Space investment trust taps retail investors for spending splurge
An investment trust focusing on commercial space opportunities will raise £350m from retail investors in a bid to capitalise on the booming space technology market.
Seraphim Space, the world’s first listed fund to specialise in backing space ventures, said it was launching one of the largest share issuances in British investment history to broaden access to the opportunities of space investment to more retail and institutional investors.
The fundraise follows a bumper period of trading for the trust, which had seen its shares jump by 341 per cent in the past year as investors raced to gain exposure to the burgeoning commercial space industry. But its share price tumbled some 12 per cent in trading on Monday, as investors adjusted to the increase in supply of the trust’s shares.
Over the last 10 years, the cost of accessing space into orbit has fallen by a factor of 100 and the development of miniaturised satellites using off the shelf components has brought down manufacturing costs substantially.
Seraphim capitalising on ‘multi-decade growth in demand for space technology
The advances have sparked a wave of fledgling space industries to emerge, including ones monitoring and helping to tackle climate change and helping develop new defence and security technologies.
Seraphim, which floated on the stock exchange in 2021, has backed 45 space technology firms since its launch, nine of which are now so-called unicorns with valuations of above $1bn (£737.8m). Five others have now listed on London’s bourse, while one other has been sold.
It does not have a stake in Elon Musk’s Space X, the multi-trillion-dollar rocket and satellite giant currently lining up a stock market debut in the US.
“Spacetech’s accelerating growth is being driven by global security concerns, desire for climate sustainability and the search for the next generation of infrastructure for telecoms and AI,” the trust said.
“It is expected that Seraphim will benefit from the continued multi-decade growth in demand for space-related technologies.”
The issuance, organised by retail investment specialist Retailbook, will use a new class of shares, known as C shares, intended to minimise the impact of the cash raising round on the returns enjoyed by already-existing shareholders. Those C shares will then convert to standard shares at regular intervals.