The Aim 100: part two

This particular company's meteoric rise is exactly why Aim remains such an exciting market - a place where it's still possible to buy into companies at the beginning of their growth journeys. Just 10 years ago you could have bought that company's shares for just 5p - today they're worth more than £31 each. That represents a return in excess of 60,000 per cent, an all the more impressive gain given that, just as its business began to take off in 2005, the biggest ever explosion in peacetime Britain destroyed much of its business.

Such a disaster perhaps highlights the risks inherent in some of Aim's smaller companies - their size can leave them at the mercy of uncontrollable events that can knock them for six. But the remarkable story of Aim's largest company belies a myth that has made some investors wary of Aim - that its looser listing requirements attract unscrupulous owners and managers whose only goal is to cash in at the expense of investors. The story of Aim's largest company belies that in one fell swoop, demonstrating an entrepreneurial vision and persistence which is often said to be so lacking in the UK but which is common on Aim's boards.

We started our countdown of Aim's largest companies last week, and continue with the top 50 this week. We've also provided a new table for the whole Aim 100, updating the columns that indicate the inheritance tax exemption (or business property relief, as its more accurately known) that many Aim shares enjoy. Thanks to Sean Flanagan at private client stockbroker Charles Stanley for this more comprehensive list. However, because the HMRC doesn't actually publish a list of BPR qualifying shares, we still recommend you seek IHT planning advice from experts such as Charles Stanley.

Aim 100: 50 to 1*