Shares in Kanabo Group more than doubled in value on Tuesday, after the maker of vaporization and inhalation technology for cannabis made its stock market debut in London, highlighting investor appetite for exposure to the fast-growing sector.
Tel-Aviv-based Kanebo is going public via a merger with special-purpose acquisition corporation Spinnaker Opportunities Plc. SPACs, or blank-check companies, raise money in an initial public offering and then have about two years to acquire a business or businesses.
Kanabo raised £6 million ($8.3 million) in cash from a share sale at 6.5 pence per share linked with the deal. The company has a market capitalization of just over £23 million. Proceeds will be used for sales, marketing, and research and development.
Shares in Kanabo rose above 20 pence as the stock started trading, up more than 200% from its placing price, before closing at 18.5 pence a share in London.
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The IPO comes amid growing demand for medical cannabis, which is increasingly used to treat mental health conditions such as depression, and has prompted some countries in Europe to amend their listing rules.
In September 2020, the U.K.’s financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, said that U.K.-based cannabis firms could list in London, but only if they produce the drug for medicinal purposes. Medical pot was legalized in the U.K. in 2018, but recreational use is against the law.
“London may be set for a boom time for cannabis listings with Kanabo the latest to IPO today after MGC Pharmaceuticals MXC,
Australia’s MGC Pharmaceuticals MXC,
The listings come after GW Pharmaceuticals GWPH,