THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THE APPENDICES) AND THE
INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR
PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN
WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS
TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (COLLECTIVELY, THE "UNITED STATES"),
AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, CANADA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND, THE
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH
PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION IS OR WOULD
BE PROHIBITED.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES
NOT CONSTITUTE OR CONTAIN ANY INVITATION, SOLICITATION,
RECOMMENDATION, ADVERTISING, OFFER OR ADVICE TO ANY PERSON TO
SUBSCRIBE FOR, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE OR DISPOSE OF ANY SECURITIES IN
ONDINE BIOMEDICAL INC 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 ONDINE BIOMEDICAL
INC.
NO
ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN OR WILL BE TAKEN BY ONDINE BIOMEDICAL INC.
WHICH WOULD PERMIT A PUBLIC OFFERING OF SHARES IN ONDINE BIOMEDICAL
INC. OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OR ANY OTHER MATERIAL IN
CONNECTION THEREWITH IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE ACTION FOR THAT
PURPOSE IS REQUIRED.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT SHOULD BE READ IN ITS ENTIRETY. IN
PARTICULAR, IF YOU WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PLACING YOU SHOULD
READ AND UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE APPENDICES.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING.
This Announcement contains inside information for the purposes
of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation
No. 596/2014 as it forms part of UK law by virtue of the European
Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 as amended. Upon the publication
of this Announcement, this inside information is now considered to
be in the public domain.
This Announcement assumes a
£ : C$ exchange rate of 1 : 1.71690 and a
£ : US$ exchange rate of 1 : 1.25155 as at 16:30 (GMT) on 1
May 2024.
3 May 2024
Ondine Biomedical
Inc.
("Ondine" or the
"Company")
Ondine announces proposed
fundraising
Ondine Biomedical Inc. (AIM: OBI), a
Canadian life sciences company, announces a proposed fundraising to
raise not less than c.£3 million (C$5.15 million) from primarily
existing shareholders. The fundraising is being implemented by way
of a proposed placing (the "Placing") and a subscription (the
"Subscription") (together,
the "Fundraising"). The
Fundraising involves the issuance of common shares without par
value in the capital of the Company ("New Common Shares") at the price of 7
pence per New Common Share (the "Issue Price"). In addition, the Company
intends to offer each participant the opportunity to subscribe for
warrants (the "Warrants")
which will be exercisable into Common Shares.
Certain employees and the majority
of the Company's Directors (together the "Participating Directors") intend to
participate in the Subscription for a total of c.£0.29 million
(C$0.49 million) in gross proceeds forming part of the Fundraising,
with such Subscription being conducted in accordance with
applicable Canadian prospectus exemptions.
The net proceeds of the Fundraising
will be used for general working capital, US Phase 3 Clinical Trial
readiness and start-up preparation, and to support the Company's
rapid sales growth of its Steriwave® nasal decolonisation therapy,
a product that has been shown to reduce post-surgical hospital
infection rates by over 50% without generating antimicrobial
resistance ("AMR").
· The
firm indications received in respect of Fundraising participations,
as at the time of this announcement, are expected to result in a
total new issuance of not less than 43,392,671 New Common Shares,
representing approximately 16.2 per cent of the existing issued
share capital of the Company excluding any Common Shares which may
be issued pursuant to the Warrants.
· The
Issue Price represents a premium of approximately 36.6 per cent to
the closing mid-market price on 2 May 2024, being the day prior to
this announcement.
· The
net proceeds of the Fundraising will provide general working
capital, including in support of Phase 3 Clinical Trial readiness
and start-up preparation and the Company's accelerating
commercialisation momentum focused on where Steriwave is already
approved. As previously announced, the Company will also seek
opportunities to develop licensing revenue geographically and by
therapy area.
· The
Fundraising is being concluded in advance of the Company seeking
further, separate funding including from strategic partners and
non-dilutive funding sources for executing the clinical trial and
its FDA submission for US market approval, as well as additional
capital to support capacity expansion, inventory build-up and
increased sales and marketing activities associated with a US
launch in due course and continuing commercialisation as
above.
· Excluding the Phase 3 clinical trial execution and related
costs which are subject to further funding, the net proceeds of the
Fundraising and strategic cost management will provide runway for
the Company through to at least mid Q3
2024. This may be further extended through
the issue of further New Common Shares in connection with future
fundraisings, and/or the attainment of a higher value of commercial
sales than is currently forecast.
· As
stated in the Company's
"Corporate and Trading Update" announcement of 24 April 2024, the Company is progressing
discussions on distribution collaborations with potential partners,
which Ondine's management believes have the potential to generate
earlier income for Ondine in the form of time-based territorial
license payments and to accelerate sales and income generation for
the Company through faster market penetration and greater
geographical reach. While these discussions continue to be
constructive, there is no certainty that a distribution agreement
will materialise from any of these discussions nor as to the timing
for any definitive agreement to be reached.
· Discussions are underway with HCA Healthcare's investment arm,
Health Insight Capital, for its funding support of the key Phase 3
clinical trial. The Company is confident in its ability to secure
longer-term financing to execute its growth opportunities. The
Company has received an indication of further support from its
founder, CEO and substantial shareholder, Carolyn Cross, to provide
additional near-term funding to extend the Company's runway should
that be required prior to arranging funding for the Phase 3
clinical trial and working capital.
· The
final number and allocation of the Placing Shares will be
determined by Orana Corporate LLP and Singer Capital Markets in
agreement with the Company and the result of the Placing will be
announced as soon as practical after the release of this
announcement.
· The
planned issue of the New Common Shares pursuant to the Fundraising
will take place on a non-pre-emptive basis. The Fundraising is not
being underwritten.
· As
part of the new issuance in association with the Fundraising, the
Company intends to offer each participant the opportunity to
subscribe for warrants which will be exercisable into Common
Shares.
Carolyn Cross, CEO of Ondine, said:
"We are pleased to have the
support of existing and new investors through this fundraising
which meets our near-term working capital needs and assists our
rapid commercial growth rate. This funding will take us
forward commercially and further our discussions with industry
partners on our clinical, financial, and global distribution
objectives. We believe that our product, Steriwave, is very well
positioned to help hospitals meet their infection control
objectives, reduce their antibiotic usage and combat AMR in what is
expected to be a multibillion-dollar market. Our commercial
efforts are benefitting from the growing support for pre-surgical
nasal decolonisation by leading organisations, as well as our
real-world clinical successes in Canadian hospitals and adoption in
other approved territories.
While we are currently focused on
nasal decolonisation to prevent healthcare-associated infections,
Steriwave is just the first of seven major market opportunities for
our platform technology. In due course, pipeline products targeting
the treatment of burns, wounds, chronic sinusitis,
ventilator-associated pneumonia, and fungal infections will
leverage our regulatory filings and the clinical successes related
to our nasal decolonisation product."
Related Party Transactions
On 10 April 2024, substantial
shareholder and CEO, Carolyn Cross, advanced a payment of
US$160,000 (equivalent to £127,841) to the Company (the
"Director Payment"), as a
lead indication in the Fundraising. In consideration, Carolyn Cross
will be issued shares in the Subscription at the Issue Price on the
same terms as all other participants in the Fundraising.
On 26 April 2024, Robert Cross, the
husband of Carolyn Cross and substantial shareholder in the
Company, advanced C$350,000 (equivalent to £203,856) to the Company
(the "Related Party Loan").
The Related Party Loan accrues no interest, is unsecured and is
expected to become repayable by mutual agreement between the lender
and the Company upon completion of a subsequent fundraising or, at
the sole discretion of the Company, may be repaid
earlier.
Both the Director Payment and the
Related Party Loan are deemed to constitute related party
transactions for the purposes of AIM Rule 13. The independent
directors, being all directors except for Carolyn Cross, consider,
having consulted with Singer Capital Markets, the Company's
nominated adviser, that the terms of the Director Payment and the
Related Party Loan are fair and reasonable insofar as shareholder
are concerned.
Intended Participation by Participating Directors in the
Subscription
Certain Directors of the Company
have indicated their intention to subscribe for, in aggregate,
4,079,981 Subscription Shares at the Issue Price, raising
gross proceeds of c.£0.29 million (C$0.49 million) for the Company.
This figure is inclusive of the Director Payment that was received
by the Company on 10 April 2024. The participating Directors will
also be offered the opportunity to subscribe for
Warrants.
The participation in the Fundraising
by the Participating Directors will be effected by entry into
Subscription Agreements between the relevant Director and the
Company. The participations in the Fundraising would, in aggregate,
constitute a related party transaction under Rule 13 of the AIM
Rules. Further disclosures will be made in a subsequent
announcement in relation to these dealings.
About the Placing and Subscription
Pursuant to the Subscription, the
Company will privately offer New Common Shares at the Issue Price
("Subscription Shares") to
a limited number of entities and individuals both within and
outside of the United Kingdom, under applicable regulatory
exemptions as appropriate.
The Placing, offering New Common
Shares at the same Issue Price as the Subscription, is being
undertaken by Orana Corporate LLP ("Orana") as Joint Broker to the Placing
and Singer Capital Markets Securities Limited ("SCM") as Bookrunner, via an accelerated
bookbuild process (the "Bookbuild"). The Bookbuild will be
launched immediately following the release of this Announcement and
is expected to close on 3 May 2024 (or such later time as may be
agreed between Orana Corporate LLP, Singer Capital Markets and the
Company). The Placing is subject to the terms and conditions set
out in Appendix I below.
The Placing, which is conditional
upon, inter alia, Admission becoming effective, the Placing
Agreement (as defined below) becoming unconditional and not being
terminated, and the Subscription, is being carried out within the
Company's existing statutory authority to issue shares on a non
pre-emptive basis. The number of Placing Shares will be agreed by
the Company in conjunction with Orana Corporate LLP and Singer
Capital Markets, and the results of the Placing will be confirmed
by a further announcement released as soon as practicable
thereafter. The timing of the closing of the Placing, the results
of the Placing announcement, final allocations and the total size
of the Placing shall be determined at the absolute discretion of
the Company, Orana Corporate LLP and Singer Capital Markets. The
Placing is conditional upon the Subscription.
Details of the Warrants
The Warrants will be issued on the
basis of one Warrant for every two Placing Share(s) or Subscription
Share(s) purchased. Appropriate documentation will be provided to
investors following the closing of the Placing.
No fractional part of a Warrant will
be issued and fractional entitlements will be rounded down to the
nearest whole number. Each Warrant will be subject to terms and
will give the holder the right, for the period of nine months
following the date of Admission, to subscribe for one new Common
Share at an exercise price of 15 pence. The Warrants will be
unlisted, non-transferable and issued in certificated
form.
It is intended that the Warrants
will be governed by the laws of British Columbia.
Expected Timetable of Principal Events
|
2024
|
Announcement of the
Fundraising
|
3
May
|
Announcement of Result of the
Fundraising
|
3
May
|
Admission and commencement of
dealings in the Placing Shares and Subscription Shares
|
9
May
|
The
Appendices set out further important information relating to the
Bookbuild and the terms and conditions of the
Placing. 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.
This Announcement is made in accordance with the Company's
obligations under Article 17 of MAR and the persons responsible for
arranging for the release of this Announcement on behalf of Ondine
are Carolyn Cross, Chief Executive Officer and Nicolas
Loebel, President and Chief Technical Officer of Ondine.
Enquiries:
Ondine Biomedical
Inc.
|
|
Angelika Vance, Corporate
Communications
|
+001 604 838
2702
|
|
|
Singer Capital Markets (Nominated Adviser, Joint Broker and
Bookrunner)
|
|
Aubrey Powell, Asha Chotai, Sam
Butcher
|
+44 (0)20 7496
3000
|
|
|
Orana Corporate LLP (Joint Broker to the
Placing)
|
|
Sebastian Wykeham
|
+33
6 7120 1513
|
|
|
RBC
Capital Markets (Joint Broker)
|
|
Rupert Walford, Kathryn
Deegan
|
+44
(0)20 7653 4000
|
|
|
Vane Percy & Roberts (Media Contact)
|
+44 (0)77
1000 5910
|
Simon Vane Percy, Amanda
Bernard
|
|
About Ondine Biomedical Inc.
Ondine Biomedical Inc. is
a Canadian life sciences company and leader innovating
light-activated antimicrobial therapies (also known as
'photodisinfection'). Ondine has a pipeline of investigational
products, based on its proprietary photodisinfection technology, in
various stages of development.
Ondine's nasal photodisinfection
system has a CE mark in Europe and the UK and is approved in Canada
and several other countries under the name Steriwave®. In the US,
it has been granted Qualified Infectious Disease Product
designation and Fast Track status by the FDA and is currently
undergoing clinical trials for regulatory approval. Products beyond
nasal photodisinfection include therapies for a variety of medical
indications such as chronic sinusitis, ventilator-associated
pneumonia, burns, and many other indications.
IMPORTANT
NOTICES
The information contained in this
Announcement is given at the date of its publication (unless
otherwise marked) and is subject to updating, revision and
amendment from time to time. No reliance may be placed for any
purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its
accuracy, fairness or completeness.
No undertaking, representation,
warranty or other assurance, express or implied, is made or given
by or on behalf of the Company or the Bookrunner or any of their
respective directors, officers, partners, employees, agents or
advisers or any other person as to the accuracy or completeness of
the information or opinions contained in this announcement and no
responsibility or liability is accepted by any of them for any such
information or opinions or for any errors, omissions or
misstatements, negligence or otherwise in this
Announcement.
The information in this Announcement
may not be forwarded or distributed to any other person and may not
be reproduced in any manner whatsoever. Any forwarding,
distribution, reproduction, or disclosure of this information in
whole or in part is unauthorised. Failure to comply with this
directive may result in a violation of applicable securities laws
and regulations of other jurisdictions.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, ANY COPY OF IT,
AND THE INFORMATION (INCLUDING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS) CONTAINED
HEREIN, IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR TRANSMISSION, PUBLICATION,
RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN
PART, IN OR INTO ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A
VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT SECURITIES LAW OF SUCH JURISDICTION,
INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITORIES AND
POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA (COLLECTIVELY, THE "UNITED STATES"), AUSTRALIA, NEW
ZEALAND, CANADA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, OR ANY OTHER
JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION IS
OR WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. FURTHER, THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION
PURPOSES ONLY, DOES NOT PURPORT TO BE FULL OR COMPLETE AND IS NOT
AN OFFER OF SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS
NOT BEEN APPROVED BY THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, NOR IS IT INTENDED
THAT IT WILL BE SO APPROVED.
This Announcement or any part of it
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. The Placing Shares have not
been and will not be registered under the United States Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the "US
Securities Act") or with any securities regulatory authority
of any state or jurisdiction of the United States, and may not be
offered, sold or transferred, directly or indirectly, in or into
the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a
transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the US
Securities Act and in compliance with any applicable securities
laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States. There
will be no public offering of securities in the United
States.
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. 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
respective 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.
Neither the content of the Company's
website (or any other website) nor the content of any website
accessible from hyperlinks on the Company's website (or any other
website) is incorporated into or forms part of this
announcement.
UK
Product Governance Requirements
Solely for the purposes of the
product governance requirements contained within chapter 3 of
the FCA Handbook Product Intervention and Product Governance
Sourcebook (the "UK Product
Governance Requirements") and disclaiming all and any
liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which
any "manufacturer" (for the purposes of the UK Product Governance
Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Placing
Shares have been subject to a product approval process, which has
determined that the Placing Shares are: (i) compatible with an
end target market of retail investors and investors who meet the
criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each
as defined in chapter 3 of the FCA Handbook Conduct of
Business Sourcebook ("COBS"); and (ii) eligible for
distribution through all permitted distribution channels
(the "UK Target Market
Assessment"). Notwithstanding the UK Target Market
Assessment, distributors should note that: the price of the Placing
Shares may decline and investors could lose all or part of their
investment; the Placing Shares offer no guaranteed income and no
capital protection; and an investment in Placing Shares is
compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income
or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an
appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating
the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient
resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom.
The UK Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to the
requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling
restrictions in relation to the Placing. Furthermore, it is noted
that, notwithstanding the UK Target Market Assessment, the
Bookrunner will only procure investors who meet the criteria
of professional clients and eligible counterparties.
For the avoidance of doubt, the UK
Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (a) an
assessment of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of
chapters 9A or 10A respectively of the COBS; 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 shares and
determining appropriate distribution channels.
EU
Product Governance Requirements
Solely for the purposes of Article
9(8) of Commission Delegated Directive 2017/593 (the "Delegated Directive") regarding the
responsibilities of Manufacturers under the Product Governance
requirements contained within: (a) Directive 2014/65/EU on markets
in financial instruments, as amended ("MiFID II"); (b) Articles 9 and 10 of
the Delegated Directive; and (c) local implementing measures (the
"MiFID II Product Governance
Requirements"), and disclaiming all and any liability,
whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise which any
"manufacturer" (for the purposes of the MiFID II Product Governance
Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Placing
Shares have been subject to a product approval process, which has
determined that the Placing Shares are (i) compatible with an end
target market of retail investors and investors who meet the
criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each
as defined in MiFID II; and (ii) eligible for distribution through
all distribution channels as are permitted by MiFID II (the
"Target Market
Assessment"). Notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment,
Distributors (as defined within the MiFID II Product Governance
Requirements) should note that: the price of the Placing Shares may
decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment;
the Placing Shares offer no guaranteed income and no capital
protection; and an investment in Placing Shares is compatible only
with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital
protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate
financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits
and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources
to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The Target
Market Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any
contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation
to the proposed Placing or the Broker Option. Furthermore, it is
noted that, notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, the
Bookrunner will only procure investors who meet the criteria of
professional clients and eligible counterparties. For the avoidance
of doubt, the Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (a) an
assessment of suitability of 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 the Placing Shares and the Broker Option
Shares. Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own
target market assessment in respect of the Placing Shares and
determining appropriate distribution channels.
SCM 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, and SCM will not be responsible to
anyone (including any purchasers of the Placing Shares) 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.
Orana Corporate LLP (FRN 835691) is an appointed
representative of Ragnar Capital Partners LLP (FRN
593052) who are authorised and
regulated by the Financial Conduct
Authority in the United Kingdom and is
acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection
with the Placing, and Orana will not be responsible to anyone
(including any purchasers of the Placing Shares) 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 the
Bookrunner or by any of their respective affiliates or agents as
to, or in relation to, the accuracy or completeness of this
Announcement or any other written or oral information made
available to or publicly available to any interested party or their
respective advisers, and any liability therefore is expressly
disclaimed.
APPENDIX I
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE
PLACING
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON THE
PLACING FOR INVITED PLACEES ONLY
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT
ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THIS
APPENDIX) AND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT
(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 EEA QUALIFIED INVESTORS AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE
2(E) OF THE EU PROSPECTUS REGULATION; (2) IF IN THE UNITED KINGDOM,
QUALIFIED INVESTORS AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE 2(E) OF THE UK PROSPECTUS
REGULATION, AND 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; (3) IF IN SWITZERLAND, PROFESSIONAL CLIENTS AS
DEFINED IN ARTICLE 4(3) OF THE SWISS FINANCIAL SERVICES ACT OF 15
JUNE 2018, AS AMENDED; OR (4) PERSONS TO WHOM IT MAY OTHERWISE BE
LAWFULLY COMMUNICATED (ALL SUCH PERSONS TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO
AS "RELEVANT
PERSONS").
NEITHER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT NOR THE
INFORMATION IN IT SHOULD 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 THE SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO
BUY OR ACQUIRE ANY SECURITIES IN THE COMPANY IN THE UNITED STATES,
CANADA OR ELSEWHERE.
THIS APPENDIX, AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT
OF WHICH IT FORMS PART, HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR A PRIVATE PLACEMENT
OF SHARES IN THE COMPANY BY INVITED PLACEES ONLY. NO ACTION HAS
BEEN OR WILL BE TAKEN BY THE COMPANY WHICH WOULD PERMIT A PUBLIC
OFFERING OF ANY OF THE SHARES IN THE COMPANY OR DISTRIBUTION OF
THIS APPENDIX, AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF WHICH IT FORMS PART, OR ANY
OTHER MATERIAL IN CONNECTION THEREWITH IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE
ACTION FOR THAT PURPOSE IS REQUIRED.
THIS APPENDIX, AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT
OF WHICH IT FORMS PART, IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY IS NOT
INTENDED TO FORM THE BASIS OF ANY INVESTMENT ACTIVITY OR DECISION,
AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS A RECOMMENDATION BY THE COMPANY
THAT ANY RECIPIENT SHOULD ACQUIRE ANY INTEREST IN THE SHARE CAPITAL
OR ANY OTHER INTEREST IN THE COMPANY.
THE PLACING SHARES HAVE NOT BEEN AND
WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE US SECURITIES ACT OR WITH ANY
SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION
OF THE UNITED STATES AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, RESOLD, PLEDGED,
TRANSFERRED OR DELIVERED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE
UNITED STATES EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR
IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF
THE US SECURITIES ACT, IN EACH CASE, AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE
SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED
STATES. THE PLACING SHARES ARE BEING OFFERED AND SOLD ONLY IN
ACCORDANCE WITH REGULATION S UNDER THE US SECURITIES ACT. THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT 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, NEW ZEALAND, CANADA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC
OF IRELAND, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION
(OR TO ANY PERSONS IN ANY OF THOSE JURISDICTIONS) IN WHICH SUCH
RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL (THE
"RESTRICTED JURISDICTIONS"). NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF THE PLACING
SHARES IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, THE UNITED
KINGDOM, SWITZERLAND OR ELSEWHERE WHERE SUCH OFFERING WOULD BE
UNLAWFUL.
EACH PLACEE SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS
OWN ADVISORS AS TO ANY LEGAL, TAX, FINANCIAL, BUSINESS AND RELATED
ASPECTS OF A PURCHASE OF PLACING SHARES.
All offers of the Placing Shares in
the United Kingdom or Switzerland will be made pursuant to an
exemption from the requirement to produce a prospectus (to the
extent reliance on such exemption is legally required) under the UK
Prospectus Regulation or the EU Prospectus Regulation or the Swiss
Financial Services Act and the Swiss Financial Services Ordinance,
as appropriate. In the United Kingdom, this Announcement is
being directed solely at persons in circumstances in which section
21(1) of FSMA does not require the approval of the relevant
communication by an authorised person. In Switzerland, the Placing
Shares will not be publicly offered (as such term is defined in
Article 3(h) of the Swiss Financial Services Act).
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 offered in compliance with the
securities laws of any state, province or territory of the United
States, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, Canada,
Japan or the Republic of South Africa. Accordingly, the Placing
Shares may not (unless an exemption under the relevant securities
laws is applicable) be offered, sold, resold or delivered, directly
or indirectly, in or into the United States, Australia, New
Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, Canada, Japan or the Republic of
South Africa or any other jurisdiction outside the EEA, the United
Kingdom and Switzerland, except in accordance with applicable
securities law.
Persons (including without
limitation, nominees and trustees) who have a contractual right or
other legal obligations to forward a copy of this Announcement (or
any part of it) should seek appropriate advice before taking any
action.
This Announcement should be read in
its entirety. In particular, any prospective Placee should read and
understand the information provided in the "Important Notices"
section of this Announcement.
The Company proposes to raise
capital by way of the Placing
By participating in the Bookbuild
and 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 New Common Shares on the terms and
conditions contained in this Announcement (including this Appendix)
and to be providing the representations, warranties, undertakings,
agreements, acknowledgements and indemnities contained in this
Announcement.
EACH PLACEE SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS
OWN ADVISERS AS TO ANY LEGAL, REGULATORY, TAX, BUSINESS AND RELATED
ASPECTS OF A SUBSCRIPTION FOR THE PLACING SHARES.
Each Placee , represents, warrants,
undertakes, agrees and acknowledges to the Company and the
Bookrunner (amongst other things) that:
1. it
is a Relevant Person and undertakes that it will acquire, hold,
manage or dispose of any New Common Shares that are allocated to it
for the purposes of its business;
2. in the
case of a Relevant Person in the United Kingdom who acquires any
New Common Shares pursuant to the Placing:
(a) it
is a Qualified Investor within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the
UK Prospectus Regulation; and
(b) in
the case of any New
Common Shares acquired by it as a
financial intermediary, as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the
UK Prospectus Regulation:
(i)
the New Common Shares acquired by it in the Placing have not been
acquired on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to
their offer or resale to, persons in the United Kingdom other than
Qualified Investors or in circumstances in which the prior consent
of the Bookrunner has been given to the offer or resale; or
(ii)
where New Common Shares have been acquired by it on behalf of persons in
the United Kingdom other than Qualified Investors, the offer of
those New Common Shares to it is not treated under the UK
Prospectus Regulation as having been made to such
persons;
3. in the case of a Relevant Person in
Switzerland who acquires any New
Common Shares pursuant to the
Placing:
(a) it
is a Professional Client within the meaning of Article 4(3) of the
Swiss Financial Services Act ("Professional Client") or, if it is
not a Professional Client, it has been explicitly and directly
invited by the Company or the Bookrunner and not through
a public offer, as such term is
defined in Article 3(h) of the Swiss
Financial Services Act; and
(b) in
the case of any New
Common Shares acquired by it as a
financial intermediary, as that term is used in Article 4(3)(a) of
the Swiss Financial Services Act:
(i)
the New Common Shares acquired by it in the Placing have not been
acquired on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to
their offer or resale to, persons in Switzerland other than
Professional Clients or in circumstances in which the prior consent
of the Bookrunner has been given to the offer or resale; or
(ii)
where New Common Shares have been acquired by it on behalf of persons in
Switzerland other than Professional Clients, the offer of those New
Common Shares to it is not treated under the Swiss Financial
Services Act as having been made to such persons;
4. it
is acquiring the New Common Shares for its own account or is
acquiring the New Common Shares for an account with respect to
which it exercises sole investment discretion and has the authority
to make and does make the representations, warranties,
undertakings, agreements, acknowledgements and indemnities
contained in this Announcement;
5. it
understands (or if acting for the account of another person, such
person has confirmed that such person understands) the resale and
transfer restrictions set out in this Announcement;
6. it (and
any other person on whose account it is acting) is outside the
United States and is acquiring the New Common Shares in offshore
transactions as defined in and in accordance with Regulation S
under the US Securities Act; and
7. except as
otherwise permitted by the Company and subject to any available
exemptions from applicable securities laws, it (and any other
person on whose account it is acting) is outside of, and does not
have an address in, British Columbia, Canada acquiring the New
Common Shares and acquiring the New Common Shares as principal, and
it is outside of and is not a person resident in Australia, New
Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, Japan or South Africa or with an
address in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland
or South Africa or any overseas person who would not under the
provisions of any relevant securities legislation be entitled to
receive this document and subscribe for or purchase the New Common
Shares.
The Company and the Bookrunner will
rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representations,
warranties, undertakings, agreements and acknowledgements. Each
Placee hereby agrees with the Bookrunner and the Company to be
bound by these terms and conditions as being the terms and
conditions upon which New Common Shares will be allotted and
issued.
A Placee shall, without limitation,
become so bound if the Bookrunner confirms (orally or in writing)
to such Placee its allocation of Placing Shares. The Bookrunner
does not make any representation to any Placee regarding an
investment in the Placing Shares referred to in this Announcement
(including this Appendix).
Upon being notified of its
allocation of Placing Shares, a Placee shall be contractually
committed to subscribe for the number of Placing Shares allocated
to it at the Issue Price and, to the fullest extent permitted by
law, will be deemed to have agreed not to exercise any rights to
rescind or terminate or otherwise withdraw from such
commitment.
No
prospectus
The New Common 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 or any other respective authority in any other jurisdiction
in relation to the Placing or the New Common Shares and Placees'
commitments will be made solely on the basis of their own
assessment of the Company, the New Common Shares and the Placing
based on the information contained in this Announcement and the
announcement of the results of the Placing (the "Result of Placing Announcement")
(together, the "Placing
Documents") and any information publicly announced through a
regulatory information service 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 trade confirmation
sent to Placees.
Each Placee, by participating in the
Placing, agrees that the content of the Placing Documents 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 the Bookrunner or the Company or
any other person and none of the Bookrunner, the Company nor any
other person acting on such person's behalf nor any of their
respective affiliates has or shall have any responsibility or
liability for any Placee's decision to participate in the Placing
based on any other information, representation, warranty or
statement (regardless of whether or not such information,
representation, warranty or statement was given or made by or on
behalf of any such persons). 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, financial, tax or
business advice. Each Placee should consult its own legal advisor,
tax advisor, financial advisor and business advisor for legal, tax,
financial and business advice regarding an investment in the
Placing Shares. Nothing in this paragraph shall exclude the
liability of any person for fraudulent
misrepresentation.
Details of the Placing Agreement and the Placing
Shares
The Bookrunner is acting as broker
and bookrunner in connection with the Placing and has entered into
the Placing Agreement with the Company under which, on the terms
and subject to the conditions set out in the Placing
Agreement, the Bookrunner, as agent for and on behalf of the
Company, has agreed to use its reasonable endeavours to procure
Placees for the Placing Shares. The Placing is not being
underwritten by the Bookrunner or any other person.
The price per Common Share at which
the Placing Shares are to be placed is 7 pence (the "Issue Price"). The timing of the
closing of the book and allocations are at the discretion of the
Company and the Bookrunner.
The Placing Shares will be made up
of a number of New Common Shares issued and allotted by the
Company. Accordingly, by participating in the Placing, Placees
agree to subscribe for Placing Shares.
The Placing Shares have been or will
be duly authorised and will, when issued, be credited as fully paid
up and will be issued subject to the Articles of the Company and
rank pari
passu in all respects with the existing Common Shares,
including the right to receive all dividends and other
distributions declared, made or paid on or in respect of the Common
Shares after the date of issue of the Placing Shares, and will on
issue be free of all pre-emption rights, claims, liens, charges,
encumbrances and equities.
Application for admission to trading on AIM
Application will be made to the
London Stock Exchange for Admission of the Placing Shares to
trading on AIM.
It is expected that Admission of the
Placing Shares will occur at 8.00 a.m. on 9 May 2024 (or such later
time or date as the Bookrunner may agree with the Company, being no
later than 8.30 a.m. on 16 May 2024) and that dealings in the
Placing Shares on AIM will commence at that time.
Bookbuild
The Bookrunner will today commence
the accelerated bookbuilding process to determine demand for
participation in the Placing by Placees (the "Bookbuild"). This Appendix gives
details of the terms and conditions of, and the mechanics of
participation in, the Placing. No commissions will be paid to
Placees or by Placees in respect of any Placing Shares.
The Bookrunner and the Company shall
be entitled to effect the Placing by such alternative method to the
Bookbuild as they may, in their sole discretion,
determine.
Participation in, and principal terms of, the
Placing
1. The
Bookrunner is acting as broker and bookrunner to the Placing, as
agent for and on behalf of the Company, on the terms and subject to
the conditions of the Placing Agreement. SCM Advisory is acting as
nominated adviser to the Company in connection with the Placing and
Admission. Each of the Bookrunner and SCM Advisory are authorised
and regulated entities in the United Kingdom by the FCA and are
acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection
with the matters referred to in this Announcement and will not be
responsible to anyone other than the Company in relation to the
matters described in this Announcement.
2. Participation in the Placing
will only be available to persons who may lawfully be, and are,
invited to participate by the Bookrunner. The Bookrunner may agree
to be a Placee in respect of all or some of the Placing Shares or
may nominate any member of their relevant group that is eligible to
participate in the Placing to do so.
3. Following a successful
completion of the Bookbuild, the Company will confirm the closing
of the Placing via the Result of Placing Announcement.
4. To
bid in the Bookbuild, prospective Placees should communicate their
bid orally by telephone or in writing to their usual sales contact
at the Bookrunner. Each bid should state the number of Placing
Shares which the prospective Placee wishes to subscribe for at the
Issue Price. Bids may be scaled down by the Bookrunner on the basis
referred to in paragraph 6 below. The Bookrunner reserves the right
not to accept bids or to accept bids in part rather than in whole.
The acceptance of the bids shall be at the Bookrunner's absolute
discretion, subject to agreement with the Company.
5. The
Bookbuild is expected to close on 3 May 2024 but may be
closed earlier or later at the discretion of the Bookrunner. The
Bookrunner may, in agreement with the Company, accept bids that are
received after the Bookbuild has closed. The Company reserves the
right (upon the prior agreement of the Bookrunner) to vary the
number of shares to be issued pursuant to the Placing, in its
absolute discretion.
6. Allocations of the Placing
Shares will be determined by the Bookrunner after consultation with
the Company (and in accordance with the Bookrunner's
allocation policy as has been supplied by the Bookrunner to the
Company in advance of such consultation). Allocations will be
confirmed orally by the Bookrunner and a trade confirmation will be
despatched as soon as possible thereafter. The Bookrunner's oral
confirmation to such Placee constitutes an irrevocable legally
binding commitment upon such person (who will at that point become
a Placee), in favour of the Bookrunner and the Company, to
subscribe for the number of Placing Shares allocated to it and to
pay the Issue Price in respect of each such share on the terms and
conditions set out in this Appendix and in accordance with the
Articles of the Company. A bid in the Bookbuild will be made on the
terms and subject to the conditions in this Appendix and will be
legally binding on the Placee on behalf of which it is made and
except with the Bookrunner's consent, such commitment will not be
capable of variation or revocation after the time at which it is
submitted.
7. Each
Placee's allocation and commitment will be evidenced by a trade
confirmation issued to such Placee. The terms of this Appendix will
be deemed incorporated in that trade confirmation.
8. Irrespective of the time at
which a Placee's allocation pursuant to the Placing is confirmed,
settlement for all Placing Shares to be subscribed for/purchased
pursuant to the Placing will be required to be made at the same
time, on the basis explained below under "Registration and
Settlement".
9. All
obligations under the Bookbuild and the Placing will be subject to
fulfilment or (where applicable) waiver of the conditions referred
to below under "Conditions of the
Placing" and to the Placing not being terminated on the
basis referred to below under "Right to terminate under the Placing
Agreement".
10. By
participating in the Placing, each Placee agrees that its rights
and obligations in respect of the Placing will terminate only in
the circumstances described below and will not be capable of
rescission or termination by the Placee.
11. To the fullest
extent permissible by law, none of the Bookrunner, the Company nor
any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers,
employees or advisers shall have any responsibility or liability to
Placees (or to any other person whether acting on behalf of a
Placee or otherwise). In particular, none of the Bookrunner, the
Company, nor any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors,
officers, employees or advisers shall have any responsibility or
liability (including to the extent permissible by law, any
fiduciary duties) in respect of the Bookrunner's conduct of the
Placing or of such alternative method of effecting the Placing as
the Bookrunner and the Company may agree.
12. The Placing
Shares will be issued subject to the terms and conditions of this
Appendix and each Placee's commitment to subscribe for Placing
Shares on the terms set out in this Appendix will continue
notwithstanding any amendment that may in future be made to the
terms and conditions of the Placing and Placees will have no right
to be consulted or require that their consent be obtained with
respect to the Company's or the Bookrunner's conduct of the
Placing.
Conditions of the Placing
The Placing is conditional, amongst
others, upon the Placing Agreement becoming unconditional and not
having been terminated in accordance with its terms. The
Bookrunner's obligations under the Placing Agreement are
conditional on customary conditions, including (amongst others)
(the "Conditions"):
1. Admission occurring no
later than 8.00 a.m. on 9 May 2024 (or such later time or date as
the Bookrunner may otherwise agree with the Company, being no later
than 8.30 a.m. on 16 May 2024);
2. the Company allotting,
subject only to Admission, the Placing Shares and the Subscription
Shares in accordance with the Placing Agreement;
3. none of the warranties
given by the Company in the Placing Agreement being untrue,
inaccurate or misleading as at the date of the Placing Agreement or
at any time between the date of the Placing Agreement and
Admission; and
4. in the opinion of the
Bookrunner (acting in good faith) there having been no Material
Adverse Change prior to Admission (whether or not foreseeable at
the date of this Agreement);
The Bookrunner may, at its
discretion and upon such terms as it thinks fit, waive compliance
by the Company with the whole or any part of any of its obligations
in relation to the Conditions or extend the time or date provided
for fulfilment of any such Conditions in respect of all or any part
of the performance thereof, save in respect of condition 1 above
relating to Admission taking place. Any such extension or waiver
will not affect Placees' commitments as set out in this
Appendix.
If: (i) any of the Conditions are
not fulfilled or (where permitted) waived by the Bookrunner by the
relevant time or date specified (or such later time or date as the
Bookrunner may agree with the Company, being no later than 8.30
a.m. on 16 2024); or (ii) the Placing Agreement is terminated in
the circumstances specified below under "Right to terminate under the Placing
Agreement", the Placing will not proceed and the Placees'
rights and obligations hereunder in relation to the Placing Shares
shall cease and terminate at such time and each Placee agrees that
no claim can be made by it or on its behalf (or any person on whose
behalf the Placee is acting) in respect thereof.
Neither the Bookrunner nor the
Company, nor any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors,
officers or employees shall have any liability to any Placee (or to
any other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise)
in respect of any decision they 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 they may make as to
the satisfaction of any Condition or in respect of the Placing
generally, and by participating in the Placing each Placee agrees
that any such decision is within the absolute discretion of the
Bookrunner.
Right to terminate under the Placing
Agreement
The Bookrunner is entitled, at any
time before Admission, to terminate the Placing Agreement in
accordance with its terms in certain circumstances, including
(amongst other things):
1. the
Company shall fail to comply with any of its obligations under the
Placing Agreement in any material respect; or
2. any of
the warranties given by the Company to the Bookrunner under the
Placing Agreement is, or if repeated at any time up to Admission
would cause it to be, untrue, inaccurate or misleading in any
material respect; or
3. a matter
having arisen prior to Admission in respect of which a claim for
indemnification under the Placing Agreement may be sought;
or
4. if,
amongst other things, there is a material adverse change in any
national or international political, military, diplomatic,
economic, financial or market conditions which in the Bookrunner's
opinion (acting in good faith and after such consultation with the
Company as shall be practicable in the circumstances) would have or
be likely to have a material and adverse effect on the Placing;
or
5. if it
comes to the notice of the Bookrunner that any statement contained
in any Placing Document become untrue or inaccurate or
misleading.
Upon termination, the parties to the
Placing Agreement shall be released and discharged (except for any
liability arising before or in relation to such termination) from
their respective obligations under or pursuant to the Placing
Agreement, subject to certain exceptions.
By participating in the Placing,
each Placee agrees that (a) the exercise by the Bookrunner of
any right of termination or of any other discretion under the
Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute discretion of the
Bookrunner and that it need not make any reference to, or consult
with, Placees and that it shall have no liability to Placees
whatsoever in connection with any such exercise or failure to so
exercise and (b) its rights and obligations terminate only in the
circumstances described above under "Right to terminate under the Placing
Agreement" and "Conditions
of the Placing", and its participation will not be capable
of rescission or termination by it after oral confirmation by the
Bookrunner of the allocation and commitments following the
close of the Bookbuild.
By participating in the Placing,
Placees agree that the exercise by the Bookrunner of any power to
grant consent to the undertaking by the Company of a transaction
which would otherwise be subject to the restrictive provisions on
further issuance under the Placing Agreement shall be within the
absolute discretion of the Bookrunner and that it need not make any
reference to, or consult with, Placees and that it shall have no
liability to Placees whatsoever in connection with any such
exercise of the power to grant consent.
Registration and Settlement
Settlement of transactions in the
Placing Shares (ISIN: CA68234M2058) following Admission will take
place within the system administered by Euroclear ("CREST"), subject to certain exceptions.
The Bookrunner reserves the right to require settlement for, and
delivery of, the Placing Shares (or any part thereof) to Placees by
such other means that it may deem necessary if delivery or
settlement is not possible or practicable within the CREST system
or would not be consistent with the regulatory requirements in the
Placee's jurisdiction.
Following the close of the
Bookbuild, each Placee to be allocated Placing Shares in the
Placing will be sent a trade confirmation stating the number of
Placing Shares allocated to them at the Issue Price, the aggregate
amount owed by such Placee to the Bookrunner and settlement
instructions. Each Placee agrees that it will do all things
necessary to ensure that delivery and payment is completed in
accordance with the standing CREST or certificated settlement
instructions in respect of the Placing Shares that it has in place
with the Bookrunner.
The Company will deliver (or will
procure the delivery of) the Placing Shares to a CREST account
operated by the Bookrunner as agent for the Company and the
Bookrunner will each enter its delivery instruction into the CREST
system. The input to CREST by a Placee of a matching or acceptance
instruction will then allow delivery of the relevant Placing Shares
to that Placee against payment.
It is expected that settlement in
respect of the Placing Shares will take place on 9 May 2024 on a
delivery versus payment basis.
Each Placee is deemed to agree that,
if it does not comply with these obligations, the Bookrunner may
sell any or all of the Placing Shares allocated to that Placee on
such Placee's behalf and retain from the proceeds, for the
Bookrunner's account and benefit, an amount equal to the aggregate
amount owed by that Placee plus any interest due. The relevant
Placee will, however, remain liable for any shortfall below the
aggregate amount owed by it and will be required to bear any stamp
duty or SDRT or other taxes or duties (together with any interest
or penalties) imposed in any jurisdiction which may arise upon the
sale of such Placing Shares on such Placee's behalf.
If Placing Shares are to be
delivered to a custodian or settlement agent, Placees should ensure
that the trade confirmation is copied and delivered immediately to
the relevant person within that organisation. Insofar as Placing
Shares are issued 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 UK stamp duty or SDRT. If there are any circumstances in which
any stamp duty or SDRT or other similar taxes or duties (including
any interest and penalties relating thereto) is payable in respect
of the allocation, allotment, issue, sale, transfer or delivery of
the Placing Shares (or, for the avoidance of doubt, if any stamp
duty or SDRT is payable in connection with any subsequent transfer
of or agreement to transfer Placing Shares), neither the
Bookrunner nor the Company shall be responsible for payment
thereof.
Representations, warranties, undertakings and
acknowledgements
By participating in the Placing each
Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) irrevocably
acknowledges, confirms, undertakes, represents, warrants and agrees
(as the case may be) with the Bookrunner (in its capacity as
bookrunner and placing agent of the Company in respect of the
Placing) and the Company, in each case as a fundamental term of
their application for Placing Shares, the following:
1. it
has read and understood this Announcement in its entirety and its
subscription for Placing Shares is subject to and based upon all
the terms, conditions, representations, warranties,
acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings and other information
contained in this Announcement and it has not relied on, and will
not rely on, any information given or any representations,
warranties or statements made at any time by any person in
connection with the Placing, the Company, the Placing Shares or
otherwise other than the information contained in the Placing
Documents and the Publicly Available Information;
2. the
Common Shares are admitted to trading on AIM, and that the Company
is therefore required to publish certain business and financial
information in accordance with the AIM Rules and the MAR, which
includes a description of the nature of the Company's business and
the Company's most recent balance sheet and profit and loss account
and that it is able to obtain or access such information without
undue difficulty, and is able to obtain access to such information
or comparable information concerning any other publicly traded
company, without undue difficulty;
3. to
be bound by the terms of the Articles of the Company;
4. the
person whom it specifies for registration as holder of the Placing
Shares will be (a) itself or (b) its nominee, as the case may be.
Neither the Bookrunner nor the Company will be responsible for any
liability to stamp duty or SDRT or other similar taxes or duties
imposed in any jurisdiction (including interest and penalties
relating thereto) ("Indemnified
Taxes"). Each Placee and any person acting on behalf of such
Placee agrees to indemnify the Bookrunner and the Company on an
after-tax basis in respect of any Indemnified Taxes;
5. neither the Bookrunner nor any
of its affiliates agents, directors, officers and employees accepts
any responsibility for any acts or omissions of the Company or any
of the directors of the Company or any other person in connection
with the Placing;
6. time
is of the essence as regards its obligations under this
Appendix;
7. any
document that is to be sent to it in connection with the Placing
will be sent at its risk and may be sent to it at any address
provided by it to the Bookrunner;
8. it
will not redistribute, forward, transfer, duplicate or otherwise
transmit this Announcement or any part of it, or any other
presentational or other material concerning the Placing (including
electronic copies thereof) to any person and represents that it has
not redistributed, forwarded, transferred, duplicated, or otherwise
transmitted any such documents to any person;
9. it has
not received (and will not receive) a prospectus or other offering
document in connection with the Placing and acknowledges that no
prospectus or other offering document (a) is required under the UK
Prospectus Regulation or other applicable law; and (b) has been or
will be prepared in connection with the Placing;
10. in connection
with the Placing, the Bookrunner and any of its affiliates acting
as an investor for its own account may subscribe for Placing Shares
and in that capacity may retain, purchase or sell for its own
account such Placing Shares and any securities of the Company or
related investments and may offer or sell such securities or other
investments otherwise than in connection with the Placing.
Accordingly, references in this Announcement to the Placing Shares
being issued, offered or placed should be read as including any
issue, offering or placement of such shares to the Bookrunner or
any of their affiliates acting in such capacity;
11. the Bookrunner
and its affiliates may enter into financing arrangements and swaps
with investors in connection with which the Bookrunner and any of
their affiliates may from time to time acquire, hold or dispose of
such securities of the Company, including the Placing
Shares;
12. the Bookrunner
does not intend to disclose the extent of any investment or
transactions referred to in paragraphs 10 and 11 above otherwise
than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligation to do
so;
13. the Bookrunner
does not owe any fiduciary or other duties to any Placee in respect
of any discretions, obligations, representations, warranties,
undertakings or indemnities in the Placing Agreement;
14. its
participation in the Placing is on the basis that it is not and
will not be a client of the Bookrunner in connection with its
participation in the Placing and that the Bookrunner has no duties
or responsibilities to it for providing the protections afforded to
its clients or customers or for providing advice in relation to the
Placing nor in respect of any discretions, obligations,
representations, warranties, undertakings or indemnities contained
in the Placing Agreement nor for the exercise or performance of any
of its rights and obligations thereunder including any rights to
waive or vary any conditions or exercise any termination
right;
15. the content of
the Placing Documents and the Publicly Available Information has
been prepared by and is exclusively the responsibility of the
Company (and such other persons specifically identified as
accepting responsibility to certain parts thereto (if any)) and
neither the Bookrunner nor any of its affiliates agents, directors,
officers or employees nor any person acting on behalf of any of
them is responsible for or has or shall have any responsibility or
liability for any information, representation or statement
contained in, or omission from, the Placing Documents, the Publicly
Available Information or otherwise nor will they be liable for any
Placee's decision to participate in the Placing based on any
information, representation, warranty or statement contained in the
Placing Documents, the Publicly Available Information or otherwise,
provided that nothing in this paragraph excludes the liability of
any person for fraudulent misrepresentation made by such
person;
16. the only
information on which it is entitled to rely and on which such
Placee has relied in committing itself to subscribe for Placing
Shares is contained in the Placing Documents or any Publicly
Available Information (save that, in the case of Publicly Available
Information, a Placee's right to rely on that information is
limited to the right that such Placee would have as a matter of law
in the absence of this paragraph 16), such information being all
that such Placee deems necessary or appropriate and sufficient to
make an investment decision in respect of the Placing
Shares;
17. it has neither
received nor relied on any other information given, or
representations, warranties or statements, express or implied,
made, by the Bookrunner nor the Company nor any of their respective
affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees acting on
behalf of any of them (including in any management presentation
delivered in respect of the Bookbuild) with respect to the Company,
the Placing or the Placing Shares or the accuracy, completeness or
adequacy of any information contained in the Placing Documents, or
the Publicly Available Information or otherwise;
18. neither the
Bookrunner nor the Company nor any of their respective affiliates,
agents, directors, officers or employees or any person acting on
behalf of any of them has provided, nor will provide, it with any
material or information regarding the Placing Shares or the Company
or any other person other than the information in the Placing
Documents or the Publicly Available Information; nor has it
requested any of the Bookrunner or the Company or any of their
respective affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them
to provide it with any such material or information;
19. neither the
Bookrunner nor the Company will be liable for any Placee's decision
to participate in the Placing based on any other information,
representation, warranty or statement, provided that nothing in
this paragraph excludes the liability of any person for fraudulent
misrepresentation made by that person;
20. it may not
rely, and has not relied, on any investigation that the Bookrunner,
any of its affiliates or any person acting on its behalf, may have
conducted with respect to the Placing Shares, the terms of the
Placing or the Company, and no such persons has made any
representation, express or implied, with respect to the Company,
the Placing, the Placing Shares or the accuracy, completeness or
adequacy of the information in the Placing Documents, the Publicly
Available Information or any other information;
21. in making any
decision to subscribe for Placing Shares it:
(a) has such
knowledge and experience in financial and business matters to be
capable of evaluating the merits and risks of subscribing for the
Placing Shares;
(b) will not
look to the Bookrunner or the Company and Group for all or any part
of any such loss it may suffer;
(c) is
experienced in investing in securities of this nature in this
sector and is aware that it may be required to bear, and is able to
bear, the economic risk of an investment in the Placing
Shares;
(d) is able
to sustain a complete loss of an investment in the Placing
Shares;
(e) has no
need for liquidity with respect to its investment in the Placing
Shares;
(f) has made
its own assessment and has satisfied itself concerning the relevant
tax, legal, currency and other economic considerations relevant to
its investment in the Placing Shares;
(g) has
conducted its own due diligence, examination, investigation and
assessment of the Company and Group, the Placing Shares and the
terms of the Placing and has satisfied itself that the information
resulting from such investigation is still current and relied on
that investigation for the purposes of its decision to participate
in the Placing; and
(h) has consulted
its own legal advisors with respect to trading in the Placing
Shares when issued and with respect to any restrictions on the
ability of the Placee to offer and resell the Placing Shares
imposed by the securities laws of the jurisdiction in which the
Placee resides and other securities laws, and acknowledges that no
representation has been made respecting the applicable hold periods
imposed by Canadian securities laws and any other securities laws,
including laws in the jurisdiction in which such Placee is
resident, or other resale restrictions applicable to such
securities which restrict the ability of the Placee (or others for
whom it is acquiring hereunder) to resell such securities, the
Placee (or others for whom it is acquiring hereunder) is solely
responsible to find out what these restrictions are and the Placee
is aware that it may not be able to resell such securities except
in accordance with limited exemptions under applicable securities
laws;
22. it is
subscribing for the Placing Shares for its own account or for an
account with respect to which it exercises sole investment
discretion and has the authority to make and does make the
acknowledgements, confirmations, undertakings, representations,
warranties and agreements contained in this Appendix;
23. it is acting as
principal only in respect of the Placing or, if it is acting for
any other person, it is:
(a) duly
authorised to do so and has full power to make the acknowledgments,
representations and agreements in this Announcement on behalf of
each such person; and
(b) will
remain liable to the Company and/or the Bookrunner for the
performance of all its obligations as a Placee in respect of the
Placing (regardless of the fact that it is acting for another
person);
24. it and any
person acting on its behalf is entitled to subscribe for the
Placing Shares under the laws and regulations of all relevant
jurisdictions that apply to it and that it has fully observed such
laws and regulations, has capacity and authority and is entitled to
enter into and perform its obligations as a subscriber of Placing
Shares and will honour such obligations, and has obtained all such
governmental and other guarantees, permits, authorisations,
approvals and consents which may be required thereunder and
complied with all necessary formalities to enable it to commit to
this participation in the Placing and to perform its obligations in
relation thereto (including, without limitation, in the case of any
person on whose behalf it is acting, all necessary consents and
authorities to agree to the terms set out or referred to in this
Appendix) and will honour such obligations and that it has not
taken any action or omitted to take any action which will or may
result in the Bookrunner or the Company or any of their respective
affiliates and its and their directors, officers, agents, employees
or advisers acting in breach of the legal or regulatory
requirements of any jurisdiction in connection with the
Placing;
25. where it is
subscribing for Placing Shares for one or more managed accounts, it
is authorised in writing by each managed account to subscribe for
the Placing Shares for each managed account;
26. it irrevocably
appoints any duly authorised officer of the Bookrunner as its agent
for the purpose of executing and delivering to the Company and/or
its registrars any documents on its behalf necessary to enable it
to be registered as the holder of any of the Placing Shares for
which it agrees to subscribe for upon the terms of this
Appendix;
27. the Placing
Shares have not been and will not be cleared or registered or
otherwise qualified and that a prospectus will not be cleared in
respect of any of the Placing Shares under the securities laws or
legislation of the Restricted Jurisdictions, or any state,
province, territory or jurisdiction thereof, and, except in
transactions exempt from or not subject to the registration
requirements of a Restricted Jurisdiction, the Placing Shares may
not be offered, sold or delivered directly or indirectly to or into
a Restricted Jurisdiction;
28. the Placing
Shares may not be offered, sold, or delivered, directly or
indirectly, in or into the Restricted Jurisdictions or any
jurisdiction (subject to certain exceptions) in which it would be
unlawful to do so and no action has been or will be taken by any of
the Company or the Bookrunner or any person acting on behalf of the
Company or the Bookrunner that would, or is intended to,
permit an offer of the Placing Shares in the Restricted
Jurisdictions, Switzerland or any country or jurisdiction, or any
state, province, territory or jurisdiction thereof, where any such
action for that purpose is required;
29. the Placee has not
offered or sold and a Placee will not offer, sell, resell, pledge,
transfer or deliver, any Placing Shares directly or indirectly into
the Restricted Jurisdictions or any jurisdiction in which it would
be unlawful to do so other than in compliance with any applicable
laws and/or regulations, or to any person in a Restricted
Jurisdiction;
30. the Placing Shares
are being issued by the Company in reliance upon an exemption from
the prospectus and registration requirements of applicable Canadian
securities legislation, and the Placing Shares are subject to
statutory hold periods or resale restrictions under applicable
Canadian securities legislation and regulatory policy, and a Placee
may not be able to sell or otherwise dispose of the Placing Shares
to a person resident in Canada except in accordance with limited
exemptions under such securities legislation and regulatory
policy;
31. the Company is not,
and is under no obligation to become, a "reporting issuer" (as such
term is defined in the Securities Act (British Columbia)) in any
jurisdiction, the hold period under applicable Canadian securities
laws for re-sale or distribution in Canada may therefore be
indefinite, and therefore a Placee may be unable to sell or
otherwise dispose of the Placing Shares to a person resident in
Canada for an indeterminate period of time;
32. the Company will
refuse to register the transfer of any of the Placing Shares to a
person resident in Canada not made pursuant to a prospectus filing
or pursuant to an available exemption from the registration
requirements of Canadian securities law, and in each case in
accordance with applicable laws;
33. the Placee is
entitled to participate in the Placing and to acquire the Placing
Shares under the laws of all the relevant jurisdictions which apply
to the Placee and the Placee has fully observed such laws and
obtained all governmental and other consents which may be required
thereunder and complied with all necessary formalities and will pay
any issue, transfer or other taxes due thereunder and the Placee
has not taken any action which will or may result in the Bookrunner
or the Company being in breach of the legal or regulatory
requirements of any territory in connection with the Placing or the
Placee's participation in the Placing and acceptance of the Placing
Shares;
34. applicable
securities laws in the jurisdiction in which the Placee is resident
do not trigger: (i) any obligation for the Company or its
affiliates to prepare and file a prospectus or similar document or
to register the Placing Shares; (ii) any obligation for the Company
or its affiliates to file any report or notice with any
governmental or regulatory authority, except for a report of exempt
distribution as required under National Instrument 45-106 of the
Canadian securities laws; or (iii) any other obligation on the part
of the Company or any of its affiliates;
35. the Placee is
resident in the jurisdiction specified in the bid to the
Bookrunner, and such address was not created and is not used solely
for the purpose of acquiring the Placing Shares and the Placee was
solicited to purchase the Placing Shares only in such
jurisdiction;
36. the Placee will be
asked to disclose, and must disclose, certain personal information
to the Bookrunner and the Company for the purposes of completing
the Placing, including but not limited to: (a) Placee name in full;
(b) beneficial owner of the securities, individual or
non-individual (legal name in full), if different from Placee name;
(c) full residential address (or business address in the case of
non-individual) including postal code of the beneficial owner of
the securities; (d) country where the beneficial owner of the
securities resides; (e) domicile and tax residency of beneficial
owner; (f) phone number and email address of beneficial owner of
the securities; and (g) in respect of Placing Shares to be held in
uncertificated form, CREST participant broker, including contact
name and phone number, CREST participant ID and CREST member
account ID, and, which includes determining the Placee's
eligibility to purchase the Placing Shares under applicable
securities laws and completing filings required by any stock
exchange or securities regulatory authority. If the Placee has not
provided the name of someone other than the Placee who is the
beneficial owner of the securities, the Placee will be deemed to be
the beneficial purchaser or a registered trust company or
investment advisor of a fully managed account. Each Placee
acknowledges that its personal information as specified in this
paragraph 36 (or any other personal information requested) will be
disclosed by the Company to the applicable securities regulatory
authority (or authorities) or regulator in Canada. Each Placee
authorizes the indirect collection of the personal information by
the applicable securities regulatory authority (or authorities) or
regulator; and the Placee acknowledges that it may contact the
official at the applicable authority or regulator as set out in
Appendix III who can answer questions about the indirect collection
of personal information by such authority or regulator;
37. no action has
been or will be taken by any of the Company or the Bookrunner or
any person acting on behalf of the Company or the Bookrunner that
would, or is intended to, permit an offer of the Placing Shares in
the United States or in any country or jurisdiction where any such
action for that purpose is required;
38. unless
otherwise specifically agreed with the Bookrunner, it is not and at
the time the Placing Shares are subscribed for, neither it nor the
beneficial owner of the Placing Shares will be, a resident of, nor
have an address in, a Restricted Jurisdiction;
39. it may be asked
to disclose in writing or orally to the Bookrunner:
(a) if he or
she is an individual, his or her nationality; or
(b) if he or
she is a discretionary fund manager, the jurisdiction in which the
funds are managed or owned;
40. it is, and the
prospective beneficial owner of the Placing Shares is, and at the
time the Placing Shares are subscribed for will be outside the
United States and is acquiring the Placing Shares in an "offshore
transaction" as defined in, and in accordance with, Regulation S
under the US Securities Act;
41. it has not been
offered to purchase or subscribe for Placing Shares by means of any
"directed selling efforts" as defined in Regulation S under the US
Securities Act;
42. it understands
that the Placing Shares have not been, and will not be, registered
under the US Securities Act and may not be offered, sold or resold,
pledged or delivered in the United States except pursuant to an
exemption from the registration requirements of the US Securities
Act and in accordance with applicable United States state
securities laws and regulations;
43. it (and any
account for which it is purchasing) is not acquiring the Placing
Shares with a view to any offer, sale or distribution thereof
within the meaning of the US Securities Act;
44. it will not
distribute, forward, transfer or otherwise transmit this
Announcement or any part of it, or any other presentational or
other materials concerning the Placing in or into or from the
Restricted Jurisdictions (including electronic copies thereof) to
any person, and it has not distributed, forwarded, transferred or
otherwise transmitted any such materials to any person;
45. it has made
such investigation and has consulted its own independent advisers
or otherwise has satisfied itself concerning the effects of
applicable income tax laws and foreign tax laws
generally;
46. if it is within the
United Kingdom, it is a Qualified Investor as defined in Article
2(e) of the UK Prospectus Regulation and if it is within a Relevant
State, it is a Qualified Investor as defined in Article 2(e) of the
EU Prospectus Regulation and if it is within Switzerland, it is a
Professional Client or, if it is not
such Professional Client, it has been explicitly and directly
invited by the Company or the Bookrunner and not through
a public offer, as such term is
defined in Article 3(h) of the Swiss
Financial Services Act;
47. it has not offered
or sold and will not offer or sell any Placing Shares to persons in
Switzerland except to Professional Clients or otherwise in
circumstances which have not resulted in and which will not result
in an offer to the public in Switzerland within the meaning of
Article 3(h) of the Swiss Financial Services Act;
48. if it is a financial
intermediary, as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the UK
Prospectus Regulation, the Placing Shares acquired by it in the
Placing will not be acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf
of, nor will they be acquired with a view to their offer or resale
to, persons in the United Kingdom other than Qualified Investors,
or in circumstances in which the express prior written consent of
the Bookrunner has been given to each proposed offer or
resale;
49. if in the
United Kingdom, that it is a person (a) having professional
experience in matters relating to investments who falls within the
definition of "investment professionals" in Article 19(5) of the
Order or (b) who falls within Article 49(2) (a) to (d)
("High Net Worth Companies,
Unincorporated Associations, etc") of the Order, or (c) to
whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated;
50. if in the United
Kingdom, unless otherwise agreed by the Bookrunner, it is a
"professional client" or an "eligible counterparty" within the
meaning of Chapter 3 of the FCA Handbook Conduct of Business
Sourcebook ("COBS") and it
is purchasing Placing Shares for investment only and not with a
view to resale or distribution;
51. it has not
offered or sold and will not offer or sell any Placing Shares to
persons in the United Kingdom, except to persons whose ordinary
activities involve them in acquiring, holding, managing or
disposing of investments (as principal or agent) for the purposes
of their business or otherwise in circumstances which have not
resulted and which will not result in an offer to the public in the
United Kingdom within the meaning of section 85(1) of
FSMA;
52. it has only
communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate
or cause to be communicated any invitation or inducement to engage
in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of FSMA)
relating to the Placing Shares in circumstances in which section
21(1) of FSMA does not require approval of the communication by an
authorised person and it acknowledges and agrees that the Placing
Documents have not and will not have been approved by the
Bookrunner in their capacity as an authorised person under
section 21 of the FSMA and it may not therefore be subject to the
controls which would apply if it was made or approved as a
financial promotion by an authorised person;
53. it has complied
and will comply with all applicable laws with respect to anything
done by it or on its behalf in relation to the Placing Shares
(including all applicable provisions in FSMA and MAR) in respect of
anything done in, from or otherwise involving, the United
Kingdom);
54. if it is a
pension fund or investment company, its subscription for/purchase
of Placing Shares is in full compliance with applicable laws and
regulations;
55. (i) it has
complied with and will continue to comply with its obligations
under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 (or the Market
Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 as retained in UK law), Criminal
Justice Act 1993 and Part VIII of the Financial Services and
Markets Act 2000, as amended ("FSMA") and other applicable law; (ii)
in connection with money laundering and terrorist financing, it has
complied with its obligations under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
(as amended), the Terrorism Act 2000 (as amended), the Terrorism
Act 2006, the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of
Funds (Information on the Payer) 2017 Regulations, and any other
applicable law (where all such legislation listed under this (ii)
shall together be referred to as the "AML Legislation"); and (iii) it is not
a person: (1) with whom transactions are prohibited under the
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or any economic sanction
programmes administered by, or regulations promulgated by, the
Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the
Treasury; (2) named on the Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions
Targets maintained by HM Treasury of the United Kingdom; or (3)
subject to financial sanctions imposed pursuant to a regulation of
the EU or a regulation adopted by the United Nations (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
pursuant to AML Legislation and has obtained all governmental and
other consents (if any) which may be required for the purpose of,
or as a consequence of, such purchase, and it will provide promptly
to the Bookrunner or the Company such evidence, if any, as to the
identity or location or legal status of any person (including in
relation to the beneficial ownership of any underlying investor)
which the Bookrunner or the Company may request from it in
connection with the Placing (for the purpose of complying with such
Regulations or ascertaining the nationality of any person or the
jurisdiction(s) to which any person is subject or otherwise or any
other information as may be required to comply with legal or
regulatory requirements (including in particular under the AML
Legislation)) in the form and manner requested by the Bookrunner or
the Company on the basis that any failure by it to do so may result
in the number of Placing Shares that are to be purchased by it or
at its direction pursuant to the Placing being reduced to such
number, or to nil, as the Bookrunner and the Company may decide at
their sole discretion;
56. in order to ensure
compliance with the AML Legislation, the Bookrunner (for itself and
as an agent on behalf of the Company) or the Company's registrars
may, in their absolute discretion, require verification of its
identity. Pending the provision to the Bookrunner or the Company's
registrars, as applicable, of evidence of identity, definitive
certificates in respect of the Placing Shares may be retained at
the Bookrunner's absolute discretion or, where appropriate,
delivery of the Placing Shares to it in uncertificated form may be
delayed at the Bookrunner's or the Company's registrars', as the
case may be, absolute discretion. If within a reasonable time after
a request for verification of identity, the Bookrunner (for itself
and as an agent on behalf of the Company) or the Company's
registrars have not received evidence satisfactory to them, either
the Bookrunner and/or the Company may, at its absolute discretion,
terminate its commitment in respect of the Placing, in which event
the monies payable on acceptance of allotment will, if already
paid, be returned without interest to the account of the drawee's
bank from which they were originally debited;
57. the allocation,
allotment, issue and delivery to it, or the person specified by it
for registration as holder, of Placing Shares will not give rise to
a stamp duty or SDRT liability under (or at a rate determined
under) any of sections 67, 70, 93 or 96 of the Finance Act 1986
(depositary receipts and clearance services) and that the Placing
Shares are not being acquired in connection with arrangements to
issue depositary receipts or to issue or transfer Placing Shares
into a clearance service;
58. it (and any
person acting on its behalf) has the funds available to pay for the
Placing Shares for which it has agreed to subscribe and
acknowledges and agrees that it will make payment in respect of the
Placing Shares allocated to it in accordance with this Appendix on
the due time and date set out in this Announcement, failing which
the relevant Placing Shares may be placed with other subscribers or
sold as the Bookrunner may in its sole discretion determine and
without liability to such Placee, who will remain liable for any
amount by which the net proceeds of such sale falls short of the
product of the relevant Issue Price and the number of Placing
Shares allocated to it and will be required to bear any stamp duty,
SDRT or other taxes or duties (together with any interest, fines or
penalties) imposed in any jurisdiction which may arise upon the
sale of such Placee's Placing Shares;
59. any money held
in an account with the Bookrunner on behalf of the Placee and/or
any person acting 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 FSMA. Each Placee acknowledges that the money will not be
subject to the protections conferred by the client money rules: as
a consequence this money will not be segregated from the
Bookrunner's money in accordance with the client money rules and
will be held by it under a banking relationship and not as
trustee;
60. its allocation
(if any) of Placing Shares will represent a maximum number of
Placing Shares which it will be entitled, and required, to
subscribe for, and that the Bookrunner or the Company may call upon
it to subscribe for a lower number of Placing Shares (if any), but
in no event in aggregate more than the aforementioned
maximum;
61. neither the
Bookrunner nor any of its affiliates, nor any person acting on
behalf of them, is making any recommendations to them, advising
them regarding the suitability of any transactions they may enter
into in connection with the Placing and the Bookrunner is not
acting for their clients, and that the Bookrunner will not be
responsible for providing the protections afforded to clients or
customers of the Bookrunner or for providing advice in respect of
the transactions described in this Announcement;
62. it acknowledges that
its commitment to acquire Placing Shares on the terms set out in
this Announcement and in the trade confirmation, contract note or
other (oral or written) confirmation will continue notwithstanding
any amendment that may in future be made to the terms and
conditions of the Placing and that Placees will have no right to be
consulted or require that their consent be obtained with respect to
the Company's or the Bookrunner's conduct of the
Placing;
63. if it has
received any 'inside information' (for the purposes of MAR and
section 56 of the Criminal Justice Act 1993) in relation to the
Company and its securities in advance of the Placing, it confirms
that it has received such information within the market soundings
regime provided for in article 11 of MAR and associated delegated
regulations and it has not:
(a) used that
inside information to acquire or dispose of securities of the
Company or financial instruments related thereto or cancel or amend
an order concerning the Company's securities or any such financial
instruments;
(b) used that
inside information to encourage, require, recommend or induce
another person to deal in the securities of the Company or
financial instruments related thereto or to cancel or amend an
order concerning the Company's securities or such financial
instruments; or
(c) disclosed
such information to any person, prior to the information being made
publicly available;
64. the rights and
remedies of the Company and the Bookrunner under the terms and
conditions in this Appendix are in addition to any rights and
remedies which would otherwise be available to each of them and the
exercise or partial exercise of one will not prevent the exercise
of others; and
65. these terms and
conditions of the Placing and any agreements entered into by it
pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Placing, and all
non-contractual or other obligations arising out of or in
connection with them, shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of England and it submits (on behalf of
itself and on behalf of any person on whose behalf it is acting) to
the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts as regards any
claim, dispute or matter arising out of any such contract
(including any dispute regarding the existence, validity or
termination of such contract or relating to any non- contractual or
other obligation arising out of or in connection with such
contract), except that enforcement proceedings in respect of the
obligation to make payment for the Placing Shares (together with
any interest chargeable thereon) may be taken by either the Company
or the Bookrunner in any jurisdiction in which the relevant Placee
is incorporated or in which any of its securities have a quotation
on a recognised stock exchange.
The foregoing representations,
warranties, confirmations, acknowledgements, agreements and
undertakings are given for the benefit of the Company as well as
the Bookrunner and are irrevocable. The Bookrunner and the Company
and their respective affiliates and others will rely upon the truth
and accuracy of the foregoing representations, warranties,
confirmations, acknowledgements, agreements and
undertakings.
Each prospective Placee, and any
person acting on behalf of such Placee, irrevocably authorises the
Company and the Bookrunner to produce this Announcement, pursuant
to, in connection with, or as may be required by any applicable law
or regulation, administrative or legal proceeding or official
inquiry with respect to the matters set forth in this
Announcement.
By participating in the Placing,
each Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) agrees
to indemnify on an after tax basis and hold the Company, the
Bookrunner and their respective affiliates, agents, directors,
officers and employees harmless from any and all costs, claims,
liabilities and expenses (including legal fees and expenses)
arising out of or in connection with any breach of the
representations, warranties, acknowledgements, agreements and
undertakings given by the Placee (and any person acting on such
Placee's behalf) in this Appendix or incurred by the Bookrunner,
the Company or any of their respective affiliates, agents,
directors, officers or employees arising from the performance of
that Placees' obligations as set out in this Announcement, and
further agrees that the provisions of this Appendix shall survive
after completion of the Placing.
No statement in the Placing
Documents is intended to be a profit forecast or estimate, and no
statement in the Placing Documents 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. Past performance is no
guide to future performance and persons needing advice should
consult an independent financial adviser.
The Placing Shares will not be
admitted to trading on any stock exchange other than
AIM.
The Bookrunner is authorised and
regulated by the FCA in the United Kingdom and is acting as
bookrunner exclusively for the Company and no one else in
connection with the Placing and 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.
Taxation
The agreement to allot and issue
certain of the Placing Shares by the Company to Placees (and/or to
persons for whom such Placee is contracting as agent) free of stamp
duty and SDRT relates only to their allotment and issue to Placees,
or such persons as they nominate as their agents, direct from the
Company for the Placing Shares in question.
There should be no liability to
stamp duty or SDRT arising on the allotment of the Placing Shares
by the Company. The registration of and the issue of definitive
share certificates to Placees should not give rise to any liability
to stamp duty or SDRT.
In addition, neither UK stamp duty
nor SDRT should arise on the transfers/sale of Common Shares
on AIM (including instruments transferring shares and agreements to
transfer Common Shares).
Such statements assume that the
Placing Shares are not being acquired in connection with
arrangements to issue depositary receipts or to issue or transfer
the Placing Shares into a clearance service. If there are any such
arrangements, or the settlement relates to any other dealings in
the Placing Shares, stamp duty or SDRT or other similar taxes or
duties may be payable, for which neither the Company nor the
Bookrunner will be responsible and the Placees shall indemnify the
Company and the Bookrunner on an after-tax basis for any stamp duty
or SDRT or other similar taxes or duties (together with interest,
fines and penalties) in any jurisdiction paid by the Company or the
Bookrunner in respect of any such arrangements or dealings. If this
is the case, each Placee should seek its own advice and notify the
Bookrunner accordingly. Placees are advised to consult with their
own advisers regarding the tax aspects of the subscription for
Placing Shares.
The Company and the Bookrunner are
not liable to bear any taxes that arise on a sale of Placing Shares
subsequent to their acquisition by Placees, including any taxes
arising otherwise than under the laws of any country in the EEA.
Each prospective Placee should, therefore, take its own advice as
to whether any such tax liability arises and notify the Bookrunner
and the Company accordingly. Furthermore, each prospective Placee
agrees to indemnify on an after-tax basis and hold the Bookrunner
and/or the Company and their respective affiliates harmless from
any and all interest, fines or penalties in relation to stamp duty,
SDRT and all other similar duties or taxes in any jurisdiction to
the extent that such interest, fines or penalties arise from the
unreasonable default or delay of that Placee or its
agent.
In addition, Placees should note
that they will be liable for any 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, whether inside or outside the UK, by
them or any other person on the subscription, acquisition, transfer
or sale by them of any Placing Shares or the agreement by them to
subscribe for, acquire, transfer or sell any Placing
Shares.
APPENDIX II
The following definitions apply
throughout this Announcement unless the context otherwise
requires
"£", "GBP", "pounds", "pound sterling" or "sterling", "p", "penny" or "pence"
|
are to the lawful currency of the
UK
|
Admission
|
admission of the Placing Shares
to trading on AIM becoming effective in accordance with the AIM
Rules
|
AIM
|
AIM, a market operated by the London
Stock Exchange
|
AIM
Rules
|
the AIM Rules for Companies
published by the London Stock Exchange
|
AMR
|
antimicrobial resistance
|
Announcement
|
this Announcement, including the
Appendices
|
Appendix
|
an appendix to this
Announcement
|
Articles
|
the articles of incorporation of the
Company as at the date of this Announcement
|
Bookbuild
|
the bookbuilding process to be
commenced by the
Bookrunner to use reasonable
endeavours to procure placees for the Placing Shares, as described
in this Announcement and subject to the terms and conditions set
out in Appendix I of this Announcement and the Placing
Agreement
|
Bookrunner
|
Singer Capital Markets
|
certificated or in certificated form
|
not in uncertificated form (that is,
not in CREST)
|
Common Shares
|
the common shares in the authorised
structure of the Company provided that all references in this
Announcement to the Common Shares, the Placing Shares or the
Subscription Shares, as the case may be, shall, as the context so
requires be construed as including the Common Shares, the Placing
Shares and the Subscription Shares, as the case may be, in the form
of Depositary Interests
|
Company
|
Ondine Biomedical Inc.
|
CREST
|
the computerised settlement system
to facilitate transfer of the title to an interest in securities in
uncertificated form operated by Euroclear
|
Depositary Interests
|
the depositary interests issued by
Computershare Investor Services plc, in respect of the Common
Shares deposited with it as depositary
|
Directors or Board
|
the directors of the Company for the
time being
|
Director Payment
|
the advanced payment of US$160,000
(equivalent to £127,841) to the Company by Carolyn Cross on
10 April 2024
|
EEA
|
European Economic Area
|
EU
Prospectus Regulation
|
means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129, as
amended
|
Euroclear
|
Euroclear UK & International
Limited
|
Existing Shareholders
|
holders of Common Shares as at the
date of this Announcement
|
FCA
|
the UK Financial Conduct
Authority
|
FSMA
|
the Financial Services and Markets
Act 2000, as amended
|
Fundraising
|
means, collectively, the Placing and
the Subscription
|
Group
|
the Company and its subsidiaries
(and "Group Company" shall
be construed accordingly)
|
Issue Price
|
7 pence per Common Share
|
London Stock Exchange
|
London Stock Exchange plc
|
MAR
|
means the EU Market Abuse Regulation
(EU) 596/2014 and all delegated or implementing regulations
relating to that Regulation as amended as it forms part of UK
domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018,
as amended
|
New
Common Shares
|
means the new Common Shares to be
issued pursuant to the Fundraising
|
Orana
|
Orana Corporate LLP
|
Participating Directors
|
means the Directors who are
participating in the Subscription
|
Placees
|
persons who agree to subscribe for
Placing Shares at the Issue Price
|
Placing
|
the conditional placing
by the
Bookrunner as agent of the Company of
the Placing Shares at the Issue Price, in accordance with the
Placing Agreement
|
Placing Agreement
|
the agreement dated 3 May 2024
between the Company, the Bookrunner and SCM Advisory
relating to the Placing
|
Placing Documents
|
this Announcement and the
announcement of the results of the Placing
|
Placing Shares
|
the Common Shares expected to be
issued pursuant to the Placing
|
Publicly Available Information
|
any information publicly announced
through a regulatory information service by or on behalf
of the Company on or prior to the date of this
Announcement
|
Related Party Loan
|
the advance payment of C$350,000
(equivalent to £203,856) to the Company by Robert Cross on 26 April
2024
|
Relevant Persons
|
has the meaning given in Appendix 1
of this Announcement
|
SCM
Advisory
|
Singer Capital Markets Advisory
LLP
|
Singer Capital Markets or
SCM
|
Singer Capital Markets Securities
Limited
|
SDRT
|
stamp duty reserve tax
|
Subscribers
|
means persons who agree to subscribe
for Subscription Shares at the Issue Price, pursuant to the
Subscription
|
Subscription
|
the subscription by certain
employees and the majority of the Company's Directors for the
Subscription Shares at the Issue Price
|
Subscription Shares
|
the Common Shares expected to be
issued pursuant to the Subscription
|
subsidiary
|
has the meaning given to such term
in the Business
Corporations Act (British Columbia), as
amended
|
uncertificated or in uncertificated
form
|
in respect of a share or other
security, where that share or other security is recorded on the
relevant register of the share or security concerned as being held
in uncertificated form in CREST and title to which may be
transferred by means of CREST
|
UK or United Kingdom
|
the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland
|
UK
Prospectus Regulation
|
Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it
forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018, as amended
|
US
Securities Act
|
the US Securities Act of 1933, as
amended
|
Warrants
|
the warrants intended to be offered
by the Company to participants in the Fundraising
|
APPENDIX
III
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR
CANADIAN SECURITIES REGULATORS
British Columbia Securities
Commission
P.O. Box 10142, Pacific Centre
701 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia
V7Y 1L2
Attention: FOI Inquiries
Tel: (604) 899‑6854
Toll free in Canada: 1‑800‑373‑6393
Alberta Securities Commission
Suite 600, 250 - 5th Street SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 0R4
Attention: FOIP Coordinator
Tel: (403) 297-6454
Toll free in Canada: 1-877-355-0585
Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of
Saskatchewan
Suite 601 - 1919 Saskatchewan Drive
Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 4H2
Attention: Director
Tel: (306) 787-5879
The
Manitoba Securities Commission
500 - 400 St. Mary Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 4K5
Attention: Director
Tel: (204) 945-2548
Toll free in Manitoba 1-800-655-5244
Ontario Securities Commission
20 Queen Street West, 22nd Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5H 3S8
Attention: Inquiries Officer
Tel: (416) 593- 8314
Toll free in Canada: 1-877-785-1555
Autorité des marchés financiers
800, Square Victoria, 22e étage, C.P. 246
Tour de la Bourse, Montréal, Québec H4Z 1G3
Attention: Secrétaire Générale
Tel: (514) 395-0337 or 1-877-525-0337
Financial and Consumer Services Commission (New
Brunswick)
85 Charlotte Street, Suite 300
Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 2J2
Attention: Privacy Officer
Tel: (506) 658-3060
Toll free in Canada: 1-866-933-2222
Nova Scotia Securities Commission
Suite 400, 5251 Duke Street
Duke Tower, P.O. Box 458
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2P8
Attention: Executive Director
Tel: (902) 424-7768
Prince Edward Island Securities
Office
95 Rochford Street, 4th Floor Shaw Building
P.O. Box 2000
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A 7N8
Tel: (902) 368-4569
Attention, Superintendent of Securities
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Financial Services
Regulation Division
P.O. Box 8700, Confederation Building, 2nd Floor, West Block
Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B
4J6
Attention: Superintendent of Securities
Tel: (709) 729-4189
Government of Yukon, Department of Community
Services
Law Centre, 3rd Floor, 2130 Second Avenue
Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 5H6
Attention: Superintendent of Securities
Tel: (867) 667-5314
Government of the Northwest Territories, Office of the
Superintendent of Securities
P.O. Box 1320
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories X1A 2L9
Attention: Superintendent of Securities
Tel: (867) 920-8984
Government of Nunavut, Department of Justice, Legal Registries
Division
P.O. Box 1000
Station 570, 1st Floor, Brown Building
Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0
Attention: Superintendent of Securities
Tel: (867) 975-6590