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, 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 CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION
For immediate release
11 July 2018
Ilika plc
Proposed Placing to raise not less than £4.0 million
and
Open Offer to raise up to £1.0 million
Introduction
Ilika plc, the advanced solid-state battery technology and materials innovation company ("Ilika", the "Company" or, together with its subsidiary undertakings, the "Group"), today announces a placing of new ordinary shares of one penny each ("Ordinary Shares") in the capital of the Company (the "Placing Shares") at a price of 20 pence per Placing Share (the "Placing Price") to raise gross proceeds of not less than £4.0 million (the "Placing").
The Placing Shares will represent not less than 25.8 per cent. of the existing issued share capital of the Company and the Placing Price represents a discount of approximately 13.0 per cent. to the closing mid-market price of 23 pence per Ordinary Share on 10 July 2018, being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this Announcement.
Ilika also intends to raise up to approximately £1.0 million through the issue of 5,058,240 new Ordinary Shares (the "Open Offer Shares") pursuant to an open offer (the "Open Offer", together with the Placing, the "Capital Raising"), to allow Ilika shareholders who are not participating in the Placing to subscribe for new Ordinary Shares at the Placing Price.
Liberum Capital Limited ("Liberum") is acting as nominated adviser and sole bookrunner in connection with the Placing. The Placing will be launched immediately following this Announcement, in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in the Appendix to this Announcement.
The Company intends to send a circular (the "Circular") to shareholders in connection with the Open Offer on or around 11 July 2018. The Circular will also be available on the Company's website: www.ilika.com later today.
Transaction highlights
· Conditional placing to raise gross proceeds of not less than £4.0 million and an associated Open Offer to raise up to £1.0 million by way of a Placing of 20,224,683 new Ordinary Shares at a Placing Price of 20p and an Open Offer of 5,058,240 new Ordinary Shares at a price of 20p.
· The Company has been approached by a number of commercial partners interested in collaborating with Ilika to develop larger capacity batteries suitable for use in consumer electronics, domestic storage of energy and electric powered vehicles codenamed "Project Goliath".
· Following the offer of grant funding pursuant to the Faraday Challenge automotive collaborations, Ilika has now extended its commercialisation roadmap to include large format Stereax®cells for automotive power and now intends to build a new pre-pilot production line.
· The proceeds of the Placing together with the associated offer of funding grants received from Innovate UK are expected to be utilised as follows:
o Pre-pilot plant capital expenditure for Project Goliath of £1.6 million;
o Project Goliath operational costs of £1.5 million;
o Capital expenditure of £0.2million; and
o £3.0 million for general working capital purposes.
· The Directors believe that the funds raised from the Placing together with the Company's funding grants will provide sufficient working capital for the Company to fund its operations until at least the end of 2019.
· General Meeting to approve the Capital Raising to be held on 27 July 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at the offices of Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP, One Wood Street, London EC2V 7WS
Graeme Purdy, Chief Executive of Ilika, said: "It is an exciting time for the Company as it extends its commercialisation roadmap to include large format Stereax® cells for automotive power through the construction of a new pre-pilot production line. This Placing will also support the work we are carrying out with a number of interested parties surrounding our Stereax thin film batteries, with a view to entering into licence agreements.
"The Directors believe that the funds raised from the Placing together with the Company's funding grants will position the Company well to commercialise the Intellectual Property developed to date and lead interested commercial partners to the table to discuss licensing terms."
For more information contact:
Ilika plc |
|
Graeme Purdy, Chief Executive |
Tel: 023 8011 1400 |
Steve Boydell, Finance Director |
|
|
|
Liberum Capital Limited |
Tel: 020 3100 2000 |
Neil Elliot, Jill Li, Trystan Cullen, William Hall |
|
|
|
Walbrook PR Ltd |
Tel: 020 7933 8780 / ilika@walbrookpr.com |
Paul Cornelius |
Mob: 07866 384 707 |
Lianne Cawthorne |
Mob: 07584 391 303 |
Note:
The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation. Upon the publication of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. If you have any queries on this, then please contact Steve Boydell, Finance Director of the Company (responsible for arranging release of this announcement) on 023 8011 1400.
IMPORTANT NOTICES
This Announcement may contain and the Company may make verbal statements containing "forward-looking statements" with respect to certain of the Company's plans and its current goals and expectations relating to its future financial condition, performance, strategic initiatives, objectives and results. Forward-looking statements sometimes use words such as "aim", "anticipate", "target", "expect", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "goal", "believe", "seek", "may", "could", "outlook" or other words of similar meaning. By their nature, all forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances which are beyond the control of the Company, including amongst other things, United Kingdom domestic and global economic business conditions, market-related risks such as fluctuations in interest rates and exchange rates, the policies and actions of governmental and regulatory authorities, the effect of competition, inflation, deflation, the timing effect and other uncertainties of future acquisitions or combinations within relevant industries, the effect of tax and other legislation and other regulations in the jurisdictions in which the Company and its affiliates operate, the effect of volatility in the equity, capital and credit markets on the Company's profitability and ability to access capital and credit, a decline in the Company's credit ratings; the effect of operational risks; and the loss of key personnel. As a result, the actual future financial condition, performance and results of the Company may differ materially from the plans, goals and expectations set forth in any forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements made in this Announcement by or on behalf of the Company speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to publish any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this Announcement to reflect any changes in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Liberum is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA") in the United Kingdom and is acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection with the Placing or any other matters referred to in this Announcement, and Liberum 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 Liberum 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.
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.
The following is an extract from the Chairman's letter to be set out in substantially the same form in the Circular.
Proposed Placing to raise not less than £4.0 million
and
Open Offer to raise up to £1.0 million
1. Introduction
The Company is pleased to announce a conditional Placing by Liberum Capital at a price of 20 pence per New Ordinary Share to raise gross proceeds of not less than £4.0 million and an associated Open Offer to raise up to £1.0 million. The net proceeds of the Placing and Open Offer will be used to fund capital expenditure relating to the Company's automotive projects and to provide working capital for the Company to at least the end of 2019.
The Placing and Open Offer are conditional upon, inter alia, the passing of the Resolutions at the General Meeting and Admission. It is expected that, subject to the passing of the Resolutions, the New Ordinary Shares will be admitted to trading on AIM on 30 July 2018.
The Placing Price represents a discount of approximately 13.0 per cent. to the closing mid-market price of 23 pence per Existing Ordinary Share on 10 July 2018 (being the latest practicable date prior to this announcement).
2. Background to, and reasons for, the Placing and Open Offer
On 13 June 2018 the Company announced that it had received conditional offers of grant funding totalling £4.1 million through the Faraday Battery Challenge to partially fund two development projects. In order to qualify for this grant funding, Ilika is required to partially fund these projects, one of which will be funded from the proceeds of the Placing as described below.
Furthermore, the Company has been approached by a number of significant commercial partners interested in collaborating with Ilika to expand its product development roadmap to include larger capacity batteries suitable for use in consumer electronics, domestic storage of energy and electric powered vehicles codenamed "Project Goliath". Following the offer of grant funding pursuant to the Faraday Challenge automotive collaborations, Ilika has now extended its commercialisation roadmap to include large format Stereax® cells for automotive power and now intends to build a new pre-pilot production line, which is estimated to cost £1.6 million with additional working capital requirements of £1.5 million.
Ilika is the lead partner in the PowerDrive Line project, in which it intends to collaborate with Honda, Ricardo, the Centre for Process Innovation ("CPI") and University College London. The proposed project grant funding for all partners is £4.4 million, of which Ilika expects to receive £2.3 million. This 30-month collaborative project will be the key focus for Ilika as it seeks to develop a lithium based solid-state Stereax® battery for plug in hybrid and electric vehicles, establish a pre-pilot line for solid-state battery cell technology and develop processes for a solid-state materials supply chain. The innovative solid-state technology will enable safer, more energy and power dense cells that will facilitate ultra-fast charging (enabling PHEV or BEV drivers to charge their cars in under 25 minutes). £0.8 million of the proceeds from the Placing will therefore be deployed to support this project.
Ilika also has the opportunity to participate in a project called, "Multi optimal Solutions for Energy Storage Systems" (MoSESS), in a consortium led by McLaren including other project partners A123 Systems and the University of Warwick. The proposed project grant funding for all partners in this 24-month project is £6 million, of which Ilika would receive £1.8 million. The consortium identifies that current electric technology is not sufficiently mature for the demands of high performance cars due to high weight, range limitations and battery management challenges. Through the development of new materials for cells and a modular designed battery, the consortium aims at delivering advances needed to achieve improved levels of functionality and performance, which may one day benefit volume car buyers. Ilika does not currently have the funds to support this project and is discussing the funding required for this project with its partners and further updates will be made as appropriate.
In addition to the above projects, the Company continues to work with a number of interested parties with a view to entering into licence agreements for the Company's Stereax thin film batteries. To support these efforts the Company is undertaking the Placing to provide additional working capital.
The Directors believe that the funds raised from the Placing together with the Company's funding grants will provide sufficient working capital for the Company to fund its operations until at least the end of 2019.
3. Current trading and prospects
The past year has seen strong progress from Ilika both operationally and financially. The Stereax® pilot line has produced samples of Ilika's batteries for evaluation by partners in a number of jurisdictions. Feedback from Ilika's partners has been positive and underpins its ongoing commercialisation efforts.
Following the offer of grant funding pursuant to the Faraday Challenge automotive collaborations, Ilika has now extended its commercialisation roadmap to include large format Stereax®cells for automotive power.
For the year ended 30 April 2018 the Company recorded revenues of £2.1 million, up from £1.1 million in 2017, and a loss before tax of £3.3 million compared to a loss of £3.9 million in 2017.
4. Details of the Placing
The Company is proposing to raise, in aggregate, not less than £4.0 million (before commissions and expenses) by means of the Placing. The Placing Shares will represent not less than 25.8 per cent. of the Existing Ordinary Shares. The aggregate net proceeds after costs related to the Placing are expected to be not less than £3.7 million. The Placing Shares will, when issued, rank in full for any dividend or other distribution declared, made or paid after Admission and otherwise equally in all respects with the Existing Ordinary Shares.
Application will be made to the London Stock Exchange for the Placing Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM and it is anticipated that trading in the Placing Shares will commence on AIM at 8.00 a.m. on 30 July 2018.
The Placing is conditional upon, amongst other things:
· the Placing Agreement becoming unconditional in all respects (save for Admission) and not having been terminated in accordance with its terms;
· the Resolutions being passed at the General Meeting by the requisite majorities; and
· Admission of the Placing Shares to trading on AIM becoming effective by not later than 8.00 a.m. on 30 July 2018 (or such later time and date as may be agreed between the Company and Liberum Capital, being not later than 8.00 a.m. on 17 August 2018).
The Placing is not conditional on the Open Offer.
Pursuant to the terms of the Placing Agreement, Liberum Capital, as agent for the Company, has agreed to use its reasonable endeavours to procure placees for the Placing Shares at the Placing Price. The Placing Agreement contains warranties from the Company in favour of Liberum Capital which are customary for a transaction of this nature. In addition, the Company has agreed to indemnify Liberum Capital in customary terms in relation to certain liabilities that it may incur in respect of the Placing.
Liberum Capital may (after consultation with the Company) terminate the Placing Agreement prior to Admission in certain circumstances, including, amongst other things, if the Company is in material breach of any of its obligations under the Placing Agreement (including the warranties contained in the Placing Agreement); if there is a material adverse change in the financial position or prospects of the Group; or if there is a material adverse change in national or international financial, monetary, economic, political, environmental or stock market conditions which (in the reasonable opinion of Liberum Capital, acting in good faith) is or will be or is likely to be materially prejudicial to the Group or to the Placing or Admission.
5. Director Subscriptions
The following directors have confirmed their intention to subscribe for New Ordinary Shares in the following amounts and pursuant to the Director Subscription Agreements:
Director |
Existing beneficial shareholding |
New Ordinary Shares subscribed for |
Shareholding on completion of the Placing |
Shareholding as a percentage of the Enlarged Issued Share Capital |
Mike Inglis |
115,000 |
250,000 |
365,000 |
0.35 per cent. |
Graeme Purdy |
609,427 |
125,000 |
734,427 |
0.71 per cent. |
Keith Jackson |
20,000 |
50,000 |
70,000 |
0.07 per cent. |
6. Details of the Open Offer
The Company considers it important that Qualifying Shareholders have an opportunity (where it is practicable for them to do so) to participate at the same price per New Ordinary Share as the Placing and, accordingly, the Company is make the Open Offer to Qualifying Shareholders. The Company is proposing to raise a maximum of £1.0 million (before expenses) (assuming full take up of the Open Offer but being less than the €5 million maximum amount permitted without requiring the publication by the Company of a prospectus under the Prospectus Rules) through the issue of up to 5,058,240 Open Offer Shares.
The Open Offer Shares are available to Qualifying Shareholders pursuant to the Open Offer at the Placing Price of 20 pence per Open Offer Share, payable in full on acceptance. Any Open Offer Shares not applied for by Qualifying Shareholders will be available to Qualifying Shareholders under the Excess Application Facility.
Qualifying Shareholders may apply for Open Offer Shares under the Open Offer at the Placing Price on the following basis:
2 Open Offer Shares for every 31 Existing Ordinary Shares
held by the Qualifying Shareholder on the Record Date
Entitlements of Qualifying Shareholders to apply for Open Offer Shares will be rounded down to the nearest whole number of Open Offer Shares. Fractional entitlements which would otherwise arise will not be issued to Qualifying Shareholders but will be aggregated and made available under the Excess Application Facility. The Excess Application Facility enables Qualifying Shareholders to apply for Excess Shares in excess of their Open Offer Entitlements. Not all Shareholders will be Qualifying Shareholders. Shareholders who are located in, or are citizens of, or have a registered office in the Restricted Jurisdictions will not qualify to participate in the Open Offer.
Valid applications by Qualifying Shareholders will be satisfied in full up to their Open Offer Entitlements as shown on the Application Form. Applicants can apply for less or more than their entitlements under the Open Offer but the Company cannot guarantee that any application for Excess Shares under the Excess Application Facility will be satisfied as this will depend, in part, on the extent to which other Qualifying Shareholders apply for less than or more than their own Open Offer Entitlements. The Company may satisfy valid applications for Excess Shares of applicants in whole or in part but reserves the right not to satisfy any excess above any Open Offer Entitlement. The Board may scale back applications made in excess of Open Offer Entitlements on such basis as it reasonably considers to be appropriate.
Application has been made for the Open Offer Entitlements to be admitted to CREST. It is expected that such Open Offer Entitlements will be credited to CREST stock accounts on 12 July 2018. The Open Offer Entitlements will be enabled for settlement in CREST until 11.00 a.m. on 26 July 2018. Applications through the CREST system may only be made by the Qualifying CREST Shareholder originally entitled or by a person entitled by virtue of bona fide market claim. The Open Offer Shares must be paid in full on application.
The latest time and date for receipt of completed Application Forms or CREST applications and payment in respect of the Open Offer is 11.00 a.m. on 26 July 2018. The Open Offer is not being made to certain Overseas Shareholders.
Qualifying Shareholders should note that the Open Offer is not a rights issue and therefore the Open Offer Shares which are not applied for by Qualifying Shareholders will not be sold in the market for the benefit of Qualifying Shareholders who do not apply under the Open Offer. The Application Form is not a document of title and cannot be traded or otherwise transferred.
Further details of the Open Offer and the terms and conditions on which it is being made, including the procedure for application and payment, will be contained in the Circular that will shortly be sent to Qualifying Shareholders and on the accompanying Application Form.
The Open Offer is conditional upon the Placing becoming unconditional in all respects and not being terminated before Admission (as the case may be). Accordingly, if the conditions to the Placing are not satisfied or waived (where capable of waiver), the Open Offer will not proceed and the Open Offer Shares will not be issued and all monies received by the Receiving Agent will be returned to the applicants (at the applicant's risk and without interest) as soon as possible, but within 14 days thereafter. Any Open Offer Entitlements admitted to CREST will thereafter be disabled.
The Open Offer Shares will be issued free of all liens, charges and encumbrances and will, when issued, be fully paid, rank pari passu in all respect with the Placing Shares and the Existing Ordinary Shares, including the right to receive dividends and other distributions declared, paid or made after the date of their issue.
7. Sources and uses of proceeds
The proceeds of the Placing together with the funding grants of £2.3 million towards the PowerDrive Line project offered by Innovate UK are expected to be utilised as follows:
· Pre-pilot plant capital expenditure for Project Goliath of £1.6 million;
· Project Goliath operational costs of £1.5 million;
· Capital expenditure of £0.2million; and
· £3.0 million for general working capital purposes.
8. Effects of the Placing and Open Offer
Upon Admission, and assuming full take up of the Open Offer Entitlements, the Enlarged Issued Share Capital is expected to be not less than 103,685,633 Ordinary Shares. On this basis, the New Ordinary Shares will represent not less than approximately 24.4 per cent. of the Company's Enlarged Issued Share Capital.
Following the issue of the New Ordinary Shares pursuant to the Placing and Open Offer, assuming full take up of the Open Offer Entitlements, Qualifying Shareholders who do not take up any of their Open Offer entitlements nor participate in the Placing will suffer a dilution of not less than 24.4 per cent. to their interests in the Company. If a Qualifying Shareholder takes up his, her or its Open Offer Entitlement in full, and does not participate in the Placing, he, she or it will suffer a dilution of not less than 19.5 per cent. to his, her or its interest in the Company.
The Directors have concluded that proceeding with the Placing and Open Offer is the most suitable option available to the Company for raising additional funds through the issue of New Ordinary Shares and that issuing the New Ordinary Shares at a discount is fair and reasonable so far as all existing Shareholders are concerned. The Placing Price has been set by Liberum Capital, after consultation with the Company, following its assessment of market conditions and following discussions with a number of institutional investors.
9. General Meeting
The Directors currently have existing authorities to allot shares and dis-apply pre-emption rights under section 551 and section 570 of the Act which were obtained at the Company's Annual General Meeting held on 28 September 2017. However, these are insufficient to enable the Company to allot and issue the full amount of New Ordinary Shares pursuant to the Placing and Open Offer. Accordingly, in order for the Company to allot and issue the New Ordinary Shares, the Company needs to first obtain approval from its Shareholders to grant to the Board additional authority to allot the New Ordinary Shares and to dis-apply statutory pre-emption rights which would otherwise apply to such allotment. The Company is therefore also seeking Shareholder authority to increase the Director's general authority to allot securities and dis-apply pre-emption rights pursuant to sections 551 and 570 of the Act, respectively.
Set out at the end of the Circular will be a notice convening the General Meeting of the Company to be held at the offices of the Company's solicitors, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP at One Wood Street, London EC2V 7WS on 27 July 2018 at 11:00 a.m., at which the Resolutions will be proposed.
The Resolutions are all inter-conditional such that if any Resolution is not passed by Shareholders at the General Meeting, the Placing and Open Offer will not proceed. The Resolutions can be summarised as follows:
· Resolution 1 - this will be proposed as an ordinary resolution and seeks the approval of Shareholders to authorise the Directors to allot the New Ordinary Shares in connection with the Placing and Open Offer; and
· Resolution 2 - this will be proposed as a special resolution and seeks the approval of Shareholders to authorise the Directors to dis-apply pre-emption rights in connection with the allotment of the New Ordinary Shares in connection with the Placing and Open Offer.
Save in respect of the allotment of the Placing Shares and Open Offer Shares, the grant of options to employees under employee share plans or other similar incentive arrangements and pursuant to any exercise of existing options in respect of Ordinary Shares, the Directors have no current intention to allot shares, or rights to subscribe or convert into shares, in the capital of the Company.
The Directors believe that the Placing and Open Offer are in the best interests of Shareholders and the Directors intend to unanimously recommend that Shareholders vote in favour of the Resolutions so that the Placing and Open Offer can be implemented.
Appendix 1
EXPECTED TIMETABLE OF PRINCIPAL EVENTS
Open Offer Record Date |
5.00 p.m. on 10 July 2018 |
Announcement of the Placing and Open Offer |
11 July 2018 |
Posting of the Circular, Application Forms and Forms of Proxy |
11 July 2018 |
Date Existing Ordinary Shares marked 'ex-entitlement' by the London Stock Exchange |
8.00 a.m. on 11 July 2018 |
Open Offer Entitlements and Excess Open Offer Entitlements credited to CREST stock accounts of Qualifying CREST Shareholders |
8.00 a.m. on 12 July 2018 or as soon as possible thereafter |
Recommended latest time and date for requesting withdrawal of Open Offer Entitlements and Excess Open Offer Entitlements from CREST |
4.30 p.m. on 19 July 2018 |
Latest time and date for depositing Open Offer Entitlements and Excess Open Offer Entitlements into CREST |
3.00 p.m. on 23 July 2018 |
Latest time and date for splitting Application Forms (to satisfy bona fide market claims in relation to Open Offer Entitlements only) |
3.00 p.m. on 24 July 2018 |
Latest time and date for receipt of completed Forms of Proxy and receipt of electronic proxy appointments via CREST |
11.00 a.m. on 25 July 2018 |
Latest time and date for receipt of completed Application Forms and payment in full under the Open Offer or settlement of the relevant CREST instructions (as appropriate) |
11.00 a.m. on 26 July 2018 |
General Meeting |
11.00 a.m. on 27 July 2018 |
Results of General Meeting and Placing and Open Offer expected to be announced through a Regulatory Information Service |
27 July 2018 |
Admission and commencement of dealings in the New Ordinary Shares on AIM expected to commence |
8.00 a.m. on 30 July 2018 |
Expected time and date on which CREST accounts to be credited with New Ordinary Shares in uncertificated form |
On or after 8.00 a.m. on 30 July 2018 |
Expected date for despatch of definitive share certificates in respect of New Ordinary Shares to be issued in certificated form |
By 2 August 2018 |
|
|
Notes:
(1) Reference to times in this announcement is to London time unless otherwise stated.
(2) Each of the times and dates above are indicative only and are subject to change. If any of the above times and/or dates change, the revised times and/or dates will be notified by the Company to the Shareholders by announcement though a Regulatory Information Service.
(3) Admission and the commencement of dealings in the New Ordinary Shares on AIM are conditional on, inter alia, the passing of the Resolutions at the General Meeting.
APPENDIX 2
DEFINITIONS
The following definitions apply throughout this Announcement, unless the context otherwise requires:
"Admission" |
the admission of the New Ordinary Shares to trading on AIM becoming effective in accordance with the AIM Rules |
"AIM Rules" |
the AIM Rules for Companies, published by the London Stock Exchange plc |
"Application Form" |
the personalised application form accompanying the Circular (where appropriate) pursuant to which Qualifying Non-CREST Shareholders (other than certain Overseas Shareholders) may apply to subscribe for Open Offer Shares under the Open Offer |
"Board" or "Directors" |
the board of directors of the Company |
"Company" or "Ilika" |
Ilika plc |
"CREST" or "CREST system" |
the relevant system (as defined in the CREST regulations) for the paperless settlement of trades and the holding of uncertificated securities operated by Euroclear |
"CREST Manual" |
the rules governing the operation of CREST, consisting of the CREST Reference Manual, CREST International Manual, CREST Central Counterparty Service Manual, CREST Rules, CCSS Operations Manual and CREST Glossary of Terms (all as defined in the CREST Glossary of Terms promulgated by Euroclear on 15 July 1996 and as amended since) |
"CREST Member" |
a person who has been admitted to Euroclear as a system-member (as defined in the CREST Regulations) |
"CREST Participant" |
a person who is, in relation to CREST, a system-participant (as defined in the CREST regulations) |
"CREST Payment" |
has the meaning given thereto in the CREST Manual |
"CREST regulations" |
the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 (SI2001/3755) |
"CREST Sponsor" |
a CREST Participant admitted to CREST as a CREST Sponsor |
"CREST Sponsored Member" |
a CREST Member admitted to CREST as a sponsored member |
"Director Subscriptions" |
means the subscriptions to be made at the Placing Price by, or on behalf of the following Directors: (i) Mike Inglis, in respect of 250,000 New Ordinary Shares; (ii) Graeme Purdy, in respect of 125,000 New Ordinary Shares; and (iii) Keith Jackson in respect of 50,000 New Ordinary Shares. |
"Director Subscriptions Agreements" |
means the subscription agreements dated on or about the date of this document between the Company and each of the Directors subscribing for Director Subscription Shares |
"Director Subscription Shares" |
means the 425,000 New Ordinary Shares to be issued pursuant to the Director Subscriptions |
"Enlarged Share Capital" |
the issued ordinary share capital of the Company immediately following the implementation of the Placing and Open Offer and Admission |
"Euroclear" |
Euroclear UK & Ireland Limited, the operator of CREST |
"Excess Application Facility" |
the arrangement pursuant to which Qualifying Shareholders may apply for any number of Open Offer Shares in excess of their Open Offer Entitlement provided that they have agreed to take up their Open Offer Entitlement in full in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Open Offer
|
"Excess CREST Open Offer Entitlement" |
in respect of each Qualifying CREST Shareholder, the entitlement (in addition to his/her Open Offer Entitlement) to apply for Open Offer Shares pursuant to the Excess Application Facility, which is conditional on him/her taking up his/her Open Offer Entitlement in full and which may be subject to scaling back in accordance with the provisions of the Circular
|
"Excess Open Offer Entitlement" |
in respect of each Qualifying Shareholder, the entitlement (in addition to his/her Open Offer Entitlement) to apply for Open Offer Shares pursuant to the Excess Application Facility, which is conditional on him/her taking up his/her Open Offer Entitlement in full and which may be subject to scaling back in accordance with the provisions of the Circular
|
"Excess Shares" |
Open Offer Shares applied for by Qualifying Shareholders under the Excess Application Facility
|
"Ex-entitlement Date" |
the date on which the Existing Ordinary Shares are marked ''ex'' for entitlement under the Open Offer, being 8.00 a.m. on 11 July 2018
|
"Existing Ordinary Shares" |
the 78,402,710 existing Ordinary Shares in issue as at 10 July 2018 (being the latest practicable date prior to publication of the Circular)
|
"FCA" |
the Financial Conduct Authority |
"Form of Proxy" |
the form of proxy for use by Shareholders in connection with the General Meeting and accompanying the Circular |
"FSMA" |
the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 |
"General Meeting" |
the general meeting of the Company to be held at the offices of Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP at One Wood Street, London EC2V 7WS at 11.00 a.m. on 27 July 2018, or any adjournment thereof |
"Group" |
the Company and its subsidiary undertakings |
"Placing Price" |
the price at which the New Ordinary Shares are to be issued and allotted pursuant to the Placing and Open Offer, being 20 pence per New Ordinary Share |
"Latest Practicable Date" |
close of business (5.00 pm London time) on 10 July 2018, being the latest practicable date prior to this announcement |
"Liberum Capital" |
Liberum Capital Limited, the Company's nominated adviser and broker in connection with the Placing and Open Offer |
"London Stock Exchange" |
London Stock Exchange plc |
"New Ordinary Shares" |
25,282,923 new Ordinary Shares to be issued pursuant to the Placing and Open Offer |
"Notice of the General Meeting" |
the notice of the General Meeting set out at the end of the Circular |
"Official List" |
the Official List of the FCA |
"Open Offer" |
the conditional invitation made by the Company to Qualifying Shareholders to subscribe for the Open Offer Shares at the Placing Price on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in the Circular and, in the case of Qualifying Non-CREST Shareholders, in the Application Form accompanying the Circular |
"Open Offer Entitlement" |
the pro rata basic entitlement of a Qualifying Shareholder, pursuant to the Open Offer, to apply to subscribe for 2 Open Offer Shares for every 31 Existing Ordinary Shares registered in its name as at the Open Offer Record Date |
"Open Offer Record Date" or "Record Date" |
the record date in relation to the Open Offer, being 5.00 p.m. on 10 July 2018 |
"Open Offer Shares" |
5,058,240 New Ordinary Shares to be issued by the Company to Qualifying Shareholders in connection with the Open Offer
|
"Ordinary Shares" |
ordinary shares of £0.01 each in the capital of the Company |
"Overseas Shareholders" |
Shareholders with registered addresses in, or who are citizens, residents or nationals of, jurisdictions outside of the UK |
"Placing" |
the conditional placing by Liberum Capital, as agent for the Company, of the Placing Shares at the Placing Price on the terms and conditions set out in the Placing Agreement |
"Placing Agreement" |
the placing agreement dated 11 July 2018 between the Company and Liberum Capital |
"Placing Shares" |
the 20,224,683 New Ordinary Shares to be placed for cash with placees pursuant to the Placing on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in the Placing Agreement |
"Prospectus Rules" |
the prospectus rules made by the FCA in exercise of its functions as competent authority pursuant to Part VI of FSMA, as amended from time to time |
"Qualifying CREST Shareholders" |
Qualifying Shareholders whose Existing Ordinary Shares on the register of members of the Company on the Open Offer Record Date are held in uncertificated form |
"Qualifying Non-CREST Shareholders" |
Qualifying Shareholders whose Existing Ordinary Shares on the register of members of the Company on the Open Offer Record Date are held in certificated form |
"Qualifying Shareholders" |
Shareholders on the register of members of the Company on the Open Offer Record Date with the exclusion (subject to exemptions) of persons with a registered address or located or resident in a Restricted Jurisdiction |
"Receiving Agent" or "Registrar" |
Computershare Investor Services PLC |
"Regulatory Information Service" |
a service approved by the FCA for the distribution to the public of regulatory announcements and included within the list maintained on the FCA's website
|
"Resolutions" |
the resolutions set out in the Notice of General Meeting at the end of the Circular |
"Restricted Jurisdiction" |
any jurisdiction where local laws or regulations may result in a significant risk of civil, regulatory or criminal exposure for the Company if information or documentation concerning the proposals set out in the Circular is sent or made available to Shareholders in that jurisdiction including, without limitation, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Republic of South Africa |
"Shareholders" |
holders of Ordinary Shares |
"uncertificated" or "in uncertificated form" |
recorded on the relevant register of Ordinary Shares as being held in uncertificated form in CREST and title to which, by virtue of the CREST Regulations, may be transferred by means of CREST |
"United Kingdom" or "UK" |
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
"United States" or "US" |
the United States of America, each state thereof, its territories and possessions (including the District of Columbia) and all other areas subject to its jurisdiction |
|
|
"£", "pounds sterling", "pence" or "p" |
are references to the lawful currency of the United Kingdom |
"€" or "Euros" |
are references to the lawful currency of the European Union |
Appendix 3
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(1)(e) OF DIRECTIVE 2003/71/EC AS AMENDED, INCLUDING BY THE 2010 PROSPECTUS DIRECTIVE AMENDING DIRECTIVE (DIRECTIVE 2010/73/EC) AND TO THE EXTENT IMPLEMENTED IN THE RELEVANT MEMBER STATE (THE "PROSPECTUS DIRECTIVE"); (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 ILIKA 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 THE UNITED STATES IN "OFFSHORE TRANSACTIONS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF, AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH, REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND OTHERWISE IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS. NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF THE PLACING SHARES IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES OR ELSEWHERE.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THIS 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.
The distribution of this Announcement and/or the Placing and/or issue or sale of the Placing Shares in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has been taken by the Company, Liberum 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 Liberum 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 Directive 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 for the South Africa Reserve Bank or any other applicable body in the Republic of South Africa in relation to the Placing Shares and the Placing Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under or offering in compliance with the securities laws of any state, province or territory of Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan. Accordingly, the Placing Shares may not (unless an exemption under the relevant securities laws is applicable) be offered, sold, resold or delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom.
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 Liberum or the Company or any other person and none of Liberum, 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
Liberum has today entered into the Placing Agreement with the Company under which, on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in the Placing Agreement, Liberum, as agent for and on behalf of the Company, 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 and credited as fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing issued ordinary shares of one penny 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.
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 Liberum under the Placing Agreement are, and the Placing is, conditional upon, inter alia:
(all conditions to the obligations of Liberum included in the Placing Agreement being together, the "Conditions").
If any of the Conditions set out in the Placing Agreement is not fulfilled or, where permitted, waived in accordance with the Placing Agreement within the stated time periods (or such later time and/or date as the Company and Liberum 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.
Liberum may, in its absolute discretion and upon such terms as it thinks fit, waive fulfilment of all or any of the Conditions in the Placing Agreement in whole or in part, or extend the time provided for fulfilment of one or more Conditions, save that certain Conditions including the condition relating to Admission referred to in paragraph (d) above may not be waived. Any such extension or waiver will not affect Placees' commitments as set out in this Appendix.
Liberum may terminate the Placing Agreement in certain circumstances, details of which are set out below.
Neither Liberum 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 Liberum.
Termination of the Placing
Liberum 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 Liberum that the exercise by the Company or Liberum 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 Liberum or for agreement between the Company and Liberum (as the case may be) and that neither the Company nor Liberum need make any reference to such Placee and that none of the Company, Liberum 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 Liberum of a trade confirmation email confirming each Placee's allocation and commitment in the Placing.
Application for admission to trading
Application has been 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 30 July 2018 and that dealings in the Placing Shares on AIM will commence at the same time.
Principal terms of the Placing
Registration and settlement
If Placees are allocated any Placing Shares in the Placing they will be sent a trade confirmation email which will confirm the number of Placing Shares allocated to them, the Placing Price and the aggregate amount owed by them to Liberum.
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 Liberum in accordance with either the standing CREST or certificated settlement instructions which they have in place with Liberum.
Settlement of transactions in the Placing Shares (ISIN: GB00B608Z994) following Admission will take place within the CREST system, subject to certain exceptions. Settlement through CREST will be on a T+13 basis unless otherwise notified by Liberum and is expected to occur on 30 July 2018 (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 Liberum may agree that the Placing Shares should be issued in certificated form. Liberum 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.
Subject to the conditions set out above, payment in respect of the Placees' allocation is due as set out below. Each Placee should provide its settlement details in order to enable instructions to be successfully matched in CREST. The relevant settlement details are as follows:
CREST Participant ID of Liberum: ENQAN
Expected Trade time & date: 08:00 a.m. on 11 July 2018
Settlement date: 30 July 2018
ISIN code for the Placing Shares: GB00B608Z994
Deadline for Placee to input instructions into CREST: 12:00 p.m. on 27 July 2018
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 three percentage points above prevailing base rate of Barclays Bank plc as determined by Liberum.
Each Placee is deemed to agree that if it does not comply with these obligations, Liberum may sell any or all of their Placing Shares on their behalf and retain from the proceeds, for Liberum'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.
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 Liberum expressly agrees in writing to the contrary):
(together, the "Regulations") and if making payment on behalf of a third party, that satisfactory evidence has been obtained and recorded by it to verify the identity of the third party as required by the Regulations and has obtained all governmental and other consents (if any) which may be required for the purpose of, or as a consequence of, such purchase, and it will provide promptly to Liberum such evidence, if any, as to the identity or location or legal status of any person which it may request from it in connection with the Placing (for the purpose of complying with the Regulations or ascertaining the nationality of any person or the jurisdiction(s) to which any person is subject or otherwise) in the form and manner requested by Liberum on the basis that any failure by it to do so may result in the number of Placing Shares that are to be acquired by it or at its direction pursuant to the Placing being reduced to such number, or to nil, as Liberum may decide at its sole discretion;
By participating in the Placing, each Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) agrees to indemnify and hold the Company, Liberum 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 Liberum, 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 Liberum 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 Liberum 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 Liberum in the event that either the Company and/or Liberum have incurred any such liability to such taxes or duties.
The representations, warranties, acknowledgements and undertakings contained in this Appendix are given to Liberum for itself and on behalf of the Company and are irrevocable.
Liberum is authorised and regulated by the FCA in the United Kingdom and is acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection with the Placing or any other matters referred to in this Announcement, and Liberum 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 the Liberum 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 Liberum 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 Liberum, any money held in an account with Liberum 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 Liberum'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.