As the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) reached the milestone of its 10th anniversary in April this year, the market certainly had cause for celebration. This feeling of euphoria was not felt anywhere more keenly than in the northwest, where the market has been truly embraced by the business, legal and accountancy communities.
AIM, launched by the London Stock Exchange in 1995 as the junior stock market where promising young companies could raise growth capital, started slowly but really exploded during the dotcom boom. Although, unsurprisingly, it suffered badly when this sector collapsed, the performance of the market during the last 12 months has been dramatic – and has firmly positioned the market as a viable fundraising vehicle for both domestic and international businesses.
