Half-year Results
Aterian Plc has released its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2026, reporting revenue of £1,341,000 and a gross profit of £522,000, though the company incurred an operating loss of £324,000 and a loss before tax of £568,000. The company's Rwanda mineral trading business deployed approximately US$2.18 million in working capital, with notional sales valuations of US$2.78 million, indicating a potential gross trading profit of US$602,000. Exploration activities continued in Botswana and Morocco, with a strategic collaboration with Lithosquare involving AI and machine learning techniques. The company's total assets increased to £4,868,000 from £4,281,000 at the end of the previous year, while total equity stood at £1,825,000. Subsequent to the period end, Aterian commenced tungsten ore trading and plans to raise approximately £180,000 through a convertible loan note.
| Half year to 30 Jun 2026 | Now | Year before | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | £1.3m | £0.0m | +6605.0% |
| Operating profit | (£0.3m) | (£0.7m) | |
| Profit before tax | (£0.6m) | (£0.7m) | |
| Net income | (£0.6m) | (£0.7m) | |
| Cash from operations | (£0.9m) | (£0.4m) | |
| Cash | £0.1m | – |
Figures as reported, converted to £ where needed – see all financials.
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Aterian Plc (LSE: ATN), the Africa-focused critical minerals exploration, development and trading company, is pleased to announce its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2026.
For further information, please visit the Company's website: www.aterianplc.com or contact:
Aterian Plc:
Charles Bray, Executive Chairman - charles.bray@aterianplc.com
Simon Rollason, Director - simon.rollason@aterianplc.com
Financial Adviser and Joint Broker:
AlbR Capital Limited
David Coffman / Dan Harris
Colin Rowbury
Joint Broker:
SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP
Ewan Leggat / Devik Mehta
Financial PR:
Bald Voodoo - ben@baldvoodoo.com
Ben Kilbey
Statement of Directors' Responsibilities in respect of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
The directors of Aterian Plc are listed in the Company's annual report for 31 December 2025 and the Company's website: https://aterianplc.com/ There have been no changes since 31 December 2025.
Charles Bray
Director
Chairman's statement
Dear Shareholders,
The first half of 2026 has been a period of disciplined execution as Aterian continued to advance its strategy of building a diversified African critical minerals business. Throughout the period, the Board remained focused on allocating capital prudently, progressing our exploration portfolio through clearly defined technical milestones and expanding our mineral trading business in Rwanda, which we believe has the potential to become an increasingly important source of recurring cash generation for the Group.
Whilst equity markets for junior exploration companies remain challenging, the long-term outlook for the commodities in which Aterian operates continues to strengthen. Copper is expected to play a central role in global electrification, whilst demand for battery and technology metals continues to benefit from structural growth driven by the energy transition, digital infrastructure and increasing government focus on securing resilient supply chains. Against this backdrop, the Board remains confident that a disciplined, technically driven approach to exploration, combined with commercial revenue generation, provides a differentiated and resilient business model.
Our strategy remains unchanged. We seek to create long-term shareholder value through the discovery and development of critical mineral assets across Africa while establishing complementary businesses capable of generating sustainable cash flow. We believe this balanced approach provides greater resilience than a traditional exploration-only model and enables the Company to pursue value-accretive opportunities whilst maintaining financial discipline.
Rwanda Trading Business
The continued development of our Rwanda mineral trading business represents one of the Company's most significant strategic achievements during the period and remains central to the Board's strategy of establishing a business capable of generating sustainable cash flow alongside our exploration activities.
During the first half of 2026, the trading business deployed approximately US$2.18 million across working-capital purchases via joint-venture trading arrangements. Based on management's notional sales valuations, these purchases had an aggregate potential sales value of approximately US$2.78 million, indicating potential gross trading profit of approximately US$602,000 and an implied gross margin of approximately 22%. Traceability compliance is a critical distinguisher of our operations and conducting compliance inspections limited suppliers and accordingly supply volumes.
These figures nevertheless demonstrate the attractive underlying economics which the Board believes can be achieved as the trading platform expands volumes from relatively low levels. They also reinforce our confidence that mineral trading can develop into a material and recurring source of cash generation for the Group, supporting corporate costs and, over time, contributing towards the funding of Aterian's exploration interests without relying exclusively on further equity capital.
The stated sales values and associated gross profit are notional management estimates rather than, except to the extent reflected elsewhere in these interim financial statements, revenue or profit recognised during the reporting period. Final outcomes remain dependent upon completion of the relevant sales, final assays, realised commodity prices, logistics and other transaction costs, collection of proceeds and the allocation of profits under the applicable joint-venture arrangements. Accordingly, the aggregate indicated gross profit should not be interpreted as profit wholly attributable to Aterian shareholders. Nevertheless, the scale of the potential margin provides encouraging evidence of the trading business's capacity to become an increasingly important contributor to the Group's financial performance.
Following encouraging initial trading performance at the end of 2025, we announced a strategic profit-sharing joint venture with Wogen Resources Limited, one of the world's leading independent metals trading companies. This partnership, together with an additional working capital arrangement to support the growth of our tantalum concentrate trading activities, materially strengthens the scale and capability of the business through enhanced marketing expertise, logistics support, established international sales channels and increased funding capacity. We anticipate volumes scaling significantly from Q4 2026 following a move into new premises with dramatically improved capacity and the implementation of a new risk management and traceability system.
The Board believes the strategic partnerships represent an important step towards establishing a sustainable trading platform capable of making a meaningful contribution to Group revenues while supporting the Company's broader growth ambitions. Over time, we expect the trading business to provide an increasingly important source of internally generated cash flow to fund exploration activities, enhancing financial flexibility and reducing reliance on the equity capital markets.
Mineral Exploration
Alongside the continued development of our trading business, we accelerated exploration across our African portfolio during the first half of the year, with activity focused on advancing high-priority projects in Botswana and Morocco through a disciplined, technically driven exploration programme.
In Botswana, our strategic collaboration with Lithosquare has integrated advanced artificial intelligence and machine-learning techniques into the Company's exploration workflow, enhancing target generation across our Kalahari Copper Belt licences. The identification of multiple priority targets demonstrates the value of combining innovative analytical technologies with rigorous geological interpretation and has enabled exploration to progress from desktop evaluation to field verification. At the Sua Pan Project, continued evaluation of historical datasets further enhanced our understanding of the soda ash and lithium brine potential and will help inform future exploration programmes.
In Morocco, we continued to systematically advance our copper-silver portfolio through permitting, geological interpretation and geophysical surveys. The receipt of Environmental Impact Assessment approval at the Agdz Project, together with the commencement of ground magnetic surveys, marked important operational milestones as we continue to mature the project pipeline and prioritise targets for future drill testing.
Whilst mineral exploration is inherently associated with technical risk and long development timelines, the Board is encouraged by the quality of the opportunities emerging across the portfolio. Our approach remains focused on disciplined technical evaluation, careful capital allocation and the advancement of projects capable of delivering material long-term value for shareholders.
Lithosquare Collaboration
One of the defining achievements of the period was the completion of our strategic collaboration with Lithosquare.
The integration of artificial intelligence into our exploration workflow has already delivered tangible benefits, identifying eight high-priority exploration targets across Morocco and Botswana. Importantly, these targets are now progressing rapidly through field verification, with geophysical programmes and follow-up exploration underway.
This collaboration enables Aterian to evaluate large exploration datasets more efficiently, improve targeting accuracy and focus exploration expenditure on the highest-priority opportunities. We believe this represents an important competitive advantage as we continue to build our exploration portfolio.
Financing
The Board also remained focused on maintaining an appropriate capital structure to support the Company's growth. During the period, additional funding and commercial financing arrangements strengthened the Company's liquidity and provided the flexibility required to advance priority programmes. We remain acutely conscious of shareholder dilution and continue to evaluate financing opportunities against the potential value they create for shareholders. Preserving capital discipline remains central to the Board's decision-making.
Responsible Growth
Responsible exploration continues to underpin our activities across all jurisdictions in which we operate. We recognise that our long-term success depends not only on technical excellence but also on maintaining strong relationships with governments, local communities, employees and commercial partners. Environmental stewardship, health and safety, and responsible business practices remain integral to the way we conduct our operations, and these principles will continue to guide the Company's development.
Outlook
Since the end of the reporting period, operational momentum has continued. Field activities have commenced across the priority targets generated through the Lithosquare collaboration in Botswana, representing the next stage in our systematic evaluation of the Kalahari Copper Belt portfolio. The Rwanda trading business also continues to expand following the commercial agreements concluded during the first half of the year, providing increasing confidence in the Company's diversified business model.
Looking ahead, the Board believes Aterian is entering an important phase in its development. Our immediate priorities are clear: to advance our highest-priority exploration targets through systematic technical evaluation, continue to grow our trading business into a sustainable source of cash generation and maintain the financial discipline that has characterised the Company throughout this period. Whilst market conditions for junior resource companies remain demanding, we believe the quality of our asset portfolio, our strategic partnerships and our diversified business model positions Aterian well to create long-term value for shareholders.
On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank our employees, contractors and technical teams for their continued professionalism and commitment. I also extend my sincere thanks to our shareholders for their continued support and confidence in the Company. We look forward to updating the market as we continue to execute our strategy during the second half of the year.
Charles Bray
Executive Chairman
Principal Risks and Uncertainties
The Board considers strategic, operational and financial risks and identifies actions to mitigate those risks. These risk profiles are updated at least annually.
The principal risks and uncertainties can be found in the Group's risk profile analysis on pages 28 to 31 of our Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2025, available from the Aterian plc website: https://aterianplc.com/
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
SIX MONTHS ENDED 30 JUNE 2026
| Notes | 6 months to | 6 months to | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-Jun-26 | 30-Jun-25 | ||
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | ||
| £'000 | £'000 | ||
| Revenue | 5 | 1,341 | 20 |
| Cost of sales | (819) | (17) | |
| Gross profit | 522 | 3 | |
| Administrative expenses | 7 | (844) | (632) |
| Share-based payment expense | 18 | (2) | (30) |
| Other income | 6 | - | 1 |
| Operating loss | (324) | (658) | |
| Loss on fair valued financial instruments | 17 | (151) | - |
| Interest payable and similar charges | 8 | (93) | (40) |
| Loss before tax | (568) | (698) | |
| Tax expense | 9 | - | - |
| Loss after tax | (568) | (698) | |
| Other comprehensive income: | |||
| Items that may be reclassified to profit or loss | |||
| Gains on translation of foreign operations | 40 | 11 | |
| Total comprehensive loss | (528) | (687) | |
| Loss per share | |||
| Basic and diluted loss per share (pence) | 10 | (3.23) | (5.53) |
All activities relate to continuing operations.
The accompanying notes form part of these interim condensed financial statements.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 30 JUNE 2026
| Notes | 30-Jun-26 | 31-Dec-25 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (Unaudited) | (Audited) | ||
| £'000 | £'000 | ||
| Non-current assets | |||
| Intangible exploration and evaluation assets | 11 | 3,525 | 3,467 |
| Property, plant and equipment | 12 | 59 | 65 |
| Total non-current assets | 3,584 | 3,532 | |
| Current assets | |||
| Trade and other receivables | 13 | 238 | 212 |
| Inventories | 14 | 915 | 411 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 131 | 126 | |
| Total current assets | 1,284 | 749 | |
| Total assets | 4,868 | 4,281 | |
| Equity and liabilities | |||
| Share capital | 18 | 11,753 | 11,411 |
| Share premium | 18 | 4,446 | 3,950 |
| Share based compensation reserve | 2,573 | 2,571 | |
| Interest in shares in EBT | (1,409) | (1,398) | |
| Translation reserve | (620) | (660) | |
| Accumulated losses | (16,218) | (15,650) | |
| Convertible loan notes - equity component | 17 | 100 | - |
| Merger relief reserve | 1,200 | 1,200 | |
| Total equity | 1,825 | 1,424 | |
| Current liabilities | |||
| Trade and other payables | 15 | 692 | 1,001 |
| Deferred consideration | 16 | 435 | 262 |
| Borrowings | 17 | 706 | 529 |
| Derivative liability | 17 | 715 | 208 |
| Total current liabilities | 2,548 | 2,000 | |
| Non-current liabilities | |||
| Borrowings | 17 | 495 | 857 |
| Total non-current liabilities | 495 | 857 | |
| Total liabilities | 3,043 | 2,857 | |
| Total equity and liabilities | 4,868 | 4,281 | |
The Interim Condensed Financial Statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Directors on 29 September 2026.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 30 JUNE 2026
| Share capital | Share premium | Share-based compensation reserve | Interest in shares in EBT | Translation reserve | Other reserves | Convertible loan notes equity component | Merger relief reserve | Retained earnings | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | |
| At 1 January 2025 | 11,006 | 2,753 | 2,482 | (839) | (656) | 15 | - | 1,200 | (13,647) | 2,314 |
| Loss for the period | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | (698) | (698) |
| Other comprehensive income | - | - | - | - | 11 | - | - | - | - | 11 |
| Transactions with owners: | ||||||||||
| Share-based compensation | 57 | 339 | 30 | (396) | - | - | - | - | 30 | |
| Issue of new shares | 20 | 120 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 140 |
| At 30 June 2025 | 11,083 | 3,212 | 2,512 | (1,235) | (645) | 15 | - | 1,200 | (14,345) | 1,797 |
| At 1 January 2026 | 11,411 | 3,950 | 2,571 | (1,398) | (660) | - | - | 1,200 | (15,650) | 1,424 |
| Loss for the period | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | (568) | (568) |
| Other comprehensive loss | - | - | - | - | 40 | - | - | - | - | 40 |
| Transactions with owners: | ||||||||||
| Share-based compensation | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | |
| Issue of new shares | 182 | 256 | - | (11) | - | - | - | - | - | 427 |
| Issue of convertible loan notes | - | - | - | - | - | - | 500 | - | - | 500 |
| Conversion of convertible loan notes | 160 | 240 | - | - | - | - | (400) | - | - | - |
| At 30 June 2026 | 11,753 | 4,446 | 2,573 | (1,409) | (620) | - | 100 | 1,200 | (16,218) | 1,825 |
| UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS | ||||||||||
| FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 30 JUNE 2026 | ||||||||||
| 6 months to | 6 months to | |||||||||
| 30-Jun-26 | 30-Jun-25 | |||||||||
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | |||||||||
| Cash flow from operating activities | £'000 | £'000 | ||||||||
| Loss before tax | (568) | (698) | ||||||||
| Adjustments for: | ||||||||||
| Depreciation | 3 | 21 | ||||||||
| Share-based payment expense | 2 | 30 | ||||||||
| Interest expense | 93 | 40 | ||||||||
| Foreign exchange losses | 45 | - | ||||||||
| Shares issued as repayment of loan | - | (24) | ||||||||
| Loss on fair valued financial instruments | 151 | - | ||||||||
| Costs settled by the issue of shares | 26 | - | ||||||||
| Operating loss before working capital changes | (248) | (631) | ||||||||
| Changes in working capital: | ||||||||||
| (Increase) in inventories | (504) | - | ||||||||
| (Increase) in trade & other receivables | (26) | (57) | ||||||||
| Increase / (decrease) in trade & other payables | (138) | 309 | ||||||||
| Net cash outflows from operating activities | (916) | (379) | ||||||||
| Cash flow from investing activities | ||||||||||
| Capitalised E&E expenditure | (58) | (51) | ||||||||
| Purchase of PPE | (1) | - | ||||||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | (59) | (51) | ||||||||
| Cash flow from financing activities | ||||||||||
| Net proceeds from issue of convertible loan notes | 500 | - | ||||||||
| Proceeds from the issue of convertible bonds | 100 | 273 | ||||||||
| Redemption of convertible bonds | (95) | - | ||||||||
| Proceeds from issue of shares | 346 | 140 | ||||||||
| Advances received | 153 | - | ||||||||
| Interest paid | (25) | - | ||||||||
| Net cash flow from financing activities | 979 | 413 | ||||||||
| Net increase/(decrease) in cash & cash equivalents | 4 | (17) | ||||||||
| Cash & cash equivalents at beginning of the period | 126 | 64 | ||||||||
| Cash & cash equivalents at end of the period | 131 | 47 | ||||||||
NOTES TO THE INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 30 JUNE 2026
General information
Aterian plc ("the Company") is an investment company, focussed on African mineral resource investment opportunities. The Company operates through its 100% owned subsidiary, Eastinco Limited ("EME Ltd"), a Rwandan tantalum, tin and tungsten exploration company, Aterian Resources Limited which holds copper-silver and base metal exploration projects in the Kingdom of Morocco and its 90% interest in Atlantis Metals (Pty) Ltd, a Botswana registered entity holding mineral prospecting licences in the Republic of Botswana.
The condensed interim financial statements for the period ended 30 June 2026 do not constitute statutory accounts as defined in section 434 of the Companies Act 2006. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in, and are consistent with, the audited consolidated financial statements for the twelve months ended 31 December 2025. A copy of the statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025 has been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The auditor's report on those accounts was unqualified and did not contain statements under Section 498 (2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006 but drew attention, by way of emphasis, without qualifying the report, to the Company's assumptions on going concern which stated that the Group and Parent Company's operational existence is reliant on the ability to raise further funding through equity placing or through the support of the directors through an injection of capital. The impact of this together with other matters indicated that a material uncertainty existed that may cast significant doubt on their ability to continue as a going concern. The auditor's opinion was not modified in respect of this matter.
On 29 July 2024, the Listing Rules were replaced by the UK Listing Rules ("UKLR") under which the existing Standard Listing category was replaced by the Equity Shares (transition) category under Chapter 22 of the UKLR. Consequently, with effect from that date the Company was admitted to the Equity Shares (transition) category of the Official List under Chapter 22 of the UKLR and to trading on the London Stock Exchange's Main Market for listed securities.
The Company is incorporated and domiciled in the UK. The address of its registered office is 27-28 Eastcastle Street, London W1W 8DH.
The registered number of the Company is 07496976.
Basis of preparation
The material accounting policies applied in the preparation of the Company's Financial Statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to the period presented, unless otherwise stated.
This condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the half-year reporting period ended 30 June 2026 have been prepared in accordance with the UK-adopted International Accounting Standard 34, 'Interim Financial Reporting' and the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules sourcebook of the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority.
The interim financial statements do not include all of the notes of the type normally included in an annual financial report. Accordingly, this report is to be read in conjunction with the annual report for the year ended 31 December 2025, which has been prepared in accordance with UK-adopted international accounting standards and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006, and any public announcements made by Aterian Plc during the interim reporting period.
The condensed interim financial statements are unaudited and have not been reviewed by the auditors and were approved by the Board of Directors on 29 September 2026. The Financial Statements are presented in £'000 unless otherwise stated which is the Company's functional and presentational currency.
Going concern
The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. The Group is now generating material trading which are producing a meaningful contribution towards overheads and exploration activities in Morocco, Rwanda and Botswana.
Continuing operations of the Group are currently financed from funds raised from shareholders and debt providers and this will likely continue to be the case until the Group is profitable. The Group will likely need to raise further funds in order to progress the Group from the exploration phase into feasibility and eventually into production of revenues.
As at 30 June 2026, the Group had cash and cash equivalents of £133,000. The Company hopes to generate revenues and/or raise further equity to fund both day-to-day expenditure and potential growth although there can be no certainty that such funding will be forthcoming.
As part of their assessment, the Directors have prepared financial cash-flow forecasts on the basis that cost reduction and cost deferral measures can be implemented over the going concern period. The Company's base case financial projections show that the Group will continue to operate within the available facilities throughout the next 12 months. Much of the Group's planned exploration expenditure is discretionary and, if necessary, could be scaled back to conserve cash should circumstances coincide with our expectations.
The Directors have agreed, if circumstances require, to defer payment of their fees until such time as adequate funding is received and if necessary, scale back all discretionary expenditure including exploration expenditure.
Considering recent successful fund raises the Directors are confident that they can continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.
The financial statements do not include any adjustment that may arise in the event that the Group is unable to raise additional finance, realise its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business.
- New standards, interpretations and amendments adopted from 1 January 2026
Standards issued but not yet effective:
At the date of authorisation of these interim financial statements, certain standards and interpretations relevant to the Group and which have not been applied in these financial statements, were in issue but were not yet effective. In some cases, these standards and guidance have not been endorsed for use in the UK. The directors are evaluating the impact that these standards will have on the financial statements of the Group.
Revenue
| Six months ended 30-Jun-26 | Six months ended 30-Jun-25 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | |||
| £'000 | £'000 | |||
| Sale of ore | 1,341 | 20 | ||
| 1,341 | 20 | |||
| 6. Other Income | ||||
| Six months ended 30-Jun-26 | Six months ended 30-Jun-25 | |||
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | |||
| £'000 | £'000 | |||
| Mineral samples | - | 1 | ||
| - | 1 | |||
| 7. Operating expenses by nature | ||||
| Administrative expenses | Six months ended 30-Jun-26 | Six months ended 30-Jun-25 | ||
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | |||
| £'000 | £'000 | |||
| Directors' remuneration | (124) | (122) | ||
| Staff costs | (57) | (62) | ||
| Auditor's remuneration | (30) | (25) | ||
| Travel expenses | (59) | (35) | ||
| Exchange fees | (18) | (63) | ||
| Legal expenses | (28) | (39) | ||
| Professional fees | (183) | (112) | ||
| Accounting fees | (31) | (33) | ||
| Depreciation | (3) | (21) | ||
| Project Expenses | (27) | - | ||
| Security costs | (7) | - | ||
| Transport costs | (8) | - | ||
| Export tax expense | (31) | - | ||
| Insurance | (8) | - | ||
| Levy fee | (9) | - | ||
| Rent | (15) | (13) | ||
| Other expenses | (206) | (107) | ||
| (844) | (632) | |||
| Directors' remuneration: | Fees and salaries | Share-based payment expense | Six months ended 30 June 2026 Totals | Six months ended 30 June 2025 Totals |
| £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | |
| Executive Directors | ||||
| Charles Bray | 53 | - | 53 | 48 |
| Simon Rollason | 45 | - | 45 | 48 |
| Non-Executive Directors | ||||
| Devon Marais | 14 | - | 14 | 14 |
| Alister Hume | 6 | - | 6 | 6 |
| Kasra Pezeshki | 6 | - | 6 | 6 |
| 124 | - | 124 | 122 | |
| 8. Interest payable and similar charges | ||||
| Six months ended 30-Jun-26 | Six months ended 30-Jun-25 | |||
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | |||
| £'000 | £'000 | |||
| Interest on borrowings | 93 | 40 | ||
| 93 | 40 | |||
| 9. Taxation | ||||
| Tax expense | Six months ended 30-Jun-26 | Six months ended 30-Jun-25 | ||
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | |||
| £'000 | £'000 | |||
| Current tax: | ||||
| UK taxation | - | - | ||
| Overseas taxation | - | - | ||
| Deferred tax | - | - | ||
| - | - | |||
The Group has made no provision for taxation as it has not yet generated any taxable profits.
Loss per share
Basic loss per share is calculated by dividing the earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period.
The calculation of basic and diluted loss per share is based on the following figures:
| Six months ended 30 June 2026 | Six months ended 30 June 2025 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | |||||||
| £'000 | £'000 | |||||||
| Earnings | ||||||||
| Loss from continuing operations for the period attributable to the equity holders of the Company | (568) | (698) | ||||||
| Number of shares | ||||||||
| Weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purpose of basic and diluted earnings per share | 17,593,602 | 12,632,044 | ||||||
| Basic and diluted earnings per share (pence) | (3.23p) | (5.53p) | ||||||
| 11. Intangible exploration and evaluation assets | ||||||||
| Rwandan assets | Moroccan assets | Botswana Assets | Other Assets | Total | ||||
| Cost | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | |||
| At 1 January 2026 | 2 | 3,439 | 21 | 5 | 3,467 | |||
| Additions | - | 58 | - | - | 58 | |||
| At 30 June 2026 | 2 | 3,497 | 21 | 5 | 3,525 | |||
| Impairment | ||||||||
| At 1 January 2026 | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| Charge for the period | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| At 30 June 2026 | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| Net book value | ||||||||
| At 30 June 2026 | 2 | 3,497 | 21 | 5 | 3,525 | |||
| At 1 January 2026 | 2 | 3,439 | 21 | 5 | 3,467 | |||
| 12. Property, plant and equipment | ||||||||
| Mine | Mining Equipment | Office Equipment | Motor Vehicles | Computer Equipment | Processing Equipment | Land | Total | |
| Cost | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | £'000 |
| At 1 January 2026 | 624 | 112 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 20 | 783 |
| Additions | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Foreign exchange adjustments | - | (3) | - | - | - | - | (1) | (4) |
| At 30 June 2026 | 624 | 109 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 19 | 780 |
| Depreciation | ||||||||
| At 1 January 2026 | 624 | 77 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 1 | - | 718 |
| Charge for the period | - | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 3 |
| At 30 June 2026 | 624 | 79 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 1 | - | 721 |
| Net book value | ||||||||
| At 30 June 2026 | - | 30 | - | 7 | 3 | - | 19 | 59 |
| At 1 January 2026 | - | 35 | - | 8 | 2 | - | 20 | 65 |
| 13. Trade and other receivables | ||||||||
| 30-Jun-26 | 31-Dec-25 | |||||||
| (Unaudited) | (Audited) | |||||||
| £'000 | £'000 | |||||||
| Trade receivables | 101 | - | ||||||
| Taxes receivable | 42 | 65 | ||||||
| Other debtors | 95 | 112 | ||||||
| Prepayments | - | 35 | ||||||
| 238 | 212 | |||||||
| 14. Inventories | ||||||||
| 30-Jun-26 | 31-Dec-25 | |||||||
| (Unaudited) | (Audited) | |||||||
| £'000 | £'000 | |||||||
| Ore concentrate | 915 | 411 | ||||||
| 915 | 411 | |||||||
| 15. Trade and other payables | ||||||||
| 30-Jun-26 | 31-Dec-25 | |||||||
| (Unaudited) | (Audited) | |||||||
| £'000 | £'000 | |||||||
| Trade payables | 224 | 465 | ||||||
| Other payables | 438 | 464 | ||||||
| Accruals | 30 | 72 | ||||||
| 692 | 1,001 | |||||||
| 16. Deferred exploration expenditure | ||||||||
| 30-Jun-26 | 31-Dec-25 | |||||||
| (Unaudited) | (Audited) | |||||||
| £'000 | £'000 | |||||||
| Deferred expenditure | 435 | 262 | ||||||
| 435 | 262 | |||||||
In December 2025, the Company signed a binding Heads of Terms for a strategic, AI-powered earn-in joint venture ("JV") with Lithosquare SAS ("Lithosquare"), a Paris-based next-generation exploration company combining foundational AI, advanced data science and deep geological expertise to accelerate mineral discovery, for the exploration of Aterian projects in Morocco and Botswana. Aterian and Lithosquare subsequently finalised a JV agreement in May 2026, which governs nine selected projects. The agreement focusses on Aterian's copper projects in Botswana and Morocco.
Key Highlights of the JV:
- Under the final revised joint venture agreement, Lithosquare undertook to invest up to €1.0 million in the nine selected projects in exchange for a 15% equity interest in the projects and a 0.5% net smelter royalty ("NSR").
- Potential for Lithosquare to earn a 2.0% net smelter return (NSR) and up to 49.9% equity and, strictly tied to exploration success and value creation
- Aterian had received an initial €300,000 before the agreement was signed, with a further €200,000 payable within ten business days of signing, subject to evidence of agreed expenditure from the first tranche for AI-driven target generation, geophysics, mapping and scout drilling to identify high-value copper and critical mineral targets rapidly
- The remaining €500,000 is payable in three equal tranches, subject to the contractual expenditure and reporting requirements, with the final tranche due by 31 December 2026 with the intention to begin scout drilling by year end 2026.
- The agreement records that approximately €100,000 of the first tranche had been spent on exploration at Agdz and Azrar in Morocco at the time of signing.
- JV covers exploration across highly promising 2,898 km2 of Copper Belts (KCB & Anti-Atlas).
Lithosquare agreed to invest up to €1.4 million (Investment Sum) in eight projects in Botswana and Morocco that Lithosquare select (JV Projects). Lithosquare agreed to initially pay Aterian €300,000 on agreeing Heads of Terms and to invest an additional €200,000 in exploration expenditure relating to the JV Projects by 30 March 2026 (together the "Initial Investment") to earn a 20% stake in each of the JV Projects' equity and a 0.50% NSR interest in each of the JV Projects.
Aterian agreed to re-invest €100,000 of the €300,000 Initial Investment into exploration expenditure in Morocco, targeting the Agdz and Azrar projects. The objective of this work is to provide additional geological information (ground magnetics) to allow Aterian, in partnership with Lithosquare, to generate initial drill targets to test the AI platform. The remainder of the Investment Sum may be invested by Lithosquare in three equal tranches over an agreed schedule from the signing of a JV agreement, with the first tranche paid no later than 3 months after the signing of the JV Agreement.
Following the Investment Sum being advanced, the parties will co-fund the relevant JV Projects in accordance with their respective equity interests. If a party fails to fund its share of the JV Project costs, its interest at the time will be diluted. Any dilution Lithosquare suffer shall be on a pro rata basis to the amount they have invested.
Upon the Initial Investment being made, Lithosquare will also be granted a 0.5% net smelter royalty (NSR) in each of the JV Projects. For each JV Project. Aterian shall have the option to buy back up to 0.5% of the NSR for US$500,000 per 0.5% in line with the existing royalties. Aterian shall also have the option to buy back an additional 0.50% of the NSR for 50% of the net present value attributable to the NSR of the said JV Project based upon a 10% discount rate from 15 years of total expected production revenue stream.
It was further agreed that upon exploration milestones being achieved, the ownership of the relevant JV Project will be transferred to a newly incorporated company/partnership (with the structure being agreed between the parties), and Lithosquare's interest shall increase from 20% up to a maximum of 49.9%.
As at 30 June 2026, the Company had received €500,000 (equivalent to approximately £435,000) (31 December 2025, 300,000 (equivalent to approximately £262,000)) of the initial investment from Lithosquare. This amount has been recognised as deferred development expenditure. Based on the fact pattern, this transaction is considered to be a conditional earn-in arrangement, not an immediate disposal of a 20% interest.
Borrowings and convertible instruments
| Current liabilities | 30-Jun-26 | 31-Dec-25 |
|---|---|---|
| (Unaudited) | (Audited) | |
| £'000 | £'000 | |
| Trade finance facility | 429 | 277 |
| Mezzanine finance | 277 | 252 |
| 706 | 529 | |
| Derivative liability | 715 | 208 |
| 1,421 | 737 | |
| Non-current liabilities | 30-Jun-26 | 31-Dec-25 |
| (Unaudited) | (Audited) | |
| £'000 | £'000 | |
| 8% PIK Convertible bonds | 243 | 394 |
| 12% PIK Convertible bonds | 252 | 463 |
| 495 | 857 | |
| Total borrowings | 1,916 | 1,594 |
During the six months ended 30 June 2026, the Group undertook a number of financing transactions to strengthen its working capital position, reduce the cost of its borrowings and restructure its capital base. These are summarised below.
Convertible loan notes
On 12 March 2026, the Company issued £150,000 of unsecured zero-coupon Convertible Loan Notes ("March CLNs") to a longstanding shareholder. The March CLNs are convertible into Ordinary Shares at a fixed conversion price of 25 pence per share and are mandatorily convertible on or before 31 December 2026. The Company has the right to redeem the CLNs at par prior to maturity, subject to notice.
The subscribers also received 300,000 warrants exercisable at 32.5 pence per Ordinary Share. The warrants expire on 15 February 2028 and include a hard call feature if the Company's share price exceeds 50 pence for three consecutive trading days.
On 19 May 2026, the Company issued a further £300,000 of unsecured zero-coupon Convertible Loan Notes ("May CLNs"). The May CLNs are convertible at 25 pence per Ordinary Share and automatically convert on 31 December 2026 if not previously converted. The Company also issued 600,000 Series 29 warrants exercisable at 32.5 pence per Ordinary Share and expiring on 15 February 2028.
On 29 May 2026, the Company issued a further £100,000 of unsecured zero-coupon Convertible Loan Notes, convertible into 400,000 Ordinary Shares at 25 pence per share. A further 200,000 Series 29 warrants were issued in connection with these CLNs.
During the period, portions of the CLNs were converted into Ordinary Shares. In aggregate, £400,000 of CLNs were converted during the period, resulting in the issue of 1,600,000 Ordinary Shares.
The CLNs provide for settlement through the issue of a fixed number of the Company's own equity instruments at a fixed conversion price. Accordingly, management has assessed the conversion feature under IAS 32 and, subject to the final assessment of the contractual terms, considers that the conversion feature meets the definition of an equity instrument. The liability and equity components of the compound financial instrument are therefore recognised separately on initial recognition, with the liability component subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method and the equity component recognised directly in equity.
As these CLNs convert at 25p into a determinable number of shares, these satisfy IAS 32's fixed-for-fixed criterion. Accordingly, the CLNs have been recognised as an equity component.
The movements in the period are summarised below:
30-Jun-26
| Convertible loan notes - equity component | (Unaudited) |
|---|---|
| £'000 | |
| Balance brought forward 1 January 2026 | - |
| Amounts issued in the year | 500 |
| Amounts converted | (400) |
| Balance carried forward 30 June 2026 | 100 |
PIK Convertible Bonds
8% PIK Convertible Bonds
The 8% PIK Convertible Bonds have a three-year maturity and expire on 28 April 2028. The Bonds carry an 8% annual coupon, payable-in kind (PIK) annually from 11 months after issuance. The conversion price is fixed at £0.50 per share and can adjust downwards only at maturity or if the Company issues equity below the conversion price. A subsequent issuance of equity below the conversion price will adjust the conversion terms downwards to that lower prevailing equity issue price, subject to a 30 pence per share minimum conversion price.
12% PIK Convertible Bonds
The 12% PIK Convertible Bonds are debt instruments but junior in ranking to trading finance facilities, have a 12% annual coupon payable in the form of new payment-in-kind bonds (non-cash), are convertible into ordinary shares at a price of 32.5 pence per share and are redeemable on 31 December 2027.
In February 2026, the Company issued £100,000 of 12% Senior Secured PIK Convertible Bonds. These bonds are junior in ranking to the Group's trading finance facilities, carry interest at 12% per annum payable in payment-in-kind form, are convertible into Ordinary Shares and are redeemable on 31 December 2027.
In May 2026, £80,000 of previously issued 12% PIK Convertible Bonds together with accrued interest of £15,000 was redeemed by the Company using proceeds from issue of convertible loan notes. In addition, £54,000 of PIK Bonds were converted into 216,000 Ordinary Shares at 25 pence per share.
A summary of the movements in the period is as follows:
30-Jun-26
| PIK Convertible bonds summary | (Unaudited) |
|---|---|
| £'000 | |
| Balance brought forward 1 January 2026 | 857 |
| Proceeds received from issue of bonds | 100 |
| Redemption of bonds | (95) |
| Amounts converted to ordinary shares | (54) |
| Interest accrued | 43 |
| Derivative component of bonds | (356) |
| Balance carried forward 30 June 2026 | 495 |
| 8% PIK Convertible bonds | 243 |
| 12% PIK Convertible bonds | 252 |
| Balance carried forward 30 June 2026 | 495 |
Derivative liability
The conversion features of the PIK Convertible Bonds are accounted for as embedded derivatives under IFRS 9 and are separated from the host debt liability. The derivative components are measured at fair value through profit or loss. The host debt components are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
The derivative liability element of the Convertible Bonds has been valued using a Monte Carlo simulation approach. The movements during the period are summarised as follows:
30-Jun-26
| Derivative liability | (Unaudited) |
|---|---|
| £'000 | |
| Balance brought forward 1 January 2026 | 208 |
| Loss on fair value measurement | 151 |
| Derivative movement for the period | 356 |
| Balance carried forward 30 June 2026 | 715 |
Trade facility
In April 2025, the Company signed a trade finance agreement with a global commodity trading and financial house ("Financier"). Under the terms of the agreement, the Financier provided a US$4,500,000 operational trading facility ("Trade Facility") to fund the additional trading of tantalum, niobium, and cassiterite. The Trade Facility has an interest rate of 1-month SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate) plus 3.5%. The Agreement has a five-year facility period.
The movements in the period are summarised below:
30-Jun-26
| Trade facility | (Unaudited) |
|---|---|
| £'000 | |
| Balance brought forward 1 January 2026 | 277 |
| Received during the period | 152 |
| Balance carried forward 30 June 2026 | 429 |
Mezzanine loan
In September 2025, the Company secured up to US$325,000 of mezzanine funding to support general operations and expand trading activities in Rwanda, with a focus on the acquisition and sale of tantalum-niobium ("Coltan") concentrate. The funding was advanced alongside the Company's partnership with a leading metals and minerals trading house.
Key Terms of the loan are as follows:
- Principal Amount: US$325,000
- Interest & Fees: 20.0% interest and 2% trading fees
- Term: Initial six months, extendable thereafter by mutual agreement
- Guarantee: Aterian plc guarantees the performance of Eastinco Ltd under the facility
To complement this funding, the Company issued 1.043 million warrants to the mezzanine funding investors following the expiry of 0.50 million outstanding warrants, providing investors the opportunity to participate in the Company's growth trajectory. The newly issued warrants have a 40 pence exercise price and expire on 30 December 2027.
The movements in the period are summarised below:
30-Jun-26
| Mezzanine loan | (Unaudited) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £'000 | ||||
| Balance brought forward 1 January 2026 | 252 | |||
| Interest charged | 25 | |||
| Amounts repaid | - | |||
| Balance carried forward 30 June 2026 | 277 | |||
| 18. Share capital | ||||
| Six months ended 30 June 2026 | ||||
| Number of ordinary shares of £0.10 | Number of deferred shares of £0.009 | Share Capital £'000 | Share Premium £'000 | |
| Brought forward at 1 January 2026 | 16,084,000 | 1,089,170,115 | 11,411 | 3,950 |
| Shares issued in the period | 3,416,000 | - | 342 | 496 |
| As at 30 June 2026 | 19,500,000 | 1,089,170,115 | 11,753 | 4,446 |
During the period ended 30 June 2026, the following changes to the Company's share capital took place:
- On 18 February 2026, the Company raised £250,000 from existing investors through a subscription for 1,000,000 new ordinary shares ("Subscription Shares") at a price of 25 pence per Subscription Share.
- Subscribers to the Subscription Shares also received 500,000 warrants, or 50% warrant coverage, with each Warrant exercisable at a strike price of 32.5 pence per ordinary share. The Warrants have a maturity date of 15 February 2028 and call feature should the Company's closing mid-price exceed 50 pence for three consecutive trading days.
- On 24 February, the Company raised an additional £100,000 from existing investors through a subscription for 400,000 new ordinary shares at a price of 25 pence per Subscription Share and the issue of an additional 112,000 shares to the Employee Benefit Trust ("EBT Shares"). Subscribers to the Subscription Shares also received 200,000 warrants, or 50% warrant coverage, with each Warrant exercisable at a strike price of 32.5 pence per ordinary share. The Warrants have a maturity date of 15 February 2028 and a call feature should the Company's closing mid-price exceed 50 pence for three consecutive trading days. A further total of 88,000 new ordinary shares were issued at 25 pence per share in lieu of fees to a service provider ("Fee Shares").
- In May 2026, £54,000 of PIK Bonds were converted into 216,000 Ordinary Shares at 25 pence per share.
- Also in May 2026, the Company satisfied the conversion of loan notes totalling £300,000 through the issue of 1,200,000 new ordinary shares of £0.10 each in the capital of the Company at a conversion price of 25 pence per Ordinary Share.
- In June 2026, the Company satisfied the conversion of loan notes totalling £100,000 through the issue of 400,000 new ordinary shares of £0.10 each in the capital of the Company at a conversion price of 25 pence per Ordinary Share.
- Share-based payment arrangements
Share options
| Mezzanine loan | (Unaudited) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary of EBT Options | 2026 | 202 | ||
| Number of EBT Options | Number of EBT Options | |||
| Outstanding at beginning of period | 1,526,400 | 961,400 | ||
| Expired during the period | - | - | ||
| Adjustment on share consolidation | - | - | ||
| Granted during the period | - | 565,000 | ||
| Outstanding at end of the period | 1,526,400 | 1,526,400 | ||
| Warrants | 2026 | 2025 | ||
| Average exercise price per warrant | Number of warrants | Average exercise price per warrant | Number of warrants | |
| Outstanding at beginning of the period | 76.1p | 3,436,379 | 154.74p | 2,952,262 |
| Issued during the period | 32.5p | 1,944,000 | 53.33p | 600,000 |
| Exercised during the period | - | - | - | - |
| Lapsed during the period | - | - | - | - |
| Outstanding at end of the period | 60.35p | 5,380,379 | 121.97p | 3,552,262 |
During the six months ended 30 June 2026, the Company issued 1,944,000 warrants in connection with its financing arrangements as follows:
- 700,000 warrants issued in connection with the February 2026 financing;
- 144,000 warrants were issued for providing a $50K bridge loan facility to the Company.
- 300,000 warrants issued in connection with the March 2026 CLNs;
- 600,000 Series 29 warrants issued in connection with the £300,000 May CLN financing; and
- 200,000 Series 29 warrants issued in connection with the additional £100,000 May CLN financing.
The warrants generally have an exercise price of 32.5 pence per Ordinary Share and expire in February 2028, with a hard call feature linked to the Company's share price. The warrants have been assessed under IAS 32. Where the warrants satisfy the fixed-for-fixed criterion and are therefore equity instruments, they are recognised directly in equity and are not subsequently remeasured.
The total expense recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income during the period in respect of options and warrants over Ordinary Shares was £2,000 (2025: £30,000).
Related party transactions
Transactions with directors:
Details of Directors' remuneration is set out above in Note 7.
Seasonality of the Group's business
There are no seasonal factors which materially affect the operations of the Group's business.
- Subsequent events
- On 13 August 2026 , the Company satisfied the conversion of loan notes totalling £50,000 through the issue of 200,000 new ordinary shares of £0.10 each in the capital of the Company at a conversion price of 25 pence per Ordinary Share.
- In September, 2026 the Company's wholly owned Rwandan subsidiary, Eastinco Limited ("Eastinco"), commenced the trading of tungsten ore and concentrates, commonly known as wolfram, as part of the continued expansion of the Group's mineral trading activities in Rwanda. The commencement of tungsten trading represents an important further step in the development of Eastinco as a broader critical-minerals trading platform. Eastinco has historically focused principally on tantalum-bearing material and is now seeking to leverage its established procurement network, local operating infrastructure, responsible-sourcing procedures and international trading relationships across additional mineral commodities. To support this trial of the tungsten trading business, Aterian intends to raise approximately £180,000 of additional working capital through the issue of a zero-coupon Convertible Loan Note ("CLN") to existing long-term shareholders. The CLN will convert into equity capital at 25 pence per share upon receipt of a holder conversion notice or if not already converted, automatically convert into equity on 31 December 2026. In addition, CLN investors will receive 300,000 warrants expiring on 15 February 2028, with a 32.5p exercise price and a 50p hard call feature. The proceeds from the CLN issue are expected to be deployed principally to fund operational support systems and the expansion of the existing premises to allow for the wholesale segregation and purchase of tungsten-bearing material and to give Eastinco increased capacity to aggregate commercially meaningful parcels within its new facilities for onward sale.
- On 20 September 2026, the Company approved the conversion of loan notes totalling £90,000 through the issue of 360,000 new ordinary shares of £0.10 each in the capital of the Company at a conversion price of 25 pence per Ordinary Share.
- On 22 September 2026, the Company approved the conversion of loan notes totalling £22,500 through the issue of 90,000 new ordinary shares of £0.10 each in the capital of the Company at a conversion price of 25 pence per Ordinary Share.
There are no other events occurring subsequent to 30 June 2026 requiring disclosure in these interim financial statements.
Reports
A copy of this half year interim report, as well as the annual statutory accounts to 31 December 2025 are available on the Company's website at www.aterianplc.com
Cleaned text: letterheads, contacts and legal notices removed. View the original announcement ↗ · Company filings. Not investment advice.