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ASX March Tech Winners: Tech sector gets smashed, but Opyl and Rocketboots hold strong

ASX tech took a hit with global chaos while Opyl, Yojee, and RocketBoots made moves, but big Wall Street names are struggling with AI.

ASX tech stocks took a hammering in May. Picture via Getty Images
ASX tech stocks took a hammering in May. Picture via Getty Images

In March, the S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology sector (XIJ) took a big hit, making it the worst-performing sector on the ASX.

Source: Market Index
Source: Market Index

Several factors contributed to this downturn. First, there’s the ongoing global market turmoil.

The Nasdaq 100 has just wrapped up its worst quarter in nearly three years.

Big names like Nvidia, Broadcom, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta, which were once the shining stars of the market, have all taken a big hit.

Nvidia’s stock alone has fallen by 28% since January, and Broadcom’s down 33% since its high in December.

Things took a turn for the worse when Trump’s tariffs added more pressure, causing the Nasdaq to tumble by as much as 2.5% in a single day.

But the biggest reason for the tech selloff is that companies have been pouring huge amounts of cash into building the data centres and chips needed for AI.

Some experts now believe they might be building too fast.

Alibaba’s co-founder raised concerns about whether there’s really enough demand for all these new AI facilities.

Then, a report came out saying that Microsoft, which had committed US$80 billion to data centre projects this year, was pulling back from some of its plans in the US and Europe because there’s already too much supply.

On top of that, AI models from China are challenging the idea that US companies need to spend as much on resources to stay ahead.

“All of this adds up to too many dollars chasing too little computing centre demand,” said Kim Forrest at Bokeh Capital.

Michael Mullaney at Boston Partners told Bloomberg that these AI concerns are rising amid overall market uncertainty, especially when stocks were already priced to perfection.

“That makes them an extremely obvious place for investors who are broadly nervous to take profits,” he said.

Back home, Aussie tech stocks also mirrored this volatility.

Additionally, the quarterly rebalance of the S&P/ASX 200 Index in March led to adjustments in sector weightings, contributing to the sector's underwhelming performance.

ASX tech winners in March

Code Name Price Month % Change Market Cap
OPL Opyl Limited 0.03 68% $6,174,986
SMP Smartpay Holdings 0.77 50% $193,554,771
YOJ Yojee Limited 0.18 25% $53,168,155
ROC Rocketboots 0.12 24% $11,662,585
IOD Iodm Limited 0.18 20% $110,981,553
EOS Electro Optic Sys. 1.31 19% $270,132,939
DRO Droneshield Limited 0.91 18% $829,791,901
FCL Fineos Corp Hold PLC 2.00 17% $690,539,317
KYP Kinatico Ltd 0.18 17% $71,295,177
ATV Activeportgroupltd 0.02 15% $9,589,679
PRO Prophecy Internation 0.52 14% $38,339,046
TAL Talius Group Limited 0.01 14% $22,939,892
VR1 Vection Technologies 0.03 13% $41,104,533
FL1 First Lithium Ltd 0.08 13% $6,372,288
HCL Highcom Ltd 0.22 13% $22,076,774
FLX Felix Group 0.22 13% $43,967,438
CGO CPT Global Limited 0.06 13% $2,639,534
BCC Beam Communications 0.09 12% $7,950,817
JCS Jcurve Solutions 0.03 12% $8,919,273
IRI Integrated Research 0.43 12% $78,035,192
BEO Beonic Ltd 0.20 11% $14,172,202
VIG Victor Group Hldgs 0.06 9% $39,133,600
SKO Serko 3.55 9% $412,473,329
NOR Norwood Systems Ltd. 0.03 8% $12,660,574
BTH Bigtincan Hldgs Ltd 0.22 7% $176,660,326
EOL Energy One Limited 11.04 7% $343,067,694
AMO Ambertech Limited 0.15 7% $14,787,741
NVX Novonix Limited 0.45 7% $305,299,326
AXE Archer Materials 0.32 7% $76,454,104
TZL TZ Limited 0.06 5% $17,959,303
RUL Rpmglobal Hldgs Ltd 2.85 4% $635,302,076
XF1 Xref Limited 0.14 4% $29,688,753
EVS Envirosuite Ltd 0.08 4% $121,691,110
IKE Ikegps Group Ltd 0.74 4% $118,180,552
CXZ Connexion Mobility 0.03 3% $25,193,497
CDA Codan Limited 15.59 2% $2,916,027,723
EIQ Echoiq Ltd 0.28 2% $170,671,102
IRE IRESS Limited 8.10 2% $1,514,862,634
ELS Elsight Ltd 0.36 1% $64,269,630
QHL Quickstep Holdings 0.57 1% $40,525,311

Opyl (ASX:OPL)

Clinical trials focused tech firm, Opyl, reported a solid half-year.

During the half, TrialKey, its flagship platform, passed a thorough review by X Firm during due diligence, confirming its reliability and ability to perform at scale.

The platform’s predictive analytics now boast an impressive 92% accuracy in predicting clinical trial outcomes.

Opyl also successfully used AI to create reports for NeuOrphan's drug candidates, and provided validation reports for cannabis product suppliers through Phenix Health.

Looking ahead, Opyl said it’s feeling optimistic about 2025.

The joint venture with X Firm and other partnerships position it well for growth, it said, especially with a focus on North America and EMEA, which are key markets for clinical trials.

The goal now is to secure capital and aggressively pursue clients in these regions, which could significantly boost revenue.

SmartPay (ASX:SMP)

Payment tech firm, Smartpay, rose after receiving two non-binding, early-stage takeover offers during the month.

One was from Tyro Payments (ASX:TYR), who’s looking to buy 100% of Smartpay for NZ$1.00 (about $0.90) per share, mostly in Tyro shares and some cash.

The other offer comes from an un-named international party, also aiming to acquire 100% of Smartpay.

Both offers are still very early, and nothing’s set in stone yet.

Yojee (ASX:YOJ)

Freight tech company, Yojee, was on the up after signing two major contracts in March.

First, it inked a deal with DSV in Australia to implement its Transport Carrier Management System (TCMS). This system helps businesses manage their transport operations by digitising land freight and reducing costs.

DSV will start using Yojee’s TCMS in Melbourne and Sydney, with plans to expand across Australia and New Zealand by the end of 2025.

Then, Yojee signed another deal with Röhlig Logistics for a four-month pilot of its TCMS in Singapore, set to go live by May 1st.

Röhlig will use Yojee’s system to optimise its transport movements with external carriers. By August, the system will be fully operational across Röhlig’s fleet in Singapore.

RocketBoots (ASX:ROC)

Banking and retail tech firm, Rocketboots, has renewed its contract with a major Australian retail bank, continuing a 6-year partnership.

The new deal is worth $214k annually, an increase of $52k, and runs for two years with a prepaid total value of $432k.

The company also said it’s scaling up its business to tap into the global retail, grocery, and banking markets, which are worth billions.

On top of that, RocketBoots has struck a partnership with Gebit Solutions, a global point-of-sale software provider.

This deal will see RocketBoots’ AI-powered loss prevention software integrated with Gebit’s POS systems.

Gebit operates in over 32 countries and serves some of the world’s largest retailers.

IODM (ASX:IOD)

Account receivables tech company, IODM, has made big moves during the month by securing revenue share deals in North America with Convera, covering the education sectors in the US and Canada.

Starting in March, IODM will earn a share of the revenue Convera gets from educational institutions that adopt its IODM Connect platform.

The share depends on whether the institution is a new or existing client, with IODM earning 20% for existing clients and 30% for new ones.

The US and Canada are huge markets for IODM, with a combined potential market value of over $275 million, more than five times what’s on offer in the UK.

IODM is also in talks with other payment providers to expand even further in North America, so there could potentially be more to come.

ASX tech losers in March

Code Name Price Month % Change Market Cap
SBW Shekel Brainweigh 0.00 -100% $4,789,286
NUH Nuheara Limited 0.00 -100% $21,914,147
LVH Livehire Limited 0.00 -100% $19,789,288
FBR FBR Ltd 0.01 -63% $50,598,588
1TT Thrive Tribe Tech 0.00 -40% $2,031,723
IFG Infocusgroup Hldltd 0.01 -33% $2,407,900
XPN Xpon Technologies 0.01 -33% $2,899,532
SNS Sensen Networks Ltd 0.02 -29% $18,239,862
AI1 Adisyn Ltd 0.05 -29% $39,727,908
VNL Vinyl Group Ltd 0.09 -28% $132,199,614
DTI DTI Group Ltd 0.01 -27% $3,588,411
ID8 Identitii Limited 0.01 -27% $6,193,708
AD8 Audinate Group Ltd 6.21 -27% $536,822,905
PIL Peppermint Inv Ltd 0.00 -25% $8,845,917
W2V Way2Vatltd 0.01 -22% $6,538,001
NVU Nanoveu Limited 0.04 -21% $31,182,070
FND Findi Limited 4.00 -21% $245,062,567
DUB Dubber Corp Ltd 0.03 -20% $91,725,164
GTI Gratifii 0.10 -20% $32,523,783
IS3 I Synergy Group Ltd 0.00 -20% $1,584,871
1CG One Click Group Ltd 0.01 -20% $10,600,919
BLG Bluglass Limited 0.02 -19% $33,130,086
CCR Credit Clear 0.23 -18% $97,669,188
CML Connected Minerals 0.15 -17% $5,583,359
NXL Nuix Limited 3.07 -17% $1,058,346,659
EPX Ept Global Limited 0.04 -16% $25,690,706
AR9 Archtis Limited 0.06 -16% $17,853,963
OEC Orbital Corp Limited 0.09 -16% $14,459,791
ESK Etherstack PLC 0.26 -16% $34,364,721
XYZ Block Inc 86.47 -16% $4,984,409,936
SMN Structural Monitor. 0.38 -16% $64,036,595
JAN Janison Edu Group 0.17 -15% $44,181,003
NXT Nextdc Limited 11.31 -15% $7,486,464,092
FCT Firstwave Cloud Tech 0.02 -15% $29,129,818
360 Life360 Inc. 19.81 -15% $3,793,057,857
NVQ Noviqtech Limited 0.05 -14% $11,822,218
HYD Hydrix Limited 0.02 -14% $4,909,839
SPZ Smart Parking Ltd 0.76 -14% $315,817,741
DTZ Dotz Nano Ltd 0.07 -14% $37,943,925
AVA AVA Risk Group Ltd 0.10 -14% $26,142,482
QOR Qoria Limited 0.42 -14% $553,173,743
MP1 Megaport Limited 9.63 -13% $1,613,924,809
TYR Tyro Payments 0.77 -13% $406,579,271
SPX Spenda Limited 0.01 -13% $32,306,508
SLX Silex Systems 3.61 -12% $897,029,178
CYB Aucyber Limited 0.10 -12% $15,211,392
LIS Lisenergylimited 0.11 -12% $80,025,029
ICE Icetana Limited 0.02 -12% $6,572,140
BVS Bravura Solution Ltd 2.25 -11% $1,004,312,964
WHK Whitehawk Limited 0.01 -11% $5,195,168
OLL Openlearning 0.02 -11% $8,205,469
CF1 Complii Fintech Ltd 0.03 -10% $14,856,235
DWG Dataworks Group 0.01 -10% $16,335,887
NOV Novatti Group Ltd 0.03 -10% $15,147,695
XRO Xero Ltd 154.75 -9% $23,862,901,192
WBT Weebit Nano Ltd 1.92 -9% $425,920,968
WTC Wisetech Global Ltd 81.23 -9% $26,774,291,480
RDY Readytech Holdings 2.60 -9% $315,121,394
BDT Birddog 0.03 -9% $5,167,553
ACE Acusensus Limited 1.07 -9% $154,728,578
ERD Eroad Limited 0.87 -8% $163,984,303
ATA Atturralimited 0.83 -8% $311,059,483
COS Cosol Limited 0.80 -8% $145,591,037
DXN DXN Limited 0.04 -8% $10,454,627
ASV Assetvisonco 0.04 -8% $28,095,739
PPK PPK Group Limited 0.34 -7% $29,059,999
SP3 Specturltd 0.01 -7% $4,314,102
EXT Excite Technology 0.01 -7% $25,484,783
MX1 Micro-X Limited 0.06 -6% $40,514,571
OAK Oakridge 0.06 -6% $1,619,874
DTL Data#3 Limited 7.25 -6% $1,110,692,748
AJX Alexium Int Group 0.01 -6% $12,691,429
AT1 Atomo Diagnostics 0.02 -6% $10,866,439
TNE Technology One 27.84 -6% $9,333,277,104
DUG DUG Tech 1.12 -6% $150,143,225
CAT Catapult Grp Int Ltd 3.46 -5% $955,412,924
XRG Xreality Group Ltd 0.04 -5% $19,984,380
CAG Caperangeltd 0.09 -5% $8,541,747
SOR Strategic Elements 0.04 -5% $17,345,912
RCL Readcloud 0.10 -5% $15,259,936
CPU Computershare Ltd 39.13 -5% $23,546,500,798
SEN Senetas Corporation 0.02 -4% $38,076,939
8CO 8Common Limited 0.02 -4% $4,705,993
SPA Spacetalk Ltd 0.23 -4% $14,668,563
LVE Love Group Global 0.12 -4% $4,864,100
PHX Pharmx Technologies 0.08 -4% $46,085,023
RWL Rubicon Water 0.28 -4% $67,394,627
4DS 4Ds Memory Limited 0.03 -3% $62,072,030
RKN Reckon Limited 0.49 -3% $55,514,468
KNO Knosys Limited 0.04 -3% $7,997,132
BRN Brainchip Ltd 0.21 -2% $435,534,473
IFM Infomedia Ltd 1.33 -2% $513,090,277
OCL Objective Corp 15.09 -2% $1,456,732,865
ASB Austal Limited 4.19 -1% $1,755,169,259
HSN Hansen Technologies 5.00 -1% $1,004,892,337
PPS Praemium Limited 0.71 -1% $348,732,077
DDR Dicker Data Limited 8.36 -1% $1,522,681,083
DSE Dropsuite Ltd 5.76 -1% $403,991,510
EML EML Payments Ltd 0.97 -1% $378,071,674

Originally published as ASX March Tech Winners: Tech sector gets smashed, but Opyl and Rocketboots hold strong

Original URL: https://www.thechronicle.com.au/business/stockhead/asx-march-tech-winners-tech-sector-gets-smashed-but-opyl-and-rocketboots-hold-strong/news-story/b5e0b87ebef83f1145f8ed55a3c8d6e8