THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THE APPENDIX, AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF THAT JURISDICTION. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICES AT THE END OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND AT THE START OF THE APPENDIX.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR CONTAIN ANY INVITATION, SOLICITATION, RECOMMENDATION, OFFER OR ADVICE TO ANY PERSON TO SUBSCRIBE FOR, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE OR DISPOSE OF ANY SECURITIES IN FRONTIER IP GROUP PLC OR ANY OTHER ENTITY IN ANY JURISDICTION. NEITHER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT NOR THE FACT OF ITS DISTRIBUTION, SHALL FORM THE BASIS OF, OR BE RELIED ON IN CONNECTION WITH ANY INVESTMENT DECISION IN RESPECT OF FRONTIER IP GROUP PLC.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF EU REGULATION 596/2014 ("MAR").
Frontier IP Group plc
("Frontier" or the "Company")
Proposed fundraising of £3.5 million by way of Placing
Frontier IP Group plc (AIM: FIPP), a specialist in commercialising university intellectual property, today announces its intention to issue new ordinary shares of 10 pence each (the "Placing Shares") to raise in aggregate gross proceeds of £3.5 million with the ability to upscale to £4.0 million subject to demand (the "Placing").
Highlights
· Proposed Placing of a minimum of 7,000,000 new ordinary shares (the "Placing Shares") at a price of 50 pence per share (the "Placing Price").
· The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Placing to support the ongoing needs of the business, the conversion of the pipeline and to provide resource to exploit future investment opportunities and the continued development and commercialisation of the current portfolio.
· Placing to be conducted by way of an accelerated bookbuild process (the "Bookbuilding Process") by the Company's broker and sole bookrunner, Nplus1 Singer Advisory LLP ("N+1 Singer"), which will be launched in accordance with the Terms and Conditions set out in this Announcement, immediately following this Announcement.
· The Placing is conditional on the passing of certain resolutions (the "Placing Resolutions") at the annual general meeting of the Company proposed to be held at 93 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 3ES at 11 a.m. on 4 December 2019 (the "AGM").
· A shareholder circular, which will provide further details of the Placing and include a notice convening the AGM (the "Circular"), will be sent to Shareholders shortly and a further announcement will be made.
· The Placing Price represents a discount of 9.9 per cent. to the closing mid-market price of 55.5 pence on 5 November 2019 being the last practicable trading day prior to release of this Announcement.
The Placing is subject to the terms and conditions set out in the appendix (the "Appendix") to this announcement (which forms part of this announcement, such announcement and the Appendix together being this "Announcement").
The book will open with immediate effect following this Announcement. The timing of the closing of the book, pricing and allocations are at the absolute discretion of N+1 Singer and the Company. The number of Placing Shares will be announced as soon as practicable after the close of the Bookbuilding Process.
Certain of the Directors of the Company, being Neil Crabb (Chief Executive Officer) and Mike Bourne (Non-Executive Director), have indicated their intention to subscribe for up to approximately £100,000 in aggregate in the Placing. The proposed participation by Directors of the Company and any substantial shareholders will be deemed to be related party transactions under Rule 13 of the AIM Rules. Further details of the Placing and any participation by the Directors and substantial shareholders will be set out in the announcement to be made on the closing of the Bookbuilding Process.
The Placing Shares, when issued, will be fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing ordinary shares of 10 pence each in the capital of the Company, including the right to receive all dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid after the date of issue. If the maximum number of Placing Shares are placed, it would represent an increase of approximately 18.9 per cent. of the existing issued ordinary share capital of the Company. Settlement for the Placing Shares and Admission is expected to take place on or before 8.00 a.m. on 5 December 2019. The Placing is conditional upon, among other things, the Placing Resolutions required to implement the Placing being duly passed by the shareholders of the Company at the AGM, upon Admission becoming effective and the placing agreement between the Company and N+1 Singer (the "Placing Agreement") not being terminated in accordance with its terms.
This Announcement should be read in its entirety. In particular, your attention is drawn to the detailed terms and conditions of the Placing and further information relating to the Placing and any participation in the Placing that is described in the Appendix to this Announcement (which forms part of this Announcement).
By choosing to participate in the Placing and by making an oral and legally binding offer to acquire Placing Shares, investors will be deemed to have read and understood this Announcement in its entirety (including the Appendix), and to be making such offer on the terms and subject to the conditions of the Placing contained herein, and to be providing the representations, warranties and acknowledgements contained in the Appendix.
Unless otherwise indicated, capitalised terms in this Announcement have the meaning given to them in the definitions section included in the Appendix.
The person responsible for arranging the release of this Announcement on behalf of the Company is Neil Crabb, Chief Executive Officer.
For further information please contact:
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Frontier IP Group Plc |
T: 020 7332 2338 |
Neil Crabb, Chief Executive |
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Andrew Johnson, Communications & Investor Relations |
M: 07464 546 025 |
www.frontierip.co.uk |
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Allenby Capital Limited (Nominated Adviser) |
T: 0203 328 5656 |
Nick Athanas / Nicholas Chambers |
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N+1 Singer (Broker and Sole bookrunner) |
T: 0207 496 3000 |
Harry Gooden / George Tzimas |
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FURTHER INFORMATION
Background to and reasons for the Placing
Frontier is a UK based specialist asset management group whose focus and purpose is to provide commercialisation services to assist universities and research organisations build high-value businesses from their intellectual property. In return, the Company receives equity.
The past year has seen Frontier and its portfolio companies make strong progress despite the uncertain political, economic and market environments in which they operate. The Company materially increased the value of its portfolio, announced four new spin outs, including the first three from its partnerships in Portugal, and further strengthened its relationships with industry, universities and academics. As at today's date, the Company has 18 companies in its core portfolio 8 of which have received third-party equity funding and/or grant funding.
Use of proceeds
The net proceeds of the Placing will enable Frontier to continue to strengthen its team to support progress and enable the Company to meet demand from potential investee companies for the services provided by Frontier. The net proceeds receivable by the Company will be used to support:
· the ongoing needs of the business;
· the conversion of the pipeline and provide resource to exploit future investment opportunities; and
· the continued development and commercialisation of the current portfolio.
Details of the Placing and Admission
The Placing will result in the issue of a minimum of 7,000,000 Placing Shares, representing, in aggregate, approximately 14.2 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company as enlarged by the issue of the Placing Shares. The Placing Shares, when issued and fully paid, will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing ordinary shares of 10p each of the Company in issue and therefore will rank equally for all dividends or other distributions declared, made or paid after the issue of the Placing Shares on Admission.
The Issue Price of 50 pence approximately represents a 9.9 per cent. discount to the closing middle market price of an ordinary share of 10 pence on 5 November 2019, being the latest practicable date prior to the announcement of the Placing.
Application will be made to London Stock Exchange for the Placing Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM and such admission is expected to occur on 5 December 2019, subject to the passing of the Placing Resolutions.
N+1 Singer has entered into the Placing Agreement with the Company under which N+1 Singer has, on the terms and subject to the conditions set out therein (including Admission), undertaken to use their reasonable endeavours to procure subscribers for a minimum of 7,000,000 Placing Shares at the Issue Price. The Placing Agreement contains certain warranties and indemnities from the Company in favour of N+1 Singer. The Placing is not being underwritten by N+1 Singer or any other person.
The Placing is conditional, inter alia, upon the passing of the Placing Resolutions and Admission and the Placing Agreement not being terminated prior to Admission (or such later date as may be agreed between the Company and N+1 Singer and in any event no later than 12 December 2019). If the conditions are not satisfied or waived (where capable of waiver), the Placing will lapse, the Placing Shares will not be allotted and issued and no monies will be received by the Company from Placees in respect of the Placing Shares.
Under the Placing Agreement, the Company has agreed to pay N+1 Singer commission based on the aggregate value of the Placing Shares placed by them at the Issue Price and the costs and expenses incurred in relation to the Placing together with any applicable VAT. No commissions will be paid to Placees or by Placees in respect of any Placing Shares.
Current trading and prospects
The Company has earlier today announced audited results for the 12 months ended 30 June 2019. The key financial highlights for this financial period, as well as extracts from the Chairman's statement from that announcement, are set out below.
Financial highlights
· Fair value of our portfolio increased by 47% to £13,252,000 (2018: £9,041,000).
· Total revenue increased by 81% to £4,268,000 (2018: £2,363,000) - reflecting an unrealised profit on the revaluation of investments of £3,850,000 (2018: £2,064,000).
· Revenue from services increased by 40% to £418,000 (2018: £299,000).
· Profit before tax increased by 160% to £2,350,000 (2018: £902,000).
· Basic earnings per share increased to 5.77p (2018: 2.36p).
· Cash balances at 30 June 2019 of £1,466,000 (2018: £1,111,000).
· Net assets per share as at 30 June 2019 of 41.4p (2018: 33.2p).
Performance
The year to June 2019 saw Frontier and its portfolio companies make strong progress despite the uncertain political, economic and market environments in which we operate. We materially increased the value of our portfolio, announced four new spin outs, including the first three from our partnerships in Portugal, and further strengthened our relationships with industry, universities and academics.
Importantly, the increase in our portfolio valuations has been underpinned by the achievement of commercial milestones and grant funding.
On the portfolio side, Exscientia continues to perform strongly. It is establishing itself as one of the world's leading artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery companies. It raised $26 million through a Series B funding round, signed new drug discovery collaboration agreements with Roche, Celgene and, after the year end, with an exciting early-stage biopharmaceutical company Rallybio. Along with existing collaborations with GSK, Sanofi and Evotec, the company now has upfront and potential milestone payments of significantly more than £300 million.
Among the other highlights for the year, we were delighted to become one of the 14 partners in Emporia4KT, a pan-European project to ensure academic research is put to better use in boosting Europe's Atlantic marine economy. We were also named as a strategic partner of the UK Department for International Trade in Portugal and entered into a collaboration agreement with the Royal Academy of Engineering. The latter resulted in a highly-successful joint event, attended by more than 100 people, at their headquarters in central London in April 2019.
New technologies can help us address some of the toughest issues we are facing today from tackling disease to meeting the challenges posed by environmental changes. Our portfolio companies have the potential to make important contributions.
The Vaccine Group's novel technology, for example, could prevent devastating diseases jump from animals to animals and then to humans. Amprologix is developing new antibiotics to overcome the threat from antimicrobial-resistant superbugs, while Nandi Proteins helps to address consumer desires for fewer E-number additives, less fat and less animal protein in foods. Des Solutio is working on green chemistry to replace the use of toxic solvents in manufacturing a host of everyday pharmaceuticals, household goods and beauty products; Alusid recycles industrial waste, most of which ends in landfill, to create top-quality tiles and other surfaces. Finally, Pulsiv Solar's technology promises to make significant improvements to the energy efficiency of photovoltaic cells and power converters.
The number of our portfolio companies at the heart of these major trends is reflected in the support of our shareholders. During the year, we were delighted to raise £2.49 million in November 2018 through an oversubscribed placing with new and existing shareholders. We remain optimistic about prospects of generating further value over the coming year and beyond.
Results
I was very pleased with the Group's strong performance for the year, which was ahead of management expectations. Pre-tax profits increased by 160% and the fair value of our portfolio rose to £13,252,000.
For the year to 30 June 2019, total revenue increased by 81% to £4,268,000 (2018: £2,363,000) as a result of an unrealised profit on the revaluation of investments of £3,850,000 (2018: £2,064,000), principally due to the movement in fair value of Exscientia and The Vaccine Group. Revenue from services, principally board retainers, technical development services and licence income, increased by 40% to £418,000 (2018: £299,000).
Outlook
We have an excellent team in Frontier IP, and I would very much like to thank our people for their hard work this year. It is thanks to their efforts and those of our university, academic and other partners that the Group is well placed to benefit from a portfolio increasing in maturity and breadth. We are confident our portfolio will continue to grow in value.
Important Notices
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THE APPENDIX) AND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN (TOGETHER, THIS "ANNOUNCEMENT") ARE DIRECTED ONLY AT PERSONS WHOSE ORDINARY ACTIVITIES INVOLVE THEM IN ACQUIRING, HOLDING, MANAGING AND DISPOSING OF INVESTMENTS (AS PRINCIPAL OR AGENT) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THEIR BUSINESS AND WHO HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS AND ARE: (1) IF IN A MEMBER STATE OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA ("EEA"), QUALIFIED INVESTORS AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE 2(e) OF REGULATION (EU) 2017/1129 (THE "PROSPECTUS REGULATION"); (2) IF IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, QUALIFIED INVESTORS 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 (ALL SUCH PERSONS TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS").
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION IN IT MUST NOT BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS. PERSONS DISTRIBUTING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST SATISFY THEMSELVES THAT IT IS LAWFUL TO DO SO. ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO RELEVANT PERSONS AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT PERSONS. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN OFFER FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION OF ANY SECURITIES IN FRONTIER IP GROUP PLC.
THE PLACING SHARES HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES 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 THE UNITED STATES EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES. THE PLACING SHARES ARE BEING OFFERED AND SOLD ONLY OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES IN "OFFSHORE TRANSACTIONS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF, AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH, REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT. NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF THE PLACING SHARES IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES OR ELSEWHERE.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THE APPENDIX) AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER OF SECURITIES FOR SALE INTO THE UNITED STATES. THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES, EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION. NO PUBLIC OFFERING IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES.
The distribution of this Announcement and/or 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, N+1 Singer 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 N+1 Singer to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.
This Announcement or any part of it is for information purposes only and does not constitute or form part of any offer to issue or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for, any securities in the United States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia (the "United States" or the "US")), Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which the same would be unlawful. No public offering of the Placing Shares is being made in any such jurisdiction.
All offers of the Placing Shares in the EEA will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to produce a prospectus. In the United Kingdom, this Announcement is being directed solely at persons in circumstances in which section 21(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended) does not apply.
The Placing Shares have not been approved or disapproved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or other regulatory authority in the United States, nor have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the Placing or the accuracy or adequacy of this Announcement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States. The relevant clearances have not been, nor will they be, obtained from the securities commission of any province or territory of Canada, no prospectus has been lodged with, or registered by, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission or the Japanese Ministry of Finance; the relevant clearances have not been, and will not be, obtained from the South Africa Reserve Bank or any other applicable body in the Republic of South Africa in relation to the Placing Shares and the Placing Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under or offered in compliance with the securities laws of any state, province or territory of 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.
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.
By participating in the Placing, each person who is invited to and who chooses to participate in the Placing (a "Placee") by making an oral and legally binding offer to acquire Placing Shares will be deemed to have read and understood this Announcement in its entirety, to be participating, making an offer and acquiring Placing Shares on the terms and conditions contained herein and to be providing the representations, warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements and undertakings contained in the Appendix.
Allenby Capital is acting as nominated adviser to the Company in connection with the Placing and the proposed admission of the Placing Shares to trading on AIM and the proposals described in the Circular. Allenby Capital is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA") in the United Kingdom. Allenby Capital is acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection with the Placing and Allenby Capital 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.
No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be made as to, or in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by Allenby Capital or by any of its affiliates or agents as to, or in relation to, the accuracy or completeness of this Announcement or any other written or oral information made available to or publicly available to any interested party or its advisers, and any liability therefor is expressly disclaimed.
N+1 Singer is acting as broker and as agent for and on behalf of the Company for the Placing. N+1 Singer is authorised and regulated by the FCA in the United Kingdom. N+1 Singer is acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection with the Placing and N+1 Singer 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.
No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be made as to, or in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by N+1 Singer or by any of its affiliates or agents as to, or in relation to, the accuracy or completeness of this Announcement or any other written or oral information made available to or publicly available to any interested party or its advisers, and any liability therefor is expressly disclaimed.
No statement in this Announcement is intended to be a profit forecast or estimate, and no statement in this Announcement should be interpreted to mean that earnings per share of the Company for the current or future financial years would necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings per share of the Company.
The price of shares and any income expected from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the full amount invested upon disposal of the shares. Past performance is no guide to future performance, and persons needing advice should consult an independent financial adviser. No statement in this Announcement is intended to be a profit forecast and no statement in this Announcement should be interpreted to mean that earnings per share of the Company for the current or future financial years would necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings per share of the Company.
The Placing Shares to be issued pursuant to the Placing will not be admitted to trading on any stock exchange other than on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.
Neither the content of the Company's website nor any website accessible by hyperlinks on the Company's website is incorporated in, or forms part of, this Announcement.
This Announcement includes statements, estimates, opinions and projections with respect to anticipated future performance of the Company ("forward-looking statements") which reflect various assumptions concerning anticipated results taken from the Company's current business plan or from public sources which may or may not prove to be correct. These forward looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology, including the terms "anticipates", "target", "believes", "estimates", "expects", "intends", "may", "plans", "projects", "should" or "will", or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. Such forward-looking statements reflect current expectations based on the current business plan and various other assumptions and involve significant risks and uncertainties and should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. As a result, prospective investors should not rely on such forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. No representation or warranty is given as to the completeness or accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this Announcement. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of such statements and, except as required by the FCA, the London Stock Exchange or applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No statement in this Announcement is intended to be a profit forecast and no statement in this Announcement should be interpreted to mean that earnings per share of the Company for the current or future financial years would necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings per share of the Company.
Notice to distributors
Solely for the purposes of the product governance requirements contained within: (a) EU Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended ("MiFID II"); (b) Articles 9 and 10 of Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 supplementing MiFID II; and (c) local implementing measures (together, the "MiFID II Product Governance Requirements"), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which "manufacturer" (for the purposes of the MiFID II Product Governance Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Placing Shares have been subject to a product approval process, which has determined that such securities are: (i) compatible with an end target market of retail investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each as defined in MiFID II; and (ii) eligible for distribution through all distribution channels as are permitted by MiFID II (the "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; 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.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (a) an assessment of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of MiFID II; or (b) a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to Placing Shares. Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the Placing Shares and determining appropriate distribution channels.
Basis on which information is presented
In this document, references to "£", "pence" and "p" are to the lawful currency of the United Kingdom. All times referred to in this document are, unless otherwise stated, references to London time.
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 THIS APPENDIX) AND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN (TOGETHER, THIS "ANNOUNCEMENT") ARE DIRECTED ONLY AT PERSONS WHOSE ORDINARY ACTIVITIES INVOLVE THEM IN ACQUIRING, HOLDING, MANAGING AND DISPOSING OF INVESTMENTS (AS PRINCIPAL OR AGENT) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THEIR BUSINESS AND WHO HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS AND ARE: (1) IF IN A MEMBER STATE OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA ("EEA"), QUALIFIED INVESTORS AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE 2(e) OF REGULATION (EU) 2017/1129 (THE "PROSPECTUS REGULATION"); (2) IF IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, QUALIFIED INVESTORS 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 (ALL SUCH PERSONS TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS").
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION IN IT MUST NOT BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS. PERSONS DISTRIBUTING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST SATISFY THEMSELVES THAT IT IS LAWFUL TO DO SO. ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO RELEVANT PERSONS AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT PERSONS. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN OFFER FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION OF ANY SECURITIES IN FRONTIER IP GROUP PLC.
THE PLACING SHARES HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES 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 THE UNITED STATES EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES. THE PLACING SHARES ARE BEING OFFERED AND SOLD ONLY OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES IN "OFFSHORE TRANSACTIONS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF, AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH, REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT. NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF THE PLACING SHARES IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES OR ELSEWHERE.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THIS APPENDIX) AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER OF SECURITIES FOR SALE INTO THE UNITED STATES. THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES, EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION. NO PUBLIC OFFERING IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES.
The distribution of this Announcement and/or 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, N+1 Singer 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 N+1 Singer to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.
This Announcement or any part of it is for information purposes only and does not constitute or form part of any offer to issue or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for, any securities in the United States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia), Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which the same would be unlawful. No public offering of the Placing Shares is being made in any such jurisdiction.
All offers of the Placing Shares in the EEA will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to produce a prospectus. In the United Kingdom, this Announcement is being directed solely at persons in circumstances in which section 21(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended) (the "FSMA") does not apply.
The Placing Shares have not been approved or disapproved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or other regulatory authority in the United States, nor have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the Placing or the accuracy or adequacy of this Announcement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States. The relevant clearances have not been, nor will they be, obtained from the securities commission of any province or territory of Canada, no prospectus has been lodged with, or registered by, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission or the Japanese Ministry of Finance; the relevant clearances have not been, and will not be, obtained from the South Africa Reserve Bank or any other applicable body in the Republic of South Africa in relation to the Placing Shares and the Placing Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under or offered in compliance with the securities laws of any state, province or territory of 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.
Persons (including, without limitation, nominees and trustees) who have a contractual right or other legal obligations to forward a copy of this Announcement should seek appropriate advice before taking any action.
This Announcement should be read in its entirety. In particular, you should read and understand the information provided in the "Important Notices" section of this Announcement.
By participating in the Placing, each Placee will be deemed to have read and understood this Announcement in its entirety, to be participating, making an offer and acquiring Placing Shares on the terms and conditions contained herein and to be providing the representations, warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements and undertakings contained in this Appendix.
In particular, each such Placee represents, warrants, undertakes, agrees and acknowledges (amongst other things) that:
No prospectus
The Placing Shares are being offered to a limited number of specifically invited persons only and will not be offered in such a way as to require any prospectus or other offering document to be published. No prospectus or other offering document has been or will be submitted to be approved by the FCA in relation to the Placing or the Placing Shares and Placees' commitments will be made solely on the basis of the information contained in this Announcement and 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 the contract note to be sent to individual Placees.
Each Placee, by participating in the Placing, agrees that the content of this Announcement is exclusively the responsibility of the Company and confirms that it has neither received nor relied on any information (other than the Publicly Available Information), representation, warranty or statement made by or on behalf of N+1 Singer or the Company or any other person and none of N+1 Singer, the Company nor any other person acting on such person's behalf nor any of their respective affiliates has or shall have any liability for any Placee's decision to participate in the Placing based on any other information, representation, warranty or statement. Each Placee acknowledges and agrees that it has relied on its own investigation of the business, financial or other position of the Company in accepting a participation in the Placing. No Placee should consider any information in this Announcement to be legal, tax or business advice. Nothing in this paragraph shall exclude the liability of any person for fraudulent misrepresentation.
Details of the Placing Agreement and the Placing Shares
N+1 Singer has today entered into a placing agreement (the "Placing Agreement") with the Company under which, on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in the Placing Agreement, N+1 Singer, as agent for and on behalf of the Company, N+1 has agreed to use its reasonable endeavours to procure Placees for the Placing Shares.
The Placing Shares will, when issued, be subject to the memorandum and articles of association of the Company, be credited as fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing issued ordinary shares of 10 pence each ("Ordinary Shares") in the capital of the Company, 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.
As part of the Placing, the Company has agreed that it will not for a period of 90 days after (but including) Admission, directly or indirectly, issue, offer, sell, lend, pledge, contract to sell or issue, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise dispose of any Ordinary Shares (or any interest therein or in respect thereof) or other securities of the Company exchangeable for, convertible into or representing the right to receive Ordinary Shares or any substantially similar securities or otherwise enter into any transaction (including derivative transaction) directly or indirectly, permanently or temporarily, to dispose of any Ordinary Shares or undertake any other transaction with the same economic effect as any of the foregoing or announce an offering of Ordinary Shares or any interest therein or to announce publicly any intention to enter into any transaction described above. This agreement is subject to certain customary exceptions and does not prevent the grant or exercise of options under any of the Company's existing share incentives and share option schemes, or following Admission the issue by the Company of any Ordinary Shares upon the exercise of any right or option or the conversion of a security already in existence.
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 before 8.00 a.m. on 5 December 2019 and that dealings in the Placing Shares on AIM will commence at the same time.
Principal terms of the Placing
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 N+1 Singer nor any of its affiliates shall have any liability (including, to the extent permissible by law, any fiduciary duties) in respect of N+1 Singer's conduct of the Placing or of such alternative method of effecting the Placing as N+1 Singer and the Company may agree.
Registration and settlement
If Placees are allocated any Placing Shares in the Placing they will be sent a contract note or electronic confirmation which will confirm the number of Placing Shares allocated to them, the Placing Price and the aggregate amount owed by them to N+1 Singer.
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 N+1 Singer in accordance with either the standing CREST or certificated settlement instructions which they have in place with N+1 Singer.
Settlement of transactions in the Placing Shares (ISIN: GB00B63PS212) following Admission will take place within the CREST system, subject to certain exceptions. Settlement through CREST is expected to occur on 5 December 2019 (the "Settlement Date") in accordance with the contract notes. Settlement will be on a delivery versus payment basis. However, in the event of any difficulties or delays in the admission of the Placing Shares to CREST or the use of CREST in relation to the Placing, the Company and N+1 Singer may agree that the Placing Shares should be issued in certificated form. N+1 Singer reserves 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 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 N+1 Singer.
Each Placee is deemed to agree that if it does not comply with these obligations, N+1 Singer may sell any or all of their Placing Shares on their behalf and retain from the proceeds, for N+1 Singer'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 Placing Price and for any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax (together with any interest or penalties) which may arise 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, the conditional 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. Placees 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 N+1 Singer under the Placing Agreement are, and the Placing is, conditional upon, inter alia:
(all conditions to the obligations of N+1 Singer included in the Placing Agreement being together, the "conditions").
If any of the conditions are 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 N+1 Singer 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.
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.
N+1 Singer may, in its absolute discretion and upon such terms as it thinks fit, waive fulfilment of all or any of the conditions 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 referred to in paragraph (e) above may not be waived. Any such extension or waiver will not affect Placees' commitments as set out in this Appendix.
N+1 Singer may terminate the Placing Agreement in certain circumstances, details of which are set out below.
Neither N+1 Singer nor any of its affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees nor the Company shall have any liability to any Placee (or to any other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise) in respect of any decision 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 nor 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 N+1 Singer.
Termination of the Placing
N+1 Singer may, in its absolute discretion, by notice to the Company, terminate the Placing Agreement at any time up to Admission if, inter alia:
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 N+1 Singer that the exercise by the Company or N+1 Singer 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 N+1 Singer or for agreement between the Company and N+1 Singer (as the case may be) and that neither the Company nor N+1 Singer need make any reference to such Placee and that none of the Company, N+1 Singer nor any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees shall have any liability to such Placee (or to any other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise) whatsoever in connection with any such exercise.
By participating in the Placing, each Placee agrees that its rights and obligations terminate only in the circumstances described above and under the "Conditions of the Placing" section above and will not be capable of rescission or termination by it after the issue by N+1 Singer of a contract note confirming each 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) represents, warrants, acknowledges and agrees (for itself and for any such prospective Placee) that (save where N+1 Singer expressly agrees in writing to the contrary):
and in each case in accordance with all applicable securities laws of the states of the United States and other jurisdictions;
"THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE "SECURITIES ACT"), OR UNDER THE APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OR WITH ANY SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT (A) PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT WHICH HAS BEEN DECLARED EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (B) IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 903 OR RULE 904 OF REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR (C) PURSUANT TO ANY OTHER AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND, IN EACH CASE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES. NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY IN THE FOREGOING, THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE DEPOSITED INTO ANY UNRESTRICTED DEPOSITARY RECEIPT FACILITY IN RESPECT OF THE COMPANY'S SECURITIES ESTABLISHED OR MAINTAINED BY A DEPOSITARY BANK. EACH HOLDER, BY ITS ACCEPTANCE OF THESE SHARES, REPRESENTS THAT IT UNDERSTANDS AND AGREES TO THE FOREGOING RESTRICTIONS.";
and that N+1 Singer 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 N+1 Singer in respect of the same on the basis that the Placing Shares will be allotted to a CREST stock account of N+1 Singer or transferred to a CREST stock account of N+1 Singer who will hold them as nominee on behalf of the Placee until settlement in accordance with its standing settlement instructions with it;
By participating in the Placing, each Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) agrees to indemnify and hold the Company, N+1 Singer and each of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers and employees harmless from any and all costs, claims, liabilities and expenses (including legal fees and expenses) arising out of or in connection with any breach of the representations, warranties, acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings given by the Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) in this Appendix or incurred by N+1 Singer, the Company or each of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees arising from the performance of the Placee's obligations as set out in this Announcement, and further agrees that the provisions of this Appendix shall survive after the completion of the Placing.
The agreement to allot and issue Placing Shares to Placees (or the persons for whom Placees are contracting as agent) free of stamp duty and stamp duty reserve tax in the United Kingdom relates only to their allotment and issue to Placees, or such persons as they nominate as their agents, direct by the Company. Such agreement assumes that the Placing Shares are not being acquired in connection with arrangements to issue depositary receipts or to transfer the Placing Shares into a clearance service. If there are any such arrangements, or the settlement related to any other dealings in the Placing Shares, stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax may be payable. In that event, the Placee agrees that it shall be responsible for such stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax and neither the Company nor N+1 Singer shall be responsible for such stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax. If this is the case, each Placee should seek its own advice and they should notify N+1 Singer 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 N+1 Singer in the event that either the Company and/or N+1 Singer have incurred any such liability to such taxes or duties.
The representations, warranties, acknowledgements and undertakings contained in this Appendix are given to N+1 Singer for itself and on behalf of the Company and are irrevocable.
Nplus1 Singer Advisory LLP, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA and is acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection with the Placing, and N+1 Singer 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.
Each Placee and any person acting on behalf of the Placee acknowledges that N+1 Singer 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 N+1 Singer 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 N+1 Singer, any money held in an account with N+1 Singer 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 N+1 Singer's money in accordance with the client money rules and will be held by it under a banking relationship and not as trustee.
References to time in this Announcement are to London time, unless otherwise stated.
All times and dates in this Announcement may be subject to amendment. Placees will be notified of any changes.
No statement in this Announcement is intended to be a profit forecast or estimate, and no statement in this Announcement should be interpreted to mean that earnings per share of the Company for the current or future financial years would necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings per share of the Company.
The price of shares and any income expected from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the full amount invested upon disposal of the shares. Past performance is no guide to future performance, and persons needing advice should consult an independent financial adviser.
The Placing Shares to be issued pursuant to the Placing will not be admitted to trading on any stock exchange other than the London Stock Exchange.
Neither the content of the Company's website nor any website accessible by hyperlinks on the Company's website is incorporated in, or forms part of, this Announcement.
DEFINITIONS USED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT In this Appendix to the Announcement and, as the context shall admit, in the Announcement:
"Admission" |
the admission of the Placing Shares to trading on AIM becoming effective in accordance with the AIM Rules; |
"AGM" or "Annual General Meeting" |
the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held at 93 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 3ES at 11 a.m. on 4 December 2019; |
"AIM" |
the market of that name operated by the London Stock Exchange; |
"AIM Rules" |
the AIM Rules for Companies, as published and amended from time to time by the London Stock Exchange; |
"Allenby Capital" |
Allenby Capital Limited, the Company's nominated adviser pursuant to the AIM Rules; |
"Bookbuilding Process" |
the accelerated bookbuild process to be undertaken by N+1 Singer |
"Business Day" |
any day (other than a Saturday or Sunday) upon which commercial banks are open for business in London, UK; |
"certificated" or "in certificated form" |
an ordinary share or other security recorded on a company's register as being held in certificated form (that is not in CREST); |
"Circular" |
the shareholder circular containing further details of the Placing and including a notice convening the AGM; |
"Company" or "Frontier" |
Frontier IP Group plc; |
"CREST" |
the relevant system for the paperless settlement of trades and the holding of uncertificated securities operated by Euroclear UK and Ireland in accordance with the CREST Regulations; |
"CREST member" |
a person who has been admitted by Euroclear UK and Ireland as a system-member (as defined in the CREST Regulations); |
"CREST Regulations" |
the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/3755) (as amended from time to time); |
"Directors" or "Board" |
the directors of the Company; |
"EEA" |
European Economic Area; |
"Euroclear UK & Ireland" |
Euroclear UK & Ireland Limited, the operator of CREST; |
"FCA" |
the Financial Conduct Authority of the United Kingdom; |
"FSMA" |
the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended); |
"London Stock Exchange" |
London Stock Exchange plc; |
"MiFID II" |
EU Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended; |
"N+1 Singer" |
Nplus1 Singer Advisory LLP, the Company's broker for the Placing; |
"Order" |
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended; |
"Ordinary Shares" |
the ordinary shares of 10p each in the capital of the Company; |
"Placees" |
the persons who have conditionally agreed to subscribe for the Placing Shares; |
"Placing" |
the placing of the Placing Shares with by institutional and other investors by N+1 Singer |
"Placing Price" |
50 pence per Placing Share |
"Placing Agreement" |
the conditional placing agreement dated 6 November 2019 between the Company (1) and N+1 Singer (2) relating to the Placing; |
"Placing Resolutions" |
the resolutions numbered 9 and 10 to be proposed at the Annual General Meeting |
"Placing Shares" |
the new Ordinary Shares which have been conditionally placed by N+1 Singer with, or directly subscribed for with the Company, by institutional and other investors pursuant to the Placing; |
"Prospectus Regulation" |
Regulation (EU) 2017/1129; |
"Securities Act" |
US Securities Act 1933, as amended; |
"Shareholder(s)" |
holders of Ordinary Shares; |
"sterling", "pounds sterling", "£", "pence" or "p" |
the lawful currency of the United Kingdom; |
"uncertificated" or "in uncertificated form" |
recorded on the register of members of a company as being held in uncertificated form in CREST and title to which, by virtue of the CREST Regulations, may be transferred by means of CREST; and |
"United States" or "US" |
United States of America. |