THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING APPENDICES I AND II AND THE
INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN (TOGETHER, THIS "ANNOUNCEMENT") IS
RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN
WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO OR FROM THE
UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, NEW
ZEALAND, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER
JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION
WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION
PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR
FORM ANY PART OF AN OFFER TO SELL OR ISSUE, OR A SOLICITATION OF AN
OFFER TO BUY, SUBSCRIBE FOR OR OTHERWISE ACQUIRE ANY SECURITIES
IN THE UNITED
STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, NEW
ZEALAND, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR IN ANY
OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER OR SOLICITATION WOULD BE
UNLAWFUL OR TO ANY PERSON TO WHOM IT IS UNLAWFUL TO MAKE SUCH OFFER
OR SOLICITATION. NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF THE FUNDRAISING SHARES IS
BEING MADE IN ANY SUCH JURISDICTION. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH
THESE RESTRICTIONS MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE SECURITIES
LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTIONS. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION IN
APPENDIX I TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES
OF ARTICLE 7 OF EU REGULATION 596/2014 (AS AMENDED) (WHICH FORMS
PART OF DOMESTIC UK LAW PURSUANT TO THE EUROPEAN UNION
(WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 (AS AMENDED)). UPON THE
PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A REGULATORY INFORMATION
SERVICE, THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE
PUBLIC DOMAIN.
22 February 2024
RBG Holdings
plc
("RBG",
the "Group", or the "Company")
Proposed Placing,
Subscription and Retail Offer to raise, in aggregate, minimum gross
proceeds of £2.7 million
Subscription includes
investment of £1.0 million by the Board
and
Notice of General
Meeting
RBG Holdings plc (AIM: RBGP), the
legal and professional services group, is pleased to announce a
proposed fundraising to raise, in aggregate, minimum gross proceeds
of approximately £2.7 million by way of a placing (the
"Placing") of new ordinary
shares of 0.2 pence each ("Ordinary Shares") in the capital of the
Company to raise a minimum of approximately £1.5 million at a price
of 9.0 pence per share (the "Issue
Price") equivalent to a minimum
of 16,401,482 new
Ordinary Shares (the "Placing
Shares"), as well as a subscription (the "Subscription") equivalent to
13,753,275 new Ordinary
Shares (the "Subscription
Shares") at the Issue Price raising approximately
£1.2 million.
Certain Directors have indicated
their intention to participate in the Subscription for £1.0
million, equivalent to 11,111,111
Subscription Shares at the Issue Price. This includes a
re-investment of £850,000 in the Subscription by Ian Rosenblatt,
Executive Vice Chair and Substantial Shareholder in the Company. An
institutional investor based in the US has also agreed
to participate in the
Subscription.
The Placing is being conducted via
an accelerated bookbuild process (the "Bookbuild") to be undertaken by Singer
Capital Markets Securities Limited ("Singer Capital Markets"). The Bookbuild
will be launched immediately following the release of this
announcement (the "Announcement"). The Placing is subject
to the terms and conditions set out in Appendix I to this
Announcement.
In addition to the Placing and the
Subscription, it is proposed that there will be a separate
conditional retail offer to existing Shareholders via the Bookbuild
Platform (the "Retail
Offer", together with the Placing and the Subscription, the
"Fundraising"). The Retail
Offer aims to provide existing retail Shareholders in the Company
with an opportunity to participate in the Fundraising. A separate
announcement will be made by the Company regarding the Retail Offer
and its terms. Those investors who subscribe for Retail Offer
Shares pursuant to the Retail Offer will do so pursuant to the
terms and conditions of the Retail Offer contained in that
announcement. The Placing and the Subscription are not conditional
upon the Retail Offer and for the avoidance of doubt, the Retail
Offer is not part of the Placing nor the Subscription.
The Issue Price represents a
discount of approximately 2.7 per cent. to the closing mid-price
per Ordinary Share on 21 February 2024, being the last practicable
date prior to this Announcement.
The Fundraising is being conducted
in two tranches. 9,533,125 Placing Shares (the "Firm Placing Shares") will be allotted
and issued pursuant to the Firm Placing and are expected to be
admitted to trading on AIM at 8.00 a.m. on or around 27 February
2024 ("First Admission"),
raising gross proceeds of approximately £0.86 million for the
Company. A minimum of 6,868,357 Placing Shares (the "Conditional Placing Shares"), the
Subscription Shares and the Retail Offer Shares (the "Conditional Fundraising Shares") will
be allotted and issued pursuant to the Conditional Fundraising and
are expected to be admitted to trading at 8.00 a.m. on AIM on or
around 14 March 2024 ("Second
Admission"), raising gross proceeds of a minimum of
approximately £1.86 million for the Company.
First Admission and Second Admission
are conditional, inter
alia, upon the Placing Agreement not having been terminated
and becoming unconditional in respect of those shares. Second
Admission is also conditional, inter alia, upon the passing of the
Fundraising Resolutions by Shareholders at the General Meeting to
be held at the offices of Memery Crystal, 165 Fleet Street, London,
EC4A 2DY at 11.00 a.m. on 12 March 2024. A circular, containing
further details of the Fundraising and a notice convening the
General Meeting in order to pass the Fundraising Resolutions (the
"Circular"), is expected to
be despatched to Shareholders on or around 23 February 2024 and the
Circular, once published, will be available on the Company's
website at
www.rbgholdings.co.uk/investor-relations/reports-documents-and-circulars/.
This Announcement should be read in
its entirety. In particular, your attention is drawn to the
detailed terms and conditions of the Placing and further
information relating to the Placing and any participation in the
Placing that is described in Appendix I to this Announcement (which
forms part of this Announcement). Words and phrases defined in
Appendix II apply throughout this Announcement unless the context
otherwise requires.
For
further enquiries:
RBG
Holdings plc
Jon Divers, Chief Executive
Officer
Kevin McNair, Chief Financial
Officer
|
Via SEC Newgate
|
Singer Capital Markets (Nomad and Broker)
Rick Thompson / Alex Bond / James
Fischer (Corporate Finance)
Tom Salvesen (Corporate
Broking)
|
Tel: +44 (0)20 7496 3000
|
SEC
Newgate (for media/analyst enquiries)
Tali Robinson / Robin
Tozer
|
Tel: +44 (0)7970 664807
rbg@secnewgate.co.uk
|
About RBG Holdings plc
· Further information about RBG Holdings plc is available
at: www.rbgholdings.co.uk
· Further information about Rosenblatt (founded in 1989) is
available at: www.rosenblatt.co.uk
· Further information about Memery Crystal (founded in 1979) is
available at: www.memerycrystal.com
· Further information about Convex Capital (founded in 2010) is
available at: www.convexcap.com
EXPECTED TIMETABLE OF PRINCIPAL EVENTS
Event
|
2024
|
|
|
|
|
Announcement of the
Fundraising
|
22
February
|
|
|
Announcement of the result of the
Placing
|
22
February
|
|
|
Announcement and launch of the
Retail Offer
|
23
February
|
|
|
Publication and posting of the
Circular and the Form of Proxy
|
23
February
|
|
|
First Admission and dealings in the
Firm Placing Shares expected to commence on AIM
|
8.00 a.m.
on 27 February
|
|
|
Latest time and date for receipt of
the Forms of Proxy
|
11.00 a.m.
on 8 March
|
|
|
Close of the Retail Offer
|
1.00 p.m.
on 8 March
|
General Meeting
|
11.00 a.m.
on 12 March
|
|
|
Announcement of the results of the
General Meeting
|
12
March
|
|
|
Second Admission and dealings in the
Conditional Fundraising Shares expected to commence on
AIM
|
8.00 a.m.
on or around 14 March
|
|
|
Expected date for CREST accounts to
be credited for Firm Placing Shares
|
as soon as
possible after 8.00 a.m. on 27 February
|
Expected date for CREST accounts to
be credited for Conditional Fundraising Shares
|
as soon as
possible after 8.00 a.m. on 14 March
|
|
|
Despatch of definitive share
certificates in respect of Firm Placing Shares to be held in
certificated form, if applicable
|
within 10
Business Days after First Admission
|
Despatch of definitive share
certificates in respect of Conditional Fundraising Shares to be
held in certificated form, if applicable
|
within 10
Business Days after Second Admission
|
|
|
Notes:
1.
Each of the times and dates above are indicative only and if any of
the details contained in the timetable above should change, the
revised times and dates will be notified to Shareholders by means
of an announcement through a Regulatory Information
Service.
2.
All of the above times refer to London time unless otherwise
stated.
3.
All events listed in the above timetable relating to Second
Admission and the Conditional Fundraising are conditional on the
passing at the General Meeting of the Fundraising
Resolutions.
FUNDRAISING STATISTICS
Number of Existing Ordinary
Shares
|
95,331,236
|
|
|
Number of Firm Placing
Shares
|
9,533,125
|
|
|
Minimum Number of Conditional
Placing Shares(1)
|
6,868,357
|
Number of Subscription
Shares(1)
|
13,753,275
|
|
|
Aggregate minimum number of
Fundraising Shares (1) (2)
|
30,154,757
|
|
|
Issue Price
|
9.0 pence
per share
|
|
|
Number of Ordinary Shares in issue
following First Admission
|
104,864,361
|
Minimum number of Ordinary Shares in
issue following Second Admission (1) (2)
|
125,485,993
|
|
|
Percentage of the Enlarged Share
Capital represented by the Firm Placing Shares following First
Admission
|
9.1%
|
|
|
Minimum percentage of the Enlarged
Share Capital represented by the Fundraising Shares following
Second Admission (1) (2)
|
24.0%
|
|
|
Minimum gross proceeds of the
Placing (1)
|
£1.5
million
|
|
|
Gross proceeds of the
Subscription(1)
|
£1.2
million
|
|
|
Aggregate minimum gross proceeds of
the Fundraising (1) (2)
|
£2.7
million
|
|
|
Aggregate minimum net proceeds of
the Fundraising (1) (2) (3)
|
£2.5
million
|
|
|
Ordinary Share ISIN
|
GB00BFM6WL52
|
(1) Conditional on the passing of the Fundraising
Resolutions
(2) Assuming no Retail Offer Shares are
issued
(3) Based on the estimated expenses of the
Fundraising
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
1. Background to and
reason for the Fundraising
RBG is a legal and professional
services group whose strategic focus is to provide best in class
legal and corporate advice to its clients. The Group consists of
two trading divisions:
·
RBG Legal Services ("RBGLS"): made up of Rosenblatt, which
focuses on dispute resolution and is ranked in Legal 500's Tier 1
for commercial litigation: mid-market, and Memery Crystal, which
provides a full suite of transactional, advisory and regulatory
legal services across Corporate and Real Estate sectors.
· Convex
Capital Limited ("Convex"):
specialist sell-side corporate finance advisory boutique based in
Manchester, with a focus on selling owner-managed businesses in
certain key sectors.
The twelve months ended 31 December
2023 ("FY 2023") was a year
of inflexion for the Group as the new Executive Directors worked
through paying down inherited creditors and cleaning up the Group's
balance sheet. On top of the challenging trading environment for
the Group in FY 2023, the new Executive Directors inherited a
backlog of exceptional and non-recurring expenses that have drained
working capital from the Group. These expenses included overdue
creditors, legal claims, professional fees, litigation investments
and dividends totalling £7.6 million. Without the impact of these
exceptional and non-recurring costs, the Group in FY2023 would have
remained cash generative in what was a very challenging
year.
The Directors are focussed on
rebuilding the profitability of the core business of the Group. As
highlighted in the FY 2023 trading update released by the Company
on 18 December 2023, the new management team have been proactive in
taking action to reduce the Group's risk profile and there has been
a re-focus on the core strategy and activities of the Group where
the Board believes it can best maximise profits. The key areas of
action include:
Reduced risk
In July 2023, the Group announced it
had completed the disposal of LionFish Litigation Finance Limited
("LionFish"), a non-core
business which financed litigation matters run by third-party
solicitors, to reduce the Group's exposure to third-party
litigation funding commitments. The disposal resulted in a reported
loss on disposal of £0.8 million, whilst an adverse cost ruling
regarding a case prior to the disposal has subsequently incurred a
settlement of £0.4 million net of insurance. Additionally, the
Group has stepped back from unfunded Alternative Billing
Arrangements ("ABAs"). The
change in accounting policy as set out in the announcement made by
the Company on 27 July 2023, with the Group no longer carrying
investments in ABAs as assets on the balance sheet, has resulted in
disbursements of £0.92 million being expensed during FY
2023.
Increase stability
The Group announced on 11 December
2023 that it had renewed and extended its existing borrowing
facilities with its current provider, HSBC. The renewed facility,
which runs until 31 December 2025, totals £24.0 million at an
interest rate of 2.4 - 3.15 per cent. over the Sterling Overnight
Index Average, resulting in a current effective rate of 8.3 per
cent with no interest payments until 30 June 2024 and no principal
repayments until 2025.
Focus on profitability
The Directors are focussed on
growing the Group's profitably and will seek to do so organically
rather than through acquisitions. Additionally, RBGLS is increasing
its focus on higher margin, more active markets, and investing in
them, including international arbitration and public company
M&A. Seven new partners have also been recruited into RBGLS in
FY 2023 despite the challenges faced during the year with the
benefit of these appointments expected to fully materialise in the
second half of the year to 31 December 2024 ("FY 2024"). The Group have also
implemented a new incentive scheme for RBGLS partners aimed at
driving profitable growth in the business with a core focus on
profitability and cash collection.
Prudent financial management
The Board has previously stated that
reducing the Group's debt from its existing level is a priority.
The Group have already taken a number of actions in order to
achieve this, including suspending the dividend policy and
disposing of Lionfish. A full review of the Group's balance sheet
and accounting policies has been undertaken by the Directors which
has now concluded with all exceptional liabilities that had been
incurred and uncovered having been cleared. The Group have also
appointed two real estate agents in order to reduce the ongoing
lease costs of the Company's property footprint and optimise
remaining space. Any associated cost savings are expected to come
into effect in the second half of FY 2024.
Improved operational management
The Group has already implemented
improved performance management structures and processes across the
business, setting clear objectives which partners will be measured
against. The Directors believe these will improve transparency and
operational performance across the Group. A new ERP system has also
been implemented by the Company with operational benefits expected
to come into effect during FY2024. Anticipated benefits include
improved data collection and therefore performance management,
better visibility and monitoring of operational risk,
identification of potential overhead cost reductions, as well as
increasing focus on working capital cycles at all levels of the
Company.
Re-Focus on Core Strategy and Outlook
RBGLS
In FY 2023, RBGLS is expected to
deliver revenue of £39.7 million (2022: £44.5 million) impacted by
a more subdued than expected trading performance in the second half
of FY 2023, which is typically the stronger of the two halves for
the division. This was driven by a challenging macroeconomic
backdrop.
The Board has decided to re-focus
its strategy on the core business of the Group being its legal
services division. Following the pay down of inherited creditors
and the cleaning up of the balance sheet in FY 2023, the Board are
confident that, following the Fundraising, RBGLS will be in a
strong position to return to profitable growth and free cash flow
generation. The Directors believe that a number of initiatives
implemented in its legal services division will drive profitable
growth going forward with the impact of the recruitment of seven
new partners into RBGLS expected to fully materialise in the second
half of FY 2024 with further opportunities to bring new teams of
partners into the division in FY 2024 being explored. Memery
Crystal has also seen the beginnings of an improvement in
conditions and activity in Equity Capital Markets in early FY 2024
and anticipates an improvement in Commercial Real Estate over the
year.
The Board is also focussed on
improving efficiencies within RBGLS and has identified
opportunities to reduce costs within the business in order to
improve margins. The new ERP system implemented in the legal
services division will shortly begin providing operational benefits
to the businesses and more efficient team structures have been
employed to improve utilisation. The Group are actively pursuing
cost reduction opportunities including a significant potential to
reduce the Group's real estate costs which are currently
approximately £4.0 million per year. The Group is targeting
potentially up to £1.5 - 2.0 million of cost savings from its real
estate footprint with further potential savings in IT costs
identified following the implementation of the new ERP
system.
Convex
In FY 2023, Convex is expected to
have delivered revenue of £2.2 million (2022: £5.3 million) in what
was a challenging year for the business against a backdrop of weak
economic and market conditions. The ongoing fixed costs of Convex
are currently approximately £2.2 million per year. Convex has a
potential deal pipeline representing approximately £14 million of
fee potential across 25 transactions in multiple sectors. Deals
that have already launched to market account for approximately
£10.3 million of potential fees.
As stated above, and in the context
of its wider review of the working capital position of the Group,
the Board is considering focussing its efforts on the core legal
services business of the Group and is thus actively exploring
strategic options regarding the future of Convex. The Board has
been approached by the leadership team at Convex to explore a
management buyout of the business. Whilst there can be no certainty
as to whether any management buyout will conclude, nor the terms,
the Board believes that this will be to the benefit of the Group as
it will:
· Allow
the Group to re-focus on and invest in its core legal services
business; and
· Ensure
a more predictable and stable financial profile of the Group going
forward, which will allow for more accurate financial forecasting
and an improved working capital position.
The Group will provide further
updates regarding its strategic options for Convex as
appropriate.
Independent Non-Executive Director
In the summer of 2023, the Board
announced its intention to recruit an additional independent
Non-Executive Director. The Board is committed to completing this
recruitment process as soon as practicable and ideally prior to the
Company's 2024 Annual General Meeting expected to be held in (or
around) June 2024.
Use
of Proceeds
Notwithstanding the actions taken by
the Directors as set out above, the Company's net debt (excluding
IFRS 16) as at 31 December 2023 stood at £22.9m (including Group
cash of £2.4m). Whilst the Directors are confident in the future
prospects of the Group, they deem it necessary to undertake the
Fundraising to fund the Group's short-term working capital
requirements and, more specifically to:
· Reduce
the use of the HSBC facilities;
· Ease
the pressure on the Group's cash management function;
and
· Benefit from the material savings in interest payments in FY
2024 and beyond through lower borrowings.
The Directors believe that even
under a downside scenario, the Placing and Subscription will
provide the Company with sufficient liquidity for at least a
12-month period. Furthermore, the Board is
confident that, subject to completing the Fundraising, in its base
case scenario the Company will not be in breach of the covenants of
its facility with HSBC over the next twelve months.
In the event the Company completes
the Fundraising but a reasonable downside case in trading
transpires, the Board believes the Company has mitigating actions
available to it to ensure compliance with its financial covenants
over the next twelve months.
Shareholders should note that in the
event that the Fundraising Resolutions are not passed, Second
Admission will not occur, and the Company would not receive the
funds from the Conditional Fundraising, which would limit the
amount of working capital available to the Company. There is no
certainty that alternative other funding to meet the Company's
working capital requirements over the next twelve months would be
available on suitable terms or at all.
2. Details of the Fundraising
Details of the Placing
The Company proposes to raise a
minimum of approximately £1.5 million (before
expenses) through the issue of a minimum of 16,401,482 Placing
Shares at the Issue Price.
In connection with the Placing, the
Company has today entered into a placing agreement with Singer
Capital Markets and SCM Advisory (the "Placing Agreement") pursuant to which
Singer Capital Markets (acting as agent for and on behalf of the
Company in respect of the Placing) has agreed, in accordance with
its terms, to use reasonable endeavours to procure subscribers for
the Placing Shares at the Issue Price. The Placing is not
underwritten.
Participation in the Placing is
subject to the terms and conditions set out in Appendix I (which
forms part of this Announcement).
Following the release of this
Announcement, Singer Capital Markets will commence the Bookbuild in
respect of the Placing. The final number of Placing Shares to be
placed at the Issue Price will be determined at the close of the
Bookbuild. The timing of the closing of the Bookbuild and
allocations thereunder are at the absolute discretion of Singer
Capital Markets, having consulted with the Company. Details of the
number of Placing Shares will be announced as soon as practicable
after the close of the Bookbuild.
The Placing Agreement contains
certain customary warranties given by the Company concerning the
accuracy of information given in this Announcement in respect of
the Placing as well as other matters relating to the Group and its
business. The Company has also agreed to indemnify Singer Capital
Markets and its affiliates against certain liabilities that they
may incur in respect of the Placing. The Placing Agreement is
terminable by Singer Capital Markets in certain customary
circumstances at any time prior to Second Admission (and, for the
avoidance of doubt, First Admission) including, inter alia, should there be a breach
of a warranty contained in the Placing Agreement or should a force
majeure event take place or a material adverse change to the
business of the Group occur.
The Placing is conditional upon the
Placing Agreement not having been terminated and becoming
unconditional in respect of the Placing Shares, and, inter alia:
· in
respect of the Firm Placing Shares, First Admission becoming
effective at 8:00 a.m. on 27 February 2024
(or such later time and/or date as the Company and Singer Capital
Markets may agree, but in any event by no later than 8.00 a.m. on
12 March 2024). The Directors will use the
Company's existing authorities and powers to disapply pre-emption
rights granted by resolutions passed at the Annual General Meeting
of the Company held on 22 June 2023 to
allot and issue the Firm Placing Shares. The issue of the Firm
Placing Shares is not, therefore, subject to the approval of
Shareholders; and
· in
respect of the Conditional Placing Shares, First Admission becoming
effective, the Fundraising Resolutions
being duly passed without amendment at the General Meeting, and
Second Admission becoming effective at 8:00 a.m. on 14 March 2024 (or such later time and/or date as the
Company and Singer Capital Markets may agree, but in any event by
no later than 8.00 a.m. on 29 March
2024).
The Placing Shares, when issued and
fully paid, will rank pari
passu in all respects with the Existing Ordinary Shares,
including the right to receive all dividends and other
distributions declared, made or paid in respect of such Ordinary
Shares after the date of issue.
Details of the Subscription
A US institutional investor has
agreed to subscribe for Subscription Shares at the Issue Price
raising gross proceeds of approximately £0.2 million. In addition,
certain Directors have indicated their intention to subscribe for,
in aggregate, 11,111,111 Subscription Shares at the Issue Price
raising, in aggregate, gross proceeds of approximately £1.0
million. This includes a re-investment of £850,000 in the
Subscription intended to be made by Ian Rosenblatt, Executive Vice
Chair and Substantial Shareholder in the Company. The Subscription
is therefore expected to raise gross proceeds of, in aggregate, of
£1.2 million.
The Subscription Shares will be
allotted and issued as part of the Conditional Fundraising. The
Subscription is conditional, inter alia, upon the Placing Agreement
not having been terminated and becoming unconditional in respect of
those shares prior to Second Admission and on the Fundraising
Resolutions being duly passed without amendment at the General
Meeting. The Subscription Shares are expected to be admitted to
trading on AIM pursuant to the Second Admission, being at
8:00 a.m. on 14 March
2024.
The Subscription Shares, when issued
and fully paid, will rank pari
passu in all respects with the Existing Ordinary Shares,
including the right to receive all dividends and other
distributions declared, made or paid after the date of Second
Admission.
Details of the Retail Offer
The Company values its retail
Shareholder base and believes that it is appropriate to provide its
existing retail Shareholders resident in the United Kingdom the
opportunity to participate in the Retail Offer at the Issue Price.
In addition to the Placing and the Subscription, therefore, the
Company intends to use the BookBuild Platform to conduct a Retail
Offer, on the terms to be set out in a separate announcement to be
made by the Company following the close of the
Bookbuild.
The Retail Offer Shares, when issued
and fully paid, will rank pari
passu in all respects with the Existing Ordinary Shares
(including the Placing Shares and the Subscription Shares),
including the right to receive all dividends and other
distributions declared, made or paid after the date of Second
Admission.
3. Related Party Transactions
Directors' Participation in the Fundraising
Certain Directors have indicated
their intention to participate in the Subscription for an aggregate
value of approximately £1.0 million. As a part of the Directors'
participation in the Subscription, Ian
Rosenblatt, Executive Vice Chair and Substantial Shareholder of the
Company, will re-invest £850,000 worth of revenue commission he
earned in FY 2023 in Ordinary Shares.
The Directors' proposed respective
subscriptions would constitute related party transactions under
Rule 13 of the AIM Rule. Details of the subscriptions of the
Directors in the Fundraising will be set out in the result of the
General Meeting announcement should the Fundraising Resolutions be duly passed
by Shareholders at the General Meeting.
Participation by a Substantial Shareholder in the
Fundraising
Premier Miton Limited ("Premier Miton"), a Substantial
Shareholder in the Company, has indicated its intention to
participate in the Placing. The proposed
participation by Premier Miton would constitute a related party
transaction under Rule 13 of the AIM Rule. Further details will be
set out in the announcement of the result of the Placing following
the close of the Bookbuild.
4. Admission, Settlement and
Dealings
Application will be made to the
London Stock Exchange for the Fundraising Shares to be admitted to
trading on AIM. First Admission is expected to take place and
dealings in the Firm Placing Shares are expected to commence at
8.00 a.m. on 27 February 2024, at which time it is also expected
that the Firm Placing Shares will be enabled for settlement in
CREST and, subject to the passing of the Fundraising Resolutions at the General Meeting, it is
expected that Second Admission will become effective and dealings
in the Conditional Fundraising Shares will commence at 8.00 a.m. on
14 March 2024, at which time it is also expected that the
Conditional Fundraising Shares will be enabled for settlement in
CREST.
5. General Meeting
The Directors do not currently have
authority and power to allot the Conditional Fundraising Shares.
Accordingly, the Board is seeking the approval of Shareholders at
the General Meeting to allot the Conditional Fundraising Shares,
together with approval to disapply pre-emption rights in respect of
the Conditional Fundraising Shares. In addition, the Directors are
seeking to renew the Company's share authorities and pre-emption
rights based on the Enlarged Share Capital of the Company. Set out
at the end of the Circular will be a notice convening the General
Meeting to be held at the offices of Memery
Crystal, 165 Fleet Street, London, EC4A 2DY at 11.00 a.m. on 12
March 2024.
6. Recommendation & Importance of
Vote
The
Directors consider the Fundraising and the conferring of additional
shareholder authority to be in the best interests of the Company
and the Shareholders as a whole and, accordingly, unanimously
recommend that Shareholders vote in favour of the Resolutions as
they intend to do in respect of their own beneficial holdings
amounting, in aggregate, to 19,572,711 Existing Ordinary Shares,
representing approximately 20.5 per cent. of the Existing Ordinary
Shares.
Shareholders should note that in the event that the
Fundraising Resolutions are not passed, Second Admission will not
occur and the Company would not receive the funds from the
Conditional Fundraising, which would limit the amount of working
capital available to the Company. There is no certainty that
alternative sources of funding would be available to cover the
working capital shortfall on suitable terms or at all. In such
circumstances, the Directors would need to resort to taking
significant mitigating actions or seek alternative sources of
financing immediately in order to ensure liquidity in the short
term.
Shareholders should take independent advice if they wish to
consider the suitability of these risks with regard to their own
particular circumstances and investment criteria.
The
person responsible for arranging the release of this Announcement
on behalf of the Company is Kevin McNair, Chief Financial
Officer.
IMPORTANT NOTICES
Forward-looking statements
This Announcement includes
"forward-looking statements" which include all statements other
than statements of historical facts, including, without limitation,
those regarding the Group's financial position, business strategy,
plans and objectives of management for future operations, or any
statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words
"targets", "believes", "expects", "aims", "intends", "will", "may",
"anticipates", "would", "could" or "similar" expressions or
negatives thereof. Such forward-looking statements involve known
and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors beyond
the Company's control that could cause the actual results,
performance or achievements of the Group to be materially different
from future results, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking
statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding the Group's
present and future business strategies and the environment in which
the Group will operate in the future. These forward-looking
statements speak only as at the date of this Announcement. The
Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to
disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking
statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company's
expectations with regard thereto or any change in events,
conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based
unless required to do so by applicable law or the AIM
Rules.
Notice to overseas persons
This Announcement does not
constitute, or form part of, a prospectus relating to the Company,
nor does it constitute or contain any invitation or offer to any
person, or any public offer, to subscribe for, purchase or
otherwise acquire any shares in the Company or advise persons to do
so in any jurisdiction, nor shall it, or any part of it form the
basis of or be relied on in connection with any contract or as an
inducement to enter into any contract or commitment with the
Company.
This Announcement is not for
release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, directly
or indirectly, in or into Australia, Canada, Japan or any
jurisdiction into which the publication or distribution would be
unlawful. This Announcement is for information purposes only and
does not constitute an offer to sell or issue or the solicitation
of an offer to buy or acquire shares in the capital of the Company
in Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, or any jurisdiction in
which such offer or solicitation would be unlawful or require
preparation of any prospectus or other offer documentation or would
be unlawful prior to registration, exemption from registration or
qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required
by the Company and Singer Capital Markets to inform themselves
about, and to observe, such restrictions. No action has been taken
by the Company, Singer Capital Markets or any of their respective
affiliates or any person acting on its or their behalf that would
permit an offering of the Placing Shares or possession or
distribution of this Announcement or any other offering or
publicity material relating to the Placing Shares in any
jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required.
This announcement is not for
publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the
United States. This announcement is not an offer of securities for
sale into the United States, or to, or for the account or benefit
of U.S. Persons or persons in the United States. The
securities referred to herein have not been and will not be
registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any
state or other jurisdictions of the United States and may not be
offered or sold in the United States, or to, or for the account or
benefit of U.S. Persons or persons in the United States. Each
Placee will be required to warrant that it and any account with
respect to which it exercises investment discretion is outside the
United States and is not a U.S. Person.
General
SCM Advisory, which is authorised
and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA, is acting as
nominated adviser and Singer Capital Markets, which is authorised
and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA, is acting as broker
to the Company in connection with the Placing. Neither SCM Advisory
nor Singer Capital Markets will be responsible to anyone other than
the Company for providing the protections afforded to customers of
SCM Advisory or Singer Capital Markets or for advising any other
person on the arrangements described in this Announcement and will
not regard any other person (whether or not a recipient of this
Announcement) as a client in relation to the Placing or the
transactions and arrangements described in this Announcement. No
undertaking, representation, warranty or other assurance, expressed
or implied, is made by SCM Advisory or Singer Capital Markets or by
any of their respective partners, directors, officers, employees,
advisers, consultants or affiliates as to, or in relation to, the
accuracy, fairness or completeness of the information or opinions
contained in this Announcement or any other written or oral
information made available to or publicly available to any
interested person or its advisers and any liability thereof is
expressly disclaimed. SCM Advisory's responsibilities as the
Company's nominated adviser under the AIM Rules for Nominated
Advisers are owed solely to the London Stock Exchange and are not
owed to the Company or to any Director or to any other
person.
This Announcement has been issued
by, and is the sole responsibility of, the Company. None of the
information in this Announcement has been independently verified or
approved by Singer Capital Markets or any of their respective
partners, directors, officers, employees, advisers, consultants or
affiliates.
In connection with the Placing,
Singer Capital Markets and any of its affiliates, acting as
investors for their own account, may take up a portion of the
shares in the Placing as a principal position and in that capacity
may retain, purchase, sell, offer to sell for their own accounts or
otherwise deal for their own account in such shares and other
securities of the Company or related investments in connection with
the Placing or otherwise. Accordingly, references to Placing Shares
being offered, acquired, placed or otherwise dealt in should be
read as including any issue or offer to, or acquisition, placing or
dealing by, Singer Capital Markets and any of its affiliates acting
in such capacity. In addition, Singer Capital Markets and any of
its affiliates may enter into financing arrangements (including
swaps) with investors in connection with which Singer Capital
Markets and any of its affiliates may from time to time acquire,
hold or dispose of shares. Singer Capital Markets does not intend
to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions
otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory
obligations to do so.
No statement in this Announcement is
intended to be a profit forecast or estimate, and no statement in
this Announcement should be interpreted to mean that earnings per
share of the Company for the current or future financial years
would necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings
per share of the Company.
The price of securities and any
income expected from them may go down as well as up and investors
may not get back the full amount invested upon disposal of the
securities. Past performance is no guide to future performance, and
persons needing advice should consult an independent financial
adviser.
Neither the content of the Company's
website (or any other website) nor any website accessible by
hyperlinks on the Company's website (or any other website) or any
previous announcement made by the Company is incorporated in, or
forms part of, this Announcement.
UK
Product Governance Requirements
Solely for the purposes of the
product governance requirements contained within Chapter 3 of the
FCA Handbook Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook
(the "UK Product Governance
Rules"), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether
arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any "manufacturer"
(for the purposes of the UK Product Governance Rules) may otherwise
have with respect thereto, the Placing Shares have been subject to
a product approval process, which has determined that such Placing
Shares are: (i) compatible with an end target market of retail
investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional
clients and eligible counterparties, each as defined in paragraphs
3.5 and 3.6 of COBS; and (ii) eligible for distribution through all
permitted distribution channels (the "UK Target Market Assessment").
Notwithstanding the UK Target Market Assessment, distributors
should note that: the price of the Placing Shares may decline and
investors could lose all or part of their investment; the Placing
Shares offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an
investment in the Placing Shares is compatible only with investors
who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who
(either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or
other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of
such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to
bear any losses that may result therefrom. The UK Target Market
Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any
contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation
to the Placing. Furthermore, it is noted that, notwithstanding the
UK Target Market Assessment, Singer Capital Markets will only
procure investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and
eligible counterparties.
For the avoidance of doubt, the UK
Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (a) an assessment of
suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of COBS 9A and COBS
10A, respectively; or (b) a recommendation to any investor or group
of investors to invest in, or purchase or take any other action
whatsoever with respect to the Placing Shares. Each distributor is
responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in
respect of the Placing Shares and determining appropriate
distribution channels.
EU
Product Governance Requirements
Solely for the purposes of the
product governance requirements contained within: (a) EU Directive
2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended
("MiFID II"); (b) Articles
9 and 10 of Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593
supplementing MiFID II; (c) local implementing measures (together,
the "MiFID II Product Governance
Requirements"), and disclaiming all and any liability,
whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any
"manufacturer" (for the purposes of the MiFID II Product Governance
Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Placing
Shares have been subject to a product approval process, which has
determined that the Placing Shares are: (i) compatible with an end
target market of retail investors and investors who meet the
criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each
as defined in MiFID II; and (ii) eligible for distribution through
all distribution channels as are permitted by MiFID II (the
"EU Target Market
Assessment"). Notwithstanding the EU Target Market
Assessment, distributors should note that: the price of the Placing
Shares may decline and investors could lose all or part of their
investment; the Placing Shares offer no guaranteed income and no
capital protection; and an investment in the Placing Shares is
compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income
or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an
appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating
the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient
resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom.
The EU Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to the
requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling
restrictions in relation to the Placing. Furthermore, it is noted
that, notwithstanding the EU Target Market Assessment, Singer
Capital Markets will only procure investors who meet the criteria
of professional clients and eligible counterparties.
For the avoidance of doubt, the EU
Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (a) an assessment of
suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of MiFID II; or (b)
a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest
in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect
to the Placing Shares. Each distributor is responsible for
undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the
Placing Shares and determining appropriate distribution
channels.
APPENDIX I
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE
PLACING
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON THE
PLACING FOR INVITED PLACEES ONLY
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT
ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THIS
APPENDIX I) AND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN (TOGETHER,
THIS "ANNOUNCEMENT") ARE
FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE DIRECTED ONLY AT PERSONS
WHOSE ORDINARY ACTIVITIES INVOLVE THEM IN ACQUIRING, HOLDING,
MANAGING AND DISPOSING OF INVESTMENTS (AS PRINCIPAL OR AGENT) FOR
THE PURPOSES OF THEIR BUSINESS AND WHO HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS AND ARE: (1) IF IN A MEMBER
STATE OF THE EEA QUALIFIED INVESTORS AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE 2(E) OF
THE EU PROSPECTUS REGULATION; (2) IF IN THE UNITED KINGDOM,
QUALIFIED INVESTORS AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE 2(E) OF THE UK PROSPECTUS
REGULATION; WHO (A) FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL
SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005, AS
AMENDED (THE "ORDER")
(INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS) OR (B) FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO
(D) (HIGH NET WORTH COMPANIES, UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATIONS, ETC.)
OF THE ORDER; OR (3) OTHERWISE, PERSONS TO WHOM IT IS OTHERWISE
LAWFUL TO COMMUNICATE IT TO (ALL SUCH PERSONS TOGETHER BEING
REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT
PERSONS").
BY ACCEPTING THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, YOU REPRESENT AND AGREE THAT YOU
ARE A REVELANT PERSON. NEITHER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT NOR THE
INFORMATION IN IT SHOULD BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON BY PERSONS WHO
ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS. PERSONS DISTRIBUTING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT
MUST SATISFY THEMSELVES THAT IT IS LAWFUL TO DO SO. ANY INVESTMENT
OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES IS
AVAILABLE ONLY TO RELEVANT PERSONS AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH
RELEVANT PERSONS. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN
OFFER FOR THE SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO
BUY OR ACQUIRE OF ANY SECURITIES IN THE COMPANY NOR SHALL THERE BE
A SALE OF THE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE OR JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH
OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER OF
SECURITIES FOR SALE INTO THE UNITED STATES. THE PLACING SHARES HAVE
NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE US SECURITIES ACT OR
WITH ANY SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF ANY STATE OR
JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES OR UNDER ANY SECURITIES LAWS OF
ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND MAY NOT BE
OFFERED, SOLD, RESOLD, PLEDGED, TRANSFERRED OR DELIVERED, DIRECTLY
OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN
APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE
REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE US SECURITIES ACT, IN EACH CASE,
AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE
OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES. SUBJECT TO CERTAIN
EXCEPTIONS AND AT THE SOLE DISCRETION OF THE COMPANY, THE PLACING
SHARES ARE BEING OFFERED AND SOLD ONLY (I) OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED
STATES IN ACCORDANCE WITH REGULATION S UNDER THE US SECURITIES ACT
AND OTHERWISE IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS, (II) IN THE
UNITED STATES TO PERSONS WHO ARE "QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYERS"
(AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A UNDER THE US SECURITIES ACT) OR (III)
OTHERWISE PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION
REQUIREMENTS OF THE US SECURITIES ACT. ANY OFFER OR SALE OF PLACING
SHARES IN THE UNITED STATES WILL BE MADE ONLY BY BROKER-DEALERS WHO
ARE REGISTERED AS SUCH UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934, AS AMENDED. THERE WILL BE NO PUBLIC OFFER OF THE SECURITIES
MENTIONED HEREIN IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE
INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR RELEASE,
PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR
INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA,
CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY
OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE PUBLICATION OR
DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL (THE "RESTRICTED JURISDICTIONS"). NO PUBLIC
OFFERING OF THE PLACING SHARES IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES,
THE UNITED KINGDOM OR ELSEWHERE WHERE SUCH OFFERING WOULD BE
UNLAWFUL. NO MONEY, SECURITIES OR OTHER CONSIDERATION FROM ANY
PERSON INSIDE THE UNITED STATES IS BEING SOLICITED AND, IF SENT IN
RESPONSE TO THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, WILL
NOT BE ACCEPTED.
EACH PLACEE SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS
OWN ADVISORS AS TO ANY LEGAL, TAX, BUSINESS AND RELATED ASPECTS OF
A PURCHASE OF PLACING SHARES. THE DISTRIBUTION OF THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT, ANY PART OF IT OR ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED IN IT MAY
BE RESTRICTED BY LAW IN CERTAIN JURISDICTIONS, AND ANY PERSON INTO
WHOSE POSSESSION THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, ANY PART OF IT OR ANY
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN IT COMES SHOULD INFORM THEMSELVES ABOUT,
AND OBSERVE, SUCH RESTRICTIONS.
All offers of the Placing Shares in
the United Kingdom or the EEA will be made pursuant to an exemption
from the requirement to produce a prospectus under the UK
Prospectus Regulation or the EU Prospectus Regulation, as
appropriate. In the United Kingdom, this Announcement is being
directed solely at persons in circumstances in which section 21(1)
of the FSMA does not require the approval of the relevant
communication by an authorised person.
The Placing Shares have not been
approved or disapproved by the US Securities and Exchange
Commission, any state securities commission or other regulatory
authority in the United States nor have any of the foregoing
authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the Placing or
the accuracy or adequacy of this Announcement. Any representation
to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States. The
relevant clearances have not been, nor will they be, obtained from
the securities commission of any province or territory of Canada,
no prospectus has been lodged with, or registered by, the
Australian Securities and Investments Commission or the Japanese
Ministry of Finance; the relevant clearances have not been, and
will not be, obtained for the South Africa Reserve Bank or any
other applicable body in the Republic of South Africa in relation
to the Placing Shares and the Placing Shares have not been, nor
will they be registered under or offered in compliance with the
securities laws of any state, province or territory of Australia,
Canada, Japan or the Republic of South Africa. Accordingly, the
Placing Shares may not (unless an exemption under the relevant
securities laws is applicable) be offered, sold, resold or
delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into Australia, Canada,
Japan or the Republic of South Africa or any other jurisdiction
outside the EEA.
Persons (including without
limitation, nominees and trustees) who have a contractual right or
other legal obligations to forward a copy of this Announcement
should seek appropriate advice before taking any action.
This Announcement should be read in
its entirety. In particular, any Placee should read and understand
the information provided in the "Important Notice" section of this
Announcement.
Each Placee which confirms its
agreement to Singer Capital Markets (whether orally or in writing)
to subscribe for Placing Shares under the Placing, hereby agrees
with Singer Capital Markets and the Company that it will be bound
by these terms and conditions and will be deemed to have accepted
them.
Singer Capital Markets may require
any Placee to agree to such further terms and/or conditions and/or
give such additional warranties and/or representations as it (in
its absolute discretion) sees fit and/or may require any such Placee
to execute a separate placing letter.
Singer Capital Markets makes no
representation to any Placees regarding an investment in the
Placing Shares. Neither Singer Capital Markets nor any of their
respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers, employees or
consultants make any representation to any Placees regarding an
investment in the Placing Shares. The Placing does not constitute a
recommendation or financial product advice and Singer Capital
Markets has not had regard to particular objectives, financial
situation and needs for each of the Placees.
By participating in the Bookbuild
and the Placing, each Placee, by making an oral or written and
legally binding offer to acquire Placing Shares, will be deemed to
have read and understood this Announcement in its entirety, to be
participating, making an offer and acquiring Placing Shares on the
terms and conditions contained herein and to be providing the
representations, warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements and
undertakings contained herein.
EACH PLACEE SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS OWN ADVISERS AS TO ANY
LEGAL, REGULATORY, TAX, BUSINESS AND RELATED ASPECTS OF A
SUBSCRIPTION FOR THE PLACING SHARES.
In particular, each such Placee
represents, warrants, undertakes, agrees and acknowledges (amongst
other things) that:
1.
it is a Relevant Person and
undertakes that it will acquire, hold, manage or dispose of any
Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the purposes of its
business;
2. in the case of a
Relevant Person in the United Kingdom who acquires any Placing
Shares pursuant to the Placing:
(a) it is either a
qualified investor within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the UK
Prospectus Regulation ("UK
Qualified Investor"); and
(b) in the case of
any Placing Shares acquired by it as a financial intermediary, as
that term is used in Article 5(1) of the UK Prospectus
Regulation:
(i) the Placing Shares
acquired by it in the Placing have not been acquired on behalf of,
nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale
to, persons in the United Kingdom other than UK Qualified Investors
or in circumstances in which the prior consent of Singer Capital
Markets has been given to the offer or resale; or
(ii) where Placing
Shares have been acquired by it on behalf of persons in the United
Kingdom other than UK Qualified Investors, the offer of those
Placing Shares to it is not treated under the UK Prospectus
Regulation as having been made to such persons;
3. in the case of a
Relevant Person in a member state of the EEA (each a "Relevant State") who acquires any
Placing Shares pursuant to the Placing:
(a) it is a
"qualified investor" within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the EU
Prospectus Regulation ("EU
Qualified Investor"); and
(b) in the case of
any Placing Shares acquired by it as a financial intermediary, as
that term is used in Article 5(1) of the EU Prospectus
Regulation:
(i) the
Placing Shares acquired by it in the Placing have not been acquired
on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their
offer or resale to, persons in a Relevant State other than EU
Qualified Investors or in circumstances in which the prior consent
of Singer Capital Markets has been given to the offer or resale;
or
(ii) where
Placing Shares have been acquired by it on behalf of persons in a
Relevant State other than EU Qualified Investors, the offer of
those Placing Shares to it is not treated under the EU Prospectus
Regulation as having been made to such persons;
4. it is acquiring
the Placing Shares for its own account or is acquiring the Placing
Shares for an account with respect to which it exercises sole
investment discretion and has the authority to make and does make
the representations, warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements,
undertakings and agreements contained herein;
5. it understands (or if
acting for the account of another person, such person has confirmed
that such person understands) the resale and transfer restrictions
set out in this Announcement; and
6. except as otherwise
permitted by the Company and subject to any available exemptions
from applicable securities laws, it (and any account referred to
above) is outside the United States acquiring the Placing Shares in
offshore transactions as defined in and in accordance with
Regulation S under the US Securities Act.
The Company and Singer Capital
Markets will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing
representations, warranties, acknowledgements and agreements. Each
Placee hereby agrees with Singer Capital Markets and the Company to
be bound by these terms and conditions as being the terms and
conditions upon which Placing Shares will be issued. A Placee
shall, without limitation, become so bound if Singer Capital
Markets confirms to such Placee its allocation of Placing
Shares.
Upon being notified of its
allocation of Placing Shares, a Placee shall be contractually
committed to subscribe for the number of Placing Shares allocated
to it at the Issue Price and, to the fullest extent permitted by
law, will be deemed to have agreed not to exercise any rights to
rescind or terminate or otherwise withdraw from such
commitment.
No
prospectus
The Placing Shares are being offered
to a limited number of specifically invited persons only and will
not be offered in such a way as to require any prospectus or other
offering document to be published. No prospectus or other offering
document has been or will be submitted to be approved by the FCA in
relation to the Placing or the Placing Shares and Placees'
commitments will be made solely on the basis of their own
assessment of the Company, the Placing Shares and the Placing based
on the information contained in this Announcement and the
announcement of the result of the Placing (the "Result of Placing Announcement")
(together, the "Placing
Documents") and any Publicly Available Information and
subject to any further terms set forth in the trade confirmation
sent to Placees.
Each Placee, by participating in the
Placing, agrees that the content of the Placing Documents is
exclusively the responsibility of the Company and confirms that it
has neither received nor relied on any information (other than the
Publicly Available Information), representation, warranty or
statement made by or on behalf of Singer Capital Markets or the
Company or any other person and none of Singer Capital Markets, the
Company nor any other person acting on such person's behalf nor any
of their respective affiliates has or shall have any responsibility
or liability for any Placee's decision to participate in the
Placing based on any other information, representation, warranty or
statement (regardless of whether or not such information,
representation, warranty or statement was given or made by or on
behalf of any such persons). Each Placee acknowledges and agrees
that it has relied on its own investigation of the business,
financial or other position of the Company in accepting a
participation in the Placing.
No Placee should consider any
information in this Announcement to be legal, financial, tax or
business advice. Each Placee should consult its own legal adviser,
tax advisor, financial advisor and business advisor for legal, tax,
business and financial advice regarding an investment in the
Placing Shares. Nothing in this paragraph shall exclude the
liability of any person for fraudulent
misrepresentation.
Details of the Placing Agreement and the Placing
Shares
Singer Capital Markets is acting as
sole broker and bookrunner in connection with the Placing and has
entered into the Placing Agreement with the Company under which, on
the terms and subject to the conditions set out in the Placing
Agreement, Singer Capital Markets, as agent for and on behalf of
the Company, has agreed to use its reasonable endeavours to procure
Placees for the Placing Shares. The Placing is not being
underwritten by Singer Capital Markets or any other
person.
The price per Ordinary Share at
which the Placing Shares are to be placed is 9.0 pence (the
"Issue Price"). The final
number of Placing Shares will be determined by the Company and
Singer Capital Markets at the close of the Bookbuild and will be
set out in the executed terms of placing (the "Terms of Placing"). The timing of the
closing of the book and allocations are at the discretion of the
Company and Singer Capital Markets. Details of the number of
Placing Shares will be announced as soon as practicable after the
close of the Bookbuild via the Result of Placing
Announcement.
The Placing Shares will be made up
of a number of new Ordinary Shares issued and allotted by the
Company. Accordingly, by participating in the Placing, Placees
agree to subscribe for Placing Shares.
The Board is able to rely on its
existing shareholder authorities granted to it at the Company's
annual general meeting held on 22 June 2023 to allot up to
9,533,125 new Ordinary Shares in aggregate for cash (on a
non-pre-emptive basis) in order to allot and issue Placing Shares
in respect of the Firm Placing. Subject to the Fundraising
Resolutions having been passed at the General Meeting in respect of
the Conditional Placing Shares only, all the Placing Shares have
been or will be duly authorised and will, when issued, be credited
as fully paid up and will be issued subject to the Company's
Articles of Association and rank pari passu in all respects with
the Existing Ordinary Shares, including the right to receive all
dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid on or in
respect of the Ordinary Shares after the date of issue of the
Placing Shares, and will on issue be free of all pre-emption
rights, claims, liens, charges, encumbrances and
equities.
Application for admission to trading on AIM
Application has been made to the
London Stock Exchange for the Firm Placing Shares to be admitted to
trading on AIM ("First
Admission"). It is expected that First Admission will become
effective (in accordance with the AIM Rules) and that dealings in
the Firm Placing Shares, will commence at 8.00 a.m. on 27 February
2024.
Application will also be made to the
London Stock Exchange for the Conditional Placing Shares to be
admitted to trading on AIM ("Second Admission"). On the
assumption that, amongst other things, the Fundraising Resolutions
are passed by the shareholders of the Company at the General
Meeting, it is expected that Second Admission will become
effective (in accordance with the AIM Rules) and that dealings in
the Conditional Placing Shares will commence at 8.00 a.m. on 14
March 2024 (being the business day following the General Meeting)
or such later time or date as Singer Capital Markets may agree with
the Company, being no later than 8.00 a.m. on 29
March 2024.
Bookbuild
Singer Capital Markets will today
commence the accelerated bookbuilding process to determine demand
for participation in the Placing by Placees (the "Bookbuild"). This Appendix I gives
details of the terms and conditions of, and the mechanics of
participation in, the Placing. No commissions will be paid to
Placees or by Placees in respect of any Placing Shares.
Singer Capital Markets and the
Company shall be entitled to effect the Placing by such alternative
method to the Bookbuild as they may, in their sole discretion,
determine.
Participation in, and principal terms of, the
Placing
1. Singer Capital
Markets is acting as sole broker and bookrunner to the Placing, as
agent for and on behalf of the Company, on the terms and subject to
the conditions of the Placing Agreement. SCM Advisory is acting as
nominated adviser to the Company in connection with the Placing and
Admission. Each of Singer Capital Markets and SCM Advisory are
authorised and regulated entities in the United Kingdom by the FCA
and are acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in
connection with the matters referred to in this Announcement and
will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company in
relation to the matters described in this Announcement. SCM
Advisory's responsibilities as the Company's nominated adviser
under the AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers are owed solely to the
London Stock Exchange and are not owed to the Company, any director
of the Company or to any other person.
2. Participation in the
Placing will only be available to persons who may lawfully be, and
are, invited to participate by Singer Capital Markets. Singer
Capital Markets may itself agree to be a Placee in respect of all
or some of the Placing Shares or may nominate any member of its
group to do so. Singer Capital Markets and any of their respective
affiliates are entitled to enter bids in the Bookbuild as
principal.
3. The Bookbuild if
successful, will establish the aggregate amount payable to Singer
Capital Markets, as settlement agents for the Company, by all
Placees whose bids are successful. The final number of Placing
Shares will be agreed between Singer Capital Markets and the
Company following completion of the Bookbuild. Following a
successful completion of the Bookbuild, the Company will confirm
the closing of the Placing via the Result of Placing
Announcement.
4. To bid in the
Bookbuild, prospective Placees should communicate their bid orally
by telephone or in writing to their usual sales contact at Singer
Capital Markets. Each bid should state the aggregate number of
Placing Shares which the prospective Placee wishes to subscribe for
at the Issue Price. Bids in the Bookbuild may be scaled down by
Singer Capital Markets on the basis referred to in paragraph
6 below. Singer Capital
Markets reserves the right not to accept bids or to accept bids in
part rather than in whole. The acceptance of the bids shall be at
Singer Capital Markets' absolute discretion, subject to agreement
with the Company.
5. The Bookbuild will
open with immediate effect following release of this Announcement
and is expected to close no later than 4.35 p.m. on 22 February
2024 but may be closed earlier or later at the discretion of Singer
Capital Markets. Singer Capital Markets may, in agreement with the
Company, accept bids that are received after the Bookbuild has
closed. The Company reserves the right (upon the prior agreement of
Singer Capital Markets) to vary the number of Placing Shares to be
issued pursuant to the Placing, in its absolute
discretion.
6. Allocations of the
Placing Shares will be determined by Singer Capital Markets after
consultation with the Company (and in accordance with Singer
Capital Markets' allocation policy as has been supplied by Singer
Capital Markets to the Company in advance of such consultation).
Allocations will be confirmed orally by Singer Capital Markets and
a trade confirmation will be despatched as soon as possible
thereafter. Singer Capital Markets' oral confirmation to such
Placee constitutes an irrevocable legally binding commitment upon
such person (who will at that point become a Placee), in favour of
Singer Capital Markets and the Company, to subscribe for the number
of Placing Shares allocated to it and to pay the Issue Price in
respect of each such share on the terms and conditions set out in
this Appendix I and in accordance with the Company's Articles of
Association. A bid in the Bookbuild will be made on the terms and
subject to the conditions in this Appendix I and will be legally
binding on the Placee on behalf of which it is made and except with
Singer Capital Markets' consent, such commitment will not be
capable of variation, termination, rescission or revocation after
the time at which it is submitted.
7. Each Placee will have
an immediate, separate, irrevocable and binding obligation, owed to
Singer Capital Markets, as agent for the Company, to pay to it (or
as it may direct) in cleared funds an amount equal to the product
of the Issue Price and the number of Placing Shares such Placee has
agreed to acquire and the Company has agreed to allot and issue to
that Placee.
8. Each Placee's
allocation and commitment will be evidenced by a trade confirmation
issued to such Placee. The terms of this Appendix I will be deemed
incorporated in that trade confirmation.
9. Irrespective of the
time at which a Placee's allocation pursuant to the Placing is
confirmed, settlement for all Placing Shares to be subscribed for
pursuant to the Placing will be required to be made at the same
time, on the basis explained below under "Registration and
Settlement".
10. All obligations under the
Bookbuild and the Placing will be subject to fulfilment or (where
applicable) waiver of the conditions referred to below under
"Conditions of the
Placing" and to the Placing not being terminated on the
basis referred to below under "Right to terminate under the Placing
Agreement".
11. By participating in the
Placing, each Placee will agree that its rights and obligations in
respect of the Placing will terminate only in the circumstances
described below and will not be capable of rescission or
termination by the Placee.
12. To the fullest extent
permissible by law, none of Singer Capital Markets, the Company nor
any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers or
employees shall have any responsibility or liability (whether in
contract, tort or otherwise) to any Placee (or to any other person
whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise). In particular,
none of Singer Capital Markets, the Company, nor any of their
respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees
shall have any responsibility or liability (including to the extent
permissible by law, any fiduciary duties) in respect of Singer
Capital Markets' conduct of the Placing or of such alternative
method of effecting the Placing as Singer Capital Markets and the
Company may agree.
13. The Placing Shares will be
issued subject to the terms and conditions of this Appendix I and
each Placee's commitment to subscribe for Placing Shares on the
terms set out herein will continue notwithstanding any amendment
that may in future be made to the terms and conditions of the
Placing and Placees will have no right to be consulted or require
that their consent be obtained with respect to the Company's or
Singer Capital Markets' conduct of the Placing.
Conditions of the Placing
The Placing is conditional, amongst
other things, upon the Placing Agreement becoming unconditional and
not having been terminated in accordance with its terms. Singer
Capital Markets' obligations under the Placing Agreement in
relation to the Firm Placing and First Admission are conditional on
customary conditions, including (amongst others) (the "Conditions"):
1. the performance by
the Company of certain specified obligations under the Placing
Agreement to the extent that they fall to be performed prior to
First Admission;
2. agreement by the
Company and Singer Capital Markets of the final number of Placing
Shares to be issued at the Issue Price pursuant to the Placing and
the allocation of such Placing Shares to Placees;
3. the Company not being
in breach of any of its obligations and undertakings under the
Placing Agreement which fall to be performed or satisfied prior to
Admission;
4. each of the
warranties given by the Company contained in the Placing Agreement
being true, accurate and not misleading: (i) as at and on the date
of the Placing Agreement; (ii) as at the time of the execution of
the Terms of Placing; and (iii) as at and on First Admission, in
each case, as though they had been given and made at such times and
on such dates by reference to the facts and circumstances from time
to time subsisting;
5. the Company having
allotted, subject only to First Admission, the Firm Placing
Shares;
6. delivery by the
Company of certain customary documents to Singer Capital Markets as
requested under the terms of the Placing Agreement; and
7. First Admission
occurring no later than 8.00 a.m. on 27 February 2024 (or such
later time or date as Singer Capital Markets may otherwise agree
with the Company, being no later than 8.00 a.m. on 12 March 2024)
(the "Closing
Date").
The allotment and issue of the Firm
Placing Shares is not conditional upon the allotment and issue of
the balance of the Placing Shares.
If: (i) any of the Conditions in
relation to the Firm Placing and First Admission are not fulfilled
or (where permitted) waived by Singer Capital Markets by the
relevant time or date specified (or such later time or date as
Singer Capital Markets may agree with the Company, being no later
than 8.00 a.m. on 27 February 2024); or (ii) the Placing Agreement
is terminated in the circumstances specified below under
"Right to terminate under the
Placing Agreement", the Fundraising will not proceed and the
Placees' rights and obligations hereunder in relation to the
Placing Shares shall cease and terminate at such time and each
Placee agrees that no claim can be made by it or on its behalf (or
any person on whose behalf the Placee is acting) in respect
thereof.
Singer Capital Markets' obligations
under the Placing Agreement in relation to the Conditional Placing
and Second Admission are conditional on certain conditions,
including inter alia:
8. the performance by
the Company of certain specified obligations under the Placing
Agreement to the extent that they fall to be performed prior to
Second Admission;
9. the Fundraising
Resolutions having been passed without amendment by the required
majority at the General Meeting;
10. the Company not being in
breach of any of its obligations and undertakings under the Placing
Agreement which fall to be performed or satisfied prior to Second
Admission;
11. each of the warranties
given by the Company contained in the Placing Agreement being true,
accurate and not misleading: (i) as at and on the date of the
Placing Agreement; (ii) as at the time of the execution of the
Terms of Placing; and (iii) as at and on Second Admission, in each
case, as though they had been given and made at such times and on
such dates by reference to the facts and circumstances from time to
time subsisting;
12. the Company having
allotted, subject only to Second Admission, the Conditional Placing
Shares;
13. delivery by the Company of
certain customary documents to Singer Capital Markets as requested
under the terms of the Placing Agreement;
14. Singer Capital Markets not
having exercised their rights to terminate the Placing
Agreement;
15. each of the Subscription
Agreements having not been terminated and remaining in full force
and effect; and
16. Second Admission occurring
no later than 8.00 a.m. on 14 March 2024 (or such later time or
date as Singer Capital Markets may otherwise agree with the
Company, being no later than 8.00 a.m. on 29 March
2024).
If: (i) any of the Conditions in
relation to the Conditional Placing and Second Admission are not
fulfilled or (where permitted) waived by Singer Capital Markets by
the relevant time or date specified (or such later time or date as
Singer Capital Markets may agree with the Company, being no later
than 8.00 a.m. on 29 March 2024); or (ii) the Placing Agreement is
terminated in the circumstances specified below under "Right to terminate under the Placing
Agreement", the Conditional Placing and Second Admission
will not proceed and the Placees' rights and obligations hereunder
in relation to the Conditional Placing Shares shall cease and
terminate at such time and each Placee agrees that no claim can be
made by it or on its behalf (or any person on whose behalf the
Placee is acting) in respect thereof.
Singer Capital Markets may, at its
discretion and upon such terms as it thinks fit, waive compliance
by the Company with the whole or any part of any of its obligations
in relation to the Conditions or extend the time or date provided
for fulfilment of any such Conditions in respect of all or any part
of the performance thereof, save in respect of Conditions
5, 7, 9, 12
and 16 above. Any such extension or waiver will not affect Placees'
commitments as set out in this Appendix I.
Neither Singer Capital Markets nor
the Company, nor any of their respective affiliates, agents,
directors, officers or employees shall have any liability to any
Placee (or to any other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee
or otherwise) in respect of any decision they may make as to
whether or not to waive or to extend the time and/or date for the
satisfaction of any Condition to the Placing (or any part of it),
nor for any decision they may make as to the satisfaction of any
Condition or in respect of the Placing generally (or any part of
it), and by participating in the Placing each Placee agrees that
any such decision is within the absolute discretion of Singer
Capital Markets. Placees will have no rights against Singer Capital
Markets or any of their respective members, directors or employees
under the Placing Agreement pursuant to the Contracts (Rights of
Third Parties) Act 1999 (as amended) or otherwise.
Right to terminate under the Placing
Agreement
Singer Capital Markets is entitled
at any time before (i) First Admission to terminate the Fundraising
and (ii) Second Admission to terminate the Conditional Placing and
the Retail Offer, in each case by terminating the Placing Agreement
in accordance with its terms in certain circumstances, including
(amongst other things) in the event that:
1. any statement in any
document or announcement issued or published by or on behalf of the
Company in connection with the Placing is or has become untrue,
inaccurate or misleading in any respect, or any matter has arisen
which would, if such document or announcement had been issued at
that time, constitute an inaccuracy or omission from such document
or announcement;
2. there has been a
breach by the Company of any of its obligations, undertakings or
covenants under the Placing Agreement which Singer Capital Markets
(acting in good faith) consider is material;
3. there has been a
breach by the Company of any of the warranties contained in the
Placing Agreement or any of such warranties is not, or ceases to
be, true, accurate and not misleading;
4. in the opinion of
Singer Capital Markets (acting in good faith), there has been a
Material Adverse Change;
5. there has occurred,
or in the opinion of Singer Capital Markets (acting in good faith)
it is reasonably likely that there will occur, certain customary
force majeure events;
6. notice has been given
by SCM Advisory as Nominated Adviser to the Company to terminate
its role as Nominated Adviser or any matter arises which SCM
Advisory as Nominated Adviser considers (acting in good faith) may
adversely affect its ability to perform its functions under the AIM
Rules or the AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers or fulfil the
obligations of a nominated adviser to the Company;
7. a matter having
arisen which is likely to give rise to an indemnity claim under the
Placing Agreement which Singer Capital Markets consider is
material; or
8. the Company's
application for either First Admission or Second Admission is
withdrawn or refused by the London Stock Exchange or, in the
opinion of Singer Capital Markets (acting in good faith), will not
be granted.
Upon termination, the parties to the
Placing Agreement shall be released and discharged (except for any
liability arising before or in relation to such termination) from
their respective obligations under or pursuant to the Placing
Agreement, subject to certain exceptions.
By participating in the Placing,
each Placee agrees that (i) the exercise by Singer Capital Markets
of any right of termination or of any other discretion under the
Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute discretion of Singer
Capital Markets and that it need not make any reference to, or
consult with, Placees and that it shall have no liability to
Placees whatsoever in connection with any such exercise or failure
to so exercise and (ii) its rights and obligations terminate only
in the circumstances described above under "Right to terminate under the Placing
Agreement" and "Conditions
of the Placing", and its participation will not be capable
of rescission or termination by it after oral confirmation by
Singer Capital Markets of the allocation and commitments following
the close of the Bookbuild.
Restriction on Further Issue of Shares
The Company has undertaken to Singer
Capital Markets that, between the date of the Placing Agreement and
a period of 90 days from each of First Admission and Second
Admission (as the case may be) (the "Restricted Period"), neither the
Company nor any of its subsidiaries will, without the prior written
consent of Singer Capital Markets, directly or indirectly, offer,
issue, lend, sell or contract to sell, issue options in respect of
or otherwise dispose of or announce an offering or issue of any
Ordinary Shares (or any interest therein or in respect thereof) or
any other securities exchangeable for or convertible into, or
substantially similar to, Ordinary Shares or enter into any
transaction with the same economic effect as, or agree to do, any
of the foregoing (whether or not legally or contractually obliged
to do so) provided that the foregoing restrictions shall not
restrict the ability of the Company or any other member of the
Group during the Restricted Period to grant options under, or the
allotment and issue of shares pursuant to options under, any
employee or non-executive share or option schemes or long term
incentive plans of the Company (in accordance with its normal
practice) or enter into any commitment or agreement or arrangement
or knowingly do or permit to be done any other act or thing which,
in any such case, constitutes a significant new matter which would
give rise to any obligation to make any announcement to the London
Stock Exchange or which may (other than as referred to in the
Placing Documents) involve any increase in or obligation (whether
contingent or otherwise) to allot any of the capital of the
Company.
By participating in the Placing,
Placees agree that the exercise by Singer Capital Markets of any
power to grant consent to the undertaking by the Company of a
transaction which would otherwise be subject to the restrictive
provisions on further issuance under the Placing Agreement shall be
within the absolute discretion of Singer Capital Markets and that
it need not make any reference to, or consult with, Placees and
that it shall have no liability to Placees whatsoever in connection
with any such exercise of the power to grant consent.
Registration and Settlement
Settlement of transactions in the
Placing Shares (ISIN: GB00BFM6WL52) following Admission will take
place within CREST, subject to certain exceptions. Singer Capital
Markets reserves the right to require settlement for, and delivery
of, the Placing Shares (or any part thereof) to Placees by such
other means that they may deem necessary if delivery or settlement
is not possible or practicable within the CREST system or would not
be consistent with the regulatory requirements in the Placee's
jurisdiction.
Following the close of the
Bookbuild, each Placee to be allocated Placing Shares in the
Placing will be sent a trade confirmation stating the number of
Placing Shares allocated to them at the Issue Price, the aggregate
amount owed by such Placee to Singer Capital Markets and settlement
instructions. Each Placee agrees that it will do all things
necessary to ensure that delivery and payment is completed in
accordance with the standing CREST or certificated settlement
instructions in respect of the Placing Shares that it has in place
with Singer Capital Markets.
The Company will deliver (or will
procure the delivery of) the Placing Shares to a CREST account
operated by Singer Capital Markets as agent for the Company and
Singer Capital Markets will enter its delivery instruction into the
CREST system. The input to CREST by a Placee of a matching or
acceptance instruction will then allow delivery of the relevant
Placing Shares to that Placee against payment.
It is expected that settlement for
(i) the Firm Placing Shares will be on 27 February 2024; and (ii)
the Conditional Placing Shares will be on 14 March 2024 (or, in
each case, such later date as the Company and Singer Capital
Markets may agree in writing, being no later than 12 March 2024 and
29 March 2024 respectively), in each case in accordance with the
instructions set out in the trade confirmation.
Each Placee is deemed to agree that,
if it does not comply with these obligations, Singer Capital
Markets may sell any or all of the Placing Shares allocated to that
Placee on such Placee's behalf and retain from the proceeds, for
Singer Capital Markets' account and benefit, an amount equal to the
aggregate amount owed by the Placee plus any interest due. The
relevant Placee will, however, remain liable for any shortfall
below the aggregate amount owed by it and will be required to bear
any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or other taxes or duties
(together with any interest or penalties) imposed in any
jurisdiction which may arise upon the sale of such Placing Shares
on such Placee's behalf.
If Placing Shares are to be
delivered to a custodian or settlement agent, Placees should ensure
that the trade confirmation is copied and delivered immediately to
the relevant person within that organisation. Insofar as Placing
Shares are issued in a Placee's name or that of its nominee or in
the name of any person for whom a Placee is contracting as agent or
that of a nominee for such person, such Placing Shares should,
subject as provided below, be so registered free from any liability
to UK stamp duty or SDRT. If there are any circumstances in which
any stamp duty or SDRT or other similar taxes or duties (including
any interest and penalties relating thereto) is payable in respect
of the allocation, allotment, issue, sale, transfer or delivery of
the Placing Shares (or, for the avoidance of doubt, if any stamp
duty or SDRT is payable in connection with any subsequent transfer
of or agreement to transfer Placing Shares), neither Singer Capital
Markets or the Company shall be responsible for payment
thereof.
Representations, warranties, undertakings and
acknowledgements
By participating in the Placing each
Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) irrevocably
acknowledges, confirms, undertakes, represents, warrants and agrees
(as the case may be) with Singer Capital Markets (in its capacity
as bookrunner and placing agent of the Company in respect of the
Placing) and the Company, in each case as a fundamental term of
their application for Placing Shares, the following (save where
Singer Capital Markets and the Company expressly agrees in writing
to the contrary):
1. it has
read and understood this Announcement (including this Appendix I)
in its entirety and that its participation in the Bookbuild and the Placing and its acquisition of the
Placing Shares is subject to and based upon all the terms,
conditions, representations, warranties, indemnities,
acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings and other information
contained herein and that it has not relied on, and will not rely
on, any information given or any representations, warranties or
statements made at any time by any person in connection with
Admission, the Bookbuild, the Placing, the Group, the Placing
Shares or otherwise, other than the information contained in this
Announcement and the Publicly Available
Information;
2. it
acknowledges and agrees that its acceptance of its participation in
the Placing on the terms set out in this Announcement (including
this Appendix I) is legally binding, irrevocable and is not capable
of termination or rescission by it in any circumstances;
3. (a) it
has made its own assessment of the Company, the Placing Shares and
the terms of the Placing based on this Announcement (including this
Appendix I) and any Publicly Available Information; (b) the
Ordinary Shares are admitted to trading on AIM and that the Company
is therefore required to publish certain business and financial
information in accordance with MAR and rules and regulations of the
London Stock Exchange (including the AIM Rules) (collectively and
together with the information referred to in (a) above, the
"Exchange Information")
which includes a description of the Company's business and the
Company's most recent balance sheet and profit and loss account,
and similar statements for preceding financial years, and that it
has reviewed such Exchange Information and that it is able to
obtain or access such information, or comparable information
concerning any other publicly traded company, in each case without
undue difficulty; and (c) it has had access to such financial and
other information (including the business, financial condition,
prospects, creditworthiness, status and affairs of the Company, the
Placing and the Placing Shares) concerning the Company, the Placing
and the Placing Shares as it has deemed necessary in connection
with its own investment decision to subscribe for any of the
Placing Shares and has satisfied itself that the information is
still current and has relied on that investigation for the purposes
of its decision to participate in the Placing;
4. to be
bound by the terms of the Articles of Association of the
Company;
5. the
person whom it specifies for registration as holder of the Placing
Shares will be (a) itself or (b) its nominee, as the case may be.
Neither Singer Capital Markets nor the Company will be responsible
for any liability to stamp duty or SDRT or other similar taxes or
duties imposed in any jurisdiction (including interest and
penalties relating thereto) ("Indemnified Taxes"). Each Placee and
any person acting on behalf of such Placee agrees to indemnify
Singer Capital Markets and the Company on an after-tax basis in
respect of any Indemnified Taxes;
6. neither
Singer Capital Markets nor any of its affiliates agents, directors,
officers and employees accepts any responsibility for any acts or
omissions of the Company or any of the directors of the Company or
any other person in connection with the Placing;
7. time is
of the essence as regards its obligations under this Appendix
I;
8. any
document that is to be sent to it in connection with the Placing
will be sent at its risk and may be sent to it at any address
provided by it to Singer Capital Markets;
9. it will
not distribute, forward, transfer, duplicate or otherwise transmit
this Announcement or any part of it, or any other presentational or
other material concerning the Placing (including electronic copies
thereof) to any person and represents that it has not distributed,
forwarded, transferred, duplicated, or otherwise transmitted any
such documents to any person;
10. it has not received
(and will not receive) a prospectus or other offering document in
connection with the Bookbuild, the Placing or the Placing Shares
and acknowledges that no prospectus or other offering document (a)
is required under the UK Prospectus Regulation or other applicable
law; and (b) has been or will be prepared in connection with the
Placing;
11. in connection with
the Placing, Singer Capital Markets and any of its affiliates
acting as an investor for its own account may subscribe for Placing
Shares in the Company and in that capacity may retain, purchase or
sell for its own account such Placing Shares in the Company and any
securities of the Company or related investments and may offer or
sell such securities or other investments otherwise than in
connection with the Placing. Accordingly, references in this
Announcement to the Placing Shares being issued, offered or placed
should be read as including any issue, offering or placement of
such shares in the Company to Singer Capital Markets or any of its
affiliates acting in such capacity;
12. Singer Capital
Markets and its affiliates may enter into financing arrangements
and swaps with investors in connection with which Singer Capital
Markets and any of its affiliates may from time to time acquire,
hold or dispose of such securities of the Company, including the
Placing Shares;
13. Singer Capital
Markets does not intend to disclose the extent of any investment or
transactions referred to in paragraphs 11 and 12 above otherwise than in accordance
with any legal or regulatory obligation to do so;
14. Singer Capital
Markets does not owe any fiduciary or other duties to any Placee in
respect of any representations, warranties, undertakings or
indemnities in the Placing Agreement;
15. its participation in
the Placing is on the basis that it is not and will not be a client
of Singer Capital Markets in connection with its participation in
the Placing and that Singer Capital Markets has no duties or
responsibilities to it for providing the protections afforded to
its clients or customers or for providing advice in relation to the
Placing nor in respect of any representations, warranties,
undertakings or indemnities contained in the Placing Agreement nor
for the exercise or performance of any of its rights and
obligations thereunder including any rights to waive or vary any
conditions or exercise any termination right;
16. the content of the
Placing Documents and the Publicly Available Information has been
prepared by and is exclusively the responsibility of the Company
(and such other persons specifically identified as accepting
responsibility to certain parts thereto) and neither Singer Capital
Markets nor any of its affiliates agents, directors, officers or
employees nor any person acting on behalf of any of them is
responsible for or has or shall have any responsibility or
liability for any information, representation, warranty or
statement contained in, or omission from, the Placing Documents,
the Publicly Available Information or otherwise nor will they be
liable for any Placee's decision to participate in the Placing
based on any information, representation, warranty or statement
contained in the Placing Documents, the Publicly Available
Information or otherwise, provided that nothing in this paragraph
excludes the liability of any person for fraudulent
misrepresentation made by such person;
17. the only information
on which it is entitled to rely and on which such Placee has relied
in committing itself to subscribe for Placing Shares is contained
in the Placing Documents or any Publicly Available Information
(save that in the case of Publicly Available Information, a
Placee's right to rely on that information is limited to the right
that such Placee would have as a matter of law in the absence of
this paragraph 17),
such information being all that such Placee deems necessary or
appropriate and sufficient to make an investment decision in
respect of the Placing Shares;
18. it has neither
received nor relied on any other information given, or
representations, warranties or statements, express or implied,
made, by Singer Capital Markets nor the Company nor any of their
respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees
acting on behalf of any of them (including in any management
presentation delivered in respect of the Bookbuild) with respect to
the Company, the Placing or the Placing Shares or the accuracy,
completeness or adequacy of any information contained in the
Placing Documents, or the Publicly Available Information or
otherwise;
19. neither Singer
Capital Markets or the Company nor any of their respective
affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees or any person
acting on behalf of any of them has provided, nor will provide, it
with any material or information regarding the Placing Shares or
the Company or any other person other than the information in the
Placing Documents or the Publicly Available Information; nor has it
requested any of Singer Capital Markets or the Company or any of
their respective affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any
of them to provide it with any such material or
information;
20. neither Singer
Capital Markets or the Company will be liable for any Placee's
decision to participate in the Placing based on any other
information, representation, warranty or statement, provided that
nothing in this paragraph excludes the liability of any person for
fraudulent misrepresentation made by that person;
21. it may not rely, and
has not relied, on any investigation that Singer Capital Markets,
any of its affiliates or any person acting on its behalf, may have
conducted with respect to the Placing Shares, the terms of the
Placing or the Company, and none of such persons has made any
representation, express or implied, with respect to the Company,
the Placing, the Bookbuild, the Placing Shares or the accuracy,
completeness or adequacy of the information in the Placing
Documents, the Publicly Available Information or any other
information;
22. in making any
decision to subscribe for Placing Shares it:
(a) has sufficient knowledge,
sophistication and experience in financial, business and
international investment matters as is required to evaluate the
merits and risks of subscribing for the Placing Shares;
(b) will not look to Singer
Capital Markets for all or part of any such loss it may
suffer;
(c) is experienced in
investing in securities of a similar nature to the Ordinary Shares
and in the sector in which the Company operates and is aware that
it may be required to bear, and is able to bear, the economic risk
of participating in, and is able to sustain a complete loss in
connection with, the Placing and has no need for liquidity with
respect to its investment in the Placing Shares;
(d) is able to sustain a
complete loss of an investment in the Placing Shares;
(e) has no need for liquidity
with respect to its investment in the Placing Shares;
(f) is aware and
understands that an investment in the Placing Shares involves a
considerable degree of risk; and
(g) has had sufficient time
and access to information to consider and conduct its own due
diligence, examination, investigation and assessment with respect
to the offer and purchase of the Placing Shares, including the
legal, regulatory, tax, business, currency and other economic and
financial considerations relevant to such investment and has
conducted its own due diligence, examination, investigation and
assessment of the Company and Group, the Placing Shares and the
terms of the Placing and has satisfied itself that the information
resulting from such investigation is still current and relied on
that investigation for the purposes of its decision to participate
in the Placing;
23. it is subscribing for the
Placing Shares for its own account or for an account with respect
to which it exercises sole investment discretion and has the
authority to make and does make the acknowledgements,
representations, warranties, undertakings and agreements contained
in this Appendix I;
24. it is acting as principal
only in respect of the Placing or, if it is acting for any other
person, it is:
(a) duly authorised to do so
and has full power to make the acknowledgments, representations and
agreements herein on behalf of each such person; and
(b) will remain liable to the
Company and/or Singer Capital Markets for the performance of all
its obligations as a Placee in respect of the Placing (regardless
of the fact that it is acting for another person), and
agrees that the provisions of this
paragraph shall survive the resale of the Placing Shares by or on
behalf of any person for whom it is acting;
25. it and any person acting
on its behalf is entitled to subscribe for the Placing Shares under
the laws and regulations of all relevant jurisdictions that apply
to it and that it has fully observed such laws and regulations, has
capacity and authority and is entitled to enter into and perform
its obligations as a subscriber of Placing Shares and will honour
such obligations, and has obtained all such governmental and other
guarantees, permits, authorisations, approvals and consents which
may be required thereunder and complied with all necessary
formalities to enable it to commit to this participation in the
Placing and to perform its obligations in relation thereto
(including, without limitation, in the case of any person on whose
behalf it is acting, all necessary consents and authorities to
agree to the terms set out or referred to in this Appendix I) and
will honour such obligations and that it has not taken any action
or omitted to take any action which will or may result in Singer
Capital Markets or the Company or any of their respective
directors, officers, agents, employees or advisers acting in breach
of the legal or regulatory requirements of any jurisdiction in
connection with the Placing;
26. where it is subscribing
for Placing Shares for one or more managed accounts, it is
authorised in writing by each managed account to subscribe for the
Placing Shares for each managed account;
27. it irrevocably appoints
any duly authorised officer of Singer Capital Markets as its agent
for the purpose of executing and delivering to the Company and/or
its registrars any documents on its behalf necessary to enable it
to be registered as the holder of any of the Placing Shares for
which it agrees to subscribe or purchase for upon the terms of this
Appendix I;
28. the Placing Shares have
not been and will not be registered or otherwise qualified and that
a prospectus will not be cleared in respect of any of the Placing
Shares under the securities laws or legislation of the Restricted
Jurisdictions, or any state, province, territory or jurisdiction
thereof;
29. the Placing Shares may not
be offered, sold, or delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into
the Restricted Jurisdictions or any jurisdiction (subject to
certain exceptions) in which it would be unlawful to do so and no
action has been or will be taken by any of the Company or Singer
Capital Markets or any person acting on behalf of the Company or
Singer Capital Markets that would, or is intended to, permit a
public offer of the Placing Shares in the Restricted Jurisdictions
or any country or jurisdiction, or any state, province, territory
or jurisdiction thereof, where any such action for that purpose is
required;
30. no action has been or will
be taken by any of the Company or Singer Capital Markets or any
person acting on behalf of the Company or Singer Capital Markets
that would, or is intended to, permit a public offer of the Placing
Shares in the United States or in any country or jurisdiction where
any such action for that purpose is required;
31. unless otherwise
specifically agreed with Singer Capital Markets, it is not and at
the time the Placing Shares are subscribed for, neither it nor the
beneficial owner of the Placing Shares will be, a resident of, nor
have an address in, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Japan, the
Republic of South Africa, any province or territory of Canada or
other jurisdiction in which it would be unlawful to make or accept
an offer to acquire the Placing Shares;
32. it may be asked to
disclose in writing or orally to Singer Capital Markets:
(a) if he or she is an
individual, his or her nationality; or
(b) if he or she is a
discretionary fund manager, the jurisdiction in which the funds are
managed or owned;
33. except with respect to a
Placee that is a "U.S. Person", as defined in Rule 902 of
Regulation S, it is and the prospective beneficial owner of the
Placing Shares is, and at the time the Placing Shares are
subscribed for will be outside the United States and is acquiring
the Placing Shares in an "offshore transaction" as defined in, and
in accordance with, Regulation S under the US Securities
Act;
34. it has not been offered to
purchase or subscribe for Placing Shares by means of any "directed
selling efforts" as defined in Regulation S under the US Securities
Act or by means of any "general solicitation" or "general
advertising" within the meaning of Regulation D under the US
Securities Act;
35. it understands and
confirms that (A) the Placing Shares have not been, and will not
be, registered under the US Securities Act or under any state
securities or "blue sky" laws of any state of the United States or
any other jurisdiction, and the Company is under no obligation to
register the Placing Shares as a class of securities and the
Placing Shares may not be offered, sold or resold, pledged or
delivered in or into or from the United States except pursuant to
(i) an effective registration statement under the US Securities
Act; or (ii) pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not
subject to, the registration requirements of the US Securities Act
and, in each case, in accordance with applicable United States
state securities laws and regulations; and (B) no representation is
being made as to the availability of any exemption under the US
Securities Act for the reoffer, resale, pledge or transfer of the
Placing Shares;
36. it (and any account for
which it is purchasing) is not acquiring the Placing Shares with a
view to any offer, sale or distribution thereof within the meaning
of the US Securities Act;
37. it
understands that there may be certain consequences under United
States and other tax laws resulting from an investment in the
Placing and it has made such investigation and has consulted its
own independent advisers or otherwise has satisfied itself
concerning, without limitation, the effects of United States
federal, state and local income tax laws and foreign tax laws
generally;
38. it understands that the
Company has not undertaken to determine whether it will be treated
as a passive foreign investment company ("PFIC") for US federal income tax
purposes for the current year, or whether it is likely to be so
treated for future years and neither the Company nor Singer Capital
Markets make any representation or warranty with respect to the
same. Accordingly, neither the Company nor Singer Capital Markets
can provide any advice to United States investors as to whether the
Company is or is not a PFIC for the current tax year, or whether it
will be in future tax years. Accordingly, neither the Company nor
Singer Capital Markets undertakes to provide to United States
investors or shareholders any information necessary or desirable to
facilitate their filing of annual information returns, and United
States investors and shareholders should not assume that this
information will be made available to them;
39. if it is within the United
Kingdom, it is a UK Qualified Investor and if it is within a
Relevant State, it is an EU Qualified Investor;
40. it has not offered or sold
and will not offer or sell any Placing Shares to persons in the EEA
except to EU Qualified Investors or otherwise in circumstances
which have not resulted in and which will not result in an offer to
the public in any member state of the EEA within the meaning of the
EU Prospectus Regulation;
41. if it is a financial
intermediary, as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the UK
Prospectus Regulation, the Placing Shares acquired by it in the
Placing will not be acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf
of, nor will they be acquired with a view to their offer or resale
to, persons in the United Kingdom other than UK Qualified
Investors, or in circumstances in which the express prior written
consent of Singer Capital Markets has been given to each proposed
offer or resale;
42. if in the United Kingdom,
that it is a person (i) having professional experience in matters
relating to investments who falls within the definition of
"investment professionals" in Article 19(5) of the Order or (ii)
who falls within Article 49(2) (a) to (d) ("High Net Worth Companies, Unincorporated
Associations, etc") of the Order, or (iii) to whom it may
otherwise lawfully be communicated;
43. if in the United Kingdom,
unless otherwise agreed by Singer Capital Markets, it is a
"professional client" or an "eligible counterparty" within the
meaning of Chapter 3 of COBS and it is purchasing Placing Shares
for investment only and not with a view to resale or
distribution;
44. it will not make an offer
to the public of the Placing Shares and it has not offered or sold
and will not offer or sell any Placing Shares to persons in the
United Kingdom, except to persons whose ordinary activities involve
them in acquiring, holding, managing or disposing of investments
(as principal or agent) for the purposes of their business or
otherwise in circumstances which have not resulted and which will
not result in an offer to the public in the United Kingdom within
the meaning of section 85(1) of FSMA;
45. it has only communicated
or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to
be communicated any invitation or inducement to engage in
investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of FSMA)
relating to the Placing Shares in circumstances in which section
21(1) of FSMA does not require approval of the communication by an
authorised person and it acknowledges and agrees that the Placing
Documents have not and will not have been approved by Singer
Capital Markets in its capacity as an authorised person under
section 21 of the FSMA and it may not therefore be subject to the
controls which would apply if it was made or approved as a
financial promotion by an authorised person;
46. it has complied and will
comply with all applicable laws with respect to anything done by it
or on its behalf in relation to the Placing Shares (including all
applicable provisions in FSMA and MAR) in respect of anything done
in, from or otherwise involving, the United Kingdom;
47. if it is a pension fund or
investment company, its subscription for/purchase of Placing Shares
is in full compliance with applicable laws and
regulations;
48. it has complied with its
obligations under the Criminal Justice Act 1993 and Articles 8, 10
and 12 of MAR and in connection with money laundering and terrorist
financing under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (as amended), the
Terrorism Act 2000, the Terrorism Act 2006 and the Money
Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information
on the Payer) Regulations 2017 and any related or similar rules,
regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any
government agency having jurisdiction in respect thereof (the
"Regulations") and the
Money Laundering Sourcebook of the FCA and, if making payment on
behalf of a third party, that satisfactory evidence has been
obtained and recorded by it to verify the identity of the third
party as required by the Regulations;
49. in order to ensure
compliance with the Regulations, Singer Capital Markets (for itself
and as agent on behalf of the Company) or the Company's registrars
may, in their absolute discretion, require verification of its
identity. Pending the provision to Singer Capital Markets or the
Company's registrars, as applicable, of evidence of identity,
definitive certificates in respect of the Placing Shares may be
retained at Singer Capital Markets' absolute discretion or, where
appropriate, delivery of the Placing Shares to it in uncertificated
form may be delayed at Singer Capital Markets' or the Company's
registrars', as the case may be, absolute discretion. If within a
reasonable time after a request for verification of identify Singer
Capital Markets (for itself and as agent on behalf of the Company)
or the Company's registrars have not received evidence satisfactory
to them, either Singer Capital Markets and/or the Company may, at
its absolute discretion, terminate its commitment in respect of the
Placing, in which event the monies payable on acceptance of
allotment will, if already paid, be returned without interest to
the account of the drawee's bank from which they were originally
debited. Each Placee agrees to hold harmless and indemnify on an
after-tax basis Singer Capital Markets and the Company against any
liability, loss or cost ensuing due to the failure to process such
application, if such evidence or information as has been requested
has not been provided by it in a timely manner;
50. the allocation, allotment,
issue and delivery to it, or the person specified by it for
registration as holder, of Placing Shares will not give rise to a
stamp duty or SDRT liability under (or at a rate determined under)
any of sections 67, 70, 93 or 96 of the Finance Act 1986
(depositary receipts and clearance services) and that the Placing
Shares are not being acquired in connection with arrangements to
issue depositary receipts or to issue or transfer Placing Shares
into a clearance service;
51. it (and any person acting
on its behalf) has the funds available to pay for the Placing
Shares for which it has agreed to subscribe and acknowledges and
agrees that it will make payment in respect of the Placing Shares
allocated to it in accordance with this Appendix I on the due time
and date set out herein, failing which the relevant Placing Shares
may be placed with other subscribers or sold as Singer Capital
Markets may in its sole discretion determine and without liability
to such Placee, who will remain liable for any amount by which the
net proceeds of such sale falls short of the product of the
relevant Issue Price and the number of Placing Shares allocated to
it and will be required to bear any stamp duty, SDRT or other taxes
or duties (together with any interest, fines or penalties) imposed
in any jurisdiction which may arise upon the sale of such Placee's
Placing Shares;
52. any money held in an
account with Singer Capital Markets on behalf of the Placee and/or
any person acting on behalf of the Placee and/or any person acting
on behalf of the Placee will not be treated as client money within
the meaning of the relevant rules and regulations of the FCA made
under the FSMA. Each Placee acknowledges that the money will not be
subject to the protections conferred by the client money rules: as
a consequence this money will not be segregated from Singer Capital
Markets' money in accordance with the client money rules and will
be held by it under a banking relationship and not as
trustee;
53. its allocation (if any) of
Placing Shares will represent a maximum number of Placing Shares
which it will be entitled, and required, to subscribe for, and that
Singer Capital Markets or the Company may call upon it to subscribe
for a lower number of Placing Shares (if any), but in no event in
aggregate more than the aforementioned maximum;
54. neither Singer Capital
Markets nor any of its affiliates, nor any person acting on behalf
of them, is making any recommendations to it, advising it regarding
the suitability of any transactions it may enter into in connection
with the Placing and Singer Capital Markets is not acting for it or
its clients, and that Singer Capital Markets will not be
responsible for providing the protections afforded to customers of
Singer Capital Markets or for providing advice in respect of the
transactions described in this Announcement;
55. it acknowledges that its
commitment to acquire Placing Shares on the terms set out in this
Announcement and in the trade confirmation, contract note or other
(oral or written) confirmation will continue notwithstanding any
amendment that may in future be made to the terms and conditions of
the Placing and that Placees will have no right to be consulted or
require that their consent be obtained with respect to the
Company's or Singer Capital Markets' conduct of the
Placing;
56. if it has received any
'inside information' (for the purposes of MAR and section 56 of the
Criminal Justice Act 1993) in relation to the Company and its
securities in advance of the Placing, it confirms that it has
received such information within the market soundings regime
provided for in article 11 of MAR and associated delegated
regulations and it has not:
(a) used that inside
information to acquire or dispose of securities of the Company or
financial instruments related thereto or cancel or amend an order
concerning the Company's securities or any such financial
instruments;
(b) used that inside
information to encourage, require, recommend or induce another
person to deal in the securities of the Company or financial
instruments related thereto or to cancel or amend an order
concerning the Company's securities or such financial instruments;
or
(c) disclosed such information
to any person, prior to the information being made publicly
available;
57. the rights and remedies of
the Company and Singer Capital Markets under the terms and
conditions in this Appendix I are in addition to any rights and
remedies which would otherwise be available to each of them and the
exercise or partial exercise of one will not prevent the exercise
of others;
58. these terms and conditions
of the Placing and any agreements entered into by it pursuant to
these terms and conditions and all agreements to acquire shares
pursuant to the Placing, and all non-contractual or other
obligations arising out of or in connection with them, shall be
governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England
and it submits (on behalf of itself and on behalf of any person on
whose behalf it is acting) to the exclusive jurisdiction of the
English courts as regards any claim, dispute or matter arising out
of any such contract (including any dispute regarding the
existence, validity or termination of such contract or relating to
any non- contractual or other obligation arising out of or in
connection with such contract), except that enforcement proceedings
in respect of the obligation to make payment for the Placing Shares
(together with any interest chargeable thereon) may be taken by
either the Company or Singer Capital Markets in any jurisdiction in
which the relevant Placee is incorporated or in which any of its
securities have a quotation on a recognised stock
exchange;
59. it has neither received
nor relied on any confidential price sensitive information about
the Company (other than information included in this Announcement)
in accepting this invitation to participate in the
Placing;
60. it is aware of the
obligations regarding insider dealing in the Criminal Justice Act
1993, FSMA, MAR and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and confirms
that it has and will continue to comply with those
obligations;
61. if it is acquiring the
Placing Shares as a fiduciary or agent for one or more investor
accounts, it has full power and authority to make, and does make,
the foregoing representations, warranties, acknowledgements,
agreements and undertakings on behalf of each such
accounts;
62. that it will (or will
procure that its nominee will) if applicable, make notification to
the Company of the interest in its Ordinary Shares in accordance
with the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules published by
the FCA;
63. it undertakes to Singer
Capital Markets at the time of making its commitment to subscribe
for Placing Shares that it will confirm in writing to Singer
Capital Markets in the form of confirmation sent by Singer Capital
Markets to Placees the number of Placing Shares it intends to
subscribe for;
64. it confirms that any of
its clients, whether or not identified to Singer Capital Markets or
any of its affiliates, will remain its sole responsibility and will
not become clients of Singer Capital Markets or any of its
affiliates for the purposes of the rules of the FCA or for the
purposes of any other statutory or regulatory provision;
65. that, as far as it is
aware it is not acting in concert (within the meaning given in the
City Code) with any other person in relation to the
Company;
66. it has not done, and will
not do, anything in relation to the Placing which has resulted in
or could result in any person being required to publish a
prospectus in relation to the Company or to any Placing Shares in
accordance with FSMA or the Prospectus Regulation or in accordance
with any laws applicable in any part of the European Union or the
EEA;
67. it agrees that the
exercise by Singer Capital Markets of any right of termination or
any right of waiver exercisable by Singer Capital Markets contained
in the Placing Agreement or the exercise of any discretion
thereunder is within the absolute discretion of Singer Capital
Markets and Singer Capital Markets will not have any liability to
it whatsoever in connection with any decision to exercise or not
exercise any such rights. Each Placee acknowledges that if (i) any
of the conditions in the Placing Agreement are not satisfied (or,
where relevant, waived); or (ii) the Placing Agreement is
terminated; or (iii) the Placing Agreement does not otherwise
become unconditional in all respects, the Placing will lapse and
its rights and obligations hereunder shall cease and determine at
such time and no claim shall be made by it in respect thereof;
and
68. a communication that the
Placing or the book is "covered" (i.e. indicated demand from
investors in the book equals or exceeds the amount of the
securities being offered) is not any indication or assurance that
the book will remain covered or that the Placing and securities
will be fully distributed by Singer Capital Markets. Singer Capital
Markets reserves the right to take up a portion of the securities
in the Placing as a principal position at any stage at its sole
discretion, among other things, to take account of the Company's
objectives, UK MiFID II requirements and/or its allocation
policies.
The foregoing representations,
warranties, confirmations, acknowledgements, agreements and
undertakings are given for the benefit of the Company as well
Singer Capital Markets and are irrevocable. Singer Capital Markets
and the Company and their respective affiliates, agents, directors,
officers, employees and consultants will rely upon the truth and
accuracy of the foregoing representations, warranties,
confirmations, acknowledgements, agreements and
undertakings.
Each prospective Placee, and any
person acting on behalf of such Placee, irrevocably authorises the
Company and Singer Capital Markets to produce this Announcement,
pursuant to, in connection with, or as may be required by any
applicable law or regulation, administrative or legal proceeding or
official inquiry with respect to the matters set forth
herein.
By participating in the Placing,
each Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) agrees
to indemnify on an after-tax basis and hold the Company, Singer
Capital Markets and their respective affiliates, agents, directors,
officers and employees harmless from any and all costs, claims,
liabilities and expenses (including legal fees and expenses)
arising out of or in connection with any breach of the
representations, warranties, acknowledgements, agreements and
undertakings given by the Placee (and any person acting on such
Placee's behalf) in this Appendix I or incurred by Singer Capital
Markets, the Company or any of their respective affiliates, agents,
directors, officers or employees arising from the performance of
the Placees' obligations as set out in this Announcement, and
further agrees that the provisions of this Appendix I shall survive
after completion of the Placing.
No statement in the Placing
Documents is intended to be a profit forecast or estimate, and no
statement in the Placing Documents should be interpreted to mean
that earnings per share of the Company for the current or future
financial years would necessarily match or exceed the historical
published earnings per share of the Company. Past performance is no
guide to future performance and persons needing advice should
consult an independent financial adviser.
The Placing Shares will not be
admitted to trading on any stock exchange other than AIM, a market
operated by the London Stock Exchange.
Singer Capital Markets Securities
Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA in the United
Kingdom and is acting as sole bookrunner exclusively for the
Company and no one else in connection with the Placing and will not
be responsible to anyone (including any Placees) other than the
Company for providing the protections afforded to its clients or
for providing advice in relation to the Placing or any other
matters referred to in this Announcement.
Taxation
The agreement to allot and issue
certain of the Placing Shares by the Company to Placees (and/or to
persons for whom such Placee is contracting as agent) free of stamp
duty and SDRT relates only to their allotment and issue to Placees,
or such persons as they nominate as their agents, direct from the
Company for the Placing Shares in question.
There should be no liability to
stamp duty or SDRT arising on the allotment of the Placing Shares
by the Company. The registration of and the issue of definitive
share certificates to holders of Ordinary Shares should not give
rise to any liability to stamp duty or SDRT.
In addition, neither UK stamp duty
nor SDRT should arise on the transfers/sale of Ordinary Shares
on AIM (including instruments transferring Ordinary Shares and
agreements to transfer Ordinary Shares).
Such agreement also assumes that the
Placing Shares are not being acquired in connection with
arrangements to issue depositary receipts or to issue or transfer
the Placing Shares into a clearance service. If there are any such
arrangements, or the settlement relates to any other dealings in
the Placing Shares, stamp duty or SDRT or other similar taxes or
duties may be payable, for which neither the Company nor Singer
Capital Markets will be responsible and the Placees shall indemnify
the Company and Singer Capital Markets on an after-tax basis for
any stamp duty or SDRT or other similar taxes or duties (together
with interest, fines and penalties) in any jurisdiction paid by the
Company or Singer Capital Markets in respect of any such
arrangements or dealings. If this is the case, each Placee should
seek its own advice and notify Singer Capital Markets accordingly.
Placees are advised to consult with their own advisers regarding
the tax aspects of the subscription for Placing Shares.
The Company and Singer Capital
Markets are not liable to bear any taxes that arise on a sale of
Placing Shares subsequent to their acquisition by Placees,
including any taxes arising otherwise than under the laws of any
country in the EEA. Each prospective Placee should, therefore, take
its own advice as to whether any such tax liability arises and
notify Singer Capital Markets and the Company accordingly.
Furthermore, each prospective Placee agrees to indemnify on an
after-tax basis and hold Singer Capital Markets and/or the Company
and their respective affiliates harmless from any and all interest,
fines or penalties in relation to stamp duty, SDRT and all other
similar duties or taxes in any jurisdiction to the extent that such
interest, fines or penalties arise from the unreasonable default or
delay of that Placee or its agent.
In addition, Placees should note
that they will be liable for any capital duty, stamp duty and all
other stamp, issue, securities, transfer, registration, documentary
or other duties or taxes (including any interest, fines or
penalties relating thereto) payable, whether inside or outside the
UK, by them or any other person on the subscription, acquisition,
transfer or sale by them of any Placing Shares or the agreement by
them to subscribe for, acquire, transfer or sell any Placing
Shares
All times and dates in this
Announcement (including this Appendix I to the Announcement) may be
subject to amendment. Singer Capital Markets shall notify the
Placees and any person acting on behalf of the Placees of any
changes.
APPENDIX II
The following definitions apply
throughout this Announcement unless the context otherwise
requires:
"£", "GBP", "pounds", "pound sterling" or "sterling", "p", "penny" or "pence"
|
the lawful currency of the
UK;
|
"Admission"
|
the First Admission and Second
Admission or either of them;
|
"after-tax basis"
|
in relation to any payment made to
the Company, Singer Capital Markets or their respective affiliates,
agents, directors, officers and employees in accordance with
Appendix I, that such payment shall be calculated in such a manner
as will ensure that, after taking into account: (i) any tax
required to be deducted or withheld from the payment; (ii) the
amount and timing of any additional tax which becomes payable by
the recipient as a result of the payments being subject to tax in
the hands of the recipient of the payment; and (iii) the amount and
timing of any tax benefit which is obtained by the recipient of the
payment to the extent that such tax benefit is attributable to the
matter giving rise to the payment or to the entitlement to, or
receipt of, the payment, or to any tax required to be deducted or
withheld from the payment, the recipient of the payment is in the
same after-tax position as that in which it would have been if the
matter giving rise to the payment had not occurred;
|
"AIM"
|
the market of that name operated by
the London Stock Exchange;
|
"AIM Rules"
|
the AIM Rules for Companies
published and amended from time to time by the London Stock
Exchange;
|
"AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers"
|
the AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers
published by the London Stock Exchange as amended from time to
time;
|
"Announcement"
|
this Announcement, including the
appendices and the terms and conditions of the Placing set out in
Appendix I;
|
"Articles of Association" or "Articles"
|
the articles of association of the
Company;
|
"Bookbuild"
|
the bookbuilding process to be
conducted by Singer Capital Markets to arrange participation by
Placees in the Placing;
|
"Bookbuild Platform"
|
the online capital markets platform
developed by BB Technology Limited;
|
"certificated" or in "certificated form"
|
in respect of a share or other
security, where that share or other security is not in
uncertificated form (that is, not in CREST);
|
"Circular"
|
the Company's circular to members of
the Company to be published on or around 23 February 2024 relating
to the Conditional Placing, the Subscription and the Retail Offer,
enclosing the Notice of General Meeting;
|
"City Code"
|
The City Code on Takeovers and
Mergers;
|
"COBS"
|
the FCA Handbook Conduct of Business
Sourcebook;
|
"Company"
|
RBG Holdings Plc a company
registered in England and Wales with registered number 11189598 and
having its registered office at 165 Fleet Street, London, England,
EC4A 2DY;
|
"Conditional Fundraising"
|
together, the Conditional Placing,
the Subscription and the Retail Offer;
|
"Conditional Fundraising Shares"
|
together, the Conditional Placing
Shares, the Subscription Shares and the Retail Offer
Shares;
|
"Conditional Placing"
|
the proposed conditional placing by
Singer Capital Markets of the Conditional Placing Shares at the
Issue Price in accordance with the terms of the Placing
Agreement;
|
"Conditional Placing Shares"
|
the number of new Ordinary Shares to
be allotted and issued by the Company to Placees pursuant to the
Conditional Placing in accordance with the terms of the Placing
Agreement;
|
"CREST"
|
the relevant system for the
paperless settlement of trades and the holding of uncertificated
securities operated by Euroclear in accordance with the CREST
Regulations;
|
"CREST Regulations"
|
the Uncertificated Securities
Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/3755), including (i) any enactment or
subordinate legislation which amends or supersedes those
regulations; and (ii) any applicable rules made under those
regulations or any such enactment or subordinate legislation for
the time being in force;
|
"Directors" or "Board"
|
the directors of the Company for the
time being, together being the board of directors;
|
"EEA"
|
European Economic Area;
|
"EU
Prospectus Regulation"
|
Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as
amended and supplemented from time to time);
|
"Euroclear"
|
Euroclear UK & International
Limited, the operator of CREST;
|
"Existing Ordinary Shares"
|
the 95,331,236 Ordinary Shares in
issue as at the date of this Announcement;
|
"FCA"
|
the UK Financial Conduct
Authority;
|
"Firm Placing"
|
the placing by Singer Capital
Markets of the Firm Placing Shares at the Issue Price in accordance
with the terms of the Placing Agreement;
|
"Firm Placing Shares"
|
the number of new Ordinary Shares to
be allotted and issued by the Company to Placees pursuant to the
Firm Placing in accordance with the terms of the Placing
Agreement;
|
"First Admission"
|
admission of the Firm Placing Shares
to trading on AIM becoming effective in accordance with the AIM
Rules which is expected to occur at 8.00 a.m. on 27 February 2024,
or such later date as is agreed between the Company, SCM Advisory
and Singer Capital Markets, but no later than 12 March
2024;
|
"FSMA"
|
the Financial Services and Markets
Act 2000 (as amended);
|
"Fundraising"
|
together, the Placing, the
Subscription and the Retail Offer;
|
"Fundraising Resolutions"
|
resolutions 1 and 3 to be proposed
at the General Meeting as set out in the Notice of General
Meeting;
|
"General Meeting"
|
the general meeting of the
shareholders of the Company expected to be held at 11.00 a.m. on 12
March 2024 at the offices of Memery Crystal, 165 Fleet Street,
London, EC4A 2DY (or any reconvened meeting following adjournment
of the general meeting);
|
"Group"
|
the Company and its subsidiary
undertakings from time to time and "Group Company" means any one of
them;
|
"Intermediaries"
|
any financial intermediary that is
appointed by Singer Capital Markets in connection with the Retail
Offer after the date of the Placing Agreement and "Intermediary" shall mean any one of
them;
|
"Issue Price"
|
9.0p per Placing Share;
|
"London Stock Exchange"
|
London Stock Exchange
plc;
|
"MAR"
|
means the EU Market Abuse Regulation
(EU) 596/2014 and all delegated or implementing regulations
relating to that Regulation as amended and transposed into the laws
of the United Kingdom pursuant to the European Union (Withdrawal)
Act 2018;
|
"Material Adverse Change"
|
means a material adverse change in
or affecting, or any development reasonably likely to result in a
material adverse change in or affecting, the condition (financial,
operational, legal, or otherwise) or the earnings, management,
results of operations, business affairs, solvency or financial
prospects of the Company or the Group (taken as a whole), whether
or not arising in the ordinary course of business and whether or
not foreseeable at the date of this Announcement;
|
"Nominated Adviser"
|
has the meaning given to the
expression "nominated adviser" in the AIM Rules;
|
"Notice of General Meeting"
|
the notice of the General Meeting
contained within the Circular;
|
"Ordinary Shares"
|
ordinary shares of £0.002 each in
the capital of the Company;
|
"Placees"
|
persons who agree to subscribe for
Placing Shares at the Issue Price;
|
"Placing"
|
the placing by Singer Capital
Markets as agent of the Company of the Placing Shares at the Issue
Price in accordance with the Placing Agreement comprising the Firm
Placing and the Conditional Placing;
|
"Placing Agreement"
|
the agreement dated 22 February 2024
between the Company, SCM Advisory and Singer Capital Markets
relating to the Placing;
|
"Placing Documents"
|
this Announcement and the Result of
Placing Announcement;
|
"Placing Shares"
|
together, the Firm Placing Shares
and the Conditional Placing Shares expected to be allotted and
issued pursuant to the Placing;
|
"Publicly Available Information"
|
any information publicly announced
through a Regulatory Information Service by or on behalf
of the Company on or prior to the date of this
Announcement;
|
"Regulatory Information Service"
|
has the meaning given to it in the
AIM Rules;
|
"Relevant Person"
|
has the meaning given to it in
Appendix I to this Announcement;
|
"Resolutions"
|
the resolutions contained in the
Notice of General Meeting, and a reference to a numbered Resolution
shall be to the Resolution so numbered in that notice;
|
"Result of Placing Announcement"
|
the announcement of the result of
the Placing;
|
"Retail Investors"
|
existing shareholders of the Company
who are resident in the United Kingdom and are a customer of an
Intermediary who agrees conditionally to subscribe for Retail Offer
Shares;
|
"Retail Offer"
|
the offer of the Retail Offer
Shares, through Intermediaries, to Retail Investors in the United
Kingdom (anticipated to be announced shortly following the release
of this Announcement);
|
"Retail Offer Shares"
|
the Ordinary Shares proposed to be
issued by the Company under the terms of the Retail Offer, subject
to the passing of the Fundraising Resolutions;
|
"SCM Advisory"
|
Singer Capital Markets Advisory
LLP;
|
"SDRT"
|
Stamp Duty Reserve Tax;
|
"Second Admission"
|
admission to trading on AIM of the
Conditional Placing Shares, the Subscription Shares and the Retail
Offer Shares in accordance with the AIM Rules for Companies which
is expected to occur at 8.00 a.m. on 14 March 2024, or such later
date as is agreed between the Company, SCM Advisory and Singer
Capital Markets, but no later than 29 March 2024;
|
"Singer Capital Markets"
|
Singer Capital Markets Securities
Limited;
|
"Subscription"
|
the conditional subscription for
Subscription Shares by certain Directors and an investor at the
Issue Price;
|
"Subscription Agreements"
|
each of the agreements entered into
or to be entered into pursuant to the Subscription;
|
"Subscription Shares"
|
the new Ordinary Shares proposed to
be allotted and issued by the Company pursuant to the Subscription,
subject to the passing of the Fundraising Resolutions;
|
"subsidiary" or "subsidiary
undertaking"
|
have the meaning given to such term
in the Companies Act 2006;
|
"Terms of Placing"
|
has the meaning given to it in
Appendix I to this Announcement;
|
"UK" or "United Kingdom"
|
the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland;
|
"UK
MiFID II"
|
means EU Directive 2014/65/EU as it
forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018;
|
"UK
Prospectus Regulation"
|
means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as
it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018;
|
"uncertificated" or "in uncertificated
form"
|
in respect of a share or other
security, where that share or other security is recorded on the
relevant register of the share or security concerned as being held
in uncertificated form in CREST and title to which, by virtue of
the CREST Regulations, may be transferred by means of
CREST;
|
"United States" or "US"
|
the United States of America, its
jurisdictions and possession, any state of the United States and
the District of Columbia; and
|
"US
Securities Act"
|
the US Securities Act of 1933, as
amended.
|