NOT
FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN OR
INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, CANADA, JAPAN OR
THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH
SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE
UNLAWFUL.
THE
PLACING SHARES HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT OR UNDER THE APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAW OR WITH ANY
SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION
OF THE UNITED STATES OR UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF AUSTRALIA,
CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY
STATE, PROVINCE OR TERRITORY THEREOF OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION
OUTSIDE THE UNITED KINGDOM AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED,
TAKEN UP, EXERCISED, RESOLD, RENOUNCED, TRANSFERRED OR DELIVERED,
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, THROUGH CREST OR OTHERWISE,
WITHIN, INTO OR FROM CANADA, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, THE
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR THE UNITED STATES, OR TO, OR FOR THE
ACCOUNT OR BENEFIT OF, ANY PERSON WITH A REGISTERED ADDRESS IN, OR
WHO IS A RESIDENT OR ORDINARY RESIDENT IN, OR A CITIZEN OF SUCH
JURISDICTIONS OR TO ANY PERSON IN ANY COUNTRY OR TERRITORY WHERE TO
DO SO WOULD OR MIGHT CONTRAVENE APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OR
REGULATIONS EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION. ANY
SECURITIES OF THE COMPANY WILL ONLY BE OFFERED AND SOLD OUTSIDE OF
THE UNITED STATES IN "OFFSHORE TRANSACTIONS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF
AND IN RELIANCE ON THE SAFE HARBOUR FROM THE REGISTRATION
REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY REGULATION S
PROMULGATED THEREUNDER. THE SECURITIES OF THE COMPANY 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 PRESENTATION. ANY
REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE IN THE UNITED
STATES. SUBJECT TO CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS, THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO
HEREIN MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA,
CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR TO, OR
FOR THE ACCOUNT OR BENEFIT OF, ANY NATIONAL, RESIDENT OR CITIZEN OF
THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND OR THE
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA.
NO
PUBLIC OFFERING OF SECURITIES IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED
STATES.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THE APPENDIX, IS FOR INFORMATION
PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT AN OFFER OF SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION
IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL UNDER
THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH JURISDICTION.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES
OF ARTICLE 7 OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) 596/2014 AS IT
FORMS PART OF UK DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
(WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 ("MAR"), AND IS DISCLOSED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE COMPANY'S OBLIGATIONS UNDER ARTICLE 17 OF
MAR. IN ADDITION, MARKET SOUNDINGS (AS DEFINED IN
UK MAR) WERE TAKEN IN RESPECT OF CERTAIN OF THE MATTERS CONTAINED
WITHIN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, WITH THE RESULT THAT CERTAIN PERSONS
BECAME AWARE OF INSIDE INFORMATION (AS DEFINED UNDER MAR). UPON THE
PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A REGULATORY INFORMATION
SERVICE, THOSE PERSONS THAT RECEIVED INSIDE INFORMATION IN A MARKET
SOUNDING ARE NO LONGER IN POSSESSION OF SUCH INSIDE INFORMATION,
WHICH IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC
DOMAIN.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT INCLUDES STATEMENTS THAT ARE, OR MAY BE
DEEMED TO BE, "FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS". THESE FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY THE USE OF FORWARD-LOOKING
TERMINOLOGY, INCLUDING THE TERMS "BELIEVES", "ESTIMATES",
"FORECASTS", "PLANS", "PREPARES", "ANTICIPATES", "PROJECTS",
"EXPECTS", "INTENDS", "MAY", "WILL", "SEEKS", "SHOULD" OR, IN EACH
CASE, THEIR NEGATIVE OR OTHER VARIATIONS OR COMPARABLE TERMINOLOGY,
OR BY DISCUSSIONS OF STRATEGY, PLANS, OBJECTIVES, GOALS, FUTURE
EVENTS OR INTENTIONS. THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS INCLUDE ALL
MATTERS THAT ARE NOT HISTORICAL FACTS. THEY APPEAR IN A NUMBER OF
PLACES THROUGHOUT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND INCLUDE STATEMENTS
REGARDING THE COMPANY'S AND THE DIRECTORS' INTENTIONS, BELIEFS OR
CURRENT EXPECTATIONS CONCERNING, AMONGST OTHER THINGS, THE
COMPANY'S PROSPECTS, GROWTH AND STRATEGY,
PLANNED WORK AT
THE COMPANY'S PROJECTS AND THE EXPECTED RESULTS OF SUCH
WORK. BY THEIR NATURE, FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS INVOLVE RISKS
AND UNCERTAINTIES BECAUSE THEY RELATE TO EVENTS AND DEPEND ON
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MAY OR MAY NOT OCCUR IN THE FUTURE.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE NOT GUARANTEES OF FUTURE
PERFORMANCE. THE COMPANY'S ACTUAL PERFORMANCE, ACHIEVEMENTS AND
FINANCIAL CONDITION MAY DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE EXPRESSED OR
IMPLIED BY THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. IN
ADDITION, EVEN IF THE COMPANY'S RESULTS OF OPERATIONS, PERFORMANCE,
ACHIEVEMENTS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, THOSE RESULTS OR
DEVELOPMENTS MAY NOT BE INDICATIVE OF RESULTS OR DEVELOPMENTS IN
SUBSEQUENT PERIODS. ANY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS THAT THE COMPANY
MAKES IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT SPEAK ONLY AS OF THE DATE OF SUCH
STATEMENT AND (OTHER THAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR LEGAL OR
REGULATORY OBLIGATIONS) NEITHER THE COMPANY, NOR ZEUS CAPITAL NOR
ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE ASSOCIATES, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS OR ADVISERS
SHALL BE OBLIGED TO UPDATE SUCH STATEMENTS. COMPARISONS OF RESULTS
FOR CURRENT AND ANY PRIOR PERIODS ARE NOT INTENDED TO EXPRESS ANY
FUTURE TRENDS OR INDICATIONS OF FUTURE PERFORMANCE, UNLESS
EXPRESSED AS SUCH, AND SHOULD ONLY BE VIEWED AS HISTORICAL
DATA.
ZEUS CAPITAL, WHICH IS AUTHORISED AND REGULATED IN THE UNITED
KINGDOM BY THE FCA, IS ACTING AS NOMINATED ADVISER AND BROKER
EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE COMPANY AND NO ONE ELSE IN CONNECTION WITH THE
PLACING AND THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND WILL NOT REGARD
ANY OTHER PERSON (WHETHER OR NOT A RECIPIENT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT)
AS ITS CLIENT IN RELATION TO THE PLACING NOR WILL IT BE RESPONSIBLE
TO ANYONE OTHER THAN THE COMPANY FOR PROVIDING THE PROTECTIONS
AFFORDED TO ITS CLIENTS OR FOR PROVIDING ADVICE IN RELATION TO THE
CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. APART FROM THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND
LIABILITIES, IF ANY, WHICH MAY BE IMPOSED ON ZEUS CAPITAL BY THE
FSMA OR THE REGULATORY REGIME ESTABLISHED THEREUNDER, ZEUS CAPITAL
ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER, AND MAKES NO REPRESENTATION
OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE CONTENTS OF THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT OR ANY OTHER WRITTEN OR ORAL INFORMATION MADE
AVAILABLE TO OR PUBLICLY AVAILABLE TO ANY INTERESTED PARTY OR ITS
ADVISERS INCLUDING ITS ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS OR VERIFICATION OR
FOR ANY OTHER STATEMENT MADE OR PURPORTED TO BE MADE BY IT, OR ON
BEHALF OF IT, THE COMPANY OR ANY OTHER PERSON, IN CONNECTION WITH
THE COMPANY AND THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, WHETHER AS TO
THE PAST OR THE FUTURE. ZEUS CAPITAL ACCORDINGLY DISCLAIMS ALL AND
ANY LIABILITY WHATSOEVER, WHETHER ARISING IN TORT, CONTRACT OR
OTHERWISE (SAVE AS REFERRED TO ABOVE), WHICH IT MIGHT OTHERWISE
HAVE IN RESPECT OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OR ANY SUCH
STATEMENT. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF ZEUS CAPITAL AS THE COMPANY'S
NOMINATED ADVISER UNDER THE AIM RULES FOR COMPANIES AND 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
SHAREHOLDER OF THE COMPANY OR ANY OTHER PERSON, IN RESPECT OF ITS
DECISION TO ACQUIRE SHARES IN THE CAPITAL OF THE COMPANY IN
RELIANCE ON ANY PART OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, OR
OTHERWISE.
THE
INFORMATION IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, WHICH MAY INCLUDE CERTAIN
INFORMATION DRAWN FROM PUBLIC SOURCES, DOES NOT PURPORT TO BE
COMPREHENSIVE AND HAS NOT BEEN INDEPENDENTLY
VERIFIED.
THE
CONTENT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BY AN AUTHORISED
PERSON WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE FSMA. RELIANCE ON THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENGAGING IN ANY INVESTMENT ACTIVITY
MAY EXPOSE AN INDIVIDUAL TO A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF LOSING ALL OF THE
PROPERTY OR OTHER ASSETS INVESTED. 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 APPROPRIATE INDEPENDENT
FINANCIAL ADVISER.
NO
PROSPECTUS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE IN CONNECTION WITH THE MATTERS
CONTAINED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND NO SUCH PROSPECTUS IS REQUIRED
(IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EU PROSPECTUS REGULATION OR THE UK
PROSPECTUS REGULATION) TO BE PUBLISHED. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE
TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN ARE FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES
ONLY AND ARE DIRECTED ONLY AT, UNLESS OTHERWISE AGREED BY ZEUS
CAPITAL, PERSONS WHO ARE: (A) PERSONS IN MEMBER STATES WHO ARE
QUALIFIED INVESTORS; AND (B) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, QUALIFIED
INVESTORS WHO ARE PERSONS WHO (I) HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN
MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS FALLING WITHIN THE DEFINITION OF
"INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS" IN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL
SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005, AS
AMENDED (THE "ORDER"); (II) ARE PERSONS FALLING
WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) ("HIGH NET WORTH COMPANIES,
UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATIONS, ETC") OF THE ORDER; OR (III) ARE
PERSONS TO WHOM IT MAY OTHERWISE BE LAWFULLY COMMUNICATED (ALL SUCH
PERSONS TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT
PERSONS"). ANY PERSON WHO IS NOT EITHER
A QUALIFIED INVESTOR (IF IN THE EEA) OR RELEVANT PERSONS (IF IN THE
UNITED KINGDOM) SHOULD NOT ACT OR RELY ON THE INFORMATION CONTAINED
IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
NEITHER THE CONTENT OF THE COMPANY'S WEBSITE NOR ANY WEBSITE
ACCESSIBLE BY HYPERLINKS ON THE COMPANY'S WEBSITE IS INCORPORATED
IN, OR FORMS PART OF, THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
Abingdon Health
plc
("Abingdon" or "the Company" or "the Group")
Proposed Acquisition and
Placing
Notice of General
Meeting
Abingdon Health plc (AIM: ABDX), a
leading international lateral flow contract development and
manufacturing organisation (CDMO), announces that:
·
it has entered into a conditional agreement to
acquire the Compliance Solutions Group, a consultancy business
which specialises in meeting regulatory requirements in
international IVD and medical device markets for a maximum
consideration of up to £3.2 million in cash and shares, with the
cash element funded by Abingdon's existing cash
resources;
·
it is undertaking a conditional placing to raise
gross proceeds of c. £5.2 million via the issue of an aggregate of
approximately 53.6 million new Ordinary Shares ("Placing Shares")
at a price of 9.75 pence per share ("the Placing Price") to invest
in Abingdon's CDMO services and product development;
·
it is proposing to raise up to an additional £0.5
million by way of a retail offer to provide private and other
investors who were not eligible to take part in the Placing with an
opportunity to participate in the Fundraising; and
·
up to £3.0 million of the proceeds of the Placing
will fund additional product development alongside the Group's
patented AppDx® smartphone technology, with up to £1 million being
invested over two years to expand the Group's Analytical Laboratory
Service, and with the balance to provide working
capital.
Zeus Capital Limited is acting as
sole broker in relation to the Placing ("Zeus Capital" or the
"Broker"). The Company expects to issue the Placing Shares via a
conditional placing (the "Placing") being conducted through an
accelerated book-build process (the "Bookbuild"), which will be
launched immediately following this Announcement. A placing
agreement has been entered into today between the Company and the
Broker in connection with the Placing (the "Placing
Agreement").
The acquisition of the Compliance
Solutions Group, comprising Compliance Solutions (Life Sciences)
Limited, CS Lifesciences Europe Limited and CS Lifesciences USA
Inc. (the "Acquisition"), and the Placing are subject, inter alia, to shareholder approval,
with the General Meeting expected to be convened for 10.00 a.m. on
12 August 2024.
Acquisition highlights
The Compliance Solutions Group
specialises in meeting regulatory requirements of its international
client base in the UK IVD and medical device markets. The
Compliance Solutions Group's team (currently c.37 employees)
provides consultancy services, ranging from:
•
preparation of technical files for regulatory approvals, including
preparing CE-mark, FDA and other regulatory submissions, clinical
strategy advice and protocol design and regulatory inspection gap
analysis;
•
design, implementation and maintenance of quality management
systems, including GMP and FDA compliance and equipment
validation;
•
technical file and design file reviews, clinical evaluation reports
and biological safety evaluations; and
•
internal audit programmes; supplier audits, pre-audit preparations
(e.g. FDA, MHRA, Notified Body, unannounced) and mock Notified
Body/FDA audits.
The maximum consideration of £3.2
million comprises:
§ cash of
£1.36 million to be paid as to £700,000 on Completion and then 3
equal payments of £220,000 at the end of the first, second and
third month following Completion; and
§ the sum of
£1.0 million to be satisfied by the issue of 9,216,590 Ordinary
Shares in Abingdon ("Consideration
Shares"); and
§ subject to
achieving certain revenue targets in the period starting on the
first anniversary of the acquisition and ending on the second
anniversary of the Acquisition, an earn out of up to £0.5
million to be satisfied by the issue of
such number of further Ordinary Shares as is equal to the earn-out
consideration divided by the average of the closing middle market
quotations of the Company's Ordinary Shares over the five dealing
days ending on the dealing day immediately before the date when the
earn-out consideration is agreed or determined in accordance with
the terms of the Acquisition Agreement ("Further Consideration Shares");
and
§ an amount
in cash equal to the amounts received by Compliance Solutions (Life
Sciences) Limited ("CS (LS)") in respect of certain aged debtors in
the 24 month period from Completion, subject to a maximum amount of
£340,000;
and in addition, the sum of £50,000
will be injected by the Company into CS (LS) by way of loan to
facilitate the repayment by CS (LS) of an outstanding director loan
balance.
Placing highlights
The Company intends to issue up to
c. 53.6million Placing Shares, to raise gross proceeds of up to c.
£5.2 million at a price of 9.75 pence per
New Ordinary Share.
The use of proceeds is expected to
comprise approximately:
Product development
|
£3.0
million
|
Analytical laboratory service
expansion
|
£1.0
million
|
Working capital and placing
costs
|
£1.2
million
|
|
|
|
£5.2
million
|
|
|
• The Placing is being
conducted through an accelerated book-build process, which will
open with immediate effect following this Announcement.
• The Placing Shares,
assuming full take-up, will represent approximately 28.2 per cent.
of the Company's issued share capital as enlarged by the
Acquisition and Placing ("Enlarged Share Capital").
• The final number of
Placing Shares will be agreed by the Broker and the Company at the
close of the Bookbuild, and the result will be announced as soon as
practicable thereafter.
• The timing for the close
of the Bookbuild and allocation of the Placing Shares shall be at
the discretion of Zeus Capital, in consultation with the Company.
The Placing is not underwritten.
• The Appendix to this
Announcement (which forms part of this Announcement) contains the
detailed terms and conditions of the Placing.
• The issue of the Placing
Shares is subject to, inter alia, the passing of shareholder
Resolutions at a General Meeting.
• The General Meeting is
expected to be convened for 10.00 a.m. on 12 August 2024 and will
take place at York Biotech Campus, Sand Hutton, York YO41
1LZ.
1.
The
Acquisition
The Group's strategy is to provide a
comprehensive contract development and manufacturing service to an
international in vitro diagnostics and lateral flow diagnostics
customer base. Its intention is to provide "all the pieces of the
jigsaw" to allow a customer to take a project from concept to
commercialisation.
Hence, in addition to providing
contract development, scale-up, technical transfer and contract
manufacturing solutions, the Group has expanded its offering to
include, inter alia,
packaging design, kitting, regulatory and quality management system
support and analytical laboratory services.
As part of this strategy, the Group
recently acquired the IVDeology Group, a UK-based regulatory
consultancy, for a maximum consideration of £700,000.
The Board is therefore delighted to
announce today the conditional acquisition of the Compliance
Solutions Group, comprising Compliance Solutions (Life Sciences)
Limited, CS Lifesciences Europe Limited ("CS Europe") and CS
Lifesciences USA Inc. ("CS USA") (currently not
trading).
The Compliance Solutions
Group specialises in meeting regulatory
requirements of its international client base in the UK IVD and
medical device markets. The
Compliance Solutions Group's team (currently c.37 employees)
provides consultancy services, ranging from:
·
preparation of technical files for regulatory
approvals, including preparing CE-mark, FDA and other regulatory
submissions, clinical strategy advice and protocol design and
regulatory inspection gap analysis;
·
design, implementation and maintenance of quality
management systems, including GMP and FDA compliance and equipment
validation;
·
technical file and design file reviews, clinical
evaluation reports and biological safety evaluations;
and
·
internal audit programmes; supplier audits,
pre-audit preparations (e.g. FDA, MHRA, Notified Body, unannounced)
and mock Notified Body/FDA audits.
CS Europe provides EU Responsible
Person services to medical device companies. CS USA is currently
dormant.
The Compliance Solutions Group's
activities are complementary to those of the Group and increase the
depth of the Group's regulatory expertise through the addition of
the Compliance Solutions Group's regulatory expertise. Furthermore,
there is, in the Board's opinion, the opportunity to cross-sell the
Group's services, such as lateral flow development and manufacture
and analytical laboratory support, into the Compliance Solutions
Group's customer base.
CS (LS)'s recent trading history is
highlighted below:
Year-end
|
30-Jun-23
|
30-Jun-22
|
Revenue
|
£2,716k
|
£1,864k
|
EBIT
|
£390k
|
£213k
|
EBITDA
|
£393k
|
£215k
|
Net assets
|
£493k
|
£263k
|
Source: Unaudited Abridged Financial
Statements of Compliance Solutions (Life Sciences) Ltd for the year
ended 30 June 2023
CS Europe's recent trading history
is highlighted below:
Year-end
|
31-Dec-22
|
31-Dec-21
|
Revenue
|
€49k
|
€63k
|
EBIT
|
€(2)k
|
€52k
|
EBITDA
|
€(2)k
|
€52k
|
Net assets
|
€44k
|
€46k
|
Source: Unaudited Abridged Financial Statements of CS Lifesciences
Europe Limited for the year ended 31 December 2022
Edwin Lindsay, the Compliance
Solutions Group's Managing Director, will continue in that role
post Completion and will join Abingdon's executive management
team.
The maximum consideration of
£3,200,000 comprises:
·
cash of £1.36 million to be paid as to £700,000 on
Completion and then 3 equal payments of £220,000 at the end of the
first, second and third month following Completion;
·
the sum of £1.0 million to be satisfied by the
issue of the Consideration Shares;
·
subject to achieving certain revenue targets in
the period starting on the first anniversary of the Acquisition and
ending on the second anniversary of the Acquisition, an earn out of
up to £0.5 million to be satisfied by the issue of the Further
Consideration Shares; and
·
an amount in cash equal to the amounts received by
CS (LS) in respect of certain aged debtors in the 24-month period
from Completion, subject to a maximum amount of
£340,000;
and in addition, the sum of £50,000
will be injected by the Company into CS (LS) by way of loan to
facilitate the repayment by CS (LS) of an outstanding director loan
balance.
The Consideration Shares and the
Further Consideration Shares will be subject to a 12-month lock-in
followed by a 12-month orderly market provision.
Completion of the Acquisition
Agreement and the issue of the Consideration Shares and the Further
Consideration Shares are conditional upon:
·
the Placing Agreement having become unconditional
in all respects and not having been terminated in accordance with
its terms;
·
the passing of the Resolutions to be proposed at
the General Meeting; and
·
Admission (of the Placing Shares) having occurred,
(together the "Acquisition
Agreement Conditions").
Completion of the Acquisition
Agreement will take place no later than five business days after
the date when all the Acquisition Agreement Conditions have been
satisfied (unless otherwise agreed between the parties).
Should the Acquisition Agreement
Conditions not be satisfied by 30 September 2024, the Acquisition
and the issue of the Consideration Shares and the Further
Consideration Shares will not proceed.
The Company also has a right to
terminate the Acquisition Agreement if there is a material breach
of a warranty prior to Completion.
The Acquisition Agreement contains
certain warranties and indemnities (including a tax covenant) given
by the Vendors.
2.
Reasons for the
Placing
The Company intends to issue c. 53.6
million Placing Shares, to raise gross proceeds of approximately
£5.2 million.
The use of proceeds is expected to
comprise approximately:
Product development
|
£3.0
million
|
Analytical laboratory service
expansion
|
£1.0
million
|
Working capital and placing
costs
|
£1.2
million
|
|
£5.2
million
|
i)
Product development
The Board proposes to use up to £3.0
million of the proceeds to enhance the Group's product offering
through development of lateral flow self-tests alongside use of the
Group's patented AppDx® technology - a smartphone based lateral
flow test reader.
In addition to the Group's CRO/CDMO
and associated routes to market, the Board has identified
opportunities for the Group to utilise its in-house scientific
skills, assay development experience and infrastructure to develop
additional products which are complementary to those of its CDMO
customers and its Abingdon Simply Test®
range.
Key opportunities include (i)
infectious disease self-testing, which complements current CDMO
activity, and (ii) certain other clinical lateral flow self-tests
which complement those in the Abingdon Simply Test®
range.
In addition, the use and
product-specific development of the Group's AppDx® lateral flow
test reader is expected to add further value to these products and
increase ease of use for the end-user. Importantly, these new
developments will utilise the Group's current and developing routes
to market.
ii)
Expansion to analytical laboratory service
The Board also proposes to use up to
£1.0 million of the proceeds of the Placing to strengthen its
analytical laboratory service. The Group has been providing this
service since 2023 as part of its strategy of providing a
comprehensive contract development and manufacturing service and
supporting its customers in bringing products to market. The
services of an analytical laboratory, which provides a significant
contribution to a product's technical file, include:
·
Stability;
·
Specificity;
·
Detection limits;
·
Interference; and
·
Cross-reactivity.
The Placing will allow the Group to
expand its in-house analytical laboratory services and also extend
these capabilities to a range of other test formats including PCR,
LAMP, isothermal amplification assays, antigen and antibody
detection immunoassays and other point-of-care assays, in addition
to supporting basic research.
3.
Information on
the Placing
The issue of the Placing Shares is
conditional upon, amongst other things, the passing of the
Resolutions to be put to Shareholders at the General Meeting. The
Placing Shares are expected to be admitted to trading on AIM on or
around 14 August 2024, being the first trading day following the
General Meeting.
In connection with the Placing, the
Company entered into the Placing Agreement, pursuant to which the
Bookrunner, as agent for the Company, conditionally agreed to use
its reasonable endeavours to procure subscribers for the Placing
Shares. The Placing has not been underwritten by the Bookrunner or
any other person.
The Placing Agreement and the issue
of the Placing Shares are conditional upon:
·
the entering into of the Acquisition
Agreement;
·
the fulfilment by the Company of its obligations
to deliver to Zeus Capital certain documents required under the
Placing Agreement by the time specified in the Placing
Agreement;
·
an AIM application form in respect of the Placing
Shares signed on behalf of the Company and all other documents to
be submitted therewith having been delivered to the London Stock
Exchange;
·
the Circular having been posted to the Company's
shareholders by no later than 25 July 2024 (by first class pre-paid
mail) in accordance with the articles of association;
·
the Company having complied with all of its other
obligations under the Placing Agreement (to the extent that such
obligations fall to be performed prior to Admission) and not being
in breach of the Placing Agreement save where, in the good faith
opinion of Zeus Capital, such non-compliance or breach is not
material;
·
no matter having arisen before Admission which
would reasonably be expected to give rise to a claim under any of
the indemnities given by the Company in the Placing
Agreement;
·
the Resolutions being passed at the General
Meeting;
·
the Acquisition Agreement not having been
terminated prior to Admission;
·
the delivery by the Company to Zeus Capital
immediately prior to Admission of the Warranty Certificate in the
form set out in the Placing Agreement and signed for and on behalf
of the Company by a Director;
·
the Placing Shares having been allotted, subject
only to Admission; and Admission occurring by no later than 8.00
a.m. on 14 August 2024 (or such later time and/or date as the
Company and Zeus Capital may agree, being not later than 8.00 a.m.
on 23 September 2024 (the "Long
Stop Date").
Should the conditions in the Placing
Agreement not be satisfied, the Placing, the Acquisition and the
Retail Offer will not proceed.
The Placing Agreement contains
customary warranties from the Company in favour of the Bookrunner
in relation to, inter
alia, the accuracy of the
information in this document and other matters relating to the
Group and its business. In addition, the Company has agreed to
indemnify the Bookrunner in relation to certain liabilities it may
incur in respect of the Placing. The Bookrunner has the right to
terminate the Placing Agreement in certain circumstances prior to
Admission, in particular, in the event of a breach of the
warranties given to the Bookrunner in the Placing Agreement, the
occurrence of a force majeure event or a material adverse change
affecting the condition, or the earnings or business affairs or
prospects of the Group as a whole, whether or not arising in the
ordinary course of business.
4.
The Retail
Offer
In order to provide private and
other investors who were not eligible to have taken part in the
Placing with an opportunity to participate in the fundraising and
to mitigate an element of dilution, the Company is proposing to
raise up to an additional £500,000 (before expenses) by way of a
retail offer via Bookbuild (the "Retail Offer") of up to
5,128,205 new Ordinary Shares at
the Placing Price following Admission of the Consideration Shares.
The Retail Offer announcement will
be made after admission of the Consideration Shares and will
contain further information on how interested parties can
participate in the Retail Offer.
For
the avoidance of doubt, the Retail Offer is not part of the Placing
and is the sole responsibility of the Company. The Bookrunner does
not have any responsibilities, obligations, duties or liabilities
(whether arising pursuant to any contract, law, regulation, or
tort) in relation to the same.
The
Company has relied on an available exemption against the need to
publish a prospectus approved by the FCA (acting in its capacity as
the UK Listing Authority) in respect of the Retail
Offer.
5.
Taxation
The Company is seeking to raise
funds by the issue of certain Placing Shares (to raise gross
proceeds of up to £5.0
million) to VCTs. Such Placing Shares are
intended to rank as "eligible shares" for the purposes of VCT
investors and a "qualifying holding" for the purposes of an
investment by VCTs, pursuant to the relevant respective sections of
ITA 2007.
The Company has obtained a written
opinion from specialist tax advisers confirming that the Company
would, subject to the relevant limits on such issuances, be able to
issue part of the Placing Shares as "eligible shares" under the
relevant sections of the ITA 2007.
Neither the Company nor the
Directors give any warranties or undertakings that VCT reliefs will
be granted in respect of Placing Shares issued as VCT qualifying
shares pursuant to the Placing. Neither the Company nor the
Directors give any warranties or undertakings that VCT reliefs, if
granted, will not be withdrawn. If the Company carries on
activities beyond those disclosed to HMRC in a prior advance
clearance obtained in connection with a previous placing of
Ordinary Shares in the Company, then Shareholders may cease to
qualify for the tax benefits. Placees must take their own advice
and rely on it.
6.
Financial Update
and Outlook
Unaudited revenues for FY 2024 will
be c.£6.1 million (FY 2023: £4.0 million) and revenues in the
second half of the financial year were 55% ahead of H1 FY
2024. Cash as of 30 June 2024 was £1.3 million (31 December
2023: £2.0 million).
Cash-burn reduced in H2 2024
compared to H1 2024; and in Q4 2024 cash flow was
positive.
The Board anticipates that continued
solid revenue growth in FY 2025, along with close management of the
Group's operational cost base, will further drive operational
profitability improvements.
Contract services
The Group's CDMO business has seen
good revenue traction year-on-year with revenue of £5.5 million in
FY 2024, circa 51% ahead of FY 2023 (£3.6 million). Abingdon's CDMO
proposition is resonating well with customers across a range of
sectors including self-test and point-of-care clinical testing,
animal health, plant health and environmental testing. It is
particularly pleasing to work with companies across a range of
activities including contract development, technical transfer and
scale-up, and also regulatory and commercial support.
The Board was pleased to support its
CDMO customer, Salignostics Ltd, in securing retail distribution
opportunities in the UK, including at Boots, where their innovative
saliva-based pregnancy test is being rolled out across 1,300 Boots
stores nationwide and online at boots.com.
A number of customers' products were
transferred into manufacturing during the year, including
Salignostics, LoopDx (sepsis point-of-care test) and Up Front
Diagnostics (stroke point-of-care test); and the Group looks
forward to supporting them, and its existing manufacturing
customers, going forward as these products achieve further
regulatory approvals and market penetration.
The Group strengthened its
regulatory service capabilities in May 2024 with the acquisition,
for up to £700,000, of IVDeology. IVDeology's service capabilities
include Quality Management System build, technical file build,
auditing and regulatory filing support (FDA, IVDR, CE-marking and
UKCA-marking). The acquisition is complementary to Abingdon's
existing regulatory service capabilities and provides the Group
with strength in depth to support its customers in a regulatory
environment undergoing significant change.
Abingdon Products
Abingdon Products achieved revenue
of £0.7 million in FY 2024, up 56% compared to £0.4 million in FY
2023. As anticipated at the time of the interim accounts for the
six months ended 31 December 2023, the second half saw a stronger
performance with revenues in H2 FY 2024 176% ahead of H1 FY 2024.
The main driver was the launch in H2 FY 2024 of three lateral flow
self-tests under Boots' own-label, Vitamin D, Iron (Ferritin) and
Saliva Pregnancy.
The Group continues to focus
on further opportunities, both in the UK and Europe, to promote
own-label solutions to major retailers. In addition, the Abingdon
Simply Test® range of self-test products, launched online in July
2022, continues to build and the Group's product range now consist
of 16 self-tests. The Group will continue to explore
opportunities to build routes to market in the UK, Ireland and
Europe.
7.
General
Meeting
The Board is seeking the approval of
Shareholders to allot the Placing Shares, the Consideration Shares,
the Further Consideration Shares (based on an issue price equal to
that of the Consideration Shares as the actual issue price will be
unknown until the end of the earn out period in line with the
Acquisition Agreement) and the Retail Offer Shares at the General
Meeting. In addition to this specific authority, the Board is also
seeking the approval of the Shareholders to give the Directors the
additional general authority to allot up to 66% of the Company's
current share capital (in line with the authorities and limitations
normally sought at each annual general meeting).
The Company's General Meeting will
be held at York Biotech Campus, Sand
Hutton, York YO41 1LZ at 10 a.m. on 12
August 2024. Further details of the General Meeting will be
included in a Circular to Shareholders, to be posted to
Shareholders on or around the date of this Announcement.
EXPECTED TIMETABLE OF
PRINCIPAL EVENTS
|
2024
|
Acquisition Agreement
exchanged
|
24
July
|
Announcement of the Acquisition and
Placing
|
24
July
|
Placing results
announcement
Publication of the
Circular
|
25
July
25
July
|
Latest time and date to submit proxy
instruction
|
10.00 a.m.
on 8 August
|
General Meeting
|
10.00 a.m.
on 12 August
|
Admission and commencement of
dealings in the Placing Shares on AIM
|
8.00 a.m.
on 14 August4
|
CREST accounts credited with Placing
Shares in uncertified form
|
8.00 a.m.
on 14 August
|
Dispatch of share certificates in
respect of the Placing Shares to be issued in certified
form
|
Within 14
days of admission
|
Admission and commencement of
dealings in the Consideration Shares on AIM by no later
than
|
8.00 a.m.
on 19 August3
|
Dispatch of share certificates in
respect of the Consideration Shares to be issued in certified
form
|
Within 14
days of admission
|
Notes:
1. Each of the times and dates above are indicative only and are
subject to change. If any of the above times and/or dates change,
the revised times and/or dates will be notified by the Company to
Shareholders by announcement through a regulatory information
service.
2. All of the above times refer to London time unless otherwise
stated.
3. Completion of the Acquisition Agreement is conditional upon
Admission and commencement of dealing in the Placing
Shares.
4. The admission and commencement of dealings in the Placing
Shares on AIM are conditional on, inter alia, the passing of the
Resolutions at the General Meeting.
KEY
STATISTICS
Number of Existing Ordinary
Shares
|
126,716,822
|
Total number of Placing
Shares
|
Up to
c.53.6 million
|
Placing Price (per share)
|
9.75
pence
|
Gross proceeds of the
Placing
|
Up to c.
£5.2 million
|
Number of Consideration
Shares
|
9,216,590
|
Chris Yates, CEO of Abingdon Health plc,
commented:
"We are delighted to announce the
Placing and Acquisition to support the acceleration of our growth
plans.
"The Placing will allow the
build-out of our analytical laboratory to provide customers with
the verification and validation services that are integral to a
technical file build and regulatory submission. Furthermore, the
Placing will also enable us to invest in product development to
grow our range of self-test lateral flow products with additional
innovative proprietary products.
"We are also pleased to announce the
acquisition of Compliance Solutions Group, broadening and deepening
the regulatory support we can provide customers in navigating the
increasingly complex regulatory environment in the UK, Europe, the
United States and elsewhere.
"I would like to welcome Edwin
Lindsay, Compliance Solutions Group Managing Director, and all
Compliance Solutions employees to the Abingdon Health
Group."
Enquiries
Abingdon Health plc
|
www.abingdonhealth.com/investors/
|
Chris Yates, Chief Executive Officer
|
Via
Walbrook PR
|
Chris Hand, Non-Executive Chairman
|
|
Zeus
Capital Limited (Sole Broker and Nominated
Adviser)
|
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7220 1666
|
Chris Fielding / Isaac
Hooper (Corporate Finance)
|
|
Fraser Marshall (Corporate
Broking)
|
|
|
|
Walbrook PR (Media & Investor Relations)
|
Tel: +44
(0)20 7933 8780 or abingdon@walbrookpr.com
|
Paul McManus / Alice
Woodings
|
Mob: +44
(0)7980 541 893 / +44 (0)7407 804 654
|
Phillip Marriage
|
+44
(0)7867 984 082
|
|
| |
The person responsible for arranging
the release of this announcement on behalf of the Company is Chris
Yates, Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
About Abingdon Health plc
Abingdon is a leading lateral flow
contract development and manufacturing organisation ("CDMO")
offering its services to an international customer base across
industry sectors that include clinical, animal health, plant
health, and environmental testing. Abingdon has the internal
capabilities to take projects from initial concept through to
routine and large-scale manufacturing; from "idea to commercial
success".
The Company's CDMO division offers
product development, regulatory support, technology transfer and
manufacturing services for customers looking to develop new assays
or transfer existing laboratory-based assays to a lateral flow
format. Abingdon aims to support the increase in need for
rapid results across many industries and locations; and produces
lateral flow tests in areas such as infectious disease and clinical
testing, including companion diagnostics, animal health and
environmental testing. Faster access to results allows for rapid
decision making and targeted intervention; and can support better
outcomes.
Abingdon'as Abingdon Simply Test
range of self-tests is an e-commerce platform that offers a range
of self-tests to empowers consumers to manage their own health and
wellbeing. The Abingdon Simply
Test e-commerce site offers
consumers a range of information to support them in making informed
decisions on the tests available. In addition, the site provides
Abingdon's contract services customers with a potential route to
market for self-tests. The Abingdon Simply Test range is also sold
through international distributors and through other channels in
the UK and Ireland, such as pharmacy chains.
Founded in 2008, Abingdon is
headquartered in York, England.
For more information
visit: www.abingdonhealth.com
APPENDIX I
Terms and conditions of the
Placing
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THE
APPENDICES (TOGETHER, THE "ANNOUNCEMENT") AND THE INFORMATION IN
IT IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR
DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR
INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, THE
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH
PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT
ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING. THIS APPENDIX AND THE TERMS
AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN ARE FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND
ARE DIRECTED ONLY AT, UNLES OTHERWISE AGREED BY ZEUS CAPITAL: (A)
PERSONS WHO ARE IN A MEMBER STATE OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA AND
ARE, UNLESS OTHERWISE AGREED BY ZEUS CAPITAL, QUALIFIED INVESTORS;
AND/OR (B) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, PERSONS WHO ARE (I) QUALIFIED
INVESTORS; AND "INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF
ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000
(FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005 (AS AMENDED) (THE "ORDER"); (II)
PERSONS FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) ("HIGH NET WORTH
COMPANIES, UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATIONS, ETC") OF THE ORDER; OR
(III) PERSONS TO WHOM IT MAY OTHERWISE BE LAWFULLY COMMUNICATED
(ALL SUCH PERSONS TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS
"RELEVANT
PERSONS").
THIS APPENDIX, AND THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN, IS A FINANCIAL PROMOTION AND IS EXEMPT
FROM THE GENERAL RESTRICTION IN SECTION 21 OF FSMA ON THE
COMMUNICATION OF INVITATIONS OR INDUCEMENTS TO ENGAGE IN INVESTMENT
ACTIVITY, ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT IS ONLY BEING DISTRIBUTED TO
RELEVANT PERSONS. ACCORDINGLY, THIS APPENDIX AND THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN MUST NOT BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON BY
PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS. DISTRIBUTION OF THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT IN CERTAIN JURISDICTIONS MAY BE RESTRICTED OR
PROHIBITED BY LAW. PERSONS DISTRIBUTING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST
SATISFY THEMSELVES THAT IT IS LAWFUL TO DO SO. ANY INVESTMENT OR
INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS APPENDIX AND THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN RELATE IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO RELEVANT
PERSONS AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT PERSONS.
ANY PERSON WHO IS NOT EITHER A QUALIFIED INVESTOR
(IF IN THE EEA) OR A RELEVANT PERSON (IF IN THE UNITED KINGDOM)
SHOULD NOT ACT OR RELY ON THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER
FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER,
SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF
ANY JURISDICTION. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN
OFFER FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION OF ANY SECURITIES IN THE COMPANY.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER OF OR SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO
PURCHASE OR SUBSCRIBE FOR SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. THE
SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE
REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE
"SECURITIES ACT"), AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED
STATES, EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR AS PART
OF A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF
THE SECURITIES ACT. NEITHER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF ANY
STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES HAS APPROVED OR
DISAPPROVED OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON OR
ENDORSED THE MERITS OF THE PLACING OR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF
THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE
CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE IN THE UNITED STATES. NO PUBLIC
OFFERING OF SECURITIES IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED
STATES.
EACH PLACEE SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS
OWN ADVISERS AS TO THE LEGAL, TAX, BUSINESS AND RELATED
IMPLICATIONS OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE PLACING SHARES AND THE INCOME
FROM THEM (IF ANY) MAY GO DOWN AS WELL AS UP AND INVESTORS MAY NOT
GET BACK THE FULL AMOUNT INVESTED ON A DISPOSAL OF THEIR
SHARES.
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 or the South African
Reserve Bank; and the Placing Shares have not been, nor will they
be, registered or qualified for distribution, as applicable under
or offered in compliance with the securities laws of any state,
province or territory of the United States, Australia, Canada,
Japan, New Zealand, or 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 the United States, Australia, Canada,
Japan, New Zealand, or South Africa or any other jurisdiction in
which such offer, sale, resale or delivery would be
unlawful.
Market Abuse Regulation
Market soundings, as defined in
the UK version ("UK MAR") of
the Market Abuse Regulation No. 596/2014
("EU MAR"), which is part of English law by
virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (as amended),
were taken in respect of the Placing, with the
result that certain persons became aware of inside information, as
permitted by UK MAR. That inside information is set out in this
announcement and has been disclosed as soon as possible in
accordance with paragraph 7 of article 17 of UK MAR. Therefore,
those persons that received inside information in a market sounding
are no longer in possession of inside information relating to the
Company and its securities.
Information to Distributors
Solely for the purposes of the
product governance requirements contained within 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 the Placing Shares are: (i)
compatible with an end target market of investors who meet the
criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each
defined in the FCA Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook
("COBS"); and (ii) eligible for
distribution through all distribution channels as are permitted by
the UK Product Governance Rules (the "UK Target Market
Assessment").
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; and (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" and/or
"distributor" (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: (a) investors who meet the criteria of
professional clients and (b) 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 UK Target Market
Assessment and the EU Target Market Assessment, distributors should
note that: the price of the Ordinary Shares may decline and
investors could lose all or part of their investment; such
securities offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection;
and an investment in such securities 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.
Each of the UK Target Market
Assessment and the EU Target Market Assessment is without prejudice
to any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in
relation to the Placing. Furthermore, it is noted that,
notwithstanding the UK Target Market Assessment and the EU Target
Market Assessment, Zeus Capital will only procure investors who
meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible
counterparties each as defined under COBS or MiFID II, as
applicable.
For the avoidance of doubt, each of
the UK Target Market Assessment and the EU Target Market Assessment
does not constitute: (a) an assessment of suitability or
appropriateness for the purposes of Chapters 9A or 10A respectively
of COBS or MiFID II, as applicable; 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.
Persons (including, without
limitation, nominees and trustees) who have a contractual or other
legal obligation to forward a copy of this Appendix or the
Announcement of which it forms part should seek appropriate advice
before taking any action.
These terms and conditions apply to
persons making an offer to acquire Placing Shares and should be
read in their entirety. Each Placee hereby agrees with Zeus Capital
and the Company to be bound by these terms and conditions. A Placee
shall, without limitation, become so bound if Zeus Capital 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 acquire the number of Placing Shares allocated to it
at the Placing Price and otherwise on the terms and conditions set
out in this Announcement 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.
In this Appendix, unless the context
otherwise requires, "Placee" means a Relevant Person (including
individuals, funds or others) on whose behalf a commitment to
subscribe for or acquire Placing Shares has been given.
Details of the Placing Agreement and the Placing
Shares
Zeus Capital and the Company have
entered into a Placing Agreement, under which Zeus Capital has, on
the terms and subject to the conditions set out therein, undertaken
to use its reasonable endeavours to procure subscribers for the
Placing Shares at the Placing Price. The Placing is not being
underwritten by Zeus Capital or any other person.
The number of the Placing Shares
will be determined following completion of the Placing. The
timing of the closing of the Placing and the number and allocation
of Placing Shares to Placees are at the discretion of Zeus Capital,
following consultation with the Company. Allocations will be
confirmed orally or by email by Zeus Capital following the close of
the Placing. A further announcement confirming these details will
then be made as soon as practicable following completion of the
Placing.
The Placing Shares will, when
issued, be subject to the Articles, will be credited as fully
paid and rank pari
passu in all respects with the Existing Ordinary
Shares, including the right to receive all dividends and other
distributions (if any) declared, made or paid on or in respect of
Ordinary Shares after the date of issue of the Placing
Shares.
Application for admission to trading on AIM
Application will be made to the
London Stock Exchange for admission to trading on AIM of the
Placing Shares. It is expected that settlement of the Placing
Shares and Admission will become effective at 8.00 a.m. on
14 August 2024 and that
dealings in the Placing Shares will commence at that
time.
Bookbuild Placing
Zeus Capital will today commence an
accelerated bookbuilding process to determine demand for
participation in the Placing by potential Placees at the Placing
Price. This Appendix 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.
Zeus Capital and the Company shall
be entitled to effect the Placing by such alternative method to the
Placing as they may, in their discretion, determine.
The principal terms of the Placing
are as follows:
1. Zeus Capital is
arranging the Placing as sole agent for, and broker of, the
Company.
2. Participation
in the Placing is only available to persons who are lawfully able
to be, and have been, invited to participate by Zeus
Capital. Zeus Capital and any of its
affiliates are entitled to participate in the Bookbuild.
3. The Bookbuild,
if successful, will establish the number of Placing Shares to be
issued at the Placing Price, which will be determined by Zeus
Capital, in consultation with the Company, following completion of
the Placing. The results of the Placing, including the number of
Placing Shares, will be announced on a Regulatory Information
Service following completion of the Placing.
4. To bid in the
Placing, prospective Placees should communicate their bid by
telephone or email to their usual contact at Zeus Capital. Each bid
should state the number of Placing Shares which the prospective
Placee wishes to subscribe for. Bids may be scaled down by Zeus
Capital on the basis referred to in paragraph 1 below.
5. The Placing is
expected to close no later than 5.00 p.m. on 25 July 2024 but may be closed earlier
or later subject to the agreement of Zeus Capital and the Company.
Zeus Capital may, in agreement with the Company, accept bids that
are received after the Bookbuild has closed.
The Company reserves the right to reduce or seek
to increase the amount to be raised pursuant to the Placing, in its
absolute discretion.
6. Allocations of
the Placing Shares to Placees will be determined by Zeus Capital,
following consultation with the Company. Each Placee's allocation
will be confirmed to Placees orally, or by email, by Zeus Capital
following the close of the Placing and a trade confirmation or
contract note will be dispatched as soon as possible thereafter.
Oral or emailed confirmation from Zeus Capital will give rise to an
irrevocable, legally binding commitment by that person (who at that
point becomes a Placee), in favour of Zeus Capital and the Company,
under which it agrees to acquire by subscription the number of
Placing Shares allocated to it at the Placing Price and otherwise
on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in this Appendix
and in accordance with the Articles. Except with Zeus Capital's
consent, such commitment will not be capable of variation or
revocation. Zeus Capital may choose to accept bids, either in whole
or in part, on the basis of allocations determined at their
absolute discretion, in consultation with the Company, and may
scale down any bids for this purpose on the basis referred to in
paragraph 8 below.
7. The Company
will make a further announcement following the close of the Placing
detailing the results of the Placing and the number of Placing
Shares to be issued at the Placing Price.
8. Subject to
paragraphs 4 and 5 above,
Zeus Capital may choose not to accept bids and/or to accept bids,
either in whole or in part, on the basis of allocations determined
at its discretion (after consultation with the Company) and may
scale down any bids for this purpose on such basis as it may
determine. Zeus Capital may also, notwithstanding paragraphs
4 and 5 above, subject to the prior consent
of the Company, allocate Placing Shares after the time of any
initial allocation to any person submitting a bid after that time
or allocate Placing Shares after the Bookbuild has closed to any
person submitting a bid after that time.
9. A bid in the
Placing will be made on the terms and subject to the conditions in
the Announcement (including this Appendix) and will be legally
binding on the Placee on behalf of which it is made and, except
with Zeus Capital's consent, will not be capable of variation or
revocation from the time at which it is submitted. Following Zeus
Capital's oral or written confirmation of each Placee's allocation
and commitment to acquire Placing Shares, each Placee will have an
immediate, separate, irrevocable and binding obligation, owed to
Zeus Capital (as agent for the Company), to pay to it (or as it may
direct) in cleared funds an amount equal to the product of Placing
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.
10. Except as required by law
or regulation, no press release or other announcement will be made
by Zeus Capital or the Company using the name of any Placee (or its
agent), in its capacity as Placee (or agent), other than with such
Placee's prior written consent.
11. Irrespective of the time
at which a Placee's allocation pursuant to the Placing is
confirmed, settlement for all Placing Shares to be acquired
pursuant to the Placing will be required to be made at the same
time, on the basis explained below under "Registration and
Settlement".
12. All obligations of Zeus
Capital under the Placing will be subject to fulfilment of the
conditions referred to below "Conditions of the Placing" and to the
Placing not being terminated on the basis referred to below under
"Right to terminate the Placing Agreement".
13. By participating in the
Placing, each Placee agrees 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.
14. To the fullest extent
permissible by law and the applicable rules of the FCA, neither
Zeus Capital, nor the Company, nor any of their respective
affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees shall have any
liability to Placees (or to any other person whether acting on
behalf of a Placee or otherwise whether or not a recipient of these
terms and conditions) in respect of the Placing. In particular,
neither Zeus Capital, nor the Company, nor any of their respective
affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees shall have any
liability (including to the extent permissible by law, any
fiduciary duties) in respect of Zeus Capital's conduct of the
Placing or of such alternative method of effecting the Placing as
Zeus Capital and the Company may determine.
15. The Placing is not subject
to any minimum fundraising and no element of the Placing is
underwritten by Zeus Capital or any other person.
Conditions of the Bookbuild Placing
The Placing is conditional upon the
Placing Agreement becoming unconditional and not having been
terminated in accordance with its terms.
Zeus Capital's obligations under the
Placing Agreement are conditional on:
1. the entering
into of the Acquisition Agreement;
2. the fulfilment
by the Company of its obligations to deliver to Zeus Capital
certain documents required under the Placing Agreement by the time
specified in the Placing Agreement;
3. an AIM
application form in respect of the Placing Shares signed on behalf
of the Company and all other documents to be submitted therewith
having been delivered to the London Stock Exchange;
4. the Circular
having been posted to the Company's shareholders by no later than
25 July 2024 (by first class pre-paid mail) in accordance with the
articles of association;
5. the Company
having complied with all of its other obligations under the Placing
Agreement (to the extent that such obligations fall to be performed
prior to Admission) and not being in breach of the Placing
Agreement save where, in the good faith opinion of Zeus Capital,
such non-compliance or breach is not material;
6. no matter
having arisen before Admission which would reasonably be expected
to give rise to a claim under any of the indemnities given by the
Company in the Placing Agreement;
7. the Resolutions
being passed at the General Meeting;
8. the Acquisition
Agreement not having been terminated prior to Admission;
9. the delivery by
the Company to Zeus Capital immediately prior to Admission of the
warranty certificate in the form set out in the Placing Agreement
and signed for and on behalf of the Company by a
Director;
10. the Placing Shares having
been allotted, subject only to Admission; and
11. Admission having occurred
not later than 8.00 a.m. on 14 August 2024 or such later date as
the Company and the Bank may agree, but in any event not later than
8.00 a.m. on 23 September
2024 (the "Long Stop
Date").
If: (i) any of the conditions
contained in the Placing Agreement, including those described
above, are not fulfilled or (where applicable) waived by Zeus
Capital by the respective time or date where specified (or such
later time or date as Zeus Capital may notify to the Company, being
not later than the Long Stop Date; (ii) any of such conditions
becomes incapable of being fulfilled; or (iii) the Placing
Agreement is terminated in the circumstances specified below, the
Placing 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 the Placee in respect thereof.
Zeus Capital may, at its discretion
and upon such terms as it thinks fit, waive, or extend the period
for (subject to the Long Stop Date), compliance by the Company with
the whole or any part of any of the Company's obligations in
relation to the conditions in the Placing Agreement, save
that the conditions relating to Admission taking
place may not be waived. Any such extension or
waiver will not affect Placees' commitments as set out in this
Announcement.
Neither Zeus Capital 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 nor for any decision they may make as to
the satisfaction of any condition or in respect of the Placing
generally and, by participating in the Placing, each Placee agrees
that any such decision is within the absolute discretion of Zeus
Capital.
Right to terminate the Placing Agreement
Zeus Capital is entitled, at any
time before Admission, to terminate the Placing Agreement by giving
notice to the Company in certain circumstances,
including, inter
alia:
1. the Company
fails to comply with any of its obligations under the Placing
Agreement which Zeus Capital reasonably considers to be material;
or
2. it comes to the
notice of Zeus Capital that any statement contained in any of the
Issue Documents (as defined in the Placing Agreement) was untrue,
incorrect or misleading at the date of such document in any respect
which Zeus Capital reasonably considers to be material;
or
3. it comes to the
notice of the Bank that any statement contained in any of the Issue
Documents (as defined in the Placing Agreement) has become untrue,
incorrect or misleading in any respect which Zeus Capital
reasonably considers to be material or any matter which Zeus
Capital reasonably considers to be material has arisen which would,
if the Placing were made at that time, constitute a material
omission therefrom; or
4. it comes to the
notice of Zeus Capital that any of the warranties given by the
Company was not at the date of the Placing Agreement true and
accurate in any respect which Zeus Capital reasonably considers to
be material by reference to the facts subsisting at the time when
the notice referred to below is given; or
5. it comes to the
notice of Zeus Capital that a matter has arisen which is reasonably
likely to give rise to a claim under any of the indemnities given
by the Company in the Placing Agreement which Zeus Capital
reasonably considers to be material by reference to the facts
subsisting at the time when the notice referred to below is given;
or
6. any of the
warranties, given by the Company by reference to the circumstances
prevailing from time to time has ceased to be true and accurate in
any respect which Zeus Capital reasonably considers to be material
by reference to the facts subsisting at the time when the notice
referred to below is given; or
7. it comes to the
notice of Zeus Capital that there has been, or will be a breach of
the Acquisition Agreement including any of the warranties in that
agreement which Zeus Capital reasonably considers to be material or
the Acquisition Agreement is otherwise terminated, rescinded or
frustrated, then Zeus Capital may, after having to the extent
practicable in the circumstances consulted with the Company, give
notice in writing to the Company prior to Admission to terminate
its obligations under the Placing Agreement.
The rights and obligations of the
Placees will not be subject to termination by the Placees or any
prospective Placees at any time or in any circumstances. By
participating in the Placing, Placees agree that the exercise by
Zeus Capital of any right of termination or other discretion under
the Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute discretion of
Zeus Capital and that Zeus Capital need not make any reference to
Placees in this regard and that neither Zeus Capital nor any of its
respective affiliates shall have any liability to Placees
whatsoever in connection with any such exercise or failure so to
exercise.
No
Admission Document or Prospectus
The Placing Shares are being offered
to a limited number of specifically invited persons only and have
not been nor will they be offered in such a way as to require the
publication of a prospectus in the United Kingdom or in any other
jurisdiction. No offering document, admission document or
prospectus has been or will be submitted to be approved by the FCA
or the London Stock Exchange in relation to the Placing or the
Placing Shares, and Placees' commitments will be made solely on the
basis of the information contained in the Announcement (including
this Appendix) and the Publicly Available Information and subject
to any further terms set out in the contract note, electronic trade
confirmation or other (oral or written) confirmation to be sent to
individual Placees. Each Placee, by accepting a participation
in the Placing, agrees that the content of this Announcement is
exclusively the responsibility of the Company and confirms that it
has not relied on any other information (other than the Publicly
Available Information), representation, warranty, or statement made
by or on behalf of the Company or Zeus Capital or any other person
and neither Zeus Capital, the Company nor any other person will be
liable for any Placee's decision to participate in the Placing
based on any other information, representation, warranty or
statement which the Placees may have obtained or received and, if
given or made, such information, representation, warranty or
statement must not be relied upon as having been authorised by Zeus
Capital, the Company or their respective officers, directors,
employees or agents. 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. Neither the Company nor Zeus Capital are making any
undertaking or warranty to any Placee regarding the legality of an
investment in the Placing Shares by such Placee under any legal,
investment or similar laws or regulations. Each Placee should not
consider any information in this Announcement to be legal, tax or
business advice. Each Placee should consult its own solicitor, tax
adviser and financial adviser for independent legal, tax and
financial advice regarding an investment in the Placing Shares.
Nothing in this paragraph shall exclude the liability of any person
for fraudulent misrepresentation.
Registration and Settlement
Following closure of the Placing,
each Placee allocated Placing Shares in the Placing will be sent a
trade confirmation or contract note in accordance with the standing
arrangements in place with Zeus Capital, stating the number of
Placing Shares allocated to it at the Placing Price, the aggregate
amount owed by such Placee (in pounds sterling) and a form of
confirmation in relation to settlement instructions.
Each Placee will be deemed to agree
that it will do all things necessary to ensure that delivery and
payment is completed as directed by Zeus Capital in accordance with
the standing CREST settlement instructions which they have in place
with Zeus Capital.
Settlement of transactions in the
Placing Shares (ISIN: GB00BLF79J41) following Admission will
take place within CREST provided that, subject to certain
exceptions. Settlement through CREST is expected to occur on
or around 14 August 2024 (the "Settlement
Date") in accordance with the contract note, electronic
trade confirmation or other (oral or written) confirmation.
Settlement will be on a delivery versus payment basis.
However, in the event of any difficulties or delays in the
admission of the Placing Shares to CREST or the use of CREST in
relation to the Placing, the Company and Zeus Capital may agree
that the Placing Shares should be issued in certificated
form. Zeus Capital reserve the right to require settlement
for the Placing Shares, and to deliver the Placing Shares to
Placees, by such other means as they deem necessary if delivery or
settlement to Placees is not practicable within the CREST system or
would not be consistent with regulatory requirements in the
jurisdiction in which a Placee is located.
Interest is chargeable daily on
payments not received from Placees on the due date(s) in accordance
with the arrangements set out above at the rate of 4 percentage
points above the prevailing Bank of England base rate as determined
by Zeus Capital.
Subject to the conditions set out
above, payment in respect of the Placees' allocations is due as set
out below. Each Placee should provide its settlement details in
order to enable instructions to be successfully matched in
CREST.
The relevant settlement details for
the Placing Shares are as follows:
CREST Participant ID of Zeus
Capital:
|
601
|
Expected trade time &
date:
|
at or around 7.00a.m. on
25 July 2024
|
Settlement Date:
|
14 August2024
|
ISIN code for the Placing
Shares:
|
GB00BLF79J41
|
Deadline for Placee to input
instructions into CREST:
|
12.00 p.m. on 8 August 2024
|
Each Placee is deemed to agree that,
if it does not comply with these obligations, Zeus Capital may sell
any or all of the Placing Shares allocated to that Placee on such
Placee's behalf and retain from the proceeds, for Zeus Capital's
account and benefit (as agent for the Company), an amount equal to
the aggregate amount owed by the Placee plus any interest due. The
relevant Placee will, however, remain liable and shall indemnify
Zeus Capital on demand for any shortfall below the aggregate amount
owed by it and may be required to bear any stamp duty or stamp duty
reserve tax or securities transfer tax (together with any interest
or penalties) which may arise upon the sale of such Placing Shares
on such Placee's behalf. By communicating a bid for Placing Shares,
each Placee confers on Zeus Capital such authorities and powers
necessary to carry out any such sale and agrees to ratify and
confirm all actions which Zeus Capital lawfully takes in pursuance
of such sale. Legal and/or beneficial title in and to any Placing
Shares shall not pass to the relevant Placee until it has fully
complied with its obligations hereunder.
If Placing Shares are to be
delivered to a custodian or settlement agent, Placees should ensure
that the form of confirmation is copied and delivered immediately
to the relevant person within that organisation.
Insofar as Placing Shares are
registered 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 stamp duty reserve tax or securities transfer tax.
Neither Zeus Capital nor the Company will be liable in any
circumstances for the payment of stamp duty, stamp duty reserve tax
or securities transfer tax in connection with any of the Placing
Shares. Placees will not be entitled to receive any fee or
commission in connection with the Placing.
Representations, Warranties and Further
Terms
By participating in the Placing,
each Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf)
irrevocably makes the following representations, warranties,
acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings (as the case may be)
to Zeus Capital for itself and on behalf of the Company:
1. that it has
read and understood this Announcement, including this Appendix, in
its entirety and that its subscription for Placing Shares is
subject to and based upon all the terms, conditions,
representations, warranties, acknowledgements, agreements and
undertakings and other information contained herein and undertakes
not to redistribute or duplicate this Announcement;
2. it has not
received and will not receive a prospectus or other offering
document in connection with the Placing 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;
3. that its
obligations are irrevocable and legally binding and shall not be
capable of rescission or termination by it in any
circumstances;
4. that the
exercise by Zeus Capital of any right or discretion under the
Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute discretion of Zeus
Capital, and Zeus Capital need not have any reference to it and
shall have no liability to it whatsoever in connection with any
decision to exercise or not to exercise any such right and each
Placee agrees that it has no rights against Zeus Capital or the
Company, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees
agents or advisers, under the Placing Agreement pursuant to the
Contracts (Rights of Third Parties Act) 1999;
5. that these
terms and conditions represent the whole and only agreement between
it, Zeus Capital and the Company in relation to its participation
in the Placing and supersedes any previous agreement between any of
such parties in relation to such participation. Accordingly, each
Placee, in accepting its participation in the Placing, is not
relying on any information or representation or warranty in
relation to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of the
Placing Shares other than as contained in this Announcement and the
Publicly Available Information, such information being all that it
deems necessary to make an investment decision in respect of the
Placing Shares. Each Placee agrees that neither the Company, nor
Zeus Capital, nor any of their respective officers, directors or
employees will have any liability for any such other information,
representation or warranty, express or implied;
6. that 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 and 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 any Member
State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the EU
Prospectus Regulation or the UK, respectively, other than Qualified
Investors or in circumstances in which the prior consent of Zeus
Capital has been given to the offer or resale; or (ii) where
Placing Shares have been acquired by it on behalf of persons in any
member state of the EEA, or the UK respectively, other than
Qualified Investors, the offer of those Placing Shares to it is not
treated under the EU Prospectus Regulation or the UK Prospectus
Regulation as having been made to such persons;
7. that neither it
nor, as the case may be, its clients expect Zeus Capital to have
any duties or responsibilities to such persons similar or
comparable to the duties of "best execution" and "suitability"
imposed by the FCA's Conduct of Business Source Book, and that Zeus
Capital is not acting for it or its clients, and that Zeus Capital
will not be responsible for providing the protections afforded to
customers of Zeus Capital or for providing advice in respect of the
transactions described herein;
8. that it has
made its own assessment of the Placing Shares and has relied on its
own investigation of the business, financial or other position of
the Company in accepting a participation in the Placing and that it
shall not be entitled to rely upon any material regarding the
Placing Shares or the Company (if any) that Zeus Capital or the
Company or any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors,
officers or employees or any person acting on behalf of any of them
has provided, other than the information in this Announcement and
the Publicly Available Information; nor has it requested any of
Zeus Capital, the Company or any of their respective affiliates,
agents, directors, officers or employees or any person acting on
behalf of any of them to provide it with any such
information;
9. that it is: (i)
located outside the United States and is not a US Person as defined
in Regulation S under the Securities Act ("Regulation
S") and is subscribing for and/or
purchasing the Placing Shares only in "offshore transactions" as
defined in and pursuant to Regulation S, and (ii) it is not
subscribing for and/or purchasing Placing Shares as a result of any
"directed selling efforts" as defined in Regulation S or by means
of any form of "general solicitation" or "general advertising" as
such terms are defined in Regulation D under the Securities
Act;
10. it is not taking up the
Placing Shares as a result of any "general solicitation" or
"general advertising" efforts (as those terms are defined in
Regulation D under the Securities Act) or any "directed selling
efforts" (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the
Securities Act);
11. that the Placing Shares
have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act,
or under the securities legislation of, or with any securities
regulatory authority of, any state or other jurisdiction of the
United States and accordingly the Placing Shares may not be
offered, sold, pledged, resold, transferred, delivered or
distributed into or within the United States except in compliance
with the registration requirements of the Securities Act and
applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions
therefrom;
12. it understands
that:
a. the Placing
Shares are "restricted securities" within the meaning of Rule
144(a)(3) of the Securities Act and will be subject to restrictions
on resale and transfer subject to certain exceptions under US
law;
b. no
representation is made as to the availability of the exemption
provided by Rule 144 of the Securities Act for resales or transfers
of Placing Shares; and
c. it will
not deposit the Placing Shares in an unrestricted depositary
receipt programme in the United States or for US persons (as
defined in the Securities Act);
13. it will not offer, sell,
transfer, pledge or otherwise dispose of any Placing Shares
except:
a. in an offshore
transaction in accordance with Rules 903 or 904 of Regulation S
under the Securities Act; or
b. pursuant to
another exemption from registration under the Securities Act, if
available,
c. and in
each case in accordance with all applicable securities laws of the
states of the United States and other jurisdictions;
14. no representation has been
made as to the availability of the exemption provided by Rule 144,
Rule 144A or any other exemption under the Securities Act for the
reoffer, resale, pledge or transfer of the Placing
Shares;
15. it understands that the
Placing Shares are expected to be issued to it through CREST but
may be issued to it in certificated, definitive form and
acknowledges and agrees that the Placing Shares may, to the extent
they are delivered in certificated form, bear a legend to the
following effect unless agreed otherwise with the
Company:
16. it understands that there
may be certain consequences under United States and other tax laws
resulting from an investment in the Placing and if applicable it
has made such investigation and has consulted its own independent
advisers or has otherwise satisfied itself concerning, without
limitation, the effects of United States federal, state and local
income tax laws and foreign tax laws generally;
17. that the only information
on which it is entitled to rely on and on which it has relied in
committing to subscribe for the Placing Shares is contained in this
Announcement and the Publicly Available Information, such
information being all that it deems necessary to make an investment
decision in respect of the Placing Shares and it has made its own
assessment of the Company, the Placing Shares and the terms of the
Placing based on this Announcement and the Publicly Available
Information only;
18. that neither Zeus Capital,
nor the Company, nor any of their respective affiliates, agents,
directors, officers or employees has made any representation or
warranty to it, express or implied, with respect to the Company,
the Placing or the Placing Shares or the accuracy, completeness or
adequacy of the Publicly Available Information;
19. that, unless specifically
agreed with Zeus Capital, it is not and was not acting on a
non-discretionary basis for the account or benefit of a person
located within the United States or any US Person at the time the
undertaking to subscribe for and/or purchase Placing Shares was
given and it is not acquiring Placing Shares with a view to the
offer, sale, resale, transfer, delivery or distribution, directly
or indirectly, of any Placing Shares into the United States or to
any US Person and it will not reoffer, resell, pledge or otherwise
transfer the Placing Shares except pursuant to an exemption from,
or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements
of the Securities Act and otherwise in accordance with any
applicable securities laws of any state or jurisdiction of the
United States;
20. that it is not a national
or resident of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic
of South Africa or a corporation, partnership or other entity
organised under the laws of Australia, Canada, Japan, New
Zealand, the Republic of South Africa and that it will not (unless
an exemption under the relevant securities laws is applicable)
offer, sell, renounce, transfer or deliver, directly or indirectly,
any of the Placing Shares in Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand
or the Republic of South Africa or to or for the benefit of any
person resident in Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the
Republic of South Africa and each Placee acknowledges that the
relevant clearances or exemptions are not being obtained from the
Securities Commission of any province or territory of Canada, that
no prospectus has been or will be lodged with, filed with or
registered by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission,
the Canadian Securities Administrators, the Japanese Ministry of
Finance, the Securities Commission of New Zealand or the South
African Reserve Bank and that the Placing Shares are not being
offered for sale and may not (unless an exemption under the
relevant securities laws is applicable) be offered, sold, resold or
delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States,
Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of South Africa
or any other jurisdiction in which such offer, sale, resale or
delivery would be unlawful;
21. that it does not have a
registered address in, and is not a citizen, resident or national
of, any jurisdiction in which it is unlawful to make or accept an
offer of the Placing Shares and it is not acting on a
non-discretionary basis for any such person;
22. that it has not, directly
or indirectly, distributed, forwarded, transferred or otherwise
transmitted, and will not, directly or indirectly, distribute,
forward, transfer or otherwise transmit, any presentation or
offering materials concerning the Placing or the Placing Shares to
any persons within the United States or to any US
Persons;
23. that it is entitled to
subscribe for and/or purchase Placing Shares under the laws of all
relevant jurisdictions which apply to it and that it has fully
observed such laws and obtained all governmental and other consents
which may be required thereunder or otherwise and complied with all
necessary formalities and that it has not taken any action which
will or may result in the Company or Zeus Capital or any of their
respective directors, officers, employees or agents acting in
breach of any regulatory or legal requirements of any territory in
connection with the Placing or its acceptance;
24. that it has obtained all
necessary consents and authorities to enable it to give its
commitment to subscribe for and/or purchase the Placing Shares and
to perform its subscription and/or purchase obligations;
25. that where it is acquiring
Placing Shares for one or more managed accounts, it is authorised
in writing by each managed account: (a) to acquire the Placing
Shares for each managed account; (b) to make on its behalf the
representations, warranties, acknowledgements, undertakings and
agreements in this Appendix and the Announcement of which it forms
part; and (c), if applicable, to receive on its behalf any
investment letter relating to the Placing in the form provided to
it by Zeus Capital;
26. that it is either: (a) a
person of a kind described in paragraph 5 of Article 19 (persons
having professional experience in matters relating to investments
and who are investment professionals) of the Order; or (b) a person
of a kind described in paragraph 2 of Article 49(2)(A) to (D) (high
net worth companies, unincorporated associations, partnerships or
trusts or their respective directors, officers or employees) of the
Order; or (c) a person to whom it is otherwise lawful for this
Announcement to be communicated and in the case of (a) and (b)
undertakes that it will acquire, hold, manage or dispose of any
Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the purposes of its
business;
27. that, unless otherwise
agreed by Zeus Capital, it is a Qualified Investor;
28. that, unless otherwise
agreed by Zeus Capital, it is a "professional client" or an
"eligible counterparty" within the meaning of Chapter 3 of the
FCA's COBS and it is purchasing Placing Shares for investment only
and not with a view to resale or distribution;
29. that 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;
30. that any money held in an
account with Zeus Capital (or its nominee) on its behalf and/or any
person acting on its behalf will not be treated as client money
within the meaning of the rules and regulations of the FCA. Each
Placee further acknowledges that the money will not be subject to
the protections conferred by the FCA's client money rules. As a
consequence, this money will not be segregated from Zeus Capital's
(or its nominee's) money in accordance with such client money rules
and will be used by Zeus Capital in the course of its own business
and each Placee will rank only as a general creditor of Zeus
Capital;
31. 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 requirements of Chapter 5 of the Disclosure Guidance and
Transparency Rules of the FCA);
32. that it is not, and it is
not acting on behalf of, a person falling within subsections (6),
(7) or (8) of sections 67 or 70 respectively or subsections (2) and
(3) of section 93 or subsection (1) of section 96 of the Finance
Act 1986;
33. that it will not deal or
cause or permit any other person to deal in all or any of the
Placing Shares which it is subscribing for under the Placing unless
and until Admission becomes effective;
34. that it appoints
irrevocably any director of either of Zeus Capital as its agent for
the purpose of executing and delivering to the Company and/or its
registrars any document on its behalf necessary to enable it to be
registered as the holder of the Placing Shares;
35. that the Announcement does
not constitute a securities recommendation or financial product
advice and that neither Zeus Capital nor the Company has considered
its particular objectives, financial situation and
needs;
36. that it has sufficient
knowledge, sophistication and experience in financial, business and
investment matters as is required to evaluate the merits and risks
of subscribing for or purchasing the Placing Shares and is aware
that it may be required to bear, and it, and any accounts for which
it may be acting, are able to bear, the economic risk of, and is
able to sustain, a complete loss in connection with the
Placing;
37. that it will indemnify and
hold the Company and Zeus Capital and their respective affiliates
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 in this Appendix and
further agrees that the Company and Zeus Capital will rely on the
truth and accuracy of the confirmations, warranties,
acknowledgements and undertakings herein and, if any of the
foregoing is or becomes no longer true or accurate, the Placee
shall promptly notify Zeus Capital and the Company. All
confirmations, warranties, acknowledgements and undertakings given
by the Placee, pursuant to this Announcement (including this
Appendix) are given to Zeus Capital for itself and on behalf of the
Company and will survive completion of the Placing and
Admission;
38. that time shall be of the
essence as regards obligations pursuant to this
Appendix;
39. that it is responsible for
obtaining any legal, financial, tax and other advice that it deems
necessary for the execution, delivery and performance of its
obligations in accepting the terms and conditions of the Placing,
and that it is not relying on the Company or Zeus Capital to
provide any legal, financial, tax or other advice to it;
40. that all dates and times
in this Announcement (including this Appendix) may be subject to
amendment and that Zeus Capital shall notify it of such
amendments;
41. that (i) it has complied
with its obligations under the Criminal Justice Act 1993, FSMA and
UK MAR, (ii) in connection with money laundering and terrorist
financing, it has complied with its obligations under the Proceeds
of Crime Act 2002 (as amended), the Terrorism Act 2000 (as
amended), the Terrorism Act 2006 and the Money Laundering,
Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (information on the
Payer) Regulations 2017 (as amended) and any related or similar
rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced
by any government agency having jurisdiction in respect thereof and
the Money Laundering Sourcebook of the FCA and (iii) it is not a
person: (a) with whom transactions are prohibited under the Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or any economic sanction programmes
administered by, or regulations promulgated by, the Office of
Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or
the United States Department of State; (b) named on the
Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets maintained by HM
Treasury of the United Kingdom; or (c) subject to financial
sanctions imposed pursuant to a regulation of the European Union or
a regulation adopted by the United Nations (together, the
"Regulations"); 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 and has obtained all governmental and other consents
(if any) which may be required for the purpose of, or as a
consequence of, such purchase, and it will provide promptly to Zeus
Capital such evidence, if any, as to the identity or location or
legal status of any person which Zeus Capital may request from it
in connection with the Placing (for the purpose of complying with
such Regulations or ascertaining the nationality of any person or
the jurisdiction(s) to which any person is subject or otherwise) in
the form and manner requested by Zeus Capital on the basis that any
failure by it to do so may result in the number of Placing Shares
that are to be subscribed for by it or at its direction pursuant to
the Placing being reduced to such number, or to nil, as Zeus
Capital may decide in its absolute discretion;
42. that it will not make any
offer to the public within the meaning of the EU Prospectus
Regulation or the UK Prospectus Regulation of those Placing Shares
to be subscribed for and/or purchased by it;
43. that it will not
distribute any document relating to the Placing Shares and it will
be acquiring the Placing Shares for its own account as principal or
for a discretionary account or accounts (as to which it has the
authority to make the statements set out herein) for investment
purposes only and it does not have any contract, understanding or
arrangement with any person to sell, pledge, transfer or grant a
participation therein to such person or any third person with
respect of any Placing Shares; save that if it is a private client
stock, broker or fund manager it confirms that in purchasing the
Placing Shares it is acting under the terms of one or more
discretionary mandates granted to it by private clients and it is
not acting on an execution only basis or under specific
instructions to purchase the Placing Shares for the account of any
third party;
44. that it acknowledges that
these terms and conditions and any agreements entered into by it
pursuant to these terms and conditions shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales 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, 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 the Company
or Zeus Capital in any jurisdiction in which the relevant Placee is
incorporated or in which its assets are located or any of its
securities have a quotation on a recognised stock
exchange;
45. that any documents sent to
Placees will be sent at the Placees' risk. They may be sent by post
to such Placees at an address notified to Zeus Capital;
46. that Zeus Capital owes no
fiduciary or other duties to any Placee in respect of any
representations, warranties, undertakings or indemnities in the
Placing Agreement;
47. that Zeus Capital may, in its absolute discretion, agree to
become a Placee in respect of some or all of the Placing
Shares;
48. that no prospectus or
offering document has been or will be prepared in connection with
the Placing and it has not received and will not receive a
prospectus or other offering document in connection with the
Placing or the Placing Shares;
49. undertakes that it (and
any person acting on its behalf) will make payment in respect of
the Placing Shares allocated to it in accordance with this Appendix
on the due time and date set out herein, failing which the relevant
Placing Shares may be placed with other acquirers or sold as Zeus
Capital 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 Placing
Price and the number of Placing Shares allocated to it and may be
required to bear any stamp duty, stamp duty reserve tax or other
similar taxes (together with any interest or penalties) which may
arise upon the sale of such Placee's Placing Shares;
50. that its allocation (if
any) of Placing Shares will represent a maximum number of Placing
Shares which it will be entitled, and required, to acquire, and
that Zeus Capital and/or the Company may call upon it to acquire a
lower number of Placing Shares (if any), but in no event in
aggregate more than the aforementioned maximum; and
51. that if it has received
any confidential price sensitive information concerning the Company
in advance of the publication of this Announcement, it has not: (i)
dealt in the securities of the Company; (ii) encouraged, required,
recommended or induced another person to deal in the securities of
the Company; or (iii) disclosed such information to any person,
prior to such information being made publicly available.
The Company, Zeus Capital and their
respective affiliates will rely upon the truth and accuracy of each
of the foregoing representations, warranties, acknowledgements and
undertakings which are given to Zeus Capital for itself and on
behalf of the Company and are irrevocable.
The provisions of this Appendix may
be waived, varied or modified as regards specific Placees or on a
general basis by Zeus Capital.
The agreement to settle a Placee's
subscription and/or purchase (and/or the subscription of a person
for whom such Placee is contracting as agent) free of stamp duty
and stamp duty reserve tax depends on the settlement relating only
to a subscription by it and/or such person direct from the Company
for the Placing Shares in question. Such agreement assumes that the
Placing Shares are not being subscribed for in connection with
arrangements to issue depositary receipts or to transfer the
Placing Shares into a clearance service. If there are any such
arrangements, or the settlement relates to any other subsequent
dealing in the Placing Shares, stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax
may be payable, for which neither the Company or Zeus Capital will
be responsible, and the Placee to whom (or on behalf of whom, or in
respect of the person for whom it is participating in the Placing
as an agent or nominee) the allocation, allotment, issue or
delivery of Placing Shares has given rise to such UK stamp duty or
stamp duty reserve tax undertakes to pay such UK stamp duty or
stamp duty reserve tax forthwith and to indemnify on an after-tax
basis and to hold harmless the Company and Zeus Capital in the
event that any of the Company and/or Zeus Capital have incurred any
such liability to UK stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax. If this
is the case, each Placee should seek its own advice and notify Zeus
Capital accordingly.
In addition, Placees should note
that they will be liable for any 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 outside the UK by them or any other
person on the subscription or purchase by them of any Placing
Shares or the agreement by them to subscribe for or purchase any
Placing Shares.
References to time in this
Announcement are to London time, unless otherwise
stated.
All times and dates in this
Announcement (including the Appendices) may be subject to
amendment. Zeus Capital shall notify the Placees and any person
acting on behalf of the Placees of any changes.
This Announcement has been issued
by, and is the sole responsibility, of the Company. No
representation or warranty express or implied, is or will be made
as to, or in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or
will be accepted by Zeus Capital or by any of its respective
affiliates or agents as to or in relation to, the accuracy or
completeness of this Announcement or any other written or oral
information made available to or publicly available to any
interested party or its advisers, and any liability therefore is
expressly disclaimed.
DEFINITIONS
"Acquisition"
|
the proposed acquisition by the
Company of the Compliance Solutions Group, in accordance with the
terms and conditions of the Acquisition Agreement
|
"Acquisition Agreement"
|
the conditional agreement entered
into between the Company and the Vendors in relation to the
Acquisition dated 24 July 2024, further details of which are set
out in paragraph 2 of the letter from the Chairman of the
Company
|
"Admission"
|
admission to AIM of the New Ordinary
Shares becoming effective in accordance with Rule 6 of the AIM
Rules
|
"AIM''
|
the market of that name operated by
the London Stock Exchange
|
"AIM Rules"
|
the AIM Rules for Companies
(including the guidance notes) published by the London Stock
Exchange from time to time
|
"Announcement"
|
this announcement launching the
Placing by the Company
|
"Bookrunner"
|
Zeus Capital
|
"Business Day"
|
any day on which banks are usually
open for business in England and Wales for the transaction of
sterling business, other than a Saturday, Sunday or public
holiday
|
"CDMO"
|
contract development and
manufacturing organisation
|
|
|
"CE-mark"
|
signifies a product meeting EU
safety, health & environmental standards
|
"Circular"
|
a circular to Shareholders relating
to the Placing including the notice of General Meeting to be
circulated on or around the date of this announcement
|
"Company" or "Abingdon"
|
Abingdon Health plc, a company
incorporated and registered in the United Kingdom with registered
number 06475379
|
"Completion"
|
completion of the
Acquisition
|
"Consideration Shares"
|
9,216,590 ordinary shares in
Abingdon Health plc
|
"Compliance Solutions Group"
|
CS (LS), CS Europe and CS
USA
|
"CS
Europe"
|
CS Lifesciences Europe Limited, a
company incorporated and registered in the Republic of Ireland with
registered number 644533
|
"CS
(LS)"
|
Compliance Solutions (Life Sciences)
Limited, a company incorporated and registered in Scotland with
registered number SC344423
|
"CS
USA"
|
CS Lifesciences USA Inc., a company
incorporated and registered in Delaware USA with registered
number 3220375
|
"CREST" or "CREST system"
|
the relevant system (as defined in
the CREST Regulations) in respect of which Euroclear is the
operator (as defined in those regulations)
|
"CREST Regulations"
|
the Uncertificated Securities
Regulations 2001 (SI2001/3755)
|
"Directors" or "Board"
|
the directors of the Company or any
duly authorised committee thereof
|
"Euroclear"
|
Euroclear UK & International
Limited, the operator of CREST
|
"EUWA"
|
the European Union (Withdrawal) Act
2018, as amended
|
"Existing Ordinary Shares"
|
the 126,716,822 Ordinary Shares in issue at the date of the
Announcement
|
"FCA"
|
the Financial Conduct
Authority
|
"FDA"
|
the Food and Drug
Administration
|
"FSMA"
|
the Financial Services and Markets
Act 2000, as amended
|
"Further Consideration Shares"
|
has the meaning given in paragraph 1
"Introduction" of the letter from the Chairman
|
"General Meeting"
|
the general meeting of the Company
to be held at [the offices of the Company, being York Biotech
Campus, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ] at 10.00 a.m. on 12 August
2024 (or any adjournment thereof) at which the Resolutions will be
proposed
|
"GMP"
|
Good Manufacturing
Practices
|
"Group"
|
the Company together with its
subsidiaries
|
"HMRC"
|
HM Revenue & Customs in the
UK
|
"ITA 2007"
|
Income Tax Act 2007
|
"IVDeology Group"
|
IVDeology (Holdings) Limited,
together with its subsidiaries IVDeology Limited and IVDeology UKRP
Limited
|
"IVDR"
|
In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation, a
European Union regulation applicable to in vitro diagnostic medical
devices
|
"LAMP"
|
Loop-mediated isothermal
amplification
|
"London Stock Exchange"
|
London Stock Exchange plc
|
"Long Stop Date"
|
23 September 2024
|
"MAR" or the "Market Abuse Regulation"
|
the Market Abuse Regulation
(2014/596/EU) as it forms part of UK domestic law pursuant to the
EUWA
|
"MHRA"
|
Medicines and Healthcare Products
Regulatory Agency
|
"New Ordinary Shares"
|
the Consideration Shares and the
Placing Shares, but for the avoidance of doubt, not the Retail
Offer Shares nor the Further Consideration Shares
|
"Notice"
|
the notice of General Meeting set
out in this Circular proposing the Resolutions
|
"Notified Body"
|
an organisation designated by a
European Union country to assess the conformity of certain products
before being placed on the market
|
"Ordinary Shares"
|
ordinary shares of 0.025 pence par
value in the capital of the Company
|
"PCR"
|
polymerase chain reaction
|
"Placee" or "Placees"
|
any person or persons subscribing
for and/or purchasing Placing Shares pursuant to the
Placing
|
"Placing"
|
the conditional placing of the
Placing Shares at the Placing Price by the Bookrunner on behalf of
the Company
|
"Placing Agreement"
|
the agreement dated 24 July 2024
between the Company and the Bookrunner relating to the
Placing
|
"Placing Results
Announcement"
|
means the press announcement in the
agreed form, to be issued via the Regulatory Information Service,
giving details of the results of the Placing together with the
number of Placing Shares and the Issue Price
|
"Placing Price"
|
9.75 pence per New Ordinary
Share
|
"Placing Shares"
|
up to c.53.6 million Ordinary Shares
comprising the Placing
|
"Prospectus Regulation"
|
Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the
European Parliament and Council of 14 June 2017 and any relevant implementing measures in any Member State of
the European Economic Area
|
"Qualified Investors"
|
(a) in respect of persons in any
Member State of the European Economic Area, persons who are
qualified investors (within the meaning of article 2(e) of the
Prospectus Regulation; or (b) in respect of persons in the UK,
persons who are qualified investors (within the meaning of article
2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation as it forms part of UK domestic
law pursuant to the EUWA, as the case may be
|
"Registrar"
|
Link Group
|
"Regulatory Information Service"
|
one of the regulatory information
services authorised by the FCA to receive, process and disseminate
regulatory information
|
"Resolutions"
|
means all the resolutions to be put
to the General Meeting as set out in the notice of General Meeting
contained in the Circular, including that to authorise the
Directors to allot and issue the Consideration Shares, the Further
Consideration Shares, the Placing Shares and Retail Offer Shares
free of all statutory pre-emption rights pursuant to the
Acquisition Agreement, the Placing and Retail Offer
respectively
|
"Retail Offer"
|
means the retail offer proposed to
be made by the Company on the close of the Company's General
Meeting via the Bookbuild Platform to allow persons situated in the
United Kingdom to subscribe for Retail Offer Shares at the Placing
Price
|
"Retail Offer Shares"
|
up to 5,128,205 Ordinary
Shares being made available pursuant to the
Retail Offer
|
"Securities Act"
|
the United States Securities Act of
1933, as amended
|
"Shareholders"
|
the holders of Ordinary Shares (as
the context requires) at the relevant time
|
"UKCA-marking"
|
UK conformity assessed mark, a key
indicator of a product's compliance with UK legislation
|
"uncertificated" or "in uncertificated
form"
|
recorded on the relevant register of
Ordinary Shares 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 Kingdom" or
''UK"
|
the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland
|
"United States" or "US"
|
the United States of America, its
territories and possessions, any state of the United States of
America and the District of Columbia and any other area subject to
its jurisdiction
|
"VCT"
|
has the meaning given in section 259
of ITA 2007
|
"Vendors"
|
the selling shareholders under the
Acquisition Agreement
|
"Zeus Capital"
|
Zeus Capital Limited, Nominated
Adviser and Broker to the Company
|
"£", "pounds sterling",
"pence" or "p"
|
are references to the lawful
currency of the United Kingdom
|