Wealth Membership’s first single firm funding, Unibio publicizes $70m deal

Unibio, which was Wealth Membership’s first ever single firm Enterprise Funding Scheme (EIS) supply to its shoppers in 2017 has introduced an funding of c.$70million from the Saudi Industrial Funding Group (SIIG).

Unibio has developed expertise to transform pure gasoline (methane) into natural, top quality sustainable protein for the worldwide animal feed market on an industrial scale.

The funding follows the signing of a serious licensing settlement with Gulf Biotech in Quatar to supply its product Uniprotein.

Wealth Membership shoppers first invested in Unibio alongside lead investor and adviser  West Hill Capital in 2017 at a share value of GBP £4. Those that invested within the first tranche could have seen a 2.27x unrealised return on their funding. So far Wealth Membership shoppers have invested £2.8 million.

Gayle Bowen, Finance Director and Head of Direct Firm Investments at Wealth Membership mentioned: “We’re enormously happy with this enterprise. Not solely does it appear to be it should ship phenomenal returns to our shoppers however its science primarily based improvements present an answer to a few of the world’s most urgent challenges – meals safety and sustainability. Unibio goals to grow to be the world’s market chief in different protein manufacturing primarily based on methanotrophic micro organism. The actual fact it’s also Wealth Membership’s very first direct EIS supply to our shoppers, make its success extra particular. We’re excited to see what’s going to occur subsequent for the corporate, as this funding will allow them to satisfy the hovering international demand, and assist their enlargement into merchandise for human consumption.”

David Hollidge, Companion, West Hill mentioned: “West Hill has been an ardent backer of Unibio over time having raised over £45million for the corporate to this point in varied funding rounds from as little as c30p/share. Financial institution of America organized this newest spherical with the Saudi Industrial Funding Group, and each stay aware of what this capital can permit Unibio to attain. West Hill has mentioned with the Board the potential for investing on the identical phrases because the Saudi Industrial Funding Group, together with facilitating a secondary market. An IPO is anticipated sooner or later as soon as the crops are operational, at which level, there may very well be a big extra uplift in valuation.”

Unibio’s product,  Uniprotein is a high-quality and sustainable protein on par with different high-quality proteins resembling fishmeal and soy and research have proven that this will increase yield and resistance to illness. As an example, in checks, cattle fed the UniProtein® meals yielded 10% extra milk. As well as, the bodily properties of the feed are advantageous by way of particle measurement, related for good distribution in feeds, storage shelf life and traceability.

It has patented expertise to transform pure gasoline resembling methane into top quality sustainable protein on an industrial scale. Creating vital quantities of sustainable feed for cattle and with out the waste. It holds 70% protein content material and is produced with no pesticides and considerably much less water than plant-based protein sources. As well as, it doesn’t take up farmland. The corporate is now growing the product for human consumption.

The US$70 m funding will facilitate the rollout of the corporate’s breakthrough expertise to assist meet a hovering international demand. The US$70million funding from the Saudi Industrial Funding Group, which values Unibio at circa £250million upon completion, is anticipated to kind a part of as much as US$100million elevate that the Board expects to conclude within the coming months.

The Saudi Industrial Funding Group is a number one unbiased petrochemical firm listed on the Saudi Trade with a market cap of about US$5billion.