NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR
DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES,
AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, CANADA, JAPAN OR THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH
AFRICA OR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE,
PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THE
APPENDIX, IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT AN OFFER OF
SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR
SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH
JURISDICTION.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE
INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF THE MARKET ABUSE
REGULATION (EU) 596/2014 AS IT FORMS PART OF UK DOMESTIC LAW BY
VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 ("MAR"), AND IS
DISCLOSED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMPANY'S OBLIGATIONS UNDER
ARTICLE 17 OF MAR. IN ADDITION, MARKET
SOUNDINGS (AS DEFINED IN UK MAR) WERE TAKEN IN RESPECT OF CERTAIN
OF THE MATTERS CONTAINED WITHIN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, WITH THE RESULT
THAT CERTAIN PERSONS BECAME AWARE OF INSIDE INFORMATION (AS DEFINED
UNDER MAR). UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A
REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE, THOSE PERSONS THAT RECEIVED INSIDE
INFORMATION IN A MARKET SOUNDING ARE NO LONGER IN POSSESSION OF
SUCH INSIDE INFORMATION, WHICH IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE
PUBLIC DOMAIN.
PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICES AT THE END OF THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT.
12 March 2024
PCI-PAL
PLC
("PCI Pal", the
"Company" or the
"Group")
Proposed
Placing to raise up to £3.5 million
PCI-PAL PLC (AIM: PCIP), the global
cloud provider of secure payment solutions, today announces its
intention to conduct a fundraising to raise gross proceeds of up to
approximately £3.5 million through a placing (the "Placing") of new ordinary shares of 1
penny each in the capital of the Company (the "Placing Shares") by way of an accelerated bookbuild (the "Bookbuild").
Highlights
·
Proposed Placing of up to 6,250,000 Placing Shares
at a fixed price of 56 pence per Placing Share (the "Issue Price") to raise gross proceeds
for the Company of up to £3.5 million.
·
The net proceeds of the Placing received by the
Company will be used to:
o provide further capital for the Company's continued expansion
in the US with a focus on marketing, product marketing and driving
more engagement with key partners;
o support the Company's growth across EMEA;
o provide the Company with additional working capital;
and
o strengthen the Company's balance sheet and pivot the Company
into a stronger operating position.
·
The Placing is to be conducted by way of an
accelerated bookbuild process which will commence immediately
following the release of this announcement (the "Announcement") and will be subject to
the terms and conditions set out in the Appendix to this
Announcement (which forms part of this Announcement).
·
The Issue Price is equivalent. to the closing
mid-market price of an ordinary share on 11 March
2024, being the last
trading day prior to this Announcement.
This Announcement should be read in its entirety. In
particular, your attention is drawn to (i) the detailed terms and
conditions of the Placing and (ii) further information relating to
the Placing and any participation in the Placing, each of which is
set out in the Appendix to this Announcement (which forms part of
this Announcement).
Background to the Placing and use of
proceeds
The Company's interim results for
the six months to 31 December 2023 announced on 27 February 2024
demonstrated the continued growth of the business with revenue in
the period up 20% year on year to £8.7m; exit ARR run rate
increased 23% to £14.7 million; and Total Annual Contract Value*
("TACV") increased 18% to £17.5m. Furthermore, the Board also
reported that the Company was on track for its near-term
expectations to be profitable at a Group level, which was evidenced
by its first period of adjusted EBITDA positive trading in
H1.
The Board is very much focused on
capitalising on the market opportunity in front of it and doing so
from a profitable base in the near term. It envisages growth will
be targeted through strategic expansion across the Company's key
geographic markets, whilst maintaining the strength and stability
of the Company's operations underpinned by the Company's high
margin, scalable, globally available SaaS technology
platform.
The first half saw revenues in North
America grow by approximately 38% year on year. The Board
sees this region as a continuing key area of growth for the
Company. Therefore, approximately half of the net proceeds of the
Placing will be used to fund the Company's continued expansion in
the US, the Group's largest market, through targeted marketing
initiatives (direct and partner), product marketing, and driving
more engagement globally with the Company's key
partners.
The remainder of the funds raised
will strengthen the Company's balance sheet, pivoting the Company
into a stronger operating position, as well as providing additional
working capital to support the Company's growth across EMEA. The
plans for EMEA include further investment
in regional marketing initiatives and more sophisticated localised
partner enablement and management.
* TACV is
the total annual recurring revenue of all signed contracts, whether
invoiced and included in deferred revenue or
still to be
deployed and/or not yet invoiced.
Details of the Placing
It is expected that up to 6,250,000
Placing Shares will be issued pursuant to the Placing, which would
represent up to approximately 9.5 per cent. of the Company's
current issued share capital (excluding shares held in treasury).
The Placing will utilise the existing authorities of the Company,
granted at the Company's annual general meeting held on 12 December
2023 permitting it to issue new Ordinary Shares on a non pre-emptive
basis.
The Placing is being made available
to institutional investors and is not being made available to the
public. The Company has consulted with its major
institutional shareholders ahead of release of this Announcement,
which has confirmed the Board's view that the Placing is in the
best interests of shareholders.
As part of the Placing, the Company
is seeking to raise funds by the issue of the Placing Shares to
VCTs and investors seeking tax relief under the Enterprise
Investment Scheme. Such Placing Shares are intended to rank as
"eligible shares" for the purposes of EIS and VCT investors and a
"qualifying holding" for the purposes of an investment by VCTs,
each pursuant to the relevant respective sections of the Income Tax
Act 2007 ("ITA 2007"). The
Company has not made an advanced assurance application to HM
Revenue & Customs ("HMRC") in respect of EIS qualification
of the EIS shares issued pursuant to this Placing, but the Company
has obtained a written opinion from specialist tax advisers
confirming that the Company would, subject to the relevant limits
on such issuances, be able to issue part of the Placing Shares as
"eligible shares" under the relevant sections of the ITA 2007.
Neither the Company nor the Directors give any warranties or
undertakings that EIS reliefs or VCT reliefs will be granted in
respect of Placing Shares issued as EIS/VCT qualifying shares
pursuant to the Placing. Neither the Company nor the Directors give
any warranties or undertakings that EIS reliefs or VCT reliefs, if
granted, will not be withdrawn. If the Company carries on
activities beyond those disclosed to HMRC in a prior advance
clearance obtained in connection with a previous placing of
ordinary shares in the Company, then shareholders may cease to
qualify for the tax benefits. Placees must take their own advice
and rely on it.
PCI Pal has today entered into a
placing agreement with Cavendish Capital Markets Limited
("Cavendish") to act as
bookrunner (the "Bookrunner") in relation to the Placing
(the "Placing Agreement").
The Placing is conditional upon, among other matters, Admission
becoming effective and the Placing Agreement becoming unconditional
and not being terminated in accordance with its terms.
The Placing is being conducted by
way of the Bookbuild which will be launched with immediate effect
following release of this Announcement. The timing of the closing
of the Bookbuild, the number of new Ordinary Shares issued pursuant
to the Placing and allocations are at the sole discretion of the
Company and the Bookrunner. The Bookrunner reserves the right to
close the Bookbuild without further notice. There can be no
certainty that the Placing will complete. The Placing is being
undertaken on a reasonable endeavours basis and is not being
underwritten.
A further announcement following the
close of the Bookbuild, confirming the final details of the Placing
is expected to be made in due course.
The ticker for the Company's
ordinary shares is PCIP. The Company's LEI is
213800XTX34IQYMYES95.
For
further information, please contact:
PCI-PAL PLC
|
Via Walbrook PR
|
James Barham - Chief Executive
Officer
William Good - Chief Financial
Officer
|
|
Cavendish Capital Markets
Limited (Nominated Adviser and
Broker)
|
+44 (0) 20 7227 0500
|
Marc Milmo/Simon Hicks/Fergus
Sullivan (Corporate Finance)
Sunila de Silva (Corporate
Broking)
|
|
Walbrook PR
|
+44 (0) 20 7933 8780
|
Tom Cooper/Paul Vann
|
+44 (0) 797 122 1972
|
|
tom.cooper@walbrookpr.com
|
About PCI Pal:
PCI Pal is a leading provider of
Software-as-a-Service ("SaaS") solutions that empower companies to
take payments from their customers securely, adhere to strict
industry governance, and remove their business from the significant
risks posed by non-compliance and data loss. Our products
secure payments and data in any business communications environment
including voice, chat, social, email, and contact centre. We
are integrated to, and resold by, some of the worlds' leading
business communications vendors, as well as major payment service
providers.
The entirety of our product-base is
available from our global cloud platform hosted in Amazon Web
Services, with regional instances across EMEA, North America, and
ANZ. PCI Pal products can be used by any size organisation
globally, and we are proud to work with some of the largest and
most respected brands in the world.
For more information visit
www.pcipal.com or follow the team on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pci-pal/
IMPORTANT NOTICES AND DISCLAIMER
This Announcement has been issued by
and is the sole responsibility of the Company. The person
responsible or arranging for the release of this Announcement on
behalf of the Company is William Good, Chief Financial
Officer
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 into the United States. The securities
referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under
the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered
or sold in the United States, except pursuant to an applicable
exemption from registration. No public offering of securities is
being made in the United States. No prospectus will be made
available in connection with the matters contained in this
Announcement and no such prospectus is required (in accordance with
the Prospectus Regulation (as defined below)) to be
published.
This Announcement is 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 investment and who are: (a) if in
a member state of the European Economic Area, "qualified investors"
as defined in Article 2(e) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the
"EU Prospectus Regulation")
("EU Qualified
Investors"); (b) if in the United Kingdom, "qualified
investors" as defined in Article 2(e) of the EU Prospectus
Regulation which forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the
European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (the "UK Prospectus Regulation") who (i) fall
within article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000
(Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order"), or (ii) fall within
article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order; and
(c) otherwise, to persons to whom it may
otherwise be lawful to communicate it (all such persons together
being referenced to as "relevant
persons"). Any investment in connection with the Placing
will only be available to, and will only be engaged with, relevant
persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or
rely on this Announcement or any of its contents.
This Announcement is not being
distributed by, nor has it been approved for the purposes of
section 21 of the Financial Services and
Markets Act 2000 (as amended) (the "FSMA") by, a person
authorised under FSMA. This Announcement is being distributed and
communicated to persons in the UK only in circumstances in which
section 21(1) of FSMA does not apply.
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited,
which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct
Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting as Nominated Adviser,
broker and sole bookrunner to the Company in connection with the
Placing and no one else and will not be responsible to anyone other
than the Company for providing the protections afforded to clients
of Cavendish nor for providing advice in relation to the Placing
and/or any other matter referred to in this Announcement. Apart
from the responsibilities and liabilities, if any, which may be
imposed on Cavendish by the FSMA or by the regulatory regime
established under it, and except in the
event of their committing fraud, neither Cavendish nor any of its
respective affiliates accepts any responsibility whatsoever for the
accuracy, completeness or sufficiency of the information contained
in this Announcement or for any other statement made or purported
to be made by or on behalf of Cavendish or any of its respective
affiliates in connection with the Company, the Ordinary Shares or
the Placing. Cavendish and each of its respective affiliates
accordingly disclaim all and any liability, whether arising in
tort, contract or otherwise (save as referred to above) in respect
of any statements or other information contained
in this Announcement.
The distribution of this
Announcement and the offering of the Ordinary Shares in certain
jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has been taken by
the Company or Cavendish that would permit an offering of such
shares or possession or distribution of this Announcement or any
other offering or publicity material relating to such shares in any
jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Persons
into whose possession this Announcement comes are required by the
Company and Cavendish to inform themselves about, and to observe,
such restrictions. Persons (including,
without limitation, nominees and trustees) who have a contractual
right or other legal obligations to forward a copy of this
Announcement should seek appropriate advice before taking any
action.
This Announcement contains (or may
contain) certain forward-looking statements with respect to certain
of the Company's current expectations and projections about future
events. These statements, which sometimes use words such as "aim",
"anticipate", "believe", "intend", "plan" "estimate", "expect" and
words of similar meaning or the negative thereof, reflect the
directors' beliefs and expectations and involve a number of risks,
uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results and
performance to differ materially from any expected future results
or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statement. Statements contained in this Announcement regarding past
trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that
such trends or activities will continue in the future. The
information contained in this Announcement is subject to change
without notice and, except as required by applicable law or
regulation, neither the Company nor Cavendish nor their respective
affiliates assume any responsibility or obligation to update
publicly or review any of the forward-looking statements contained
herein. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date of this
Announcement.
No statement in this Announcement is
or is intended to be a profit forecast or profit estimate or to
imply that the earnings of the Company for the current or future
financial years will necessarily match or exceed the historical or
published earnings of the Company. The price and value of shares
and the income from them may go down as well as up and investors
may not get back the full amount invested on disposal of the
shares. Past performance is not a guide to future
performance.
The new Ordinary Shares to be issued
pursuant to the Placing will not be admitted to trading on any
stock exchange other than AIM.
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.
This Announcement does not
constitute a recommendation concerning any investor's options with
respect to the Placing. Any investment decision to buy Ordinary
Shares in the Placing must be made solely on the basis of publicly
available information, which has not been independently verified by
Cavendish. Each investor or prospective investor should conduct
his, her or its own investigation, analysis and evaluation of the
business and data described in this Announcement. The contents of
this Announcement are not to be construed as legal, business,
financial or tax advice. Each investor or prospective investor
should consult his, her or its own legal adviser, business adviser,
financial adviser or tax adviser for legal, financial, business or
tax advice.
Information to Distributors
Solely for the purposes of the
product governance requirements of Chapter 3 of the FCA Handbook
Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook (the
"UK Product Governance
Requirements"), and disclaiming all and any liability,
whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any
'manufacturer' (for the purposes of the UK Product Governance
Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the new
Ordinary Shares have been subject to a product approval process,
which has determined that the new Ordinary Shares are: (i)
compatible with an end target market of retail investors and
investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and
eligible counterparties, each defined in Chapter 3 of the FCA
Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook; and (ii) eligible for
distribution through all permitted distribution channels (the
"UK Target Market
Assessment"). Notwithstanding the UK Target Market
Assessment, distributors should note that: the price of the new
Ordinary Shares may decline and investors could lose all or part of
their investment; the new Ordinary Shares offer no guaranteed
income and no capital protection; and an investment in the new
Ordinary Shares is compatible only with investors who do not need a
guaranteed income or capital protection, who (either alone or in
conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) are
capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment
and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses
that may result therefrom. The UK Target Market Assessment is
without prejudice to any contractual, legal or regulatory selling
restrictions in relation to the Placing. Furthermore, it is noted
that, notwithstanding the UK Target Market Assessment, the
Bookrunner will only procure investors who meet the criteria of
professional clients and eligible counterparties.
For the avoidance of doubt, the UK
Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (a) an assessment of
suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of Chapters 9A or
10A respectively of the FCA Handbook Conduct of Business
Sourcebook; or (b) a recommendation to any investor or group of
investors to invest in, or purchase, or take any other action
whatsoever with respect to the new Ordinary Shares. Each
distributor is responsible for undertaking its own target market
assessment in respect of the new Ordinary Shares and determining
appropriate distribution channels.
APPENDIX
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE
PLACING
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR INVITED
PLACEES ONLY REGARDING THE PLACING.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT
ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THE
TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN (THE "ANNOUNCEMENT") AND
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN 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
"EU PROSPECTUS REGULATION")
("EU QUALIFIED INVESTORS");
(2) IF IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, "QUALIFIED INVESTORS" AS DEFINED IN
ARTICLE 2(E) OF THE EU PROSPECTUS REGULATION, WHICH FORMS PART OF
UK DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT
2018 (THE "UK PROSPECTUS
REGULATION") WHO (A) FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER
2005, AS AMENDED (THE "ORDER") (INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS) OR
(B) FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) (HIGH NET WORTH COMPANIES,
UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATIONS, ETC.) OF THE ORDER ("UK QUALIFIED INVESTORS") AND (3)
OTHERWISE, TO PERSONS TO WHOM IT MAY OTHERWISE BE LAWFUL TO
COMMUNICATE IT; (ALL SUCH PERSONS TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS
"RELEVANT
PERSONS").
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT 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 TO SELL OR ISSUE OR THE
SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION OF ANY SECURITIES
IN PCI-PAL PLC.
THE PLACING SHARES HAVE NOT BEEN AND
WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS
AMENDED (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 OR INTO THE UNITED
STATES EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE
REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND, IN EACH CASE,
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 AND THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS CONTAINED HEREIN ARE RESTRICTED AND ARE 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.
The distribution of this
Announcement and/or the Placing and/or issue of the Placing Shares
in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has
been taken by the Company, the Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner to inform themselves about and to
observe any such restrictions. Persons
(including, without limitation, nominees and trustees) who have a
contractual right or other legal obligations to forward a copy of
this Announcement should seek appropriate advice before taking any
action.
This Announcement or any part of it
is for information purposes only and do 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.
The Placing Shares have not been
approved or disapproved by the US Securities and Exchange
Commission, any state securities commission or other regulatory
authority in the United States, nor have any of the foregoing
authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the Placing or
the accuracy or adequacy of this Announcement. Any representation
to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States. The
relevant clearances have not been, nor will they be, obtained from
the securities commission of any province or territory of Canada,
no prospectus has been lodged with, or registered by, the
Australian Securities and Investments Commission or the Japanese
Ministry of Finance; the relevant clearances have not been, and
will not be, obtained for the South Africa Reserve Bank or any
other applicable body in the Republic of South Africa in relation
to the Placing Shares and the Placing Shares have not been, nor
will they be, registered under or offering in compliance with the
securities laws of any state, province or territory of 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 Australia, Canada,
the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction
outside the United Kingdom.
Solely for the purposes of the
product governance of Chapter 3 of the FCA Handbook Product
Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook (the "UK Product Governance Requirements"),
and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort,
contract or otherwise, which any "manufacturer" (for the purposes
of the UK Product Governance Requirements) may otherwise have with
respect thereto, the Placing Shares have been subject to a product
approval process, which has determined that the Placing Shares are:
(i) compatible with an end target market of retail investors and
investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and
eligible counterparties, each defined in Chapter 3 of the FCA
Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook; and (ii) eligible for
distribution through all distribution channels (the "UK
Target Market Assessment").
Notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, distributors should
note that: the price of the Placing Shares may decline and
investors could lose all or part of their investment; the Placing
Shares offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an
investment in the Placing Shares is compatible only with investors
who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who
(either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or
other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of
such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to
bear any losses that may result therefrom. The UK Target Market
Assessment is without prejudice to any contractual, legal or
regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Placing.
Furthermore, it is noted that, notwithstanding the UK Target Market
Assessment, Cavendish will only procure investors (pursuant to the
Placing) who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible
counterparties. For the avoidance of doubt, the UK Target Market
Assessment does not constitute: (a) an assessment of suitability or
appropriateness for the purposes of Chapters 9A or 10A respectively
of the FCA Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook; or (b) a
recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest in,
or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to
the Placing Shares. Each distributor is responsible for undertaking
its own target market assessment in respect of the Placing Shares
and determining appropriate distribution channels.
This Announcement should be read in
its entirety.
By participating in the Placing
(such participation to be confirmed in a recorded telephone
conversation with the Bookrunner), each Placee will be deemed to
have read and understood this Announcement, including these Terms
and Conditions, in its entirety, to be participating and acquiring
Placing Shares on the terms and conditions contained in this
Announcement and to be providing (and shall only be permitted to
participate in the Placing on the basis that they have provided)
the representations, warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements,
agreements and undertakings contained in this Appendix.
In particular, each such Placee
irrevocably represents, warrants, undertakes, agrees and
acknowledges (amongst other things) to each of the Company and the
Bookrunner that:
o
it is a Relevant Person and that it will acquire,
hold, manage or dispose of any Placing Shares that are allocated to
it for the purposes of its business;
o
in the case of any Placing Shares acquired by it
within the United Kingdom as a financial intermediary, as that term
is used in Article 5(1) of the UK Prospectus Regulation, (i) the
Placing Shares acquired by it in the Placing have not been acquired
on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their
offer or resale to, persons in the United Kingdom or to which the
UK Prospectus Regulation otherwise applies other than UK Qualified
Investors or in circumstances in which the prior consent of
Cavendish has been given to the offer or resale; or (ii) where
Placing Shares have been acquired by it on behalf of persons in the
United Kingdom other than UK Qualified Investors, the offer of
those Placing Shares to it is not treated under the UK Prospectus
Regulation as having been made to such persons;
o
in the case of any Placing Shares acquired by it
within the EEA as a financial intermediary, as that term is used in
Article 5(1) of the EU Prospectus Regulation, (i) the Placing
Shares acquired by it in the Placing have not been acquired on
behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer
or resale to, persons in any member state of the EEA or to which
the EU Prospectus Regulation otherwise applies other than EU
Qualified Investors or in circumstances in which the prior consent
of Cavendish has been given to the offer or resale; or (ii) where
Placing Shares have been acquired by it on behalf of persons in any
member state of the EEA other than EU Qualified Investors, the
offer of those Placing Shares to it is not treated under the EU
Prospectus Regulation as having been made to such
persons;
o
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 these Terms and Conditions;
o
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 these
Terms and Conditions; and
o
it (and any account referred to in
paragraph o above)
is located outside the United States and is acquiring the Placing
Shares in offshore transactions as defined in and in accordance
with Regulation S under the Securities Act.
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
Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") in relation to the Placing or the
Placing Shares. Placees' commitments will be made solely on the
basis of their own assessment of the Company, the Placing and the
Placing Shares based on the information contained in this
Announcement and any information publicly announced through a
Regulatory Information Service (as defined in the AIM Rules for
Companies (the "AIM
Rules")) by or on behalf of the Company on or prior to the
date of this Announcement (the "Publicly Available Information") and
subject to any further terms set forth in writing in any contract
note sent to an individual Placee.
Each Placee, by participating in the
Placing, agrees that the content of this Announcement are
exclusively the responsibility of the Company and confirms that it
has neither received nor relied on any information (other than the
Publicly Available Information), representation, warranty or
statement made by or on behalf of the Bookrunner or the Company or
any other person and none of the Bookrunner, 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 which the Placee
may have obtained or received. 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, including this Appendix, to be
legal, tax, business or other advice. Each Placee should consult
its own legal adviser, business adviser, financial adviser or tax
adviser for legal, business, financial and tax advice. Nothing in
this paragraph shall exclude the liability of any person for
fraudulent misrepresentation.
Details of the Placing Agreement and the Placing
Shares
The Bookrunner has today entered
into the Placing Agreement with the Company under which, on the
terms and subject to the conditions set out in the Placing
Agreement, the Bookrunner, as agent for and on behalf of the
Company, has agreed to use its reasonable endeavours to procure
Placees for the Placing Shares at the Issue Price.
The Placing Shares will, when
issued, be subject to the memorandum and articles of association of
the Company and credited as fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the
existing issued Ordinary Shares, including the right to receive all
dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid in respect
of such Ordinary Shares after the date of issue of the Placing
Shares.
Application for admission to trading
Application will be made to the
London Stock Exchange for admission of the Placing Shares to
trading on AIM.
It is expected that Admission will
take place on or around 8.00 a.m. on 18 March 2024 and that
dealings in the Placing Shares on AIM will commence at the same
time.
Participation in and Principal terms of the
Placing
o
Cavendish is acting as nominated adviser,
bookrunner, financial adviser and broker to the Placing and as
agent for and on behalf of the Company.
o
Participation in the Placing will only be
available to persons who may lawfully be, and are, invited by the
Bookrunner to participate. The Bookrunner and any of its affiliates
are entitled to participate in the Placing as
principal.
o
The price per Placing Share (the "Issue Price") is
fixed at 56 pence and is payable to the Bookrunner (as agent for
the Company on the Placing) by all Placees whose bids are
successful.
o
Each Placee's allocation will be determined by the
Bookrunner in its discretion following consultation with the
Company and will be confirmed orally by the Bookrunner. The
Bookrunner may choose to accept bids, either in whole or in part,
on the basis of allocations determined following consultation with
the Company and may scale down any bids for this purpose on such
basis as it may determine. The Bookrunner may also (i) allocate
Placing Shares after the time of any initial allocation to any
person submitting a bid after that time; and (ii) allocate Placing
Shares after the Bookbuild has closed to any person submitting a
bid after that time. The Company reserves the right (upon the prior
agreement of the Bookrunner) to reduce or seek to increase the
amount to be raised pursuant to the Placing.
o
Each Placee's commitment will be confirmed in and
evidenced by a recorded telephone call between representatives of
the Bookrunner and the relevant Placee (the "Recorded Call"). This
Announcement, including the terms and conditions set out in this
Appendix, will be deemed incorporated into the contract which is
entered into on the Recorded Call and will be legally binding on
the relevant Placee(s) on behalf of whom the commitment is made
with effect from the end of the Recorded Call and, except with the
Bookrunner's prior written consent, will not be capable of
variation or revocation after such time. Without prejudice to the
foregoing, a contract note recording each Placee's commitment will
be sent to them following the Recorded Call.
o
From the end of the relevant Recorded Call, each
Placee will have an immediate, separate, irrevocable and binding
obligation, owed to the Bookrunner (as agent for the Company), to
pay to it (or as it may direct) in cleared funds an amount equal to
the product of the Issue Price and the number of Placing Shares
such Placee has agreed to acquire and the Company has agreed to
allot and issue to that Placee.
o
Except as required by law or regulation, no press
release or other announcement will be made by the Bookrunner 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.
o
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 at the same time, on the basis explained
below under "Registration and
settlement".
o
All obligations under the Placing will be subject
to fulfilment of the conditions referred to below under
"Conditions of the
Placing" and to the Placing not being terminated on the
basis referred to below under "Termination of the
Placing".
o
By participating in the Placing, each Placee will
agree that its rights and obligations in respect of the Placing
will terminate only in the circumstances described below and will
not be capable of rescission or termination by the
Placee.
o
To the fullest extent permissible by law and
applicable FCA rules, neither:
(a) the Bookrunner;
(b) any of its affiliates, agents,
advisers, directors, officers, consultants or employees;
nor
(c) to the extent not contained
within (a) or (b), any person connected with the Bookrunner as
defined in the FSMA ((b) and (c) being together "affiliates" and
individually an "affiliate" of the Bookrunner),
shall have any liability (including
to the extent permissible by law, any fiduciary duties) to Placees
or to any other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee or
otherwise. In particular, neither the Bookrunner nor any of its
affiliates shall have any liability (including, to the extent
permissible by law, any fiduciary duties) in respect of the
Bookrunner's conduct of the Placing or of such alternative method
of effecting the Placing as the Bookrunner and the Company may
agree.
Registration and settlement
By participating in the Placing,
each Placee will be deemed to agree that it will do all things
necessary to ensure that delivery and payment is completed as
directed by the Bookrunner in accordance with either the standing
CREST or certificated settlement instructions which they have in
place with the Bookrunner.
Settlement of transactions in the
Placing Shares (ISIN: GB0009737155) following Admission will take
place within the CREST system, subject to certain exceptions.
Settlement through CREST will be on a delivery versus payment basis
("DVP") unless otherwise
notified by the Bookrunner and is expected to occur on 18 March
2024 (the "Settlement
Date"). However, in the event of any difficulties or delays
in the admission of the Placing Shares to CREST or the use of CREST
in relation to the Placing, the Company and the Bookrunner may
agree that the Placing Shares should be issued in certificated
form. The Bookrunner and the Company reserve the right to require
settlement for the Placing Shares, and to deliver the Placing
Shares to Placees, by such other means as it deems necessary if
delivery or settlement to Placees is not practicable within the
CREST system or would not be consistent with regulatory
requirements in the jurisdiction in which a Placee is
located.
Interest is chargeable daily on
payments not received from Placees on or before the due date in
accordance with the arrangements set out above, in respect of
either CREST or certificated deliveries, at the rate of 3
percentage points above prevailing base rate of Barclays Bank plc
as determined by the Bookrunner.
Each Placee is deemed to agree that
if it does not comply with these obligations, the Bookrunner may
sell any or all of their Placing Shares on their behalf and retain
from the proceeds, for the Bookrunner's own account and benefit, an
amount equal to the aggregate amount owed by the Placee plus any
interest due. The relevant Placee will, however, remain liable for
any shortfall below the Issue Price and for any stamp duty or stamp
duty reserve tax (together with any interest or penalties) which
may arise (if any) upon the sale of its Placing Shares on its
behalf.
If Placing Shares are to be
delivered to a custodian or settlement agent, Placees must ensure
that, upon receipt, any relevant contract note 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. If there are any other
circumstances in which any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or
other similar taxes (and/or any interest, fines or penalties
relating thereto) is payable in respect of the allocation,
allotment, issue or delivery of the Placing Shares (or for the
avoidance of doubt if any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax is
payable in connection with any subsequent transfer of or agreement
to transfer Placing Shares), neither the Bookrunner or the Company
shall be responsible for the payment thereof.
Placees (or any nominee or other
agent acting on behalf of a Placee) will not be entitled to receive
any fee or commission in connection with the Placing.
Conditions of the Placing
The Placing is conditional upon the
Placing Agreement becoming unconditional and not having been
terminated in accordance with its terms.
The obligations of the Bookrunner
under the Placing Agreement are, and the Placing is, conditional
upon, inter
alia:
·
the warranties contained in the Placing Agreement
("Warranties") being true and accurate in all material respects and
not misleading when made on the date of the Placing Agreement and
at Admission by reference to the facts and circumstances subsisting
at that time;
·
the Company having fully performed its obligations
under the Placing Agreement to the extent that they fall to be
performed prior to Admission;
·
the Bookrunner not having exercised its right to
terminate the Placing Agreement;
·
no matter arising that might give rise to a claim
under the indemnity; and
·
Admission having become effective at or around
8.00 a.m. on 18 March 2024 or such later time as the Bookrunner may
agree with the Company but in any event no later than 8.00 a.m. on
31 March 2024 (the "Long Stop Date");
(all conditions to the obligations
of the Bookrunner included in the Placing Agreement being together,
the "conditions").
If any of the conditions is not
fulfilled or, where permitted, waived in accordance with the
Placing Agreement within the stated time periods (or such later
time and/or date as the Company and the Bookrunner may agree), or
the Placing Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms,
the Placing will lapse and the Placee's rights and obligations
shall cease and terminate at such time and each Placee agrees that
no claim can be made by or on behalf of the Placee (or any person
on whose behalf the Placee is acting) in respect
thereof.
The Bookrunner may, in its absolute
discretion and upon such terms as it thinks fit, waive fulfilment
of all or any of the conditions in the Placing Agreement in whole
or in part, or extend the time provided for fulfilment of one or
more conditions, save that certain conditions including the
condition relating to Admission may not be waived. Any such
extension or waiver will not affect Placees' commitments as set out
in these Terms and Conditions.
None of the Bookrunner, the Company
or any of their respective affiliates, agents, advisers, directors,
officers or employees shall have any liability to any Placee (or to
any other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise)
in respect of any decision any of them may make as to whether or
not to waive or to extend the time and/or date for the satisfaction
of any condition to the Placing or for any decision any of them may
make as to the satisfaction of any condition or in respect of the
Placing generally and by participating in the Placing each Placee
agrees that any such decision is within the absolute discretion of
the Bookrunner.
By participating in the Placing,
each Placee agrees that its rights and obligations cease and
terminate only in the circumstances described above and under
"Termination of the
Placing" below and will not be capable of rescission or
termination by it.
Termination of the Placing
The Bookrunner may, in its absolute
discretion, by notice to the Company, terminate the Placing
Agreement at any time up to Admission if, inter alia:
·
any statement contained in any document or
announcement issued or published by or on behalf of the Company in
connection with the Placing ("Placing Documents") has become untrue
or inaccurate in any material respect or misleading or any matter
has arisen which would, if the Placing Documents were issued at
that time, constitute a material omission from the Placing
Documents or any of them or would otherwise render it untrue in any
material respect or misleading;
·
any of the Warranties was untrue or inaccurate in
any material respect or misleading when made and/or that any of the
Warranties has ceased to be true or accurate in any material
respect or has become misleading at any time prior to Admission, in
each case by reference to the facts and circumstances subsisting at
that time;
·
the Company is in breach of any provision of the
Placing Agreement or otherwise fails to fully perform its
obligations under the Placing Agreement; or
·
there occurs a material adverse change in or an
event having a serious adverse effect on the operations,
properties, condition (financial or other), trading position or
prospects or results of operations or general affairs of the
Company (and its subsidiaries) taken as a whole such that in the
reasonable opinion of the Bookrunner (acting in good faith) the
Placing Shares cannot be placed successfully.
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 Bookrunner that the
exercise or non-exercise by the Company or the Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner or for agreement between the Company
and the Bookrunner (as the case may be) and that neither the
Company nor the Bookrunner need make any reference to such Placee
and that none of the Company, the Bookrunner or any of their
respective affiliates, agents, advisers, 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 or
non-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 or termination by it at
any time after the end of the Recorded Call confirming the relevant
Placee's allocation and commitment in the Placing.
Representations, warranties and further
terms
By participating in the Placing,
each Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf)
irrevocably represents, warrants, acknowledges, confirms and agrees
(for itself and for any such prospective Placee) with the
Bookrunner and the Company that (save where the Bookrunner
expressly agrees in writing to the contrary):
o
it has read and understood this Announcement,
including this Appendix, in its entirety and that its participation
in the Bookbuild and the Placing and its acquisition of the Placing
Shares is subject to and based upon all the terms, conditions,
representations, warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements,
agreements and undertakings and other information contained herein
and that it has not relied on, and will not rely on, any
information given or any representations, warranties or statements
made at any time by any person in connection with Admission, the
Placing, the Company, the Placing Shares or otherwise, other than
the information contained in this Announcement and the Publicly
Available Information;
o
no offering document, prospectus or admission
document has been or will be prepared in connection with the
Placing and it has not received and will not receive a prospectus,
admission document or other offering document in connection with
the Placing or the Placing Shares;
o
it has the power and authority to carry on the
activities in which it is engaged, to subscribe and/or acquire
Placing Shares and to execute and deliver all documents necessary
for such subscription and/or acquisition;
o
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
and the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation No. 596/2014 as it
forms part of UK law as retained EU law as defined in, and by
virtue of, the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("UK 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 (the "Exchange Information") and it has reviewed such
Exchange Information as it has deemed necessary, 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;
o
it has made its own assessment of the Placing
Shares and has relied on its own investigation of the business,
financial position and other aspects of the Company in accepting a
participation in the Placing and neither the Bookrunner nor the
Company nor any of their respective affiliates, agents, advisers,
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 the Announcement or the
Publicly Available Information; nor has it requested the
Bookrunner, the Company, any of their respective affiliates,
agents, advisers, directors, employees or officers or any person
acting on behalf of any of them to provide it with any such
information;
o
neither the Bookrunner nor any person acting on
behalf of it nor any of its 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 any fraudulent misrepresentation made
by that person;
·
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 and the Publicly
Available Information, such information being all that it deems
necessary to make an investment decision in respect of the Placing
Shares and it has made its own assessment of the Company, the
Placing Shares and the terms of the Placing based on this
Announcement and the Publicly Available Information;
·
neither the Bookrunner nor any of their respective
affiliates, agents, directors, officers or 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,
fairness, completeness or adequacy of this Announcement or the
Publicly Available Information;
·
it has conducted its own investigation of the
Company, the Placing and the Placing Shares, it has had access to
such financial and other information concerning the Company, the
Placing and the Placing Shares as it has deemed necessary in
connection with its own investment decision to acquire any Placing
Shares, it has 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
·
it has not relied on any investigation that the
Bookrunner or any person acting on its behalf may have conducted
with respect to the Company, the Placing or the Placing
Shares;
o
the content of this Announcement and the other
Publicly Available Information has been prepared by and is
exclusively the responsibility of the Company and that neither the
Bookrunner nor any persons acting on its 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 or the other Publicly Available
Information 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, the other Publicly Available Information or
otherwise. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall exclude any
liability of any person for fraudulent
misrepresentation;
o
it has the funds available to pay for the Placing
Shares which it has agreed to acquire and acknowledges and agrees
that it will pay the total subscription amount in accordance with
this Announcement, including this Appendix, by 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
Bookrunner determines;
o
it and/or each person on whose behalf it is
participating:
·
is entitled to acquire Placing Shares pursuant to
the Placing under the laws and regulations of all relevant
jurisdictions;
·
has fully observed such laws and
regulations;
·
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
·
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
Announcement, including 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;
o
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, 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 Australia, Canada, the Republic of
South Africa or Japan and may not be offered, sold, or acquired,
directly or indirectly, within those jurisdictions;
o
it and the person(s), if any, for whose account
and benefit it is subscribing for Placing Shares is, and at the
time the Placing Shares are acquired will be, located 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;
o
it understands that the Placing Shares have not
been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act or with
any securities regulatory authority of any state or other
jurisdiction of the United States and may not be offered, sold,
transferred or delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into the
United States except pursuant to an effective registration under
the Securities Act, or pursuant to an exemption from the
registration requirements of the Securities Act and, in each case,
in accordance with applicable state securities laws; the Placing
Shares will not be offered to the public in the United States 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;
o
it and the person(s), if any, for whose account
and benefit it is subscribing for the Placing Shares is not
acquiring the Placing Shares with a view to, or for offer or sale
in connection with, any distribution thereof (within the meaning of
the Securities Act) that would be in violation of the securities
laws of the United States or any state thereof;
o
it is not acquiring the Placing Shares as a result
of any "directed selling efforts" (as such term is defined in
Regulation S under the Securities Act);
o
it understands that 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,
and further understands that this Announcement must not be acted on
or relied on by persons who are not Relevant Persons;
o
it will not distribute, forward, transfer or
otherwise transmit these Terms and Conditions and/or the
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;
o
none of the Bookrunner, its affiliates and 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 the Bookrunner and that the
Bookrunner has no duties or responsibilities to it for providing
the protections afforded to its 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;
o
it will make payment to the Bookrunner for the
Placing Shares allocated to it in accordance with these Terms and
Conditions on or by 18 March 2024 (or if later the date of
Admission (provided that the date of Admission is no later than the
Long Stop Date) as notified to it by the Bookrunner), failing which
the relevant Placing Shares may be placed with others on such terms
as the Bookrunner determines in its 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,
including this Appendix) which may arise upon the sale of such
Placee's Placing Shares on its behalf;
o
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 Bookrunner
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;
o
no action has been or will be taken by any of the
Company, the Bookrunner or any person acting on behalf of the
Company or the Bookrunner 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;
o
the person who it specifies for registration as
holder of the Placing Shares will be:
·
the Placee; or
·
a nominee of the Placee, as the case may
be;
o
the Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner in respect of the same on
the basis that the Placing Shares will be allotted to a CREST stock
account of the Bookrunner or transferred to a CREST stock account
of the Bookrunner who will hold them as nominee on behalf of the
Placee until settlement in accordance with its standing settlement
instructions with it;
o
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;
o
it is a Relevant Person and 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;
o
it has not offered or sold and will not offer or
sell any Placing Shares to persons in the United Kingdom or in the
EEA except to persons whose ordinary activities involve them in
acquiring, holding, managing or disposing of investments (as
principal or agent) for the purposes of their business or otherwise
in circumstances which have not resulted and which will not result
in an offer to the public in the United Kingdom within the meaning
of section 85(1) of the FSMA or an offer to the public in the UK or
any member state of the EEA within the meaning of the UK Prospectus
Regulation and the EU Prospectus Regulation;
o
if within the United Kingdom, it is a UK Qualified
Investor and it is a "professional client" or an "eligible
counterparty" within the meaning of chapter 3 of the FCA's Conduct
of Business Sourcebook;
o
any offer of Placing Shares may only be directed
at persons in member states of the EEA who are EU Qualified
Investors and represents and agrees that, in the EEA, it is such an
EU Qualified Investor;
o
if within the United Kingdom it is a financial
intermediary, as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the UK
Prospectus Regulation, the Placing Shares subscribed for by it in
the Placing will not be acquired on a non-discretionary basis on
behalf of, nor will they be acquired with a view to their offer or
resale to, persons in the United Kingdom or to which the UK
Prospectus Regulation otherwise applies other than to UK Qualified
Investors, or in circumstances in which the prior consent of
Cavendish has been given to the proposed offer or
resale;
o
if within the EEA it is a financial intermediary,
as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the EU Prospectus
Regulation, the Placing Shares subscribed for 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 member state of the EEA or to which the EU Prospectus
Regulation otherwise applies other than to EU Qualified Investors,
or in circumstances in which the prior consent of Cavendish has
been given to the proposed offer or resale;
o
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;
o
it has complied and it will comply with all
applicable laws in any jurisdiction with respect to anything done
by it or on its behalf in relation to the Placing Shares (including
all relevant provisions of the FSMA in respect of anything done in,
from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom);
o
if it has received any inside information (for the
purposes of UK MAR and/or section 56 of the Criminal Justice Act
1993 or other applicable law) about the Company in advance of the
Placing, it has not:
·
dealt (or attempted to deal) in the securities of
the Company;
·
encouraged, recommended or induced another person
to deal in the securities of the Company; or
·
unlawfully disclosed such information to any
person, prior to the information being made publicly
available;
o
neither the Bookrunner, the Company nor any of
their respective affiliates, agents, advisers, directors, officers
or employees nor any person acting on behalf of the Bookrunner or
its affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees is making
any recommendations to it, advising it regarding the suitability of
any transactions it may enter into in connection with the Placing
nor providing advice in relation to the Placing nor in respect of
any representations, warranties, acknowledgements, agreements,
undertakings, or indemnities contained in the Placing Agreement nor
the exercise or performance of any of the Bookrunner's rights and
obligations thereunder including any rights to waive or vary any
conditions or exercise any termination right;
o
the Bookrunner and its 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,
including in this Appendix, 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 Bookrunner and/or any of its affiliates acting as an investor
for its or their own account(s). Neither the Bookrunner nor 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;
o
it:
·
has complied, and will comply, with its
obligations in connection with money laundering and terrorist
financing under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the Terrorism Act
2000 (as amended), the Terrorism Act 2006 and the Money Laundering,
Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the
Payer) Regulations 2017;
·
is not a person:
o
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;
o
named on the Consolidated List of Financial
Sanctions Targets maintained by HM Treasury of the United Kingdom;
or
o
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,
(all such statutes, rules and
regulations referred to in this paragraph together, the
"Regulations") and if
making payment on behalf of a third party, that satisfactory
evidence has been obtained and recorded by it to verify the
identity of the third party as required by the Regulations and has
obtained all governmental and other consents (if any) which may be
required for the purpose of, or as a consequence of, such purchase,
and it will provide promptly to the Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner may decide at its sole
discretion;
o
in order to ensure compliance with the
Regulations, the Bookrunner (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 Bookrunner or the Company's registrars, as
applicable, of evidence of identity, definitive certificates in
respect of the Placing Shares may be retained at the Bookrunner's
absolute discretion or, where appropriate, delivery of the Placing
Shares to it in uncertificated form may be delayed at the
Bookrunner's 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 Bookrunner (for itself and as
agent on behalf of the Company) or the Company's registrars have
not received evidence satisfactory to them, either the Bookrunner
and/or the Company may, at its absolute discretion, terminate its
commitment in respect of the Placing, in which event the monies
payable on acceptance of allotment will, if already paid, be
returned without interest to the account of the drawee's bank from
which they were originally debited;
o
it acknowledges that its commitment to acquire
Placing Shares on the terms and conditions set out in this
Announcement will continue notwithstanding any amendment that may
in future be made to this Announcement 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
Bookrunner's conduct of the Placing;
o
none of the monies advanced by it to satisfy its
payment obligations in connection with the Placing are, or
otherwise derive from, State Aid or a Risk Capital
Investment;
o
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 and it has had sufficient
time and access to information to consider and conduct its own
investigation with respect to the offer and purchase of the Placing
Shares, including the legal, regulatory, tax, business, currency
and other economic and financial considerations relevant to such
investment and has so conducted its own investigation to the extent
it deems necessary for the purposes of its
investigation;
o
it irrevocably appoints any duly authorised
officer of the Bookrunner 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 which it agrees to acquire upon the
these Terms and Conditions;
o
the Company, the Bookrunner and others (including
each of their respective affiliates, agents, advisers, directors,
officers and employees) will rely upon the truth and accuracy of
the foregoing representations, warranties, acknowledgements and
agreements, which are given to the Bookrunner on its own behalf and
on behalf of the Company and are irrevocable;
o
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 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;
o
it undertakes to the Bookrunner at the time of
making its commitment to acquire Placing Shares that it will
confirm in writing to the Bookrunner in the contract note sent by
the Bookrunner to Placees the number of Placing Shares it intends
to acquire and in respect of which VCT or EIS relief will be sought
and those Placing Shares in respect of which such relief will not
be sought;
o
time is of the essence as regards its obligations
under these Terms and Conditions;
o
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
Bookrunner;
o
the Placing Shares will be issued subject to this
Announcement, including this Appendix and the Company's articles of
association; and
o
this Announcement, including this Appendix and all
documents into which this Announcement, including 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
Placing 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 (contractual or
otherwise) or matter 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
Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner 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
Announcement, including this Appendix, or incurred by the
Bookrunner, 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, including this Appendix, and further agrees that the
provisions of this Announcement, including this Appendix, shall
survive after the completion of the Placing.
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 is subject to the warranties and
further terms above and 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 or similar taxes 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 Bookrunner shall be responsible for such stamp duty or stamp
duty reserve tax or other similar taxes paid or otherwise payable
by them. If this is the case, each Placee should seek its own
advice and they should notify the Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner in the event that
either the Company and/or the Bookrunner have incurred any such
liability to such taxes or duties.
The representations, warranties,
acknowledgements and undertakings contained in this Announcement,
including this Appendix, are given to the Bookrunner for itself and
on behalf of the Company and are irrevocable.
Cavendish is authorised and
regulated by the FCA in the United Kingdom and is acting
exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection with the
Placing, and Cavendish will not be responsible to anyone (including
any Placees) other than the Company for providing the protections
afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the
Placing or any other matters referred to in this Announcement,
including this Appendix.
Each Placee and any person acting on
behalf of the Placee acknowledges that the Bookrunner does not owe
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 Bookrunner
may (at its absolute discretion) satisfy its obligations to procure
Placees by itself 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.
When a Placee or any person acting
on behalf of the Placee is dealing with the Bookrunner, any money
held in an account with the Bookrunner on behalf of the Placee
and/or any person acting on behalf of the Placee will not be
treated as client money within the meaning of the relevant rules
and regulations of the FCA made under the FSMA. Each Placee
acknowledges that the money will not be subject to the protections
conferred by the client money rules: as a consequence this money
will not be segregated from the Bookrunner's money in accordance
with the client money rules and will be held by it under a banking
relationship and not as trustee.
In this Announcement, including this
Appendix, any words following the terms "including", "include", "in particular", "for example" or any similar expression
shall be construed as illustrative and shall not limit the sense of
the words, description, definition, phrase or term preceding those
terms.
References to time in this
Announcement are to London time, unless otherwise
stated.
The rights and remedies of the
Bookrunner 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 of
one will not prevent the exercise of others.
All times and dates in this
Announcement, including this Appendix, may be subject to amendment.
Placees will be notified of any changes.
In this Announcement, "after-tax
basis" means in relation to any payment made to the Company, the
Bookrunner or their respective affiliates or their respective
Representatives pursuant to this Announcement where the payment (or
any part thereof) is chargeable to any tax, a basis such that the
amount so payable shall be increased so as to ensure that after
taking into account any tax chargeable (or which would be
chargeable but for the availability of any relief unrelated to the
loss, damage, cost, charge, expense or liability against which the
indemnity is given on such amount (including on the increased
amount)) there shall remain a sum equal to the amount that would
otherwise have been so payable.
No statement in this Announcement,
including this Appendix, is intended to be a profit forecast or
estimate, and no statement in this Announcement, including this
Appendix, 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 and value 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 AIM.
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,
including this Appendix.
Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Venture Capital Trusts
(VCT)
The Company currently expects
certain of the Placing Shares to be capable of satisfying the
requirements for EIS relief. The Company also currently expects
certain of the Placing Shares to be capable of constituting a
qualifying holding for VCT purposes.
The status of such Placing Shares as
a qualifying holding for VCT purposes will be conditional (amongst
other things) on the qualifying conditions being satisfied
throughout the period of ownership. The status of such Placing
Shares as qualifying for EIS relief will be conditional (amongst
other things) on the qualifying conditions being satisfied, both by
the Company and (as regards those conditions to be met by the
investor) the investor throughout a period of at least three years
from the date of issue.
There can be no assurance that, and
the directors nor the Company give any warranty or undertaking to
the effect that, the Company will conduct its activities in a way
that will secure or retain qualifying status for VCT and/or EIS
purposes (and indeed circumstances may arise where the directors of
the Company believe that the interests of the Company's group are
not served by seeking to retain such status). Further, the
conditions for VCT and EIS relief are complex and relevant
investors are recommended to seek their own professional advice
before investing. This paragraph is without prejudice to any
separate comfort letters which may have been given by the Company
to certain EIS and/or VCT investors in connection with the
Placing.
DEFINITIONS
The following definitions apply to
this Announcement, including this Appendix:
Admission
|
admission of the Placing Shares to
trading on AIM becoming effective within the meaning of Rule 6 of
the AIM Rules for Companies issued by London Stock
Exchange
|
AIM
|
AIM, a market operated by the London
Stock Exchange
|
Bookrunner
|
Cavendish (as defined below), the
Company's Bookrunner in relation to the Placing
|
Cavendish
|
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited
registered in England and Wales under number 06198898 whose
registered office is at 1 Bartholomew Close, London, England, EC1A
7BL (together with its affiliates), and for the purpose of trade
settlement in the Placing shall mean Cavendish Securities plc
registered in England and Wales under number 05210733
|
Company
|
PCI-PAL PLC registered in England
and Wales under number 03869545 whose registered office is at 7
Gamma Terrace, Ransomes Europark, Ipswich, Suffolk IP3
9FF
|
CREST
|
the computerised settlement system
to facilitate transfer of the title to an interest in securities in
uncertificated form operated by Euroclear
|
EIS
|
the enterprise investment scheme, as
particularised in Part 5 of the Income Tax Act 2007
|
Euroclear
|
Euroclear UK & International
Limited
|
FSMA
|
the Financial Services and Markets
Act 2000, as amended
|
Issue
Price
|
56 pence per Placing
Share
|
ITA
|
Income Tax Act 2007
|
London Stock Exchange
|
London Stock Exchange plc
|
Ordinary Shares
|
ordinary shares of £0.01 each in the
capital of the Company
|
Placees
|
persons who agree to subscribe for
Placing Shares at the Issue Price (including any individuals, funds
or others on whose behalf a commitment to acquire Placing Shares is
given)
|
Placing
|
the conditional placing of the
Placing Shares by the Bookrunner on behalf of the Company at the
Issue Price, in accordance with the Placing Agreement
|
Placing Agreement
|
the conditional placing agreement
relating to the Placing of the Placing Shares between the Company
and the Bookrunner
|
Placing Shares
|
up to 6,250,000 new Ordinary Shares
to be issued in connection with the Placing
|
Regulation S
|
Regulation S under the Securities
Act
|
Risk Capital Investment
|
means an investment from an investor
who:
(a) is a venture
capital trust (as defined in Part 6 of the ITA); or
(b) has claimed, or
is intending to claim, tax relief on that investment under the Seed
Enterprise Investment Scheme (under Part 5A of the ITA) or the
Enterprise Investment Scheme (under Part 5 of the ITA) or Social
Investment Tax Relief (under Part 5B of the ITA)
|
Securities Act
|
the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as
amended
|
Shareholders
|
holders of Ordinary
Shares
|
State Aid
|
means any aid, investment, grant or
loan which was received by the recipient pursuant to a measure
approved by the European Commission as compatible with Article 107
of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union in
accordance with the principles laid down in the European
Commission's Guidelines on State aid to promote risk finance
investments (as those guidelines may be amended or replaced from
time to time)
|
VCT
|
venture capital trusts
|