Is Hopium running out of steam? Present with great fanfare last October at the Paris Motor Show where a record order for the future Machina, the young manufacturer founded by former racing driver Olivier Lombard is currently in difficulty. According to a article published on January 11 by Les Echos, the manufacturer would be in the process of reducing its workforce. The daily puts forward a figure of 60 departures out of a workforce of 130.
A plan justified by the company’s financial difficulties. ” In the first half, the net loss reached 9.5 million, and available cash had fallen as of June 20 to only 20,000 euros, once morest 4.9 million a year earlier. “underlines the daily. A situation that is all the more worrying as the manufacturer is struggling to seduce investors with a stock market share that has fallen sharply in recent months.
To raise the bar and obtain the necessary liquidity until the start of production of theHopium Machinawhich will not occur before 2025 in a factory located in Normandythe brand announced earlier this week the drawing of a second tranche of 200 bonds convertible into shares with a nominal value of 10,000 euros each.
« The funds raised will be intended to primarily finance R&D expenses for the development of the technological platform, including the high-power fuel cell “clarified the company in his press releasespecifying that it will continue “to explore other sources of financing, including by way of a call for tenders”.
A new governance
In a press release published at the end of the yearthe manufacturer was already talking regarding an “adjustment” of its expenses and a “strengthening of its operational governance”.
While the old Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari took the helm of Hopium’s board of directors last June, Sylvain Laurent and Philippe Baudillon have been appointed Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer respectively to drive the new phases of growth for the company. For his part, Olivier Lombard has been appointed Deputy Managing Director in charge of the product.