TIDMLOOP
RNS Number : 0706B
LoopUp Group PLC
28 September 2022
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THE APPIX) AND THE INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION,
DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN
PART, IN, INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, THE REPUBLIC OF
SOUTH AFRICA, AUSTRALIA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH
SUCH PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. PLEASE
SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICES AT THE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT SHOULD BE READ IN ITS ENTIRETY. IN PARTICULAR,
YOU SHOULD READ AND UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE
APPIX.
For immediate release
28 September 2022
LoopUp Group plc
("LoopUp", the "Group" or the "Company")
Proposed Capital Raising expected to raise a minimum of GBP3
million
Launch of proposed Placing by way of accelerated bookbuild
LoopUp Group plc (AIM: LOOP), the cloud platform for premium
specialist communications, today announces its intention to carry
out a placing (the "Placing") of new ordinary shares of 0.5 pence
each in the capital of the Company ("Ordinary Shares") (the
"Placing Shares") at a price of 5.0 pence per share (the "Issue
Price").
The Placing is subject to the terms and conditions set out in
this announcement and the appendix hereto (the "Appendix")
(together, the "Announcement") and is being conducted by way of an
accelerated bookbuild that will be launched immediately following
the publication of this Announcement. Cenkos Securities plc
("Cenkos") and Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited ("Panmure Gordon") are
acting as lead bookrunners in connection with the Placing with
Turner Pope Investments (TPI) Limited ("TPI") acting as joint
bookrunner.
Alongside the Placing, a separate subscription ("Subscription")
for new Ordinary Shares ("Subscription Shares") is being undertaken
by the Company at the Issue Price. The Placing together with the
Subscription (together, the "Capital Raising") is expected to raise
a minimum of GBP3 million before expenses.
In addition, to provide shareholders and other investors who did
not initially participate in the Placing the opportunity to invest
in the Company, following the closing of the accelerated bookbuild,
TPI will conduct a broker offer (the "Broker Offer") allowing
additional subscriptions for new Ordinary Shares through TPI at the
Issue Price (the "Broker Offer Shares") with a value expected to be
around GBP1.0 million (which may be increased by agreement between
the Company and TPI in the case of sufficient demand), with
priority being given to existing shareholders of the Company.
It is expected that the Placing and the Subscription will
comprise a minimum of 60,000,000 New Ordinary Shares, representing
approximately 56.5 per cent. of the existing issued share capital
of the Company. The Capital Raising is being split with the issue
of 10,352,848 new Ordinary Shares (the "First Tranche Shares")
expected to be issued and admitted to trading on AIM on 3 October
2022 ("First Tranche Admission") to utilise existing shareholder
authorities with the balance of the Placing Shares, Subscription
Shares and Broker Offer Shares (the "Second Tranche Shares") to be
issued and admitted to trading on AIM ("Second Tranche Admission")
shortly after, and conditional on, inter alia, the passing of the
Resolutions at the General Meeting (each as defined below).
The Issue Price represents a discount of approximately 21.9 per
cent. to the closing middle market price of 6.4 pence per Ordinary
Share on 28 September 2022.
Strategic overview and Capital Raising
Since 2020, the Group has been transitioning its business and
expanding its technology into a broader cloud platform for hybrid
communications, and now has three lines of business:
-- Meetings - legacy cash generative business
- Integrated audio, web and video remote meetings software
and service, focused on premium audio quality and ease-of-use
- Materially boosted by the major agreement with PGi Connect,
as announced on 1 September 2022, which the Group expects
will contribute approximately GBP10 million of revenue
and GBP5 million of net cash contribution over the 12-month
period from October 2022 to September 2023
-- Cloud Telephony - primary growth line of business
- Next generation telephony - 'PSTN replacement' - enabling
phone calls to and from work phone numbers independently of
the user's physical location and not tied to a physical handset,
and integrated with Unified Communications platforms such
as Microsoft Teams
- Targeting the multinational mid-market and enterprise market
segment of this large, growing market, forecast to be a $29
billion market by 2025 (source: Gartner, 2022), facilitating
single vendor supply globally at a geographic layer above
the telecommunications carriers
- Strong acceleration of commercial traction, with 130 contracts
closed two years on from service launch, and a 264% acceleration
in contract win-rate in the second year post launch
-- Hybridium - secondary growth line of business
- Hybrid auditorium technology, enabling large scale hybrid
events (20-150 people in room and 20-150 people remote), such
as company town halls, management onsites / offsites, team
kick-offs, Capital Markets days, product launches, and corporate
training
The Capital Raising, the proceeds of the Broker Offer and the
expected cash generation from the PGi Connect agreement, will:
-- support the next phase of investment in Cloud Telephony (primary)
and Hybridium (secondary);
-- support the transfer of Meetings customers from PGi Connect;
-- provide near term working capital for the Group; and
-- strengthen the Group's balance sheet going forward
Meetings and PGi Connect deal
The Group's Remote Meetings business has been declining in the
post pandemic environment as enterprises progressively embrace more
holistic Unified Communications (UC) platforms, such as Microsoft
Teams, which incorporate meetings functionality.
However, on 1 September 2022, the Group announced that it had
entered into a major revenue sharing and customer transfer
agreement with PGi Connect, giving LoopUp the rights to transfer
materially all of PGi Connect's conferencing services customers
over to LoopUp. While no initial or fixed consideration is payable,
the Group will pay PGi Connect a share of revenue invoiced and
received from successfully transferred customers for a period of
three years.
On 2 September 2022, PGi Connect sent out the first (and
largest) batch of contract assignment notices to c.8,100 of its
direct enterprise customers, concerning the transition of services
to LoopUp from 1 October 2022. As at July 2022, these 8,100
customers have an annualised revenue run-rate of c.GBP34 million to
PGi Connect.
The Group has prior experience of large-scale customer
transitions onto its platform following the acquisition of
MeetingZone in 2018. The Group is not taking on any of PGi's
infrastructure, equipment, datacentres or vendor contracts, making
the transition clean and cost efficient. Nevertheless, from
customers' perspective, the transition will be seamless with
dial-in numbers, meetings access codes and active calling rates
remain unchanged in nearly all cases, and with standard PGi terms
and conditions remaining in place meaning no re-contracting.
While this is clearly a highly material level of assigned
business, and while more is expected to be taken on in due course
relating to PGi Connect's indirect business, the Group is making
prudent assumptions regarding transition loss for
non-term-committed customers as well as general ongoing business
attrition, and so expects the PGi agreement to generate revenue of
approximately GBP10 million and net cash contribution to the Group
of approximately GBP5 million over the twelve-month period from
October 2022 to September 2023.
Cloud Telephony
In Q3 2020, the Group launched its Cloud Telephony solution,
which has since developed into its primary growth line of business
for the long-term future of the Group. The Cloud Telephony market
is forecast to grow to $29 billion by 2025, and the Group's
aspiration is to become one of a small number of winners in the
multinational mid-market and enterprise segment, providing
customers with single-vendor service provision globally rather than
the status quo of multiple telecommunications carriers in specific
countries and regions.
Since launch, the Group has secured 60 customer wins, comprising
130 individual contracts, and has done so at an accelerating win
rate:
-- 133% increase in customer wins, with 42 won during the second
year post service launch ending August 2022 (18 during the first
year post service launch ending August 2021); and
-- 264% increase in individual contract wins, with 102 won during
the second year post service launch ending August 2022 (28 during
the first year post service launch ending August 2021). The
greater acceleration in contract wins versus customer wins reflects
the 'layering effect' from progressive geographic customer rollouts
- i.e. approximately one third of the contract wins in the second
year post launch were from customers won in the first year post
launch.
In aggregate, these 60 customer wins represent:
-- Minimum Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) of GBP1.2 million and
minimum Total Contract Value (TCV) of GBP4.4 million, based
on minimum contracted levels;
-- Expected ARR of c.GBP2.4 million and expected TCV of c.GBP7.9
million, where LoopUp has relatively strong visibility of customer
intent for the next stage of rollouts based on conversations,
planning and pricing; and
-- Potential ARR of c.GBP5.3 million and potential TCV of c.GBP16.5
million, based on identified potential rollout levels but where
LoopUp currently has less clear visibility of customer intent.
Operationally, all customer deployments to date have been
successful, and all rollouts are progressing positively. One
customer win case study is a leading global communications
consulting firm with c.7,000 employees across 30 countries. The
Group has successfully rolled out now to 18 of these countries with
minimum committed ARR of c.GBP260K, bringing the customer's number
of telephony vendors down from 20 to 1 in those countries. The
remaining 12 countries are scheduled to be rolled out by March
2023. Other customer wins include a US-headquartered Fortune 100
technology company, a Germany-headquartered global industrial
group, an Asia-Pacific-headquartered global food group, and a
French-headquartered global logistics company.
In addition to these 60 customer wins, the Group's sales
pipeline of potential new Cloud Telephony opportunities continues
to grow and now stands at more than GBP100 million of additional
potential ARR, of which approximately 15% is at written proposal
stage or later. The pipeline includes:
-- Proofs of Concept (PoC)
- Sometimes PoCs are needed in order to win a customer, whereby
the potential customer can pilot the technology and confirm
that it works in their IT environment.
- LoopUp's track record of completed PoCs is a 94% conversion
rate into successful customer wins.
- In its current pipeline, the Group has 11 live PoC projects
and 16 further requests for proposal, so 27 PoC opportunities
in total, including with a top-5 global law firm, a Big-4
accounting firm, a major global sportswear company, and a
leading holidays group.
-- Strong opportunities
- Separately to the above PoC opportunities, the Group has 41
contract opportunities in its pipeline that it expects to
close by the end of 2022, which are expected to represent
minimum contracted ARR of c.GBP630K.
- 17 of these 41 new contract opportunities are with the Group's
60 existing customers (i.e. continued geographic rollouts),
and 24 are with new customers that the Group expects to win
in this period.
The Group is achieving this strong and accelerating commercial
traction in Cloud Telephony due to its differentiated offer for
multinational mid-market and enterprise customers versus
competition from telecommunications carriers and UC platform
calling plans. Specifically, this includes the Group's:
-- Highest quality routing voice network, built over 16 years
for international legal conference calls;
-- Underlying relationships with 19 Tier-1 carrier partners,
facilitating full domestic PSTN replacement including number
porting, domestic CLI pass-through and emergency services
calling;
-- Licensed / regulatory-compliant geographic coverage, expected
to span c.80 countries by early 2023 (including China and
India);
-- Customer connectivity options - UC-integrated / SIP / hybrid
- for future-proofed customer decision-making at varied
stages of the Cloud Telephony technology journey;
-- Global Management Portal software layer, for consistent
service visibility and administration, globally;
-- Span of expertise encompassing Unified Communications (including
Microsoft's 'Advanced Specialization' - the competency level
above gold partnership status - in Teams telephony), VoIP/SIP,
telecommunications and software; and
-- PerfectBundle pricing for spend commitment pooling across
a multinational customer's global billing entities.
Hybridium
Following the acquisition of SyncRTC Inc. in October 2021 (
www.hybridium.com ), rebranded Hybridium combines video wall,
hologram and virtual live stage technology, bringing unrivalled
engagement and analytics to larger scale hybrid education,
corporate training and events such as management onsites,
departmental kick-offs, capital markets days and thought leadership
seminars. Events with Hybridium benefit from ultra-low latency at
ultra-high resolution, with full video wall layout flexibility
facilitating any content on any screen.
In April 2022, Hybridium signed a deal with Telefónica for the
deploying of its solution at 'Universitas', Telefónica's global
innovation and talent hub located at its Madrid headquarters in
Distrito Telefónica. While the Group wishes to sell Hybridium to
more large enterprises, such as Telefónica, and while building
pipeline for such opportunities is very achievable in the post
pandemic hybrid working environment, the purchase ticket price is
material (with the associated hardware), and many enterprises are
still in the phase of assessing and formulating their future
working policies rather than making major investments.
As such, the Group's primary planned route to market for this
technology in the near term will be via renting a LoopUp-owned and
managed facility, which will be at a much lower ticket price of
approximately GBP15,000 per half day rental. The Group has
identified a primary location in the City of London and is at heads
of terms for a lease. The Group believes this route to market has
the potential for fast investment payback and the potential to
replicate in other major urban centres, as well as being an
effective shop window and experiential facility for further
enterprise sales such as Telefónica.
For context, planned forward-looking investment in Hybridium is
materially less than that in Cloud Telephony at approximately one
tenth of the investment.
Balance sheet strengthening and restructuring of existing debt
arrangements
The proceeds of the First Tranche Admission will enable the
Group to cover short-term working capital requirements and support
the transfer of Meetings customers from PGi Connect. The Capital
Raising overall - together with cash generation from the PGi
Connect deal and the R&D tax credit of GBP1.9 million that the
Group expects to receive in October or November 2022 - will enable
the Group to strengthen its balance sheet and support the next
phase of investment in Cloud Telephony (primary) and Hybridium
(secondary).
In 2018, the Group entered into a term loan with Bank of Ireland
for GBP17.0 million, which has since reduced to a current balance
of GBP6.9 million, and a revolving credit facility. On the basis of
the Group's deal with PGi Connect and this proposed Capital
Raising, the Group and Bank of Ireland have agreed the following
changes to the term loan arrangements:
-- A new set of covenants will apply, reflecting the improved
outlook of the Group based on a minimum liquidity level,
EBITDA performance and Cloud Telephony revenue;
-- 50% of the Capital Raising above the minimum GBP2.7 million
net proceeds level (i.e. GBP3 million gross proceeds less
fees of approximately GBP0.3 million) will be applied to
previously-agreed principal repayment holidays through
to June 2023, as announced in the Group's preliminary results
on 7 June 2022;
-- The interest rate of 4.5 percent above the Sterling Overnight
Index Average (SONIA) will continue to apply;
-- Breaches by the Company over the past two months of previous
(now renegotiated) financial covenants or information provision
requirements are waived; and
-- The additional revolving credit facility for GBP1.5 million,
which the Group has drawn on over recent months, will be
repaid in full and cancelled.
Interim results
As announced on 1 September 2022, the Group reconfirms that it
expects revenues of approximately GBP6.6 million for the six month
period ended 30 June 2022, at a gross margin of approximately 67%,
and an Adjusted EBITDA (operating profit before depreciation,
amortization of development costs and acquired tangibles,
exceptional reorganisation costs and share-based payment charges)
loss of approximately GBP1.5 million. Gross cash and net debt were
approximately GBP0.7 million and GBP8.0 million respectively at 30
June 2022, prior to the receipt of an R&D tax credit of
c.GBP1.9 million that the Group expects to receive in October or
November 2022.
The Group has been managing its operations carefully during its
recent period of strategic transition in order to preserve cash,
and as such, H1 2022 staff and overhead costs were approximately 6
percent below equivalent H1 2021 levels.
The Group will announce its unaudited interim results for the
period ended 30 June 2022 by 30 September 2022.
Summary investment case
The Directors summarise the Group's investment case as
follows:
-- A material cash boost for the Group from the recently-announced
PGi Connect deal (c.GBP5m net cash contribution over the
next 12 months);
-- The Group's primary growth business - Cloud Telephony -
is the largest and fastest-growing segment of the Unified
Communications market, forecast to be $29 billion by 2025;
-- LoopUp is targeting the multinational segment of the market,
offering single vendor service provision globally at a geographic
layer above the current primary competition class: the more
geographically-specific telecommunications carriers;
-- LoopUp's single vendor value proposition to the multinational
market is differentiated through its: highest quality routing
voice network (built over the last 16 years for international
legal conference calling market); Global Management Portal
software layer enabling customers to manage their telephony
numbers, user provisioning and usage analytics globally;
market-leading regulatory coverage; span of expertise across
unified communications, VoIP/SIP, telecommunications and
software; differentiated PerfectBundle pricing enabling
pooled spend across multinational billing entities; and
-- Resulting strong and accelerating commercial traction, with
130 contracts closed in the two years since service launch,
and a 264% acceleration in win rate in the second year post
launch.
The Placing and Broker Offer
The Placing is subject to the terms and conditions set out in
the Appendix. Cenkos, Panmure Gordon and TPI have today entered
into a placing agreement with the Company in relation to the
Placing (the "Placing Agreement").
The Placing Agreement contains customary warranties from the
Company in favour of Cenkos, Panmure Gordon and TPI relating to the
Group and its business. In addition, the Company has agreed to
indemnify Cenkos, Panmure Gordon and TPI and their affiliates in
relation to certain liabilities they may incur in respect of the
Placing and Broker Offer. Cenkos and Panmure Gordon can terminate
the Placing Agreement at any time prior to Admission in certain
circumstances, including in the event of a breach of the warranties
given in the Placing Agreement, the failure of the Company to
comply with its obligations under the Placing Agreement or, the
occurrence of a force majeure event or a material adverse change
affecting the financial position or business or prospects of the
Company. If this right to terminate is exercised prior to First
Tranche Admission, the Capital Raising and the Broker Offer will
not proceed. If this right to terminate is exercised after First
Tranche Admission but prior to Second tranche Admission, Second
Tranche Admission only will not proceed.
Details of the Placing
Cenkos and Panmure Gordon will commence a bookbuilding process
in respect of the Placing immediately following the publication of
this Announcement (the "Bookbuilding Process"). The number of
Placing Shares to be issued to Placees in connection with the
Placing will be determined by the Company in consultation with
Cenkos and Panmure Gordon following the close of the Bookbuilding
Process. An announcement is expected to be made with final details
of the Capital Raising no later than 8.00 a.m. on 29 September
2022.
Pursuant to the terms of the Placing Agreement, Cenkos and
Panmure Gordon, as agents for the Company, have conditionally
agreed to use their reasonable endeavours to procure subscribers
for the Placing Shares at the Issue Price with certain
institutional investors. First Tranche Admission is conditional,
inter alia, on (i) the Placing Agreement not having been terminated
in accordance with its terms and (ii) admission of the First
Tranche Shares to trading on AIM becoming effective at 8.00 a.m. on
3 October 2022 or such later date as Cenkos, Panmure Gordon and the
Company may agree being no later than 8.30 a.m. on 4 October 2022.
Second Tranche Admission is conditional, inter alia, on (i) the
passing by the Company's shareholders of resolutions to authorise
the Directors to issue and allot the Second Tranche Shares on a
non-pre-emptive basis (which will be set out in detail in a
circular expected to be distributed by the Company to its
shareholders on or about 29 September 2022) (the "Resolutions") at
a general meeting of the Company to be held on or around 17 October
2022 (the "General Meeting"), (ii) the Placing Agreement not having
been terminated in accordance with its terms and (iii) admission of
the Second Tranche Shares to trading on AIM becoming effective at
8.00 a.m. on 18 October 2022 or such later date as Cenkos, Panmure
Gordon and the Company may agree being no later than 8.30 a.m. on
28 October 2022. If the Placing and Subscription is terminated
following the First Tranche Admission but before the Second Tranche
Admission it is likely that the Company would have insufficient
working capital for its purposes.
The bookbuilding process will open with immediate effect
following the release of this Announcement. The timing of the
closing of the Bookbuilding Process, the number of Placing Shares
and allocations are to be agreed between Cenkos, Panmure Gordon and
the Company. Details of the number of Placing Shares taken up under
the Placing, together with any Subscription Shares, will be
announced as soon as practicable after the close of the
Bookbuilding Process. Neither the Capital Raising nor the Broker
Offer is underwritten.
Details of the Broker Offer
To provide shareholders and other investors who did not
initially participate in the Placing the opportunity to invest in
the Company, under the Placing Agreement, TPI has a Broker Offer
under which TPI will, as agent for the Company, invite
subscriptions for additional new Ordinary Shares with a value
expected to be around GBP1.0 million at the Issue Price but which
may be increased subject to agreement between TPI and the Company.
The Broker Offer will open immediately following the announcement
of the results of the Capital Raising and will close at 4.30 p.m.
on 30 September 2022. As far as is practical, participation in the
Broker Offer will be prioritised for shareholders (direct or
indirect) on the register at the close of business on 28 September
2022 ("Existing Shareholders"). If the expected maximum
subscription under the Broker Offer is taken up, it will raise an
additional GBP1.0 million before expenses. A further announcement
will be made following the end of the period during which the
Broker Offer is open. If the Broker Offer is not fully subscribed
by 4.30 p.m. on 30 September 2022, orders from eligible investors
will be satisfied in full, and the balance of the Broker Offer
shall lapse. Further details regarding participation, the
eligibility criteria, the order of priority, and details regarding
settlement will be set out in a further announcement, following
closing of the Capital Raising. Completion of the Broker Offer is
conditional on the Resolutions being passed at the General Meeting
and Second Tranche Admission occurring.
Admission, Settlement and Dealings
The Placing Shares, Subscription Shares and Broker Offer Shares
(together, the "New Ordinary Shares") when issued, will be fully
paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing
Ordinary Shares then in issue, including the right to receive all
dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid after the
date of issue.
Application has been made to London Stock Exchange plc (the
"Exchange") for the New Ordinary Shares to be admitted to trading
on AIM. It is expected that admission of the First Tranche Shares
will take place at 8.00 a.m. on 3 October 2022. It is expected that
admission of the Second Tranche Shares will take place at 8.00 a.m.
on 18 October 2022 or such later date as Cenkos, Panmure Gordon and
the Company may agree being no later than 8.30 a.m. on 28 October
2022.
Expected Timetable
Announcement of results of the Capital By 8.00 a.m. on 29 September
Raising and launch of the Broker Offer 2022
Posting of the Circular 29 September 2022
Results of Broker Offer announced After 4.30 p.m. on 30
September 2022
First Tranche Admission 8.00 a.m. on 3 October
2022
General Meeting 9.00 a.m. on 17 October
2022
Second Tranche Admission 8.00 a.m. on 18 October
2022
Each of the times and dates referred to in this Announcement is
subject to change by the Company (with the agreement of Panmure
Gordon and Cenkos), in which case the new times and dates will be
notified to the Exchange and the Company will make an appropriate
announcement through a Regulatory Information Service.
The Appendix sets out further information relating to the
Bookbuilding Process and the terms and conditions of the Placing.
Persons who have chosen to participate in the Placing, by making an
oral or written offer to acquire Placing Shares, will be deemed to
have read and understood this Announcement in its entirety
(including the Appendix) and to be making such offer on the terms
and subject to the conditions herein, and to be providing the
representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgements and
undertakings contained in the Appendix.
For further information, please contact:
LoopUp Group plc via FTI
Steve Flavell, co-CEO
Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited (Nominated Adviser +44 (0) 20 7886
& Joint Broker) 2500
Dominic Morley / Alina Vaskina (Corporate
Finance)
Erik Anderson (Corporate Broking)
+44 (0) 20 7397
Cenkos Securities Limited (Joint Broker) 8900
Giles Balleny / Dan Hodkinson (Corporate Finance)
Dale Bellis / Alex Pollen (Sales)
Turner Pope Investments (Joint Broker to
the transaction) +44 (0) 20 3657
James Pope / Andy Thacker 0050
+44 (0) 20 3727
FTI Consulting, LLP 1000
Matt Dixon / Jamille Smith / Tom Blundell
This Announcement should be read in its entirety. In particular,
you should read and understand the information provided in the
"Important Notices" section of this Announcement.
The person responsible for arranging release of this
Announcement on behalf of the Company is Steve Flavell, Co-Chief
Executive Officer of the Company.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES
OF ARTICLE 7 OF EU REGULATION 596/2014 AS IT FORMS PART OF UK
DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018
("MAR"). IN ADDITION, MARKET SOUNDINGS (AS DEFINED IN MAR) WERE
TAKEN IN RESPECT OF THE PLACING WITH THE RESULT THAT CERTAIN
PERSONS BECAME AWARE OF INSIDE INFORMATION (AS DEFINED IN MAR), AS
PERMITTED BY MAR. THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS SET OUT IN THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT. THEREFORE, THOSE PERSONS THAT RECEIVED INSIDE
INFORMATION IN A MARKET SOUNDING ARE NO LONGER IN POSSESSION OF
SUCH INSIDE INFORMATION RELATING TO THE COMPANY AND ITS
SECURITIES.
IMPORTANT NOTICES
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE
PLACING. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THE APPIX) AND THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN (TOGETHER, THIS "ANNOUNCEMENT") ARE
DIRECTED ONLY AT PERSONS WHOSE ORDINARY ACTIVITIES INVOLVE THEM IN
ACQUIRING, HOLDING, MANAGING AND DISPOSING OF INVESTMENTS (AS
PRINCIPAL OR AGENT) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THEIR BUSINESS AND WHO HAVE
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS AND ARE:
(1) IF IN A MEMBER STATE OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA ("EEA"),
QUALIFIED INVESTORS AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE 2(E) OF REGULATION (EU)
2017/1129 (THE "PROSPECTUS REGULATION"); (2) IF IN THE UNITED
KINGDOM, QUALIFIED INVESTORS AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE 2(E) OF THE
PROSPECTUS REGULATION AS IT FORMS PART OF DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF
THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 (THE "EUWA") WHO ALSO (A)
FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT
2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005, AS AMED (THE "ORDER")
(INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS) OR (B) FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(a) TO
(d) (HIGH NET WORTH COMPANIES, UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATIONS, ETC.)
OF THE ORDER; AND (3) ANY OTHER PERSON TO WHOM IT MAY OTHERWISE
LAWFULLY BE COMMUNICATED; AND, IN EACH CASE, WHO HAVE BEEN INVITED
TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PLACING BY CENKOS OR PANMURE GORDON (ALL SUCH
PERSONS TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS").
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION IN IT MUST NOT BE ACTED ON
OR RELIED ON BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS. PERSONS
DISTRIBUTING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST SATISFY THEMSELVES THAT IT IS
LAWFUL TO DO SO. ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO RELEVANT PERSONS AND
WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT PERSONS. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT
DOES NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN OFFER FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION OF ANY
SECURITIES IN LOOPUP GROUP PLC.
THE NEW ORDINARY SHARES HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED
UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMED (THE
"SECURITIES ACT") OR WITH ANY SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF
ANY STATE OR JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND MAY NOT BE
OFFERED, SOLD OR TRANSFERRED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN THE UNITED
STATES (INCLUDING ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE
UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA) (THE "UNITED STATES" OR
THE "US") EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION
NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT
AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE
OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES. THE NEW ORDINARY SHARES
ARE BEING OFFERED AND SOLD ONLY OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES IN
"OFFSHORE TRANSACTIONS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF, AND IN ACCORDANCE
WITH, REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND OTHERWISE IN
ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS. NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF THE PLACING
SHARES IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES OR ELSEWHERE.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THE APPIX) AND THE INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION
OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR
INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, THE REPUBLIC OF
SOUTH AFRICA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH
RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION,
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER OF SECURITIES FOR SALE OR
SUBSCRIPTION INTO THE UNITED STATES. THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO
HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES,
EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION. NO
PUBLIC OFFERING IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES.
The distribution of this Announcement and/or issue or sale of
the Placing Shares in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by
law. No action has been taken by the Company, the Joint Bookrunners
or any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers
or employees that would permit an offer of the Placing Shares or
possession or distribution of this Announcement or any other
offering or publicity material relating to such Placing Shares in
any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Persons
into whose possession this Announcement comes are required by the
Company and the Joint Bookrunners to inform themselves about and to
observe any such restrictions.
This Announcement or any part of it is for information purposes
only and does not constitute or form part of any offer to issue or
sell, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire, purchase or
subscribe for, any securities in the United States, Australia,
Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other
jurisdiction in which the same would be unlawful. No public
offering of the Placing Shares is being made in any such
jurisdiction.
All offers of the Placing Shares in the United Kingdom or the
EEA will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus
Regulation (including, with regards to the United Kingdom, as it
forms part of domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of the
European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018) from the requirement to
produce a prospectus. In the United Kingdom, this Announcement is
being directed solely at persons in circumstances in which section
21(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended)
does not require the approval of the relevant communication by an
authorised person.
The New Ordinary Shares have not been approved or disapproved by
the US Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities
commission or other regulatory authority in the United States, nor
have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed the
merits of the Placing or the accuracy or adequacy of this
Announcement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offence in the United States. The relevant clearances have not
been, nor will they be, obtained from the securities commission of
any province or territory of Canada, no prospectus has been lodged
with, or registered by, the Australian Securities and Investments
Commission or the Japanese Ministry of Finance; the relevant
clearances have not been, and will not be, obtained from the South
Africa Reserve Bank or any other applicable body in the Republic of
South Africa in relation to the Placing Shares; and the Placing
Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under or offered
in compliance with the securities laws of any state, province or
territory of the United States, Australia, Canada, the Republic of
South Africa or Japan. Accordingly, the New Ordinary 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, the
Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction outside
the United Kingdom.
Persons (including, without limitation, nominees and trustees)
who have a contractual right or other legal obligations to forward
a copy of this Announcement should seek appropriate advice before
taking any such action.
By participating in the Bookbuilding Process and the Placing,
each person who is invited to and who chooses to participate in the
Placing (a "Placee") by making an oral and legally binding offer to
acquire Placing Shares will be deemed to have read and understood
this Announcement (including the terms and conditions appended
hereto) in its entirety, to be participating, making an offer and
acquiring Placing Shares on the terms and conditions contained
herein and to be providing the representations, warranties,
indemnities, acknowledgements and undertakings contained in the
Appendix. Members of the public are not eligible to take part in
the Placing and no public offering of Placing Shares is being or
will be made.
This Announcement may contain and the Company may make verbal
statements containing "forward-looking statements" with respect to
certain of the Company's plans and its current goals and
expectations relating to its future financial condition,
performance, strategic initiatives, objectives and results.
Forward-looking statements sometimes use words such as "aim",
"anticipate", "target", "expect", "estimate", "intend", "plan",
"goal", "believe", "seek", "may", "could", "outlook" or other words
of similar meaning. By their nature, all forward-looking statements
involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events
and circumstances which are beyond the control of the Company,
including amongst other things, United Kingdom domestic and global
economic business conditions, market-related risks such as
fluctuations in interest rates and exchange rates, the policies and
actions of governmental and regulatory authorities, the effect of
competition, inflation, deflation, the timing effect and other
uncertainties of future acquisitions or combinations within
relevant industries, the effect of tax and other legislation and
other regulations in the jurisdictions in which the Company and its
affiliates operate, the effect of volatility in the equity, capital
and credit markets on the Company's profitability and ability to
access capital and credit, a decline in the Company's credit
ratings; the effect of operational risks; and the loss of key
personnel. As a result, the actual future financial condition,
performance and results of the Company may differ materially from
the plans, goals and expectations set forth in any forward-looking
statements. Any forward-looking statements made in this
Announcement by or on behalf of the Company speak only as of the
date they are made. Except as required by applicable law or
regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or
undertaking to publish any updates or revisions to any
forward-looking statements contained in this Announcement to
reflect any changes in the Company's expectations with regard
thereto or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on
which any such statement is based.
Each of the Joint Bookrunners is authorised and regulated by the
Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA") in the United Kingdom and
is acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection
with the Bookbuilding Process and the Placing, and neither Joint
Bookrunner will be responsible to anyone (including any Placees)
other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to
its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Bookbuilding
Process or the Placing or any other matters referred to in this
Announcement.
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 the Joint Bookrunners or by any of their
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 therefor is
expressly disclaimed.
This Announcement does not constitute a recommendation
concerning any investor's options with respect to the Placing, the
Subscription or the Broker Offer. No statement in this Announcement
is intended to be a profit forecast or estimate, and no statement
in this Announcement should be interpreted to mean that earnings
per share of the Company for the current or future financial years
would necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings
per share of the Company.
The price of shares 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 shares. Past performance is no guide
to future performance, and persons needing advice should consult an
independent financial adviser.
The Placing Shares to be issued pursuant to the Placing will not
be admitted to trading on any stock exchange other than the AIM
market of the Exchange.
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.
Information to Distributors
SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE PRODUCT GOVERNANCE REQUIREMENTS
CONTAINED WITHIN (A) EU DIRECTIVE 2014/65/EU ON MARKETS IN
FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS, AS IT FORMS PART OF THE LAW OF ENGLAND AND
WALES BY VIRTUE OF THE EUWA AND AS MODIFIED BY OR UNDER DOMESTIC
LAW ("MIFID II"); (B) ARTICLES 9 AND 10 OF COMMISSION DELEGATED
DIRECTIVE (EU) 2017/593 SUPPLEMENTING MIFID II, AS IT FORMS PART OF
THE LAW OF ENGLAND AND WALES BY VIRTUE OF THE EUWA AND AS MODIFIED
BY OR UNDER DOMESTIC LAW; AND (C) LOCAL IMPLEMENTING MEASURES,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE PRODUCT GOVERNANCE REQUIREMENTS
CONTAINED WITHIN THE FCA HANDBOOK (TOGETHER THE "MIFID II PRODUCT
GOVERNANCE REQUIREMENTS"), AND DISCLAIMING ALL AND ANY LIABILITY,
WHETHER ARISING IN TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE WHICH ANY
"MANUFACTURER" (FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE MIFID II PRODUCT GOVERNANCE
REQUIREMENTS) MAY OTHERWISE HAVE WITH RESPECT THERETO, THE PLACING
SHARES HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO A PRODUCT APPROVAL PROCESS, WHICH HAS
DETERMINED THAT SUCH PLACING SHARES ARE; (I) COMPATIBLE WITH AN
TARGET MARKET OF RETAIL INVESTORS AND INVESTORS WHO MEET THE
CRITERIA OF PROFESSIONAL CLIENTS AND ELIGIBLE COUNTERPARTIES, EACH
AS DEFINED IN MIFID II; AND (II) ELIGIBLE FOR DISTRIBUTION THROUGH
ALL DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS AS ARE PERMITTED BY MIFID II (THE "TARGET
MARKET ASSESSMENT"). NOTWITHSTANDING THE TARGET MARKET ASSESSMENT,
DISTRIBUTORS (AS DEFINED WITHIN THE MIFID II PRODUCT GOVERNANCE
REQUIREMENTS) SHOULD NOTE THAT: THE PRICE OF THE PLACING SHARES MAY
DECLINE AND INVESTORS COULD LOSE ALL OR PART OF THEIR INVESTMENT;
THE PLACING SHARES OFFER NO GUARANTEED INCOME AND NO CAPITAL
PROTECTION; AND AN INVESTMENT IN PLACING SHARES IS COMPATIBLE ONLY
WITH INVESTORS WHO DO NOT NEED A GUARANTEED INCOME OR CAPITAL
PROTECTION, WHO (EITHER ALONE OR IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN APPROPRIATE
FINANCIAL OR OTHER ADVISER) ARE CAPABLE OF EVALUATING THE MERITS
AND RISKS OF SUCH AN INVESTMENT AND WHO HAVE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES
TO BE ABLE TO BEAR ANY LOSSES THAT MAY RESULT THEREFROM. THE TARGET
MARKET ASSESSMENT IS WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF ANY
CONTRACTUAL, LEGAL OR REGULATORY SELLING RESTRICTIONS IN RELATION
TO THE PLACING. FURTHERMORE, IT IS NOTED THAT, NOTWITHSTANDING THE
TARGET MARKET ASSESSMENT, THE JOINT BOOKRUNNERS WILL ONLY PROCURE
INVESTORS WHO MEET THE CRITERIA OF PROFESSIONAL CLIENTS AND
ELIGIBLE COUNTERPARTIES. FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, THE TARGET
MARKET ASSESSMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE: (A) AN ASSESSMENT OF
SUITABILITY OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR THE PURPOSES OF MIFID II; OR (B)
A RECOMMATION 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.
APPIX
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE PLACING
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON THE PLACING FOR INVITED PLACEES
ONLY.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE
PLACING. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THIS APPIX) AND THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN (TOGETHER, THIS "ANNOUNCEMENT") ARE ONLY
DIRECTED AT PERSONS WHOSE ORDINARY ACTIVITIES INVOLVE THEM IN
ACQUIRING, HOLDING, MANAGING AND DISPOSING OF INVESTMENTS (AS
PRINCIPAL OR AGENT) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THEIR BUSINESS AND WHO HAVE
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS AND ARE
(A) IF IN A MEMBER STATE OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA ("EEA")
"QUALIFIED INVESTORS" AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE 2(e) OF REGULATION (EU)
2017/1129 (THE "PROSPECTUS REGULATION") ("EEA QUALIFIED
INVESTORS"); AND (B) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, "QUALIFIED INVESTORS"
AS DEFINED IN THE PROSPECTUS REGULATION AS IT FORMS PART OF
DOMESTIC LAW IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
(WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 ("UK QUALIFIED INVESTORS") WHO ALSO (I) HAVE
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS FALLING
WITHIN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000
(FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005, AS AMED (THE "ORDER") (INVESTMENT
PROFESSIONALS) OR (II) FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(a) TO (d) (HIGH
NET WORTH COMPANIES, UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATIONS, ETC.) OF THE
ORDER; AND (C) ANY OTHER PERSON TO WHOM IT MAY OTHERWISE LAWFULLY
BE COMMUNICATED; AND, IN EACH CASE, WHO HAVE BEEN INVITED TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE PLACING BY CENKOS SECURITIES PLC AND/OR PANMURE
GORDON (UK) LIMITED (TOGETHER, THE "JOINT BOOKRUNNERS") (ANY SUCH
PERSON HEREIN REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS").
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION IN IT MUST NOT BE ACTED ON
OR RELIED ON BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS. ANY PERSON
WHO HAS RECEIVED OR IS DISTRIBUTING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST SATISFY
THEMSELVES THAT IT IS LAWFUL TO DO SO. ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT
ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO
RELEVANT PERSONS AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT PERSONS.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN OFFER FOR SALE OR
SUBSCRIPTION OF ANY SECURITIES IN THE COMPANY.
THE NEW ORDINARY SHARES HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED
UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMED (THE
"SECURITIES ACT") OR WITH ANY SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF
ANY STATE OR JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND MAY NOT BE
OFFERED, SOLD OR TRANSFERRED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN THE UNITED
STATES EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION
NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT
AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE
OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES. THE PLACING SHARES ARE
BEING OFFERED AND SOLD ONLY OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES IN "OFFSHORE
TRANSACTIONS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF, AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH,
REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND OTHERWISE IN ACCORDANCE
WITH APPLICABLE LAWS. NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF THE PLACING SHARES IS
BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES OR ELSEWHERE.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THIS APPIX) AND THE INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION
OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR
INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, THE REPUBLIC OF
SOUTH AFRICA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH
RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION,
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER OF SECURITIES FOR SALE
OR SUBSCRIPTION INTO THE UNITED STATES.
THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE
REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD
IN THE UNITED STATES, EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION
FROM REGISTRATION. NO PUBLIC OFFERING IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED
STATES.
EACH PLACEE SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS OWN ADVISERS AS TO THE
LEGAL, REGULATORY, TAX AND BUSINESS RELATED ASPECTS OF AN
ACQUISITION OF PLACING SHARES.
If a Relevant Person indicates to the Joint Bookrunners that it
wishes to participate in the Placing by making or accepting an
offer to acquire Placing Shares pursuant to the Placing (each such
person a "Placee") it will be deemed to have read and understood
this Announcement (including these terms and conditions) in its
entirety and to be making or accepting such offer subject to the
terms and conditions and to be providing the representations,
warranties, indemnities, agreements and acknowledgements contained
in this Announcement.
The distribution of this Announcement and/or the Placing and/or
issue of the Placing Shares in certain other jurisdictions may be
restricted by law. No action has been taken by the Joint
Bookrunners or the Company or any of their respective affiliates,
agents, directors, officers or employees that would permit an offer
of the Placing Shares or possession or distribution of this
Announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating
to the Placing Shares in any jurisdiction where action for that
purpose is required. Persons into whose possession this
Announcement comes are required by the Joint Bookrunners and the
Company to inform themselves about and to observe any such
restrictions.
No undertaking, representation, warranty or any other assurance,
express or implied, is made or given by or on behalf of either the
Joint Bookrunners or any of its affiliates or their respective
directors, officers, employees, agents, advisers, or any other
person, as to the accuracy, completeness, correctness or fairness
of the information or opinions contained in this Announcement or
for any other statement made or purported to be made by any of
them, or on behalf of them, in connection with the Company or the
Placing and no such person shall have any responsibility or
liability for any such information or opinions or for any errors or
omissions. Accordingly, save to the extent permitted by law, no
liability whatsoever is accepted by the Joint Bookrunners or any of
its affiliates or its directors, officers, employees, agents or
affiliates or any other person for any loss howsoever arising,
directly or indirectly, from any use of this Announcement or such
information or opinions contained herein or otherwise arising in
connection with it.
This Announcement does not constitute or form part of, and
should not be construed as, any offer or invitation to sell or
issue, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe
for, any Placing Shares or any other securities or an inducement to
enter into investment activity, nor shall this Announcement (or any
part of it), nor the fact of its distribution, form the basis of,
or be relied on in connection with, any investment activity. No
statement in this Announcement is intended to be nor may be
construed as a profit forecast and no statement made herein should
be interpreted to mean that the Company's profits or earnings per
share for any future period will necessarily match or exceed
historical published profits or earnings per share of the
Company.
This Announcement or any part of it is for information purposes
only and does not constitute or form part of any offer to issue or
sell, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire, purchase or
subscribe for, any securities in the United States (including its
territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the
District of Columbia), Australia, Canada, the Republic of South
Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which the same would
be unlawful. No public offering of the Placing Shares is being made
in any such jurisdiction.
All offers of the Placing Shares in the United Kingdom or the
EEA will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus
Regulation (including, with regards to the United Kingdom, as it
forms part of domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of the
European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018) from the requirement to
produce a prospectus. In the United Kingdom, this Announcement is
being directed solely at persons in circumstances in which section
21(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended)
(the "FSMA") does not require the approval of the relevant
communication by an authorised person.
The Placing Shares have not been approved or disapproved by the
US Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities
commission or other regulatory authority in the United States, nor
have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed the
merits of the Placing or the accuracy or adequacy of this
Announcement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offence in the United States. The relevant clearances have not
been, nor will they be, obtained from the securities commission of
any province or territory of Canada, no prospectus has been lodged
with, or registered by, the Australian Securities and Investments
Commission or the Japanese Ministry of Finance; the relevant
clearances have not been, and will not be, obtained from the South
Africa Reserve Bank or any other applicable body in the Republic of
South Africa in relation to the Placing Shares and the Placing
Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under or offered
in compliance with the securities laws of any state, province or
territory of the United States, Australia, Canada, the Republic of
South Africa or Japan. 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, the
Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction outside
the United Kingdom.
Persons (including, without limitation, nominees and trustees)
who have a contractual right or other legal obligations to forward
a copy of this Announcement should seek appropriate advice before
taking any such action.
This Announcement should be read in its entirety. In particular,
you should read and understand the information provided in the
"Important Notices" section of this Announcement.
In particular, each such Placee represents, warrants,
undertakes, agrees and acknowledges (amongst other things) to the
Joint Bookrunners and the Company that:
1. it is a Relevant Person and undertakes that it will acquire,
hold, manage or dispose of any Placing Shares that are
allocated to it for the purposes of its business;
2. in the case of a Relevant Person in a member state of
the EEA or the United Kingdom (each a "Relevant State")
who acquires any Placing Shares pursuant to the Placing:
(a) in the case of a member state of the EEA, it is an
EEA Qualified Investor and, in the case of the United
Kingdom, it is a UK Qualified Investor; and
(b) in the case of any Placing Shares acquired by it as
a financial intermediary, as that term is used in
Article 5(1) of the Prospectus Regulation (including,
with regards to the United Kingdom, as it forms part
of domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of
the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018):
(i) the Placing Shares acquired by it in the Placing
have not been acquired on behalf of, nor have
they been acquired with a view to their offer
or resale to, persons in a Relevant State other
than Qualified Investors or in circumstances in
which the prior consent of the Joint Bookrunners
has been given to the offer or resale; or
(ii) where Placing Shares have been acquired by it
on behalf of persons in a Relevant State other
than Qualified Investors, the offer of those Placing
Shares to it is not treated under the Prospectus
Regulation (including, with regards to the United
Kingdom, as it forms part of domestic law in the
United Kingdom by virtue of the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018) as having been made to
such persons; and
3. it is acquiring the Placing Shares for its own account
or is acquiring the Placing Shares for an account with
respect to which it exercises sole investment discretion
and has the authority to make and does make the representations,
warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements, undertakings
and agreements contained in this Announcement; and
4. it understands (or if acting for the account of another
person, such person has confirmed that such person understands)
the resale and transfer restrictions set out in this Appendix;
and
5. except as otherwise permitted by the Company and subject
to any available exemptions from applicable securities
laws, it (and any account referred to in paragraph 4 above)
is outside the United States acquiring the Placing Shares
in offshore transactions as defined in and in accordance
with Regulation S under the Securities Act
The Company and the Joint Bookrunners will rely upon the truth
and accuracy of the foregoing representations, acknowledgements and
agreements.
No prospectus
The Placing Shares are being offered to a limited number of
specifically invited persons only and will not be offered in such a
way as to require any prospectus or other offering document to be
published. No prospectus or other offering document has been or
will be submitted to be approved by the FCA in relation to the
Placing or the Placing Shares and Placees' commitments will be made
solely on the basis of the information contained in this
Announcement and the announcement of the results of the Placing
(the "Placing Results Announcement") and subject to any further
terms set out in the contract note or electronic trade confirmation
to be sent to individual Placees.
Each Placee, by participating in the Placing, agrees that the
content of this Announcement is exclusively the responsibility of
the Company and confirms that it has neither received nor relied on
any information, representation, warranty or statement made by or
on behalf of any of the Joint Bookrunners or the Company or any
other person and none of the Joint Bookrunners, the Company nor any
other person acting on such person's behalf nor any of their
respective affiliates has or shall have any liability for any
Placee's decision to participate in the Placing based on any other
information, representation, warranty or statement. Each Placee
acknowledges and agrees that it has relied on its own investigation
of the business, financial or other position of the Company in
accepting a participation in the Placing. No Placee should consider
any information in this Announcement to be legal, tax or business
advice. Nothing in this paragraph shall exclude the liability of
any person for fraudulent misrepresentation.
Bookbuilding Process
Following this Announcement, the Joint Bookrunners will commence
the Bookbuilding Process to determine demand for participation in
the Placing by Placees at the Issue Price. No commissions will be
paid to Placees or by Placees in respect of any Placing Shares. The
book will open with immediate effect following release of this
Announcement. Members of the public are not entitled to participate
in the Placing. This Appendix gives details of the terms and
conditions of, and the mechanics of participation in, the
Placing.
The Joint Bookrunners and the Company shall be entitled to
effect the Placing by such alternative method to the Bookbuilding
Process as they may, in their sole discretion, determine.
Placing (and Subscription and Broker Offer)
The Joint Bookrunners have severally agreed, on the terms and
subject to the conditions set out in the Placing Agreement, as
agents for and on behalf of the Company, to use reasonable
endeavours to conditionally procure subscribers for the Placing
Shares at the Issue Price. The Placing is not underwritten.
The final number of Placing Shares will be decided at the close
of the Bookbuilding Process following the execution of the Placing
Results Agreement by the Company and the Joint Bookrunners (the
"Placing Results Agreement"). The timing of the closing of the book
and allocations are at the discretion of the Company and the Joint
Bookrunners. Details of number of Placing Shares will be announced
as soon as practicable after the close of the Bookbuilding
Process.
The Placing will be made in two tranches:
-- The first tranche will comprise the "Firm Placing", under
which the First Admission Shares will be issued pursuant
to the Company's existing share authorities which were granted
to the directors at the AGM of the Company held on 30 June
2022. The Firm Placing is conditional upon, amongst other
things, First Admission becoming effective and the Placing
Agreement not being terminated in accordance with its terms.
-- The second tranche will comprise the "Conditional Placing",
under which the Second Admission Shares and any Broker Offer
Shares will be issued pursuant to the new share authorities
being sought at the General Meeting. Accordingly, the Conditional
Placing is conditional upon, amongst other things, the Resolutions
being passed at the General Meeting, Second Admission becoming
effective and the Placing Agreement not being terminated
in accordance with its terms as regards the Conditional
Placing.
The Placing Shares will, when issued, be credited as fully paid,
and will 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
the Ordinary Shares after the relevant date of issue of the First
Admission Shares or the Second Admission Shares and will on issue
be free of all claims, liens, charges, encumbrances and
equities.
The Company also proposes to issue new Ordinary Shares at the
Issue Price, alongside the Placing, (i) by way of the Broker Offer;
and (ii) other investors by way of the Subscription to be
implemented by the Company (the "Subscription Shares") (together
with the Placing Shares, the "New Ordinary Shares").
For the avoidance of doubt, the Broker Offer Shares and
Subscription Shares are not part of the Placing and are not Placing
Shares and the Joint Bookrunners are playing no role in connection
with either the Broker Offer or the Subscription.
Application will be made to the Exchange for admission of the
New Ordinary Shares to trading on AIM.
Subject to the conditions for the Firm Placing being satisfied,
it is expected that First Admission will become effective at 8.00
a.m. on 3 October 2022 and that dealings for normal settlement in
the First Admission Shares will commence on or around 8.00 a.m. on
the same day.
Subject to the conditions for the Conditional Placing being
satisfied, including, amongst other things, the Resolutions being
passed by the requisite majorities at the General Meeting, it is
expected that Second Admission will become effective at 8.00 a.m.
on 18 October 2022 and that dealings for normal
settlement in the Second Admission Shares will commence on or
around 8.00 a.m. on the same day.
The Placing Shares will not be admitted to trading on any stock
exchange other than AIM.
Participation in the Placing
1. The Joint Bookrunners are arranging the Placing as
agents of the Company. Participation will only be available
to persons who may lawfully be, and are, invited to
participate by the Joint Bookrunners. The Joint Bookrunners
are each entitled to enter bids as principal in the
Bookbuilding Process.
2. The aggregate proceeds to be raised through the Placing
will be agreed between the Joint Bookrunners and the
Company following completion of the Bookbuilding Process
in respect of the First Admission Shares and the Second
Admission Shares and will be recorded in the Placing
Results Agreement. The number of First Admission Shares
and Second Admission Shares to be issued will be announced
on a Regulatory Information Service following completion
of the Bookbuilding Process.
3. To bid in the Bookbuilding Process, Placees should
communicate their bid by telephone or in writing to
their usual sales contact at the relevant Joint Bookrunner.
Each bid should state the number of Placing Shares
which the prospective Placee wishes to acquire at the
Issue Price. Bids may be scaled down by the Joint Bookrunners
on the basis referred to in paragraph 6 below.
4. The Bookbuilding Process is expected to close no later
than 12.00 p.m. (London time) on 29 September 2022
but may be closed earlier or later, at the discretion
of the Joint Bookrunners. The Joint Bookrunners may,
in agreement with the Company, accept bids that are
received after the Bookbuilding Process has closed.
5. Each prospective Placee's allocation of First Admission
Shares and/or Second Admission Shares will be confirmed
to Placees orally or by email by the Joint Bookrunners
following the close of the Bookbuilding Process, and
a contract note or electronic trade confirmation will
be dispatched as soon as possible thereafter. The Joint
Bookrunners' oral or email confirmation to such Placee
will constitute an irrevocable legally binding commitment
upon such person (who will at that point become a Placee)
in favour of the Joint Bookrunners and the Company,
under which such Placee agrees to acquire the number
of First Admission Shares and/or Second Admission Shares
allocated to it and to pay the Issue Price on the terms
and conditions set out in this Appendix and in accordance
with the Company's corporate documents.
6. Subject to paragraphs 2 and 3 above, the Joint Bookrunners
will, in effecting the Placing, agree with the Company
the identity of the Placees and the basis of each Placee's
aggregate allocation of the Placing Shares and may
scale down any bids for this purpose on such basis
as it may determine. The Joint Bookrunners may also,
notwithstanding paragraphs 2 and 3 above and subject
to the prior consent of the Company, (i) allocate Placing
Shares after the time of any initial allocation to
any person submitting a bid after that time and (ii)
allocate First Admission Shares and/or Second Admission
Shares after the Bookbuilding Process has closed to
any person submitting a bid after that time. The acceptance
of offers shall be at the absolute discretion of the
Joint Bookrunners.
7. A bid in the Bookbuilding Process will be made on the
terms and subject to the conditions in this Appendix
and will be legally binding on the Placee on behalf
of which it is made and except with the Joint Bookrunners'
consent will not be capable of variation or revocation
after the time at which it is submitted. Each Placee
will also have an immediate, separate, irrevocable
and binding obligation, owed to the relevant Joint
Bookrunner (as agent for the Company), to pay it (or
as it may direct) in cleared funds an amount equal
to the product of the Issue Price and the number of
Placing Shares that such Placee has agreed to acquire.
Each Placee's obligations will be owed to the relevant
Joint Bookrunner.
8. Except as required by law or regulation, no press release
or other announcement will be made by the Joint Bookrunners
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.
9. Irrespective of the time at which a Placee's allocation(s)
pursuant to the Placing is/are confirmed, settlement
for all Placing Shares to be acquired pursuant to the
Placing will be required to be made on the basis explained
below under "Registration and settlement".
10. All obligations under the Bookbuilding Process and
Placing will be subject to fulfilment or (where applicable)
waiver of the conditions referred to below under "Conditions
of the Placing and Placing Agreement" and to the Placing
not being terminated.
11. By participating in the Bookbuilding Process, 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 after confirmation (oral
or otherwise) by the relevant Joint Bookrunner.
12. To the fullest extent permissible by law, none of the
Joint Bookrunners, the Company or any of their respective
affiliates shall have any responsibility or liability
to Placees (or to any other person whether acting on
behalf of a Placee or otherwise). In particular, none
of the Joint Bookrunners the Company, or any of their
respective affiliates shall have any responsibility
or liability (including to the extent permissible by
law, any fiduciary duties) in respect of the Joint
Bookrunners' conduct of the Bookbuilding Process or
of such alternative method of effecting the Placing
as the Joint Bookrunners, their respective affiliates
and the Company may agree, or of the allocation of
a participation between First Admission Shares and
Second Admission Shares. Each Placee acknowledges and
agrees that the Company is responsible for the allotment
of the Placing Shares to the Placees and the Joint
Bookrunners shall have no liability to the Placees
for any failure by the Company to fulfil those obligations.
Conditions of the Placing and Placing Agreement
The Joint Bookrunners have the right to terminate their
obligations under the Placing at any time prior to First Admission,
and in respect of their obligations in respect of the Conditional
Placing at any time after First Admission but prior to Second
Admission, in certain circumstances including, inter alia, (i) if
any of the warranties contained in the Placing Agreement was
untrue, inaccurate or misleading and/or would be untrue, inaccurate
or misleading if it were to be repeated at the relevant Admission
or at any time prior to the relevant Admission by reference to the
circumstances then existing, (ii) if any statement in this
Announcement is incorrect or has become untrue, incorrect or
misleading; (iii) if a material adverse change occurs in the
financial position or prospects of the Group; or (iv) upon the
occurrence of certain specified events of force majeure (as
specified in the Placing Agreement).
If the Placing Agreement is terminated prior to First Admission,
the Placing will lapse and the rights and obligations of the
Placees hereunder shall cease and determine at such time and no
claim can be made by any Placee in respect thereof. If the Placing
Agreement is terminated after First Admission but prior to Second
Admission, the Conditional Placing will lapse and the rights and
obligations of the Placees hereunder shall cease and determine at
such time and no claim can be made by any Placee in respect
thereof. In such event, the applicable monies (if any) paid by the
Placees to the Joint Bookrunners at such time shall be returned to
the Placees at their sole risk without any obligation on the part
of the Company or the Joint Bookrunners or any of its affiliates to
account to the Placees for any interest earned on such funds. The
Placees acknowledge and agree that the Company and the Joint
Bookrunners may, at their sole discretion, waive some of the
conditions in the Placing Agreement or extend the time and/or date
for fulfilment of any of the conditions in the Placing Agreement.
Any such extension or waiver will not affect Placees'
commitments.
Placees will only be called on to acquire applicable Placing
Shares if the obligations of the Joint Bookrunners under the
Placing Agreement have become unconditional in all respects and the
Joint Bookrunners have not terminated the Placing Agreement prior
to the relevant Admission.
The Joint Bookrunners' obligations under the Placing Agreement
in respect of the First Admission Shares are conditional upon,
inter alia:
1. First Admission occurring not later than 8.00 a.m.
on 3 October 2022 or such later date as the Joint
Bookrunners and the Company may agree being no later
than 8.30 a.m. on 4 October 2022;
2. the Company having complied with its obligations under
the Placing Agreement which fall to be performed on
or prior to First Admission;
3. the Placing Results Agreement having been executed
by the Company and the Joint Bookrunners;
4. the publication by the Company of the Placing Results
Announcement on a Regulatory Information Service immediately
following the execution of the Placing Results Agreement;
5. in the sole opinion of the Joint Bookrunners, there
not having been material adverse change in, or affecting,
the condition (financial, operational, legal or otherwise)
or the earnings, management, business affairs, solvency,
credit rating or prospects of the Company or of the
Group (taken as a whole), whether or not arising in
the ordinary course of business (a "Material Adverse
Change");
6. the amendments to the Senior Facilities continuing
to have full force and effect and not having been
varied, modified or supplemented (save where, in the
opinion of each of the Joint Bookrunners, acting in
good faith, such variation, modification or supplement
is not material in the context of the Placing or First
Admission) or terminated or lapsed before First Admission
and no right to terminate or rescind such extension
having arisen before First Admission;
7. the Subscription being binding in respect of at least
a minimum number of new Ordinary Shares;
8. the Placing Agreement becoming unconditional in all
respects in relation to the First Admission Shares,
save for the condition relating to First Admission,
and not having been terminated in accordance with
its terms before First Admission; and
9. the Company allotting, subject only to First Admission,
the First Admission Shares in accordance with the
Placing Agreement.
If (i) any of the conditions contained in the Placing Agreement
in relation to the First Admission Shares is not fulfilled or
waived by the Joint Bookrunners by the time or date where specified
(or such later time or date as the Company and the Joint
Bookrunners may agree, not being later than 8.30 a.m. on 4 October
2022), or (ii) the Placing Agreement is terminated as described
below, the Placing will lapse 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.
The Joint Bookrunners' obligations under the Placing Agreement
in respect of the Second Admission Shares are conditional upon,
inter alia:
1. the conditions above in respect of First Admission
being met;
2. Second Admission occurring not later than 8.00 a.m.
on 18 October 2022 or such later date as the Joint
Bookrunners and the Company may agree being no later
than 8.30 a.m. on 28 October 2022 (the "Long-Stop Date");
3. the Company having complied with its obligations under
the Placing Agreement which fall to be performed on
or prior to Second Admission;
4. the Resolutions being passed at the General Meeting;
5. there not having been a Material Adverse Change;
6. the Placing Agreement becoming unconditional in all
respects in relation to the Second Admission Shares,
save for the condition relating to Second Admission,
and not having been terminated in accordance with its
terms before Second Admission; and
7. the Company allotting, subject only to Second Admission,
the Second Admission Shares in accordance with the
Placing Agreement.
If (i) any of the conditions contained in the Placing Agreement
in relation to the Second Admission Shares is not fulfilled or
waived by the Joint Bookrunners by the respective time or date
where specified (or such later time or date as the Company and each
of the Joint Bookrunners may agree not being later than the
Long-Stop Date), or (ii) the Joint Bookrunner's obligations (and
consequently Placees' obligations) in respect of the Second
Admission Shares only under the Placing Agreement are terminated as
described below, the Placing in relation to the Second Admission
Shares will lapse and the Placees' rights and obligations hereunder
in relation to the Second Admission Shares shall cease and
terminate at such time.
All conditions included in the Placing Agreement in respect of
First Admission and Second Admission are together the
"Conditions".
By participating in the Placing, each Placee agrees that its
rights and obligations hereunder in respect of the relevant Placing
Shares are conditional upon the Placing Agreement becoming
unconditional in all respects prior to each Admission (as
applicable) and that its rights and obligations will terminate only
in the circumstances described above and will not be capable of
rescission or termination by it.
The Joint Bookrunners may in their absolute discretion in
writing waive fulfilment of certain of the Conditions or extend the
time provided for fulfilment of such Conditions, save that the
period for compliance with such Conditions may not be extended
beyond the Long-Stop Date. Any such extension or waiver will not
affect Placees' commitments as set out in this Appendix. Neither
the Joint Bookrunners, nor the Company, 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 made by the Joint
Bookrunners as to whether or not to waive or to extend the time
and/or date for the fulfilment of any Condition.
By participating in the Placing each Placee agrees that the
exercise by the Company or the Joint Bookrunners of any right or
other discretion under the Placing Agreement shall be within the
absolute discretion of the Company and the Joint Bookrunners (as
the case may be) and that neither the Company nor the Joint
Bookrunners need make any reference to such Placee and that neither
the Company nor the Joint Bookrunners shall have any liability to
such Placee (or to any other person whether acting on behalf of a
Placee or otherwise) whatsoever in connection with any such
exercise.
Termination of the Placing
The Joint Bookrunners may terminate the Placing and the Placing
Agreement, in accordance with its terms, at any time prior to
Second Admission if, inter alia:
1. the Joint Bookrunners (acting in good faith) consider
that any of the warranties contained in the Placing
Agreement was untrue, inaccurate or misleading in any
material respect and/or would be untrue, inaccurate
or misleading in any material respect if it were to
be repeated at Admission or at any time prior to Admission
by reference to the circumstances then existing;
2. a Material Adverse Change occurs; or
3. there should occur one or more specified force majeure
events (as detailed in the Placing Agreement).
Following First Admission, the Placing Agreement is not capable
of termination to the extent that it relates to the Firm Placing of
the First Admission Shares. If any termination occurs after the
First Admission, only the obligations of the Joint Bookrunners in
respect of the Conditional Placing and Second Admission shall be
terminated.
If the Placing Agreement is terminated in accordance with its
terms, the rights and obligations of each Placee in respect of the
Placing as described in this Announcement shall cease and terminate
at such time and no claim can be made by any Placee in respect
thereof.
By participating in the Placing, each Placee agrees with the
Company and the Joint Bookrunners that the exercise by the Company
or the Joint Bookrunners of any right of termination or any other
right or other discretion under the Placing Agreement shall be
within the absolute discretion of the Company or the Joint
Bookrunners and that none of the Company or the Joint Bookrunners
need make any reference to such Placee and that neither the Joint
Bookrunners nor the Company, nor any of their respective
affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees shall have any
liability to such Placee (or to any other person whether acting on
behalf of a Placee or otherwise) whatsoever in connection with any
such exercise.
By participating in the Placing, each Placee agrees that its
rights and obligations terminate only in the circumstances
described above and under the "Conditions of the Placing" section
above and will not be capable of rescission, variation, revocation
or termination by it after the issue by the relevant Joint
Bookrunner of confirmation of allocation orally or by email.
1. Registration and settlement
Settlement of transactions in the First Admission Shares
following First Admission and in the Second Admission Shares
following Second Admission will take place within the CREST system,
subject to certain exceptions. The Joint Bookrunners and the
Company reserve the right to require settlement for, and delivery
of, the Placing Shares to Placees by such other means that they
deem necessary if delivery or settlement is not possible within the
CREST system within the timetable set out in this Announcement or
would not be consistent with the regulatory requirements in the
Placee's jurisdiction. Each Placee will be deemed to agree that it
will do all things necessary to ensure that delivery and payment is
completed in accordance with either the standing CREST or
certificated settlement instructions which they have in place with
the Joint Bookrunners.
It is expected that (i) settlement in respect of the Firm
Placing will occur on 3 October 2022 and (ii) settlement in respect
of the Second Admission Shares will be on 18 October 2022, each in
accordance with the instructions set out in the trade confirmation.
On such date(s) each relevant Placee must settle the full amount
owed by it in respect of the relevant Placing Shares allocated to
it. The Joint Bookrunners may (after consultation with the Company)
specify later settlement dates at their absolute discretions. The
Joint Bookrunners will notify Placees if any of the dates in the
terms and conditions set out in this Appendix should change.
Payment must be made in cleared funds. The payment instructions for
settlement in CREST and settlement outside of CREST will be set out
in the contract note or electronic trade confirmation issued to the
Placee by the Joint Bookrunners. Interest is chargeable daily on
payments not received from Placees on the due date at the rate per
annum of 2 percentage points above the Barclays Bank plc base rate.
Time shall be of the essence as regards the obligations of Placees
to settle payment for the Placing Shares and to comply with their
other obligations under this Announcement.
Each Placee agrees that, if it does not comply with these
obligations, the relevant Joint Bookrunner may sell, charge by way
of security (to any funder of it) or otherwise deal with any or all
of their Placing Shares on their behalf and retain from the
proceeds, for the relevant Joint Bookrunner's own account and
benefit, an amount equal to the aggregate amount owed by the Placee
plus any interest due and any costs and expenses properly incurred
by it a result of the Placee's failure to comply with its
obligations. The relevant Placee will, however, remain liable and
shall indemnify the relevant Joint Bookrunner on demand for any
shortfall below the amount owed by it and for any stamp duty or
stamp duty reserve tax(together with any interest or penalties)
which may arise upon the sale of their Placing Shares on their
behalf. Legal and/or beneficial title in and to any Placing Shares
shall not pass to the relevant Placee until such time as it has
fully complied with its obligations hereunder. By communicating a
bid for Placing Shares, each Placee confers on the relevant Joint
Bookrunner all such authorities and powers necessary to carry out
any such sale and agrees to ratify and confirm all actions which
the relevant Joint Bookrunner lawfully takes in pursuance of such
sale.
If Placing Shares are to be delivered to a custodian or
settlement agent, Placees must ensure that, upon receipt, the
conditional 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 United Kingdom stamp duty or stamp duty
reserve tax. Placees will not be entitled to receive any fee or
commission in connection with the Placing.
Notwithstanding the above, the right is reserved to deliver all
of the Placing Shares to which the Placee is entitled in
certificated form should the Joint Bookrunners consider this
necessary or desirable.
2. Acceptance
By participating in the Placing, a Placee (and any person acting
on such Placee's behalf) irrevocably acknowledges, confirms,
undertakes, represents, warrants and agrees (as the case may be)
with the Joint Bookrunners and the Company, the following:
1) it has read and understood this Announcement in its entirety
and that its acquisition of the Placing Shares is subject
to and based upon all the terms, conditions, representations,
warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements, agreements
and undertakings and other information contained herein
and that it has not relied on, and will not rely on, any
information given or any representations, warranties or
statements made at any time by any person in connection
with Admission, the Placing, the Company, the Placing
Shares or otherwise, other than the information contained
in 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 Prospectus Regulation (including,
with regards to the United Kingdom, as it forms part
of domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of
the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018) or other
applicable law; and
b. has been or will be prepared in connection with the
Placing;
3) the Ordinary Shares are admitted to trading on AIM, and
that the Company is therefore required to publish certain
business and financial information in accordance with
the AIM Rules for the Companies (the "AIM Rules") and
the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation No. 596/2014,
as it forms part of domestic law in the United Kingdom
by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018
(the "MAR")), which includes a description of the nature
of the Company's business and the Company's most recent
balance sheet and profit and loss account and that it
is able to obtain or access such information without undue
difficulty, and is able to obtain access to such information
or comparable information concerning any other publicly
traded company, without undue difficulty;
4) 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 none of the Joint Bookrunners, the
Company or any of their respective affiliates, agents,
directors, officers or employees nor any person acting
on behalf of any of them has provided, and will not provide,
it with any material regarding the Placing Shares or the
Company or any other person other than the information
in this Announcement or any information publicly announced
through a Regulatory Information Service (as defined in
the AIM Rules) by or on behalf of the Company on or prior
to the date of this Announcement (the "Publicly Available
Information"); nor has it requested the Joint Bookrunners,
the Company, any of their respective affiliates, agents,
directors, employees or officers or any person acting
on behalf of any of them to provide it with any such information;
5) none of the Joint Bookrunners or any person acting on
behalf of either of them or any of their respective affiliates,
agents, directors, officers or employees has or shall
have any liability for any Publicly Available Information,
or any representation relating to the Company, provided
that nothing in this paragraph excludes the liability
of any person for fraudulent misrepresentation made by
that person;
6)
a. the only information on which it is entitled to rely
on and on which it has relied in committing to acquire
the Placing Shares is contained in this Announcement,
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 the information in this Announcement;
b. none of the Joint Bookrunners, the Company (or any
of their respective affiliates, agents, directors,
officers and employees) have 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, nor will they provide any material
or information regarding the Company, the Placing
or the Placing Shares;
c. it has conducted its own investigation of the Company,
the Placing (including its terms and conditions) and
the Placing Shares, satisfied itself that the information
is still current and relied on that investigation
for the purposes of its decision to participate in
the Placing; and
d. it has not relied on any investigation that the Joint
Bookrunners or any person acting on behalf of either
of them may have conducted with respect to the Company,
the Placing or the Placing Shares; and
e. it may not place the same degree of reliance on this
Announcement as it may otherwise place on a prospectus
or admission document or any other offering circular.
7) the content of this Announcement has been prepared by
and is exclusively the responsibility of the Company and
that none of the Joint Bookrunners or any persons acting
on their behalf is responsible for or has or shall have
any liability for any information, representation, warranty
or statement relating to the Company contained in this
Announcement nor will they be liable for any Placee's
decision to participate in the Placing based on any information,
representation, warranty or statement contained in this
Announcement or otherwise. Nothing in this Appendix shall
exclude any liability of any person for fraudulent misrepresentation;
8) neither it nor the beneficial owner of the Placing Shares
is, nor will, at the time the Placing Shares are acquired,
either of them be at resident of the United States, Australia,
Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan;
9) the Placing Shares have not been registered or otherwise
qualified, and will not be registered or otherwise qualified,
for offer and sale nor will a prospectus be cleared or
approved in respect of any of the Placing Shares under
the securities laws of the United States, or any state
or other jurisdiction of the United States, Australia,
Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan and, subject
to certain exceptions, may not be offered, sold, taken
up, renounced or delivered or transferred, directly or
indirectly, within the United States, Australia, Canada,
the Republic of South Africa or Japan or in any country
or jurisdiction where any such action for that purpose
is required;
10) it may be asked to disclose in writing or orally to the
Joint Bookrunners: (i) if he or she is an individual,
his or her nationality; or (ii) if he or she is a discretionary
fund manager, the jurisdiction in which the funds are
managed or owned;
11) it (and any person acting on its behalf) has the funds
available to pay for the Placing Shares for which it has
agreed to acquire and acknowledges and agrees that it
will pay the total subscription amount in accordance with
the terms of this Announcement on the due time and date
set out herein, failing which the relevant Placing Shares
may be placed with other Placees or sold at such price
as the Joint Bookrunners determines;
12) it and/or each person on whose behalf it is participating:
a. is entitled to acquire Placing Shares pursuant to
the Placing under the laws and regulations of all
relevant jurisdictions;
b. has fully observed such laws and regulations;
c. has capacity and authority and is entitled to enter
into and perform its obligations as an acquirer
of Placing Shares and will honour such obligations;
and
d. has obtained all necessary consents and authorities
(including, without limitation, in the case of a
person acting on behalf of a Placee, all necessary
consents and authorities to agree to the terms set
out or referred to in this Appendix) under those
laws or otherwise and complied with all necessary
formalities to enable it to enter into the transactions
contemplated hereby and to perform its obligations
in relation thereto and, in particular, if it is
a pension fund or investment company it is aware
of and acknowledges it is required to comply with
all applicable laws and regulations with respect
to its acquisition of Placing Shares;
13) it is not, and any person who it is acting on behalf of
is not, and at the time the Placing Shares are acquired
will not be, a resident of, or with an address in, or
subject to the laws of, the United States, Australia,
Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan, and it
acknowledges and agrees that the Placing Shares have not
been and will not be registered or otherwise qualified
under the securities legislation of the United States,
Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan
and may not be offered, sold, or acquired, directly or
indirectly, within those jurisdictions;
14) it and the beneficial owner of the Placing Shares is,
and at the time the Placing Shares are acquired will be,
outside the United States and acquiring the Placing Shares
in an "offshore transaction" as defined in, and in accordance
with, Regulation S under the Securities Act;
15) it understands that the Placing Shares have not been,
and will not be, registered under the Securities Act and
may not be offered, sold or resold in or into or from
the United States except pursuant to an effective registration
under the Securities Act, or pursuant to an exemption
from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration
requirements of the Securities Act and in accordance with
applicable state securities laws; and no representation
is being made as to the availability of any exemption
under the Securities Act for the reoffer, resale, pledge
or transfer of the Placing Shares;
16) it (and any account for which it is purchasing) is not
acquiring the Placing Shares with a view to any offer,
sale or distribution thereof within the meaning of the
Securities Act;
17) it understands that:
a. the Placing Shares are "restricted securities" within
the meaning of Rule 144(a)(3) under 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 for re-sales
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);
18) 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, and in each
case in accordance with all applicable securities
laws of the states of the United States and other
jurisdictions;
19) 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;
20) 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 will, to the extent they
are delivered in certificated form, bear a legend to the
following effect unless agreed otherwise with the Company:
"THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER
THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMED (THE "SECURITIES
ACT"), OR UNDER THE APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OR WITH ANY
SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION
OF THE UNITED STATES, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR
OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT (A) PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION
STATEMENT WHICH HAS BEEN DECLARED EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES
ACT, (B) IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 903 OR
RULE 904 OF REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR (C) PURSUANT
TO ANY OTHER AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND, IN EACH CASE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY
APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF
THE UNITED STATES. NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY IN THE
FOREGOING, THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE DEPOSITED INTO ANY
UNRESTRICTED DEPOSITARY RECEIPT FACILITY IN RESPECT OF THE
COMPANY'S SECURITIES ESTABLISHED OR MAINTAINED BY A DEPOSITARY
BANK. EACH HOLDER, BY ITS ACCEPTANCE OF THESE SHARES, REPRESENTS
THAT IT UNDERSTANDS AND AGREES TO THE FOREGOING RESTRICTIONS.";
21) 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);
22) it understands that there may be certain consequences
under United States and other tax laws resulting from
an investment in the Placing and it has made such investigation
and has consulted its own independent advisers or otherwise
has satisfied itself concerning, without limitation,
the effects of United States federal, state and local
income tax laws and foreign tax laws generally;
23) it will not distribute, forward, transfer or otherwise
transmit this Announcement or any part of it, or any
other presentational or other materials concerning
the Placing in or into or from the United States (including
electronic copies thereof) to any person, and it has
not distributed, forwarded, transferred or otherwise
transmitted any such materials to any person;
24) none of the Joint Bookrunners, the Company nor any
of their respective affiliates, agents, directors,
officers or employees nor any person acting on behalf
of any of them is making any recommendations to it
or advising it regarding the suitability of any transactions
it may enter into in connection with the Placing and
that participation in the Placing is on the basis that
it is not and will not be a client of either or both
of the Joint Bookrunners and that the Joint Bookrunners
have no duties or responsibilities to it for providing
the protections afforded to their respective clients
or for providing advice in relation to the Placing
nor in respect of any representations, warranties,
undertakings or indemnities contained in the Placing
Agreement nor for the exercise or performance of any
of its rights and obligations thereunder including
any rights to waive or vary any conditions or exercise
any termination right;
25) it will make payment to the relevant Joint Bookrunner
for the Placing Shares allocated to it in accordance
with the terms and conditions of this Announcement
on the due times and dates set out in this Announcement,
failing which the relevant Placing Shares may be placed
with others on such terms as the Joint Bookrunners
determine in their absolute discretion without liability
to the Placee and it will remain liable for any shortfall
below the net proceeds of such sale and the placing
proceeds of such Placing Shares and may be required
to bear any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax (together
with any interest or penalties due pursuant to the
terms set out or referred to in this Announcement)
which may arise upon the sale of such Placee's Placing
Shares on its behalf;
26) its allocation (if any) of Placing Shares will represent
a maximum number of Placing Shares which it will be
entitled, and required, to subscribe for, and that
the Company may call upon it to subscribe for a lower
number of Placing Shares (if any), but in no event
in aggregate more than the aforementioned maximum;
27) no action has been or will be taken by any of the Company,
the Joint Bookrunners or any person acting on behalf
of the Company or the Joint Bookrunners that would,
or is intended to, permit a public offer of the Placing
Shares in the United States or in any country or jurisdiction
where any such action for that purpose is required;
28) the person who it specifies for registration as holder
of the Placing Shares will be:
a. the Placee; or
b. a nominee of the Placee, as the case may be,
and that the Joint Bookrunners and the Company will
not be responsible for any liability to stamp duty
or stamp duty reserve tax resulting from a failure
to observe this requirement. Each Placee and any person
acting on behalf of such Placee agrees to acquire Placing
Shares pursuant to the Placing and agrees to indemnify
the Company and the Joint Bookrunners in respect of
the same on the basis that the Placing Shares will
be allotted to a CREST stock account of the Joint Bookrunners
or transferred to a CREST stock account of the Joint
Bookrunners who will hold them as nominee on behalf
of the Placee until settlement in accordance with its
standing settlement instructions with it;
29) the allocation, allotment, issue and delivery to it,
or the person specified by it for registration as holder,
of Placing Shares will not give rise to a stamp duty
or stamp duty reserve tax liability under (or at a
rate determined under) any of sections 67, 70, 93 or
96 of the Finance Act 1986 (depository receipts and
clearance services) and that it is not participating
in the Placing as nominee or agent for any person or
persons to whom the allocation, allotment, issue or
delivery of Placing Shares would give rise to such
a liability;
30) if it is within the United Kingdom, it and any person
acting on its behalf (if within the United Kingdom)
is a UK Qualified Investor and falls within Article
19(5) and/or 49(2) of the Order and undertakes that
it will acquire, hold, manage and (if applicable) dispose
of any Placing Shares that are allocated to it for
the purposes of its business only;
31) it has not offered or sold and will not offer or sell
any Placing Shares to persons in a Relevant State prior
to the expiry of a period of six months from Admission
except to persons whose ordinary activities involve
them in acquiring, holding, managing or disposing of
investments (as principal or agent) for the purposes
of their business or otherwise in circumstances which
have not resulted and which will not result in an offer
to the public in the United Kingdom within the meaning
of the Prospectus Regulation (as it forms part of domestic
law in the United Kingdom by virtue of the European
Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018) or an offer to the public
in any member state of the EEA within the meaning of
the Prospectus Regulation;
32) if it is within a Relevant State, it is an EEA Qualified
Investor;
33) it has only communicated or caused to be communicated
and it will only communicate or cause to be communicated
any invitation or inducement to engage in investment
activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the FSMA)
relating to Placing Shares in circumstances in which
section 21(1) of the FSMA does not require approval
of the communication by an authorised person and it
acknowledges and agrees that this Announcement has
not been approved by the Joint Bookrunners in their
capacity as authorised persons under section 21 of
the FSMA and it may not therefore be subject to the
controls which would apply if it was made or approved
as financial promotion by an authorised person;
34) it has complied and it will comply with all applicable
laws with respect to anything done by it or on its
behalf in relation to the Placing Shares (including
all relevant provisions of the FSMA and the MAR in
respect of anything done in, from or otherwise involving
the United Kingdom);
35) if it is a financial intermediary, as that term is
used in Article 5(1) of the Prospectus Regulation (including,
with regards to the United Kingdom, as it forms part
of domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of
the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018), the Placing
Shares acquired by it in the Placing will not be acquired
on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor will
they be acquired with a view to their offer or resale
to, persons in a Relevant State other than Qualified
Investors, or in circumstances in which the express
prior written consent of the Joint Bookrunners has
been given to each proposed offer or resale;
36) if it has received any inside information (for the
purposes of the MAR and section 56 of the Criminal
Justice Act 1993 or other applicable law) about the
Company in advance of the Placing, it has not:
a) dealt (or attempted to deal) in the securities
of the Company or cancelled or amended a dealing
in the securities of the Company;
b) encouraged, recommended or induced another person
to deal in the securities of the Company or to
cancel or amend an order concerning the Company's
securities; or
c) unlawfully disclosed such information to any person,
prior to the information being made publicly available;
37) the Joint Bookrunners and their respective affiliates,
acting as an investor for its or their own account(s),
may bid or subscribe for and/or purchase Placing Shares
and, in that capacity, may retain, purchase, offer
to sell or otherwise deal for its or their own account(s)
in the Placing Shares, any other securities of the
Company or other related investments in connection
with the Placing or otherwise. Accordingly, references
in this Announcement to the Placing Shares being offered,
subscribed, acquired or otherwise dealt with should
be read as including any offer to, or subscription,
acquisition or dealing by, the Joint Bookrunners and/or
any of their respective affiliates acting as an investor
for its or their own account(s). None of the Joint
Bookrunners or the Company intend to disclose the extent
of any such investment or transaction otherwise than
in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligation
to do so;
38) it:
a) has complied with its obligations in connection
with money laundering and terrorist financing
under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (as amended),
the Terrorism Act 2000 (as amended), the Terrorism
Act 2006, the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing
and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer)
Regulations 2017 (as amended) and all 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 (together,
the "Money Laundering Regulations");
b) is not a person:
i. with whom transactions are prohibited under
the US 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;
ii. named on the Consolidated List of Financial
Sanctions Targets maintained by HM Treasury
of the United Kingdom; or
iii. subject to financial sanctions imposed pursuant
to a regulation of the European Union or a
regulation adopted by the United Nations or
other applicable law,
39) (together with the Money Laundering Regulations, 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
the Joint Bookrunners such evidence, if any, as to
the identity or location or legal status of any person
which it may request from it in connection with the
Placing (for the purpose of complying with the 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 the Joint Bookrunners
on the basis that any failure by it to do so may result
in the number of Placing Shares that are to be acquired
by it or at its direction pursuant to the Placing being
reduced to such number, or to nil, as the Joint Bookrunners
may decide in their sole discretion;
40) in order to ensure compliance with the Regulations,
each of the Joint Bookrunners (for itself and as agent
on behalf of the Company) or the Company's registrars
may, in their absolute discretion, require verification
of its identity. Pending the provision to the Joint
Bookrunners or the Company's registrars, as applicable,
of evidence of identity, definitive certificates in
respect of the Placing Shares may be retained at the
Joint Bookrunners' absolute discretion or, where appropriate,
delivery of the Placing Shares to it in uncertificated
form may be delayed at the Joint Bookrunners' or the
Company's registrars', as the case may be, absolute
discretion. If within a reasonable time after a request
for verification of identity the Joint Bookrunners
(for themselves and as agents on behalf of the Company)
or the Company's registrars have not received evidence
satisfactory to them, either the Joint Bookrunners
and/or the Company may, at their absolute discretion,
terminate its commitment in respect of the Placing,
in which event the monies payable on acceptance of
allotment will, if already paid, be returned without
interest to the account of the drawee's bank from which
they were originally debited;
41) it acknowledges that its commitment to acquire Placing
Shares on the terms set out in this Announcement and
in the contract note or through the electronic trade
confirmation will continue notwithstanding any amendment
that may in future be made to the terms and conditions
of the Placing and that Placees will have no right
to be consulted or require that their consent be obtained
with respect to the Company's or the Joint Bookrunners'
conduct of the Placing;
42) it has knowledge and experience in financial, business
and international investment matters as is required
to evaluate the merits and risks of acquiring the Placing
Shares. It further acknowledges that it is experienced
in investing in securities of this nature and is aware
that it may be required to bear, and is able to bear,
the economic risk of, and is able to sustain, a complete
loss in connection with the Placing. It has relied
upon its own examination and due diligence of the Company
and its affiliates taken as a whole, and the terms
of the Placing, including the merits and risks involved;
43) it irrevocably appoints any duly authorised officer
of either of the Joint Bookrunners as its agent for
the purpose of executing and delivering to the Company
and/or its registrars any documents on its behalf necessary
to enable it to be registered as the holder of any
of the Placing Shares for which it agrees to acquire
upon the terms of this Announcement;
44) the Company, the Joint Bookrunners and others (including
each of their respective affiliates, agents, directors,
officers and employees) will rely upon the truth and
accuracy of the foregoing representations, warranties,
acknowledgements and agreements, which are given to
each of the Joint Bookrunners on its own behalf and
on behalf of the Company and are irrevocable;
45) it is acting as principal only in respect of the Placing
or, if it is acquiring the Placing Shares as a fiduciary
or agent for one or more investor accounts, it:
a. is duly authorised to do so and it has full power
and authority to make, and does make, the foregoing
representations, warranties, acknowledgements,
agreements and undertakings on behalf of each such
accounts; and
b. will remain liable to the Company and the Joint
Bookrunners for the performance of all its obligations
as a Placee in respect of the Placing (regardless
of the fact that it is acting for another person);
46) time is of the essence as regards its obligations under
this Appendix;
47) any document that is to be sent to it in connection
with the Placing will be sent at its risk and may be
sent to it at any address provided by it to the relevant
Joint Bookrunners;
48) the Placing Shares will be issued subject to the terms
and conditions of this Appendix; and
49) the terms and conditions contained in this Appendix
and all documents into which this Appendix is incorporated
by reference or otherwise validly forms a part and/or
any agreements entered into pursuant to these terms
and conditions and all agreements to acquire Placing
Shares pursuant to the Bookbuilding Process and/or
the Placing and all non-contractual or other obligations
arising out of or in connection with them, will be
governed by and construed in accordance with English
law and it submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of
the English courts in relation to any claim, dispute
or matter arising out of such contract (including any
dispute regarding the existence, validity or termination
or such contract or relating to any non-contractual
or other obligation arising out of or in connection
with such contract), except that enforcement proceedings
in respect of the obligation to make payment for the
Placing Shares (together with interest chargeable thereon)
may be taken by the Company or the Joint Bookrunners
in any jurisdiction in which the relevant Placee is
incorporated or in which any of its securities have
a quotation on a recognised stock exchange.
By participating in the Placing, each Placee (and any person
acting on such Placee's behalf) agrees to indemnify and hold the
Company, the Joint Bookrunners and each of their respective
affiliates, agents, directors, officers and employees harmless from
any and all costs, claims, liabilities and expenses (including
legal fees and expenses) arising out of or in connection with any
breach of the representations, warranties, acknowledgements,
agreements and undertakings given by the Placee (and any person
acting on such Placee's behalf) in this Appendix or incurred by the
Joint Bookrunners, the Company or each of their respective
affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees arising from
the performance of the Placee's obligations as set out in this
Announcement, and further agrees that the provisions of this
Appendix shall survive after the completion of the Placing.
The rights and remedies of the Joint Bookrunners and the Company
under these terms and conditions are in addition to any rights and
remedies which would otherwise be available to each of them and the
exercise or partial exercise or partial exercise of one will not
prevent the exercise of others.
The agreement to allot and issue Placing Shares to Placees (or
the persons for whom Placees are contracting as agent) free of
stamp duty and stamp duty reserve tax in the United Kingdom relates
only to their allotment and issue to Placees, or such persons as
they nominate as their agents, direct by the Company. Such
agreement assumes that the Placing Shares are not being acquired 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 related to any other
dealings in the Placing Shares, stamp duty or stamp duty reserve
tax may be payable. In that event, the Placee agrees that it shall
be responsible for such stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax and
neither the Company nor the Joint Bookrunners shall be responsible
for such stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax. If this is the case,
each Placee should seek its own advice and they should notify the
Joint Bookrunners accordingly. In addition, Placees should note
that they will be liable for any capital duty, stamp duty and all
other stamp, issue, securities, transfer, registration, documentary
or other duties or taxes (including any interest, fines or
penalties relating thereto) payable outside the United Kingdom by
them or any other person on the acquisition by them of any Placing
Shares or the agreement by them to acquire any Placing Shares and
each Placee, or the Placee's nominee, in respect 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 non-United
Kingdom stamp, registration, documentary, transfer or similar taxes
or duties undertakes to pay such taxes and duties, including any
interest and penalties (if applicable), forthwith and to indemnify
on an after-tax basis and to hold harmless the Company and the
Joint Bookrunners in the event that any of the Company and/or the
Joint Bookrunners have incurred any such liability to such taxes or
duties.
The representations, warranties, acknowledgements and
undertakings contained in this Appendix are given to each of the
Joint Bookrunners for itself and on behalf of the Company and are
irrevocable and shall not be capable of termination in any
circumstances.
Each Placee and any person acting on behalf of the Placee
acknowledges that neither of the Joint Bookrunners owes any
fiduciary or other duties to any Placee in respect of any
representations, warranties, undertakings, acknowledgements,
agreements or indemnities in the Placing Agreement.
Each Placee and any person acting on behalf of the Placee
acknowledges and agrees that the Joint Bookrunners may (at their
absolute discretion) satisfy their obligations to procure Placees
by themselves agreeing to become a Placee in respect of some or all
of the Placing Shares or by nominating any connected or associated
person to do so.
No statement in this Announcement is intended to be a profit
forecast or estimate, and no statement in this Announcement should
be interpreted to mean that earnings per share of the Company for
the current or future financial years would necessarily match or
exceed the historical published earnings per share of the
Company.
The price of shares 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 shares. Past performance is no guide
to future performance, and persons needing advice should consult an
independent financial adviser.
The Placing Shares to be issued pursuant to the Placing will not
be admitted to trading on any stock exchange other than the AIM
market of the Exchange.
When a Placee or person acting on behalf of the Placee is
dealing with either of the Joint Bookrunners, any money held in an
account with either of the Joint Bookrunners on behalf of the
Placee and/or any person acting on behalf of the Placee will not be
treated as client money within the meaning of the rules and
regulations of the FCA made under the FSMA. The Placee acknowledges
that the money will not be subject to the protections conferred by
the client money rules; as a consequence, this money will not be
segregated from the relevant Joint Bookrunners' money in accordance
with the client money rules and will be used by the relevant Joint
Bookrunner in the course of its own business; and the Placee will
rank only as a general creditor of the relevant Joint
Bookrunner.
3. Times
Unless the context otherwise requires, all references
to time are to London time. All times and dates in this
Announcement may be subject to amendment. The Joint Bookrunners
will notify Placees and any persons acting on behalf of
the Placees of any changes.
DEFINITIONS
In this Appendix to the Announcement and, as the context shall
admit, in the Announcement:
'Admission' means the admission of the Placing Shares to trading
on AIM becoming effective in accordance with the AIM Rules;
'AIM' means the market of that name operated by the London Stock
Exchange;
'AIM Rules' means the provisions of the London Stock Exchange's
AIM Rules for Companies as amended from time to time governing,
inter alia, admission to AIM and the continuing obligations of AIM
companies;
'Announcement' means this announcement (including the Appendix
to this announcement) relating to the Placing;
'Bookbuilding Process' means the bookbuilding process to be
carried out by the Joint Bookrunners in using their respective
reasonable endeavours, as agents for the Company, to procure
Placees for the Placing Shares;
'Circular' means the circular containing details of the
Conditional Placing, the Broker Offer and the Subscription (to the
extent Broker Offer Shares and Subscription Shares are proposed to
be admitted to trading on Second Admission) and Second Admission,
and incorporating a notice convening the General Meeting, to be
posted to Shareholders;
'Second Admission' means the admission to trading on AIM of the
Second Admission Shares (together with any other New Shares
proposed to be admitted to trading at the same time) subject to and
following the passing of the Resolutions at the General Meeting and
such admission becoming effective in accordance with the AIM
Rules;
'Conditional Placees' means the Placees by whom or on whose
behalf a commitment to acquire Second Admission Shares has been
given;
'CREST' means the relevant system (as defined in the CREST
Regulations) in respect of which Euroclear UK & International
Limited is the Operator (as defined in the CREST Regulations);
'CREST Regulations' means the Uncertificated Securities
Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/3755) as amended from time to time;
'Directors' means the directors of the Company as at the date of
this Announcement;
'FCA' means the Financial Conduct Authority of the United
Kingdom;
'Firm Placees' means the Placees by whom or on whose behalf a
commitment to acquire First Admission Shares has been given;
'Firm Placing' means that part of the Placing pursuant to which
First Admission Shares are placed with Placees conditionally on,
among other things, First Admission;
'FSMA' means the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as
amended);
'General Meeting' means the general meeting of the Company to be
convened for 9.00 a.m. on 17 October 2022 (or any adjournment of
that meeting);
'Group' means the Company and each of its subsidiary
undertakings (as defined in the Companies Act 2006) from time to
time;
'Issue Price' means 5 per New Share;
'Joint Bookrunners' means each of Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited,
registered in England and Wales with company number 04915201, whose
registered office is at One New Change, London, EC4M 9AF and Cenkos
Securities Plc, registered in England and Wales with company number
05210733, whose registered office is at 6 7 8 Tokenhouse Yard,
London, EC2R 7AS, each being a 'Joint Bookrunner';
'London Stock Exchange' means London Stock Exchange plc;
'Ordinary Shares' means the ordinary shares of 0.5 pence each in
the capital of the Company;
'Material Adverse Change' means a material adverse change in, or
affecting, the condition (financial, operational, legal or
otherwise) or the earnings, management, business affairs, solvency,
credit rating or prospects of the Company or of the Group (taken as
a whole), whether or not arising in the ordinary course of
business;
'Placee' means the Conditional Placees, the Firm Placees and any
other persons by whom or on whose behalf a commitment to acquire
Placing Shares has been given;
'Placing' means the placing of the Placing Shares to be
conducted by way of an accelerated bookbuilding process, by the
Joint Bookrunners on behalf of the Company;
'Placing Agreement' means the placing agreement dated 28
September 2022 between the Company, the Joint Bookrunners and
Turner Pope Investments (TPI) Limited in respect of the Placing and
Broker Offer;
'Placing Shares' means the First Admission Shares and the Second
Admission Shares other than the Subscription Shares;
'Prospectus Regulation' means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129;
'Regulation D' means Regulation D promulgated under the
Securities Act;
'Regulation S' means Regulation S promulgated under the
Securities Act;
'Regulatory Information Service' means the electronic
information dissemination service operated by the London Stock
Exchange's Company Announcements Office, or any alternative "PIP
service" (primary information provider service) which the Company
has selected for the purposes of making regulatory announcements in
accordance with the AIM Rules;
'Resolutions' means the resolutions set out in the notice of
General Meeting contained in the Circular;
'Restricted Jurisdiction' the US, Australia, Canada, Japan, New
Zealand and the Republic of South Africa and any other jurisdiction
in which it would be unlawful to offer the Placing Shares or the
Open Offer Shares, or where the Placing and Open Offer would be
required to be approved by a regulatory body;
'Securities Act' means the US Securities Act of 1933, as
amended;
'Senior Facilities' means the GBP17.0 million senior term loan
and GBP1.5 million revolving credit facility, provided in 2018 by
the Bank of Ireland, as lender to the Company;
'Shareholders' means holders of Ordinary Shares;
'United Kingdom' or 'UK' means the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland;
'United States' or 'US' means the United States of America, its
territories and possessions, any state of the United States, and
the District of Columbia
This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the
London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct
Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United
Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution
of this information may apply. For further information, please
contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.
RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms
and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information
contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an
anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services.
For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange
use the personal data you provide us, please see our Privacy
Policy.
END
IOELPMRTMTBTBIT
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 28, 2022 13:18 ET (17:18 GMT)
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