THE INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT IS DEEMED BY THE COMPANY TO CONSTITUTE INSIDE
INFORMATION AS STIPULATED UNDER THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU)
NO. 596/2014, AS AMENDED ("MAR"). ON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE
("RIS"), THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE
PUBLIC DOMAIN.
DiscovOre plc
AQSE: ORE
(“DiscovOre plc or “the Company”)
Notice of General Meeting to approve,
Change of Name to Oscillate plc and Lawful Investment Strategy for
Investment in Medical Psychedelics
General Meeting
The Company announces that it is posting a circular and Notice
of General Meeting (“General Meeting”) to shareholders of the
Company (“Circular”), today to be held at Langton House, 81 High
Street, Battle, East Sussex, TN33
0AQ at 10:30am on 13 July 2021. Resolutions will be proposed to,
inter alia, approve the investment strategy to allow for lawful
investment in the medical psychedelics industry - having received a
legal opinion for which this investment strategy shall be governed,
- change the name of the Company to “Oscillate plc”, and to give
the Directors authority to issue New Ordinary Shares.
In light of the recent Government guidance regarding the
outbreak of Covid-19 (Coronavirus), all Shareholders are encouraged
not to attend the meeting in person. The Board encourages all
Shareholders to vote on the resolutions to be proposed at the
General Meeting by proxy before the deadline of 10:30 a.m. on 9 July
2021, as the Company is not able to predict at the current
time what, if any, restrictions will remain in place on indoor
gatherings at the date of the meeting as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic. Instructions for voting by proxy are set out in the notes
at the end of this Notice and on the proxy card sent to
shareholders. As there may be restrictions in place, shareholders
are encouraged to appoint the Chair of the Meeting as their
proxy.
A copy of the Circular and Notice of General Meeting can be
found at the Company’s website:
https://discovoreplc.com/rule-71/
Director Statement, Burns Singh Tennent-Bhohi:
“The Company appreciates the patience and extends our thanks
to the shareholders of DiscovOre plc as we have worked to finalise
the legal opinion, ensuring that any investment in medical
psychedelics is consistent with U.K. Law and regulation.
Contemporaneous to this process, the
Company has been focused on developing our internal corporate
strategy to ensure that we progress with purpose and establish
DiscovOre plc as a unique investment issuer in the U.K. offering
exposure to breakthrough medical opportunities and ventures that
the Company believes can create value through our special
situations investment arm.
This period has also allowed us to
review select opportunities in the medical psychedelics industry
with our evaluation now being at an advanced stage and focused
on:
- Investment Partnerships & Agreements: Pre-Clinical &
Clinical Trials
- Pre-IPO Opportunities
- Seed Capital (Private Company Opportunities)
In addition to investment
opportunities, the Company continues to conduct discussions with
members of the medical, scientific and pharmaceutical industry to
complement and enhance the Company’s evaluation of investment
opportunities.”
A copy of the Non-Executive
Chairman’s letter and Notice of General Meeting contained in the
Circular are set out in full below of this announcement without
material amendment or adjustment.
The Directors of the Company, who have
issued this RIS announcement after due and careful enquiry, accept
responsibility for its content.
Enquiries
Company:
Burns Singh Tennent-Bhohi (Director)
Conrad Windham (Director)
info@discovoreplc.com
Direct Office Line: +44 (0) 20 3778 0755
Corporate Adviser:
Peterhouse Capital Limited
Guy Miller & Mark Anwyl
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7220 9796
To Shareholders
24 June
2021
Notice of General
Meeting
AND
Adoption of new
Investing Strategy
Change of name to
Oscillate plc
1. Introduction and Background to the
Proposals
This Circular sets out the reasons for the adoption of an
Investment Strategy and other matters to be proposed at the General
Meeting, together with the general meeting resolutions. It also
explains why the Directors consider the Proposals to be in the best
interests of the Company and Shareholders as a whole and why they
recommend that Shareholders should vote in favour of the
Resolutions to be proposed at the General Meeting.
On 28 April 2021, the Board of the
Company announced, inter alia, a £3,500,000 fundraise, board
changes and the intention to call a general meeting to approve a
new strategy in the medical psychedelic industry. Further
information is available in paragraph 4 “Investment Strategy”.
The Company announced that it had raised £3,500,000 at 2p per
share through the issue of 175,000,000 Ordinary Shares and outlined
its intention to adopt an Investment Strategy that enables the
Company to lawfully invest in opportunities in the medical
psychedelic industry.
To better reflect the transition towards the psychedelic
industry and the more generalist investment approach to the
investment strategy, the Company is proposing to change its name to
Oscillate plc.
A notice convening the General Meeting at 10:30 a.m. on 13 July
2021, at Langton House, 81 High Street, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 0AQ, to consider the
Resolutions, is set out at the end of this Circular.
2. Dis-application of pre-emption
rights and authority to allot shares
In order to facilitate investments in the ordinary course of
implementing the Company’s proposed Investment Strategy, it is
necessary for the Directors to seek authority from Shareholders at
the General Meeting pursuant to the Companies Act 2006 to, inter
alia, issue Ordinary Shares for cash. The Directors may look to
raise additional funds for the Company following the General
Meeting, subject to any necessary resolutions being approved by
Shareholders.
Full details of the authorities the Directors are seeking at the
General Meeting are set out in the attached notice of General
Meeting.
3. Change of Name
Subject to Shareholders’ approval of the Proposals, it is
proposed that the name of the Company be changed to Oscillate
plc.
No new share certificates will be issued to Shareholders holding
share certificates as a result of the Company’s name change and
existing share certificates will remain valid.
If Resolution 3 is approved, the change of name will be
effective once Companies House has issued a new certificate on the
change of name. This is expected to occur on or around 13 July 2021, being the day of the General
Meeting. The tradeable instrument display mnemonic (“TIDM”) of the
Company is expected to change to MUSH effective from 7.00 a.m. on 14 July
2021. The Company has also secured the domain,
www.oscillateplc.com which, subject to the resolutions being
passed, will become the Company’s new corporate website.
4.
Investing
Strategy
In addition to the existing investing policy that includes
investment in the medical cannabis sector, announced on
5 June 2019, special situations,
approved on 26 October 2020, the
primary focus of this proposed investment strategy in the medical
psychedelic industry will be to invest into businesses or assets
involved in the development of potential treatments for mental
health issues, which include, but are not limited to:
1) Drug-resistant depression
2) Anxiety
3) Addiction and
4) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Resolution 1 will be to approve the New Investment Strategy.
The Directors will be focused on making investments in both
public and private companies and projects, and, in addition, will
consider the acquisition of a business or businesses. The
Directors’ primary objective is to achieve the best possible value
over time for Shareholders, primarily through capital growth but
potentially, in the future and only when felt prudent, dividend
income.
The Company intends to be an active investor in situations where
it can make a clear contribution to the progress and development of
the investment. In more substantial investment opportunities, the
Directors expect that the Company will be a passive investor.
The Directors believe that their collective experience, together
with their extensive network of contacts, will assist them in the
identification, evaluation and funding of appropriate investment
opportunities. When necessary, other external professionals will be
engaged to assist in the due diligence on prospective targets and
their management teams. The Directors will also consider appointing
additional directors and /or advisors with relevant experience if
the need arises.
There will be no limit on the number of projects into which the
Company may invest, and the Company may invest in a number of
propositions or in just one investment, which may be deemed to be a
reverse takeover pursuant to Rule 3.6 of the AQSE Growth Market
Rules. The Company may need to raise additional funds for these
purposes and may use both debt and/or equity.
Investment Strategy Process
The Company will focus on the UK and mainland Europe.
The Company will be responsible for commissioning appropriate
legal due diligence on prospective investments.
External advisers and investment professionals will be engaged
as necessary to assist with the sourcing and due diligence of
prospective opportunities. The Directors will also consider
appointing additional directors with relevant experience if the
need arises.
As part of each investment analysis, Burns Singh Tennent-Bhohi,
with the assistance of the Board, will liaise with and where
necessary, instruct National or Foreign Counsel to produce a legal
opinion relating to the terms and lawfulness of the Company’s
proposed investment. The Board will review the Counsel’s opinion to
identify whether the investment is in line with a legal opinion to
be given by UK Counsel in relation to the same matter. The
Board will heed the advice provided by Foreign and UK Counsel, and
where the advice given reflects any negatives, regulatory risks, or
otherwise advised, will decline the proposed investment. In
particular, the Board will seek to ensure that there is as little
risk as possible of breaching the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (“POCA
2002”), The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (“MDA 1971”), The Misuse of
Drugs (Designation) Order 2001 (“MDDO 2001”), The Misuse of Drugs
Regulations 2001 (S.I. 2001/3998) (“MDR 2001”) and the Psychoactive
Substances Act 2016. The Board will also seek to avoid any risk of
breaching Money Laundering Legislation and will seek to ensure that
any prospective future dividends will not contravene any laws,
having particular regard to whether there may be any breach of POCA
2002.
Once the Board, led by Burns Singh Tennent-Bhohi, has completed
due diligence on a prospective investment, it will opine on its
findings in a comprehensive report. The Independent Non-Executive
Director (as required by the AQSE Growth Market Rules) will in turn
provide their comments and recommendations to the Board as to
whether the Company should pursue the prospective investment.
The Company will endeavour to follow good corporate governance,
in that it will continually monitor changes in activities of its
investee companies, and especially those investee company shares
that will be held long term. The Board will, in particular, assess
the credibility of the investee company directors. The Company will
monitor and engage with investee companies. This will allow the
Company to improve its understanding of investee companies and
their governance structures. To this end, meeting with management
of investee companies will take place regularly to review
management process and best practices in, amongst other things,
regulatory questions pertaining to the Investment Strategy. At a
minimum, the Company would expect companies to comply with the
accepted corporate governance standard in their domestic
country.
RISK FACTORS
1. Risks relating to the investment in target companies whose
main activities include psychedelic production and research
and development thereof
The Company and its shareholders may
be at risk of committing offences under POCA 2002
Even with the Company taking all precautions to ensure that it
and the target companies in which it invests comply fully with all
applicable regulations and legislation in relation to psychedelics
(both in the UK and in the relevant foreign jurisdiction applicable
to a target company), there are no guarantees that the activities
of the Company and a target company will always be deemed lawful if
there are any changes in the applicable law.
The Company will take all precautions possible to ensure that it
does not at any time contravene POCA 2002. Contravention of POCA
2002 carries potential criminal liability.
The Company’s reputation may be
damaged
Damage to the Company’s reputation can be the result of the
actual or perceived occurrence of any number of events, and could
include negative publicity, whether true or not. This may arise as
a consequence of investing in companies that are involved in the
production and the research and development of medicinal
psychedelics, psychedelics/psilocybin and its esters (which include
psilocybin) being a Class B drug within the UK.
The increased usage of social media and other web-based tools
used to generate, publish and discuss user-generated content and to
connect with other users has made it increasingly easier for
individuals and groups to communicate and share opinions and views
in regards to the Company and its activities, along with those
activities of certain target companies in which the Company
invests.
Reputation loss may result in decreased investor confidence,
increased challenges in developing and maintaining community
relations, banking relationships etc. and thereby having a material
adverse impact on the financial performance, financial conditions,
cash flows and growth prospects of the Company.
The Company, or the Medicinal
Psychedelics industry more generally, may receive unfavourable
publicity or become subject to negative consumer perception
The Company believes that the medicinal psychedelics industry is
highly dependent upon consumer perception regarding the medical
benefits, safety, efficacy and quality of the medical psychedelics
distributed for medical purposes to such consumers. Consumer
perception of a target company’s products can be significantly
influenced by scientific research or findings, regulatory
investigations, litigation, political statements, media attention
and other publicity (whether or not accurate or with merit)
regarding the consumption of psychedelic products for medical
purposes, including unexpected safety or efficacy concerns arising
with respect to the products of a target company or its
competitors.
There can be no assurance that future scientific research,
findings, regulatory proceedings, litigation, media attention or
other research findings or publicity will be favourable to the
medicinal psychedelics market or any particular product, or
consistent with earlier publicity. Future research reports,
findings, regulatory proceedings, litigation, media attention or
other publicity that are perceived as less favourable than, or that
question, earlier research reports, findings or publicity could
have a material adverse effect on the demand for a target company’s
products and the business, results of operations and financial
condition of a target company and therefore materially adversely
affect the Company’s return on investment.
Furthermore, adverse publicity reports or other media attention
regarding the safety, efficacy and quality of psychedelics for
medical purposes in general, or a target company’s products
specifically, or associating the consumption of psychedelic
medicine with illness or other negative effects or events, could
have such a material adverse effect. Such adverse publicity reports
or other media attention could arise even if the adverse effects
associated with such products resulted from consumers’ failure to
consume such products legally, appropriately or as directed.
Psychedelic plants may not be approved
for medicinal use in all (or any) jurisdictions
Medical regulatory authorities in many jurisdictions require
carefully conducted studies (clinical trials) in hundreds to
thousands of human subjects to determine the benefits and risks of
a possible medication. In many jurisdictions, researchers have not
conducted sufficient large-scale clinical trials that show that the
benefits of psychedelic components.
2. Risks relating to regulatory
matters
Laws, regulations and guidelines may
change in ways that the Company has not predicted
The laws, regulations and guidelines applicable to the medicinal
psychedelics industry may change in ways currently unforeseen by
the Company.
The Company’s operations and investments into quoted or approved
and properly licensed companies lawfully producing and/or
conducting research into psychedelics are subject to laws,
regulations and guidelines. If there are any changes to such laws,
regulations or guidelines, which are matters beyond the Company’s
control, the Company may incur significant costs in complying with
or is unable to comply with such changes. This may have a material
adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and
results of operations.
Regulatory Compliance Risks and
maintaining a bank account
Failure to comply with regulations may result in additional
costs for corrective measures, penalties or in restrictions of
operations. In addition, changes in regulations, more vigorous
enforcement thereof or other unanticipated events could require
extensive changes to operations, increased compliance costs or give
rise to material liabilities, which could have a material adverse
effect on the business, results of operations and financial
condition, and, therefore, on the Company’s prospective
returns.
As a result of perceived reputational risk and regulatory risks,
the Company, in the medicinal psychedelics sector, may in the
future have difficulty in maintaining its current bank accounts,
establishing further bank accounts, or other business
relationships.
Environmental Regulations and
Risks
The operations of some target companies will be subject to
environmental regulation in the various jurisdictions in which they
operate. These regulations mandate, among other things, the
maintenance of air and water quality standards and land
reclamation. They also set forth limitations on the generation,
transportation, storage and disposal of solid and hazardous waste.
Environmental legislation is evolving in a manner which will
require stricter standards and enforcement, increased fines and
penalties for non-compliance, more stringent environmental
assessments of proposed projects and a heightened degree of
responsibility for companies and their officers, directors and
employees. There is no assurance that future changes in
environmental regulation, if any, will not adversely affect the
business, financial condition and operating results of a target
company, and therefore have a material adverse effect on the
Company’s return on investment.
Changes to safety, health and
environmental regulations could have a material effect on future
operations of target companies
Safety, health and environmental legislation will affect nearly
all aspects of a target company’s operations including product
development, working conditions, waste disposal and emission
controls. Compliance with safety, health and environmental
legislation can require significant expenditures and failure to
comply with such safety, health and environmental legislation may
result in the imposition of fines and penalties, the temporary or
permanent suspension of operations, clean-up costs resulting from
contaminated properties, damages and the loss of important permits.
Exposure to these liabilities arises not only from a target
company’s existing operations but from operations that have been
closed or sold to third parties. A target company could also be
held liable for worker exposure to hazardous substances and for
accidents causing injury or death. There can be no assurances that
a target company will at all times be in compliance with all
safety, health and environmental regulations or that steps to
achieve compliance would not materially adversely affect a target
company’s business, and therefore have a material adverse effect on
the Company’s return on investment.
Safety, health and environmental laws and regulations are
evolving in all jurisdictions. The Company is not able to determine
the specific impact that future changes in safety, health and
environmental laws and regulations may have on a target company’s
operations and activities, and its resulting financial position;
however, the Company anticipates that capital expenditures and
operating expenses will increase in the future as a result of new
and increasingly stringent safety, health and environmental
regulation. Further changes in safety, health and environmental
laws, new information on existing safety, health and environmental
conditions or other events, including legal proceedings based upon
such conditions on an inability to obtain necessary permits, may
require increased financial reserves or compliance expenditures or
otherwise have a material adverse effect on a target company, and
therefore have a material adverse effect on the Company’s return on
investment.
5. General Meeting
There is attached to this Document the notice convening a
General Meeting of the Company to be held at Langton House, 81 High
Street, Battle, East Sussex, TN33
0AQ, at 10:30 a.m. on 13 July 2021 at which the Resolutions will be
proposed to, inter alia, approve the change of Investment Strategy
and to change the name of the Company. A summary of some of the
Resolutions is set out below.
Resolution 1 - which will be proposed as an ordinary resolution,
seeks approval for the proposed Investment Strategy.
Resolution 2 - which will be proposed as an ordinary resolution,
seeks approval to authorise the Directors to issue shares pursuant
to section 551 of the Companies Act 2006.
Resolution 3 - which will be proposed as a special resolution,
seeks approval to change the name of the Company to “Oscillate plc”
and that the Company’s memorandum and articles of association be
amended to reflect such change of name.
Resolution 4 - which will be proposed as a special resolution,
seeks approval to disapply the statutory pre-emption rights under
section 561 of the Companies Act 2006.
6. Action to be taken
Shareholders will find a Form of Proxy enclosed for use at the
General Meeting. Whether or not you intend to be present at the
General Meeting, you are requested to complete and return the Form
of Proxy in accordance with the instructions printed thereon as
soon as possible. To be valid, completed Forms of Proxy must be
received by the Company’s Registrars, not later than 10:30 a.m. on 9 July
2021, being 2 business days before the time appointed for
holding the General Meeting. The Form of Proxy can be emailed to
Neville Registrars at info@nevilleregistrars.co.uk. You are
entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and to exercise all or any of
your rights to vote and to speak at the General Meeting instead of
you. Completion of the Form of Proxy will not preclude you from
attending and voting at the General Meeting in person if you so
wish. Your attention is drawn to the notes to the Form of
Proxy.
Recommendation
The Directors considers the Proposals
to be in the best interests of the Company and the Shareholders as
a whole and therefore recommend that you vote in favour of the
Resolutions, as the Directors intend to do in respect of their own
shares.
Yours faithfully,
Burns Singh Tennent-Bhohi
For and on behalf of the Board
DiscovOre plc
APPENDIX I
NOTICE OF GENERAL
MEETING
DiscovOre plc
(Incorporated in England and Wales with Registered number 06010900)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the General Meeting of the members
of the Company will be held at Langton House, 81 High Street,
Battle, East Sussex, TN33 0AQ, at
10:30 a.m. on 13 July 2021 to consider and, if thought fit,
pass the following resolutions, resolutions numbered 1 and 2 being
proposed as ordinary resolutions and resolutions numbered 3 and 4
being proposed as special resolutions.
In light of the rapidly evolving situation and recent Government
guidance regarding the outbreak of Covid-19 (Coronavirus), all
Shareholders are encouraged not to attend the meeting in person.
The Board strongly encourages all shareholders to vote on the
resolutions to be proposed at the General Meeting by proxy before
the deadline of 10:30 a.m. on
9 July 2021 as the Company is not
able to predict at the current time what, if any, restrictions will
remain in place on indoor gatherings at the date of the meeting as
a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instructions for voting by proxy
are set out in the notes at the end of this Notice and on the proxy
card sent to shareholders. As there may be restrictions in place,
shareholders are encouraged to appoint the Chair of the Meeting as
their proxy.
The formalities of the meeting shall continue, as required by
the Companies Act 2006 and the Company's Articles of Association,
but all shareholders are encouraged to vote by proxy.
This Notice concerns matters described in a circular to
shareholders of the Company dated 24 June
2021 (the “Circular”). Words and expressions defined in the
Circular have the same meaning in this Notice.
ORDINARY
RESOLUTIONS
1. THAT, the new Investment Strategy as set out in the Circular
be approved.
2. THAT, in substitution for all existing and unexercised
authorities, the Directors be and they are hereby generally and
unconditionally authorised for the purpose of section 551 of the
Companies Act 2006 (‘the Act’) to exercise all or any of the powers
of the Company to allot equity securities (within the meaning of
Section 560 of the Act) up to a maximum nominal amount of £150,000
provided that this authority shall, unless previously revoked or
varied by the Company, expire on the earlier of the conclusion of
the next Annual General Meeting of the Company or 15 months after
the passing of this resolution, except that the Directors may
before the expiry of such period make an offer or agreement which
would or might require relevant securities to be allotted after the
expiry of such period and the Directors may allot relevant
securities in pursuance of such offer or agreement as if the
authority conferred hereby had not expired.
SPECIAL
RESOLUTIONS
3. THAT, the Company’s name be changed to Oscillate plc.
4. THAT, in substitution for all existing and unexercised
authorities and subject to the passing of the immediately preceding
resolution, the Directors be and they are hereby empowered pursuant
to section 570 of the Act to allot equity securities (as defined in
section 560 of the Act) pursuant to the authority conferred upon
them by resolution 2 as if section 561(1) of the Act did not apply
to any such allotment provided that the power conferred by the
resolution, unless previously revoked or varied by special
resolution of the Company in general meeting, shall be limited:
(a) to the allotment of equity securities in connection
with a rights issue in favour of ordinary shareholders where the
equity securities respectively attributable to the interest of all
such shareholders are proportionate (as nearly as may be) to the
respective numbers of the ordinary shares held by them subject only
to such exclusions or other arrangements as the Directors may
consider appropriate to deal with fractional entitlements or legal
and practical difficulties under the laws of, or the requirements
of any recognised regulatory body in, any territory;
(b) to the allotment (otherwise than pursuant to sub-paragraph
(a) above) of equity securities up to an aggregate nominal amount
of £150,000 in respect of any other issues for cash consideration;
and
shall expire on the earlier of the date of the next Annual
General Meeting of the Company or 15 months from the date of the
passing of this resolution save that the Company may before such
expiry make an offer or agreement which would or might require
equity securities to be allotted after such expiry and the
directors may allot equity securities in pursuance of such offer or
agreement as if the power conferred hereby had not expired.
The power granted by this Resolution will expire fifteen months
after the passing of this resolution or, if earlier, the conclusion
of the Company’s next annual general meeting (unless renewed,
varied or revoked by the Company prior to or on such date) save
that the Company may, before such expiry make offers or agreements
which would or might require equity securities to be allotted after
such expiry and the Directors may allot equity securities in
pursuance of any such offer or agreement notwithstanding that the
power conferred by this resolution has expired.
This resolution revokes and replaces all unexercised powers
previously granted to the Directors to allot equity securities as
if section 561(1) of the Act did not apply but without prejudice to
any allotment of equity securities already made or agreed to be
made pursuant to such authorities.
By Order of the
Board
Burns Singh Tennent-Bhohi
|
Salisbury House
London Wall
London
EC2M 5PS |
Date: 24 June 2021
DiscovOre plc,
London, 24th June 2021