US Weekly IPO and SPAC Monitor: Advertising Marketplace NYIAX, Chinese e-commerce ICZOOM

The IPO corridor slowed down this past week with just two small issuers priced as several deals postponed (SODR, MGRX) or were delayed (TRNR, INTS, NRXS). The NFT Gaming Company (NFTG), which is developing a digital gaming platform, raised $7 million and finished the week down -8%. BullFrog AI (BFRG), which is developing an AI/ML platform for drug development, raised $8 million and finished down -27%. Just two small deals scheduled for the short holiday week, advertising contract marketplace NYIAX (NYX) plans to raise $9 million at a $71 million market cap. Chinese e-commerce play ICZOOM Group (IZM) may raise $7 million at a $46 million market cap.

We had two SPACs price Mars Acquisition (MARXU) raised $60 million to target innovative technologies, and Distoken Acquisition (DISTU) raised $60 million to target the technology sector in Asia. In the pipeline frac sand miner Atlas Energy Solutions (AESI) disclosed 2022 financials ahead of its estimated $200 million IPO. Thrift store chain Savers Value Village (SVV) provided preliminary results earlier this month ahead of its estimated $250 million IPO. Eight IPOs submitted initial filings, the largest plans to raise just $29 million and one SPAC. The previous week was the busiest week since November 2021.

US IPO Week Ahead

Issuers not included is because the company offered units with warrants attached and priced at a market cap less than $50 million, they will be excluded from Renaissance Capital’s 2023 IPO stats.

NYIAX (NYX)

Advertising contract marketplace NYIAX (NYX) plans to raise $9 million at a $71 million market cap. NYIAX’s platform utilizes the Nasdaq financial framework (“NFF”). This technology platform is protected through a joint patent held by both NYIAX and Nasdaq Technology AB (“Nasdaq”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Nasdaq, Inc. This patented technology creates current and future opportunities in media and advertising industries.

NYIAX is a marketplace where advertising inventory, campaigns and audiences can easily be listed and sold through utilization of highly transparent and efficient financial technology. The NYIAX platform provides Media Buyers and Media Sellers a marketplace where advertising or audience campaigns are listed, bought, and sold; thereafter, the contract flows directly into the Hyperledger Fabric Blockchain for contract management, reconciliation, and automation purposes.

Possible Pricing of IPOs from Past Weeks

Interactive Strength (TRNR) – Delayed

Fitness equipment brand Interactive Strength (TRNR) plans to raise $14 million at a $100 million market cap. The company sells home fitness equipment and offers personal training classes under the Forme brand. Very small and highly unprofitable, its two product offerings feature a connected fitness mirror.

NX Horizon Solar Tracker

SONDORS (SODR) was Postponed.

E-bike maker SONDORS (SODR) lowered the proposed deal size for its upcoming IPO on Tuesday. In its latest filing, the company also replaced underwriters D.A. Davidson and Lake Street with A.G.P. The company now plans to raise $18 million by offering 2.5 million shares at a price range of $6 to $8. The company had previously filed to offer the same number of shares at a range of $8 to $10 plans to raise $23 million at a $146 million market cap. At the midpoint of the revised range, SONDORS will raise 22% less in proceeds than previously anticipated.

The company makes premium electric bikes through a collection of kits, and through a partnership agreement, offers its entry level model to Costco customers. Unprofitable but growing, SONDORS has delivered over 63,000 e-bikes in 72 countries since 2015. Additional e-bike models are sold direct-to-consumer, enabling the end customer to customize its e-bike across a portfolio of products, ranging from our full-suspension, mid-drive mountain bikes, to MadMods offerings, which feature wide tires and customizable style kits.

Intensity Therapeutics (INTS) – Delayed

Oncology biotech Intensity Therapeutics (INTS) plans to raise $10 million at an $82 million market cap. Intensity Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company passionately committed to applying scientific leadership in the field of localized cancer reduction leading to anti-cancer immune activation.

Their approach involves the direct injection into tumors of a unique product created from their DfuseRx discovery platform. One challenge they have identified with current intratumoral (IT) treatment approaches is that a tumor’s lipophilic, high fat and pressurized microenvironment does not effectively absorb water-based products. Evidence shows the mechanism of tumor killing achieved by their drug candidate also leads to systemic immune activation in certain cancers.

NeurAxis (NRXS) – Delayed

NeurAxis (NRXS) is a growth stage company focused on developing neuromodulation therapies to address chronic and debilitating conditions in children. The Carmel, IN-based company plans to raise $15 million by offering 1.9 million shares at a price range of $7 to $9. At the midpoint of the proposed range, NeurAxis would command a fully diluted market value of $48 million. With one FDA indication, functional abdominal pain associated with IBS in adolescents 11-18 years old on the market, additional clinical trials of PENFS in multiple pediatric conditions are underway focused on unmet healthcare needs in children.

  • Underwriters: Alexander Capital, WallachBeth Capital
  • Headquarters Carmel, IN
  • Founded 2011
  • Employees 16
  • Website: NeurAxis

Lead Real Estate (LRE)

Japanese luxury real estate developer Lead Real Estate (LRE) plans to raise $27 million at a $196 million market cap. Growing developer of luxury residential properties, including single-family homes and condominiums, across Tokyo and Kanagawa prefecture. In addition, they operate hotels in Tokyo and lease apartment building units to individual customers in Japan and Dallas, Texas. Primarily generate revenue from developing and selling single-family homes and condominiums. Since inception in 2001, have delivered more than 1,000 single-family homes and 25 condominiums.

Intchains Group (ICG)

China-based Intchains Group (ICG) plans to raise $29 million at a $499 million market cap. Utilizing its proprietary “Xihe” Platform, Intchains provides high-performance ASIC chips, ancillary software, and hardware for blockchain applications. It also claims that its fabless business model enables specialization in the front-end and back-end of IC design. It will be interesting if this prices given the FTX fraud, despite a turbulent cryptocurrency market, revenue increased by 33% in the 9mo22 due to additional sales volume from its ASIC chips.

Prestige Wealth (PWM)

Prestige Wealth (PWM) is a Hong Kong-based asset manager that plans to raise $15 million at a $63 million market cap. The firm provides financial services to high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals in Asia, the company received almost all of its revenue in FY21 from its operating subsidiary PAI, which acts as an investment advisor and fund manager. PAI distributes of insurance products and also provides referrals for trust lawyers, tax accounting, and education planning. Prestige Wealth is subject to high customer concentration risk but continues to increase its client base through referrals.

ParaZero Technologies (PRZO)

ParaZero Technologies, which is developing autonomous parachute safety systems for commercial drones, plans to raise $8 million by offering 1.6 million units at a price range of $4.25 to $6.25, with each unit consisting of one share of common stock and two warrants, exercisable at $5 (assuming pricing at the midpoint). The company had previously filed to offer 5.8 million shares (70% secondary) at a range of $4 to $6.

The company is based in Kiryat Ono, Israel and was founded in 2013 and plans to list on the Nasdaq under the symbol PRZO. Its patented technology, the SafeAir system, is designed to protect hardware, people, and payload in the event of an in-flight failure.

Beamr (BMR)

Beamr (BMR), an Israeli video encoding and image optimization software provider, plans to raise $15 million at a $73 million market cap. The company currently licenses three core video and image compression and counts streaming platforms and Hollywood studios among its clients. At the heart of their patented optimization technology is the proprietary Beamr Quality Measure, or BQM, that is highly correlated with the human visual system. BQM is integrated into their Content Adaptive Bitrate, or CABR, system, which maximizes quality and remove visual redundancies resulting in a smaller file size.

Beamr

However, Beamr is small and unprofitable, and saw revenue decline in the 1H22.

  • Underwriters: ThinkEquity
  • Headquarters Herzeliya, Israel
  • Founded 2009
  • Employees 28
  • Website: www.beamr.com

Alopexx (ALPX)

Alopexx (ALPX) plans to raise $15 million at a $39 million market cap. The company is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel immune therapeutics for the prevention, treatment and mitigation of bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections that express the antigenic target poly N-acetyl glucosamine (PNAG). That target has been found on an expanding number of pathogens. In a first-in-man trial, their vaccine candidate, AV0328, has been shown to be well tolerated with no serious adverse events observed.

  • Underwriters: ThinkEquity
  • Headquarters Cambridge, MA
  • Founded 2006
  • Employees 3
  • Website: www.alopexx.com

YanGuFang Group (JUNS)

YanGuFang Group (YGF), a Chinese producer of oat and grain products, plans to raise $30 million at a $210 million market cap. Note that YanGuFang Group is a holding company incorporated as an exempted company on May 28, 2020 under the laws of the Cayman Islands. As a holding company with no material operations of its own, it conducts substantially all of its operations through its subsidiary and the VIEs in China. YGF is primarily engaged in the production, research and development, and sales of oat and grain products through our direct salesforce and distribution network.

Jupiter Neurosciences (JUNS)

Jupiter Neurosciences (JUNS) plans to raise $15 million at a $62 million market cap. Jupiter’s sole candidate, JOTROL, is being developed for various neuro and rare disease indications. JOTROL completed a Phase 1 safety and tolerability trial in March 2021 and is expected to commence Phase 2 trials in the 4Q22.

Jupiter Neurosciences

The Company has developed a unique resveratrol platform product primarily targeting treatment of neuro-inflammation. The product candidate, called JOTROL™, has many potential indications of use for rare diseases, which of we primarily are targeting Mucopolysaccharidoses Type 1, Friedreich’s Ataxia, and MELAS and with ALS in an earlier development stage. In the larger disease areas, we are primarily targeting Mild Cognitive Impairment/early Alzheimer’s disease with an early development program in TBI/concussions.

Alopexx (ALPX)

Infectious disease biotech Alopexx (ALPX) plans to raise $15 million. A clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel immune therapeutics for the prevention, treatment and mitigation of bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections that express the antigenic target poly N-acetyl glucosamine (PNAG). That target has been found on an expanding number of pathogens.

In a first-in-man trial vaccine candidate, AV0328, has been shown to be well tolerated with no serious adverse events observed. It was noted to induce protective antibodies against all PNAG-expressing pathogens tested. Similarly, fully human monoclonal antibody, F598, that also targets PNAG, has been shown to be well tolerated and no serious adverse events were noted in phase 1 and pilot phase 2 trials.

Seek to establish F598 as the standard of care for preventing and ameliorating gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial infections along with fungal infections by organisms that express PNAG in patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU).

  • Underwriters: ThinkEquity
  • Headquarters Cambridge, MA
  • Founded 2006
  • Employees 3
  • Website: Alopexx (ALPX)

US IPO Weekly Recap: Two SPAC, Two IPO Week

Just two small issuers priced as several deals postponed (SODR, MGRX) or were delayed (TRNR, INTS, NRXS). The NFT Gaming Company (NFTG), which is developing a digital gaming platform, raised $7 million and finished the week down -8%. BullFrog AI (BFRG), which is developing an AI/ML platform for drug development, raised $8 million and finished down -27%. We had two SPACs price Mars Acquisition (MARXU) raised $60 million to target innovative technologies, and Distoken Acquisition (DISTU) raised $60 million to target the technology sector in Asia.

The NFT Gaming Company (NFTG)

Gaming platform developer The NFT Gaming Company (NFTG) plans to raise $7 million at a $50 million market cap. The company is developing a digital gaming platform and plans to integrate non-fungible tokens into games on the platform. NFT Gaming Co. has yet to generate revenue.

NFTG finished the week down -8%.

BullFrog AI Holdings (BFRG)

BullFrog AI Holdings (BFRG) plans to raise $8 million at a $34 million market cap. The pre-revenue company is developing an analytical AI/ML platform called bfLEAP to “transform the field of precision medicine. Our mission is to apply predictive analytics to all stages of drug development to improve the lives of every patient.”

Bullfrog AI

“BullFrog AI consists of an exceptional team of life science industry leaders, AI technologists, scientists, physicians and advisors determined to revolutionize drug development. And through our partnership with one of the most prestigious research institutions in the world, Johns Hopkins, we are at the forefront of AI technology development.”

  • Underwriters: Roth Capital, The Benchmark Company
  • Headquarters: Gaithersburg, MD
  • Founded: 2017
  • Employees 4
  • Website: Bullfrog AI

BFRG finished down -27%.

Filings Monitor

2023

In the pipeline frac sand miner Atlas Energy Solutions (AESI) disclosed 2022 financials ahead of its estimated $200 million IPO. Eight IPOs submitted initial filings, the largest plans to raise just $29 million and one SPAC. There are three uplistings: oil and gas producer Alpha Energy (APHE) filed to raise $29 million, Malaysia-based chemical wholesaler BioNexus (BGLC) filed to raise $17 million, and online content moderating service Ealixir (EAXR) filed to raise $15 million.

Four Chinese companies submitted initial filings: industrial shredder producer Harden Technologies (HARD) filed to raise $15 million, logistics services provider Jayud Global Logistics (JYD) filed to raise $12 million, fabric and face mask producer Earntz Healthcare (ETZ) filed to raise $11 million, and organic grocery chain Healthy Green Group (HGRN) filed to raise $17 million. Early-stage medical supplies producer MI Americas (IAMR) filed to raise $10 million.

Five small IPOs submitted initial filings this past week. They were joined by two SPACs (KVISU.RC and SBXC.U), marking the first blank check IPO filings of 2023, compared to 20 by this time last year.

Three IPOs submitted initial filings, Frac sand miner and transporter Atlas Energy Solutions (AESI) filed to raise an estimated $200 million. E-cigarette and cannabis vaping product brand Ispire Technology (ISPR) filed to raise $42 million. Singapore-based interior designer FBS Global (FBGL) filed to raise $15 million.

We saw three new deals join the pipeline led by Chinese pet hospital chain New Ruipeng Pet Group (RPET), which filed to raise $100 million. Korean social media platform Hanryu Holdings (HRYU) filed to raise $35 million, and private jet charter broker Star Jets International (JETR) filed to raise $12 million.

2022

IPO Week Recap

Dealogic Reports show around 87% of companies that went public in the U.S. last year are trading below their offering prices, down more than 49% on average as of last Friday’s close. The S&P 500 is down 23% this year, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite has fallen 31%.

“The IPO market is on pace for its worst year in decades, leaving fledgling companies with few options but to burn through cash while they wait for the stock market to calm. Late last year, hundreds of companies were in the final stages of preparing to go public, encouraged by the best 18 months ever for U.S. initial public offerings. Then a combination of factors—sky-high inflation, rising interest rates and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—sent shock waves through the stock market. The IPO pipeline froze. So far this year, traditional IPOs have raised only $5.1 billion all told, Dealogic data show. Typically at this point in the year, traditional IPOs have raised around $33 billion… Last year at this point, these offerings raised more than $100 billion.”

August 22 – Wall Street Journal (By Corrie Driebusch)
US IPO Issuance in August Highest For 2022

Warrants to Entice New Issuance

Over the last month, a rising number of small deals have opted to offer warrants in their IPOs, either at the time of the initial filing or in a later amendment. In the context of an IPO, warrants give investors the right to purchase a new issuer’s stock at a specific price within a set time frame. That price is usually equal to or slightly greater than the offer price, and the time frame is often within five years after the IPO.

Warrants allow new issuers to both sweeten the pot for investors and provide an additional source of capital for themselves.

While offering warrants may help small deals get done in challenging conditions, it does not provide immunity from poor trading. From 2021 to date, issuers that have gone public after adding warrants are mostly underwater, averaging a -54% return from IPO.

Recent filers that have opted to offer warrants are all micro-caps and span a variety of industries. The group includes both companies filing for fresh listings, as well as those hoping to uplist from the OTC. Non-listed filers feature ramen restaurant chain Yoshiharu Global, Canadian psychotropics company Lucy Scientific Discovery, aquaculture company The tru Shrimp Companies, short-term rental provider CorpHousing Group, and agtech developer Opti-Harvest.

Source: Completely warranted: Small IPOs are enhancing their deals with warrants – Renaissance Capital

From The TradersCommunity Research Desk