MF
14/12/2021

by Manuel Follis

Directa Plus has successfully launched and closed a capital increase of 7 million pounds sterling (over 8.2 million euro) and the company, despite the recapitalisation, has closed up by almost 3% on the London AIM “as evidence of the appreciation of the market”, commented Giulio Cesareo, founder and CEO of Directa Plus. “We opted for a discount-free increase compared to current valuations,” added the company’s boss, “and I believe that we are the only company active in graphene listed in London that has been able to successfully carry out an operation of this type”. Directa Plus is a very special company; founded in 2005 by Cesareo together with other international top managers, it deals with the production of nano graphene particles. It is based in Lomazzo (Como) and is listed on the AIM of London. The business works and it is no coincidence that 2019 closed with a 45% growth in turnover, then increased by another 141% in 2020, while 2021 should close with a further increase of at least 40% of revenues, around 9 million. Speaking of 2021, since the beginning of the year the company’s stock has gained 101% in London, today it capitalises almost 100 million pounds sterling and “at the moment we have pending calls to tender in the environmental field that alone add up to more than 15 million,” confirms Cesareo. The 7 million pounds sterling increase will support investment in some of the most promising areas for the group: 1.9 million for the further development of the Grafysorber technology, effective in the absorption of hydrocarbons dispersed in waters. The funds will also be used to build a water purification plant used in industrial processes from hydrocarbons and other pollutants. Another 1.3 million will be used for the further development of G+ technology, which, added to the fabrics, guarantees antibacterial and antiviral properties. The rest of the funds, or 3.8 million, will also be used to finance any new research areas for the application of graphene such as lithium-sulfur batteries, one of the sectors on which Cesareo puts a great deal of focus on for future development. Overall, international demand for graphene is expected to rise sharply over the next