sciences, and Spin Transfer Technologies. This change has been reflected accordingly in 
the comparative year information about reportable segments.

In 2017, Cost of revenue and Selling, general and administrative expenses of Early stage, Later stage, and 
Other operations segments included depreciation and amortisation expense of $308,000, $5,558,000, and 
$236,000, respectively (2016: $1,180,000, $5,302,000 and $153,000, respectively).

The proportion of net assets shown above that is attributable to non-controlling interest is disclosed further in notes 
11 and 17.

137

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Geographic Information

Whilst the Group includes RF Biocidics (UK) Limited, which is a UK company, the revenues and net operating 
losses of that subsidiary are not considered material to the Group, and therefore the Group revenues and net 
operating losses for the years ended 31 December 2017 and 2016 are considered to be entirely derived from 
its operations within the United States and accordingly no additional geographical discloses are provided.

(5) OPERATING EXPENSES

The  average  number  of  persons  employed  by  the  Group  (including  Directors)  during  the  year,  analysed  by 
category, was as follows:

FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER:

Selling, general and administrative

Research and development

Total

The aggregate payroll costs of these persons were as follows:

FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER: 

Selling, general and administrative

Research and development

Total

Total operating expenses were as follows:

FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER: 

Salaries and wages

Payroll taxes

Healthcare benefit

Other payroll cost

Share-based payments

Total

Cost of revenue

Other SG&A expenses

Other R&D expenses

Total operating expenses

138

2017

80 

125 

205 

2017 
$’000

28,714 

21,596 

50,310 

2017 
$’000

36,864 

2,026 

2,589 

1,269 

7,562 

2016

88 

121 

209 

2016 
$’000

28,913 

21,644 

50,557 

2016 
$’000

36,050 

2,110 

2,837 

1,175 

8,385 

50,310 

50,557 

5,242 

26,500 

27,416 

5,563 

26,571 

33,648 

109,468 

116,339 

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Auditor’s remuneration

Audit of these financial statements

Audit of the financial statements of subsidiaries

Review of half-yearly report

2017 
$’000

2016 
$’000

552

20

129

701

425

20

106

551

The cumulative amount of litigation settlements during 2017 was nil (2016: $1,750,000). In the prior year, this 
related to the settlement of a manufacturing commitment, which RF Biocidics held with a third party. The issue 
arose and was settled during 2016.

As a result of the restructuring plan from April 2017, the Company recognised a net restructuring charge for 
the period of $7.3 million, of which $4.7 million related to non-cash charges for impairment of tangible and 
intangible assets and inventory write-offs and is net of $1.1 million in net proceeds from the sale of assets.

The  Group  recorded  an  impairment  charge  on  property  and  equipment  of  $0.6  million  (2016:  nil)  and  on 
intangible assets of $1.6 million (2016: nil) and wrote off certain tangible and intangible assets at the companies 
included in the plan.

Inventory write-offs as a result of the restructuring plan accounted for $2.5 million of the cost of sales for the 
period.

See note 6 for further disclosures related to share-based payments and note 24 for management’s remuneration 
disclosures.

(6) SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS

UK Long Term Incentive Plan

Under  the  UK  Long  Term  Incentive  Plan  (“LTIP”),  awards  over  Ordinary  Shares  may  be  made  to  employees, 
officers and Directors, and other individuals providing services to the Company and its subsidiaries. Awards 
may be granted in the form of share options, share appreciation rights, restricted or unrestricted share awards, 
performance share awards, restricted share units, phantom-share awards and other share-based awards. Vesting 
is subject to the achievement of certain performance conditions and continued services of the participant.

Awards have been granted under the LTIP based on the following vesting criteria:

•  awards  subject  to  performance  conditions  based  on  the  Company’s  total  shareholder  return  (“TSR”) 

performance or relative total shareholder return (rTSR) performance over a defined of time;

•  awards  subject  to  performance  conditions  based  on  a  basket  of  shareholder  value  metrics  (“SVM”). 

Performance is assessed on these measures on a scorecard basis over a defined period of time;

•  awards that vest 100 per cent after a period of time subject to continued service condition only.

139

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

The Company issued awards under the LTIP during 2017 and 2016 in respect of a total of 7,466,235 and 
1,499,247 Ordinary Shares, respectively. A summary of stock option activity under the UK LTIP for the year 
ended 31 December 2017 and 2016, respectively, is shown below:

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER:

2017

2016

rTSR

SVM

Time

rTSR

SVM

Time

Number of shares granted

at maximum (‘000)

Weighted average fair value (£)

Fair value measurement basis

2,837

0.89

1,632

1.44

2,998

1.48

1,443

2.19

—

—

56

3.37

Monte Carlo Market value 
of ordinary 
share

Market value 
of ordinary 
share

Monte Carlo Market value 
of ordinary 
share

Market value 
of ordinary 
share

The share grants that vest upon the occurrence of a market condition (i.e. the TSR performance) and service 
condition were adjusted to current market price at the date of the grant to reflect the effect of the market condition 
on the non-vested shares’ value. The Company used a Monte Carlo simulation analysis utilising a Geometric 
Brownian Motion process with 50,000 simulations to value those shares. The model takes into account share 
price volatilities, risk-free rate and other covariance of comparable UK public companies and other market data 
to predict distribution of relative share performance. This is applied to the reward criteria to arrive at expected 
value of the TSR awards.

The  share  grants  that  vests  only  upon  the  occurrence  of  a  non-market  performance  condition  (i.e.  the  SVM 
grants)  and  service  condition  were  valued  at  the  fair  value  of  the  shares  on  the  date  of  the  grants  and  the 
vesting conditions are taken into account by subsequently adjusting the number of instruments included in the 
measurement of the transaction amount  so that, ultimately, the amount of recognised share-based expense is 
based on the number of instruments that eventually vest.

The  accounting  charge  does  not  necessarily  represent  the  intended  value  of  share-based  payments  made  to 
recipients, which are determined by the Remuneration Committee according to established criteria. The share-
based payment charge for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2017 related to the UK LTIP was $7.6 million 
(2016: $5.9 million).

U.S. Stock Option/Stock Issuance Plan

The U.S. Stock Option/Stock Issuance Plan (the “U.S. Stock Plan”) was originally adopted by Allied Minds, Inc. 
(now Allied Minds, LLC) in 2008. The U.S. Stock Plan provides for the grant of share option awards, restricted 
share awards, and other awards to acquire common stock of Allied Minds, Inc. (now Allied Minds, LLC). All stock 
options granted to employees under this plan are equity settled, for a ten-year term. Pursuant to the Company’s 
IPO in 2014, Allied Minds plc adopted and assumed the rights and obligations of Allied Minds, Inc. (now Allied 
Minds, LLC) under this plan except that the obligation to issue Common Stock is replaced with an obligation to 
issue ordinary shares to satisfy awards granted under the U.S. Stock Plan. As of 19 June 2014, the maximum 
number of options reserved under the plan were issued and outstanding and as a result of the Company’s IPO 
in 2014, all issued and outstanding options vested on 19 June 2014. The Company does not intend to make 
any further grants under the U.S. Stock Plan.

140

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

No new stock option grants were awarded in 2017 and 2016 under the Allied Minds 2008 Plan. A summary 
of stock option activity in the U.S. Stock Plan is presented in the following table:

Outstanding as of 1 January

Exercised during the year

Outstanding as of 31 December

Exercisable as of 31 December

Intrinsic value of Exercisable

WEIGHTED 
AVERAGE 
EXERCISE PRICE 
2017

$ 2.12

$ 1.46

$ 2.21

$ 2.21

NUMBER OF 
OPTIONS 
2017

8,554,712 

(1,055,596)   

7,499,116 

7,499,116 

$ 0.1 million

WEIGHTED 
AVERAGE 
EXERCISE PRICE 
2016

$ 2.10

$ 1.86

$ 2.12

$ 2.12

NUMBER OF 
OPTIONS 
2016

9,204,712 

(650,000)   

8,554,712 

8,554,712 

$ 31.5 million

The  options  outstanding  as  of  31  December  2017  had  an  exercise  price  in  the  range  of  $1.78  to  $2.49 
(2016: $0.68 to $2.60).

The share-based payment charge for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2017 related to the U.S. Stock Plan 
was $18,000 (2016: $57,000).

Other Plans

Spin Transfer Technologies (“Spin Transfer”)

Stock compensation expense was approximately $724,000 and $1,129,000 for the year ended 31 December 
2017 and 2016, respectively. Deferred stock compensation expense under these grants was approximately 
$475,000 and $1,199,000 as of 31 December 2017 and 2016, respectively.

There were no new grants under the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan in 2017. The fair value of the stock option grants 
awarded under the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan is estimated as of the date of grant using a Black-Scholes-Merton 
option valuation model that uses the following weighted average assumptions:

Expected option life (in years)

Expected stock price volatility

Risk-free interest rate

Expected dividend yield

Grant date option fair value

Share price at grant date

Exercise price

2017

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

2016

6.10 

40.99%

1.21%

— 

$ 3.18

$ 7.77

$ 7.77

Expected volatility has been based on an evaluation of the historical volatility of the share price of publicly traded 
companies comparable to Spin Transfer, particularly over the historical period commensurate with the expected 
term. The expected term of the instruments has been based on historical experience and general option holder 
behavior.

141

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

A summary of stock option activity in the Spin Transfer plans is presented in the following table:

Outstanding as of 1 January

Granted during the year 

Forfeited during the year 

Outstanding as of 31 December 

Exercisable as of 31 December 

Intrinsic value of Exercisable

NUMBER OF 
OPTIONS 
2017

2,188,293 

— 

(245,000)  

1,943,293 

1,543,350 

$ 0.7 million

WEIGHTED 
AVERAGE 
EXERCISE 
PRICE 
2017

$ 7.48

—

$ 7.75

$ 7.14

$ 6.98

NUMBER OF 
OPTIONS 
2016

1,849,367 

346,426 

(7,500)   

2,188,293 

1,397,056 

$ 0.1 million

WEIGHTED 
AVERAGE 
EXERCISE 
PRICE 
2016

$ 7.43

$ 7.77

$ 7.77

$ 7.48

$ 7.34

The  options  outstanding  as  of  31  December  2017  had  an  exercise  price  in  the  range  of  $6.97  to  $7.77 
(2016:  $6.97  to  $7.77)  and  a  weighted-average  contractual  life  of  approximately  8.3  years  (2016:  8.7 
years).

Plans Under Other Subsidiaries

The stock compensation expense under other subsidiaries of the Company was $771,000 (2016: $1,312,000). 
Deferred  stock  compensation  expense  under  these  grants  as  of  31  December  2017  was  approximately 
$744,000 (2016: $1,035,000).

Allied Minds Phantom Plan

In 2007, Allied Minds established a cash settled bonus plan for Allied Minds employees, also known as its 
Phantom Plan. In 2012, the board of directors adopted the Amended and Restated 2007 Phantom Plan. Under 
the terms of the Amended and Restated Plan, upon a liquidity event Allied Minds will allocate 10% of the value 
(after deduction of the amount invested by Allied Minds and accrued interest at a rate not exceeding 5% per 
annum) of the invested capital owned by Allied Minds of each operating company to the plan account. Upon 
a liquidity event, plan participants holding units will receive their proportionate share of the plan account. The 
allocated shares at all times remain the sole and exclusive property of Allied Minds and holders of units have 
no rights or interests in Allied Minds. No amount has been paid out to employees under the Phantom Stock Plan 
through 31 December 2017.

Allied Minds has not accrued any expense relating to the Phantom Plan as of 31 December 2017 or 2016. 
Management will record an expense relating to this plan when it is probable that a subsidiary will be sold and 
the amount of the payout is reasonably estimable.

Share-based Payment Expense

The  Group  recorded  share-based  payment  expense  related  to  stock  options  of  approximately  $7,562,000 
and  $8,385,000  for  the  years  ended  31  December  2017  and  2016,  respectively.  There  was  no  income 
tax  benefit  recognised  for  share-  based  payment  arrangements  for  the  years  ended  31  December  2017 
and  2016,  respectively,  due  to  operating  losses.  Shared-based  payment  expenses  are  included  in  selling, 
general and administrative expenses and research and development expenses in the Consolidated Statement of 
Comprehensive Income.

142

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

(7) FINANCE COST, NET

The following table shows the breakdown of finance income and cost:

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER: 

Interest income on: 

– Bank deposits 

Foreign exchange gain

  Finance income

Interest expense on:

– Financial liabilities at amortised cost

Foreign exchange loss 

  Finance cost contractual 

Loss on fair value measurement of subsidiary preferred shares 

  Finance cost

Total finance cost, net

See note 18 for further disclosure related to subsidiary preferred shares.

(8) LOSS PER SHARE

2017 
$’000

475 

10 

485 

(174)   

(6)   

(180)   

(6,850)   

(7,030)   

(6,545)   

2016 
$’000

1,610 

1,269 

2,879 

(527)   

(34)   

(561)   

(17,585)   

(18,146)   

(15,267)   

The calculation of basic and diluted loss per share as of 31 December 2017 was based on the loss attributable 
to ordinary shareholders of $75.7 million (2016: $96.3 million) and a weighted average number of ordinary 
shares outstanding of 236,194,051 (2016: 217,317,696), calculated as follows:

Loss Attributable to Ordinary Shareholders

2017 
$’000

2016 
$’000

Basic

Diluted

Basic

Diluted

Loss for the year attributed to the owners of 
the Company

Loss for the year attributed to the ordinary 
shareholders

(75,675)   

(75,675)   

(96,333)   

(96,333)   

(75,675)   

(75,675)   

(96,333)   

(96,333)   

143

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Weighted Average Number of Ordinary Shares

2017

Basic

Diluted

2016

Basic

Diluted

Issued ordinary shares on 1 January

233,744,378

233,744,378

215,637,363

215,637,363

Effect of share capital issued

Effect of vesting of RSUs

Effect of share options exercised

—

1,823,106

626,567

—

1,390,196

1,390,196

1,823,106

626,567

—

—

290,137

290,137

Weighted average ordinary shares

236,194,051

236,194,051

217,317,696

217,317,696

Loss per Share

Loss per share

2017

$

Basic

(0.32)   

Diluted

(0.32)   

2016

$

Basic

(0.44)  

Diluted

(0.44)  

(9) PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

Property and equipment, net, consists of the following at:

Cost

in $’000

Balance as of 31 December 2015

  Additions, net of transfers

  Disposals

Balance as of 31 December 2016

  Additions, net of transfers

  Disposals

Balance as of 31 December 2017

Machinery 
and 
Equipment

Furniture 
and Fixtures

Leasehold 
Improvements

Computers 
and 
Electronics

Under 
Construction

Total

32,378

4,560

(1,829)  

35,109

723

(1,159)  

34,673

572

313

(23)  

862

25

(211)  

676

4,671

1,165

2,969

41,755

919

(27)  

239

(53)  

5,563

1,351

258

(147)  

373

(530)  

5,674

1,194

(2,268)  

3,763

—

701

(133)  

—

568

(1,932)  

43,586

1,246

(2,047)  

42,785

144

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Accumulated Depreciation and Impairment Loss

in $’000

Balance as of 31 December 2015

  Depreciation

Impairment loss

  Disposals

Balance as of 31 December 2016

  Depreciation

Impairment loss

  Disposals

Machinery 
and 
Equipment

Furniture 
and Fixtures

Leasehold 
Improvements

Computers 
and 
Electronics

Under 
Construction

(5,805)  

(4,378)  

(320)  

1,829

(8,674)  

(4,456)  

(425)  

1,159

(197)  

(135)  

(7)  

23

(316)  

(122)  

(114)  

211

(341)  

(1,011)  

(876)  

—

27

(1,860)  

(909)  

(53)  

147

(2,675)  

(569)  

(325)  

(13)  

53

(854)  

(313)  

(109)  

530

(746)  

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

Balance as of 31 December 2017

(12,396)  

Property and Equipment, net

in $’000

Balance as of 31 December 2016

Balance as of 31 December 2017

Machinery 
and 
Equipment

26,435

22,277

Furniture 
and Fixtures

Leasehold 
Improvements

Computers 
and 
Electronics

Under 
Construction

546

335

3,703

2,999

497

448

701

568

Total

(7,582)  

(5,714)  

(340)  

1,932

(11,704)  

(5,800)  

(701)  

2,047

(16,158)  

Total

31,882

26,627

Impairment of property and equipment of $701,000 and $340,000 for the years ended 31 December 2017 
and  2016,  respectively,  is  mainly  attributed  to  the  closing  of  subsidiary  companies,  which  resulted  in  the 
associated  assets  being  impaired,  see  further  detail  in  note  26.  Impairment  of  property  and  equipment  is 
included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income.

Property and equipment under constructions represents assets that are in the process of being built and not placed 
in service as of the reporting date.

145

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

(10) INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Information regarding the cost and accumulated amortisation of intangible assets is as follows:

Cost

in $’000

Balance as of 31 December 2015

  Additions – Acquired separately

  Additions – Internally developed

  Disposals

Balance as of 31 December 2016

  Additions – Acquired separately

  Additions – Internally developed

  Disposals

Balance as of 31 December 2017

Licenses

5,417

85

—

(681)  

4,821

264

—

(3,883)  

1,202

Purchased 
IPR&D

Software

Development 
cost

768

—

—

—

768

—

—

(491)  

277

744

20

—

(34)   

730

12

—

(199)  

543

504

—

219

(629)  

94

—

—

(94)  

—

Accumulated Amortisation and Impairment Loss

in $’000

Balance as of December 31, 2015

  Amortisation

Impairment loss

  Disposals

Balance as of December 31, 2016

  Amortisation

Impairment loss

  Disposals

Balance as of December 31, 2017

Intangible Assets, net

in $’000

Balance as of 31 December 2016

Balance as of 31 December 2017

Licenses

(2,615)  

(522)  

(487)  

681

(2,943)  

(130)  

(1,223)  

3,883

(413)  

Licenses

1,878 

789 

Purchased 
IPR&D

Software

Development 
cost

(102)  

(22)  

—

—

(124)  

(13)  

(354)  

491

—

(276)  

(318)  

—

34

(560)  

(153)  

(21)  

199

(535)  

(56)  

(59)  

(538)  

629

(24)  

(6)  

(64)  

94

—

Purchased 
IPR&D

Software

Development 
cost

644 

277 

170 

8 

70 

— 

Total

7,433

105

219

(1,344)  

6,413

276

—

(4,667)  

2,022

Total

(3,049)  

(921)  

(1,025)  

1,344

(3,651)  

(302)  

(1,662)  

4,667

(948)  

Total

2,762 

1,074 

Amortisation expense is included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statement 
of  comprehensive  loss.  Amortisation  expense,  recorded  using  the  straight-line  method,  was  approximately 
$302,000 and $921,000 for the years ended 31 December 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Impairment of intangible assets of $1,662,000 and $1,025,000 for the years ended 31 December 2017 and 
2016, respectively, is mainly attributed to the closing of subsidiary companies, which resulted in the associated 

146

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

intangible assets being impaired to zero, see further detail in note 26. Impairment expense is included in selling, 
general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income.

At  each  reporting  period,  management  considers  qualitative  and  quantitative  factors  that  define  the  future 
prospects of the respective investment and assesses whether it supports the value of the underlying intangible.

(11) INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES AND ASSOCIATES

Group Subsidiaries

Allied Minds has 23 subsidiaries as of 31 December 2017. As of and for the two years ended 31 December 
2017 the capitalisation of all subsidiary companies in the Group portfolio is in the form of ordinary shares only, 
except for certain subsidiaries where Series A and B preferred shares were issued to both the parent company 
and third parties in financing rounds, namely ABLS II, BridgeSat, Federated Wireless, HawkEye360, Precision 
Biopsy, SciFluor Life Sciences, Signature Medical and Spin Transfer Technologies. The Group’s ownership of 
preferred  shares  as  per  cent  of  the  total  ownership  percentage  of  economic  interest  in  those  subsidiaries  as 
of 31 December 2017 were 19.14%, 32.34%, 12.60%, 53.03% 18.15%, 3.82%, 47.63% and 8.01%, 
respectively.

The following outlines the formation of each subsidiary and evolution of Allied Minds’ equity ownership interest 
over the two year period ended 31 December 2017:

INCEPTION DATE

LOCATION(4)

2017

2016

OWNERSHIP PERCENTAGE OF 
EQUITY INTEREST AT 31 DECEMBER(2)

Active subsidiaries

Holding companies

  Allied Minds, LLC (1), (3)

  Allied Minds Securities Corp.(3)

Early stage companies

  ABLS Capital, LLC

  Allied-Bristol Life Sciences, LLC

  ABLS II, LLC

  ABLS IV, LLC

  Allied Minds Federal Innovations, Inc.

  Foreland Technologies, Inc.

LuxCath, LLC

  Percipient Networks, LLC

  RF Biocidics, Inc.

  RF Biocidics (UK) Ltd(3)

  Seamless Devices, Inc.

  Signature Medical, Inc.

  Whitewood Encryption Systems, Inc.

Later stage companies

  BridgeSat, Inc.

19/06/14

21/12/15

09/07/15

31/07/14

24/09/14

26/10/17

09/03/12

23/01/13

29/05/12

Boston, MA

Boston, MA

Boston, MA

Boston, MA

Boston, MA

Boston, MA

Boston, MA

Boston, MA

Boston, MA

29/01/14

Wakefield, MA

12/06/08

Boston, MA

10/09/10

United Kingdom

14/10/14

12/12/16

21/07/14

Boston, MA 

Boston, MA 

Boston, MA

100.00%

100.00%

30.25%

80.00%

35.95%

80.00%

100.00%

100.00%

98.00%

100.00%

67.14%

67.14%

79.12%

88.09%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

30.25%

80.00%

35.95%

—

100.00%

100.00%

98.00%

100.00%

67.14%

67.14%

79.12%

100.00%

100.00%

09/02/15

Denver, CO

98.15%

100.00%

147

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

OWNERSHIP PERCENTAGE OF 
EQUITY INTEREST AT 31 DECEMBER(2)

  Federated Wireless, Inc.

08/08/12

Arlington, VA

52.26%

INCEPTION DATE

LOCATION(4)

2017

 Federated Wireless Government 
Solutions, Inc.(3)

  HawkEye360, Inc.

  HawkEye360 Federal, Inc.(3)

  Precision Biopsy, Inc.

04/05/16

16/09/15

22/09/15

17/06/08

Arlington, VA

Herndon, VA

Herndon, VA

Denver, CO

  SciFluor Life Sciences, LLC

14/12/10

Cambridge, MA

  Spin Transfer Technologies, Inc.

03/12/07

Fremont, CA

Closed subsidiaries

  Project Poldark (Jersey) Limited(3)

  ABLS I, LLC

  ABLS III, LLC

  Biotectix, LLC

  Cephalogics, LLC

29/11/16

24/09/14

10/03/16

Boston, MA

Boston, MA

Boston, MA

16/01/07

Richmond, CA

29/11/06

Cambridge, MA

  CryoXtract Instruments, LLC

23/05/08

Woburn, MA

  Optio Labs, Inc.

28/02/12

Baltimore, MD

 ProGDerm, Inc. (dba Novare 
Pharmaceuticals)

  SoundCure, Inc.(3)

  Vatic Materials, Inc.

  Tinnitus Treatment Solutions, LLC

Number of active subsidiaries at 31 December:

19/09/08

04/06/09

21/11/16

26/02/13

Boston, MA

San Jose, CA

Boston, MA 

San Jose, CA

52.26%

53.06%

53.06%

64.59%

69.89%

48.40%

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

23

2016

72.99%

72.99%

56.11%

56.11%

64.59%

69.89%

48.40%

100.00%

74.00%

80.00%

64.35%

95.00%

93.24%

81.23%

90.38%

84.62%

100.00%

100.00%

33

Notes:

(1) 

(2) 

 On 19 June 2014, Allied Minds plc completed a reorganisation of its corporate structure, whereby Allied Minds plc acquired the entire issued 
share capital of Allied Minds, Inc., first incorporated on 4 June 2004, which at the same time changed its name to Allied Minds, LLC;

 Represents  ownership  percentage  used  in  allocations  to  non-controlling  interests  except  for  BridgeSat,  Federated  Wireless,  HawkEye360, 
Precision Biopsy, SciFluor Life Sciences, Signature Medical and Spin Transfer Technologies in which cases the percentage used to allocate the 
non-controlling interests was 100%, 94.15%, 0%, 80.35%, 86.86%, 100.00% and 56.13%, respectively, where in these cases there are 
liability classified preferred shares in issue, which are excluded.

(3) 

 These subsidiaries do not represent separate subsidiary businesses referred to earlier within the annual report.

(4) 

 All subsidiaries have a registered office address at CT Corporation System, Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 
19801, United States except for Allied Minds Securities Corp. with registered office address at CT Corporation System, 155 Federal Street, 
Suite 700, Boston, MA 02110, United States, and Biotectix, LLC, Cephalogics, LLC at CT Corporation System, 120 South Central Avenue, 
Suite 400, Clayton, MO 63105, United States.

148

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

2017

In  February  2017,  HawkEye  completed  a  second  closing  of  the  Series  A-2  financing  round  for  additional 
$2.75 million, of which $1.25 million from existing shareholders of the Group and members of management 
of the company for 967,641 Series A-2 shares and a warrant to purchase 1,161,172 Series A-2 shares for 
$1.5 million issued to an existing investor of the company.

In May 2017, BridgeSat closed a Series A round of financing issuing 4,675,446 Series A preferred shares 
for  $6.0  million  to  Allied  Minds  and  another  strategic  investor.  As  a  result,  following  the  transaction,  Allied 
Minds’  ownership  percentage  in  BridgeSat  is  98.15%.  The  Company  continues  to  exercise  effective  control 
over BridgeSat and as such, the subsidiary will continue to be fully consolidated within the group’s financial 
statements.

In July 2017, Signature Medical completed a Series A round of financing issuing 13,241,526 Series A preferred 
shares for $2.5 million to Allied Minds and two new strategic investors. As a result, following the transaction, 
Allied  Minds’  ownership  percentage  in  Signature  Medical  is  88.09%.  The  Company  continues  to  exercise 
effective control over Signature Medical and as such, the subsidiary will continue to be fully consolidated within 
the group’s financial statements.

In September 2017, Federated Wireless completed a Series B round of financing issuing 27,167,093 Series 
B preferred shares for $42.0 million to Allied Minds, existing shareholders of the Group, and a number of new 
strategic investors who led the round. As a result, following the transaction, Allied Minds’ ownership percentage 
in Federated Wireless is 52.26%. The Company continues to exercise effective control over Federated Wireless 
and as such, the subsidiary will continue to be fully consolidated within the group’s financial statements.

2016

In April 2016, Allied Minds completed the formation of ABLS Capital, LLC in partnership with existing shareholders 
of  the  Group.  The  members  of  ABLS  Capital  committed  to  up  to  $80.0  million  for  the  development  of  drug 
discovery programs, of which 22.5% was committed by Allied Minds, and contributed an initial $2.0 million 
for 2.0 million Class B shares to fund the operations of the subsidiary. The purpose of this partnership is to fund 
80% of the lead optimisation phase of up to ten new drug candidates that pass initial feasibility studies funded 
by Allied Bristol Life Sciences, LLC (“ABLS”). The remaining 20% of lead optimisation phase investment, or up 
to an additional $20.0 million, will be funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb, pursuant to the terms of the partnership 
formed in 2014 through ABLS. Further, in August 2016, ABLS Capital raised $12.0 million of new equity in a 
Class B shares round pursuant to the initial commitment discussed above, which were used to further fund the 
development at ABLS II. Under the terms of the ABLS Capital organisation documents, Allied Minds is appointed 
as  the  manager  of  the  company  and  effectively  controls  the  policies  and  management  of  ABLS  Capital.  As 
a result, following the transactions from 2016, Allied Minds continues to exercise effective control over ABLS 
Capital and as such the subsidiary will continue to be fully consolidated within the group’s financial statements.

In August 2016, ABLS II closed a Series A round of financing issuing 6,410,256 shares of Preferred Stock at 
issue price of $2.34/share to ABLS Capital ($12.0 million) and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company ($3.0 million), 
raising approximately $15.0 million. Under the terms of the ABLS II organisation documents, through its control 
over ABLS and ABLS Capital, the Company effectively controls the policies and management of ABLS II. As a 
result, following the transaction, Allied Minds continues to exercise effective control over ABLS II and as such, the 
subsidiary will continue to be fully consolidated within the group’s financial statements.

149

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

2014

In October 2014, Spin Transfer Technologies (“STT”) completed a Series A financing round as a result of which 
the Allied Minds’ ownership percentage in STT decreased from 56.13% to 48.40%. Whilst Allied Minds owns 
less than 50.00% of the voting share capital after the transaction and as of 31 December 2017, the company 
remains the largest single shareholder at 48.40% of the voting share capital, and retains control over the majority 
of the voting rights on the board of directors of STT. Under the terms of the STT organisational documents, the 
board of directors effectively controls the policies and management of STT, and in all instances, the board acts by 
majority vote. In addition, all material shareholder voting provisions of the STT organisational documents require 
a simple majority for approval, giving the Company substantial influence over the outcome of all actions which 
require a shareholder vote. As a result, following the transaction, Allied Minds continues to exercise effective 
control over STT and as such will continue to be fully consolidated within the group’s financial statements.

The following tables summarise the financial information related to the Group’s subsidiaries with material non-
controlling interests, aggregated for interests in similar entities, and before intra-group eliminations.

As of and for the year ended 31 December:

Statement of Comprehensive Loss

  Revenue

Loss for the year

  Other comprehensive loss

  Total comprehensive loss

  Comprehensive loss attributed to NCI

Statement of Financial Position

  Non-current assets

  Current assets

  Total assets

  Non-current liabilities

  Current liabilities

  Total liabilities

  Net assets/(liabilities)

  Carrying amount of NCI

Statement of Cash Flows

  Cash flows from operating activities

  Cash flows from investing activities

  Cash flows from financing activities

150

2017 
$’000

Early stage

Later stage

1,405

(13,390)  

79

(13,311)  

(4,360)  

412

21,825

22,237

(3)  

(2,066)  

(2,069)  

20,168

(4,371)  

(11,262)  

149

8,881

(2,232)  

3,394

(70,734)  

—

(70,734)  

(30,977)  

26,834

77,849

104,683

(109)  

(193,525)  

(193,634)  

(88,951)  

(54,870)  

(71,284)  

(1,472)  

70,456

(2,300)  

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Statement of Comprehensive Loss

  Revenue

Loss for the year

  Other comprehensive loss

  Total comprehensive loss

  Comprehensive loss attributed to NCI

Statement of Financial Position

  Non-current assets

  Current assets

  Total assets

  Non-current liabilities

  Current liabilities

  Total liabilities

  Net assets/(liabilities)

  Carrying amount of NCI

Statement of Cash Flows

  Cash flows from operating activities

  Cash flows from investing activities

  Cash flows from financing activities

Portfolio Valuation

2016 
$’000

Early stage

Later stage

2,082

(32,376)  

(74)  

(32,450)  

(8,165)  

3,471

27,208

30,679

(21)  

(2,750)  

(2,771)  

27,908

4,400

(36,541)  

1,222

49,063

13,744

288

(75,300)  

—

(75,300)  

(24,444)  

30,778

70,042

100,820

(91)  

(148,813)  

(148,904)  

(48,084)  

(25,197)  

(51,144)  

(2,725)  

50,186

(3,683)  

At the close of each annual financial period, the Directors formally approve the value of all subsidiary businesses 
in the Group, which is used to derive the ‘‘Group Subsidiary Ownership Adjusted Value’’. This Group Subsidiary 
Ownership Adjusted Value is a sum-of-the-parts (‘‘SOTP’’) valuation of all the subsidiaries that make up the Group. 
GSOAV is an alternative performance measure (“APM”) used by the Directors as a key performance indicator 
(“KPI”) to measure the performance of the Group. An APM is a numeric measure of the Group’s financial position 
that is not a GAAP measure. As the Group exercises control over all of its investments in subsidiary undertakings 
their activities are fully consolidated in the group accounts and the value of those investments is not separately 
disclosed in the statement of financial position. Only the value of non-controlling interests of certain subsidiaries 
reflecting the subsidiary preferred shares liability is disclosed separately in the statement of financial position, 
as further discussed in footnote 18. These valuations assume there will be available funds for the subsidiaries to 
reach next stages of their development towards commercial success or an exit event.

The  Group  Subsidiary  Ownership  Adjusted  Value  (‘‘GSOAV’’)  was  $395.6  million  as  of  22  March  2018 
(2016: $416.2 million). The decrease compared to prior year is primarily attributed to discontinued funding and 
wind-down of Percipient Networks, Seamless Devices and Whitewood Encryption, as well as write downs in 
platform companies AMFI and Foreland. The decrease was partially offset by an increase in value at BridgeSat 
and Federated Wireless demonstrated by the consummation of a third-party fundraising.

151

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Ownership adjusted value represents Allied Minds’ interest in the equity value of each subsidiary and is calculated 
as follows: lower of (Business Enterprise Value – Long Term Debt + Cash) x Allied Minds percentage ownership 
plus  the  value  of  debt  provided  by  Allied  Minds  plc  to  each  subsidiary  business,  or  the  subsidiary  Business 
Enterprise Value. Allied Minds commits post seed funding to its subsidiaries in the form of loans.

Valuation Methodology

Each subsidiary company is regularly evaluated based on a range of inputs, including: company performance 
and  progress  towards  development  milestones;  market  and  competitor  analyses  based  on  information  from 
databases and public material; and interviews with scientists and physicians.

The Group Subsidiary Ownership Adjusted Value represents the sum-of-the-parts (‘‘SOTP’’) of, principally, net 
present value (‘‘NPV’’) or risk-adjusted net present value (‘‘rNPV’’) from discounted cash flow (‘‘DCF’’) valuations 
and valuations based on recent third party investment at the subsidiary level. A DCF valuation is used for the 
majority of Allied Minds subsidiaries. The DCF valuations are updated when the underlying assumptions for the 
valuations warrant a change. Generally, valuations are not increased unless warranted by or in anticipation of 
a financing transaction. Valuations are decreased in situations where the subsidiary is falling short of expected 
progress. Otherwise, the valuations are kept constant. When available, financing transactions are used as the 
basis for the subsidiary valuation. In limited instances other techniques such as based on asset values are utilised.

In the current year, the Group relied on funding transactions as the principal methodology to value all subsidiaries 
in the portfolio, except for LuxCath where the DCF valuation model was updated in the current year. Funding 
transactions used as basis for the subsidiary valuations were consummated in the current year, except for Allied 
Bristol Life Sciences (2014), Spin Transfer Technologies (2014), Precision Biopsy (2016), HawkEye360 (2016), 
and  SciFluor  Life  Sciences  (2015).  In  those  cases,  a  DCF  was  used  to  substantiate  the  subsidiary  valuation 
based on a prior funding round. Subsidiaries for which the ownership-adjusted value was based on a funding 
transaction accounted for 95.9% of total GSOAV in the current year (2016: 87.1%), and those based on DCF 
or other alternative methods accounted for 4.1% (2016: 13.9%).

For detail of the Net Present Value (“NPV”) method used in estimating the group valuations from discounted cash 
flows see footnote 18.

(12) OTHER INVESTMENTS

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Fixed income securities

  Corporate bonds

  Other investments, current

Fixed income securities

  Corporate bonds

  Other investments, long-term

Total other investments

2017 
$’000

11,057 

11,057 

— 

— 

11,057 

2016 
$’000

14,244 

14,244 

2,668 

2,668 

16,912 

Other investments represent investments in fixed income securities issued by government agencies and US and 
non-US corporations. As of 31 December 2017, the investments had a credit rating of A-1 to A+, maturities of 
up to 2 months and original coupon rate from 0.00% to 1.55% (2016: 0.00% to 5.00%).

152

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

(13) CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Bank balances

Restricted cash

Total cash and cash equivalents

2017 
$’000

158,207 

(132)   

158,075 

2016 
$’000

209,283 

(132)   

209,151 

Restricted cash represents cash reserved as collateral against a letter of credit with a bank issued for the benefit 
of a landlord in lieu of a security deposit to an office space lease for one of the Group’s subsidiaries. The amount 
is classified as other financial assets, non-current in the statement of financial position.

(14) INVENTORIES

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Finished units

Work in progress

Raw materials

Total inventories

2017 
$’000

— 

— 

— 

— 

2016 
$’000

2,505 

15 

31 

2,551 

Finished units and raw materials recognised as cost of revenue in the year amounted to $1,874,000 (2016: 
$1,756,000). The write-down of inventories to net realisable value recognised through cost of revenue during 
the year was $2,532,000 (2016: $3,403,000).

(15) TRADE AND OTHER RECEIVABLES

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Trade receivables 

Prepayments and other current assets

Total trade and other receivables

(16) EQUITY

2017 
$’000

3,493 

12,149 

15,642 

2016 
$’000

312 

5,588 

5,900 

In December 2016, the Company issued 17,457,015 ordinary shares of one pence at 367 pence, which were 
admitted to the premium listing segment of the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and to trading on the LSE’s 
Main Market for listed securities. This resulted in approximately $78.1 million of net proceeds from the equity 
placing (net of issue cost of $2.2 million). The amounts subscribed for share capital in excess of the nominal 
value in relation to this transaction are reflected in the merger reserve balance as of 31 December 2016.

During 2017, existing and former employees of the Group exercised options to purchase 1,055,596 shares of 
the Company under the U.S. Stock Plan (2016: 650,000), resulting in additional share premium of $1,539,000 
(2016: $1,200,000). Additionally, 3,402,567 shares were issued to existing and former employees of the 
Group during the year as result of vesting of RSUs under the LTIP.

153

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

As  of  31  December  2017,  11,551,496  ordinary  shares  were  reserved  under  the  U.S.  Stock  Plan  and 
23,820,254 were reserved under the LTIP, see note 6 for further discussion of the share-based payment plans.

The table below explains the composition of share capital:

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Equity

Share capital, £0.01 par value, issued and fully paid

238,202,541 and 233,744,378, respectively

Share premium

Merger reserve

Translation reserve

Accumulated deficit

Equity attributable to owners of the Company

Non-controlling interests

Total equity

2017 
$’000

2016 
$’000

3,714 

3,657 

158,606 

263,367 

89 

157,067 

263,435 

192 

(354,443)   

(289,437)   

71,333 

(59,241)   

12,092 

134,914 

(20,797)   

114,117 

Holders  of  Ordinary  Shares  are  entitled  to  vote,  on  all  matters  submitted  to  shareholders  for  a  vote.  Each 
Ordinary Share is entitled to one vote. Each ordinary share is entitled to receive dividends when and if declared 
by the Company’s board of directors. The Company has not declared any dividends in the past.

Share premium represents the amounts subscribed for share capital in excess of the nominal value, net of directly 
attributable issue costs.

Merger reserve reflects the amounts subscribed for share capital in excess of the nominal value in relation to the 
qualifying acquisition of subsidiary undertakings.

Translation  reserve  comprises  all  foreign  exchange  differences  arising  from  the  translation  of  the  financial 
statements of foreign operations.

(17) ACQUISITION OF NON-CONTROLLING INTEREST (“NCI”)

For the two years ended 31 December 2017, the Group recognised the following changes in common and 
preferred stock ownership in subsidiaries resulting in changes to non-controlling interest:

•  In  April  2016,  the  Group  completed  the  formation  of  ABLS  Capital,  LLC  in  partnership  with  existing 
shareholders of Allied Minds. The members of the LLC committed to up to $80 million for the development 
of  up  to  10  drug  discovery  programs,  of  which  Allied  Minds  commits  22.5%,  and  contributed  an  initial 
$2 million funding for 2 million Class B shares. The purpose of this partnership is to fund 80% of the lead 
optimisation phase of up to ten new drug candidates that pass initial feasibility studies funded by ABLS. The 
remaining 20% of lead optimisation phase investment, or up to an additional $20 million, will be funded by 
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS), pursuant to the terms of the partnership formed in 2014 through ABLS. 
Following the transaction, Allied Minds continues to exercise effective control over ABLS Capital and as such 
the subsidiary will continue to be fully consolidated within the group’s financial statements.

154

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

 In August 2016, ABLS Capital raised $12 million of new equity in a Class B shares round pursuant to the 
initial commitment discussed to fund its portion of the ABLS II financing (see below). There is no change in the 
subsidiary’s governance structure as a result of the round. Following the transaction Allied Minds continues to 
exercise effective control over ABLS Capital and as such the subsidiary will continue to be fully consolidated 
within the group’s financial statements.

•  In August 2016, ABLS II closed a Series A round of financing issuing 6,410,256 shares of Preferred Stock 
at issue price of $2.34 per share to ABLS Capital and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, raising approximately 
$15.0 million. The use of proceeds from the Series A round is intended primarily to fund further development 
of the lead optimisation program. Should this next lead optimisation phase prove successful, Bristol-Myers 
Squibb  has  the  right  to  acquire  Allied  Minds’  interest  in  ABLS  II  at  a  pre-determined  multiple  of  invested 
capital.

•  In October 2017, Allied-Bristol Life Sciences (ABLS) launched its fourth project – ABLS IV, LLC, in a partnership 
with Cornell University. ABLS owns 100% of the common stock of ABLS IV. Following the transaction, Allied 
Minds continues to exercise effective control over ABLS and subsidiaries including ABLSI V and as such the 
subsidiary will continue to be fully consolidated within the group’s financial statements.

•  During 2017, as a result of the restructuring earlier in the year, the company discontinued funding of eight 

subsidiaries, seven of which were legally dissolved and deconsolidated as of 31 December 2017.

The  following  summarises  the  changes  in  the  non-controlling  ownership  interest  in  subsidiaries  by  reportable 
segment:

Non-controlling interest as of 31 December 2015

New funds into non-controlling interest

Share of comprehensive loss

Effect of change in Company’s ownership interest

Equity-settled share based payments

Non-controlling interest as of 31 December 2016

Share of comprehensive loss

Effect of change in Company’s ownership interest

Equity-settled share based payments

Dissolution of subsidiaries 

Non-controlling interest as of 31 December 2017

Early stage 
$’000

Later stage 
$’000

Consolidated 
$’000

(7,921)  

13,773

(8,164)  

5,913

799

4,400

(4,360)  

36

206

(4,653)  

(4,371)  

(2,710)  

—

(24,445)  

316

1,642

(25,197)  

(30,977)  

14

1,290

—

(54,870)  

(10,631)  

13,773

(32,609)  

6,229

2,441

(20,797)  

(35,337)  

50

1,496

(4,653)  

(59,241)  

155

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

(18) SUBSIDIARY PREFERRED SHARES

Certain of the Group’s subsidiaries have outstanding preferred shares which have been classified as a subsidiary 
preferred shares in current liabilities in accordance with IAS 39 as the subsidiaries have a contractual obligation 
to deliver cash or other assets to the holders under certain future liquidity events, and/or a requirement to deliver 
an  uncertain  number  of  common  shares  upon  conversion.  The  preferred  shares  do  not  contain  mandatory 
dividend rights. The preferred shares are convertible into common stock of the subsidiary at the option of the 
holder and mandatorily convertible into common stock of the subsidiary upon a qualified public offering at or 
above certain value and gross proceeds specified in the agreements or upon the vote of the holders of a majority 
of the subsidiary preferred shares. Under certain scenarios the number of common stock shares receivable on 
conversion will change. The Group has elected not to bifurcate the variable conversion feature as a derivative 
liability, but account for the entire instrument at fair value through the income statement.

The preferred shares are entitled to a vote with holders of common stock on an as converted basis. The holders 
of the preferred shares are entitled to a liquidation preference amount in the event of a liquidation or a deemed 
liquidation  event  of  the  respective  subsidiary.  The  Group  recognises  the  subsidiary  preferred  shares  balance 
upon the receipt of cash financing, and records the change in its fair value for the respective reporting period 
through profit and loss. Preferred shares are not allocated shares of the subsidiary losses.

The following summarises the subsidiary preferred shares balance:

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

BridgeSat

Federated Wireless

HawkEye360

Precision Biopsy

SciFluor Life Sciences

Signature Medical

Spin Transfer Technologies

Total subsidiary preferred shares

FINANCE COST 
FROM IAS 39 
FAIR VALUE 
ACCOUNTING 
$’000

14 

(2,126)   

4,998 

3,455 

(27)   

30 

506 

ADDITIONS 
$’000

325 

31,817 

1,250 

— 

— 

500 

— 

6,850 

33,892 

2017 
$’000

339 

47,033 

13,512 

25,973 

32,354 

530 

61,889 

181,630 

2016 
$’000

— 

17,342 

7,264 

22,518 

32,381 

— 

61,383 

140,888 

The redemption is conditional on occurrence of uncertain future events beyond the control of the Group. The 
amount that would be payable in case of such events is as follows:

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

BridgeSat

Federated Wireless

HawkEye360

Precision Biopsy

SciFluor Life Sciences

Signature Medical

Spin Transfer Technologies

Total liquidation preference

156

2017 
$’000

325 

50,000 

8,500 

22,000 

25,200 

500 

50,000 

156,525 

2016 
 $’000

— 

17,000 

7,250 

22,000 

25,200 

— 

50,000 

121,450 

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

For  the  two  years  ended  31  December  2017,  the  Group  recognised  the  following  changes  in  subsidiary 
preferred shares:

2017

•  HawkEye360 completed a second closing of the Series A-2 financing round in February 2017 for additional 
$2.75 million, of which $1.25 million from existing shareholders of the Group and members of management 
of the company for 967,641 Series A-2 shares.

•  BridgeSat closed a Series A round of financing in May 2017 issuing 4,675,446 Series A preferred shares 
for $6.0 million. Allied Minds contributed $5.7 million and another strategic investor contributed with the 
remainder of the round.

•  Signature  Medical  completed  a  Series  A  round  of  financing  in  July  2017  issuing  13,241,526  Series  A 
preferred shares for $2.5 million. Allied Minds contributed with $2.0 million and two new strategic investors 
contributed with the remainder of the round.

•  Federated Wireless completed a Series B round of financing in September 2017 issuing 27,167,093 Series 
B preferred shares for $42.0 million. Allied Minds contributed $9.0 million. Other existing shareholders of 
the Group and a number of new strategic investors contributed with the remainder of the round.

2016

•  Federated  Wireless  completed  a  $22.0  million  round  of  Series  A  financing  in  January  2016.  Of  the 
$22.0 million raised in this financing, Allied Minds contributed approximately $5.0 million for the purchase 
of 2,727,580 preferred shares, and other existing shareholders of the Group contributed with the remainder 
of the round.

•  Precision Biopsy received the second tranche of the October 2015 Series A round (see below) and raised 
addition  $5.0  million  from  one  of  the  existing  shareholders  that  originally  participated  in  the  round  for 
additional 945,966 shares.

•  HawkEye360  completed  a  $11.0  million  round  of  Series  A-2  financing  in  November  2016.  Of  the 
$11.0 million raised in this financing, Allied Minds contributed approximately $4.0 million for the purchase 
of 3,096,459 preferred shares, and other new investors contributed with the remainder of the round.

The  fair  value  is  derived  using  the  option  pricing  model  where  the  key  inputs  and  assumptions  include  the 
subsidiary valuations, which are either based on the implied value from a third party funding round, on a Net 
Present Valuation method or asset based valuation, volatility, time to liquidity and risk free rate.

Net Present Valuation (‘‘NPV’’) method

NPV is a standard technique used in valuation and can be defined as the difference between the present value of 
the future cash flows from an investment and the amount of investment. Present value of the estimated cash flows 
is computed by discounting them at the required rate of return which includes an adjustment for risk.

157

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

The following are important factors when determining fair value based on NPV:

•  Estimated  income  generally  consists  of  sales,  co-development  revenues,  one-time  payments  and  royalty 
payments on sales depending on the company, its business model and industry. These are estimated based 
on  a  variety  of  factors  including:  total  addressable  market;  competitive  factors;  barriers  to  competition; 
pricing; typical standards for contract value; royalty rates; and likelihood of development of a product that 
is commercially viable.

•  Costs  and  capital  expenditures  are  estimated  for  each  phase  of  development  based  on  the  companies’ 
information  or  according  to  industry  standards.  Costs  are  typically  forecasted  for  cost  of  goods,  SG&A 
(selling, general and administrative), research and development as well as a variety of other expenses. These 
are typically developed ‘‘from the ground up’’ for earlier years and for later years depicted as a factor or 
percentage of sales.

•  The  terminal  or  exit  value  represents  the  aggregate  value  of  an  entity  at  the  end  of  the  discrete  forecast 
period.  Terminal  value  may  be  estimated  using  the  terminal  multiple  method,  which  inherently  assumes 
that the business will be valued at the end of the projection period based on reference valuations. Under 
this  methodology,  the  terminal  value  is  typically  calculated  by  applying  one  of  two  commonly  accepted 
methodologies:

 — Multiple base terminal value: Use of an appropriate multiple to the relevant financial metric forecasted 
for the last projected year taking into consideration the ongoing growth potential of the business in the 
terminal year. Exit values included in the analysis are typically projected as a multiple of EBIT, EBITDA or 
Sales based on the final year results for the forecast period. Where available, a set of guideline public 
companies  that  are  similar  to  the  company  to  be  used  for  comparative  purposes  and  the  multiple  is 
derived from this set;

 — Gordon growth model based terminal value: Use of a formula that calculates the present value of cash 
flow in the terminal year growing into infinity at an ascribed terminal growth rate. The terminal growth 
rate is derived by estimating the long-term annual growth potential of the business at the terminal year.

•  Selection  of  discount  rates  is  based  on  part  utilising  American  Institute  of  Certified  Public  Accountants 
(“AICPA”) practice standards varying by stage of development of the subsidiary as well as other risk factors 
and typically range from 20-45%.

•  Where available NPV results are compared against peer companies and to valuations for similar companies.

Due to the early stage nature of the Group’s subsidiary companies, projections are particularly sensitive to certain 
key assumptions namely:

•  Discount rate and in particular risk premium;

•  The ability to predict the cost and timing of achieving technical and commercial viability;

•  Projected revenue and operating costs in the post-product development phase of each company; and

•  The size and share of addressable market for intellectual property, products and services developed.

158

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

In certain cases, the value of a subsidiary is determined using a market instead of income- based approach. 
Where there has been a third party funding round in the year this has been used as the implied value of the 
subsidiary, adjusted for indexation where this is deemed to be appropriate.

Whilst  the  Board  considers  the  methodologies  and  assumptions  adopted  in  the  valuation  are  supportable, 
reasonable  and  robust,  because  of  the  inherent  uncertainty  of  valuation,  those  estimated  values  may  differ 
significantly from the values that would have been used had a ready market for the investment existed and the 
differences could be significant.

The  two  principal  methods  the  Group  applies  for  allocation  of  value  are  the  Probability-Weighted  Expected 
Return Method (“PWERM”) and the Option Pricing Method (“OPM”).

The PWERM estimates the value of equity securities based on an analysis of various discrete future outcomes, 
such as an IPO, merger or sale, dissolution, or continued operation as a private enterprise until a later exit date. 
The equity value today is based on the probability-weighted present values of expected future investment returns, 
considering each of the possible outcomes available to the enterprise, as well as the rights of each security class.

The OPM treats common stock or derivatives thereof as call options on the enterprise’s value or overall equity 
value. The value of a security is based on the optionality over and above the value securities that are senior in 
the capital structure (e.g. preferred stock), considering the dilutive effects of subordinate securities. In the OPM, 
the exercise price is based on a comparison with the overall equity value rather than per-share value.

Allocation Model Inputs

The following presents the quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value 
measurement of the Group’s subsidiary preferred shares liability:

AS OF 31 DECEMBER:

Volatility

Time to Liquidity (years)

Risk-Free Rate

2017

2016

29.0% – 79.3%

33.0% – 75.5%

1.70 – 4.57

2.06 – 3.76

1.85% – 2.15%

1.22% – 1.70%

159

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Sensitivity Analysis

The following summarises the sensitivity from the assumptions made by the Company in respect to the unobservable 
inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Group’s subsidiary preferred shares liability, as well as that in 
respect to the enterprise value of the underlying subsidiary in general:

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Input

Enterprise Value

Volatility

Time to Liquidity

Risk-Free Rate(1)

Sensitivity range

-2%

+2%

-10%

+10%

-6 months

+6 months

– 0.44% / – 0.18%

+0.06% / +0.13%

2017 
$’000

2016 
$’000

Subsidiary Preferred Shares Liability 
increase/(decrease)

(1,956)  

2,144

(138)  

(651)  

168

(413)  

168

(413)  

(1,746)  

1,746

(377)  

(776)  

416

(762)  

416

(762)  

(1) Risk-free rate is a function of the time to liquidity input assumption.

The change in fair value of the subsidiary preferred shares is recorded in Finance cost, net in the consolidated 
statement of comprehensive loss.

(19) LOANS

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Current liabilities - Loans:

Unsecured loan

Total loans

2017 
$’000

— 

— 

2016 
$’000

115 

115 

The terms and conditions of outstanding loans are as follows:

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

2017 
$’000

2016 
$’000

Currency

Nominal 
interest rate

Year of 
maturity   Face value

Carrying 
amount

Face value

Carrying 
amount

Unsecured loan

USD

6.5%

2013-17

Total interest bearing 
liabilities

—

—

—

—

115

115

115

115

160

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

CryoXtract Instruments, LLC Promissory Note

In May 2012, CryoXtract Instruments, LLC signed a promissory note with a state financing authority in the amount 
of $800,000 to provide working capital for materials and fund salaries. The note fully matured in May 2017 
and bears interest of 6.5%. Payment of interest only is due in the first 18 months. As of 31 December 2013, 
CryoXtract had drawn the full balance of the note, of which $115,000 and $225,000 was repaid during 
2017 and 2016, respectively, down to nil as of 31 December 2017 (2016: $115,000). Interest expense 
incurred on the note was nil and $26,000 for the years ended 31 December 2017 and 2016, respectively.

As part of the consideration for the loan, CryoXtract had issued to the lender a warrant entitling the lender to 
purchase an aggregate of 65,310 membership units in the subsidiary’s ordinary shares, representing 0.01% of 
the total membership units. The fair value of the warrant issued of $35,000 was amortised over the life of the 
loan as a discount against the note balance. CryoXtract was dissolved in July 2017.

(20) TRADE AND OTHER PAYABLES

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Trade payables

Accrued expenses

Other current liabilities

Trade and other payables, current

Other non-current payables

Total trade and other payables

(21) LEASES

2017 
$’000

2,489 

10,434 

1,353 

14,276 

867 

15,143 

2016 
$’000

4,362 

9,210 

 369 

13,941 

720 

14,661 

Office and laboratory space is rented under non-cancellable operating leases. These lease agreements contain 
various clauses for renewal at the Group’s option and, in certain cases, escalation clauses typically linked to 
rates of inflation.

Minimum rental commitments under non-cancellable leases were payable as follows:

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER: 

Less than one year 

Between one and five years 

More than five years 

Total minimum lease payments

2017 
$’000

2,204 

5,842 

— 

8,046 

2016 
$’000

2,015 

3,713 

438 

6,166 

Total rent expense under these leases was approximately $2,426,000 and $2,859,000 in 2017 and 2016, 
respectively.  Rent  expenses  are  included  in  selling,  general  and  administrative  expenses  and  research  and 
development expenses in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss.

161

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

(22) FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND RELATED DISCLOSURES

The  following  table  shows  the  carrying  amounts  and  fair  values  of  financial  assets  and  financial  liabilities, 
including their levels in the fair value hierarchy:

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Financial assets designated as fair value 
through profit or loss

  Fixed income securities

Loans and receivables

  Cash and cash equivalents

  Trade and other receivables

  Security and other deposits

Total

Carrying 
amount

11,057

158,075

15,642

686

185,460

Financial liabilities designated as fair 
value through profit or loss

  Subsidiary preferred shares

181,630

Financial liabilities measured at 
amortised cost

  Unsecured loan

  Trade and other payables

Total

—

15,143

196,773

2017 
$’000

Fair value

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

 Total

—

— 

— 

— 

—

— 

— 

— 

— 

11,057

158,075

15,642

686

185,460

—

—

15,143

15,143

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

11,057

158,075

15,642

686

185,460

181,630

181,630

— 

— 

—

15,143

181,630

196, 773

162

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Financial assets designated as fair 
value through profit or loss

  Fixed income securities

Loans and receivables

  Cash and cash equivalents

  Trade and other receivables

  Security and other deposits

Total

Carrying 
amount

16,912

209,151

5,900

1,065

233,028

Financial liabilities designated as fair 
value through profit or loss

  Subsidiary preferred shares

140,888

Financial liabilities measured at 
amortised cost

  Unsecured loan

  Trade and other payables

Total

115

14,662

155,665

2016 
$’000

Fair value

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

 Total

—

— 

— 

— 

—

— 

— 

— 

— 

16,912

209,151

5,900

1,065

233,028

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

16,912

209,151

5,900

1,065

233,028

—

140,888 

140,888

123

14,662

14,785

— 

— 

140,888

123

14,662

155,673

The  fair  value  of  financial  instruments  that  are  not  traded  is  determined  by  using  valuation  techniques  that 
maximise the use of observable market data where it is available and rely as little as possible on entity specific 
estimates. If all significant inputs required to fair value an instrument are observable, the instrument is included 
in Level 2. Where the inputs for determining the fair value of financial instruments are not based on observable 
market data, the instrument is included in Level 3.

The Group has determined that the carrying amounts for cash and cash equivalents, trade and other receivables 
and payables, security and other deposits, and customer deposits are a reasonable approximation of their fair 
values and are included in Level 2.

For assumptions used in the fair value measurement of the Group’s subsidiary preferred shares liability designated 
as Level 3, see footnote 18.

(23) CAPITAL AND FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT

The Group’s policy is to maintain a strong capital base so as to maintain investor, creditor and market confidence 
and  to  sustain  future  development  of  the  business.  Management  monitors  the  level  of  capital  deployed  and 
available for deployment in subsidiary projects. The board of directors seeks to maintain a balance between 
the higher returns that might be possible with higher levels of deployed capital and the advantages and security 
afforded by a sound capital position.

163

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

The  Group’s  executive  management  and  board  of  directors  have  overall  responsibility  for  establishment  and 
oversight of the Group’s risk management framework. The Group is exposed to certain risks through its normal 
course of operations. The Group’s main objective in using financial instruments is to promote the commercialisation 
of  intellectual  property  through  the  raising  and  investing  of  funds  for  this  purpose.  The  Group’s  policies  in 
calculating the nature, amount and timing of funding are determined by planned future investment activity. Due to 
the nature of activities and with the aim to maintain the investors’ funds secure and protected, the Group’s policy 
is to hold any excess funds in highly liquid and readily available financial instruments and reduce the exposure 
to other financial risks.

The Group has exposure to the following risks arising from financial instruments:

Credit Risk

Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Group if a customer or counterparty to a financial instrument fails to 
meet its contractual obligations. Financial instruments that potentially subject the Group to concentrations of credit 
risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, other investments in the form of fixed income securities, and 
trade and other receivables.

The Group held following balances:

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Cash and cash equivalent

Other investments

Trade and other receivables

2017 
$’000

158,075 

11,057 

15,642 

184,774 

2016 
$’000

209,151 

16,912 

5,900 

231,963 

The Group maintains  money market funds, certificates of deposits, and fixed income securities with  financial 
institutions, which the Group believes are of high credit quality. Risk control assesses the credit quality of the 
customer, taking into account its financial position, past experience and other factors. Individual risk limits are set 
based on ratings in accordance with limits set by the board. The utilisation of credit limits is regularly monitored. 
The credit quality of financial assets that are neither past due nor impaired can be assessed by reference to credit 
ratings (if available) or to historical information about counterparty default rates.

Group policy is to maintain its funds in highly liquid deposit accounts with reputable financial institutions.

The aging of trade receivables that were not impaired was as follows:

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Neither past due nor impaired

Past due 30-90 days

Past due over 90 days

Reserve for bad debt

164

2017 
$’000

3,493 

— 

367 

(367)   

3,493 

2016 
$’000

162 

81 

921 

(852)   

312 

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

The Group has no significant concentration of credit risk. The Group assesses the credit quality of customers, 
taking into account their current financial position. An analysis of the credit quality of trade receivables that are 
neither past due nor impaired is as follows:

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Customers with less than three years of trading history with the Group

2017 
$’000

3,493 

3,493 

2016 
$’000

312 

312 

Liquidity Risk

Liquidity  risk  is  the  risk  that  the  Group  will  encounter  difficulty  in  meeting  the  obligations  associated  with  its 
financial  liabilities  that  are  settled  by  delivering  cash  or  another  financial  asset.  The  Group’s  approach  to 
managing  liquidity  is  to  ensure,  as  far  as  possible,  that  it  will  have  sufficient  liquidity  to  meet  its  liabilities 
when they are due, under both normal and stressed conditions, without incurring unacceptable losses or risking 
damage to the Group’s reputation.

The  Group  seeks  to  manage  liquidity  risk,  ensuring  that  sufficient  liquidity  is  available  to  meet  foreseeable 
requirements.

The following are the remaining contractual maturities of financial liabilities at the reporting date. The amounts are 
gross and undiscounted, and include estimated interest payments and exclude the impact of netting agreements. 
The current portion of the carrying amount of lease obligations is included in trade and other payables.

AS OF 31 DECEMBER 2017:

$’000

Trade and other payables

Other non-current liabilities

AS OF 31 DECEMBER 2016:

$’000

Trade and other payables

Other non-current liabilities

Unsecured bank loans

Carrying  
amount

14,276

867

15,143

Carrying 
amount

Contractual cash flows

Less than 
1 year 

14,276

—

14,276

2-5 years

More than 
5 years

—

867

867

—

—

—

Total

14,276

867

15,143

Contractual cash flows

Total

Less than 
1 year 

2-5 years

More than 
5 years

13,941 

13,941 

13,941 

720 

115 

720 

115 

236 

115 

14,776 

14,776 

14,292 

— 

433 

— 

433 

— 

51 

— 

51 

It  is  not  expected  that  the  cash  flows  included  in  the  maturity  analysis  could  occur  significantly  earlier,  or  at 
significantly different amounts.

165

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
 
 
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Market Risk

Market risk is the risk that changes in market prices – such as foreign exchange rates, interest rates and equity 
prices – will affect the Group’s income or the value of its holdings of financial instruments. The objective of market 
risk management is to manage and control market risk exposures within acceptable parameters, while optimising 
the return. The Group maintains the exposure to market risk from such financial instruments to insignificant levels. 
The Group exposure to changes in interest rates is determined to be insignificant.

Capital Risk Management

The Group is funded by equity finance and long term borrowings. Total capital is calculated as ‘total equity’ as 
shown in the consolidated statement of financial position.

The Group’s objectives when managing capital are to safeguard the Group’s ability to continue as a going 
concern  in  order  to  provide  returns  for  shareholders  and  benefits  for  other  stakeholders  and  to  maintain  an 
optimal capital structure to reduce the cost of capital. In order to maintain or adjust the capital structure, the 
Group may issue new shares or borrow new debt. The Group has some external debt and no material externally 
imposed capital requirements. The Group’s share capital is set out in note 16.

(24) RELATED PARTIES

Transactions with Key Management Personnel

Key Management Personnel Compensation

Key management personnel compensation received comprised the following:

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER: 

Short-term employee benefits 

Share-based payments 

Total

2017 
$’000

1,658 

7,607 

9,265 

2016 
$’000

3,097 

2,073 

5,170 

Short-term employee benefits of the Group’s key management personnel include salaries and bonuses, health 
care and other non-cash benefits.

Share-based payments include the value of awards granted under the LTIP during the year. Share-based payments 
under the LTIP are subject to vesting terms over future periods. See further details of the two plans in note 6.

Bonuses to key management for the year of $1,840,000 were outstanding at 31 December 2017 (2016: 
$1,673,000) and were paid in January of 2018.

166

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Key Management Personnel Transactions

Directors’ remuneration for the year comprised the following:

For the year ended 31 December: 

Non-executive Directors’ fees

Non-executive Directors’ share-based payments

Total

2017 
$’000

456 

275 

731 

2016 
$’000

492 

275 

767 

Fees to non-executive Directors of $124,000 were outstanding at 31 December 2017 and paid in January 
2018 (2016: nil).

Executive management and Directors of the Company control 0.2% of the voting shares of the Company as of 
31 December 2017 (2016: 2.0%).

The Group has not engaged in any other transactions with key management personnel or other related parties.

(25) TAXATION

Amounts Recognised in Profit or Loss

No  current  income  tax  expense  was  recorded  for  the  years  ended  31  December  2017  and  2016  due  to 
accumulated losses.

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER: 

Net loss

Income taxes

Net loss before taxes

Reconciliation of Effective Tax Rate

2017 
$’000

2016 
$’000

111,012

128,942

— 

— 

111,012

128,942

The Group is primarily subject to taxation in the US, therefore the reconciliation of the effective tax rate has been 
prepared using the US statutory tax rate. A reconciliation of the US statutory rate to the effective tax rate is as 
follows:

Weighted average statutory rate

Effect of state tax rate in US

Research credits

Share-based payment remeasurement

Losses from dissolved subsidiaries

Other temporary differences

Current year losses for which no deferred tax asset is recognised

2017 
%

35.0

5.2

3.8

(12.7)  

5.0

(2.5)  

(33.8)  

—

2016 
%

35.0

5.2

3.4

(1.8)  

—

(5.0)  

(36.8)  

— 

167

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Factors That May Affect Future Tax Expense

The Group is primarily subject to taxation in the US and UK. Additionally, the Group is exposed to state taxation 
in  various  jurisdictions  throughout  the  US.  Changes  in  corporate  tax  rates  can  change  both  the  current  tax 
expense  (benefit)  as  well  as  the  deferred  tax  expense  (benefit).  Reductions  in  the  UK  corporation  tax  rate  to 
19% (effective 1 April 2017) and to 18% (effective 1 April 2020) were substantially enacted on 26 October 
2015. A further reduction to 17% (effective 1 April 2020) was substantially enacted on 6 September 2016. 
The maximum corporate tax rate in the US for the corresponding periods is 35%, which was reduced to 21% 
effective 1 January 2018.

On  December  22,  2017,  the  U.S.  government  enacted  a  comprehensive  tax  legislation,  H.R.1,  commonly 
referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Tax Act). The Tax Act makes broad and complex changes to the 
U.S.  tax  code,  and  it  will  take  time  for  additional  clarifying  guidance  and  legislation  to  be  issued,  and  this 
guidance  will  be  required  for  the  interpretation  of  these  comprehensive  changes.  We  are  in  the  process  of 
analyzing the potential aggregate current and future impacts of the Tax Act relative to the Company.

As  of  31  December  2017,  the  Company  has  completed  a  preliminary  analysis  for  the  tax  effects  of  the 
enactment of the Tax Act. In certain cases, specifically as follows, the Company has made a reasonable estimate 
of the effects on its existing deferred tax balances. The impact of the Tax Act may differ from this estimate, due 
to, among other things, changes in interpretations and assumptions the Company has made, guidance that may 
be issued and actions the Company may take as a result of the Tax Act.

The Tax Act reduces the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. The change in our future effective 
tax rate is not anticipated to have an effect on our cash tax until all of our U.S. federal net operating losses and 
credits have been utilised.

Unrecognised Deferred Tax Assets

Deferred tax assets have not been recognised in respect of the following items, due to history of losses and no 
convincing evidence that future taxable profit will be available against which the Group can use the benefits 
therefrom, as well as due to potential permanent restrictions under IRS Section 382 rules:

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Operating tax losses(1)

Capital losses(2)

Research credits(1)

Temporary differences(3)

  Deferred tax assets

Other temporary differences(3)

  Deferred tax liabilities

Deferred tax assets, net, not recognised

(1) expire starting in 2024

(2) expiring since 2015

168

2017 
$’000

84,037

13,596

11,772

4,502

2016 
$’000

115,868

1,146

10,130

20,620

113,907

147,764

(746)   

(746)   

(1,079)   

(1,079)   

113,161

146,685

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Deferred tax is measured at the rates that are expected to apply in the period when the temporary differences 
are expected to reverse, based on tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantially enacted by the 
statement of financial position date. The reduction in the main rate of UK corporation tax to 20% (from 23%) was 
substantially enacted on 2 July 2013 and applied from 1 April 2015. However, the UK corporation tax rate 
initially reduced from 23% to 21% from 1 April 2014. The change in the UK corporate tax rate did not materially 
impact the calculation of the deferred tax assets as these assets are generally exposed to tax in US jurisdiction.

There were no movements in deferred tax recognised in income or equity in 2017 or 2016 as the deferred tax 
asset was not recognised in any of those years.

As of 31 December 2017 the Company had United States federal net operating losses carry forwards (“NOLs”) 
of approximately $321.7 million (2016: $287.6 million) available to offset future taxable income, if any. These 
carry forwards start to expire in 2026 and are subject to review and possible adjustment by the Internal Revenue 
Service.  The  Company  may  be  subject  to  limitations  under  Section  382  of  the  Internal  Revenue  Code  as  a 
result of changes in ownership. The Company’s preliminary analysis on the impact from Section 382 limitations 
suggests that there is unlikely to be a material restriction on NOLs. A detailed exercise is ongoing. Upon the 
completion of the study, there may or may not be limitations on the Company’s ability to utilize its current NOLs 
against future profits, although these are not expected to be material.

(26) SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

The Company has evaluated subsequent events through 22 March 2018, which is the date the consolidated 
financial information is available to be issued.

Spin Transfer Technologies, Inc.

On  11  January  2018,  Spin  Transfer  secured  $10.3  million  of  funding  via  a  convertible  bridge  facility  with 
existing shareholders of the Group, which satisfied Allied Minds’ commitment to fulfill the remaining balance of 
the 2017 bridge facility with Spin Transfer.

Percipient Networks, LLC

On 17 January 2018, Percipient completed a sale of assets to WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.

Discontinued Subsidiaries

The Group ceased operations and dissolved each of Whitewood Encryption Systems, Inc. and Seamless Devices, 
Inc. subsequent to year end. The impact of this was assessed in the Group financials as of 31 December 2017 
and unrecoverable amounts were written off.

169

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
COMPANY BALANCE SHEET  

AS OF 31 DECEMBER 

Non-current assets

Investment in subsidiary

Total non-current assets

Current assets

  Cash and cash equivalents 

  Trade and other receivables 

Loan to subsidiary

Total current assets

Total assets

Equity

Share capital

Share premium

Merger reserve

Translation reserve

Accumulated deficit

Total equity

Current liabilities

  Trade and other payables

Total current liabilities

Total liabilities

Total equity and liabilities

Registered number: 8998697

NOTE 

2017 
$ ‘000

2016 
$ ‘000

2 

3 

4 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

173,531 

173,531 

3,094 

289 

199,629 

203,012 

376,543 

3,714 

158,606 

263,367 

(48,043)   

(1,328)   

376,316 

227 

227 

227 

158,431 

158,431 

1,297 

144 

183,397 

184,838 

343,269 

3,657 

157,067 

263,435 

(79,815)   

(1,518)   

342,826 

443 

443 

443 

376,543 

343,269 

The financial statements on pages 170 to 176 were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue 
on 22 March 2018 and signed on its behalf by:

Jill Smith 
Chief Executive Officer

170

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
COMPANY 

STATEMENT OF 

CHANGES IN EQUITY

COMPANY STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY  

For the year ended 31 December 2017

Share capital

Shares 

Amount 
$’000

Share 
premium 
$’000

Merger 
reserve 
$’000

Translation 
reserve 
$’000

Accumulated 
deficit 
$’000

Total 
equity 
$’000

Balance at 31 December 2015

215,637,363 

3,429 

155,867 

185,544 

(25,852)   

(812)   

318,176 

Total comprehensive loss for the year

Loss for the year

 Foreign currency translation

Total comprehensive loss for the year

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

Issuance of ordinary shares

17,457,015 

219 

— 

77,891 

  Exercise of stock options

650,000 

 Equity-settled share based payments

— 

9 

— 

1,200 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(6,008)   

(6,008)   

(53,963)   

(642)   

(54,605)   

(53,963)   

(6,650)   

(60,613)   

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

5,944 

78,110 

1,209 

5,944 

Balance at 31 December 2016

233,744,378 

3,657 

157,067 

263,435 

(79,815)   

(1,518)   

342,826 

Total comprehensive loss for the year

Loss for the year

  Foreign currency translation

Total comprehensive loss for the year

— 

— 

Issuance of ordinary shares

  Exercise of stock options

3,402,567 

1,055,596 

 Equity-settled share based payments

— 

— 

— 

43 

14 

— 

— 

— 

— 

1,539 

— 

— 

— 

(68)   

— 

— 

— 

 (6,636)  

(6,636)   

31,754 

778 

32,532 

31,754 

(5,858)   

25,896 

—

—

18

— 

— 

 (25)   

 1,553 

 6,048 

 6,066 

Balance at 31 December 2017

238,202,541

3,714 

158,606 

263,367 

(48,043)  

(1,328)   

376,316 

171

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE 

FINANCIAL 

STATEMENTS

COMPANY STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS  

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER: 

Cash flows from operating activities:

  Net operating loss

 Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating 
activities:

  Share-based compensation expense

  Changes in working capital:

(Increase)/decrease in trade and other receivables

(Decrease)/increase in trade and other payables

Interest received

  Other finance cost

Net cash used in operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities:

  Repayments/(issuance) of note receivable to subsidiary, net

Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities:

  Proceeds from issuance of share capital

  Proceeds from exercise of stock options

Net cash provided by financing activities

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period

Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period

NOTE 

2017 
$ ‘000

2016 
$ ‘000

(8,991)   

(9,131)   

5

6,066 

5,944 

(145)   

(216)   

— 

2,308 

(978)   

1,247 

1,247 

(25)   

1,553 

1,528 

1,797 

1,297 

3,094 

335 

411 

1 

1,127 

(1,313)   

(78,272)   

(78,272)   

78,110 

1,208 

79,318 

(267)   

1,564 

1,297 

4

5

5

172

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE 

FINANCIAL 

STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 

December 2017

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
For the year ended 31 December 2017  

(1) ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Preparation and Measurement

The  financial  statements  of  the  parent  company  have  been  prepared  under  the  historical  cost  convention, 
in  accordance  with  the  Companies  Act  2006  and  the  International  Financial  Reporting  Standards  (“IFRS”). 
In  preparing  these  financial  statements,  the  Company  applies  the  recognition,  measurement  and  disclosure 
requirements  of  the  International  Financial  Reporting  Standards  as  adopted  by  the  EU  (“Adopted  IFRSs”).  A 
summary of the more important accounting policies which have been applied consistently throughout the year 
are set out below.

Functional and Presentation Currency

The functional currency of the parent company is British Pounds. The financial statements of the parent company 
are presented in US dollars.

Foreign Currency

Transactions in foreign currencies are translated to the respective functional currencies of the parent company at the 
foreign exchange rate ruling at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign 
currencies at the balance sheet date are retranslated to the functional currency at the foreign exchange rate ruling 
at that date. Foreign exchange differences arising on translation are recognised in the income statement. Non-
monetary assets and liabilities that are measured in terms of historical cost in a foreign currency are translated 
using  the  exchange  rate  at  the  date  of  the  transaction.  Non-monetary  assets  and  liabilities  denominated  in 
foreign currencies that are stated at fair value are retranslated to the functional currency at foreign exchange rates 
ruling at the dates the fair value was determined.

On translation of the Company financial statements from functional currency to presentational currency the assets 
and liabilities are translated at the closing exchange rates. Profit and loss accounts are translated at the average 
rates of exchange during the year. Gains and losses arising on these translations are taken to reserves.

Investments

Investments  are  stated  at  historic  cost  less  any  provision  for  impairment  in  value  and  are  held  for  long-term 
investment  purposes.  Provisions  are  based  upon  an  assessment  of  events  or  changes  in  circumstances  that 
indicate  that  an  impairment  has  occurred  such  as  the  performance  and/or  prospects  (including  the  financial 
prospects)  of  the  investee  company  being  significantly  below  the  expectations  on  which  the  investment  was 
based, a significant adverse change in the markets in which the investee company operates or a deterioration 
in general market conditions.

Intercompany Loans

All  intercompany  loans  are  initially  recognised  at  fair  value  and  subsequently  measured  at  amortised  cost. 
Where intercompany loans are intended for use on a continuing basis in the Company’s activities and there is 
no intention of their settlement in the foreseeable future, they are presented as current assets.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include all highly liquid instruments with original maturities of three months or less.

173

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017  
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

Impairment

If there is an indication that an asset might be impaired, the Company will perform an impairment review. An 
asset is impaired if the recoverable amount, being the higher of net realisable value and value in use, is less 
than its carrying amount. Value in use is measured based on future discounted cash flows (“DCF”) attributable to 
the asset. In such cases, the carrying value of the asset is reduced to recoverable amount with a corresponding 
charge recognised in the profit and loss account.

Financial Instruments

Currently the Company does not enter into derivative financial instruments. Financial assets and financial liabilities 
are recognised and cease to be recognised on the basis of when the related titles pass to or from the Company.

Share-based Payments

Share-based payment arrangements in which the Company receives goods or services as consideration for its 
own equity instruments are accounted for as equity-settled share-based payment transactions, regardless of how 
the equity instruments are obtained by the Company.

The grant date fair value of share-based payment awards granted to employees is recognised as an employee 
expense, with a corresponding increase in equity, over the period that the employees become unconditionally 
entitled  to  the  awards.  The  fair  value  of  the  options  granted  is  measured  using  an  option  valuation  model, 
taking  into  account  the  terms  and  conditions  upon  which  the  options  were  granted.  The  amount  recognised 
as an expense is adjusted to reflect the actual number of awards for which the related service and non-market 
vesting conditions are expected to be met, such that the amount ultimately recognised as an expense is based 
on the number of awards that do meet the related service and non-market performance conditions at the vesting 
date. For share-based payment awards with non-vesting conditions, the grant date fair value of the share-based 
payment is measured to reflect such conditions and there is no true-up for differences between expected and 
actual outcomes.

(2) INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARY

Balance at 1 January

  Additions

Impairment

  Disposals

  Effect from currency translation

Balance at 31 December

2017 
$’000

2016 
$’000

158,431 

190,055 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

15,100 

173,531 

(31,624)   

158,431 

Investment in subsidiary represents the Company’s wholly-owned investment in Allied Minds, LLC. Allied Minds, 
LLC operates in the US as a US-focused science and technology development and commercialisation company. 
For a summary of the Company’s indirect subsidiaries see note 11 to the consolidated financial statements.

174

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017HEAD_0 1st line release  
  
 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

(3) CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Bank balances

Cash and cash equivalents

(4) LOAN TO SUBSIDIARY

Balance at 1 January

  Additions

  Repayments

  Effect from currency translation

Balance at 31 December

2017 
$’000

3,094 

3,094 

2017 
$’000

183,397 

2,530 

(3,778)   

17,480 

199,629 

2016 
$’000

1,297 

1,297 

2016 
$’000

126,109 

79,973 

(1,701)   

(20,984)   

183,397 

The Company has loaned its excess cash to its operating subsidiary Allied Minds, LLC to be further deployed in 
support of the continuing operations of the Group. The note bears an interest of 1.25% and is repayable upon 
demand.

(5) SHARE CAPITAL AND RESERVES

Allied Minds plc was incorporated with the Companies House under the Companies Act 2006 as a public 
company on 15 April 2014. Full detail of the share capital and reserves activity for the year can be found in 
note 16 to the consolidated financial statements.

AS OF 31 DECEMBER: 

Equity

Share capital, £0.01 par value, issued and fully paid

238,202,541 and 233,744,378, respectively

Share premium

Merger reserve

Translation reserve

Accumulated deficit

Total equity

2017 
$’000

2016 
$’000

3,714 

3,657 

158,606 

263,367 

(48,043)   

(1,328)   

376,316 

157,067 

263,435 

(79,815)   

(1,518)   

342,826 

In December 2016, the Company issued 17,457,015 ordinary shares of one pence at 367 pence, which were 
admitted to the premium listing segment of the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and to trading on the LSE’s 
Main Market for listed securities. This resulted in approximately $78.1 million of net proceeds from the equity 
placing (net of issue cost of $2.2 million). The amounts subscribed for share capital in excess of the nominal 
value in relation to this transaction are reflected in the merger reserve balance as of 31 December 2016.

The share-based payment charge for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2017 included in accumulated deficit 
was $6.1 million (2016: $5.9 million).

175

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)  

(6) PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT

As permitted by Section 408 of the Companies Act 2006, the Company’s profit and loss account has not been 
included in these financial statements. The Company’s loss for the year was $6,636,000 (2016: $6,402,000).

(7) DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION, EMPLOYEE INFORMATION AND SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS

The remuneration of the Directors of the Company is disclosed in note 24 to the consolidated financial statements. 
Full details for their remuneration can be found in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 70 to 103. Full 
detail of the share-based payment charge and related disclosures can be found in note 6 to the consolidated 
financial statements.

The Company had one employee during 2017 (2016: none).

176

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 
  
 
COMPANY INFORMATION  

COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 08998697

BROKERS

REGISTERED OFFICE

Beaufort House 
51 New North Road 
Exeter EX4 4EP 
United Kingdom

WEBSITE

www.alliedminds.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Peter Dolan 
(Non-Executive Chairman)

Jill Smith 
(Chief Executive Officer)

Rick Davis 
(Senior Independent Director)

Harry Rein 
(Independent Non-Executive Director)

Jeff Rohr 
(Independent Non-Executive Director)

Kevin Sharer 
(Independent Non-Executive Director)

COMPANY SECRETARY

Michael Turner

Credit Suisse International 
1 Cabot Square 
London E14 4QJ 
United Kingdom 
TEL: +44 207 888 8888

Numis Securities Limited 
The London Stock Exchange Building 
10 Paternoster Square 
London EC4M 7LT 
United Kingdom 
TEL: +44 207 260 1000

REGISTRAR

Link Asset Services 
The Registry 
34 Beckenham Road 
Beckenham Kent BR3 4TU 
United Kingdom 
TEL UK: 0871 664 0300 
TEL Overseas: +44 208 639 3399

SOLICITORS

DLA Piper UK LLP 
3 Noble Street 
London EC2V 7EE 
United Kingdom 
TEL: +44 870 011 1111

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR

KPMG LLP 
15 Canada Square 
London E14 5GL 
United Kingdom 
TEL: +44 207 311 1000

MEDIA RELATIONS

FTI Consulting LLP 
200 Aldersgate 
Aldersgate Street 
London EC1A 4HD 
United Kingdom 
TEL: +44 203 727 1000

177

Financial StatementsHEAD_0 1st line release ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017