For
immediate
release
20
December 2024
Tiger Royalties and
Investments Plc
("Tiger" or "the
Company")
Proposed expansion of Investing Policy, acquisition of new
subsidiary for technology incubation to be led by Jonathan Bixby,
conditional fundraise of £3,000,000 and Notice of General
Meeting
Tiger Royalties and Investments PLC
is an "investing company" under the AIM Rules for Companies (the
"AIM
Rules").
The Directors of the Company are
pleased to confirm that the Company has on 19 December 2024 signed
a conditional sale and purchase agreement (the "Acquisition") to acquire the entire
issued share capital of Bixby Technology Inc ("Bixby Technology") from Toro Consulting
Limited (a company beneficially owned by Jonathan Bixby)
("Toro") for £325,000. In
addition, Toro will subscribe £325,000 for new Ordinary Shares in
the Company at the Fundraising Price (defined below) and will
receive one warrant per share with a 24 month term and exercisable
at the Fundraising Price ("Toro
Subscription"). The Acquisition is conditional on, inter
alia, shareholder authority to approve the Acquisition. On
completion of the Acquisition Jonathan Bixby will join the Board as
an Executive Director Head of Technology Projects.
Bixby Technology will be focused on
identifying technology enterprises to invest in and incubate by
providing incubation services and mentorship to technology
entrepreneurs. Bixby Technology will be targeting new fast growth
technology products and projects in return for project
participation in line with the previous carry interest mechanics of
Tiger under its existing Investing Policy. The carried interest
provided to Bixby Technology may therefore involve equity,
securities, memecoins and other form of beneficial interests or
digital assets.
The Company has, conditional on the
closing of the Acquisition and the approval
of shareholders of the necessary authorities to allot ordinary
shares in the Company free from pre-emption, raised £3,000,000 before expenses (the "Fundraising") at 0.1 pence per Ordinary
Share (the "Fundraising
Price") for the issue of 3,000,000,000 new Ordinary Shares
(the "Fundraising
Shares").
The Fundraising
comprises a placing of 2,475,000,000 new Ordinary Shares (the
"Placing Shares") for
£2,475,000 at the Fundraising Price (the "Placing"), via Fortified Securities
("Fortified") with Shard
Capital Partners LLP ("Shard") acting as placing agent and
share subscriptions for 525,000,000 new Ordinary Shares at the
Fundraising Price to raise £525,000 (the "Subscription Shares"). As a
result of the Placing: Premier Miton Group Plc, Zeus Investment
Management Ltd and Jupiter Asset Management Limited will join the
Company as shareholders.
Colin Bird, Executive
Chairman commented
"We welcome Jonathan Bixby and Bixby
Technology to the Tiger team. Jonathan is a highly regarded expert
in the new technology space who possess the ability to identify and
anticipate emerging trends in developing technologies.
Jonathan also has the important capacity to identify
commercialization opportunities for emerging technology projects
which is a skill sought after by early stage tech entrepreneurs.
The Tiger Board look forward to working with Jonathan to enhance
shareholder value as he and his team develop Bixby Technology as a
tech incubator within the scope of Tiger's broadened
investing policy."
Jonathan Bixby, Proposed
Executive Director, Head of Technology Projects:
"If the last 4 years have shown us
anything, it is that an idea can change the direction of the world.
Traditional technology investment is antiquated. The existing model
of capital injection after a product is fully proven does not
connect innovators with their communities and slows down execution
of transformative IP. Through Tiger we hope to drive fast paced
technology development and enable growth on a potentially global
scale, not fixed to a single country of preference. We do not want
to see a silicon valley, we are planetary focused. It is more than
a token goal, it is our objective."
Set out below as an appendix is the
Letter from the Chairman of Tiger and relevant risk factors, which
will be posted in a circular to shareholders tomorrow, together
with a Notice of Meeting for a General Meeting to be held at 4 p.m.
on 6 January 2025 at the offices of Fladgate LLP, 16 Great Queen
Street, London WC2B 5DG. The circular will be available
on the Company website www.tiger-rf.com shortly.
This announcement contains inside
information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation
2014/596/EU as it forms part of the UK law pursuant to
the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
For further information please
contact:
Beaumont Cornish Limited ("Beaumont Cornish") is the Company's
Nominated Adviser and is authorised and regulated by the FCA.
Beaumont Cornish's responsibilities as the Company's Nominated
Adviser, including a responsibility to advise and guide the Company
on its responsibilities under the AIM Rules for Companies and AIM
Rules for Nominated Advisers, are owed solely to the London Stock
Exchange. Beaumont Cornish is not acting for and will not be
responsible to any other persons for providing protections afforded
to customers of Beaumont Cornish nor for advising them in relation
to the proposed arrangements described in this announcement or any
matter referred to in it.
LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF TIGER ROYALTIES
& INVESTMENTS PLC
Incorporated and registered
in England and Wales with registered number
02882601
Directors:
|
Registered
office:
|
Colin Bird
|
(Chairman)
|
2nd Floor, 7/8 Kendrick Mews,
|
Michael Nolan
|
(Non-Executive Director)
|
London
|
Raju Samtani
|
(Finance Director)
|
England
|
Alex Borrelli
|
(Non-Executive Director)
|
SW7
3HG
|
20
December 2024
To Shareholders and, for information
only, to the holders of Warrants
Notice of General Meeting
Proposed Acquisition of Bixby Technology Inc
Proposed Change to Investing Policy
Proposed issue of
3,000,000,000 new Ordinary Shares to raise up to £3
million
1. Introduction
Tiger Royalties and Investments PLC
("Tiger" or the
"Company") is an "investing
company" under the AIM Rules for Companies (the "AIM Rules") with an investing policy
which was approved by shareholders in November 2017. The
Company announced today that it proposes to broaden its investing
policy (the "Investing
Policy") and, given the Board consider the change is
material, is seeking shareholder approval as required under the AIM
Rules. A resolution to approve the change in the Investing
Policy will be proposed at the General Meeting ("GM") which will be held at the offices
of Fladgate LLP, 16 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5DG at 4.00
p.m. on 6 January 2025 and is set out in the Notice of GM at Part
III of this document.
2. Background to and reasons for the proposed change to the
investing policy
The Company's current objective is
to make investments in and incubate projects in the natural
resource sector globally capitalising on early entry level in new
opportunities and adding technical and management expertise where
necessary. Historically this has included investments into
natural resources projects, achieving returns through successful
project incubation. However, it has recognised that the
market appetite for small solely minerals-focused investing
companies is diminishing and now wishes to broaden the scope of its
investments to include those in new technology, and to bring onto
the Board an experienced new technology investor, together with a
new non-executive director, with the experience and expertise
required to support the Company's revised objective.
The Board will continue to hold its
core investments (see section 10 below) and will work to preserve
existing carry interest in its existing projects.
Tiger will also continue to monitor
new natural resource projects to incubate suitable new projects
dependent on necessary capital utilization, management time and the
Investing Policy.
However, the Company, having
previously reported that the natural resource sector is inherently
high risk and of a cyclical nature, considers that the current
fluctuations in world economic activity, the impact on the demand
for minerals and oil and gas and recent scarcity of capital for the
sector should be considered against the ability to create value for
the Company's shareholders. Such considerations have
led to the Board proposing to broaden the scope of investments to
include incubating and investing in new technology projects which
source funds by means of not only traditional funding structures
(i.e. debt and equity) but also by the issue of beneficial interest
in projects including cryptoassets such as tokens and
Memecoins.
Building on the Company's existing
ability to incubate and structure investee companies, the Board
intend to set up a division with the distinct role of investing in
new technology, to allow Tiger to participate in this early-stage
value creation process. The division would utilize a
wholly-owned Canadian technology consultancy and incubator company,
Bixby Technology Inc. ("Bixby
Technology") which would be acquired from the founder,
Jonathan Bixby (the "Transaction"), As part of the
Transaction Jonathan Bixby is to join the Board of Tiger, and Bixby
Technology is intended to identify technology enterprises to invest
in and incubate by providing incubation services and mentorship to
technology entrepreneurs. Bixby Technology will be targeting new
fast growth technology products and projects in return for project
participation (the "Technology
Incubation Projects") in line with the previous carry
interest mechanics of Tiger under its existing Investing
Policy.
The Board believes the Transaction
will enable the Company to broaden its Investing Policy by
utilising Bixby Technology to invest in Technology Incubation
Projects that provides the opportunity to enhance the investment
performance of the Company.
In conjunction with the Transaction,
the Company is proposing to raise up to £3
million by means of a placing and subscriptions (together the
"Fundraising") to support
the activities as contemplated under the revised Investing Policy
as set out below.
Further details on the Transaction
and the New Technology sector are set out in sections 4 and 5
below.
3. Proposed broadened Investing Policy
The Group's objective is to make
investments in areas where the Board has expertise and experience
which after the completion of the Transaction, will include
investing in and incubating Technology Incubation Projects in
addition to the Company's traditional natural resources
investments.
Initial investments will be for
varying amounts initially, up to £250,000 per project dependent
upon the resources and opportunities available to Tiger, under the
new Investing Policy Directors will have discretion to make
investments outside this range. Investments will be focussed on,
but not exclusively in, non-revenue generating early-stage
companies which will not yet be generating revenue and often
require additional funds to develop and expand their businesses.
Therefore, after appropriate due diligence, the Company may provide
further services to and/or make follow-on investments to support
existing investments from time to time.
The Group has formulated a two-fold
Investing Policy:
1) Participating in
"passive style" equity investments where the Company does not play
an active role in the operations or management of investee
companies; and
2) Making more
"proactive style" investments where the Company participates in
incubating and structuring investee companies which will be an area
of focus for the Technology Incubation Projects through its
incubation and mentorship focussed engagement.
In the case of making non-equity
type investments by providing capital and/or management support,
these will be made in exchange for rights to a percentage of future
revenues and/or carried equity positions aligning Tiger to the
success of its investee companies. In such instances,
fees would be charged in cash or in specie, dependent on the capital
requirements of the investee company
Both pro-active and passive
investments can be equity type investments and/or in the form of a
carried interest arrangement. The proactive style of investment
articulated above may involve the Tiger's officers taking executive
roles in investee companies albeit generally through
non-controlling stakes and generally being active in the management
of the underlying investee company.
4. The Transaction, Fundraising, Issue of Ordinary Shares and
Board Appointments
Bixby Technology is a newly formed
technology consultancy company controlled by Toro Consulting
Limited ("Toro"), a company
in turn controlled by Jonathan Bixby. Jonathan Bixby has
significant experience in quoted companies, and in the new
technology sector and the board of Tiger consider him essential to
the expanded Investing Policy.
Jonathan was a founder and major
investor in Argo Blockchain (ARB), Guild Esports (GILD) and
Cellular Goods (CBX) - all listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Jonathan is also the Chairman of File Forge Technology PLC, Kondor
AI PLC and Cykel AI PLC listed on the AQUIS market. As well as
AQUIS listed Phoenix Digital Assets (formerly NFT Investments)
Jonathan has extensive experience in technology companies and
capital raising and has agreed to join Tiger as a key stakeholder
and executive director. Jonathan has agreed that the current
pipeline of Technology Incubation Projects which he has been
developing and which fit within the new Investing Policy will be
developed by Bixby Technology which as a newly formed company
otherwise has no assets and liabilities and no trading
results.
On 19 December 2024 Toro and the Company
entered into a conditional agreement ("Acquisition Agreement") for the
sale and purchase of the entire issued share capital of Bixby
Technology. The conditions to the Acquisition Agreement include the
passing of the resolutions to be proposed at the GM and
Admission.
Under the Acquisition Agreement, the
total consideration to acquire Bixby Technology from Toro
Consulting will be £325,000, payable in cash. To execute the
new division Jonathan Bixby has committed to Toro Consulting
subscribing £325,000 in cash for shares in the Company
("Toro Shares") at 0.1
pence per Ordinary Share (the "Fundraising Price"). The consideration
due to Toro under the Acquisition Agreement can be set off against
the amounts due from Toro in respect of the Toro Shares. As part of
the subscription for the Toro Shares, Toro Consulting will be
issued 325 million warrants exercisable at the Fundraising Price
(so with an aggregate exercise price of £325,000) for a 24-month
period from grant ("Toro
Warrants"). The Toro Warrants will have a vesting
restriction which is the earlier of i) 12 months from grant and ii)
the share price being 4x the Fundraising Price. Toro has given the
Company customary warranties under the Acquisition Agreement
(including in relation to the Technology Incubation Projects). The
liability of Toro in relation to such warranties is limited to
£325,000.
As referred to above (and described
in more detail in section 8 below), the Company is proposing to
raise up to £3 million by means of Fundraising to support proposed
activities under the new expanded Investing Policy. The
Company will not only be issuing Ordinary Shares under the
Fundraising ("Fundraising
Shares") but also in settlement of fees due to current
directors and to a related party ("Accrued Conversion Fee Shares") which
are set out in more detail in section 8 below.
The Toro Shares, Fundraising Shares
and Accrued Fee Conversion Shares will all be issued at the
Fundraising price (i.e. 0.1 pence per Ordinary Share) being the
middle market share price as at 19 December 2024 of 0.1 pence being
the latest practical date prior to publication of this
Document.
Under the Acquisition Agreement, the
Toro Shares cannot be sold without the
prior written consent of the Company, nor any interest in them for
a period of six months after the date of Admission; and thereafter
will be the subject of six-month orderly market provisions in the
Acquisition Agreement.
In addition to Jonathan Bixby
joining the Board, it is intended that Brian Stockbridge be
appointed as an additional independent non-executive director to
support both the new technology investment strategy and governance.
Michael Nolan, currently a non-executive director, will resign at
the completion of the Transaction.
Following completion of the
Transaction the Board will therefore be existing directors; Colin
Bird, Raju Samtani, and Alex Borrelli, being the majority of the
Board, together with the two new directors Jonathan Bixby and Brian
Stockbridge. Further information on Messrs Bixby and Stockbridge is
set out at section 7 below.
5. New Technology Incubator and Memecoins
Bixby Technology the Company's new
technology incubator will focus on incubating early-stage
technology enterprises anywhere in the world, primarily those
seeking to develop New Technology (see Glossary), through advisory
and mentorship roles targeting traditional and non-traditional
financing with a non-exclusive focus on "Utility
Memecoins" a.k.a utility driven
memecoins (see description below).
Receipt of the new wave of coins
associated with capital raises through initial coin offerings
("ICOs") is a platform of
choice for many technology entrepreneurs so some of the Technology
Incubation Projects that Bixby Technology will work with will, as
part of their business activities, be issuing cryptoassets such as
memecoins. Bixby Technology's carried interest in Technology
Incubation Projects in exchange for its contribution of time,
expertise and in some cases financial support may therefore involve
equity, securities, memecoins and other form of beneficial
interests "Memecoins" are a unique category of cryptocurrency
inspired by internet memes-humorous or viral images, videos, or
phrases widely shared on social media. Unlike traditional
"stablecoin" cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum,
Memecoins emerge with speed and apparent spontaneity. The
expectation is that the digital assets held by Bixby Technology
will have limited value assigned to them in the Tiger financial
statements until they are considered a "stablecoin" or they are
monetised into cash or cash like equivalents.
There are 2 principal type of
Memecoins:
1) Those based on viral
topics or other parodies ("Viral
Memecoins" aka pure meme
coins)
2) Those based on
community based or substantial value prospects ("Utility Memecoins" aka utility-driven meme coins) -
technology companies which issue Utility Memecoins will be the
principal target for Bixby Technology.
Despite their origins, many
Memecoins have achieved significant followings and market
capitalizations due to their viral appeal and strong
communities.
For technology start-ups, Memecoins
offer a novel way to build communities, engage users, and raise
brand awareness. Unlike ICOs and some NFTs, Memecoins generally do
not meet the criteria for securities, as they lack the expectations
of returns, ownership, or centralized control typically associated
with securities. Instead, Memecoins rely on community enthusiasm
and cultural relevance for their "value". As Memecoins
entrepreneurs often lack the experience needed for successful
launches, consultative services in strategy, marketing, and
compliance provide a considerable business opportunity. This
approach positions incubator investors as essential contributors to
the success of future Memecoins projects, helping them navigate the
complex and rapidly evolving crypto landscape plus allows then to
support a diversified portfolio of projects without having to
deploy the large amounts of capital a traditional venture capital
investor would have to deploy. By attaching limited value to the
Memecoin itself, incubator investors are not focussed on Memecoin
price fluctuations as this known risk is embedded into the
investment ethos of participating in the Memecoin
ecosystem.
Technology Incubator investors can
support Memecoins projects by providing:
● Strategic
Planning: Helping projects define their vision, set long-term
goals, and develop a roadmap aligned with market demand.
● Marketing and
Branding: Creating impactful marketing campaigns, leveraging meme
virality, and differentiating the token from competitors to attract
and retain users.
● Community
Engagement and Communication: Assisting with community management,
building engagement channels, responding to feedback, and fostering
loyalty by establishing meaningful connections with token
holders.
● Regulatory
Compliance: Guiding founders through legal requirements to ensure
transparency, reduce risk, and operate within legal
frameworks.
This hands-on investment approach
not only increases the likelihood of success for Memecoins projects
but also provides a steady revenue stream for incubator investor,
positioning them as valuable players in the fast-evolving Memecoins
market.
Companies issuing Memecoins in the UK must address several
regulatory considerations. The Company has taken legal advice and
been advised that under current legislation the Company and Bixby
Technology by investing in and incubating Technology Incubation
Projects will not have to register with the Financial Conduct
Authority in relation to the Financial Services and Markets Act
2000 (Regulated Activities Order). Please refer to the regulatory
risks associated with investing in technology companies referred to
in the Risk Factors at Part II
6. Investment Process
The Board has updated its investment
process and due diligence procedures to reflect the proposed
broadening of the Investing Policy for the two investment divisions
being Natural Resources and Technology with delegated authorities
and committees appointed for each division.
Investments will be made globally
with the objective of long-term capital gains, though investment
holding periods may be reduce in response to general market events
and conditions and/or specific events applicable to an investee
company. The investments will be selected with the objective in
time of building a diversified portfolio of investee companies to
mitigate concentration and other risks but given the early stage
nature of the investments there will be volatility in the
investment performance of the Company's investments.
Technology Investment must not
involve either of Tiger or Bixby Technology directly undertaking
any ICOs or other issuances of security in the underlying projects
it incubates. Please also refer to the Risk Factors in Part
II.
The processes and parameters will be
monitored by the board of Tiger from time to time depending on the
assets under management and the market capitalization. The
board will analyse with the independent director(s) any material
changes to the Investment Process and will consult with the
Nominated Adviser of Tiger for any material revisions anticipated
as a result of such discussion with the independent
director(s).
7. Proposed Directors and Significant Shareholdings
A biography of Jonathan Bixby is set
out in paragraph 4 above.
Brian Stockbridge is has over 20
years experience in corporate finance, including direct investments
and financing into companies, IPOs, capital raisings and mergers
and acquisitions for both public and private companies. He has held
board positions on several public and private companies throughout
his career, most notably with Rangers Football Club and Allegiance
Insurance. Brian has also held director and management positions
with Zeus Capital, Allenby Capital, Noble & Company and Grant
Thornton. He served as a Regulator for the Panel on Takeovers and
Mergers, where he presided over a large number of
transactions.
Jonathan Franklin
Bixby, aged 47
Present Directorships
Past Directorships (within the
last 5 years)
Cykel AI
PLC
Punter Finance PLC
File Forge Technology
PLC
Ora Technology PLC
Kondor AI
PLC
Motto Technologies PLC
Phoenix Digital Assets
PLC
Supernova Digital Assets PLC
Blue Mesa Health Inc
Dynasty Gaming & Media PTR Ltd
Brian Stockbridge, aged 51
Present Directorships
Past Directorships (within the
last 5 years)
Guild eSports
PLC
MC (Charlotte Street)
Limited
First Sentinel Corporate Finance
Limited Capable
Lending plc
Omni Egis Limited
First Sentinel Wealth Limited
First Sentinel Corporate Services
Limited Allegiance Insure
Limited
New Leaf Capital Limited
Capable Finance Limited
Dark Horse Family Office
Limited
Art by Stella Limited
First Sentinel Perennial
Limited
Anodyne Investments PLC
Charlotte Street Resources
PLC
Meme Vault plc
International Financial Strategic
Associates Limited
Cassel Capital Limited
Kingbridge Capital
Limited
8. Issue of Ordinary Shares pursuant to Fundraising, Accrued Fee
Conversion, Transaction and Related Party Transactions
8.1
Fundraising
The Company has raised £3,000,000
before expenses (the "Fundraising") at 0.1 pence per Ordinary
Share (the "Fundraising
Price") for the issue of 3,000,000,000 new Ordinary Shares
(the "Fundraising Shares")
conditional upon the completion of the Acquisition and the
admission of the Fundraising Shares to trading on
AIM ("Admission").
The Fundraising
comprises a placing of 2,475,000,000 new Ordinary Shares (the
"Placing Shares") for
£2,475,000 at the Fundraising Price (the "Placing"), via Fortified Securities
("Fortified") with Shard
Capital Partners LLP ("Shard") acting as placing agent and
share subscriptions for 525,000,000 new Ordinary Shares at the
Fundraising Price to raise £525,000 (the "Subscription
Shares").
The Company, Beaumont Cornish,
Fortified and Shard have entered into a placing agreement in
relation to the Placing (the "Placing Agreement"). Under the Placing
Agreement Beaumont Cornish
will receive a total fee of £30,000 plus VAT of which £5,000 plus
VAT has been paid as at the date of this document and Shard are due
to be paid a fee of £12,375 plus VAT. In addition, Fortified will,
following Admission, receive a placing commission of £180,000,
which shall be satisfied by issuing 180,000,000 Ordinary Shares to
Fortified (the "Fortified Fee
Shares") credited as fully paid at the Fundraising Price.
The Placing Agreement contains customary provisions including
certain warranties by the Company in favour of Beaumont Cornish,
Fortified and Shard
The Fundraising includes £60,000
subscribed for by Colin Bird, Tiger's Executive Chairman for
60,000,000 Subscription Shares, £20,000 subscribed for by Sylvia
Vrska the wife of Colin Bird, for 20,000,000 Subscription Shares,
and £70,000 by Raju Samtani, Tiger's Finance Director for
70,000,000 Subscription Shares representing in aggregate 5.00 per
cent. of the total Fundraising amount.
The Fundraising also includes
£75,000 subscribed by Sanderson Capital Partners Ltd who are a
18.85% shareholder for 75,000,000 Subscription Shares and £170,000
subscribed by Clive Roberts who is a 15.88% shareholder for
170,000,000 Placing Shares.
The Fundraising Price is also the
par value of the Ordinary Shares and is at the middle market share
price as at 19 December 2024 of 0.1 pence being the latest
practical date prior to publication of this Document.
The Fundraising Shares represent, in
aggregate, approximately 68 per cent. of the Company's enlarged
issued share capital as enlarged by the issue of the Toro Shares,
the Accrued Fee Conversion Shares (as defined below), the
Transaction Shares (as defined below) and the Fortified Fee Shares
(together the "New Shares")
. The New Shares will be fully paid and rank pari
passu in all respects with the
Company's existing Ordinary Shares.
8.2 Related Party
Transactions - Fundraising
As Colin Bird, and Raju Samtani are
directors of the Company their participation in the Fundraising is
a related party transaction pursuant to Rule 13 of the AIM Rules
for Companies. Accordingly, the independent directors, being
Michael Nolan and Alex Borrelli, having consulted with the
Company's Nominated Adviser, Beaumont Cornish Limited, considers
Colin Bird and Raju Samtani's and participation in the Fundraising
to be fair and reasonable insofar as the Company's shareholders are
concerned.
As Sanderson
Capital Partners Ltd are a 18.85% shareholder in
the Company and Clive Roberts is a 15.88% shareholder in the
Company their participation in the Fundraising is a related party
transaction pursuant to Rule 13 of the AIM Rules for Companies. The
directors, having consulted with the Company's Nominated Adviser,
Beaumont Cornish Limited, consider Sanderson Capital
Partners Ltd and Clive Roberts' participation in
the Fundraising to be fair and reasonable insofar as the Company's
shareholders are concerned.
8.3 Accrued Fee Conversion
Shares
As noted in the Company's interim
results for the six months ended 30 June 2024, the Company has
historic indebtedness and as stated therein, the current liability figure of £463,208 (2023: £246,516)
includes an accrual of £219,917 (2023: £108,628) relating to
Director's salaries/fees, the oldest one being for 24 months ended
30 June 2024. The current liability figure also includes a
creditor of £165,000 (2023: £96,000) payable to Lion Mining
Finance, which is also a related party by reason of being owned by
Colin Bird.
At the Company's 2024 AGM, the
shareholders approved the issue of shares to Directors, management
and consultants to settle accrued fees. In order to resolve
this situation, the parties involved have agreed to settle the
amounts owing as at 31 October 2024 by the issue of 206,479,165
Ordinary Shares which will be subject to a 6 month lock up on the
following basis:
As set out above the parties have
agreed to waive amounts owed to them of £202,167 in aggregate. Were such
adjustments to have been applied to the published unaudited
statement or financial position as at 30th June 2024 total equity
would have been turned from a deficit of £24,451 to Total equity of
£335,937. This is shown in
the proforma balance sheet of the Company
as at 30 June 2023 taking into account the above settlement and
waiver of Accrued Fees shown on the next page.
8.4 Related Party
Transaction - Accrued Fees
The issue of in aggregate
128,479,165 new Ordinary Shares to the Directors is also a related
party transaction under Rule 13 of the AIM Rules for
Companies. The Directors,
save in each case for the individual Director
receiving ordinary shares, having consulted
with the Company's Nominated Adviser, Beaumont Cornish Limited,
consider that each of Colin Bird, Raju Samtani, Alex Borrelli and
Michael Nolan's individual participation in the Accrued Fees
conversion to be fair and reasonable insofar as the Company's
shareholders are concerned.
The issue of 78,000,000 new Ordinary
Shares to Lion Mining Finance is a related party transaction under
Rule 13 of the AIM Rules for Companies. The
Directors ,other than Colin Bird by reason of his interest in this
transaction, having consulted with the Company's Nominated Adviser,
Beaumont Cornish Limited, consider Lion Mining Finance's
participation in the Accrued Fees conversion to be fair and
reasonable insofar as the Company's shareholders are
concerned.
As the Company recognised that the
market appetite for small solely minerals-focused investing
companies was diminishing and wished to broaden the scope of its
investments to include those in new technology, it appointed
Sanderson Capital Partners to identify and introduce to the Company
a technology company and / or technology investor with appropriate
experience and expertise to accomplish this objective. Sanderson
Capital Partners introduced the Company to Jonathan Bixby
and Bixby Technologies and accordingly is due a
fee of £75,000 on
completion of the Acquisition.
8.5 Transaction
Shares
Fees due to certain consultants in
relation to the Transaction and the Fundraise of £155,000 in aggregate will be settled by the issue of
155,000,000 new Ordinary Shares at the Fundraising Price
("Transaction Shares") and
subject to a six month lock up from Admission. The Transaction
Shares include 75,000,000 Transaction Shares to be issued to
Sanderson Capital Partners Ltd to settle their introduction fee of
£75,000. The Transaction Shares being
issued to Sanderson Capital Partners Ltd will be subject to a
six-month orderly market agreement once the initial six month lock
up period expires.
8.6 Related Party
Transaction- Transaction Shares
The issue of 75,000,000 Transaction
Shares to Sanderson Capital Partners Ltd in relation to the
Transaction is being treated as a related party transaction under
Rule 13 of the AIM Rules for Companies by virtue of it being a
18.85% shareholder in the Company. The
directors, having consulted with the Company's Nominated Adviser,
Beaumont Cornish Limited, consider the issue of these Transaction
Shares to Sanderson Capital Partners Ltd to be fair and reasonable
insofar as the Company's shareholders are
concerned.
8.7 Director's update
shareholdings:
The table below shows the current
shareholdings of the current Directors and the proposed directors
and their associates and their shareholdings after the issue of the
Toro Shares, the Fundraising Shares, the Accrued Fee Conversion
Shares, the Transaction Shares and the Fortified Fee
Shares.
8.8 Non-Director
shareholders with 3% or greater shareholdings:
The table below shows the current
shareholdings of non-director shareholders who will own 3% or more
of the Ordinary Shares after the issue of the Consideration Shares,
Fundraising Shares, Accrued Fee Conversion Shares and Transaction
Shares.
9. Share Option Arrangements
To incentivise and retain directors,
officers, consultants and employees to enhancing the future market
value of the Company the Company intends (in addition to incentive
schemes approved at the Company's annual general meeting held on 1
August 2024) subject to shareholder approval to approve the issue
of share options (the "Share Option Agreements") for its
directors, senior management, consultants and employees on the
following terms:
(i) the number of options to be
issued shall not exceed 20 per cent. of the issued share capital of
the Company from time to time;
(ii) the exercise price of the
options shall be determined by the remuneration committee of the
Board of directors of the Company based on the volume weighted
average share price of the Company in the 30 days preceding the
issue of the options and/or the price at which the Company has
issued shares in the 30 days preceding the issue of the
options
(iii) the allocation of the options
shall be determined by the remuneration committee of the Board of
Directors of the Company;
(iv) the options shall vest in
accordance with the terms of the Share Option Agreement;
and
(v) the options should be exercised
within ten years of the date of the approval resolution.
Subject to the approval of the
remuneration committee it is the intention that after completion of
the Acquisition the Company would award options under Share Option
Agreements equivalent to 20 per cent of the enlarged share capital
of the Company after the issue of all new Ordinary Shares
referenced in this Document with an exercise price equal to the
Fundraising Price (the "Proposed Share
Options").
So as to align the Proposed Share Options with the interest of
shareholders which is primarily increases in the Company's share price it is
anticipated they would vest over 2 years based on share price
hurdles by reference to multiples of the Fundraising
Price.
10. Existing
core investments
Investments held by the Company as
at 13 December 2024 are shown in the table below:
Name
|
Number of
shares
|
Share
price
|
Valuation
**
|
£
|
£
|
African Pioneer Plc
|
8,810,056
|
0.01500
|
132,151
|
Bezant Resources Plc
|
83,870,371
|
0.00024
|
19,710
|
Galileo Resources Plc
|
6,516,667
|
0.00950
|
61,908
|
Kendrick Resources Plc
|
83,333
|
0.0029
|
242
|
Rex Bionics PLC
|
6,250
|
-
|
-
|
Vatakoula Gold Mines PLC
|
150,000
|
-
|
-
|
Total Investments
|
|
|
214,011
|
** Valuations based upon market
quotations as at 13 December 2024. Valuations may not cross cast
due to roundings in the Share price.
11. General
Meeting
A notice convening a General Meeting
of the Company to be held at the offices of Fladgate LLP, 16 Great
Queen Street, London WC2B 5DG at 4.00pm on 6 January 2025 is set
out in the attached Notice of Meeting. The General meeting will
consider and, if thought fit, pass the following resolutions of
which resolutions 1 to 7 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions
and resolution 8 will be proposed as a special resolution. A
summary of the resolutions is set out below.
Resolution 1: That the Acquisition
on and subject to the terms of the Acquisition Agreement (as
defined in this document be and is hereby approved, confirmed and
ratified and that the directors of the Company be and are hereby
authorised for on behalf of the Company to approve the execution of
any document and/or take of any action they deem necessary or
appropriate in relation to effecting or facilitating the
Acquisition.
Resolution 2: That, conditional upon
and subject to the passing of Resolution 1 above and the completion
of the Acquisition, the expansion of the Company's existing
Investing Policy so that the new Investing Policy of the Company
will be as set out in section 3 of the Chairman's letter forming
Part I of the Circular be and is hereby approved.
Resolution 3: That, conditional upon
and subject to the passing of Resolutions 1 and 2 above and the
completion of the Acquisition, the appointment of Jonathan Bixby,
having consented to act, as an executive director of the Company be
and is hereby approved.
Resolution 4: That, conditional upon
and subject to the passing of Resolutions 1, 2 and 3 above and the
completion of the Acquisition, the appointment of Brian
Stockbridge, having consented to act, as a non-executive director
of the Company be and is hereby approved.
Resolution 5: THAT, conditional upon
and subject to the passing of Resolutions 1, 2 , 3 and 4 above and
the completion of the Acquisition, the Company be authorised (in
addition to incentive schemes approved at the Company's annual
general meeting held on 1 August 2024) to grant share options (the
"Share Option Agreements")
for its directors, senior management, consultants and employees on
the terms set out in this letter.
The Directors currently have
existing authorities to allot shares and dis-apply pre-emption
rights
under section 551 and section 570 of
the Companies Act 2006 (the "Act") which were obtained at the
Company's Annual General Meeting held on 1 August 2024, but these
authorities are insufficient to allot and issue the New
Shares. Accordingly, in order for the Company to allot
and issue these shares, and to be able to
issue additional shares the Directors are proposing an increase to
the authorities section 551 and section 570
of the Act per resolutions 6, 7 and 8.
Resolution 6: That, conditional upon
and subject to the passing of Resolutions 1, 2 , 3, 4 and 5 above
and the completion of the Acquisition, for the purposes of section
551 of the Companies Act 2006 ("Act"), the directors of the Company be
and are hereby generally and unconditionally authorised (in
substitution for any and all authorities previously conferred upon
the directors for the purposes of section 551 of the Act, but
without prejudice to any allotments made pursuant to the terms of
such authorities) to exercise all powers of the Company to issue
and allot shares in the Company or grant rights to subscribe for,
or convert any security into shares in the Company in connection
with (but not limited to) the Fundraising (as defined in Circular)
up to an aggregate nominal amount of £13,884,920.
Resolution 7: That, conditional upon
and subject to the passing of Resolutions 1, 2 , 3, 4, 5 and 6
above and the completion of the Acquisition, the Directors be and
are hereby empowered to approve and authorise the issue of shares
in the Company to directors, management, and consultants of the
Company in lieu of unpaid accrued remuneration, fees and allowances
amounting in aggregate to £206,480 (together "Accrued Fees") on the terms set out in
this letter.
If resolution 7 is not passed,
Accrued Fees will still be due to be paid to the directors,
management, and consultants to whom they are due.
Resolution 8: That, conditional upon
and subject to the passing of Resolutions 1, 2 , 3, 4, 5, 6
and 7 above and the completion of the Acquisition, the statutory
pre-emption rights in the Act be disapplied (on the terms set out
in this letter and in the notice) in connection with pre-emptive
issues, the issue of the Fundraising Shares, the issue of Fortified
Fee Shares, the issue of the Toro Shares and the Toro Warrants, the
entry into the Share Option Agreements, and the Transaction Shares
and the issue of Ordinary Shares with an aggregate nominal value
equal to 200% of the enlarged share capital.
12. Action
to be taken
The Company encourages all
shareholders to read the accompanying Notice of Meeting and to vote
at the GM. The GM is an important event and provides an opportunity
for the Company's directors to engage with shareholders. If
you plan to attend in person, we would appreciate prior
confirmation by email tiger@tiger-rf.com to by 4 p.m. on Friday 3
January 2025 to allow us to plan appropriately.
If you do not plan to intend in
person please complete the enclosed form of proxy and return it in
accordance with the instructions on the form of proxy and the notes
to notice of GM by no later than 4 p.m. on 4 January
2025.
13. Recommendation
The Directors consider the change to
the investing policy and related matters to be in the best
interests of the Company and its shareholders and accordingly
recommend shareholders to vote in favour of all the Resolutions to
be proposed at the General Meeting. The Directors have
committed to voting in favour of the Resolutions in respect of
their shareholdings (including associates) amounting in aggregate
to 98,994,657 Ordinary Shares, representing 18.34% of the Ordinary
Shares in issue.
Yours faithfully
Colin
Bird
Chairman
Tiger
Royalties & Investments Plc
RISK
FACTORS
1. General investing risks
1.1
The Company may be unable to realise funds from
investments which do not perform.
1.2
The Company may be unable to identify suitable
companies in which to invest.
1.3
The Company may not be able to invest in those
companies which it identifies as being suitable
candidates.
1.4
The Company is likely to have a minority interest
in the companies in which it invests, possibly without any
contractual safeguards in respect of management and operational
matters.
1.5
The Company's Investing Policy includes to invest
in the shares of smaller companies, unquoted securities and assets.
Such investments may be difficult to realise, and in addition such
entities frequently lack the financial strength, diversity and
resources of larger companies and may find it more difficult to
overcome, or survive, periods of economic slowdown or
recession.
1.6
The price at which investors may dispose of their
shares in the Company may be influenced by a number of factors,
some of which may pertain to the Company, and others which are
extraneous. Investors may realise less than the original amount
invested and could lose their entire investment.
1.7
The Company's business may be materially affected
by the inability to recruit sufficient personnel of the right
quality or qualifications, or by the loss of key
personnel.
1.8
The Company is investing in early-stage companies
or assets that may have no revenue and / or be operating at a
loss.
1.9
Should the Company make investments in currency
other than its reporting currency (Sterling) there is a risk from
exchange rate fluctuations.
2. Natural Resource Investment Sectoral Risks
2.1
Investment in mining and exploration is inherently speculative and
involves a high degree of financial risk. The exploration and
development mineral deposits requires substantial investment, and
no assurances can be given that the investee companies will be able
to raise the entire funding required to fully develop their
exploration acreage. Such investment involves a high degree
of risk and results cannot be predicted.
2.2
No assurances can be given that minerals will be
discovered in economically viable quantities by any of the investee
companies, nor that if discovered such reserves can be brought into
profitable production. The speculative nature of mineral
exploration is such that no assurance can be given that funds
invested in the Company will be recoverable, or that any dividends
will be paid on the Company's shares.
2.3
Any investments made by the Company in the natural
resource sector may be subject to fluctuations in the value of
metals and minerals and changes in commodity prices can make this
sector particularly volatile from an investment
perspective.
2.4
The Company's activities are likely to face
competition from other entities seeking to fund mining and
exploration related businesses and provide services similar to
those which will be offered by the Company. Some of these
competitors may have significantly greater resources than the
Company.
2.5
The market perception of securities related to the
mining and exploration sector may change and, accordingly, the
value of the Ordinary Shares and of any investments made by the
Company may decline.
2.6
Consolidation within the mining and exploration
sector could adversely affect the availability of investment
opportunities for the Company.
2.7
Future changes to the fiscal or tax regime in the
jurisdictions within which the Group invests may adversely impact
the value of the Group's current, future or potential
portfolio.
2.8
The Group's investee companies may be subject to
extensive environmental regulations and while the Group believes
that its investee companies make current provision for compliance
with the environmental laws and regulations of the countries in
which they operate is reasonable, any future changes and
developments in environmental regulation may adversely affect the
timing and financial viability of their existing and future
operations.
3. New Technology Investment Sectoral Risks
3.1
The technologies and projects which will form the
Project Pipeline for Tiger will be, by their nature, early stage.
Whilst efforts will be undertaken to verify the suitability of a
proposed enterprise for incubation and investment (if applicable),
the board of Tiger and Bixby Technology cannot guarantee the
successful performance of any given project. The success of a
project will be dependent on various factors which will be outside
the control of Tiger and Bixby Technology including, but not
limited to, the successful establishment of a community for the
project and the success of the relevant enterprises' founders with
respect to other projects they may be undertaking or may have
undertaken.
3.2
Further, with respect to any incubation by Tiger
which results in participation in tokens or Memecoins, these
participations may be subject to additional future regulatory
hurdles which may impact the longer-term horizons for the pipeline
of projects.
3.3
The regulatory landscape in the UK is constantly
evolving providing elements additional for consideration which
should be noted by any investor. Including but not limited
to:
(a) Classification and Legal Status: The Financial Conduct
Authority (FCA) has not yet provided a clear classification for
Memecoins, creating regulatory uncertainty. However, Memecoins
without promises of future profits generally do not qualify as
securities.
(b) Consumer Protection: The FCA has issued warnings about the
risks associated with Memecoins, which are often driven by "hype"
and may "lack intrinsic value".
(c) Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC)
Requirements: Issuers must comply with AML and KYC regulations to
prevent illegal activities.
(d) Tax
Implications: Memecoins are treated as property for tax purposes in
the UK, requiring investors to report capital gains or losses
accordingly.
(e) Promotion and Advertising: The FCA imposes strict regulations
on cryptocurrency promotion, requiring clear disclosures and
warnings about potential risks.
3.4
For start-ups, Memecoins are likely to offer a
novel way to build communities, engage users, and raise brand
awareness. Unlike ICOs and some NFTs, Memecoins generally do not
meet the criteria for securities, as they lack the expectations of
returns, ownership, or centralized control typically associated
with securities. Instead, Memecoins rely on community enthusiasm
and cultural relevance for their value. Many Memecoins
entrepreneurs will lack the experience needed for successful
launches.
3.5
The audit and accounting treatment of digital
assets which Tiger may own will present accounting challenges given
their nature. As part of its investment in technology start-ups,
Tiger's existing accounting procedures will need to be updated
as they are not currently designed for cryptocurrencies, nor were
accounting standards or auditing standards written with them in
mind.
3.6
Audit verification may not be limited to merely
checking the contents of a cryptowallet and associated price
volatility of the digital assets.
Accordingly, verification is also a potential issue. There is
therefore a higher risk that the ownership of material digital
assets may result in Tiger having to make impairment provisions
against the carrying value of digital assets and / or receiving a
modified audit report on its financial statements. The expectation
is that the digital assets held by Tiger will have limited value
assigned to them until they are considered a "stablecoin" or they
are monetised into cash or cash like equivalents.
GLOSSARY
Blockchain
|
A type of distributed ledger which
records transaction information in "blocks", distributed amongst a
network of nodes that work together to reach consensus on updates
to the shared ledger, creating an auditable "chain" of
transactions
|
Coins
|
In the context of Cryptoassets,
digital units of value that function as a medium of exchange, store
of value, or unit of account, often issued and managed on a given
Blockchain that often function as one or more of a medium of
exchange, store of value, or unit of account
|
Cryptoassets
|
The UK Financial Conduct Authority
define Cryptoassets as cryptographically secured digital
representations of value or contractual rights that use some
type of distributed ledger technology (DLT) and can be transferred,
stored or traded electronically.
|
Cryptocurrency
|
A type of cryptoasset designed to
work as a medium of exchange using cryptography to secure
transactions, control the creation of additional units, and verify
the transfer of assets
|
Ecosystem
|
The interconnected network of
entities, technologies, and processes that support the creation,
distribution, and use of digital assets, including
cryptocurrencies, blockchain platforms, and related
services
|
Memecoin
|
A cryptocurrency named after
characters, individuals, animals, artwork, or anything else in an
attempt to be humorous, light-hearted, and attract a user base by
promising a fun community
|
New Technology
|
Innovations and advancements in
technology that significantly alter or improve existing processes,
systems, or products, often including blockchain and distributed
ledger technologies
|
Stablecoin
|
A type of cryptocurrency designed to
minimize price volatility by being pegged to a reserve asset, such
as a fiat currency or commodity, and backed by collateral or
algorithmic mechanisms
|