20 June 2017
Launched on the 19th June 1995 with just 10 companies and valued at a collective £82 million, AIM is now over 1,000 strong and recently surpassed £100bn as it reaches its 22nd year.
With an average market cap of around £80m the market provides an ideal environment for smaller, often fast-growing companies to list their shares and with a more flexible regulatory system than the main market, AIM-listed firms have a lighter burden allowing them more freedom to grow.
The continued success of AIM is highlighted in the LSE annual report "1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain" which champions some of the fastest growing small UK firms - businesses that are crucial to the prosperity of the UK economy through increased employment and innovation. With some of the fastest growth seen in Scotland, Midlands and the Northern Powerhouse, the report shows that successful SMEs come from across all parts of the UK with traditional industries competing alongside newer ones.