The Smarter Web Company celebrated its first day on London’s main stock market on Tuesday with orange and black confetti flying as the company’s boss shared his big plans. The firm started trading at 43p per share, and by mid-morning, the price had risen to 44p.
Andrew Webley, the company’s chief executive, told This is Money, “I’m truly confident in making it into the FTSE 250 by September [the third quarterly rebalance of 2026].” He added, “Without guaranteeing it, this year I hope we can make it into the FTSE 250… now we are on the London Stock Exchange, we can get on the 250, and then we can get on the FTSE 100.”
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From Web Design to Bitcoin
The company began in 2009, mainly focusing on web design, but its strategy has changed in recent years. Now, it holds bitcoin on its balance sheet as part of its growth plan. Webley’s firm has spent about £221 million of investor money buying bitcoin.
The bitcoin was bought at an average price of just over $111,000 per token. On Tuesday, bitcoin was trading at $78,442, down from its peak of around $124,000 in October last year. Smarter Web Company currently owns 2,674 bitcoin, and Webley said he plans to keep buying more. The firm last purchased bitcoin on January 22 at $90,289 per token.
Growth and Volatility
After first listing on Aquis in April last year, the company’s value rose to over £1 billion before falling back to a current market cap of around £150 million, reported Tipranks. It is now on London’s main market under the ticker ‘SWC’ with a market cap near £118 million. The company also trades in the US on the OTCQB Venture Market and has a listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
Webley said, “The business should be run for the benefit of the shareholders. I wanted to list my own business because I wanted a business that I could invest in was following this strategy. We’ll probably be the most volatile stock in the UK. But if you want a stock that is going to go up, you do need volatility… that’s why we put so much effort into explaining the negatives, we’re doing our best on that and most of our shareholder understand that, but they’re happy with the risk reward.”
Many guests at the London Stock Exchange opening were investors. “I’ve been to lots of opening ceremonies, but I’ve never seen anyone invite shareholders,” one guest told Webley.
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A British Bitcoin Success Story
Webley is one of the first in the UK to lead a company that uses bitcoin as part of its treasury strategy, inspired by similar firms in the US. He said, “We remain committed to building a British success story that contributes meaningfully to the UK economy, showcases the ambition of the UK’s entrepreneurial spirit, and demonstrates the role that Bitcoin, as a form of digital capital, can play in supporting the growth of modern businesses.”
Speaking to the shareholders at the opening ceremony, many wearing the company’s bright orange, Webley said, “I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved together so far. I’m looking forward to the future very much… we are only just getting started.”
