AIM’s best companies of 2026: shortlist revealed

This year’s AIM Awards are being held at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in London on Thursday 15 October. Even though there are fewer companies on AIM the shortlists seem to get longer, with all but the best newcomers award having eight choices.

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The charities supported this year are children’s charity BCCS and Tommy’s, the pregnancy research charity.

Here are the shortlists:

Best Investor Communication

• Cohort (CHRT)
• everplay (EVPL)
• Fonix (FNX)
• Franchise Brands (FRAN)
• Ilika (IKA)
• MP Evans (MPE)
• The Property Franchise Group (TPFG)
• Victorian Plumbing (VIC)

Oil palm plantations operator M P Evans Group (LSE:MPE) had to navigate the uncertainty around Indonesian commodity export changes during this year. The share price initially lost around one-third after the news. MP Evans handled the situation well and the share price has more than recovered that loss.

The The Property Franchise Group (LSE:TPFG) has handled expectations skilfully considering the tough house sales market and the changes to the lettings market from the Renters Rights Act. The business has continued to make progress despite these challenges.

Best guess: The Property Franchise Group

Best Use of AIM

• Afentra (AET)
• Aurrigo International (AURR)
• Avingtrans (AVG)
• Guardian Metal Resources (GMET)
• Optima Health (OPT)
• Roadside Real Estate (ROAD)
• Strategic Minerals (SML)
• Vulcan Two (VUL)

Investment company Onward Opportunities won this award in 2025 and subsequently moved to the Main Market.

Aurrigo International  Ordinary Share (LSE:AURR) has used its AIM quotation to raise cash to fund the development of autonomous vehicles for freight and passengers, with a focus on airports. The company has also been able to move into a new facility in Coventry. Aurrigo has brought in a strategic investor, Next Gen Mobility, which has helped to identify and procure opportunities for the business.

Avingtrans (LSE:AVG) has a long track record of acquiring businesses and revitalising them before selling them. It has also taken a long-term view through investing in developing compact 3D x-ray systems in its medical division. US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other approvals have been achieved, and sales of these systems should start to build up and pay back the investment. This business might even be spun off in a couple of years. A recent fundraising will finance the nuclear business in the US and could add significant revenues and profit.

Best guess: Avingtrans

Best Technology

• AOTI Inc (AOTI)
• Concurrent Technologies (CNC)
• Creo Medical (CREO)
• Eagle Eye (EYE)
• H-Power (HPOW)
• Netcall (NET)
• Scancell (SCLP)
• Seeing Machines (SEE)

Surgical devices developer Creo Medical won this award two years ago, while last year’s winner satellite and telecoms antenna supplier Filtronic is up for Company of the Year in 2026. AOTI won best newcomer in 2024.

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Driver monitoring technology developer Seeing Machines Ltd (LSE:SEE) has been on AIM for more than two decades. This is a market where regulation is driving demand. It took a long time to build up revenues, but they have accelerated in recent years, and Seeing Machines could be profitable in 2026-27. Once the company passes breakeven, profit could rise rapidly.

Best guess: Seeing Machines

Diversity Champion

• Cake Box (CBOX)
• everplay (EVPL)
• Kooth (KOO)
• Mercia Asset Management (MERC)
• Personal Group Holdings (PGH)
• Ten Technologies (TENG)
• Thor Explorations (THX)
• Tristel (TSTL)

Kooth won the award two years ago. This is always a tough one to assess. It requires a more in-depth understanding of the underlying business and its operations.

Personal Group Holdings (LSE:PGH) states on its website that its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) rating is externally validated and Ecovadis gives it a Good rating, with the company in the 66th percentile. The target is to reach Excellent in 2026. The company provides more than 350,000 UK workers with insurance and benefits and 99% of claims are paid within two days. Personal Group Holdings also has a diverse board.

Best guess: Personal Group Holdings

AIM Transaction of the Year

• Journeo (JNEO)
• KRM22 (KRM)
• Likewise (LIKE)
• Optima Health (OPT)
• Roadside Real Estate (ROAD)
• Rockhopper Exploration (RKH)
• Tracsis (TRCS)
• TruFin (TRU)

There were many impressive transactions by AIM companies in the past year. Transport software and services provider Tracsis (LSE:TRCS) acquired UK rail software provider Mistral Data from FirstGroup for an enterprise value of £48 million. This consolidates its leadership in the sector. In 2025-26, revenues were £13 million and EBITDA (underlying profit) was £4 million. Annualised recurring revenues are 85% of the total. Using the cash pile to finance this deal enhances earnings.

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Trufin  Ordinary Shares (LSE:TRU) sold games publisher Playstack to VantageCo for £112.4 million. TruFin took a 99% shareholding in 2019 by converting £3.5 million of loan notes. It is unclear what additional investment was put into the business after that. Playstack was loss making then but by 2025 revenues were £55.3 million and EBITDA was £13.5 million.

There was subsequently a £56.8 million tender offer at 140p/share – equivalent to 43.1% of the share capital – and then a special dividend of 43.03p/share costing £22.5 million.

Best guess: TruFin

AIM Corporate Governance

• Accsys Technologies (AXS)
• Concurrent Technologies (CNC)
• MHA (MHA)
• Optima Health (OPT)
• Personal Group Holdings (PGH)
• Restore (RST)
• Tracsis (TRCS)
• Wynnstay Group (WYN)

Occupational health business Optima Health (LSE:OPT) is committed to meeting regulatory and contractual obligations, promoting inclusion and operating with integrity. It also makes sure that suppliers uphold these values.

Best guess: Optima Health

AIM Growth Business of the Year

• ActiveOps (AOM)
• Concurrent Technologies (CNC)
• Gear4Music (G4M)
• Greatland Resources (GGP)
• Netcall (NET)
• SigmaRoc (SRC)
• Thor Explorations (THX)
• Yu Group (YU.)

All these companies have impressive growth records in the past year, with some performing consistently well over the years while others, such as Gear4Music, have bounced back after tougher trading periods. Gold producer Thor Explorations has ramped up production and is generating significant amounts of cash that have enabled it to start paying dividends.

Embedded computer products supplier Concurrent Technologies (LSE:CNC) has been putting together a strong growth record since Miles Adcock became its boss. He has accelerated the pace of new product development, and thereby design wins, and expanded and upgraded facilities. Concurrent Technologies has also moved into supplying higher value systems. By becoming a titanium level supplier with Intel, Concurrent Technologies has early access to new chip designs. The growth has been achieved while navigating memory and electronic component shortages.

Best guess: Concurrent Technologies

Best Newcomer

• Cornish Metals (TIN)
• Pathos Communications (NEWS)
• Power Probe (PWR)
• RentGuarantor (RGG)
• Vulcan Two (VUL)
• Winvia Entertainment (WVIA)

There are only six nominations for best newcomer because of the lack of new entrants in the past year. There is a mixed performance among these companies, but some have managed impressive gains.

Winvia Entertainment (LSE:WVIA) is one of the better performers, rising 29% from its November 2025 placing price of 195p to the end of July, although it is slightly lower now. The business comprises former AIM company Best of the Best, which organises competitions for luxury cars and other prizes, Click Competitions and three online casino operators in Romania.

Rent guarantee services provider RentGuarantor Holdings (LSE:RGG) was introduced to AIM at 27.5p/share when it moved from Aquis. The original Aquis flotation was at the equivalent of 20p/share. In November 2025, £2.54 million was raised at 12.5p/share. The share price soon recovered and was 64% higher than the introduction price by the end of July. It has nearly doubled since then.

The Renters’ Rights Act coming into force earlier this year helped to accelerate growth. Revenues in the eight months to August 2026 were 472% higher at £8.45 million. That includes £3.17 million generated in August alone.

Best guess: RentGuarantor

Entrepreneur of the Year

• Vin Murria / AdvancedADVT (ADVT)
• Oliver and Theo Green / Brave Bison (BBSN)
• Miles Adcock / Concurrent Technologies (CNC)
• Andrew Wass / Gear4Music (G4M)
• Andrew Austen / Kistos (KIST)
• Omar Handi / Pathos Communications (NEWS)
• Charles Skinner / Restore (RST)
• Max Vermoken / SigmaRoc (SRC)
• Paul Hogarth / Tatton Asset Management (TAM)

There is a spread of experienced and new AIM management in this list. Vin Murria won this award in 2012 when she was the boss of Advanced Computer Software. Omar Handi started Pathos Communications more recently than that, and the AI-focused PR firm joined AIM at the end of 2025 and is up for the best newcomer award. Max Vermoken and Paul Hogarth were on the shortlist last year.

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Max Vermoken has built up construction materials supplier SigmaRoc (LSE:SRC) from a shell to one of the largest companies on AIM. The acquisition of the European limestone assets of CRH was a major step for the company and broaden the customer base. Non-core disposals and cash generation has reduced the debt taken on for that deal and Vermoken is back to seeking acquisitions. SigmaRoc has just acquired Baltics-based Akcine Bendrove Dolomitas for €110 million (£94.6 million). Trading conditions have been tough with declines in volumes, but profit is still improving. 

Best guess: Max Vermoken / SigmaRoc

Company of the Year

• Concurrent Technologies (CNC)
• Filtronic (FTC)
• Gear4Music (G4M)
• Greatland Resources (GPP)
• MP Evans (MPE)
• Netcall (NET)
• Polar Capital (POLR)
• Tatton Asset Management (TAM)

Asset manager Tatton Asset Management (LSE:TAM), which provides on-platform discretionary fund management for managed portfolio services, has an impressive record of beating expectations. Last year’s revenues were one-fifth higher at £54.4 million, and underlying pre-tax profit of £28.5 million was slightly ahead of a forecast that had already been recently upgraded.

This growth has been achieved thanks to strong growth in assets under management. This has been done in good and bad times for stock markets. They grew to £24.2 billion by the end of March 2026, which was achieved despite the loss of a client. Zeus expects net monthly inflows to continue at around £246 million. Tatton Asset Management targets AUM of £30 billion and it is well on the road to that figure.

Best guess: Tatton Asset Management

Andrew Hore is a freelance contributor and not a direct employee of interactive investor.