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Tungsten Corporation Plc

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FY2016 Annual Report · Tungsten Corporation Plc
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Tungsten Corporation plc
Annual report and accounts 2016

Tungsten Corporation plc
Pountney Hill House
6 Laurence Pountney Hill
London EC4R 0BL
U.K.

E: info:@tungsten-network.com
www.tungsten-network.com
T: +44 20 7280 7807

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Tungsten Corporation plc
Annual report and accounts 2016

Trusted connections

Streamlined transactions

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Who we are

We strive to be 
the world’s

Tungsten aims to be the 
world’s most trusted business 
transaction network by using data 
intelligently to strengthen the 
global supply chain. 

Delivering safe and streamlined 
connections while automating the entire 
invoice process, Tungsten is making the 
digitisation of commerce faster, easier 
and smarter between buyers and 
suppliers around the world.

most trusted business 
transaction network

Designed and production by Radley Yeldar ry.com

This report is printed on Chorus Lux Silk which contains material sourced from responsibly managed 
forests, certified in accordance with the FSC(r) (Forest Stewardship Council).

®

www.fsc.org

Strategic report

Governance

Financial statements

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

•  Revenue increased 16% to £26.1 million (FY15: £22.5 million1)
•  EBITDA2 loss decreased to £18.7 million, a £6.5 million improvement from prior year (FY15: £25.2 million loss1)
•  Statutory loss after tax of £27.9 million (FY15: £27.6 million1), including a £6.8 million impairment following 

signing of a conditional agreement in December 2015 for the sale of Tungsten Bank

•  Net cash and cash equivalents ended at £9.3 million (30 April 2015: £13.1 million), excluding the £17.8 million 

of cash in Tungsten Bank

•  Sale of Tungsten Bank expected to close by 31 October 2016 to release cash of approximately £30 million
•  Successful placing of 22.9 million shares to raise £17.5 million of new funding in May 2015
•  Agreed £10 million revolving credit facility with HSBC should Tungsten Bank sale be unexpectedly delayed. 

1  Restatement of prior year revenue reduces it by £0.6m, as discussed at notes 2 and 3 to the accounts.

2  EBITDA is defined as operating loss before other income, depreciation, amortisation, impairments and share-based payments charge.

OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

•  Strengthened board and enhanced executive management team under new CEO Richard Hurwitz
•  34 existing buyers renewed contracts with weighted average price increase of 64%. Four further renewals 

after the year end at similar increases

•  11 new buyers signed for contract value of at least £1.9 million; 175 total buyers
•  22,000 net new suppliers added to bring total suppliers to 203,000
•  1,000 new Integrated suppliers connected to Tungsten Network, generating aggregate revenue of £1 million 

in first year of contracts, and a further 24,500 Web Form suppliers added

•  Total invoice volumes increased 9% to 16.1 million (FY15: 14.8 million)
•  Tungsten Network Finance being restarted to allow for profitable growth of the early payment solution

OUTLOOK

•  Revenue of at least £30 million expected in FY17, with upside potential reflecting the variability and phasing 

of new customer sales and successes of new product and service initiatives

•  Operating costs to continue to decline in FY17 through a combination of actions to increase automation, 

reduce headcount and implement procurement efficiencies

•  Committed to achieving monthly EBITDA breakeven during calendar 2017, with precise month dependent 

on the phasing of new customer and product sales

•  Expect FY17 EBITDA loss of between £12 million and £14 million, including expected £1.3 million EBITDA loss 

in Tungsten Bank prior to sale, a reduction of between £6.7 million and £4.7 million from FY16

•  Cash in excess of £20 million expected at 30 April 2017
•  Tungsten Network Early Payment financing levels anticipated to double by end of FY17, with material impact 

on revenues expected in FY18

Strategic report 02
01  Highlights and outlook
02  Group at a glance
04  Chairman’s statement
06  Our key market drivers
08  Our business model
09  Chief Executive’s review
14  Introduction to case studies
15  BT Group and Tungsten
16  Mondelez and Tungsten
17   London Borough of Bexley 

and Tungsten

18  Chief Financial Officer’s review
21  Principal risks and uncertainties

Governance 27
27  Corporate governance
28  Board of Directors
30  Leadership team
32  Corporate governance report
36  Audit Committee report
39   Nomination and Remuneration 

Committee report

40  Directors’ remuneration report
44  Directors’ report

Financial statements 47
47  Independent auditors’ report
49  Consolidated income statement
50   Consolidated statement of 
comprehensive income
51   Consolidated statement of 

financial position

52   Consolidated statement of changes 

in equity

53   Consolidated statement of 

cash flows

54    Notes to the consolidated 

financial statements

74  Independent auditors’ report
76  Parent Company balance sheet
79   Notes to the Parent Company 

financial statements
84   Shareholder information

01

Group at a glance

Tungsten provides smarter and safer connections to the world’s businesses, which 
strengthens the entire global supply chain. With a commitment to innovation and 
security, Tungsten’s technology is easing the accounts payable process with higher 
visibility, greater insights and unprecedented speed.

CORE BUSINESS

Tungsten Network

The core of the Tungsten offering 
is the Tungsten Network, a secure 
e-invoicing platform that brings 
businesses and their suppliers closer 
together with unique technology that 
revolutionises invoice processing, 
maximises efficiency and improves 
cash flow management.

The Tungsten Network is engineered 
with an advanced, multi-layered world-

class security system to protect client 
data, prevent major security breaches 
and counteract fraud.

It simplifies and streamlines the 
complex invoice-to-pay process, 
offering legal and tax compliant 
invoicing across multiple jurisdictions. 
Buyers can reduce invoice processing 
costs by 60%, while suppliers – who 
can quickly and easily submit accurate 

invoices – gain efficiencies and peace 
of mind from greater visibility of the 
status of their invoices, including 
payment date.

Tungsten Network processes invoices 
for 70% of the FTSE 100 and 72% of the 
Fortune 500 and is the world’s largest 
globally compliant e-invoicing platform.

OTHER SERVICES

Tungsten Network 
Early Payment
Tungsten Network Early Payment is a 
low cost and easy-to-access alternative 
to bank finance and factoring solutions, 
and is available to eligible suppliers on 
the Tungsten Network. Whether short-
term financing is required to meet 
extended payment terms, seasonal 
demands or to take on more business, 
suppliers across the supply chain 
can use their approved receivables 
for optional financing directly via their 
Tungsten Network portal.

Tungsten Network Analytics
Billions of dollars’ worth of transactions 
are processed by the Tungsten Network 
every year. Tungsten Network Analytics 
combines Tungsten’s vast archive of 
invoices – with a value of over $900 
billion – with sophisticated spend 
analytics technology and a powerful 
reporting interface. It examines line-
level invoice data in real time to quickly 
identify price variances on individual 
items and opportunities for cost 
savings. It can also be used to ensure 
compliance with procurement policy 
and contracts.

02

36,139

trees saved
by Tungsten clients 
eliminating paper

Tungsten Network Workflow

Tungsten Network Workflow 
streamlines AP processes from initial 
receipt of invoices until their submission 
for payment, providing reporting and a 
full audit trail of all activity. It integrates 
easily with clients’ existing enterprise 
resource planning (ERP) systems, and 
saves accounts payable teams valuable 
time and money while enabling them to 
maximise their ERP investment.

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016Strategic reportGLOBAL POTENTIAL

£133bn

of invoices transacted 
in FY16

203,000+

suppliers using 
our network

175

public and private  
sector buyers 

47

countries
where we are compliant 
with e-invoicing 
regulations

361

employees
working across our global 
network in key offices 
in four countries

03

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportChairman’s statement

Tungsten has special operating 
assets. We have technology, products, 
customers and people that are 
the envy of our peers. We process 
invoices for over 70% of the FTSE 100 
and the Fortune 500. However, our 
financial performance since Tungsten 
was admitted to London Stock 
Exchange’s AIM in September 2013 
has proved disappointing for investors 
and a new approach was required 
in order to realise the Company’s 
significant potential.

We had invested heavily in previous 
years in expanding Tungsten Network 
and in building Tungsten Network 
Finance, including the acquisition of a 
regulated bank. However, given the rate 
of cash depletion and the operational 
performance, the Board recognised 
the need for a change in approach. 
The 2016 financial year was therefore 
a period of realigning our strategy 
under the leadership of Richard 
Hurwitz with the aim of pursuing 
profitable growth in Tungsten Network 
and a more targeted development 
of the opportunity in Tungsten 
Network Finance.

The sale of Tungsten Bank is an 
important component of the execution 
of our reshaped strategy. Owning a 
bank proved to be unnecessary to the 
achievement of our ambitions, and the 
costs of its operation and regulatory 
burden impeded our progress. A sale 
of Tungsten Bank was agreed in 
December 2015 and on completion 
the disposal will help to increase our 
free cash resources, reduce operating 
expenditure and remove operational 
complexity from our business. 

Tungsten aims to be the world’s 
most trusted business transaction 
network by using data intelligently to 
strengthen the global supply chain. 
The four strategic objectives that 
support this goal are: elevating our 
customer engagement by realising 
network benefits for them; using end-
to-end digital processes to ensure our 
people and processes are effective; 
using our network and its data to 
provide distinctive financing products; 
and offering our customers valuable 
adjacent products and services.

The Board believes that the Company 
is making good headway against these 
objectives, achieving favourable price 
increases in renewed contracts to 
reflect the value we generate, realising 
cost savings by reducing organisational 
complexity and removing operational 
inefficiencies, refocusing the invoice 
financing business, and developing 
ancillary customer offerings. Our new 
focus gives the management team 
the clarity required to execute the 
Company’s strategy for the benefit of 
customers and shareholders. This puts 
Tungsten on a stable footing for 
sustainable future growth.

Board and Management
I was delighted to accept the role as 
Chairman of Tungsten at our Annual 
General Meeting (‘AGM’) in September 
2015. I took over from Arnold 
Hoevenaars, who steered the Company 
through its admission to LSE AIM and 
beyond. Arnold retired from the Board 
with our thanks. Lincoln Jopp also 
retired from the Board at our AGM and 
our thanks also go to him.

Nick Parker
Non-Executive Chairman

04

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016Strategic reportWe are confident that we have now identified the 
strategic priorities to take advantage of this market 
growth… We look forward to a year of further 
progress and success.”
Nick Parker 
Non-Executive Chairman

Tungsten made a number of other 
changes to its Board during the course 
of FY16 to increase its breadth and 
depth of experience and improve 
corporate governance. In particular, 
we were pleased to announce the 
appointment of new Independent 
Non-Executive Directors, David Benello 
and Ian Wheeler, at our AGM. Edi Truell, 
Tungsten’s founder, stepped down from 
the Board in March 2016. The Board of 
Tungsten would like to thank Edi for his 
significant contribution to the creation 
of Tungsten.

The Board appointed Richard Hurwitz 
as CEO of Tungsten with effect from 
13 July 2015 to lead the strategic 
change required in the business. 
Rick has built a talented executive 
management team around him in 
order to steer the business through 
its transformation.

Tungsten operates in markets with 
significant growth characteristics: 
back-office automation, digitisation, 
and alternative financing. We are 
confident that we have now identified 
the strategic priorities to take 
advantage of this market growth and 
have put in place the organisational 
structure needed to achieve our 
targets. We look forward to a year 
of further progress and success.

Annual General Meeting
The Company’s Annual General 
Meeting will be held at 2pm UK time 
on 16 September 2016 at the offices 
of Ashurst LLP, Broadwalk House, 
5 Appold Street, London EC2A 2HA.

Nick Parker
Non-Executive Chairman 

05

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportOur key market drivers

The global opportunity
Billions of transactions are processed in the global B2B market every day. As this 
number continues to grow, so does the size of the opportunity to support businesses 
and governments through digital solutions that automate financial processes, deliver 
efficiencies, increase transparency and combat fraud.

ESTIMATED MARKET SIZE

Electronic invoicing

More than 170 billion B2B invoices 
will be exchanged around the world 
in 2016, with over 30 billion of these 
sent electronically1. In the US alone, 
the number of companies using 
e-invoicing networks is expected to 
grow from 19% to 41% over the next 
two years2. The growth is not limited 
to businesses, and the US Office of 
Management and Budget has directed 
federal agencies to implement 
e-invoicing systems by 2018.

OTHER MARKET DYNAMICS
Fraud detection and mitigation

Governments and businesses are 
mandating the use of e-invoicing 
to combat fraud and improve tax 
collection rates.

The use of e-invoicing supports 
government visibility of tax obligations. 
In the US, the IRS estimates the ‘tax 
gap’ as $406 billion per year, and in 
Mexico the Tax Administration Service 
lost $3.4 billion through ‘apocryphal 
invoicing’ between 2007 and 20094. 
Now, more than 5.4 million taxpayers 
are issuing e-invoices for goods and 
services in Mexico5. 

As more and more businesses transact 
with each other across increasing 
geographies, challenges arise, such 
as meeting tax and regulatory 
requirements. Concurrently, the 
development of new technologies 
has enabled businesses to be more 
agile and efficient by automating 
labour-intensive processes. 
Automated solutions are already 
being used by 85% of business 
and IT executives to improve their 
business processes3. 

Latin America is a leader in the adoption 
of e-invoicing. Recent mandates include 
Chile and Peru, in addition to long-
standing mandates in Mexico and Brazil. 
A number of Asian nations have also 
implemented e-invoicing directives or 
intend to do so. China has announced 
plans to create a modern tax collection 
system and is consequently on a 
path to mandate e-invoicing. And the 
European Union (EU) has implemented 
a directive that obliges all EU public 
authorities to receive e-invoices by 2018.

The march toward digital networks 
will drive this growth as businesses 
upgrade from legacy EDI connections 
and seek the efficiencies that cannot 
be achieved from PDFs. 

Meanwhile, in the private sector 90% 
of large organisations experienced a 
security breach in 2015, an increase 
of 81% from the previous year6, 
and UK SMEs alone are losing more 
than £9 billion from invoice fraud 
every year7.

1  Koch, Bruno, e-Invoicing/e-Billing, Digitisation & Automation, Billentis, May 2016

2  Koch, Bruno, e-Invoicing/e-Billing, Digitisation & Automation, Billentis, May 2016

3  Accenture, Technology Vision 2016, January 2016, www.accenture.com

4  The Economist, Electronic Arm-Twisting, 17 May 2014

5  Koch, Bruno, e-Invoicing/e-Billing, Digitisation & Automation, Billentis, May 2016

06

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016Strategic reportInvoice Financing

Our Tungsten Network Early Payment 
product is a distinctive invoice financing 
solution that is fully integrated with 
Tungsten’s e-invoicing network. It was 
developed as a market-competitive 
alternative to traditional financing 
options that are expensive and often 
difficult to access.

The flow over Tungsten Network 
defines the size of the financing 
opportunity for Tungsten Network Early 
Payment. Over £133 billion of invoices 
were sent over Tungsten Network 
in FY16; however, our product was 
available to only 4,000 of the network’s 
200,000+ suppliers. 

We are re-engineering the product to 
make our financing more competitive, 
redesigning and relaunching our 
supplier portal to more effectively 
promote financing and onboard 
suppliers, and using better supplier 
segmentation data for improved 
targeting. These initiatives will have a 
significant impact on our addressable 
market over the coming years.

Spend Analytics

A rise in digital business – where the 
amount and accuracy of available data 
is growing – has corresponded with 
a rise in spend analysis and the use 
of artificial intelligence and cognitive 
technologies to deliver business 
insights. There has been an advent in 
insight-driven organisations that seek 
to leverage data across the entire 
organisation, and the overall market 
for cognitive solutions will exceed 
$60 billion by 20258.

Tungsten Network Analytics gives 
businesses the clarity to make better 
buying decisions by illuminating deep 
insights generated by the volume of 
invoice data on the Tungsten Network. 
And launching this year is a new pricing 
model of free, paid and premium – 
giving our clients access from day one 
and a simple upgrade path to unlock 
additional value.

6  Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, Information Security Breaches Survey 2015, June 2015

7  Tungsten Network, SMEs lose £9 billion in invoice fraud, 25 April 2016, www.tungsten-network.com

8  Deloitte, Analytics Trends 2016, January 2016, www.deloitte.com

170billion

B2B invoices sent 
globally each year

07

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportOur business model

Our unique global network makes it easier for both buyers and suppliers to do 
business more efficiently and securely. We connect them through our e-invoicing 
platform and offer other adjacent services that strengthen the entire supply chain.

THE RESOURCES WE HAVE

Highly skilled, experienced 
and diverse workforce

Resilient, secure and scalable 
digital platform

Global network of buyers 
and suppliers

Knowledge of international 
regulatory environment

Funding partners

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WHY OUR CLIENTS 
USE US

Buyers

Our global 
e-invoicing 
network

Tungsten bills setup, licensing and 
transaction-processing fees to buyers 
and suppliers, providing customised 
network connections that enable 
them to transact compliantly and 
efficiently around the world.

Suppliers

Suppliers

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2

OUR SERVICES

Tungsten Network

Tungsten Network Workflow

Tungsten Network Early Payment

Tungsten Network Analytics

THE VALUE THIS CREATES

>   Enables buyers to reduce their AP 

costs by 60%

>   Helps SMEs control and optimise 

their cash flow

>   Improves tax collection for 

Adjacent products and services

governments

>  Streamlines global trade

>  Reduces environmental footprint

08

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016Strategic report 
Chief Executive’s review

Our approach

Richard Hurwitz
Chief Executive

Strategic Review
The 2016 financial year has been a 
year of encouraging progress where 
we demonstrated momentum in the 
achievement of our revised aims. I was 
appointed CEO in July 2015, so these 
results represent a little over nine 
months of my stewardship. My first act 
on becoming CEO was to undertake an 
in-depth analysis of the business; what 
I found both excited and troubled me.

Tungsten is a global business with 
a loyal blue-chip customer base 
and enormous embedded value. 
Through its predecessor firm, Tungsten 
pioneered e-invoicing and remains at 
the vanguard of digitising accounts 
payable processes. But I also found 
structural deficiencies and a pressing 
need for a clearer strategy to produce 
profitable growth by leveraging 
the strengths of our core business. 
That strategic realignment is now in 
place and so is a talented team of 
committed individuals that is executing 
our plans with confidence and 
achieving notable early successes.

It was clear that the Company suffered 
from skills gaps in certain key areas. 
To close these gaps, we have made 
external appointments of Brian Proffitt 
as Chief Technology Officer, Guy Miller 
as Head of Corporate Development, 
Connie O’Brien as Chief Marketing 
Officer, and Prabhat Vira as President 
of Tungsten Network Finance. We have 
also undertaken internal promotions, 
including the appointment of Kevin 
Wilbur as Head of AP Automation. 

In December 2015, I set out four 
areas of strategic priority to achieve 
profitable growth:

•  Focussing on our core business 

to provide efficiencies and further 
benefits for our customers;

•  Improving operational performance 

by deploying end-to-end digital tools 
to ensure our people and processes 
provide products and services to our 
customers effectively;

•  Further leveraging our network 

and its data to deliver distinctive 
financial products for our customers 
to support their working capital 
needs; and

•  Enhancing the value of the Tungsten 
Network by providing value-added 
adjacent products and services to 
increase operational efficiencies 
across the global supply chain.

I am confident we now have the right 
executive management team in place 
with shared and targeted objectives, 
performance measures and incentive 
structures for the Company to make 
substantial progress in FY17.

to value creation

09

Our vision is to be the world’s most trusted business transaction network, using data intelligently to strengthen the global supply chain1. Focus on our core2. Improve operational performance3. Disruptive supply chain financing4. Expansion through adjacent servicesGovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportChief Executive’s review continued

Focus on our core
Tungsten Network is growing. 
Revenues for the year grew 16%, 
with total invoice volumes increasing 
9% to 16.1 million. By value, total 
invoices increased 16% to £133 billion. 
Some 34 of our e-invoicing buyer 
customer contracts were renewed at 
a weighted average price increase of 
64%, demonstrating that customers 
recognise the value of our offering. 
Since the end of our financial year 
we have renewed four further buyer 
customer contracts at similar price 
increases. We added 11 new buyers to 
Tungsten Network, including Duracell 
and Sanofi. The global agreement 
with Sanofi was signed at the end of 
FY16 and will therefore contribute to 
revenue in FY17. Each buyer brings 
their own supply chain to add to our 
network, and we are working more 
effectively with new and current 
buyers to sign up these suppliers. 
22,000 net new suppliers were added 
over the year. This is the virtuous circle 
of the Tungsten Network: buyers bring 
suppliers who want to connect with 
other buyers.

We want to increase the rate of 
new business sales within Tungsten 
Network. Our pipeline is strong and 
continues to grow as we refine and 
strengthen our customer engagement 
strategy and increase our portfolio 
of products and services. We have 
revised our sales strategy to leverage 
more effectively our strong Tungsten 
Network connections and Tungsten 
Network Workflow customers. 
We have also developed partnerships 
with third parties, and won our first 
two buyer customers through PNC 
Bank which distributes our e-invoicing 
platform in the US. We are exploring 
ways to expand further in the near 
future our partnership strategy with 
PNC and others.

Notably, we have established a Digital 
Command Centre to connect more 
frequently and materially with our 
203,000 suppliers under the direction 
of our newly appointed Chief Marketing 
Officer. Maintaining a regular dialogue 

10

This is the 
virtuous circle 
of the Tungsten 
Network: buyers 
bring suppliers 
who want to 
connect with 
other buyers.”
Richard Hurwitz 
Chief Executive

with our network of suppliers ensures 
they remain active users as we engage 
them on the issues important to 
their commercial success, serving to 
strengthen the network of buyers and 
suppliers that underpins our growth 
strategy. Our Digital Command Centre 
is deploying advanced digital marketing 
capabilities and a host of leading-
edge tools to increase the presence of 
Tungsten Network in internet search 
and traffic.

Improved operational performance
Tungsten seeks to grow profitably. 
Our history is one of a business where 
overheads have grown in line with 
revenues and we therefore needed to 
increase efficiency and leverage costs, 
while maintaining product and service 
standards. We have identified and 
started to effect the changes required 
in order to simplify and rationalise 
the business; sizing costs to match 
the tangible opportunity, removing 
organisational inefficiencies and 
maximising the use of automation tools.

Underpinning operational 
improvements is a re-design of the 
architecture of our core systems. 
This will be an incremental process to 
decouple core system components 
and will result in greater stability and 
flexibility of our systems. This project 
is well underway and is expected to be 
completed over FY17. 

These initiatives included:

•  A reorganisation of customer 

relationship management resources 
designed to consolidate all on 
boarding activities into separate, 
dedicated buyer or supplier teams;

•  The first phase of a re-engineering 

of the technology platform to deliver 
a simplified infrastructure that will 
meet future capacity requirements 
and deliver efficiency benefits;

•  Increased use of digital marketing 
to improve the identification and 
conversion of new business leads 
and existing customer opportunities 
into product or service sales;

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016Strategic report•  A restructuring of our finance 
team, including implementing 
new enterprise resource planning 
software that allows us to use a 
wider range of accounts payable 
automation tools and switch to a 
shared services environment; and

•  The introduction of a swathe of 
upgraded procurement and cost 
policies, processes and disciplines to 
allow more effective management of 
the Group’s cost base.

Collectively, the initial impact of 
these measures is demonstrated 
in the narrowing of our EBITDA 
loss by £6.5 million to £18.7 million 
(FY15: £25.2 million1).

As we look to the year ahead, we have 
identified the initiatives to deliver 
EBITDA breakeven by the end of FY17, 
and we will continue to manage our 
cost base while making the necessary 
investments in technology, products, 
digital marketing and operational 
improvements. However, we will not 
surrender future growth for the sake of 
reaching EBITDA breakeven by the end 
of our financial year in April. We will be 
prepared to achieve this landmark later 
in calendar 2017 if we believe to do so 
is in the best interests of sustaining 
long term profitable growth and the 
creation of shareholder value.

Distinctive supply chain 
financing products
Tungsten Network Finance, our 
invoice financing business, remains a 
cornerstone of our strategy. We will 
pursue this without Tungsten Bank, 
as we determined that operating a 
regulated deposit-taking financial 
institution is incompatible with the 
pursuit of profitable growth and not 
needed to successfully pursue our 
invoice financing opportunity. The sale 
of Tungsten Bank is expected to 
close by the end of H1-FY17. This will 
release substantial cash resources of 
approximately £30 million to enable us 
to invest in our core business as well 
as reduce our cost base and enhance 
profitability and cash flow.

Tungsten financed over £100 million of 
invoices in FY16 for an average duration 
of 34 days at an average gross yield of 
6.3%. However, the revenue generated 
from this activity was less than 
£200,000, and the number of suppliers 
using the product was limited.

In April 2016, we welcomed Prabhat 
Vira to Tungsten to lead our efforts in 
restarting Tungsten Network Finance 
to scale up the level and profitability of 
financing. Prabhat has previously held 
senior positions in banking businesses 
across the world and at Tungsten has 
already started to revise our invoice 
finance offering to widen the number 
of suppliers that can take advantage 
of it and make it more flexible and 
appropriate to our customers’ needs.

Following Prabhat’s arrival we have 
commenced the execution of a 
revised strategy which includes 
reaffirming and expanding our funding 
arrangement with Insight Investment, 
redesigning our product to better 
meet market needs, segmenting our 
supplier customers, improving our 
pricing model, enhancing the Tungsten 
Network portal, streamlining the on-
boarding process, investing in supplier 
sales and relationship activities and 
improving the effectiveness of the 
back-office technology.

We expect the changes to give us the 
capability to increase the volume of 
invoices financed and the income 
that Tungsten is able to earn from the 
activity. However, we need to complete 
the execution of the improvements we 
have identified to capture an increased 
invoice finance opportunity. As a result 
we anticipate a steady increase to 
financing volumes in FY17, with a more 
material impact expected from FY18.

Adjacent products and services
Tungsten and its predecessor 
companies have been at the forefront 
of accounts payable automation for 
over 15 years. As a result, 175 of the 
world’s most sophisticated buying 
organisations connect with 203,000 
of their global suppliers over the 
Tungsten Network. We have identified a 
series of opportunities to leverage this 

global connectivity in order to provide 
our customers with highly relevant 
adjacent products and services.

The range of opportunities currently 
include foreign currency transaction 
services, e-invoicing for suppliers in 
China, and cross-border recovery 
of value-added taxes on goods and 
services. Each of these initiatives 
is currently at a different stage of 
development, ranging from design to 
trial. We are pursuing each opportunity 
with partners, to minimise setup and 
ongoing costs, with the potential 
targeted benefit being a share of 
revenues generated. We expect the 
list of opportunities to fluctuate over 
time as some are launched and some 
are terminated. We are anticipating 
only marginal revenues from adjacent 
products and services in FY17, with 
more material contributions targeted 
from FY18.

Operational Review
Tungsten Network
Tungsten Network continued to grow 
in the period, both through the addition 
of new buyers and their suppliers to 
the network, and through creating 
additional connections between 
existing buyers and suppliers.

Eleven new buyers contracted to join 
Tungsten Network in FY16. Total buyers 
as at 30 April 2016 amounted to 175, 
of which 124 take e-invoicing and 
other associated solutions, and 51 take 
Tungsten Network Workflow services. 
Expanding the solutions that buyers 
take is a development focus for FY17.

The new e-invoicing buyers each 
agreed three- or four-year deals for 
total minimum fees over the aggregate 
contract periods of £1.2 million. 
This excludes revenues generated from 
their suppliers, which are expected 
to contribute from H2-FY17. The new 
Tungsten Network Workflow buyers 
each agreed deals with total minimum 
fees over the aggregate contract 
periods of £0.7 million.

11

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportChief Executive’s review continued

The number of buyers reduced by 
nine during FY16. This figure includes 
three buyers with minimal invoice 
flow leaving the network as part 
of Tungsten’s strategy to focus on 
accounts with growth potential. 
Six further buyer contracts were 
merged, three as a result of customer 
mergers and three through the 
replacement of local contracts 
with global agreements. The buyer 
reductions are not expected to have a 
material impact on revenue in FY17.

Buyer revenues represent 39% of 
total Tungsten Network revenue. 
Contracts with 42 buyers that take the 
e-invoicing service were due for renewal 
in FY16. A key focus of the business 
during the year was to work with these 
buyers as part of contract discussions 
to demonstrate the value Tungsten 
Network delivers. Tungsten completed 
contract renegotiations with 34 of these 
buyers, agreeing weighted average 
price increases of 64% on a like-for-like 
basis which applies to approximately 
30% of total invoice volumes. We have 
also secured buyer commitments to 
acquire additional products and widen 
the scope of our relationships, and we 
expect to see the financial benefit of 
these initiatives in FY17. 

New contracts have been agreed with 
four of the remaining eight buyers 
after the year end at similar rates 
of price increase with discussions 
nearing conclusion with the remaining 
four buyers.

Due to legacy contractual restrictions 
we were unable to renegotiate pricing 
with an additional 10 buyers who had 
their current contracts extended during 
the year. We are in discussions with 
each of these to agree new terms 
when the extended contracts expire.

As part of the review of our business 
we have segmented our supplier 
customers into four categories, 
reflecting the products they use 
and the associated sales channel. 
These are: Corporate suppliers; 
Integrated Solution suppliers; Web 
Form suppliers; and Non-Electronic 
suppliers. This segmentation has 
allowed us to identify targeted pricing 
and development opportunities. 

A total of 1,000 new Integrated and 
24,500 new Web Form suppliers were 
added to the network during the 
period. Around 3,500 supplier accounts 
were closed, the majority of which 
had stopped trading with our buyer 
customers. The net impact of these 
changes was that the total number of 
suppliers increased 12% to 203,000. 

We continue to connect growing 
numbers of customers to each other, 
enhancing the interconnectedness 
of our network. Through our newly 
created Digital Command Centre we 
will continue to segment our customer 
base to actively engage with them. 

Growing the number of connected 
suppliers remains a key factor in 
the development of the business. 
This involves working closely with 
our buyer customers to help them 
identify where they can further benefit 
from digitising their accounts payable 
processes and then supporting them 
in the change management required 
to deliver this. Many of our buyer 
customers want to grow in this way 
with our support, with the challenge 
always being the timing of delivering 
this growth.

The first phase of a restructuring of 
the operations of Tungsten Network 
was completed in FY16. This included: 
the reorganisation of resources into 
separate teams to focus on the 
implementation of buyer customers; 
the sale, implementation and support 
of supplier customers; and the 
technical operations of Tungsten 
Network. The restructuring allows 
for greater accountability and focus 
across these teams. The second phase 
of the restructuring, to be completed 
over FY17, will be to introduce 
greater process automation and 
standardisation across these teams in 
order to increase their efficiency.

Tungsten Network Finance
Revenue from Tungsten Network 
Early Payment was £194,000 
(FY15: £120,000). This comprised 
£14,000 of income from Tungsten 
Network Finance and £180,000 of 
income from Tungsten Bank.

12

By the end of FY16, 361 suppliers 
had registered for Tungsten Network 
Early Payment (FY15: 188). A total 
of £148.5 million of invoices were 
paid through supplier accounts 
(FY15: £41.0 million), of which 
Tungsten financed £102.7 million 
(FY15: £32.0 million). The average 
duration of financed invoices was 
34 days (FY15: 33 days) and the 
average gross yield achieved was 6.3% 
(FY15: 5.3%).

Shortly prior to the end of the 
period, in April 2016, Prabhat Vira was 
appointed to lead the restructuring of 
Tungsten Network Finance and he has 
already made strong progress.

Tungsten Bank
Following a strategic review, we took 
the decision to sell Tungsten Bank. 
The Board had determined that the 
benefits of owning a regulated firm like 
Tungsten Bank were outweighed by 
the fixed costs of operating it, making 
the retail funding it might provide 
for Tungsten Network Early Payment 
relatively expensive compared with 
the Group’s alternative funding 
arrangement with Insight Investment. 
A sale agreement was announced in 
December 2015. The divestment is 
progressing to plan and the acquirer 
is expected to make its formal change 
of control application to the relevant 
regulatory authorities shortly.

Following the sale, Tungsten will 
receive approximately £30 million in 
cash. While the sale is expected to 
complete by the end of H1-FY17, in 
the event of unexpected delay we 
have secured a £10 million revolving 
credit facility from HSBC to fund any 
potential working capital shortfall.

The divestment of Tungsten Bank is 
expected to produce a net reduction in 
run-rate costs of £2 million per annum. 
In FY16, Tungsten Bank’s operating 
expenses amounted to £2.8 million. 

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016Strategic reportTungsten Network Analytics
Despite positive feedback from 
our buyer customers, the Tungsten 
Network Analytics product remains 
in development. Pilot users have 
continued to react favourably 
throughout FY16 and we remain 
confident that the core tool, offering 
access to real-time spend data, can 
provide our customers with critical 
information to help them make 
better buying decisions. We remain 
in discussions with several buyer 
customers who are interested in 
buying the tool.

In order to stimulate demand, early 
in FY17 we will launch a freemium, or 
limited feature, version of our Tungsten 
Network Analytics tool to all buyer 
customers. This will give them access 
to certain basic data analysis for free, 
with a paid-for upgrade available for 
more advanced services.

We are also using the capabilities 
that our Analytics tool provides us in 
other areas of product development. 
For example, our value-added tax 
reclaim product is built on the 
Tungsten Network Analytics platform. 
In addition, as part of the development 
of services we offer to our supplier 
customers, we will launch a form of 
Tungsten Network Analytics geared to 
assist suppliers make optimal decisions 
informed by market level data.

FY17 Priorities
FY17 is a year for delivery. This includes 
the development of opportunities 
to grow with our existing customers 
and attracting new customers 
as the automation of accounts 
payable increases.

Equally as important is the capture of 
benefits from the change underway 
across the business to achieve the 
operational excellence we are targeting 
to provide outstanding products 
and services to our customers in an 
efficient manner.

We expect to see benefits from our 
work to clarify our organisational 
culture and principles, and invest in 
our people. Each member of staff is 
clear how they contribute to ensuring 

smarter, safer connections for our 
customers through a cross-border 
compliant, many-to-many network 
by providing leading global e-invoicing, 
purchase order, analytics and 
financing services.

than Sterling. We expect the effect 
of changes in the value of Sterling 
on our non-sterling denominated 
operating expenses to offset broadly 
any currency-related movements in 
reported revenues.

We provide updated guidance on our 
expectations for trading as follows:

•  Revenue of at least £30 million 
expected in FY17, with upside 
potential reflecting the variability 
and phasing of new customer sales 
and success of new product and 
service initiatives

•  Operating costs to continue 
to decline in FY17 through a 
combination of actions to increase 
automation, reduce headcount and 
implement procurement efficiencies

•  On track to achieve monthly EBITDA 
breakeven in 2017, with the precise 
month dependent on the phasing of 
new customer and product sales

•  Expect FY17 EBITDA loss of between 
£12 million and £14 million, including 
expected £1.3 million EBITDA loss 
in Tungsten Bank prior to sale, a 
reduction of between £6.7 million 
and £4.7 million from FY16

•  Cash in excess of £25 million 

expected at 30 April 2017

•  Tungsten Network Early Payment 

financing levels anticipated to double 
by end of FY17, with material impact 
on revenues expected in FY18

Richard Hurwitz
Chief Executive 

We have an executive management 
team in place to achieve our strategic 
objectives, and outstanding talent 
across the business to support 
them. Our immediate aims are to be 
profitable on a monthly EBITDA basis 
and to grow our revenues to at least 
£30 million in FY17.

We have identified the initiatives to 
achieve monthly EBITDA breakeven by 
the end of FY17, and we will continue 
to manage our cost base while 
making the necessary investments in 
technology, products, digital marketing 
and operational improvements. 
However, we will not surrender future 
growth for the sake of reaching 
monthly EBITDA breakeven by the end 
of our financial year in April. We will be 
prepared to achieve this landmark later 
in calendar 2017 if we believe to do so 
is in the best interests of our sustaining 
long term profitable growth and the 
creation of shareholder value.

Following the sale of Tungsten Bank, 
we expect free cash resources to be 
increased by approximately £30 million.

We are confident that we have the 
right strategy in place to develop the 
business to achieve profitable growth 
and a successful future.

Outlook
Subsequent to the end of our financial 
year, in June 2016 the UK electorate 
voted to leave the European Union. 
This decision commences a process 
expected to take a minimum of two 
years to complete. The outcome of 
the process as regards the structure 
of the UK’s trade relationships without 
European Union membership is 
unknown. There will be uncertainty 
over this period and the role that 
Tungsten Network plays in supporting 
businesses to navigate international 
trade has never been more important. 
Over half of Tungsten’s revenues are 
denominated in currencies other 

13

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportCase studies

A unique network 
to make

GLOBAL

TRADE

easier

Blue-chip companies, governments and hundreds of thousands of SMEs use 
Tungsten to build relationships and transform the way they do business. Over the 
next few pages we show you how our network helps these businesses become 
more efficient.

14

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016BT Group and Tungsten

Communicating

Suppliers need to know 
that the buyer has 
accountability, which 
Tungsten Network’s 
digital platform provides”

Sam Green,  
BT Group

the benefits

As a communications services provider, 
BT’s purpose is to use the power of 
communications to make a better 
world, bringing together the best 
networks and technology to broaden 
and strengthen customer relationships.

Developing e-invoicing as the preferred 
accounts processing method has been 
a collaborative effort between BT 
and Tungsten Network, explains Sam 
Green, BT’s Global Process Owner for 
Purchase to Pay.

“As a business at the leading edge of 
innovation, we know the benefits of 
e-invoicing to our business, making 
new connections and creating new

189,616
e-invoices
processed by BT suppliers 
in the past year alone

possibilities,” he said. “To achieve 
those benefits, however, we rely on 
our suppliers taking up the mantle of 
e-invoicing themselves.”

Tungsten Network worked closely 
with BT Group to develop a supplier 
on-boarding campaign, where specific 
groups of businesses were targeted. 
These suppliers were encouraged to 
stop sending paper invoices and start 
using Tungsten Network’s e-invoicing 
platform with a campaign centred on 
its benefits.

“Change doesn’t come easily to many 
organisations, who may have been 
running their businesses in a certain 
way for years,” said Sam. “The invoicing 
process traditionally involves paper and 
a postage stamp. That is now changing, 
as technology has enabled the whole 
process to go digital. It’s far easier, but 
not as familiar. It’s this familiarity we’re 
looking to kindle in the e-invoicing 
process – that the whole thing is so 
simple and makes complete sense 
to do.”

Since joining Tungsten, 704 BT suppliers 
have been enrolled onto the network 
to take up the use of e-invoicing via 
Tungsten’s simple and accessible 
platform. In the past year alone, these 

suppliers have processed 189,616 
invoices, representing significant 
time reductions and savings totalling 
£910,156, based on the average saving 
of £4.80 per invoice suggested in the 
Billentis report.

With messaging centred around ease 
of use and greater visibility of the 
process, the collaborative approach 
meant both businesses achieved 
their end goal. Sam said: “Tungsten 
Network’s e-invoicing platform enables 
suppliers to not only file their invoice 
digitally, saving time, but also to check 
on each invoice’s payment status at the 
click of a button.”

For BT and Tungsten Network, positive 
buyer-supplier relationships are about 
trust. “Suppliers need to know that 
the buyer has accountability, which 
Tungsten’s digital platform provides,” 
said Sam. “In the accounts processing 
team, we are always striving to do 
whatever we can to support the 
business, and maintaining good 
relationships with suppliers as well as 
finding more efficient ways of working 
is a central part of that. What’s great 
about our partnership with Tungsten 
Network is we know they share 
our goals.”

15

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportStrategic report

Mondelez and Tungsten

Tungsten has been with 
us every step of the way.”

Mark Boswell,  
Mondelez

Processing invoices is a huge task for a 
business the size of Mondelez, which 
as the world’s largest snack producer 
has many thousands of suppliers 
across the globe.

Working with Tungsten Network, 
Mondelez overhauled its whole 
invoicing system to make it much 
more streamlined and virtually touch-
free. This meant ensuring all parts of 
the business were aligned, as well as 
educating suppliers about e-invoicing 
and its benefits.

A major part of this was to explain why 
a fully digital invoice is much better 
than a PDF image. Many consider the 
two as equally digital solutions, but it is 
much more difficult to extract accurate 
data from an image than from a digital 
document. This inevitably requires 
manual intervention and drastically 
slows the whole process down.

Targeting

Key to digitising the process was 
making sure electronic invoices were 
100% accurate by creating a standard 
against which each invoice could 
be checked. This meant introducing 
key checks and measures relating 
to format and content. “Getting rid 
of paper is a good thing,” explained 
Mark Boswell, procurement business 
process manager at Mondelez, “as is 
helping our suppliers get their invoices 
to us faster.”

Creating a list of virtual tick boxes to 
check each invoice against has had 
a dramatic effect in enabling more 
invoices to be processed without any 
time-consuming intervention. It has 
also enabled invoices to be processed 
more intelligently, so any that need 
additional information can be returned 
to the supplier sooner for updating 
– reducing the processing time and 
helping them get paid more quickly.

Over the past three years, Mondelez 
has gone from processing 80,000 
invoices digitally a year to 500,000. 
E-invoicing has enabled the Company 
to streamline its processes, 
increase efficiency and significantly 
reduce costs.

“Over time this has become a very 
powerful change,” said Mark. “We are 
seeing benefits in enhanced data, so 
we have better visibility of the whole 
process from procurement right 
through to payment. Tungsten has 
been with us every step of the way.”

painless processing

16

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016Strategic reportLondon Borough of Bexley and Tungsten

The time saved 
enables the team to 
focus on value-added 
tasks instead.”

Bel Temel,  
London Borough of Bexley 

Invoice fraud is not just confined 
to businesses, with public sector 
organisations also falling victim. 
Bel Temel, Payments Manager at 
Tungsten Network customer the 
London Borough of Bexley, has 
witnessed multiple attempts of 
invoice fraud:

“Our Borough has received fake 
invoices from anonymous professional 
fraudsters on more than one occasion. 
In most cases, the criminals have taken 
information from the internet to ensure 
the bogus invoice looks identical to 
the template of one of our suppliers. 
Generally the only way the naked eye 
can spot any difference is by cross 
referencing the bank details with those 
we have listed for our supplier.

 “This means that the fake invoice 
can make it through every stage of 
the payment process before being 
picked up by us in the finance team. 
Unfortunately other local authorities  

Prevent invoice fraud

have lost money by not spotting 
this and paying the balance of a 
fake invoice into the fraudster’s 
bank account.”

For businesses that have adopted 
e-invoicing with their regular and 
trusted suppliers, paper invoices are 
immediately flagged as unusual and 
can be investigated.

 “One way in which we’ve further 
protected ourselves against this threat 
is by introducing electronic invoicing 
from Tungsten Network,” said Bel. 
“The accounts payable team at Bexley 
process thousands of invoices every 
month and the volume of paper 
prior to e-invoicing was a real issue. 
Now that our suppliers submit invoices 
through the platform, we know 
that every invoice received is 100% 
legitimate. The technology ensures 
the secure transacting of invoices and 
this has significantly helped us combat 
invoice fraud.”

Since Bexley’s adoption of the 
technology, many other local 
authorities have followed suit, many 
using Bexley’s success as a template. 
“It’s a swifter, safer approach”, said 
Bel, adding: “The time saved enables 
the team to focus on value-added 
tasks instead.”

to protect business

17

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportStrategic report

Chief Financial Officer’s review

Group Overview
After redefining our strategic objectives 
and putting in place the plans to 
achieve them, Tungsten made 
demonstrable progress in FY16 towards 
achieving its near-term target of 
monthly EBITDA breakeven.

A restructuring of Tungsten’s finance 
and planning teams has provided 
the data and analysis that the 
business needs to put it on a path 
toward achieving profitable growth. 
This contributed to the standardisation 
of buyer pricing, serving to underpin 
average price increases of 64% across 
the 34 buyer customers that renewed 
contracts in FY16.

It has also helped to implement the 
cost disciplines required to reduce 
adjusted operating expenses (operating 
expenses excluding depreciation 
and amortisation, impairment and 
share-based payment expense) from 
£47.8 million in FY15 to £44.6 million 
in FY16.

A sale of Tungsten Bank was agreed 
in December 2015. On completion 
the disposal will help to reduce our 
operating expenditure by approximately 
£2.0 million per annum, being a 
£3.0 million gross reduction of 
Tungsten Bank’s operating expenses 
offset by approximately £1.0 million 
of additional costs to provide our 
financing products through Tungsten 
Network Finance. 

Group revenue was £26.1 million 
(FY15: £22.5 million1), representing an 
increase of 16%.

Revenue from buyers grew 17.3% 
to £10.1 million (FY15: £8.6 million1), 
reflecting price and volume increases 
of £2.0 million offset by a fall in setup 
and other one-off fees of £0.5 million. 
Revenue from suppliers grew 15% 
to £15.8 million (FY15: £13.8 million), 
reflecting a net increase of 22,000 
Integrated and Web Form supplier 
customers and a change in the 
structure of supplier pricing.

Revenue from Tungsten Network 
Finance, including Tungsten Bank, was 
£0.2 million (FY15: £0.1 million1).

Group EBITDA loss was £18.7 million 
(FY15: £25.2 million1), reflecting a 
decrease in adjusted operating 
expenses by £3.2 million to 
£44.6 million (FY15: £47.8 million). 
There has been significant focus 
across the business on cost control, 
resulting in a reduction in one-off costs 
and in particular professional fees 
associated with the setup of Tungsten 
Network Early Payment, which 
totalled £6.6 million in FY15, cost and 
procurement savings of £1.9 million, 
and decreased bad debt expense of 
£0.7 million. These were offset by an 
increase in staff costs of £2.8 million, 
reflecting the annualisation of new 
employee hires over FY15 and the 
appointment of additional senior 
executives to the business, increased 
systems costs of £2.0 million being 
primarily the expense of repurposing 
operations, and marketing costs of 
£0.6 million.

Group EBITDA loss included 
£4.4 million of one-off costs 
which are not expected to recur 
(FY15: £11.3 million). This included 
£0.5 million of costs related to 
operational restructuring, and 
£3.2 million of professional fees, 
primarily legal and regulatory 
fees associated with Tungsten 
Network Finance.

The Group loss before tax was 
£28.6 million (FY15: £27.9 million1).  
This includes depreciation and 
amortisation of £2.5 million 
(FY15: £2.3 million), impairment in the 
carrying value of the investment in 
Tungsten Bank of £6.8 million (FY15: 
Nil), and £0.5 million of share based 
expenses (FY15: £0.2 million). It also 
includes other income of £0.3 million 
following the settlement in cash 
of deferred consideration owed on 
the acquisition of Image Integration 
Systems, Inc. which owned the 
DocuSphere business.

David Williams
Chief Financial Officer

18

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016Strategic reportThe Group loss after tax was 
£27.9 million (FY15: £27.6 million1) 
reflecting a tax credit of £0.7 million 
(FY15: £0.3 million), principally 
relating to non-cash movements 
on the unwinding of deferred tax 
recognised on acquired intangible 
assets. The Group has an unrecognised 
deferred tax asset of approximately 
£11.2 million that is available for offset 
against future tax expenses in the 
Companies in which losses arise.

Segmental Performance
Tungsten Network
Revenue from Tungsten Network was 
£25.9 million (FY15: £22.4 million1), 
a growth of 16%. Tungsten Network 
revenue can be split as follows:

Buyers
•  Revenue from 175 buyer customers 
of £10.1 million (FY15: £8.6 million1), 
including £7.4 million from 
e-invoicing buyers (FY15: £7.2 million) 
and £2.7 million from buyers that 
take solely the Tungsten Network 
Workflow product (FY15: £1.4 million);

•  Buyer setup and other one-off 

fees decreased by £1.1 million to 
£0.8 million (FY15: £1.9 million) 
reflecting the significant setup 
fees from buyers such as GE and 
Siemens that were recognised in the 
prior period;

•  The impact on FY16 revenue of 

contractual price increases agreed 
with current buyers in the current 
period was £0.4 million; and,

•  Revenue from Tungsten Network 

Analytics in the period was £33,000 
(FY15: nil).

Suppliers
•  Revenue of £15.8 million 

(FY15: £13.1 million), split 80% 
Integrated Suppliers and 20% Web 
Form (FY15 split: 86%:14%).

Other revenue was negligible in FY16 
(FY15: £0.7 million).

Tungsten Network adjusted operating 
expenses were £31.7 million 
(FY15: £28.3 million).

Tungsten Network EBITDA loss 
for the period was £5.8 million 
(FY15: £5.7 million). 

Tungsten Network Finance
Tungsten Network Finance includes the 
origination and operations of Tungsten’s 
financing activities, excluding Tungsten 
Bank. Revenue from Tungsten Network 
Finance was £14,000 in FY16 (FY15: nil).

The revenue presented for Tungsten 
Network Finance is shown net of 
the share of Tungsten Network 
Early Payment fees due under the 
arrangement with Insight Investment. 
Total Tungsten Network Early 
Payment fees in FY16 were £611,000 
(FY15: £153,000). These were split 
as follows:

Tungsten Network Finance: £14,000 
(FY15: nil)

Insight Investment: £417,000 
(FY15: £33,000)

Tungsten Bank: £180,000 
(FY15: £120,000)

Tungsten Network Finance adjusted 
operating expenses were £3.8 million 
(FY15: £10.6 million). The decrease 
primarily reflects the reduction of 
one-off setup costs.

Tungsten Bank 
Tungsten Bank revenue in FY16 totalled 
£180,000 (FY15: £120,000).

Tungsten Bank’s adjusted operating 
expenses were £2.8 million 
(FY15: £2.3 million). The increase 
primarily reflects increased 
compliance costs.

Corporate
The Corporate EBITDA loss was 
£6.6 million (FY15: £6.8 million). 
Tungsten continues to look for 
opportunities to reduce its  
corporate costs.

Cash flow
The cash outflow from operating 
activities was £21.6 million 
(FY15: £31.2 million1), compared 
to EBITDA of £18.7 million 
(FY15: £25.2 million1). 

Trade and other receivables grew 
£0.9 million from 30 April 2015. 
The increase was primarily a result 
of operational issues with the 
introduction of a new credit control 
system. Process improvements 
made over H2-FY16 did not have the 
expected impact on debtor balances 
and subsequent to the year-end 
personnel changes were made to the 
credit control team which the Board 
expects to have an impact by the end 
of H1-FY17.

Trade and other payables decreased 
by £0.7 million from 30 April 2015, 
primarily reflecting a decrease in 
accruals for goods and services 
provided but not invoiced at the 
year-end.

Tungsten Network Early Payment 
invoice receivables held by the Group 
increased from £6.4 million at 30 April 
2015 to £7.3 million resulting in a cash 
outflow of £0.9 million.

There was a cash inflow from the 
equity fundraising in May 2015 of 
£16.7 million, net of fees.

1  Restatement of prior year revenue reduces it by £0.6m, as discussed at notes 2 and 3 to the accounts.

19

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportChief Financial Officer’s review continued

Post Balance Sheet Event – UK 
Referendum on European Union 
Members
On 23 June 2016 the UK electorate 
voted to leave the European Union. 
This decision commences a process 
that is expected to take a minimum of 
two years to complete. The outcome 
of the process is unknown as regards 
the structure of the UK’s trade 
relationships without European 
Union membership. There will be a 
resulting period of uncertainty for 
the UK economy, with increased 
volatility expected in financial 
markets. This event does not impact 
the fair value of assets and liabilities 
reported at the balance sheet date 
of 30 April 2016.

David Williams
Chief Financial Officer

Liquidity and Going Concern
Cash and cash equivalents were 
£27.0 million at the end of FY16 
(FY15: £32.6 million), an outflow of 
£5.6 million. Excluding the cash held 
by Tungsten Bank of £17.8 million 
(FY15: £19.5 million), Tungsten had cash 
available to the Group of £9.3 million 
(FY15: £13.1 million).

The Group expects to complete the 
sale of Tungsten Bank by the end of 
H1-FY17. On completion, the Group will 
receive the cash on hand and invoice 
receivables (respectively £17.8 million 
and £7.3 million as at 30 April 2016) and 
a goodwill payment of approximately 
£4.0 million. 

Subsequent to the end of the 
financial year, in July 2016 the Group 
agreed a revolving capital facility of 
£10 million with its principal bank, 
HSBC. The facility would be utilised to 
contribute to the Company’s working 
capital in the event that the sale 
of Tungsten Bank is not completed 
as expected.

Loss Per Share
The basic and diluted loss per share 
was 22.52p (FY15: 26.92p loss per 
share1). On an adjusted basis excluding 
share-based payments, other income, 
impairments and acquisition-related 
amortisation, basic and diluted loss per 
share was 16.85p compared to 16.73p 
in FY15.

1  Restatement of prior year revenue reduces it by £0.6m, as discussed at notes 2 and 3 to the accounts.

20

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016Strategic reportStrategic report

Principal risks and uncertainties

Risks can have an impact on both the successful running of Tungsten’s operations 
and the wider achievement of business strategy. A key element in delivering 
Tungsten’s strategy and maintaining services to customers is the management of 
these risks. Therefore, identifying, understanding and managing the financial, 
operational, legal and reputational risks across each of the businesses and operations 
is critical to Tungsten’s success.

OUR RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESSES

Tungsten’s risk management processes include having employees dedicated to:

Identifying and 
evaluating risks

Improving 
operational 
performance

Monitoring the 
risks and the 
effectiveness of 
the mitigants

Tungsten’s customers and other 
stakeholders expect the highest 
standards of risk management. 
To facilitate this and evidence 
assurance, the risks from the risk 
register are discussed, debated and 
challenged, firstly by the Executive 
Committee and then by the Audit 

Committee before the principal risks 
are presented to the Board. 

The disclosure of the key risks and 
uncertainties in the table below 
reflects the approach of the Company 
to also look for the opportunities 
presented when addressing significant 

risks. This is not an exhaustive list of 
all the risks faced by the Company. 
Tungsten considers these risks in 
accordance with the governance 
procedures set out on page 32.

HIGH

STABLE

LOW

•  Retention of key personnel

•  Compliance with local tax, legal and 

•  Anti-fraud, bribery and corruption 

•  Data protection and cyber security

•  Change to business execution 

•  IT system enhancements

regulatory regimes

•  Political, with impact of EU 
referendum in the UK to 
be monitored

•  Concentration on major customers

•  Failure of critical suppliers

•  Availability of sufficient liquidity to 

meet growth expectations

•  Commercial failure of products

•  Complexity of operational processes 

21

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportPrincipal risks and uncertainties continued

Strategic

Direction of change
There have been changes to the execution of the business strategy and the senior management of the Company. 
As a consequence of these changes, the overall level of strategic risk facing Tungsten remains high. 

Risk

Impact

Mitigation

The business model 
fails to meet its 
strategic objectives.

Failure to meet our 
growth plans. 

The strategy is regularly reviewed and challenged by the 
Executive Committee and Board. 

Failure to achieve targets 
for revenue, profit 
and earnings.

Damage to reputation. 

The strategy forms the basis of the annual business 
planning process.

Performance targets are aligned to strategy. 

Strategy is regularly and effectively communicated to 
all staff.

In many global jurisdictions 
there is currently no 
regulation of supply chain 
finance. There is a risk that 
regulation is introduced and 
Tungsten fails to comply 
with the new requirements.

Failure to meet our 
growth plans.

Product prohibited 
as failed to achieve 
required standards.

Damage to reputation.

Large financial penalties.

Tungsten works with some 
of the world’s biggest 
companies. There is a risk 
that Tungsten may fail to 
win and/or retain contracts 
on satisfactory terms and 
conditions with the existing 
as well as new targeted 
customers and markets.

Failure to meet our 
growth plans.

Failure to achieve targets 
for revenue, profit 
and earnings.

Failure to invest in 
enhancements to the 
infrastructure and operating 
systems leading to loss 
of advantage over our 
competitors and failure to 
meet the expectation of 
the customers.

Failure to meet our 
growth plans. 

Failure to achieve targets 
for revenue, profit 
and earnings.

Products and services 
become unavailable.

Damage to reputation.

Monitoring of legislative proposals in place. 

As part of the risk infrastructure, external advisors are 
retained and consulted to understand and address any 
newly introduced global regulation. 

Development and ongoing maintenance of policies 
and procedures to comply with the relevant legal and 
regulatory regimes.

Maintain training programmes to ensure that the policies 
and requirements are fully understood.

Active management in place to spread revenues across 
all customers. No one customer accounts for significant 
revenue or concentration of revenue. 

Structured contracts approval process with clearly defined 
selection criteria to ensure contracts are taken on or 
renewed only where Tungsten can provide a good service 
and manage any risks involved. 

Continual review and development of the Client 
Relationship Management structure and function to 
improve services to the existing customer base. 

A process is in place to continuously listen and respond to 
customers to enhance their experience of using Tungsten’s 
products and services.

The governance frameworks are key to ensuring successful 
delivery of all aspects of the planned enhancements 
and changes.

Detailed approval and planning process prior to 
project commencement.

The Executive Committee and Board review and 
challenge the status/progress of key change programmes 
and projects. 

Experts in infrastructure projects and change programmes 
have been hired to drive successful implementation. 

Post-implementation reviews are undertaken once a 
project is completed so that learning can be captured.

22

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016Strategic reportStrategic continued

Risk

Failure to innovate and 
respond to opportunities 
in the market.

Impact

Failure to meet our 
growth plans. 

Failure to achieve targets 
for revenue, profit 
and earnings.

Mitigation

Tungsten Network Finance focussing on leveraging the 
Tungsten Network and its data to deliver distinctive 
financing products.

Corporate Development function set up to analyse 
opportunities for diversification into products and markets.

Ongoing analysis of existing and target markets 
to ascertain opportunities available for growth 
and development. 

Further increase the value provided to customers by 
offering adjacent products and services as well as 
new opportunities.

Risk appetite is reviewed by the Board.

Technological & Operational

Direction of change
There are ongoing projects to upgrade the underlying systems and infrastructure as well as improve the operational 
processes. These projects are sensitive to changes to execution of strategy and external factors such as cyber risk. 
These changes are significant and core to the success of the business. Therefore, the overall level of technological and 
operational risk facing Tungsten remains high. 

Tungsten has a highly 
developed and complex 
operational and IT 
infrastructure. A major 
incident as a result of an 
internal or external event 
could impact the ability of 
the Company to provide 
products and services to 
its customers. 

The Tungsten Group 
has a highly developed 
and complex IT 
infrastructure. There is a 
risk of information security 
breach including cyber 
attacks leading to loss 
of confidentiality, integrity 
or availability of data.

Products and services 
become unavailable.

Documented up-to-date business continuity plans which 
are regularly tested. Use of multiple hosting centres. 

Customer claims for losses. 

Loss of customers.

Damage to reputation.

Failure to meet our 
growth plans.

IT recovery plans include website resilience and 
penetration tests.

Ongoing, real-time technology defence mechanisms 
in place. 

Continuous monitoring of IT systems availability. 

Governance frameworks in place to ensure appropriate 
management of the risks and mitigants. 

Training and employee awareness programmes in place. 

Products and services 
become unavailable.

Customer claims for losses. 

Mitigating against cyber attacks is taken seriously by the 
Company to ensure customer confidence in the security 
and availability of our products and services. 

Loss of customers.

Damage to reputation.

Failure to meet our 
growth plans. 

Well-defined IT security procedures in place. 

Documented up-to-date disaster recovery and business 
continuity plans, which are regularly tested. Use of multiple 
hosting centres. 

Comprehensive review of procedures and controls as 
part of the annual International Standards for Assurance 
Engagements (ISAE) 3402 Assurance Reports on Controls 
at a Service Organisation.

Comprehensive review of procedures and controls as 
part of the annual independent ISO 27001 certification, 
the international standard describing best practice for 
an Information Security Management System. 

Training and employee awareness programmes in place. 

23

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportPrincipal risks and uncertainties continued

Technological & Operational continued

Risk

Impact

Mitigation

Tungsten has continued 
to rapidly change and 
develop over the past 
12 months. As a result, 
there is a risk of significant 
failure or inefficiencies in 
its operations, systems 
and infrastructure.

Tungsten Network 
processed over 16 million 
invoices in FY16 and 
holds a significant 
volume of customer data. 
There is a risk of a data 
protection breach.

Tungsten uses market-
leading external IT suppliers 
to support its businesses 
including software 
upgrades. There is a risk of 
failure/closure of a supplier 
which could impact the 
ability of the Company 
to provide products and 
services to its customers.

Financial

Products and services 
become unavailable.

Customer claims for losses. 

Processes in place to improve operational performance.

Increasing use of end-to-end digital processes to ensure 
that people and processes deliver effectively.

Loss of customers.

Damage to reputation.

Failure to meet our 
growth plans. 

Detailed reviews undertaken of operational activities 
across all functions to improve workflows and operational 
efficiencies to provide an efficient and effective service 
and better increase capacity. 

Once complete, a programme will be put in place to 
undertake ongoing reviews of the operations and IT 
infrastructure and conduct regular testing of the systems. 

Continuing to enhance our technological and operational 
capabilities through investment in high quality staff and 
IT functionality. 

Oversight of satisfactory completion of improvements and 
enhancements by Executive Committee. 

Uninsured loss claims 
from customers. 

Processes in place to ensure adherence to data protection 
and security awareness policies. 

Loss of customers.

Training and employee awareness programmes in place. 

Damage to reputation.

Financial penalties.

No issues raised under the independent review of 
procedures and controls as part of the annual ISAE 
3402 Reports. 

Products and services 
become unavailable.

Prior to appointment, key suppliers are the subject of a due 
diligence check and assessed for financial viability. 

Customer claims for losses. 

Loss of customers.

Damage to reputation.

Failure to meet our 
growth plans.

The relationship with and financial position of key suppliers 
are reviewed on a regular basis. 

Key suppliers required to have ISO 27001 certification.

Only leading suppliers are engaged. 

Direction of change
Although there have been changes to the execution of strategy and core business, the overall level of financial risk facing 
Tungsten has not materially changed and remains stable.

Tungsten Network Finance 
is still a relatively new 
offering to the lending 
market. We could have 
insufficient financial 
resources to meet demand.

Liquidity constraints. 

Failure to meet our 
growth plans.

Ability to invest or develop.

Since inception we have already signed up with one 
major funding provider partner to augment and diversify 
our capital base. There are other interested funding 
providers which will be progressed if required to meet 
liquidity requirements.

24

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016Strategic reportFinancial continued

Risk
Tungsten may be subject to 
non-payment by its customers.

Impact
Failure to meet our growth plans.

Ability to invest or develop.

Litigation costs. 

Mitigation
Ongoing project to review whole credit 
management processes. 

New credit monitoring process in place to 
address aged debtors. 

Credit analytics reporting in place.

All lending for the financing product is 
against invoices that have been approved for 
payment by buyers on Tungsten Network.

Robust credit analytics procedures to assess 
the credit of both buyers and suppliers for 
the financing product. 

Risk appetite reviewed and challenged in the 
Credit Committee for the financing products. 

Inability to finance the Tungsten 
Group businesses as a result 
of losing access to essential 
financing facilities.

Failure to continue in business or 
meet liabilities. 

Failure to meet our growth plans.

The Directors regularly stress test the 
business model to ensure the Group has 
adequate working capital.

Exposure to currencies that 
devalue, resulting in a material 
impact on profit or cash balances.

Failure to meet our growth plans.

Failure to achieve targets for 
revenue, profits or earnings.

Robust procedures to monitor the effective 
management of cash and debt including cash 
reports and cash forecasting.

Divestment of non-core business will result in 
a release of cash and reduction in liabilities. 

Tungsten reports in and holds the majority 
of its cash balances in British Sterling. 

Revenues and costs for its other major 
currencies of US Dollar and the Euro are 
materially equal.

Currency exposure is forward managed 
and hedging products considered 
where appropriate.

People

Direction of change
The level of people risk remains high as a result of change in leadership across the businesses. There has been a high 
turnover of staff at all levels as a result of changes to the execution of the business strategy. 

Inability to retain, develop and 
motivate the highly skilled 
and knowledgeable senior 
management team brought in to 
drive the business and its strategic 
imperatives forward. 

Failure to deliver the strategy and 
business targets for growth.

Over-reliance on key senior 
personnel to drive the business.

Loss of knowledge/skills within 
the strategic business drivers.

Succession planning for all members 
of executive management is part of the 
Board agenda. 

Competitive remuneration packages with 
oversight by the Remuneration Committee, 
including equity based long-term incentives.

Strategies for retention/development of 
talent to deliver strategic priorities.

25

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportPrincipal risks and uncertainties continued

People continued

Inability to attract, retain, 
develop and motivate 
the best people with the 
appropriate capabilities to 
create a high quality, diverse 
and flexible workforce.

Regulatory/Political

Failure to maintain 
satisfactory performance 
and delivery of the 
customer contracts.

Training and development, customer relationship, 
leadership, social responsibility and communications 
programmes in place to actively engage and 
retain employees.

Loss of knowledge/skills 
within the business.

Competitive remuneration packages with oversight by the 
Remuneration Committee.

Over reliance on 
key personnel.

Focus on creation of a culture and values to attract and 
motivate our people.

Recruitment strategy and succession planning in place 
including active encouragement of promotion from within.

Direction of change
Although the markets and their legal and political environments are constantly evolving, the overall level of regulatory/
political risk facing Tungsten has not materially changed and remains stable.

Risk

Impact

Mitigation

Tungsten has customers 
in 175 countries around 
the world. The business 
model and consequent 
services are impacted 
by legal, political or 
regulatory changes which 
restrict access to markets 
and customers.

Financial loss as a result 
of fraud.

Financial loss as a result 
of restricted access to 
the markets.

Damage to reputation.

Regulatory censure.

Comprehensive documented policies relating to business 
conduct, financial crime, bribery and corruption and 
whistleblowing in place. 

Robust ‘Know Your Customer’ and anti-money laundering 
checks being rolled out for all customers. However, 
anti-money laundering and financial crime identification 
processes in place to mitigate the risk of fraud, corruption 
and other unethical behaviour cannot guarantee this will 
not take place.

Oversight and monitoring including reporting of any 
deviations and exceptions to the Executive Committee. 

Active dialogue with regulators, advisory bodies and 
industry bodies. 

Strategy to ensure that business model remains flexible 
and responsive to change and is regularly reviewed. 

Horizon scanning by the Executive Committee for 
upcoming potential changes including product / 
diversification strategy to reduce impact. 

Richard Hurwitz
Chief Executive

25 July 2016

As Tungsten services over 200,000 customers across the globe, we use third party assurances such as 
the ISAE 3402 and ISO 27001 standards to help our customers understand our risks, the processes we 
use to manage those risks and the business and technology controls that operate to mitigate those risks.

“Tungsten Network understands the need to demonstrate mature governance, processes and controls, and 
therefore invests heavily in these industry-standard certifications to help customers understand this too.”

Lucy Ashdown 
Head of Compliance, Tungsten Network

26

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016Strategic reportTungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016

Governance

Corporate

Governance

Tungsten adheres to the highest 
standards of corporate governance. 

27

Financial statementsStrategic reportGovernanceStrategic report

Governance

Financial statements

Board of Directors

NICK PARKER

PETER KIERNAN

DANNY TRUELL

RICHARD HURWITZ

Non-Executive Chairman,  
Tungsten Corporation plc 

Senior Independent 
Director 

Non-Executive Director 

Chief Executive Officer 

Nick had more than 30 years 
of corporate finance advisory 
experience as a partner at 
PwC, where he led the Project 
Finance & Privatisation group, 
focusing on public sector 
strategy, before taking non-
executive roles in developing 
companies. He currently serves 
as a Non-Executive Director 
and Chair of The Wastepack 
Group Limited and also of 
Cuvva Limited, Farmstar Polska 
(UK) Limited and the Chimney 
Group AB. He is also a Non-
Executive Director of Tungsten 
Bank plc.

Nick was part-time Head 
of Performance & Innovation 
at the Scottish Executive 
from 2004–2007, which 
delivered aspects of public 
service reform and efficiency. 
He was Chairman and 
co-founder of Continental 
Farmers PLC, 2002–2013. 
He is a co-founder of Pension 
Insurance Corporation and 
was a Director from 2006-
2015. He was a trustee of The 
College of Optometrists from 
2002–2009; Project Scotland 
from 2005–2007, trustee and 
treasurer of the European 
Academy of Optometry and 
Optics from 2009–2012, and 
read history at St Catherine’s 
College, Cambridge. 

Peter has over 30 years’ 
experience in professional 
services and investment 
banking.

He is currently a Non-Executive 
Director of London First and 
of Listrac Holdings Limited 
and is a Senior Advisor to 
Bell Pottinger. Peter is a 
Senior Advisor to Canaccord 
Genuity Limited and was 
previously Chairman of 
European Investment Banking, 
a Senior Adviser to the UK 
Board Practice at Heidrick & 
Struggles, a Managing Director 
at Lazard, where he was Head 
of UK Investment Banking, 
and a Managing Director at 
Goldman Sachs.

Peter started his investment 
banking career at S.G. Warburg 
& Co. Limited where he was 
a Director and he became 
a Managing Director of UBS 
Warburg. Peter qualified as a 
Chartered Accountant (FCA) 
with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & 
Co. and read Natural Sciences 
(Chemistry) at Downing 
College, Cambridge.

Danny Truell was a co-founder 
of Tungsten Corporation. He 
serves in a diverse range of 
roles in the investment and 
charitable community. He is 
the Chief Investment Officer 
and a member of the Board 
of the Wellcome Trust, a 
leading medical research 
charitable foundation based 
in London. He and his team 
are responsible for assets 
exceeding £30 billion, which 
are invested in a broad range 
of investments. 

Danny is also a co-founder of 
Pension Insurance Corporation, 
an insurer with assets of over 
£18 billion, where he chairs the 
Asset/Liability Committee.

Danny has served as Chair of 
the World Economic Forum’s 
Long-Term Investment Council 
and a co-Chair of the G20/B20 
Investment Group. He is Chair 
of the charity Debate Mate. He 
is a member of the Investment 
Committees of the Wellington 
College Endowment and is 
a graduate of Balliol College, 
Oxford University.

Richard Hurwitz’s proven 
track record of building and 
successfully exiting high growth 
companies spans 30 years and 
includes extensive experience 
in talent development, general 
management and capital 
raising with financial services 
and technology companies 
in the US and abroad. As 
Chief Executive of Pictometry 
International from 2010–2013, 
Richard led the strategic 
transformation of this category-
defining company in the 
changing geospatial industry. 

Earlier, Richard was a Partner 
at Aegis Investment Partners, 
a private investment firm 
which focuses on buying and 
turning distressed assets, a 
Managing Partner with Bancorp 
Services, where he led the 
firms subsidiary broker dealer 
and Chief Executive of Bridge 
Information Systems’ European 
operations where he also ran 
all non-US institutional equity 
and derivatives trading.

Richard has demonstrated his 
commitment to boardroom 
excellence by completing 
the National Association 
of Corporate Director’s 
comprehensive programme 
of study for corporate 
directors to become a Board 
Leadership Fellow. 

28

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016Governance 
 
 
 
 
 
DAVID BENELLO

IAN WHEELER

DAVID WILLIAMS

Independent  
Non-Executive Director 

Independent  
Non-Executive Director 

Chief Financial Officer 

David is a Non-Executive 
Director of Telecom Italia 
and Telekom Malaysia. He 
is also a partner of Oxford 
Investment Consultants LLP, 
which advises the Oxford 
Technology and Innovations 
EIS Fund. In addition, David 
serves as Chairman of King’s 
College London Mathematics 
School and as a Trustee of 
the American Air Museum in 
Britain. A Director Emeritus of 
McKinsey & Company, he led 
the firm’s UK Industrial and 
High Tech/Telecom sectors 
and the European Strategy 
Practice. During his 30 years 
with McKinsey he served 
European, North American and 
Asian clients in telecom, high 
tech, insurance, and various 
industrial sectors.

Ian has over 25 years’ industry 
experience including 12 years 
at Amadeus, the leading 
transaction processor and 
network for the global travel 
industry, where he was most 
recently Group Vice President 
of Marketing and Distribution. 
He is currently Non-Executive 
Board Director of a number of 
travel technology firms and an 
Industry Advisor to Vitruvian 
Partners, the independent 
private equity firm that 
specialises in middle-market 
buyouts, growth buyouts and 
growth capital investment.

David has 18 years’ financial 
experience working in 
professional practice and 
consultancy with public 
and private companies. 

After training as a Chartered 
Accountant with Arthur 
Andersen, David spent five 
years in the Corporate Finance 
division of Ernst & Young, 
followed by five years at FTI 
Consulting, advising both the 
public and private sector. He 
subsequently left to assume a 
variety of senior management 
roles. David has strong 
financial control and reporting 
disciplines and is a Fellow of 
the ICAEW.

29

Financial statementsStrategic reportGovernance 
 
 
 
Leadership team

RICHARD HURWITZ

Chief Executive Officer

As CEO of Tungsten Corporation, Rick leads the high-performance team directing Tungsten’s growth. Rick 
is also a member of Tungsten’s Board of Directors.

Rick has 30 years of experience transforming operations and developing growth strategies for financial 
services and technology companies. Prior to Tungsten, he was CEO of Pictometry International, where he led 
a strategic transformation that positioned the firm for success in the changing geospatial industry. Previously, 
he was a partner at Aegis Investment Partners, a private investment firm, a Managing Partner with Bancorp 
Services and the CEO of Bridge Information Systems’ European operations.

PATRICK CLARK

General Counsel

Patrick leads the legal and compliance function and also serves as Company Secretary for 
Tungsten Corporation.

Prior to joining Tungsten, Patrick was a Partner and Head of the UK Telecoms Practice at the law firm Taylor 
Wessing, specialising in providing commercial and regulatory advice to clients in the technology, media and 
telecoms sector. He earlier worked at Alcatel-Lucent as Lead Corporate Counsel for North Europe and for 
the ALU Vodafone and BT Global Account Teams with responsibility for the provision of legal services to 
these organisations.

DAVID WILLIAMS

Chief Financial Officer

David joined Tungsten Corporation in 2013 and is now CFO. David is also a member of Tungsten’s Board 
of Directors.

Prior to joining Tungsten, David served as a finance executive with multiple firms. He also spent five years 
at FTI Consulting, advising organisations in both the public and private sector on corporate finance and 
restructuring. Previously, he was with the Corporate Finance division of Ernst & Young. David received his 
training as a Chartered Accountant while at Arthur Andersen and is a Fellow of the ICAEW.

ALEC HOLMES

Senior Vice President, Service Delivery

Alec joined the firm in 2001 and leads Tungsten’s Service Delivery Team which includes Service Delivery 
Management, Campaign Management, Supplier Onboarding, Implementation and Support. 

Alec oversees teams in London, Atlanta, Kuala Lumpur and Sofia.

CONNIE O’BRIEN

Chief Marketing Officer

As CMO, Connie leads a Digital Command Centre and is responsible for the Tungsten brand and ensuring the 
firm is at the forefront of the digital transformation of the purchase-to-pay process, with a focus on how we 
delight our customers through automated, scalable, dynamic and personalised experiences.

Connie joined Tungsten from Affinion Group, an international membership and loyalty company where she 
was Chief Digital Officer. She has over 20 years’ experience driving digital marketing strategies for businesses, 
and has delivered campaigns for brands including GlaxoSmithKline, P&G, Kraft Foods, AXA, John Hancock, 
AT&T, Vonage and Verizon.

30

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016GovernanceGUY MILLER

Head of Corporate Development

Guy is responsible for building new products and services adjacent to our existing e-invoicing and invoice 
financing businesses. He is also responsible for other corporate development initiatives, and for M&A.

Guy has significant experience in strategy, corporate development and M&A. Most of his career has been 
spent in investment banking, including two years with a leading independent corporate finance advisory firm 
preceded by eight years at Royal Bank of Scotland in financial institutions, capital markets and M&A. Guy had 
previously spent nine years at Citigroup and Schroders, a predecessor business, in a range of investment 
banking roles working with financial institutions and fintech firms. Immediately prior to joining Tungsten 
he was an advisor to a major private equity fund.

BRIAN PROFFITT

Chief Technology Officer

As CTO, Brian is responsible for delivering a fast, efficient, digital, end-to-end experience for our customers.

Before joining Tungsten in 2015, Brian held Board-level technology roles in a variety of industries. Most 
recently, he was CTO in the UK Cabinet Office where he was responsible for creating the digital strategy for 
transforming procurement across the UK Government. He previously held CIO/CTO roles at BT, Corus, Marsh, 
Prudential and Cargill. In between, he spent four years at PA Consulting, a strategy firm, working in the CIO 
role at Corus and at BA, where he was Head of Technology Innovation.

PRABHAT VIRA

President, Tungsten Network Finance

Prabhat joined Tungsten in 2016 with responsibility for offering our clients game-changing and innovative 
supply chain financing alternatives that leverage our data and our technology.

Prabhat brings to Tungsten deep trade finance expertise and broad global business experience. He joined 
from HSBC, where he was Global Head of Strategic Transformation (Trade & Receivables Finance), and, 
earlier, Regional Head of Trade & Receivables Finance. Previously, he held leadership roles in structured 
finance, commodities finance and corporate banking for Royal Bank of Scotland and ABN AMRO.

KEVIN WILBUR

President, AP Automation

Kevin has more than 20 years’ experience of inspiring teams within fast paced, high growth, global 
technology and financial services companies. He has strong insight into the power of electronic invoicing 
and procurement analytics to transform supply chains.

Kevin is leading the expansion of digital invoicing, workflow and analytics capabilities across Tungsten’s global 
customer base, helping more finance and procurement departments to become automated and increasing 
connections on the network.

31

Financial statementsStrategic reportGovernanceCorporate governance report

Chairman’s introduction to governance 
Dear Shareholder,
The Board
A number of changes have been made to the composition 
of the Board during the year. Nick Parker was appointed in 
May 2015 as Non-Executive Director and was appointed 
Chairman at the AGM in September 2015. As previously 
reported, Richard Hurwitz was appointed as Chief Executive 
on 13 July 2015 reporting to the Board. David Benello and 
Ian Wheeler both joined the Board as Non-Executive 
Directors on 24 September 2015. Arnold Hoevenaars 
stepped down as Chairman and Non-Executive Director at 
the AGM in September. Lincoln Jopp also stepped down as 
an Executive Director at the AGM. Edmund Truell resigned 
from his position as Vice Chairman and as a Director of the 
Company in March 2016. 

These Board changes during 2015 and the beginning of 
2016 have refreshed the composition of the Board and 
provided a majority independent board with the skills and 
experience to deliver on the strategic goals set for FY17 
and beyond. The Board now consists of a Non-Executive 
Chairman, two Executive Directors and four Non-Executive 
Directors. We continue to improve and refine our governance 
processes as the Group evolves.

Principles of corporate governance
As a Board we recognise the importance of high standards 
of corporate governance. The Company is listed on AIM and 
is therefore not required to comply with the UK Corporate 
Governance Code 2014 (‘the Code’). The Company considers 
the Code as a basis for guiding its governance structures 
but also recognises that some aspects of the Code are not 
relevant for AIM companies such as Tungsten. We therefore 
also measure our governance policies and structure against 
the Quoted Companies Alliance corporate governance code 
for small and mid-sized companies 2013 (the QCA Code) as 
we consider that the QCA Code is more applicable for small 
and mid-sized companies. We believe we have achieved 
the 12 principles of corporate governance recommended by 
the QCA Code. The policies and procedures put in place at 
the time of admission to AIM in October 2013 gave us a firm 
foundation for our governance structures and we continue 
to build on these each year. We aim to work towards 
compliance with the Code in the medium term. 

The role of the Board
The Board has in place a Schedule of Matters Reserved 
for the Board, which sets out the Board’s responsibilities. 
The key tasks of the Board are:

•  Responsibility for the overall leadership of the Group and 

setting the Group’s values and standards

•  Approval of the Group’s strategic aims and objectives

•  Approvals of the annual operating and capital expenditure 

budgets and any material changes to them

•  Oversight of the Group’s operations ensuring competent 
and prudent management, sound planning, maintenance 
of sound management and internal control systems, 
adequate accounting and other records and compliance 
with statutory and regulatory obligations

•  Review of performance in light of the Group’s strategic 
aims, objectives and business plans and budgets and 
ensuring that any necessary corrective action is taken

•  Extension of the Group’s activities into new areas

•  Decisions to cease to operate any material part of the 

Group’s business

•  Changes to the Group’s capital structure

•  Approval of the financial statements, Annual Report and 

Accounts, material contracts and major projects

•  Approval of the dividend policy and dividend payments

•  Approval of the Group’s internal control and risk 

management systems and structures

•  Approval of major capital projects, contracts 

and investments

•  Approval of communications with shareholders and 

the market

•  Approval of Board membership and other senior 

appointments and any changes

Nick Parker
Non-Executive Chairman

25 July 2016

32

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016GovernanceThe Group’s governance structures are shown below.

Tungsten Corporation Board

Audit Committee  
chair: Peter Kiernan

Nomination and 
Remuneration Committee 
chair: Nick Parker

Ad hoc 
Committee/s

Executive Committee

Business units and 
operational staff

Composition and independence of the Board
The composition of the Board has been structured to 
ensure that no one individual can dominate the decision-
making processes of the Board. The Board consists of seven 
Directors: the Non-Executive Chairman, two Executive 
Directors, and four Non-Executive Directors. Three of the 
Non-Executive Directors are considered to be independent 
and one is considered to be non-independent. David Benello 
and Ian Wheeler are considered independent, assessed by 
reference to Provision B.1.1 of the Code and also the QCA 
Code. As a consequence of holding LTIP Securities Peter 
Kiernan is not considered independent under the Code 
or the QCA Code. However, the Board considers Peter 
Kiernan to be independent in character and judgement 
not withstanding these LTIPs and he has accordingly been 
appointed as Senior Independent Director. Danny Truell 
is not considered independent under the Code or the 
QCA Code due to his holding of LTIP Securities and due 
to his historical interests in a major shareholder of the 
Company (i.e. Disruptive Capital Investments Limited which 
is controlled by former CEO and Vice Chairman, Edmund 
Truell). Notwithstanding such interests, Mr. Truell has also 
demonstrated himself to be independent in character and 
judgement from such major shareholder.

Details of each of the Directors’ experience and background 
is given in their biographies on pages 28 and 29. The skill-set 
and experience of Board members is geared towards the 
current position of the Company and covers areas including 
finance, capital raising, financial services, banking, pension 
industry and general management. The addition of two new 
independent Non-Executive Directors in September 2015 
also brought substantial experience in technology, financial 
services, marketing and network platforms.

Appointments to the Board and re-election
The Board has delegated the tasks of reviewing Board 
composition, searching for appropriate candidates and 
making recommendations to the Board on candidates to be 
appointed as Directors to the Nomination and Remuneration 
Committee. Further details on the role of the Remuneration 
and Nomination Committee may be found on page 39.

With regard to re-election of Directors, the Company is 
governed by its Articles of Association (‘Articles’). Under the 
Articles, the Board has the power to appoint a Director 
during the year but any person so appointed must stand for 
election at the next Annual General Meeting. At each Annual 
General Meeting, one-third (or the number nearest to one-
third) of the Directors must retire from office and, if willing, 
may offer themselves for re-election. The appointments 

33

Financial statementsStrategic reportGovernanceCorporate governance report continued

of Richard Hurwitz, Nick Parker, David Williams, David 
Benello and Ian Wheeler were all confirmed at the 2015 
AGM. In addition, Danny Truell stood for re-election at 
the 2015 AGM and was duly re-elected at such meeting. 
Arnold Hoevenaars retired at the 2015 AGM and did not seek 
re-election. The following directors will retire and stand 
for re-election at the next AGM: Nick Parker, Peter Kiernan 
and David Benello. The Board considers that each Director 
offering himself for election or re-election continues to 
make a valuable contribution to the deliberations and 
continues to demonstrate commitment.

Division of responsibilities
Chairman and Chief Executive
The division of responsibilities between the Chairman 
and Chief Executive have been agreed and approved 
by the Board.

A summary of the main responsibilities of each role 
is given below:

Role of the Chairman
•  Upholding the highest levels of integrity, probity and 
corporate governance throughout the Company, 
particularly at Board level

•  Chairing the Board meetings, setting the Board agenda 
and ensuring the Directors receive accurate, timely, and 
clear information to enable the Board to make sound 
decisions, monitor effectively and promote the success 
of the Company

•  Facilitating the effective contribution of and active 

engagement of all the Directors and ensuring constructive 
relationships between the Non-Executive Directors and 
the Executive Directors

•  Considering succession planning and ensuring the 

composition of the Board meets the needs of the business

•  Ensuring the appropriate balance is maintained between 

the interests of shareholders and other stakeholders

•  Ensuring the developmental needs of the Directors 

are identified and that these needs are met to enable 
Directors to update their skills and knowledge of the 
Group in order to carry out their duties as Directors

•  Ensuring the performance of the Board, Audit Committee 
and individual Directors are evaluated once a year and 
acting on the results of the evaluation

•  Ensure effective communication with shareholders and 
other stakeholders and ensure the Board is aware of the 
views of the shareholders

•  Chairing the AGM and other general meetings of 

the Company

Role of the Chief Executive
•  Running of the business of the Group within the 

authorities delegated to him by the Board

•  Ensuring implementation across the Group of the policies 

and strategy agreed by the Board

•  Leading the development of the Group’s future strategy, 
including identifying and assessing opportunities for the 
growth of its business, and putting in place the long-term 
capital to support such development

•  Reviewing the performance of the businesses, managing 

and holding to account the Executive and senior 
management teams

•  Ensuring the Chairman is kept appraised in a timely 

manner of the issues facing the Group and of any events 
and developments

•  Ensuring the market and regulators are kept appraised in 
a timely manner of any material events and developments

•  Ensuring that all major transactions are conducted with 

the commercial interests of the Group at the forefront of 
negotiations, commensurate with the need to always treat 
customers fairly

Senior Independent Director
Peter Kiernan has been confirmed as Senior 
Independent Director. 

Non-Executive Directors
Each of the Non-Executive Directors has entered into a 
letter of appointment with the Company. The appointment 
of each of the Non-Executive Directors is stated to be 
for a fixed term, expiring after 12 months of the date of 
renewal or appointment (in the case of Peter Kiernan, David 
Benello and Ian Wheeler) or after 36 months of the date of 
Admission to AIM (in the case of Danny Truell). The Non-
Executive Directors’ letters of appointment set out the 
duties of the Director and commitment expected. They are 
expected to commit around 24 days per annum to their 
role. Key elements of the Non-Executive Director’s role are 
to constructively challenge and help provide the Board with 
effective leadership in relation to the Company’s strategy, 
performance, risk and people management, and ensuring 
high standards of financial probity and corporate governance.

Development, information and support
The Directors are encouraged to attend training and 
continuing professional development courses as required. 
Updates are given to the Board on developments in 
governance and regulations as appropriate. An induction 
programme is provided for any Directors joining during the 
year. Patrick Clark is the Company Secretary and supports 
the Chairman in ensuring that the Board receives the 
information and support it needs to carry out its roles.

Directors’ induction
The Directors appointed during the year received an 
induction covering topics such as the operation of the Board, 
Directors’ responsibilities, insider dealing, AIM Rules and 
governance documents. Each Director also receives an 
induction pack including all of the key company documents.

Conflicts of interest
Under the Articles, the Directors may authorise any actual 
or potential conflict of interest a Director may have and may 
impose any conditions on the Director that are felt to be 
appropriate. Directors are not able to vote in respect of any 
contract, arrangement or transaction in which they have a 
material interest and they are not counted in the quorum.

A process has been developed to identify any of the 
Directors’ potential or actual conflicts of interest. 
This includes declaring any new conflicts before the start 
of each Board meeting.

34

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016GovernancePerformance evaluation
A formal performance evaluation has not been carried out 
during the year due to the changes to Board membership 
over the year. There needs to be a reasonable period of time 
over which the Board operates together before any 
meaningful assessment can be made. An evaluation 
exercise will therefore be considered by the Board and 
its committees during 2017. The Chairman considers the 
operation of the Board and performance of the Directors 
on an ongoing basis as part of his duties and will bring any 
areas of improvement he considers are needed to the 
attention of the Board.

How the Board operates
The Board meets at regular intervals and met seven times 
during the period under review. Directors also have ongoing 
contact on a variety of issues between formal meetings. 
This year the Board moved to a new pattern of regular 
quarterly Board meetings, with a standing agenda focusing 
on key business and governance issues. Recent Board 
meetings have included presentations from the various 
parts of the Tungsten business, giving the Board greater 
visibility and understanding over the Company’s business 
and the steps being taken to deliver on its strategy. 

An agenda and accompanying detailed papers are circulated 
to the Board well in advance of each Board meeting. 
These include reports from the Executive Directors and other 
members of senior management, and all Directors have direct 
access to senior management should they require additional 
information on any of the items to be discussed. A calendar 
of matters to be discussed at each meeting is prepared to 
ensure that all key issues are captured.

All Directors are expected to attend all meetings of the 
Board and any committees of which they are members, 
and to devote sufficient time to the Company’s affairs to 
fulfil their duties as Directors. Where Directors are unable 
to attend a meeting, they are encouraged to submit any 
comments on paper to be considered at the meeting to the 
Chairman in advance to ensure that their views are recorded 
and taken into account during the meeting.

Directors are encouraged to question and voice any 
concerns they may have on any topic put to the Board 
for debate. The Board is supported in its work by 
Board Committees, which are responsible for a variety 
of tasks delegated by the Board. There is also an 
Executive Committee composed of the CEO and CFO 
and representatives from senior management whose 
responsibilities are to implement the decisions of the 
Board and review the key business objectives and status 
of projects.

Attendance at Board and Committee meetings by the 
Directors is shown below. In addition, there were 12 ad hoc 
Board meetings to approve share awards and transactional 
issues called at short notice.

Arnold Hoevenaars1

Nick Parker
Edmund Truell2

Richard Hurwitz
David Benello3
Lincoln Jopp4

Peter Kiernan

Danny Truell
Ian Wheeler5

David Williams

Board 
meetings

Audit 
Committee

Nomination and 
Remuneration 
Committee

4/4

7/7

5/6

7/7

3/3

3/4

7/7

5/7

3/3

7/7

2/2

2/2

–

–

2/2

–

4/4

–

–

–

1/1

3/3

–

–

–

–

3/3

–

2/2

–

1  Resigned from the Board on 24 September 2015.

2  Resigned from the Board on 20 March 2016.

3  Appointed to the Board on 24 September 2015.

4  Resigned from the Board on 24 September 2015.

5  Appointed to the Board on 24 September 2015.

What were the main activities of the Board during 
the year? 
There are a number of standing and routine items included 
for review on each Board agenda. These include the CEO’s 
report and operations reports, financial reports, 
consideration of reports from the Board Committees and 
investor relations updates. In addition key areas put to the 
Board for consideration and review included:

•  Strategy presentations

•  Presentations from various parts of the business

•  Consideration of financing structures

•  Approval of annual report and financial statements

•  Review of Budget

•  Going concern and cash flow

•  Briefing and review of conflicts of interest

•  Approval of appointment of new Directors

•  Review of AGM business

•  Anti-Bribery and corruption policy

The Board Committees
There are now two Board Committees. These are composed 
of the Chairman and two Non-Executive Directors. 
Each Board Committee has approved Terms of Reference 
setting out their responsibilities. The Terms of Reference 
were approved and updated by the Board during the year, 
where necessary, and are available on the Company’s 
website www.tungsten-network.com. Details of the 
operation of the Board Committees are set out in their 
respective reports below. All of the Board Committees 
are authorised to obtain, at the Company’s expense, 
professional advice on any matter within their Terms of 
Reference and to have access to sufficient resources in 
order to carry out their duties.

35

Financial statementsStrategic reportGovernanceCorporate governance report continued

Accountability
The Company has in place a system of internal 
financial controls commensurate with its current size 
and activities, which is designed to ensure that the 
possibility of misstatement or loss is kept to a minimum. 
These procedures include the preparation of management 
accounts, forecast variance analysis and other ad-hoc 
reports. There are clearly defined authority limits throughout 
the Group, including those matters that are reserved 
specifically for the Board. A Financial Procedures Manual 
sets out minimum reporting standards.

Risks throughout the Group are considered and reviewed on 
a regular basis. Risks are identified and mitigating actions 
put into place as appropriate. Principal risks identified 
are set out in the Strategic report on pages 21 to 26. 
Internal control and risk management procedures can only 
provide reasonable and not absolute assurance against 
material misstatement. The internal control procedures 
were in place throughout the financial year and to the date 
of approval of this report and have been reviewed by the 
Board in accordance with the Financial Reporting Council’s 
guidance on internal control.

Improvements have been made to strengthen the internal 
control process with the appointment of an internal auditor 
who has put in place a more robust structure to identify 
risks and cascade ownership and management of risks 
to an operational level.

Financial and business reporting
The Board seeks to present a fair, balanced and 
understandable assessment of the Group’s position and 
prospects in all half-year, final and any other ad-hoc reports 
and other information as may be required from time to 
time. The Board receives a number of reports, including 
those from the Audit Committee, to enable it to monitor 
and clearly understand the Group’s financial position. 
A Disclosure Policy is in place to ensure that price-sensitive 
information is identified effectively and all communications 
with the market are released in accordance with expected 
time scales. The Board considers that this Annual Report 
and Accounts, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and 
understandable and provides the information necessary 
for shareholders to assess the Company’s performance, 
business model and strategy.

Anti-fraud, bribery and corruption
The anti-bribery policy was reviewed and updated during 
the year and an extensive programme put in place for 
training throughout the Group. The Group’s anti-corruption 
procedures state that the Company and its subsidiaries 
intend to conduct business in an honest and ethical manner. 
A zero-tolerance approach is taken to bribery and corruption 
and the Company is committed to acting professionally, 
fairly and with integrity in all its business dealings and 
relationships wherever it operates and to implementing 
and enforcing effective systems to counter bribery 
and corruption.

Whistleblowing
The Company has a whistleblowing procedure under which 
staff may report any suspicion of fraud, financial irregularity 
or other malpractice to any Executive Director.

Shareholders
The Board is committed to maintaining regular and clear 
communication with its shareholders. The Board receives 
regular reports on investor relations matters. The Directors 
are keen to build a mutual understanding of objectives with 
its institutional shareholders and a regular dialogue with 
institutional investors has been maintained throughout the 
year. The Directors also encourage communications with 
private shareholders and encourage their participation in 
the Company’s Annual General Meeting. The Chief Executive 
has met the majority of significant shareholders during the 
year. As part of this process, the Company hosted a Capital 
Markets Day presentation for its investors on 9 February 
2016 at which further details about the Company’s strategy 
was presented. The Company uses its corporate website 
(www.tungsten-network.com) to communicate with 
institutional shareholders and private investors. It contains 
the latest announcements, press releases, published 
financial information, current projects and other information 
about the Company.

The Annual Report and Accounts is a key communication 
document and is also available on the Company’s website. 
This year’s Annual General Meeting of the Company will be 
held on 16 September 2016. The Notice of Annual General 
Meeting will be available on the Company’s website at 
www.tungsten-network.com. The Notice of Annual General 
Meeting will be sent out at least 20 working days before the 
meeting. Separate resolutions are provided on each issue so 
that they can be given proper consideration. 

36

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016GovernanceAudit Committee report

Members of the Audit Committee
The Committee consists entirely of Non-Executive Directors. 
The Chairman, Peter Kiernan, has extensive financial 
experience and is a Chartered Accountant.

•  Peter Kiernan (Chairman)

•  David Benello

•  Nick Parker

The Audit Committee meets as often as it deems necessary 
but in any case at least three times a year, with meetings 
scheduled at appropriate intervals in the reporting and 
audit cycle.

Only members of the Committee have the right to attend 
meetings, however standing invitations are extended to the 
Chief Financial Officer who attends meetings as a matter of 
practice. Other non-members may be invited to attend all or 
part of any meeting as and when appropriate. The external 
auditors attend a number of meetings and also have the 
opportunity to meet in private with the Committee on each 
occasion. In addition, the Chairman of the Audit Committee 
has regular contact with the external and internal auditors 
throughout the year.

Duties
The main duties of the Audit Committee are set out in its 
Terms of Reference and include the following:

•  To oversee the relationship with the external auditor 
including approval of their remuneration, approval of 
their terms of engagement, annual assessment of 
their independence and objectivity taking into account 
relevant professional and regulatory requirements and 
the relationship with the auditor as a whole, including the 
provision of any non-audit services

•  To meet regularly with the external auditor and at least 
once a year, without any Executive Director or other 
member of management present to discuss any issues 
arising from the audit

•  To review and approve the Audit Plan and review the 

findings of the audit

What were the main activities of the Audit 
Committee during the year?
The principal areas of focus for the Committee included 
the following items:

•  Review of the audit plan, process and scope

•  Review of internal controls and risk and risk 

matrix process

•  Review of significant issues from the audit report

•  Going concern and impairment review

•  Approval of management representation letter

•  Review of the independence of the Auditor, review 

•  To monitor the integrity of the financial statements of the 

of Auditor fees and engagement letter

Company, including its annual and half-year reports

•  To review and challenge where necessary any changes 
to, and consistency of, accounting policies, whether the 
Company has followed appropriate accounting standards 
and made appropriate estimates and judgements, 
taking into account the views of the external auditor, the 
going concern assumption and all material information 
presented with the financial statements

•  To keep under review the effectiveness of the Company’s 
internal control systems (including financial, operational 
and compliance controls and risk management) and 
to review and approve the statements to be included 
in the Annual Report concerning internal controls and 
risk management

•  To review the adequacy of the Company’s compliance, 

whistleblowing and procedures for detecting fraud

•  To review and approve the charter of the internal audit 

function, review and assess the annual internal audit work, 
review reports from the internal auditor and meet with 
the internal auditor at least annually without management 
present and also monitor and review the effectiveness of 
the Company’s internal audit function in the context of the 
Company’s overall risk management system

•  To consider and make recommendations to the Board, to 
be put to shareholders for approval at the Annual General 
Meeting, in relation to the appointment, reappointment 
and removal of the Company’s external auditor

•  Consideration of the internal audit plan

•  Review of the Anti-Bribery Policy and Anti-

Bribery programme

•  Review of the Sanctions and embargoes policy 

and reporting

•  Review of the Group’s Insurance programme

•  Review of the Audit Committee Terms of Reference

Role of the external auditor
The Audit Committee monitors the relationship with the 
external auditor, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, to ensure 
that auditor independence and objectivity are maintained. 
As part of its review the committee monitors the provision 
of non-audit services. The engagement of the external 
audit firm to provide non-audit services to the Group can 
impact on the independence assessment, and the Group 
has a policy for the approval of any such non-audit services. 
The policy specifies services which cannot be carried out 
by the external auditor and sets the framework within 
which non-audit services may be provided. All requests 
to utilise the external auditors for non-audit services 
must be reviewed by the Finance Director and above a 
certain limit must be approved by the Audit Committee. 
The breakdown of fees between audit and non-audit 
services is provided in Note 7. The Committee also has 
a formal policy on its responsibilities in relation to the 
external auditors. This policy includes recommendations 
on appointment, tendering, scope and remuneration as 
well as the assessment of external auditor independence. 
The PricewaterhouseCoopers audit partner was rotated 
last year.

37

Financial statementsStrategic reportGovernanceAudit Committee report continued

The Committee assesses the independence of the external 
auditor and the effectiveness of the external audit process 
before making recommendations to the Board in respect of 
their appointment or reappointment. 

In assessing independence and objectivity, the Committee 
considers the level and nature of services provided by 
the external auditor as well as the confirmation from the 
external auditor that it has remained independent within 
the meaning of the APB Ethical Standards of Auditors. 
The Committee’s assessment of the external auditor’s 
independence took into account the non-audit services 
provided during the year. The Committee concluded that the 
nature and extent of the non-audit fees did not compromise 
the independence of the auditor.

Having reviewed the auditor’s independence and 
performance the Audit Committee is recommending 
that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP be reappointed as the 
Company’s auditors at the next Annual General Meeting.

Internal audit
Following a review by the Audit Committee of the need to 
establish an internal audit function in light of the expected 
development of the business the Group has employed an 
internal auditor. 

Audit process
The external auditors prepare an Audit Plan for their review 
of the full year and half year financial statements. The Audit 
Plan sets out the scope of the audit, areas to be targeted 
and audit timetable. This plan is reviewed and agreed in 
advance by the Audit Committee. Following their review the 
auditors presented their findings to the Audit Committee for 
discussion. No major areas of concern were highlighted by 
the auditors during the year. Significant issues considered 
by the Audit Committee from the audit process were going 
concern and impairment. Liquidity risks are discussed in 
more detail in the review of principal risks and uncertainties 
on pages 21 and 26 and further information is also given in 
the Chief Financial Officer’s review on pages 18 to 20.

Peter Kiernan
Chairman of the Audit Committee

25 July 2016

38

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016GovernanceNomination and Remuneration 
Committee report

Members of the Nomination and Remuneration 
Committee
The Committee consists of Non-Executive Directors 
as follows:
•  Nick Parker (Chairman)
•  Peter Kiernan
•  Ian Wheeler
The Committee meets at least three times a year and 
at such other times during the year as is necessary to 
discharge its duties. Only members of the Committee have 
the right to attend meetings, however other individuals, such 
as the Chief Executive and external advisers, may be invited 
to attend for all or part of any meeting.

Duties
The main duties of the Nomination and Remuneration 
Committee are set out in its Terms of Reference and include 
the following:

Remuneration:
•  Setting the remuneration policy for the Executive 

Directors and the Company’s Chairman, including pension 
rights and compensation payments

•  In determining such policy, to take into account relevant 
legal and regulatory requirements, and the provisions 
and recommendations of the QCA Code, the QCA’s 
Remuneration Committee Guide and associated guidance

•  Recommending and monitoring the level and structure 

of remuneration for senior management

•  When setting the remuneration policy for Executive 

Directors, to review and have regard to pay and 
employment conditions across the Group

•  To review the ongoing appropriateness and relevance 

of the remuneration policy

•  To appoint and determine the terms of reference for any 
remuneration consultants who advise the committee
•  To approve the design of and determine the targets for 
any schemes of performance related remuneration and 
approve the total remuneration paid under such schemes

•  To review the design of all share incentive plans for 

approval by the Board

•  To determine the policy and scope of pension 

arrangements for Executive Directors and other 
designated senior executives

•  To oversee any major changes in employee benefits 

structure throughout the Group

•  To agree the policy for authorising claims for expenses 

from the Executive Directors and Chairman

•  To regularly review the structure, size and composition 

(including the skills, knowledge, experience and diversity) 
required of the Board compared to its current position 
and make recommendations to the Board with regard 
to any changes

•  To give full consideration to succession planning for 

Directors and other senior executives in the course of its 
work, taking into account the challenges and opportunities 
facing the Company, and the skills and expertise needed 
on the Board in the future

Nominations:
•  To keep under review the leadership needs of the 

organisation, both executive and non-executive, with a 
view to ensuring the continued ability of the organisation 
to compete effectively in the marketplace

•  To keep up to date and fully informed about strategic 

issues and commercial changes affecting the Company 
and the market in which it operates

•  To be responsible for identifying and nominating for the 
approval of the Board, candidates to fill Board vacancies 
as and when they arise

•  To formulate plans for succession for both Executive and 
Non-Executive Directors and in particular for the key roles 
of Chairman and Chief Executive

•  To assess the reappointment of any Non-Executive 

Director at the conclusion of their specified term of office 
having given due regard to their performance and ability 
to continue to contribute to the Board in light of the 
knowledge, skills and experience required

•  To assess the re-election by shareholders of any Director 

having due regard to their performance and ability 
to continue to contribute to the Board in light of the 
knowledge, skills and experience required and the need 
for progressive refreshing of the Board

What were the main activities of the Nomination and 
Remuneration Committee during the year?
•  Consideration of Executive Directors’ bonuses and criteria 

for the year

•  Review of Executive Directors’ salaries
•  Review of the share option plans and plan rules
•  Approval of award of shares under the Company share 

option plans schemes

•  Preparation for review of total remuneration packages 

of the Executive Directors

•  Succession planning
•  Consideration of continuing training needs for Directors 

and induction course for new directors

•  Recommendation for approval of new Directors to be 

appointed to the Board

•  Board balance
•  Process for search for the new Non-Executive Directors
•  Re-election of Directors at the AGM
•  Review of Terms of Reference
•  Review of Board composition for Group companies

Diversity
The Group has in place anti-discrimination policies 
and encourages the promotion of women into senior 
management positions. This will widen the pool of talent 
in future years from which to make senior executive 
appointments. The Board believes that appointments to 
the Board should be made relative to a number of criteria, 
including diversity of gender, background and personal 
attributes, alongside the appropriate skill set, experience and 
expertise. All appointments take these criteria into account.

Nick Parker
Chairman of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee

25 July 2016

39

Financial statementsStrategic reportGovernanceDirectors’ remuneration report

The following disclosures are made to support the Board’s goals of working towards 
best practice governance standards as an AIM company and to promote 
transparency about how our Directors are rewarded.

The Nomination and Remuneration Committee
The Board has delegated certain responsibilities for executive remuneration to the Nomination and Remuneration 
Committee. Details of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, its remit and activities are set out on page 39.

The Nomination and Remuneration Committee is, among other things, responsible for setting the remuneration policy 
for Executive Directors and the Chairman and recommending and monitoring the level and structure of remuneration 
for senior management.

Remuneration policy
In formulating remuneration policy for the Executive Directors the Nomination and Remuneration Committee considers 
a number of factors designed to:

•  have regard to the Director’s experience and the nature and complexity of their work in order to pay a competitive salary, 

in line with comparable companies, that attracts and retains Directors of the highest quality;

•  reflect the Director’s personal performance; and

•  link individual remuneration packages to the Group’s long-term performance and continued success of the Group through 

the award of annual bonuses and share-based incentive schemes.

The objective of the remuneration policy is to promote the long-term success of the Company, having regard to the views 
of shareholders and stakeholders.

Executive Directors
Current components of the Executive Directors remuneration are base salary, annual bonus and share-based 
incentive schemes.

Base salary
Base salary is reviewed annually by the Remuneration Committee. There was no increase in salary for 2015 or 2016.

Annual bonus
The Remuneration Committee has agreed performance conditions for the annual bonuses of the Executive Directors based 
on certain KPIs.

Service agreements and termination payments
Details of the Executive Directors’ service agreements are set out below.

Director

Richard Hurwitz

David Williams

Date of contract

Unexpired term

1 January 2016

Rolling contract

17 March 2015

Rolling contract

Notice period  
by Company

12 months

12 months

Notice period  
by Director

6 months

6 months

The Executive Directors may be put on gardening leave during their notice period, and the Company can elect to terminate 
their employment by making a payment in lieu of notice of up to the applicable notice period.

Employees’ pay
Employees’ pay and conditions across the Group are considered when reviewing remuneration policy for Executive 
Directors. The Remuneration Committee has focused on considering and developing a new structure for Group 
compensation that is designed to achieve staff alignment, engagement and collaboration.

Non-Executive Directors
The remuneration payable to Non-Executive Directors (other than the Chairman) is decided by the Chairman and 
Executive Directors.

40

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016GovernanceFees are designed to ensure the Company attracts and retains high calibre individuals. They are reviewed on an annual basis 
and account is taken of the level of fees paid by other companies of a similar size and complexity. Non-Executive Directors 
do not participate in any annual bonus, share options or pension arrangements. The Company repays the reasonable 
expenses that Non-Executive Directors incur in carrying out their duties as Directors.

Terms of appointment
The terms of appointment for the Non-Executive Directors are shown below.

Director

David Benello

Peter Kiernan

Nick Parker

Danny Truell

Ian Wheeler

Date of letter  

of appointment

24 September 2015

16 October 2014

13 May 2015

16 October 2013

24 September 2015 

Term

12 months

Notice

N/A

12 months

3 months by either side 

12 months

N/A

36 months  
from date of admission

3 months by either side

12 months

N/A

Annual remuneration report
The annual remuneration report sets out details of Directors’ remuneration payments during the year and information 
in respect of share awards and Directors’ shareholdings.

Directors’ remuneration table

Director

Executive Directors
Edmund Truell1
Philip Ashdown2
Jeffrey Belkin3
Richard Hurwitz4
Lincoln Jopp5
David Williams6

Non-Executive Directors
David Benello7
Arnold Hoevenaars8

Peter Kiernan
Michael Spencer9

Danny Truell
Nick Parker10
Ian Wheeler11

Notes:

Base salary
£’000

Benefits  
in kind
£’000

Pensions
£’000

Annual 
performance 
bonus
£’000

254

–

–

351

70

210

30

50

90

–

80

190

30

–

–

–

99

1

2

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

31

4

48

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

167

10

30

–

–

–

–

–

17

–

Total 
FY16
£’000

254

648

85

290

30

50

90

–

80

207

30

Total 
FY15
£’000

360

210

199

180

181

30

–

125

100

67

100

0

–

1  Resigned as a Director 20 March 2016. Services provided to the Company in FY16 through a consultancy agreement – see Note 23. 

2  Resigned as a Director 24 April 2015. 

3  Resigned as a Director 13 January 2015. Jeff Belkin also received a settlement amount of £257,500.00 paid on 21 April 2015.

4  Appointed as a Director 22 October 2014.

5  Resigned as a Director 24 September 2015.

6  Appointed as a Director 17 March 2015.

7  Appointed as a Director 24 September 2015.

8  Resigned as a Director 24 September 2015.

9  Resigned as a Director 31 December 2014.

10 Appointed as a Director 13 May 2015. Nick Parker served as a Non-Executive Director of the Company until 25 September 2015 and as Chairman 

thereafter. His fees for these roles were £103,000. Mr. Parker also served as Chairman of Tungsten Bank until 30 September 2015 and subsequently 
as a Non-Executive Director. His fees for these roles were £87,000. Mr. Parker was paid a one-off sum of £17,000 in the year to reflect his additional 
time commitments, notably in support of the sale of Tungsten Bank. With effect from 1 May 2016, Mr. Parker will be paid an annual salary of £100,000 
as Chairman of Tungsten Corporation and £60,000 as Non-Executive Director of Tungsten Bank.

11  Appointed as a Director 24 September 2015.

41

Financial statementsStrategic reportGovernanceDirectors’ remuneration report continued

Operation of LTIP
Pursuant to the LTIP, in FY2013 Directors acquired interests in the B ordinary shares (the ‘LTIP Shares’) and C ordinary shares 
(the ‘LTIP Securities’) of Tungsten Corporation Guernsey Limited, a subsidiary of the Company. The LTIP Shares were all 
exchanged into ordinary shares of the Company as part of the admission process. The LTIP Securities are exchangeable 
into ordinary shares of the Company once the price per ordinary share of the Company has reached (for any 20 trading 
days out of 30 successive trading days, the last of such days falling not less than five and not more than 10 years following 
admission) a closing price equal to the price resulting from applying an equivalent of a compound rate of return from the 
date of the admission to the adjusted issue price equal to 8.25% per annum accrued daily and compounded quarterly.

The LTIP Securities exchange into ordinary shares of the Company worth 15% of the increase in the share price (adjusted for 
any capital reorganisations or issues).

Director

David Benello

Richard Hurwitz

Peter Kiernan

Nick Parker

Danny Truell

Ian Wheeler

David Williams

Share option schemes

Held as at  
1 May 2015

Acquired/
(disposed)  

during the year

Held as at  

30 April 2015

–

–

72,915

–

526,400

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

72,915

–

526,400

–

–

Director

Awards held as at 
1 May 2015

Awards granted 
during the year

Date of grant

Option price

Awards exercised 
during the year

Balance as at 
30 April 2016

Vesting and
exercise period

Rick Hurwitz

David Williams

440,0001
8,0002

95,000 23 July 2015

100,000 23 July 2015

67.5p

67.5p

Nil

Nil

535,000

100,000

1  Granted under the Company’s US Stock Option Plan.

2  Granted under the Save As You Earn (SAYE) share option plan.

Vest in 4 
tranches over 
4 years from 
date of grant. 
Exercisable 
for 10 years 
from date of 
grant

As above

42

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016GovernanceDirectors’ interests in the share capital of the Company
Number of  
ordinary shares  

held on
1 May 2015*

Acquired/disposed  

during the year

Number of  
ordinary shares held  

on 30 April 2016

Percentage of  
issued share  
capital is issue  

on 30 April 2016

Director

Executive Directors

Richard Hurwitz
David Williams1

Non-Executive Directors
David Benello2
Nick Parker3

Peter Kiernan

Danny Truell
Ian Wheeler4

*or date of joining if later.

1   Represents shares held by his son

–

–

–

40,000

182,199

430,000

–

664,000

3,200

–

210,000

12,500

817,802

–

664,000

3,200

–

350,000

194,699

1,247,802

–

0.52%

0.003%

0.3%

0.15%

0.99%

2  David Benello was appointed on 24 September 2015, his shareholdings are shown from the date of appointment.

3  Nick Parker was appointed on 13 May 2015, his shareholdings are shown from the date of appointment and include shares held in his SIPP.

4  Ian Wheeler was appointed on 24 September 2015, his shareholdings are shown from the date of appointment.

This report was approved by the Board of Directors and signed on its behalf by:

Nick Parker
Chairman of the Nomination and Remuneration Committees

25 July 2016

43

Financial statementsStrategic reportGovernanceGovernance

Directors’ report

The Directors of Tungsten Corporation plc present their report for the year ended 
30 April 2016. Particulars of important events effecting the Company and its 
subsidiaries and likely future developments may be found in the strategic report 
on pages 2 to 26.

Directors
Biographical details of the Directors currently serving on 
the Board and their dates of appointment are set out on 
pages 28 and 29.

The Directors who served throughout the year are 
as follows:

Executive Directors

Non-Executive Directors

Richard Hurwitz
Lincoln Jopp1
Edmund Truell2

David Williams

David Benello3
Arnold Hoevenaars4

Peter Kiernan
Nick Parker5

Danny Truell
Ian Wheeler6

1  Resigned from the Board 24 September 2015.

2  Resigned from the Board 20 March 2016.

3  Appointed to the Board 24 September 2015. 

4  Resigned from the Board 24 September 2015.

5  Appointed to the Board 13 May 2015.

6  Appointed to the Board 24 September 2015.

The Company’s approach to the appointment and 
replacement of Directors is governed by its Articles of 
Association (together with relevant legislation) and takes 
into consideration any recommendations of the UK Code.

Subject to any restrictions in its Articles of Association 
and the Companies Act 2006, the Directors may exercise 
any powers which are not reserved for exercise by 
the shareholders.

Results and Dividend
Results for the year ended 30 April 2016 are set out in the 
consolidated income statement on page 49.

The Board is not recommending the payment of a dividend 
for the year ended 30 April 2016.

Change of Control/Significant Agreements
Should the Company be subject to a change of 
control, the following represents the likely effect on 
significant agreements:

•  The LTIP Securities will become exchangeable into 

ordinary shares in Tungsten, with a value equal to 15% 
of the increase in the actual market capitalisation of 
Tungsten since admission, subject to:

1.  The value of Tungsten having risen by over 8.25% per 
annum since admission (the ‘Threshold Price’); and

2a.  Where the change of control results from, or triggers, an 
offer to holders of the ordinary shares of the Company, 
that offer being at an equivalent price per ordinary share 
of the Company equal to (or greater than) the Threshold 
Price; or

2b.  Where the change of control results from, or in, the 

removal of either of Danny Truell or Edmund Truell (the 
Founders) from the Board of the Company, and the 
Threshold Price having been previously reached for any 
20 trading days out of 30 successive trading days

•     Control of a UK financial services institution requires the 
approval of the PRA and, accordingly, any proposed bid 
for Tungsten Corporation plc would require the approval 
from the PRA with regard to its holding in its subsidiary 
Tungsten Bank plc. Accordingly, any potential bidder 
would have to take this consideration into account in its 
strategy for gaining control of Tungsten Corporation plc

•     Richard Hurwitz’s executive service agreement provides 
that in the event that he resigns within 6 months of a 
change of control he will entitled to receive 18 months 
salary and bonus

Other than the above the Company does not have any 
agreements with any Non-Executive Director, Executive 
Director or employee requiring compensation for loss of 
office resulting from a change of control.

Articles of Association
Any amendments to the Articles of Association of 
the Company may be made by Special Resolution of 
the shareholders.

Share capital
Details of the Company’s share capital are set out in Note 
17 to the consolidated financial statements. The Company’s 
share capital consists of one class of ordinary shares that 
do not carry rights to fixed income. As at 30 April 2016, 
there were 126,069,397 ordinary shares of £0.00438p each 
in issue. Ordinary shareholders are entitled to receive 
notice and to attend and speak at general meetings. 
Each shareholder present in person or by proxy (or by duly 
authorised corporate representatives) has, on a show of 
hands, one vote. On a poll, each shareholder present in 
person or by proxy has one vote for each share held.

Other than the general provisions of the Articles (and 
prevailing legislation) there are no specific restrictions of the 
size of a holding or on the transfer of the ordinary shares.

The Directors are not aware of any agreements between 
holders of the Company’s shares that may result in the 
restriction of the transfer of securities or on voting rights. 
No shareholder holds securities carrying any special rights 
or control over the Company’s share capital.

Authority to purchase own shares
The Company was authorised by shareholder resolution at 
the 2015 Annual General Meeting to purchase up to 10% of 
its issued share capital. A resolution will be proposed at the 
forthcoming Annual General Meeting and authority sought 
to purchase up to 10% of its issued share capital. Under this 
authority, any shares purchased must be held as treasury 
shares or, otherwise, cancelled resulting in a reduction of 
the Company’s issued share capital.

No shares were purchased by the Company during the year.

44

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016Directors’ Interests
The number of ordinary shares of the Company in which the 
Directors are beneficially interested at 1 May 2015 or date of 
appointment if later is set out in the Directors’ Remuneration 
Report on pages 40 to 43.

Director Indemnities and Insurance
In accordance with the Companies Act 2006 and the 
Company’s Articles of Association, the Company has 
purchased Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance which 
remains in place at the date of this report. The Company 
reviews its insurance policies on an annual basis in order 
to satisfy itself that its level of cover remains adequate. 
The Directors are also indemnified under the Articles of 
Association of the Company.

Vendor payment policies
The Company values its vendors and acknowledges the 
importance of paying invoices in a timely manner. We have 
a standard payment terms policy of 45 days from invoice 
date with vendors. We might agree other payment terms 
with vendors on an individual basis in accordance with the 
vendor requirements and procurement needs. The Company 
ensures that vendors are aware of those terms and our 
obligations are met accordingly.

Significant shareholders
As at 13 July 2016, the latest practicable date prior to 
publication, Tungsten is aware of the following holdings 
of significant shareholders in the Company (as defined in 
the AIM Rules). These figures are based on its most recent 
analysis of shareholders as at 13 July 2016, and other 
notifications to the Company. For clarity, shareholdings are 
shown separately from holdings in financial instruments, 
where disclosed.

Financial risk management

and in the managing Group Principal risks and uncertainties 
Section on pages 21 to 26.

Political donations
The Company has made no political donations during 
the year.

Going concern statement
The Audit Committee reviewed financial forecasts provided 
by management, including sensitivity analysis, to assess 
downside risk and its reasonable possible impact on 
committed liquidity. In addition, the Committee reviewed 
detailed reporting from the external auditor. The Committee 
concluded, taking into account reasonable possible changes 
in trading performance and possible mitigating actions, that 
the Group has sufficient committed liquidity to fund its 
committed expenditure.

Audit
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has expressed their 
willingness to continue in office as auditors and a resolution 
seeking to reappoint them will be proposed at the 
forthcoming Annual General Meeting.

Annual General Meeting
The Company’s Annual General Meeting will be held at 2pm 
on 16 September 2016 at the offices of Ashurst LLP, Broadwalk 
House, 5 Appold Street, London EC2A 2HA. Details of the 
venue and the resolutions to be proposed are set out in a 
separate Notice of Meeting which accompanies this report.

This report was approved by the Board of Directors of 
Tungsten Corporation PLC and signed on its behalf by:

The Company’s objectives and policies on financial risk 
management including information on the exposure of 
the Company to credit risks, liquidity risks and capital 
management risks are set out in Note 20 to the accounts 

Patrick Clark
General Counsel and Company Secretary

25 July 2016

Shareholdings as at 
13 July 2016

Financial instruments notified since 
1 Jan 2016

Total

Shares

%

Number2

%

Holdings

Odey Asset Management
Mr. Edmund Truell1

Indus Capital Partners

Sanlam FOUR Investments UK

 18,510,599 

 18,566,388 

 11,018,467 

 5,915,882 

Hargreaves Lansdown Asset Management

 5,682,848 

Hadron Capital

Artemis Investment Mgt

UBS Securities

Commerzbank Securities

 5,390,599 

 5,095,000 

 4,668,958 

 4,453,269 

 14.68 

 14.73 

4,683,6773
100,0004

3.72

 23,194,276 

0.08  18,666,388 

 8.74 

1,366,4465

1.08

 12,384,913 

 4.69 

 4.51 

 4.28 

 4.04 

 3.70 

 3.53 

–

–

 5,915,882 

 5,682,848 

360,7006

0.29

 5,751,299 

–

–

–

 5,095,000 

 4,668,958 

 4,453,269 

%

 18.40 

 14.81 

 9.82 

 4.69 

 4.51 

 4.56 

 4.04 

 3.70 

 3.53 

1  Edmund Truell’s holdings disclosed above represent both his direct and indirect holdings including investments via Disruptive Capital Investments Limited

2  Total voting rights, or share equivalent

3  Contract for difference (CFD) Notified on 21 Jan 2016

4  CFD notified on 13 Jan 2016

5  Swap notified on 6 April 2016

6  Notification of Major Interests on 11 July 2016

45

Financial statementsStrategic reportGovernanceStatement of Directors’ responsibilities

Each of the Directors, whose names and functions are 
listed in the Directors’ report confirm that, to the best 
of their knowledge:

•  the Group financial statements, which have been prepared 
in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU, give a true 
and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and 
loss of the group; and

•  the Strategic report includes a fair review of the 

development and performance of the business and the 
position of the Group, together with a description of the 
principal risks and uncertainties that it faces.

In accordance with Section 418, each of the persons who are 
Directors at the time when this Directors’ report is approved 
has confirmed that:

  (a)   so far as the director is aware, there is no relevant 

audit information of which the Company’s auditors are 
unaware; and

  (b)   he has taken all the steps that he ought to have taken 

as a Director in order to make himself aware of any 
relevant audit information and to establish that the 
Company’s auditors are aware of that information.

Patrick Clark
General Counsel and Company Secretary

25 July 2016

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual 
Report, the Directors’ Remuneration Report and the 
financial statements in accordance with applicable law 
and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial 
statements for each financial year. Under that law the 
Directors have prepared the Group and Parent Company 
financial statements in accordance with International 
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the 
European Union. 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 the Company and of the profit or loss 
of the Group for that period. In preparing these financial 
statements, the Directors are required to:

•  select suitable accounting policies and then apply 

them consistently;

•  make judgements and accounting estimates that are 

reasonable and prudent;

•  state whether applicable IFRSs as adopted by the 

European Union have been followed, subject to any 
material departures disclosed and explained in the 
financial statements;

•  prepare the financial statements on the going concern 
basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the 
Company will continue in business.

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate 
accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain 
the Company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable 
accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company 
and the Group and enable them to ensure that the financial 
statements and the Directors’ Remuneration Report 
comply with the Companies Act 2006 and, as regards the 
Group financial statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation. 
They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the 
Company and the group and hence for taking reasonable 
steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and 
other irregularities.

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

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

46

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and accounts 2016GovernanceIndependent auditors’ report to the members of Tungsten Corporation plc

Report on the Group financial statements
Our opinion
In our opinion, Tungsten Corporation plc’s Group financial statements (the ‘financial statements’):

•  give a true and fair view of the state of the Group’s affairs as at 30 April 2016 and of its loss and cash flows for the year 

then ended;

•  have been properly prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (‘IFRSs’) as adopted by the 

European Union; and

•  have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

What we have audited
The financial statements included within the Annual report and financial statement 2016 (the “Annual Report”), comprise:

•  the consolidated statement of financial position as at 30 April 2016;

•  the consolidated income statement and consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the year then ended;

•  the consolidated statement of cash flows for the year then ended;

•  the consolidated statement of changes in equity for the year then ended; and

•  the notes to the financial statements, which include a summary of significant accounting policies and other 

explanatory information.

Certain required disclosures have been presented elsewhere in the Annual Report, rather than in the notes to the financial 
statements. These are cross-referenced from the financial statements and are identified as audited.

The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of the financial statements is IFRSs as adopted 
by the European Union, and applicable law. 

In applying the financial reporting framework, the Directors have made a number of subjective judgements, for example 
in respect of significant accounting estimates. In making such estimates, they have made assumptions and considered 
future events.

Opinion on other matter prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, the information given in the Strategic Report and the Directors’ Report for the financial year for which the 
financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements.

Other matters on which we are required to report by exception
Adequacy of information and explanations received
Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion, we have not received all the information 
and explanations we require for our audit. We have no exceptions to report arising from this responsibility.

Directors’ remuneration
Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion, certain disclosures of directors’ 
remuneration specified by law are not made. We have no exceptions to report arising from this responsibility.

Responsibilities for the financial statements and the audit
Our responsibilities and those of the directors
As explained more fully in the Statement of directors’ responsibilities set out on page 46, the Directors are responsible for 
the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view.

Our responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and 
International Standards on Auditing (U.K. and Ireland) (‘ISAs (U.K. & Ireland)’). Those standards require us to comply with the 
Auditing Practices Board’s Ethical Standards for Auditors.

This report, including the opinions, has been prepared for and only for the parent company’s members as a body in 
accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and for no other purpose. We do not, in giving these 
opinions, accept or assume responsibility for any other purpose or to any other person to whom this report is shown or into 
whose hands it may come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.

47

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportIndependent auditors’ report to the members of Tungsten Corporation plc 
continued

What an audit of financial statements involves
We conducted our audit in accordance with ISAs (U.K. & Ireland). An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts 
and disclosures in the financial statements sufficient to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free 
from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an assessment of:

•  whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the group’s circumstances and have been consistently applied and 

adequately disclosed;

•  the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by the directors; and

•  the overall presentation of the financial statements.

We primarily focus our work in these areas by assessing the directors’ judgements against available evidence, forming our 
own judgements, and evaluating the disclosures in the financial statements.

We test and examine information, using sampling and other auditing techniques, to the extent we consider necessary 
to provide a reasonable basis for us to draw conclusions. We obtain audit evidence through testing the effectiveness of 
controls, substantive procedures or a combination of both.

In addition, we read all the financial and non-financial information in the Annual Report to identify material inconsistencies 
with the audited financial statements and to identify any information that is apparently materially incorrect based on, or 
materially inconsistent with, the knowledge acquired by us in the course of performing the audit. If we become aware of any 
apparent material misstatements or inconsistencies we consider the implications for our report.

Other matter
We have reported separately on the parent company financial statements of Tungsten Corporation plc for the year ended 
30 April 2016.

Brian Henderson (Senior Statutory Auditor)
for and on behalf of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors 
London

25 July 2016

48

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statementsConsolidated income statement

Revenue

Operating expenses

Operating loss

EBITDA

Depreciation and amortisation

Impairment

Share-based payment expense

Other income

Operating loss

Finance income

Finance costs

Net finance costs

Loss before taxation

Taxation

Loss for the year

Loss per share (expressed in pence per share):

Basic and diluted loss per share

The notes on page 54 to 73 are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Note

4

5

5

5

22

5

8

8

9

Year Ended
30 April
2016 
£’000

Year Ended
30 April
2015 (restated) 
£’000

26,083

 22,549 

(54,358)

(50,237)

(28,275)

(27,688) 

(18,748) 

(25,228) 

(2,520) 

(2,263) 

(6,810) 

(478) 

281

–

(197) 

–

(28,275)

(27,688) 

83

(371)

(288)

108

(332)

(224)

(28,563)

(27,912) 

705

302

(27,858)

(27,610) 

10

(22.52)

(26.92)

49

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportConsolidated statement of comprehensive income

Loss for the year 

Other comprehensive income:

Currency translation differences

Total comprehensive loss for the year

Items in the statement above are disclosed net of tax.

The notes on pages 54 to 73 are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Year Ended
30 April
2016
£’000

Year Ended
30 April
2015 (restated)
£’000

Note

4

(27,858)

(27,610) 

320

1,033

(27,538)

(26,577)

50

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statementsConsolidated statement of financial position
Registered number: 07934335

Assets

Non-current assets

Intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Trade and other receivables

Total non-current assets

Current assets

Trade and other receivables

Invoice receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Assets held for sale

Total current assets

Total assets

Capital and reserves attributable to the equity owners of the parent

Share capital

Share premium

Shares to be issued

Merger reserve

Share-based payment reserve

Other reserve

Accumulated losses

Total equity

Non-current liabilities

Deferred taxation

Total non-current liabilities

Current liabilities

Trade and other payables

Deferred income

Liabilities directly associated with assets held for sale

Total current liabilities

Total liabilities

Total equity and liabilities

Note

11

12

13

As at
30 April
2016 
£’000

As at
30 April
2015 (restated) 
£’000

116,770

128,126

1,924

539

2,211

624

119,233

130,961

13

 8,726 

–

7,783 

6,392

14

15

9,268

32,603

28,737

–

 46,731 

 46,778 

4

165,964 

 177,739 

16

16

19

9

17

18

15

4

553

454

188,794

171,875

3,760

3,760

28,035

28,035

5,419

5,237

(4,019)

(4,339)

(76,408) 

(48,550) 

146,134

156,472 

3,010

3,010

4,006

4,006

7,490

8,318

1,012

16,820

19,830

8,628

8,633

–

17,261

21,267

 165,964 

177,739 

The notes on pages 54 to 73 are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

The consolidated financial statements on pages 49 to 73 were authorised for issue by the Board of Directors on 25 July 2016 
and were signed on its behalf by:

Richard Hurwitz 
Chief Executive Officer 

David Williams
Chief Financial Officer

51

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportConsolidated statement of changes in equity

Year ended 30 April 2016

Balance as at 1 May 2015

454

171,875

28,035

3,760

5,237

(4,339)

(48,550)

 156,472 

Share
capital
£’000

Share
premium
£’000

Merger
reserve
£’000

Shares
to be
issued
£’000

Share-based
payment
reserve
£’000

Other
reserve
£’000

Accumulated
losses
£’000

Total equity
£’000

Currency translation differences1

Loss for the year

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

320

–

320

–

(27,858)

(27,858)

Balance as at 30 April 2016

454

171,875

28,035

3,760

5,237

(4,019)

(76,408)  128,934 

Transactions with owners

Shares issued during the year

Share-based payment expense

99

–

16,919

–

–

–

–

–

–

182

–

–

–

–

17,018

182

Balance as at 30 April 2016

553

188,794

28,035

3,760

5,419

(4,019)

(76,408)  146,134 

1  Agreed to Consolidated statement of comprehensive Income.

Year ended 30 April 2015 (restated)

Balance as at 1 May 2014

438

160,127

28,035

3,760

5,040

(5,372)

(20,940) 171,088

Share
capital
£’000

Share
premium
£’000

Merger
reserve
£’000

Shares
to be
issued
£’000

Share-based
payment
reserve
£’000

Other
reserve
£’000

Accumulated
losses
£’000

Total equity
£’000

Currency translation differences

Loss for the year

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1,033

–

1,033

–

(27,610)

(27,610) 

Balance as at 30 April 2015

438

160,127

28,035

3,760

5,040

(4,339)

(48,550) 144,511 

Transactions with owners

Shares issued during the year

Share-based payment expense

16

–

11,748

–

–

–

–

–

–

197

–

–

–

–

11,764

197

Balance as at 30 April 2015

454

171,875

28,035

3,760

5,237

(4,339)

(48,550)

 156,472 

The notes on pages 54 to 73 are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

52

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statementsConsolidated statement of cash flows

Cash flows from operating activities

Loss before taxation

Adjustments for:

Depreciation and amortisation

Impairment charge

Finance costs

Finance income

Share-based payment expense

Other Income

Cash generated from operations

Changes in working capital:

Increase in trade and other receivables

Increase in invoice receivables

Increase/(decrease) in trade and other payables

Net interest received/(paid)

Net cash outflow from operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

Purchases of intangibles

Acquisition of subsidiary, net of cash acquired

Net cash outflow from investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities

Proceeds of share issue

Net cash inflow from financing activities

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at start of year

Exchange adjustments

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

Year Ended
30 April
2016 
£’000

Year Ended
30 April
2015 (restated) 
£’000

Note

(28,563)

(27,912) 

4

4

4

4

4

4

2,520

6,810

371

(83)

478

(281)

2,263

–

332

(108)

197

–

(18,748) 

(25,228) 

(882) 

(937) 

(732) 

(307)

(1,681) 

(6,392)

1,639

108

(21,606)

(31,554) 

(255)

(912)

(825)

(271)

–

(9,573)

(1,167) 

(10,669)

16,721

16,721

11,765

11,765

(6,052) 

(30,458)

32,603

62,646

472 

415

14, 15, 20

 27,023 

32,603

Cash and cash equivalents includes cash held across the entities within Tungsten Group in addition to cash held 
by Tungsten Bank which has been reclassified as Assets Held for Sale Note 15.

The notes on pages 54 to 73 are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

53

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportNotes to the consolidated financial statements

1. General information
Tungsten Corporation plc (the Company) and its subsidiaries (together, the Group) is a global e-invoicing network that offers 
supply chain financing and spend analytics.

The Company is a public limited company, which is incorporated and domiciled in the U.K. The address of its registered 
office is Pountney Hill House, 6 Laurence Pountney Hill, London EC4R 0BL, U.K.

2. Accounting policies
(a) Basis of preparation
The consolidated financial statements of Tungsten Corporation plc have been prepared in accordance with International 
Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the European Union (IFRSs as adopted by the EU), the Companies Act 2006 
that applies to companies reporting under IFRS, and IFRS Interpretations Committee (IFRS IC). The principal accounting 
policies have been applied consistently throughout the year, other than as noted in the Prior Year Adjustment section below. 
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The consolidated financial 
statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. Further detail is included within the Report of the Directors.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires the use of certain critical accounting estimates. 
It also requires management to exercise its judgement in the process of applying the Group’s accounting policies. The areas 
involving a higher degree of judgement or complexity, or areas where assumptions and estimates are significant to the 
consolidated financial statements are disclosed in Note 3.

Prior Period Adjustment
The Group provides services to its buyer customers pursuant to contracts that are typically three years in length. Where a 
buyer is out of contract at a year end and negotiations for a new contract are ongoing the Group will accrue the revenue up 
to the year end on the same terms as the expired contract. This accrued revenue is then unwound in the subsequent year 
as a new contract is agreed and the accrued amounts are invoiced. 

Following significant change to people and control processes in the Group’s finance team £0.6 million of accrued revenue 
from FY14 has been identified as not having been unwound in FY15. In order to aid comparability of revenue and profitability 
between FY15 and FY16, revenue in the comparative year has been reduced by £0.6 million. Accordingly, the EBITDA loss, the 
retained loss for the year and equity have been reduced by £0.6 million, with a consequential impact on earnings per share.

(b) New standards, amendments and interpretations adopted:
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the EU-adopted International Financial Reporting 
Standards (IFRS) and IFRS Interpretations Committee (IFRS IC) interpretations and with those parts of the Companies Act 
2006 which are applicable to companies reporting under IFRS. They have been prepared on a going concern basis under the 
historical cost convention, as modified by the revaluation of derivative instruments at fair value through the statement of 
comprehensive income.

There were no other new IFRSs or interpretations issued by the IFRS Interpretation Committee (IFRS IC) that had to be 
implemented during the year that significantly affects these financial statements.

New standards, amendments and interpretations issued but not yet effective in 2016 and not early adopted:
As at the date of authorisation of these financial statements, the following standards and interpretations were in issue but 
not yet effective (and in some cases had not yet been adopted by the EU). The group has not applied these standards and 
interpretations in the preparation of these financial statements.

•  Amendment to IAS 16, ‘Property, plant and equipment’ and IAS 38, ‘Intangible assets’ on depreciation and amortisation; 

•  Amendment to IAS 10, ‘Consolidated financial statements’ and IAS 28, ‘Investments in associates and joint ventures’;

•  IFRS 15 ‘Revenue from contracts with customers’;

•  IFRS 9 ‘Financial instruments’;

•  Amendments to IFRS 9, ‘Financial instruments’, regarding general hedge accounting;

•  Amendments to IAS 1, ‘Presentation of financial statements’ on the disclosure initiative;

•  IFRS 16 ‘Leases’;

The impact on the group’s financial statements of the future adoption of these and other new standards and interpretation 
is still under review. The group does not expect, with the exception of IFRS 15 ‘Revenue from contracts with customers’, that 
any of these changes will have a material effect on the results or net assets of the group.

There were no other new IFRSs or IFRS IC interpretations that are not yet effective that would be expected to have a 
material impact on the group.

54

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statements2. Accounting policies continued
Interpretations and amendments to standards that are not yet effective and not relevant for the 
Group’s operations: 
The following interpretations to existing standards have been published that are mandatory for the Group’s future 
accounting periods but which are not relevant to the Group’s operations: IFRS 14, ‘Regulatory deferral accounts’.

None of the above standards and interpretations are expected to have a significant impact on the financial reporting 
of the Group.

(c) Basis of consolidation
Subsidiaries are those entities over which the Company has the power to govern the financial and operating policies 
generally accompanying an interest of more than one half of the voting rights. Subsidiaries are consolidated from the date 
on which control is transferred to the Company (acquisition date) and are de-consolidated from the date that control 
ceases. The financial statements of subsidiaries are prepared for the same reporting year as the Company, using consistent 
accounting policies.

Inter-company transactions, balances, income and expenses on transactions between Group companies are eliminated. 
Profits and losses resulting from inter-company transactions that are recognised in assets are also eliminated.

Accounting policies of subsidiaries have been changed where necessary to ensure consistency with the policies adopted 
by the Group.

(d) Revenue services rendered
Revenue is the total amount receivable by the Group for services provided less VAT and trade discounts.

Revenue is recognised as follows:

•  Transaction fees in the period in which the customer transacts unless there is evidence that transactions sold will never 

be utilised.

•  Initial fees, annual subscriptions and other e-invoicing delivery related services over the period that the service 

is delivered.

Deferred revenue is recognised to the extent that revenue has been invoiced to customers but not recognised in accordance 
with the above. Deferred revenue is discounted where the time value of money is material.

(e) Employee benefits defined contribution plans
The Group pays contributions to publicly or privately administered pension plans. The Group has no further payment 
obligations once the contributions have been paid. Contributions are recognised in the income statement as an employee 
benefit expense in the period when they are due. Prepaid contributions are recognised as an asset to the extent that a cash 
refund or a reduction in the future payments is available.

Share-based payments
The Group issues equity-settled share-based awards to certain employees. The fair value of share-based awards is 
determined based on the Black-Scholes model at the date of grant and expensed based on the Group’s estimate of 
the shares that will eventually vest, on a straight-line basis over the vesting period with a corresponding increase in 
equity. At each balance sheet date, the Group revises its estimates of the number of options that are expected to vest 
based on service and other non-market performance conditions. The amount expensed is adjusted over the vesting 
period for changes in the estimate of the number of shares that will eventually vest, save for changes resulting from any 
market-related performance conditions.

(f) Foreign currency translation
The functional currency of the Company is pounds sterling as that is the currency of the primary economic environment 
in which the Company operates. The Group’s presentation currency is pounds sterling.

Transactions and balances
Foreign currency transactions are translated into the functional currency using the exchange rates prevailing at the dates 
of the transactions. Foreign exchange gains and losses resulting from the settlement of such transactions and from the 
translation at year-end exchange rates of monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are recognised 
in the consolidated income statement.

Foreign exchange gains and losses that relate to borrowings and cash and cash equivalents are presented in the 
consolidated income statement within finance income or costs. All other foreign exchange gains and losses are presented 
in the consolidated income statement within ‘operating expenses’.

55

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

2. Accounting policies continued
Group companies
The results and financial position of all the Group entities (none of which has the currency of a hyperinflationary economy) 
that have a functional currency different from the presentation currency are translated into the presentation currency 
as follows:

•  Assets and liabilities for each balance sheet presented are translated at the closing rate at the date of that balance sheet.

•  Income and expenses for each income statement presented are translated at average exchange rates unless this average 
is not a reasonable approximation of the cumulative effect of the rates prevailing on the transaction dates, in which case 
income and expenses are translated at the rate on the dates of the transactions.

All resulting exchange differences are recognised in other comprehensive income.

The following exchange rates were applied for £1:

United States Dollar

Euro

Mexican Peso

Bulgarian Lev

Malaysian Ringgit

Swiss Franc

As at
30 April
2016

1.4611

1.2865

As at
30 April
2015

1.5333

1.3980

25.2181

23.4077

2.5167

5.6747

1.4120

2.7341

5.4172

1.4664

(g) Finance income and costs
Finance costs comprise interest payable on borrowings, interest expense on unwinding of discount on deferred income, 
direct issue costs and foreign exchange losses. Finance income comprises interest receivable on funds invested, and 
foreign exchange gains. Interest income and expenses are recognised on a time apportioned basis, using the effective 
interest method.

(h) Current and deferred income tax
Income tax for the years presented comprises current and deferred tax. Income tax is recognised in profit or loss except 
to the extent that it relates to items recognised directly in equity, in which case it is recognised in equity.

Current tax is the expected tax payable on the taxable income for the year, using tax rates enacted or substantially enacted 
at the balance sheet date, and any adjustment to tax payable in respect of previous years.

Deferred tax is provided using the balance sheet liability method, providing for temporary differences between the carrying 
amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for taxation purposes.

The following temporary differences are not provided for: the initial recognition of goodwill; the initial recognition of other 
assets or liabilities that affect neither accounting nor taxable profit; nor differences relating to investments in subsidiaries 
to the extent that they are unlikely to reverse in the foreseeable future. The amount of deferred tax provided is based on 
the expected manner of realisation or settlement of the carrying amount of assets and liabilities, using tax rates enacted 
or substantially enacted at the balance sheet date.

A deferred tax asset is recognised only to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profits will be available against 
which the asset can be utilised. Deferred tax assets are reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that the related 
tax benefit will be realised.

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are offset when there is a legally enforceable right to offset current tax assets 
against current tax liabilities and when the deferred income taxes assets and liabilities relate to income taxes levied by the 
same taxation authority on either the taxable entity or different taxable entities where there is an intention to settle the 
balances on a net basis.

Deferred income tax is provided on temporary differences arising on investments in subsidiaries and associates, except for 
deferred income tax liability where the timing of the reversal of the temporary difference is controlled by the Group and it 
is probable that the temporary difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future.

Additional income taxes that arise from the distribution of dividends are recognised at the same time as the liability to pay 
the related dividend.

56

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statements2. Accounting policies continued
(i) Business combinations
The Group applies the acquisition method to account for business combinations. The consideration transferred for 
the acquisition of a subsidiary is the fair value of the assets transferred, the liabilities incurred to the former owners 
of the acquiree and the equity interests issued by the Group. Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities and contingent 
liabilities assumed in a business combination are measured initially at their fair values at the acquisition date. The Group 
recognises any non-controlling interest in the acquiree on an acquisition-by-acquisition basis, either at fair value or at the 
non-controlling interest’s proportionate share of the recognised amounts of acquiree’s identifiable net assets.

Acquisition-related costs are expensed as incurred.

Any contingent consideration to be transferred by the Group is recognised at fair value at the acquisition date. 
Subsequent changes to the fair value of the contingent consideration that is deemed to be an asset or liability are 
recognised in the income statement. Contingent consideration that is classified as equity is not remeasured and its 
subsequent settlement is accounted for within equity.

(j) Property, plant and equipment 
Owned assets
Items of property, plant and equipment are stated at cost or deemed cost less accumulated depreciation and impairment 
losses. Cost includes the original purchase price of the asset and the costs attributable to bringing the asset to its working 
condition for its intended use. When parts of an item of property, plant and equipment have different useful lives, those 
components are accounted for as separate items of property, plant and equipment.

Subsequent costs are included in the asset’s carrying amount or recognised as a separate asset, as appropriate, only when 
it is probable that future economic benefits associated with the item will flow to the Group and the cost of the item can be 
measured reliably.

Gains and losses on disposals are determined by comparing the proceeds with the carrying amount and are recognised 
in the income statement.

Leased assets
Leases under which the Group assumes substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of an asset are classified 
as finance leases. Property, plant and equipment acquired under finance leases are recorded at fair value or, if lower, 
the present value of minimum lease payments at inception of the lease, less depreciation and any impairment.

Each lease payment is allocated between the liability and finance charges. The corresponding rental obligations, net of 
finance charges, are included in the other long-term payables. The interest element of the finance cost is charged to the 
income statement over the lease period so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance 
of the liability for each period.

Depreciation
Depreciation is charged to the consolidated income statement on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of 
each part of an item of property, plant and equipment. The property, plant and equipment acquired under finance leases 
are depreciated over the shorter of the useful life of the asset and the lease term. The estimated useful lives are as follows:

•  Leasehold improvements: depreciated over term of lease

•  Fixture and fittings: 25% on cost

•  Computer equipment: 20% to 50% on cost

The residual values and useful lives are reviewed, and adjusted if appropriate, at each balance sheet date.

(k) Intangible assets 
Goodwill
Goodwill is initially measured as the excess of the aggregate of the consideration transferred and the fair value of 
non-controlling interest over the net identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed. If this consideration is lower than 
the fair value of the net assets of the subsidiary acquired, the difference is recognised immediately in profit or loss.

Goodwill impairment reviews are undertaken annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate 
a potential impairment. The carrying value of goodwill is compared to the recoverable amount of the cash generating 
unit to which the goodwill has been allocated, which is the higher of value in use and the fair value less costs of disposal. 
Any impairment is recognised immediately as an expense and is not subsequently reversed.

57

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

2. Accounting policies continued
Non-financial assets purchased or acquired in a business combination
Customer relationships and the IT platform purchased or acquired in a business combination are recognised at fair value 
at the acquisition date. The customer relationships and IT platform have finite useful lives and are carried at cost less 
accumulated amortisation.

Amortisation on the assets is calculated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives as follows:

Customer relationships

IT platform

Estimated 
useful lives
(years)

20

7

Computer software
Costs associated with maintaining computer software programmes are recognised as an expense as incurred. 
Development costs that are directly attributable to the design and testing of identifiable and unique software products 
controlled by the Group are recognised as intangible assets when the following criteria are met:

•  It is technically feasible to complete the software product so that it will be available for use

•  Management intends to complete the software product and use or sell it

•  There is an ability to use or sell the software product

•  It can be demonstrated how the software product will generate probable future economic benefits

•  Adequate technical, financial and other resources to complete the development and to use or sell the software product 

are available

•  The expenditure attributable to the software product during its development can be reliably measured.

Other development expenditures that do not meet these criteria are recognised as an expense as incurred. 
Development costs previously recognised as an expense are not recognised as an asset in a subsequent period.

Computer software development costs recognised as assets are amortised over their estimated useful lives, which does 
not exceed seven years.

Acquired computer software licences are capitalised on the basis of the costs incurred to acquire and bring to use the 
specific software.

Computer software costs are amortised over their estimated useful lives, which does not exceed five years.

(l) Impairment of non-financial assets
Assets that have an indefinite useful life are not subject to amortisation and are tested annually for impairment. Assets that 
are subject to amortisation are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the 
carrying amount may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognised for the amount by which the asset’s carrying 
amount exceeds its recoverable amount. The recoverable amount is the higher of an asset’s fair value less costs to sell 
and value in use. For the purposes of assessing impairment, assets are grouped at the lowest levels for which there are 
separately identifiable cash flows (cash-generating units). Non-financial assets other than goodwill that suffered impairment 
are reviewed for possible reversal of the impairment at each reporting date.

(m) Prepaid consideration
Deposits paid for acquisitions are held as prepayments until such time as the acquisition is completed (i.e. meets the 
definition of an acquisition under IFRS 3, Business Combinations) or a decision is reached by the Board not to proceed 
with the acquisition, at which time the deposit is either refunded or charged to the income statement if not refundable.

(n) Trade and other receivables
Trade and other receivables are stated initially at fair value and subsequently at their amortised cost less provision for 
impairment. A provision for impairment of receivables is recognised when there is evidence that the Group will not be 
able to collect all amounts due according to the original terms of the receivables. The movement in the provision from the 
previous reporting period is recognised in the income statement. Subsequent recoveries of amounts previously written off 
are credited against ‘general and administrative expenses’ in the consolidated income statement.

(o) Trade and other payables
Trade and other payables are initially stated at fair value and subsequently measured at amortised cost.

58

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statements2. Accounting policies continued
(p) Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents includes cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term highly liquid 
investments with original maturities of three months or less and bank overdrafts.

(q) Leases
Operating lease payments are recognised as an expense in the income statement on a straight-line basis over 
the lease term.

(r) Share capital
Ordinary shares are classified as equity.

3. Critical accounting estimates and judgements
The preparation of the financial statements requires management to make judgements and estimates that affect 
the application of policies and reported amounts of assets and liabilities, income and expenses.

Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including 
expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.

The Group makes estimates and assumptions concerning the future. The resulting accounting estimates will, by definition, 
seldom equal the related actual results. The estimates and assumptions that have a significant impact on the financial 
statements are highlighted below.

Revenue recognition
The Group recognises revenue in respect of e-invoicing related services over the period the services are delivered. 
Where buyer transactions are paid for but not processed, such revenue is deferred according to contractual terms 
representing the anticipated period for transactions being processed. Management reviews the historical record of 
transactions used under each contract and relevant estimates to determine whether the deferral period for the revenue 
recognition is appropriate or any changes to the existing deferral period are required. In relation to transaction fees for which 
no revenue is received, management assesses the expected usage of any unutilised transactions to determine the amount 
of deferred revenue to be recorded.

Impairment of assets
The Group assesses the carrying value of its intangible assets at the end of each reporting period to determine whether 
there is an indication of impairment. The recoverable amount of those assets is measured at the higher of their fair 
value less costs to sell or value in use. Management applies judgement in estimating the probability, timing and value 
of underlying cash flows and in selecting appropriate discount rates and useful economic lives to be used in value 
in use calculation. Refer to Note 11, Intangible assets, for further information.

Going concern
The Group going concern assessment is based on forecasts and projections of anticipated trading performance. 
The assumptions applied are subjective and management applies judgement in estimating the probability, timing and value 
of underlying cash flows.

Deferred taxation
The determination of the Group’s deferred tax assets involves judgements for determining the extent of its recoverability at 
each balance sheet date. The Group assesses recoverability with reference to Board approved forecasts of future taxable 
profits. These forecasts require use of assumptions and estimates.

59

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

4. Segment report
Management have determined the operating segments based on the operating reports reviewed by the Board of Directors 
that are used to assess both performance and strategic decisions. Management has identified that the Board of Directors 
is the Chief Operating Decision Maker (CODM).

During the year the operations and management of Tungsten Network Finance and Tungsten Bank were separated. 
Each now have clearly separate management teams and decision making bodies. As a result, Tungsten Bank is shown as a 
separate segment in these accounts.

The Board of Directors reviews financial information for four segments: Tungsten Network (which includes the e-invoicing 
and spend analytics business of Tungsten Network), Tungsten Network Finance (which includes the supply chain finance 
business), Tungsten Bank and Corporate (which includes overheads and general corporate costs). Intersegment revenue 
from management fees and other intersegment charges are eliminated below.

Year ended 30 April 2016

Revenue

Segment revenue

EBITDA1 – excluding non-cash share-based payments

EBITDA – including non-cash share-based payments

Share-based payment

Depreciation, amortisation and impairment

Finance income

Finance cost

Other income

Loss before taxation

Income tax credit

Loss for the year

Capital expenditure

Total assets

Total liabilities

Note

22

5

8

8

Tungsten
Network
£’000

25,889

25,889

Tungsten
Network
Finance
£’000

14

14

Tungsten
Bank
£’000

180

180

Corporate
£’000

–

–

Total
£’000

26,083

26,083

(5,768) 

(3,779)

(5,770) 

(3,779)

(2)

–

(2,594)

(2,594)

–

(2,259)

(89)

(6,810)

(6,607) 

(18,748)

(7,083) 

(19,226) 

(476)

(172)

(478)

(9,330) 

25 

(151) 

281

–

(182)

–

–

(35)

–

58

(3)

–

83

(371) 

281

(7,874)

(4,050)

(9,439)

(7,200) 

(28,563)

705

(27,858)

900

 127,488

 15,853

31

292

580

170

28,737

1,021

66

 1,167 

 9,447 

 165,964 

 2,376 

 19,830

1  EBITDA is calculated as earnings before other income, interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation.

60

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statements4. Segment report continued
Year ended 30 April 2015 (restated)

Revenue

Segment revenue

Note

Tungsten
Network
£’000

 22,429 

 22,429 

Tungsten
Network
Finance
£’000

–

–

Tungsten
Bank
£’000

120

120

Corporate
£’000

–

–

Total
£’000

22,549

22,549

EBITDA1 – excluding non-cash share-based payments

(5,732) 

(10,578)

(2,115)

(6,803)

(25,228) 

Share-based payments

Depreciation and amortisation

Finance income

Finance cost

Loss before taxation

Income tax credit

Loss for the year

Capital expenditure

Total assets

Total liabilities

22

5

8

8

–

(1,747)

(449)

5

–

(370)

(7)

–

–

–

–

–

(197)

(146)

564

(337)

(197)

(2,263)

108

(332)

(7,923) 

(10,955)

(2,115)

(6,919)

(27,912) 

–

15,844

125,572

15,786

–

5

–

–

302

–

(27,610) 

518

16,367

548

35,780

15,839

177,739

2,680

925

1,876

21,267

Geographical information
The Group’s revenue from external customers and non-current assets by geographical location is detailed below.

Revenue by geographical location is allocated based on the location in which the sale originated.

United Kingdom

United States of America

Rest of Europe

Malaysia

Total

Revenue from
external customers

Year ended
30 April
2016
£’000

Year ended
30 April
2015 (restated)
£’000

 12,894 

 11,496 

 11,463 

 1,093 

 633 

9,507

1,018

528

 26,083 

 22,549 

Non-current assets are allocated based on the geographical location of those assets and exclude other financial assets, 
loans receivables and deferred tax.

United Kingdom

United States of America

Malaysia

Total

Non-current assets

Year ended
30 April
2016
£’000

Year ended
30 April
2015
£’000

 117,429 

126,403

 1,760 

4,517

 44 

41

 119,233 

130,961

61

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

5. Operating expenses

Staff costs

Professional support

Office accommodation and services

Transaction costs

IT costs

Irrecoverable VAT

Amortisation and Impairment

Depreciation

Other administrative expenses

Setup fees

Other income

Total operating expenses

6. Employee benefit expenses

Wages and salaries

Social security costs

Other pension costs

Share-based payments

Total employee benefit expenses

Number of employees

The average monthly number of people employed:

Tungsten Network

Tungsten Network Finance

Tungsten Bank

Corporate

Total average headcount

Year ended
30 April
2016
£’000

Year ended
30 April
2015
£’000

22,004

19,171

4,313 

2,812

–

6,577 

16 

8,827 

503 

7,641

1,946

(281)

3,470

4,266

506

4,502

592

1,798

465

9,255

6,212

–

54,358 

50,237

Year ended
30 April
2016
£’000

Year ended
30 April
2015
£’000

18,692 

16,483

1,750 

1,084 

478 

1,568

923

197

22,004 

19,171

Note

22

5

313

10

13

17

353

257

14

15

12

298

Refer to Note 22 for details of remuneration in respect of key management.

7. Auditors’ remuneration
During the year the Group (including overseas subsidiaries) obtained the following services from its auditor and 
their associates:

Audit of the Parent Company and the consolidated financial statements

Audit-related assurance services

Taxation compliance services

Taxation advisory services

Services relating to corporate finance transactions

All other non-audit services

Total auditors’ remuneration

62

Year ended
30 April
2016
£’000

Year ended
30 April
2015
£’000

219 

33

37

123 

16 

282 

710 

222

75

365

250

–

803

1,715

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statements8. Finance income and costs

Finance income

Interest income on short-term deposits

Total finance income

Finance costs

Unwinding of discount on deferred revenue

Foreign exchange losses

Total finance cost

Net finance cost

9. Taxation
Income tax comprises the following:

Current tax

Research & Development tax credits

Deferred tax

Origination and reversal of temporary differences

Total income tax credit for tax year

Tax charge reconciliation

Loss before tax

Loss before tax multiplied by the rate of corporation tax in the UK 20% (2015: 21%)

Items not deductible for tax purposes

Gains in Guernsey subject to 0% corporation tax

Research & Development tax credits

Origination and reversal of temporary differences

Tax losses for which no deferred income tax asset was recognised

Income tax credit

Year ended
30 April
2016
£’000

Year ended
30 April
2015
£’000

83 

83

108

108

–

(371)

(371)

(288)

(171)

(161)

(332)

(224)

Year ended
30 April
2016
£’000

Year ended
30 April
2015 (restated)
£’000

(369) 

–

(336) 

(705) 

(302)

(302)

(28,563)

(27,912)

(5,713)

(5,834)

2,291 

(322) 

(369) 

(336) 

3,744

(705) 

769

(293)

–

–

5,056 

(302)

The standard rate of Corporation Tax in the U.K. changed from 21% to 20% with effect from 1 April 2015. Further reductions 
to the tax rate have been announced which will reduce the rate to 19% by 1 April 2017. This will be further reduced to 17% 
effective 1 April 2020. These changes are expected to be enacted separately each year. As a consequence, they had not 
been substantively enacted at the balance sheet date and, therefore, are not recognised in these financial statements.

Deferred tax
Deferred tax liability movement for the year

As at 1 May 2015

On acquisition of subsidiaries

Credited to income statement

Assets held for sale

As at 30 April 2016

Note

15

Year ended
30 April
2016
£’000

4,006 

–

(336) 

(660)

 3,010 

63

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

9. Taxation continued
Year ended 2015

As at 1 May 2014

On acquisition of subsidiaries

Credited to income statement

Assets held for sale

As at 30 April 2015

Year ended
30 April
2015
£’000

2,935 

1,373 

(302) 

–

 4,006 

Deferred income tax assets are recognised for tax losses carried forward to the extent that the realisation of the related tax 
benefit through future taxable profits is considered more likely than not. The Group has unrecognised deferred tax assets of 
£11.4 million (2015: £7.7 million) in respect of losses that can be carried forward against future taxable income for the period 
between one-year and an indefinite period of time. 

Deferred tax liabilities were acquired on acquisition and will be unwound against deferred tax assets in the future.

No deferred tax related to components of Other Comprehensive Income.

10. Loss per share
Basic loss per share is calculated by dividing the loss attributable to the ordinary shareholders by the weighted average 
number of ordinary shares in issue during the year.

Basic and diluted

(27,858) 

123,715

(22.52)

(27,610)  102,582

(26.92)

EPS may be subject to future dilution as a result of the issue of shares pursuant to the LTIP Securities and SAYE scheme.

30 April 2016

30 April 2015 (restated)

Loss
£’000

Shares

EPS
p

Loss
£’000

Shares

EPS
p

11. Intangible assets
Year ended 30 April 2016

Cost

Balance at 1 May 2015

Reclassified as held for sale

Additions:

Disposals:

Exchange differences

Balance at 30 April 2016

Accumulated amortisation

Balance at 1 May 2015

Amortisation charge

Impairment charge

Impairment reclassified as held for sale

Exchange differences

Balance at 30 April 2016

Goodwill
£’000

Customer
relationships 
£’000

IT platform
£’000

Software
licences
£’000

Software
development
£’000

Total
£’000

108,338 

 11,098 

 6,712 

4,304 

331 

130,783 

(10,280)

–

–

140 

–

–

–

 5 

–

–

–

 244 

–

557 

(131) 

(15) 

–

(10,280)

355 

–

(23) 

 912 

(131) 

 351 

 98,198 

 11,103 

 6,956 

 4,715 

 663 

 121,635

–

–

6,810

(6,810)

–

– 

859 

569

 1,244 

987

–

–

3 

–

–

183 

1,431 

2,414 

223 

208

–

–

(2) 

 429 

331 

253

–

–

7 

2,657 

2,017

 6,810 

(6,810)

191 

591 

4,865 

Net asset value 30 April 2015

Net asset value 30 April 2016

108,338

10,239

98,198 

9,672 

5,468

4,542 

4,081

4,286

–

128,126

72 

116,770

64

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statements11. Intangible assets continued

Year ended 30 April 2015

Cost

Balance at 1 May 2014

On acquisition of subsidiaries

Docusphere

FIBI Bank

Additions:

Exchange differences

Balance at 30 April 2015

Accumulated amortisation

Balance at 1 May 2014

On acquisition of subsidiaries

Amortisation charge

Exchange differences

Balance at 30 April 2015

Goodwill
£’000

Customer
relationships 
£’000

IT platform
£’000

Software
licences
£’000

Software
development
£’000

Total
£’000

98,695

11,000

4,300

717

331

115,043

 2,697 

 6,810 

–

136

93

 2,371 

–

–

5

–

–

41

–

3,300

271

16

–

–

–

–

 5,161 

 10,110 

271

198

108,338

11,098

6,712

4,304

331

130,783

–

–

–

–

–

297

–

561

1

859

330

–

900

14

217

–

6

–

1,244

223

–

–

331

–

331

844

–

1,798

15

2,657

Net asset value 30 April 2014

Net asset value 30 April 2015

98,695

108,338

10,703

10,239

3,970

5,468

500

4,081

331

114,199

–

128,126

Impairment testing is carried out at cash generating unit (CGU) level on an annual basis. The following is a summary of the 
goodwill allocation for each reporting segment:

Tungsten Network

Tungsten Bank

Total goodwill

 30 April
2016
£’000

30 April
2015
£’000

101,668 

101,528 

–

6,810 

101,668 

108,338 

Tungsten Network
The Group has estimated the recoverable amount of the Tungsten Network CGU using a value-in-use model by projecting 
cash flows for the next five years together with a terminal value using a growth rate. The five-year plan used in the 
impairment models are based on Board approved budgets and management’s past experience and future expectations 
of performance. The cash flow projections are based on the following key assumptions:

•  Revenue growth from buyers and suppliers using the Tungsten Network, including Tungsten Workflow and Tungsten 

Analytics at a compound annual growth rate of 15%

•  Pre-tax discount rate of 14.4% (2015: 9.7%), being based on the Group’s weighted average cost of capital (WACC)

•  Growth rate used in the annuity of 2.0% (2015: 2.0%). This does not exceed the long-term expected economic average 

growth of the territories in which the Group operates in.

Based on the above assumptions, Tungsten Network exceeded the carrying value of the CGU by £21.3 million 
(2015: £143.7 million). Had the 2015 pre-tax discount rate of 9.7% been applied then the carrying value would have exceeded 
the CGU by £131.5 million. The recoverable amount of the Tungsten Network CGU was particularly sensitive to changes in 
the compound annual revenue growth rate. Assuming that there is a reduction in the compound annual growth rate to 13.1% 
the recoverable amount would equal the carrying value of the CGU.

Tungsten Bank
The Group has estimated the recoverable amount of the Tungsten Bank CGU using a fair value less costs to sell 
methodology. The recoverable amount of the Tungsten Bank CGU has been calculated based on management’s best 
estimate of consideration receivable for the proposed sale of Tungsten Bank less directly attributable costs of sale. 
Accordingly, the Group has recognised an impairment of £6.8 million in the value of Tungsten Bank.

65

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

12. Property, plant and equipment

Year ended 30 April 2016

Leasehold 
improvements 
£’000

Fixtures  

and fittings
£’000

Computer 
equipment
£’000

Total 
£’000

2,384

18

–

(36)

2,366

568

188

12

768

1,598

1,816

383

113

(25)

92

563

312

35

82

429

134

71

2,086

4,853

124

(9)

331

255

(34)

387

2,532

5,461

1,762

2,642

280

298

503

392

2,340

3,537

192

324

1,924

2,211

Leasehold 
improvements 
£’000

Fixtures  

and fittings
£’000

Computer 
equipment
£’000

Total 
£’000

1,867

463

54

2,384

385

180

3

568

1,816

1,482

300

70

13

383

288

12

12

312

71

12

1,625

3,792

292

169

825

236

2,086

4,853

1,385

2,058

273

104

465

119

1,762

2,642

324

240

2,211

1,734

Cost

Balance at 1 May 2015

Additions

Disposals

Exchange differences

Balance at 30 April 2016

Accumulated depreciation

Balance at 1 May 2015

Charge for the year

Exchange

At 30 April 2016

Net Book Value

At 30 April 2016

At 30 April 2015

Year ended 30 April 2015

Cost

Balance at 1 May 2014

Additions

Exchange differences

Balance at 30 April 2015

Accumulated depreciation

Balance at 1 May 2014

Charge for the year

Exchange

At 30 April 2015

Net Book Value

At 30 April 2015

At 30 April 2014

66

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statements13. Trade and other receivables

Non-current assets

Loans to employees under EMSS scheme

Trade and other receivables

Current assets

Trade receivables

Less: impairment loss provision

Prepayments

VAT

Other receivables

Trade and other receivables

14. Cash and cash equivalents

Cash at bank

Short-term deposits

Cash and cash equivalents

As at
30 April
2016
£’000

As at
30 April
2015 (restated)
£’000

538 

538 

624

624

As at
30 April
2016
£’000

As at
30 April
2015 (restated)
£’000

7,522

(1,454)

1,402

–

1,256 

 8,726 

5,285 

(743)

1,171

78

1,992

7,783 

As at
30 April
2016
£’000

As at
30 April
2015
£’000

9,268 

31,604

–

999

9,268 

32,603

Cash and cash equivalents excludes £17.8 million of cash and cash equivalents reclassified as Assets Held for Sale Note 15.

15. Assets Held for Sale
Assets Held for Sale relate to Tungsten Bank. The assets held for sale and liabilities directly associated with assets held for 
sale are:

Assets classified as held for sale

Intangible assets – balance as at 1 May 2015

Impairment

Trade and other receivables

Invoice receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Total assets of the disposal group

Liabilities directly associated with assets held for sale

Trade and other payables

Deferred taxation

Total liabilities of the disposal group

Total net assets of the disposal group

As at
30 April
2016
£’000

As at
30 April
2015
£’000

10,280

(6,810)

183

7,329 

17,755 

28,737 

352 

660 

1,012 

 27,725

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

67

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

16. Share capital and share premium

issued and fully paid

Balance as at 1 May 2014

Shares issued during the year

Balance as at 30 April 2015

Shares issued during the year

Balance as at 30 April 2016

Ordinary

shares  

Number

Nominal  
value

100,000,000 £0.004384

3,529,412 £0.004384

103,529,412

Share
capital
£’000

438

16

454

Share 
premium
£’000

160,127

11,748

171,875

22,539,985  £0.004384 

99 

16,919 

126,069,397 

553 

188,794 

On 28 May 2015, the Company issued 21,875,985 shares for total proceeds of £17.5 million. Transaction costs of £0.8 million 
associated with the raising of the share capital have been recognised against the share premium account. 

On 7 January 2016, 664,000 shares of 0.438p were awarded to Richard Hurwitz pursuant to the terms of his service 
agreement put in place following his appointment as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer in July 2015.

17. Trade and other payables

Trade payables

Social security and other taxes

Accrued expenses

Provision for lease obligations

Other payables

Total trade and other payables

18. Deferred income

As at 1 May 2015

On acquisition of subsidiaries

Invoiced during the year

Released to revenue

Impairment provision

Exchange differences

Unwinding of discount

As at 30 April 2016

As at
30 April
2016
£’000

 2,535

618 

 4,188

42 

107 

As at
30 April
2015
£’000

1,529

760

6,253

32

54

7,490 

8,628

As at
30 April
2016
£’000

 8,633 

–

As at
30 April
2015
£’000

7,797

523

 26,230 

23,120

(26,083)

(23,138)

(468) 

6

–

–

160

171

8,318

8,633

19. Share-based payments
In August 2014, the Group established an Employee Matched Share Scheme (EMSS) and a Save As You Earn (SAYE) share 
option scheme for the employees of the Company.

Employee Matched Share Scheme
The Employee Matched Share scheme is part of Tungsten’s plans to encourage share ownership among its employees, and 
incentivise and align their interests with existing shareholders. Rockhopper Investments Limited (‘RIL’), the family vehicle 
of Edmund Truell, former Director of Tungsten, has offered to make available to the Tungsten Corporation plc Employee 
Benefit Trust a call option over 251,487 (2015: 439,992) ordinary shares of the Company at an option price of 336p per share. 
The option is exercisable at any time between 8 February 2019 and 8 August 2019.

The Tungsten board formally approved these options on 7 August 2014 and the options were granted on 8 August 2014.

As part of the scheme’s terms, any participating employee is required to acquire Tungsten shares in the market at an arm’s 
length price and hold them for the same period as the life of the option. As a result, 412,436 shares have been acquired on 
behalf of participating employees.

68

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statements19. Share-based payments continued
Save As You Earn scheme
The Save As You Earn scheme was offered to eligible employees participating in the scheme who have committed 
to contribute between £5 and £500 per month over a three-year period. At the end of that contracted period, 
their accumulated funds can then be withdrawn from the scheme as cash or used to exercise the options at the 
contracted price.

The Tungsten board formally approved these options on 4 August 2014 and the Company has granted 65,920 (2015: 261,344) 
options at an exercise price of £2.25. The SAYE scheme comprises equity-settled share-based payment transactions with 
options vesting on the third anniversary of the grant date.

The fair value of the EMSS and SAYE awards were determined using a Black-Scholes option pricing model using the 
following assumptions:

Risk-free interest rate

Expected dividend yield

Expected volatility

Vesting period

Market value of underlying shares

Employee
Matched 
Share Scheme

2.15%

–

Save As
You Earn

2.15%

–

43.3%

43.3%

4.5 years

3 years

£0.61

£0.61

The risk-free interest rate was based on the U.K. Gilt rates on date of grant of each of the share schemes. No dividends 
were expected. The expected equity volatility for the EMSS and SAYE schemes and other employee share options has been 
based on the historic volatility data since the Company’s admission to AIM in October 2013.

A share-based payment expense of £0.5 million has been recognised in the consolidated income statement for the year 
ended 30 April 2016 (30 April 2015: £0.2 million). The table below sets out the movement in shares granted under the 
Company share schemes:

Number

As at 30 April 2014

Granted during the year

Lapsed during the year

As at 30 April 2015

Granted during the year

Lapsed during the year

As at 30 April 2016

Share-based 
payments

Employee 
Share Options

Total

Founder 
Securities

Employee 
Matched 
Shares

 3,760,000 

–

Save As 
You Earn 
Shares

–

–

–

–

 454,026 

 261,344 

 450,515 

(33,068) 

(4,000) 

–

3,760,000 

 420,958 

 257,344 

450,515

– 3,760,000

–  1,165,885 

–

(37,068) 

– 4,888,817 

–

–

–

–

115,000  1,064,000 1,179,000 

(169,471)

(191,424)

(25,515)

(153,375)

(539,785)

 3,760,000 

 251,487 

 65,920 

 540,000 

910,625  5,528,032 

20. Financial instruments, risk management and exposure
The Group’s activities expose it to a variety of financial risks, predominantly credit, liquidity and foreign currency risk. 
Risk management is carried out by the Board of Directors. The Group uses financial instruments to provide flexibility 
regarding its working capital requirements and to enable it to manage specific financial risks to which it is exposed.

Transactions are only undertaken if they relate to actual underlying exposures and hence cannot be viewed as speculative.

(a) Credit risk
The Group considers credit risk as the risk of financial loss, impacting earnings and capital, arising from the failure of a 
counterparty to meet their contractual obligations as and when due. Credit risk is a significant risk that the Group faces 
and as such it is central to the successful long-term development of the business.

The credit risk the Group is exposed to relates principally to the management of credit risk in respect of the portfolio 
of Tungsten Bank, arising from interaction with counterparties including:

•  Entities to which the Tungsten Bank has provided a credit facility;

•  Entities of which Tungsten Bank has purchased an invoice receivable;

•  Issuers of Money Market Instruments with which the Bank has entered into a financial contract; and

•  Issuers of off-balance sheet instruments, including derivatives.

69

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

20. Financial instruments, risk management and exposure continued
(a) Credit risk continued
These transactions give rise to the following credit risks which are defined below:

•  Counterparty risk – the risk of loss from the failure of customers or other counterparties, including individuals, corporate 
entities, banks or other institutions, to meet their obligations. This risk is incurred in the context of the existing products 
of the Tungsten bank and will include a range of counterparties;

•  Default risk – the risk of loss from a customer failing to settle outstanding amounts in accordance with contractual 
obligations agreed with the Tungsten Bank as a result of a specified credit event or bankruptcy. This generally means 
that a facility is more than 90 days in arrears and an impairment process has been initiated;

•  Asset quality risk – the risk that assets held by Tungsten Bank are of an inferior quality relative to expectations, leading 

to potential financial losses as adverse effects materialise; and

•  Concentration risk – the risk of loss due to the concentration of credit risk within a specific customer or other 

counterparty, industry sector, region and product. In the context of Tungsten Bank’s business, such concentration leads 
to a failure to realise the diversification benefits across its portfolio. In order to mitigate any concentration risk, i.e. the risk 
where all of Tungsten Bank’s assets are invested with/exposed to a specific buyer, industry or region, it is critical for 
Tungsten Bank to achieve a portfolio which is widely diversified.

Cash and cash equivalents maintain relationships with reputable financial institutions. It is policy to invest surplus funds 
with good quality banks.

The fair value of trade and other receivables and invoice receivables (financial assets) approximates their carrying value. 
As at 30 April 2016, total trade and other receivables and invoice receivables of £4.5 million (2015: £2.1 million) were past due 
but not impaired. With respect to these receivables that are neither impaired nor past due, there are no indications as at the 
reporting date that the counter-parties will not meet their payment obligations. The overdue analysis of these receivables 
is as follows:

Current and not impaired

Less than 1 month overdue

Between 2 and 3 months overdue

Over 3 months overdue

Total past due but not impaired

Individually determined to be impaired

Total trade and other receivables

Less impairment loss provision

Total trade and other receivables

As at
30 April
2016
£’000

As at
30 April
2015 (restated)
£’000

4,226 

12,034 

1,363 

882 

2,255 

4,500 

1,454 

694

707

740

2,141 

743

10,180

14,918 

(1,454)

(743)

 8,726

14,175 

The following represents the Group’s maximum exposure to credit risk related to uncollateralised balances:

Cash and cash equivalents

Trade and other receivables

Invoice receivables

Total

Non-derivative financial assets and liabilities

Note

14

13

As at
30 April
2016
£’000

As at
30 April
2015 (restated)
£’000

9,268 

32,603

 8,726

–

 7,783 

6,392

 17,994 

 46,778 

As at 30 April 2016

Cash and cash equivalents
Trade and other receivables1

Trade and other payables

Net position

1  Excludes prepayments.

70

Note

14

13

17

Carrying
amount
£’000

9,268 

 7,324

Total
contractual
cash flows
£’000

9,268

Less than
3 months
£’000

9,268

3 to 12
months
£’000

–

 7,324 

 5,481 

1,843

(7,490) 

(7,490) 

(7,490)

–

 9,102

 9,102 

 7,259 

1,843

1 to 5
years
£’000

Over
5 years
£’000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statements20. Financial instruments, risk management and exposure continued
(b) Liquidity risk

As at 30 April 2015 (restated)

Cash and cash equivalents

Trade and other receivables

Invoice receivables

Trade and other payables

Net position

Note

14

13

17

Carrying
amount
£’000

Total
contractual
cash flows
£’000

Less than
3 months
£’000

32,603

32,603

32,603

 6,612 

 6,392 

(8,628)

 6,612 

 6,392 

(8,628)

 5,603 

 6,392 

(8,557)

 36,979 

 36,979 

 36,041 

3 to 12
months
£’000

–

1,009

–

(71)

938

1 to 5
months
£’000

Over
5 years
£’000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

The Group aims to mitigate liquidity risk by carefully selecting acquisitions and creditors. This is managed via authorisation 
limits operating up to Group Board level. Cash flow forecasting is performed in the operating entities of the Group and 
aggregated by Group finance. Group finance monitors rolling forecasts of the Group’s liquidity requirements to ensure it 
has sufficient cash to meet operational needs.

Tungsten Bank’s liquidity is managed by management within guidelines laid down by the Board of Tungsten Bank and within 
the framework set by the regulatory authorities.

The fundamental business strategy for Tungsten Bank is that the invoice financing operates on a match funded basis. 
This removes liquidity risk to the extent that there are only funding liabilities to the extent there are assets to be financed, 
whether these are financed from deposits or committed secured facilities and that the maturity profile of the liabilities is 
such that the stressed repayment profile of the invoices can fund the redemption of the liabilities.

It is not expected that the build out of the deposit book will give rise to the situation that deposits exceed the amount 
of financeable assets. The liquidity risk that remains is the risk of an absence or a reduction in available sources of funds.

The Treasurer of Tungsten Bank, operating to the guidelines provided by the Board of Tungsten Bank, will ensure that the 
bank’s funding requirements can be met at all times and that a stock of high quality liquid assets is maintained in a form 
and at a level which reflects prudent banking practice and meets supervisory requirements. Liquid bonds are currently 
comprised entirely of U.K. Government instruments.

The following table summarises the maturity of the Group’s non-derivative financial assets and liabilities based 
on contractual undiscounted cash flows.

(c) Foreign currency risk
The Group operates in a number of territories in the world but principally in the US and Europe and is exposed to foreign 
exchange risk for movements between the US Dollar the Euro and Sterling. The Group’s subsidiaries conduct the majority 
of their business in their respective functional currencies; therefore there is limited transaction risk. Foreign exchange risk 
arises mainly from net investments in foreign operations. This exposure is reduced by funding the investments as far as 
possible with borrowings in the same currency. The Group applies hedge accounting principles to net investments in foreign 
operations and the related borrowings.

Capital risk management
The aim of the Group is to maintain sufficient funds to enable it to meet working capital requirements, make suitable 
investments and incremental acquisitions while minimising recourse to external funders and/or shareholders. 
Capital managed by the Group at April 2016 consists of cash and cash equivalents and equity attributable to equity holders 
of the parent. The capital structure is reviewed by management through regular internal financial reporting and forecasting.

The Group considers the following balances as a part of its capital management:

Share capital and premium
Reserves1/(Accumulated reserves)

Total

As at
30 April
2016
£’000

As at
30 April
2015 (restated)
£’000

Note

16

 189,347

172,329 

(43,213) 

(15,857) 

 146,134

 156,472 

In addition, the Group considers the availability of cash balances of the Group as part of its assessment of capital.

1  Reserves include shares to be issued, merger reserve, share-based payments reserve, other reserves and accumulated losses.

71

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportNotes to the consolidated financial statements continued

21. Commitments
Operating leases
The table below sets out the future minimum lease commitments:

Less than 1 year

Between 1 and 2 years

Between 3 and 5 years

After 5 years

Total operating leases

Capital commitments

PPE

Total capital commitments

As at
30 April
2016
£’000

1,016

979

2,503

5,374

9,872 

As at
30 April
2016
£’000

–

–

As at
30 April
2015
£’000

891

811

2,040

5,579

9,321

As at
30 April
2015
£’000

37

37

22. Related-party transactions
The Group entered into the following transactions with related parties in the ordinary course of business:

Purchase of services

For the 
year ended 
30 April 
2016 
£’000

For the year 
ended 
30 April 
2015 
£’000

1,094

427

Canaccord was broker to the Group and acted as the sole book runner on the placing that took place during the 
year. Peter Kiernan held the position of Chairman of European Investment Banking at Canaccord until June 2015 and 
subsequently became a senior advisor to the firm and, as a consequence of this role, Canaccord is considered a related 
party of the Tungsten Group. Mr. Kiernan took no part in the negotiation of the terms of Canaccord’s engagement or the 
terms of the Placing Agreement for the share placing. The Group received services from Canaccord totalling £0.7 million 
(2015: £0.3 million).

Ice Floe Limited (Ice Floe) is a Guernsey registered financial advisory company controlled by Edmund Truell. During the 
year, Ice Floe provided services to the Group totalling £0.3 million (2015: £0.1 million) for the purposes of furthering the 
management and strategic development of the Group, all of which were paid in the year. These services were provided 
pursuant to the terms of a consultancy agreement entered into between Ice Floe and the Company, under which 
the services of Mr. Truell were made available to the Company. Tungsten terminated its agreement with Ice Floe on 
10 November 2015. Based upon legal advice received, the Board does not believe that any termination payments are likely to 
be due to Ice Floe and accordingly no provision for them has been made.

Disruptive Capital Finance LLP (Disruptive) is an investment partnership controlled by Edmund Truell. During the year, 
Disruptive provided consultancy services to the Group totalling £0.2 million (2015: £nil) to perform the function of 
Chief Technology Officer.

Transactions between Group entities principally relate to intercompany financing arrangements which are eliminated 
on consolidation.

72

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statements22. Related-party transactions continued 
Key management personnel
Key management includes Directors – Executive and Non-Executive – who are responsible for controlling and directing 
the activities of the Group. The compensation paid or payable to key management for employee services is shown below:

Short-term employee benefits

Share-based payments

Total

For the 
year ended 
30 April 
2016 
£’000

For the 
year ended 
30 April 
2015 
£’000

 1,763 

 478

 2,241

1,552

197

1,749

Further details of the Directors’ remuneration can be found in the table on page 41 of the Annual Report and financial 
statements 2016.

23. Subsidiary undertakings of the Group
The full listing of subsidiary companies in the Group is shown below.

Electronic invoice delivery Shared services office

Malaysia

Subsidiary

Nature of business

Tungsten Corporation Guernsey Limited

Intermediate holding company

Tungsten Network Limited

Tungsten Network Inc (US Inc)

Tungsten Network Sdn Bhd

Tungsten Network GmbH

Electronic invoice delivery

Electronic invoice delivery

Electronic invoice delivery

Tungsten Network (Schweiz) GmbH

Shared services office

Tungsten Network S.A.P.I de CV

Electronic invoice delivery

Tungsten Network EOOD

Shared services office

Image Integration Systems, Inc

Tungsten Bank plc

Software

Banking

Tungsten Network Finance Limited

Intermediate holding company

Tungsten Purchaser U.K. Limited

Tungsten Account Trustee Limited

Invoice acquisition

Trustee services

Tungsten Investment Management Limited

Investment management

Tungsten Purchaser (US), Inc

Tungsten Purchaser (Canada) Ltd

Invoice acquisition

Invoice acquisition

24. Events after balance sheet date
Post Balance Sheet Event – EU Referendum 

Country of 
incorporation

Guernsey

U.K.

USA

Germany

Switzerland

Mexico

Bulgaria

USA

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

USA

Canada

Proportion
of ordinary 
shares held by 
the Group %

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

On 23 June 2016, the U.K. electorate voted to leave the European Union. This decision commences a process that is likely 
to take a minimum of two years to complete, and during this time the U.K. remains a member of the European Union. 
There will be a resulting period of uncertainty for the U.K. economy and our markets, with increased volatility expected 
in financial markets. This event does not impact the fair value of assets and liabilities as at the balance sheet date of 
30 April 2016. 

73

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportIndependent auditors’ report to the members of Tungsten Corporation plc

Report on the Parent Company financial statements 
Our opinion
In our opinion, Tungsten Corporation plc’s parent company financial statements (the “financial statements”):

•  give a true and fair view of the state of the parent company’s affairs as at 30 April 2016 and of its cash flows for the year 

then ended;

•  have been properly prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRSs”) as adopted by the 

European Union and as applied in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006; and

•  have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

What we have audited
The financial statements, included within the Annual report and financial statements 2016 (the “Annual Report”), comprise:

•  the Parent Company balance sheet as at 30 April 2016;

•  the Parent Company statement of cash flows for the year then ended;

•  the Parent Company statement of changes in equity for the year then ended; and

•  the notes to the financial statements, which include a summary of significant accounting policies and other 

explanatory information.

The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of the financial statements is IFRSs as adopted 
by the European Union, and applicable law, and as applied in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006. 

In applying the financial reporting framework, the directors have made a number of subjective judgements, for example 
in respect of significant accounting estimates. In making such estimates, they have made assumptions and considered 
future events.

Opinion on other matter prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, the information given in the Strategic Report and the Directors’ report for the financial year for which the 
financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements.

Other matters on which we are required to report by exception
Adequacy of accounting records and information and explanations received
Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion:

•  we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

•  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 financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns.

We have no exceptions to report arising from this responsibility.

Directors’ remuneration
Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion, certain disclosures of directors’ 
remuneration specified by law are not made. We have no exceptions to report arising from this responsibility.

Responsibilities for the financial statements and the audit 
Our responsibilities and those of the Directors
As explained more fully in the Statement of directors’ responsibilities set out on page 46, the directors are responsible 
for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view.

Our responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and 
International Standards on Auditing (U.K. and Ireland) (“ISAs (U.K. & Ireland)”). Those standards require us to comply with the 
Auditing Practices Board’s Ethical Standards for Auditors.

This report, including the opinions, has been prepared for and only for the parent company’s members as a body in 
accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and for no other purpose. We do not, in giving these 
opinions, accept or assume responsibility for any other purpose or to any other person to whom this report is shown or into 
whose hands it may come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.

74

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statementsResponsibilities for the financial statements and the audit continued
What an audit of financial statements involves
We conducted our audit in accordance with ISAs (U.K. & Ireland). An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts 
and disclosures in the financial statements sufficient to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free 
from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an assessment of:

•  whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the parent company’s circumstances and have been consistently 

applied and adequately disclosed;

•  the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by the directors; and

•  the overall presentation of the financial statements.

We primarily focus our work in these areas by assessing the directors’ judgements against available evidence, forming 
our own judgements, and evaluating the disclosures in the financial statements.

We test and examine information, using sampling and other auditing techniques, to the extent we consider necessary 
to provide a reasonable basis for us to draw conclusions. We obtain audit evidence through testing the effectiveness 
of controls, substantive procedures or a combination of both.

In addition, we read all the financial and non-financial information in the Annual Report to identify material inconsistencies 
with the audited financial statements and to identify any information that is apparently materially incorrect based on, or 
materially inconsistent with, the knowledge acquired by us in the course of performing the audit. If we become aware of any 
apparent material misstatements or inconsistencies we consider the implications for our report.

Other matter
We have reported separately on the group financial statements of Tungsten Corporation plc for the year ended 
30 April 2016.

Brian Henderson (Senior Statutory Auditor)
for and on behalf of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP  
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors  
London

25 July 2016

75

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportParent Company balance sheet
Registered number: 07934335

Fixed Assets

Investments

Property, plant and equipment

Intangible assets

Trade and other receivables

Total non-current assets

Current assets

Trade and other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Total current assets

Total assets 

Capital and reserves attributable to the equity shareholders

Called up share capital

Share premium

Shares to be issued

Other reserves

Share-based payment reserve

Profit and loss account

Total equity

Current liabilities

Trade and other payables

Total current liabilities

Total equity and liabilities

Note

5

6

7

As at
30 April
2016
£’000

As at
30 April
2015
£’000

189,756

199,096

1,628

1,736

–

538

–

624

191,922

 201,456

7

41,932

23,267

195

984

42,127

24,251

234,049

225,707

553

454

188,794

171,875

3,760

3,760

(5,453)

(5,450)

379

197

(30,075) 

(15,788)

157,958

155,048

8

76,091

76,091

70,659

70,659

234,049

225,707

The notes on pages 79 to 83 are an integral part of these financial statements. 

The financial statements on pages 76 to 83 were authorised for issue by the Board of Directors on 25 July 2016 and were 
signed on its behalf by:

Richard Hurwitz 
Chief Executive Officer 

David Williams
Chief Financial Officer

76

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statementsParent Company statement of changes in equity

Year ended 30 April 2016

Balance as at 1 May 2015

Loss for the period

Shares issued during the year

Share-based payment expense

Currency translation differences

Balance as at 30 April 2016

Year ended 30 April 2015

Balance as at 1 May 2014

Loss for the period

Shares issued during the year

Share-based payment expense

Balance as at 30 April 2015

Share
capital
£’000

Share
premium
£’000

Shares
to be
issued
£’000

Share-based
payment
reserve
£’000

Other
reserve
£’000

Accumulated
losses
£’000

Total equity
£’000

454

171,875

3,760

197

(5,450)

(15,788)   155,048 

–

99

–

–

–

16,919

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

182

–

–

–

–

(3)

(14,287) 

(14,287)

–

–

–

17,018

182

(3)

553

188,794

3,760

 379 

(5,453) 

(30,075)  157,958 

Share
capital
£’000

Share
premium
£’000

Shares
to be
issued
£’000

Share-based
payment
reserve
£’000

438

160,127

3,760

–

16

–

–

11,748

–

–

–

–

454

171,875

3,760

–

–

–

197

197

Other
reserve
£’000

Accumulated
losses
£’000

Total equity
£’000

(5,450)

(10,516) 148,359

–

–

–

(5,272)

(5,272)

–

–

11,764

197

(5,450)

(15,788)  155,048 

The notes on pages 79 to 83 are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

77

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportParent Company statement of cash flows

Cash flows from operating activities

Loss before taxation

Adjustments for:

Depreciation

Impairment

Finance income

Finance costs

Share-based payment expense

Cash generated from operations

Changes in working capital:

(Increase)/decrease in trade and other receivables

Increase/(decrease) in trade and other payables

Net interest paid

Net cash outflow from operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

Gain on Disposals

Transfer of Intangibles to other group company

Net cash outflow from investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities

Proceeds of share issue

Net cash inflow from financing activities

Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at start of year

Exchange adjustments

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

The notes on pages 79 to 83 are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Year Ended
30 April
2016 
£’000

Year Ended
30 April
2015 
£’000

Note

(14,287) 

(5,272) 

6

5

4

160 

11,640

(41)

1,291

476

146 

–

(37) 

1,187 

197 

(761) 

(3,779) 

(1,159) 

(45,974) 

(14,288)

39,984 

(1,250) 

(1,150) 

(17,458) 

(10,919) 

(53)

(519) 

1

–

(52) 

3

355 

(161) 

16,724 

11,765 

16,724 

11,765 

(786)

984 

(3) 

 195 

685 

301 

(2)

984 

78

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statementsNotes to the Parent Company financial statements
for the year ended 30 April 2016

1. General Information
Tungsten Corporation plc (the Company) and its subsidiaries (together, the Group) is a global e-invoicing network that offers 
supply chain financing and spend analytics.

The Company is a public limited company, which is incorporated and domiciled in the U.K. The address of its registered 
office is Pountney Hill House, 6 Laurence Pountney Hill, London EC4R 0BL, U.K.

2. Accounting policies
Accounting basis
In the year ended 30 April 2016 the Company has changed its accounting framework from U.K. GAAP to IFRS as adopted by 
the EU.

Adoption of IFRS this year has meant that the prior year financial statements prepared under old U.K. GAAP have had to be 
restated. The date of transition to IFRS is deemed to be 1 May 2014.

There has been no change in the results or financial position of the Company for the year ended 30 April 2016 as a result of 
the adoption of IFRS and hence no reconciliation of equity has been prepared.

The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention and in accordance with 
the Companies Act 2006 and applicable accounting standards in the U.K. The financial statements are presented in Sterling.

Going concern
The Group going concern assessment is based on forecasts and projections of anticipated trading performance. 
The assumptions applied are subjective and management applies judgement in estimating the probability, timing and value 
of underlying cash flows. 

Significant Accounting Policies
Share-based payments
The Company issues equity-settled share-based awards to certain employees. The fair value of share-based awards is 
determined at the date of grant and expensed based on the Company’s estimate of the shares that will eventually vest, on a 
straight-line basis over the vesting period with a corresponding increase in equity. At each balance sheet date the Company 
revises its estimates of the number of options that are expected to vest based on service and non-market performance 
conditions. The amount expensed is adjusted over the vesting period for changes in the estimate of the number of shares 
that will eventually vest, save for changes resulting from any market-related performance conditions.

Further details on the share-based payments can be found in Note 19 to the consolidated financial statements of this 
Annual Report and financial statements.

Tangible assets
Tangible assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is charged to profit or loss on a straight-line 
basis of the estimated useful lives of each item of tangible asset. Depreciation commences when an asset is brought into 
use over the following estimated useful lives:

•  Leasehold improvement: depreciated over the term of lease.

•  Computer equipment: 50% on cost.

79

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportNotes to the Parent Company financial statements continued

2. Accounting policies continued
Trade and other receivables
Trade and other debtors are stated initially at fair value and subsequently at their amortised cost less impairment losses.

Trade and other payables
Trade and other payables are initially stated at fair value and subsequently measured at amortised cost.

Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents includes cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term highly liquid 
investments with original maturities of three months or less and bank overdrafts.

Employee benefits defined contribution plans
The Company pays contributions to publicly or privately administered pension plans. The Company has no further payment 
obligations once the contributions have been paid. Contributions are recognised in the income statement as an employee 
benefit expense in the period when they are due. Prepaid contributions are recognised as an asset to the extent that a cash 
refund or a reduction in the future payments is available.

Share-based payments
The Company issues equity-settled share-based awards to certain employees. The fair value of share-based awards is 
determined at the date of grant and expensed based on the Company’s estimate of the shares that will eventually vest, 
on a straight-line basis over the vesting period with a corresponding increase in equity. At each balance sheet date, the 
Company revises its estimates of the number of options that are expected to vest based on service and other non-market 
performance conditions. The amount expensed is adjusted over the vesting period for changes in the estimate of the 
number of shares that will eventually vest, save for changes resulting from any market-related performance conditions.

Share capital
Ordinary shares are classified as equity.

Investments in subsidiary undertakings
Investments in subsidiary undertakings are stated at cost less provisions for impairment. Investments are reviewed 
for impairment if there are indicators that the carrying value may not be recoverable.

Foreign currency translation
The accounting policy for foreign currency translation is the same as that for the Group and is set out on page 55.

3. Profit for the year
As permitted by the exemption in Section 408 of the Companies Act 2006, the profit and loss account of the Company 
is not presented as part of these financial statements. The loss attributable to shareholders dealt with in the financial 
statements of the Company was £14.3m (2015: £5.3m).

80

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statements4. Employee benefit expenses

Wages and salaries

Social security costs

Other pension costs

Share-based payments

Total employee benefit expenses

Number of employees

The average number of people (including Executive Directors) employed:

Administration

Total average headcount

Year ended
30 April
2016
£’000

Year ended
30 April
2015
£’000

 2,130 

 4,537 

 230 

 113

 476 

 352 

 84 

 197 

 2,949 

 5,170 

17

17

12

12

Refer to Note 22 in the consolidated financial statements for details of remuneration in respect of key management.

5. Investments

Balance at 1 May

Additions

Impairment

Balance at 30 April

As at 30 April 
2016
£’000

As at 30 April 
2015
£’000

199,096

150,223

2,300

48,873

(11,640)

–

189,756

199,096

The Company has the following subsidiaries:

Name

% ownership in ordinary shares

Country of incorporation

Principal activity 

Tungsten Corporation Guernsey Limited

Tungsten Bank Plc

100

100

Guernsey

Intermediate holding 
company

U.K.

Holding company

The directors have reviewed the carrying value of the investments and have impaired £11.6m of the carrying value so that 
the remaining investments can be supported by the underlying net assets of the subsidiaries. 

81

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportNotes to the Parent Company financial statements continued

6. Property, plant and equipment

Cost

Balance at 1 May 2015

Additions

Disposals

Balance at 30 April 2016

Accumulated depreciation

Balance at 1 May 2015

Depreciation

Disposals

Balance at 30 April 2016

Net asset value as at 30 April 2015

Net asset value as at 30 April 2016

7. Trade and other receivables

Amounts owed by Group Undertakings 

VAT 

Other receivables 

Invoice receivables 

Prepayments and accrued income 

Total trade and other receivables

Computer
equipment
£’000

Leasehold
improvements
£’000

Office 
equipment
£’000

Total
£’000

43

1

(1)

43

24

18

–

42

19

1

 1,785 

15

–

1,800 

117

123

–

240

1,668 

1,560 

54

37

–

91

5

19

–

24

49

67

 1,882

53 

(1)

 1,934 

146

 160 

–

306

1,736 

1,628 

As at 
30 April 
2016 
£’000 

As at 
30 April 
2015 
£’000 

 41,422 

21,701 

81

621

–

346

136 

1,217 

490 

347 

 42,470

23,891 

The amounts owed by Group Undertakings are due from Tungsten Network Limited and Tungsten Network Finance Limited 
as at 30 April 2016 are non-interest bearing and are repayable on demand. Other receivables includes an amount due after 
more than one year in respect of loans issued to employees under the EMSS scheme of £0.5 million (2015: £0.6 million). 

8. Trade and other payables

Trade payables 

Taxation and social security 

Accrued expenses 

Amounts owed to Group Undertakings 

Total trade and other payables

As at 
30 April 
2016 
£’000 

312

159

As at 
30 April 
2015 
£’000 

296 

– 

1,861 

3,102 

73,759 

67,261 

76,091 

70,659 

The amounts owed to Group Undertakings are due to Tungsten Corporation Guernsey Limited as at 30 April 2016 are 
non-interest bearing and are repayable on demand. 

82

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statements9. Commitments

Operating leases
The table below sets out the future minimum lease commitments:

Less than 1 year

Between 1 and 2 years

Between 3 and 5 years

After 5 years

Total operating leases

Capital commitments

PPE

Total capital commitments

As at
30 April
2016
£’000

745

723

 1,968 

 4,929 

 8,365 

As at
30 April
2016
£’000

–

–

As at
30 April
2015
£’000

655

655

 1,950 

 5,579 

 8,839

As at
30 April
2015
£’000

37

37

10. Related-party transactions 
Key management personnel
Key management includes Directors – Executive and Non-Executive. There were no key management personnel in the 
Company apart from the Directors. The compensation paid or payable to key management for employee services is set 
out in Note 22 to the consolidated financial statements.

83

GovernanceFinancial statementsStrategic reportShareholder information

Nominated adviser
Panmure Gordon & Co 
One New Change 
London 
EC4 9AF  
U.K.

Broker
Canaccord Genuity Limited  
88 Wood Street 
London  
EC2V 7QR  
U.K.

Registrar 
Equiniti  
Aspect House 
Spencer Road 
Lancing 
West Sussex 
BN99 6DA 
U.K.

0371 384 2030* 
Overseas helpline +44 (0)121 415 7047

*Lines open 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Registered office 
Tungsten Corporation plc 
Pountney Hill House 
6 Laurence Pountney Hill  
London 
EC4R 0BL  
U.K.

Tungsten Corporation plc is a public limited company incorporated and domiciled in the U.K., with registered 
number 07934335.

84

Tungsten Corporation plc Annual report and financial statements 2016Financial statements