NOT FOR
RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN
WHOLE OR IN PART, OR INTO OR WITHIN THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA,
NEW ZEALAND, CANADA, SOUTH AFRICA OR JAPAN, OR ANY MEMBER STATE OF
THE EEA, OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE, OR TO ANY OTHER PERSON TO
WHOM, TO DO SO MIGHT CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OR BREACH OF ANY
APPLICABLE LAW OR REGULATION. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICE AT
THE END OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
THE
COMMUNICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS OR
MATERIALS RELATING TO THE WRAP RETAIL OFFER AS A FINANCIAL
PROMOTION IS ONLY BEING MADE TO, AND MAY ONLY BE ACTED UPON BY,
THOSE PERSONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE 43 OF
THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION)
ORDER 2005, AS AMENDED (WHICH INCLUDES AN EXISTING MEMBER OF OXFORD
BIODYNAMICS PLC). ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO
WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO SUCH PERSONS
AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH SUCH PERSONS. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS
FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR FORM
PART OF ANY OFFER OR INVITATION TO SELL OR ISSUE, OR ANY
SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO PURCHASE OR SUBSCRIBE FOR, ANY
SECURITIES OF OXFORD BIODYNAMICS PLC.
14 January 2025
Oxford BioDynamics plc
WRAP Retail Offer for up to
£500,000
Oxford Biodynamics plc ("Oxford Biodynamics" or the
"Company"), a precision
clinical diagnostics company bringing specific and sensitive tests
to the practice of medicine based on OBD's EpiSwitch® 3D genomics
platform, is pleased to announce a retail offer to existing
eligible shareholders via the Winterflood Retail Access Platform
("WRAP") to raise up to
£500,000 through the issue of up to 100,000,000 new ordinary shares
of £0.001 each in the capital of the Company ("Ordinary Shares") and an issue price of
0.5 pence per share (the "Issue
Price") (the "WRAP Retail
Offer") .
In addition to the WRAP Retail Offer and on the
terms announced earlier today, the Company is also proposing a
placing and subscriptions of new Ordinary Shares to raise not less
than £6 million (before expenses) through a bookbuild process (the
"Placing") (the
"Placing Shares") and a
direct subscription by certain investors for Ordinary Shares (the
"Subscriptions" and
together with the Placing and the WRAP Retail Offer, the
"Fundraising") (the
Subscription Shares and, collectively with the WRAP Retail Offer
Shares and the Placing Shares, the "New Ordinary Shares") at the Issue
Price. The Issue Price represents a discount of 44% to the closing
mid-market price on 13 January 2025 of 0.9 pence per Ordinary Share
(calculated on a pro forma basis as if the Share Capital
Reorganisation (as further described in the announcement dated 14
January 2025) had already occurred as at 13 January
2025).
A separate announcement has been made regarding
the Placing and the Subscriptions and their terms and sets out the
reasons for the Placing and the Subscriptions and use of
proceeds. The proceeds of the WRAP Retail Offer will be
utilised in the same way as the proceeds of the Placing and the
Subscription.
The WRAP Retail Offer is conditional, inter
alia, upon (a) approval of the Company's shareholders of the
resolutions to be proposed at a general meeting of the Company's
shareholders to be held at 10a.m. on 31 January 2025 in connection
with the Fundraising and (b) the new Ordinary Shares to be issued
pursuant to the Fundraising being admitted to trading on AIM
("Admission"). If the
Placing is not completed for any reason, the WRAP Retail Offer and
the Subscriptions will similarly not proceed.
The WRAP Retail Offer and the Placing are
conditional on the New Ordinary Shares being admitted to trading on
AIM ("Admission"). It is
anticipated that Admission will become effective and that dealings
in the New Ordinary Shares will commence on the AIM Market, at 8
a.m. on 4 February 2025.
WRAP
Retail Offer
The Company values its retail shareholder base
and believes that it is appropriate to provide its existing retail
shareholders in the United Kingdom the opportunity to participate
in the WRAP Retail Offer.
Therefore, the Company is making the WRAP
Retail Offer open to eligible investors in the United Kingdom,
being existing shareholders of Oxford BioDynamics plc, following
release of this announcement and through certain financial
intermediaries.
Existing shareholders can contact their broker
or wealth manager to participate in the WRAP Retail
Offer.
The WRAP Retail Offer is expected to close at
4:30pm on Thursday 16 January 2025. Eligible shareholders should
note that financial intermediaries may have earlier closing
times.
Retail brokers wishing to participate in the
WRAP Retail Offer on behalf of existing retail shareholders, should
contact wrap@winterflood.com.
To be eligible to participate in the WRAP
Retail Offer, applicants must be a customer of a participating
intermediary and, as at the date hereof or will be, prior to
placing an order for WRAP Retail Offer Shares, shareholders in the
Company which may include individuals aged 18 years or over,
companies and other bodies corporate, partnerships, trusts,
associations and other unincorporated organisations.
There is a minimum subscription of £250 per
investor under the WRAP Retail Offer. The terms and conditions on
which investors subscribe will be provided by the relevant
financial intermediaries including relevant commission or fee
charges.
The Company reserves the right to scale back
any order under the WRAP Retail Offer or amend the size of the WRAP
Retail Offer at its discretion. The Company reserves the right to
reject any application for subscription under the WRAP Retail Offer
without giving any reason for such rejection.
It is vital to note that once an application
for WRAP Retail Offer Shares has been made and accepted via an
intermediary, it cannot be withdrawn.
The New Ordinary Shares will, when issued, be
credited as fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with
existing Ordinary Shares including the right to receive all
dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid after
their date of issue.
It is a term of the WRAP Retail Offer that the
total value of the WRAP Retail Offer Shares available for
subscription at the Placing Price does not exceed £500,000, or such
size as agreed by the Company.
The WRAP Retail Offer is offered in the United
Kingdom under the exemption from the requirement to publish a
prospectus in section 86(1)(e) of FSMA. As such, there is no need
for publication of a prospectus pursuant to the Prospectus
Regulation Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority, or for
approval of the same by the Financial Conduct Authority. The WRAP
Retail Offer is not being made into any jurisdiction other than the
United Kingdom.
No offering document, prospectus or admission
document has been or will be prepared or submitted to be approved
by the Financial Conduct Authority (or any other authority) in
relation to the WRAP Retail Offer, and investors' commitments will
be made solely on the basis of the information contained in this
announcement and information that has been published by or on
behalf of the Company prior to the date of this announcement by
notification to a Regulatory Information Service in accordance with
the Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure Guidance and
Transparency Rules, the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation No.
596/2014) ("MAR") and MAR as it forms part of United Kingdom law by
virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (as
amended).
Investors should make their own investigations
into the merits of an investment in the Company. Nothing in this
announcement amounts to a recommendation to invest in the Company
or amounts to investment, taxation or legal advice.
It should be noted that a subscription for WRAP
Retail Offer Shares and investment in the Company carries a number
of risks. Investors should take independent advice from a person
experienced in advising on investment in securities such as the
WRAP Retail Offer Shares if they are in any doubt.
An investment in the Company will place capital
at risk. The value of investments, and any income, can go down as
well as up, so investors could get back less than the amount
invested.
Neither past performance nor any
forecasts should be considered a reliable indicator of future
results.
For Further Information
Oxford BioDynamics
PLC Matthew Wakefield,
Non-Executive Chairman
Paul Stockdale, CFO
|
+44
(0)1865 518910
|
OAK Securities - Sole
Broker to
the
Fundraise
Jerry Keen
/ Henry Clarke / Damion Carruel
|
+44 (0)203
973 3678
|
Shore Capital - Nominated
Adviser Stephane Auton / Lucy
Bowden
|
+44 (0)20
7408 4090
|
WG
Partners - Financial Adviser to OBD
David
Wilson / Claes Spång / Satheesh Nadarajah /
Erland Sternby
|
+44 (0)20
3705 9330
|
Vigo Consulting - Media /
Analyst enquiries for OBD
Rozi Morris
|
+44 (0)20
7390 0230
obd@vigoconsulting.com
|
Winterflood Retail Access Platform
|
WRAP@winterflood.com
|
Joe Winkley, Sophia
Bechev
|
+44 (0)203 100 0286
|
Further information on the Company can be found
on its website at www.oxfordbiodynamics.com
The Company's LEI is
2138005Y1TK258O5U928.
This announcement should be read in its
entirety. In particular, the information in the "Important Notices"
section of the announcement should be read and
understood.
Important
Notices
The content of this announcement, which has
been prepared by and is the sole responsibility of the
Company.
This announcement and the information contained
herein is not for release, publication or distribution, directly or
indirectly, in whole or in part, in or into or from the United
States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the
United States and the District of Columbia (the "United States" or "US")), Australia, Canada, New Zealand,
Japan, the Republic of South Africa, any member state of the EEA or
any other jurisdiction where to do so might constitute a violation
of the relevant laws or regulations of such
jurisdiction.
The WRAP Retail Offer Shares have not been and
will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "US Securities
Act") or under the applicable state securities laws of the
United States and may not be offered or sold directly or indirectly
in or into the United States. No public offering of the WRAP Retail
Offer Shares is being made in the United States. The WRAP Retail
Offer Shares are being offered and sold outside the United States in
"offshore transactions", as
defined in, and in compliance with, Regulation S under the US
Securities Act ("Regulation
S") to non-US persons (within the meaning of Regulation S).
In addition, the Company has not been, and will not be, registered
under the US Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
This announcement does not constitute an offer
to sell or issue or a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe
for WRAP Retail Offer Shares in the United States, Australia,
Canada, New Zealand, Japan, the Republic of South Africa, any
member state of the EEA or any other jurisdiction in which such
offer or solicitation is or may be unlawful. No public offer of the
securities referred to herein is being made in any such
jurisdiction.
This announcement is not for publication or
distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States
of America. This announcement is not an offer of securities
for sale into the United States. The securities referred to
herein have not been and will not be registered under the US
Securities Act, and may not be offered or sold in the United
States, except pursuant to an applicable exemption from
registration. No public offering of securities is being made
in the United States.
The distribution of this announcement may be
restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose
possession any document or other information referred to herein
comes should inform themselves about and observe any such
restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may
constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such
jurisdiction.
WRAP is a proprietary technology platform owned
and operated by Winterflood Securities Ltd (registered address at
Riverbank House, 2 Swan Lane, London EC4R 3GA; FRN 141455).
Winterflood Securities Ltd ("Winterflood") is authorised and
regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority,
is acting exclusively for the Company and for no-one else and will
not regard any other person (whether or not a recipient of this
announcement) as its client in relation to the WRAP Retail Offer
and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for
providing the protections afforded to its clients, nor for
providing advice in connection with the WRAP Retail Offer,
Admission and the other arrangements referred to in this
announcement.
The value of Ordinary Shares and the income
from them is not guaranteed and can fall as well as rise due to
stock market movements. When you sell your investment, you may get
back less than you originally invested. Figures refer to past
performance and past performance is not a reliable indicator of
future results. Returns may increase or decrease as a result of
currency fluctuations.
Certain statements in this announcement are
forward-looking statements which are based on the Company's
expectations, intentions and projections regarding its future
performance, anticipated events or trends and other matters that
are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements, which
may use words such as "aim", "anticipate", "believe", "intend",
"estimate", "expect" and words of similar meaning, include all
matters that are not historical facts. These forward-looking
statements involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could
cause the actual results of operations, financial condition,
liquidity and dividend policy and the development of the industries
in which the Company's businesses operate to differ materially from
the impression created by the forward-looking statements. These
statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject
to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Given
those risks and uncertainties, prospective investors are cautioned
not to place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements.
These forward-looking statements speak only as
at the date of this announcement and cannot be relied upon as a
guide to future performance. The Company and Winterflood expressly
disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any
forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect actual
results or any change in the assumptions, conditions or
circumstances on which any such statements are based unless
required to do so by the Financial Conduct Authority, the London
Stock Exchange or applicable law.
The information in this announcement is for
background purposes only and does not purport to be full or
complete. None of Winterflood or any of its affiliates, accepts any
responsibility or liability whatsoever for, or makes any
representation or warranty, express or implied, as to this
announcement, including the truth, accuracy or completeness of the
information in this announcement (or whether any information has
been omitted from the announcement) or any other information
relating to the Company or associated companies, whether written,
oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted
or made available or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of
the announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection
therewith. Winterflood and its affiliates, accordingly disclaim all
and any liability whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise
which they might otherwise be found to have in respect of this
announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection
therewith.
Any indication in this announcement of the
price at which the Ordinary Share have been bought or sold in the
past cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance.
Persons needing advice should consult an independent financial
adviser. No statement in this announcement is intended to be a
profit forecast and no statement in this announcement should be
interpreted to mean that earnings or target dividend per share of
the Company for the current or future financial years would
necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings or
dividends per share of the Company.
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. The WRAP
Retail Offer Shares to be issued or sold pursuant to the WRAP
Retail Offer will not be admitted to trading on any stock exchange
other than the London Stock Exchange.
It is further noted that the WRAP Retail Offer
is only open to investors in the United Kingdom who fall within
Article 43 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000
(Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (which includes an
existing member of the Company).
Shore Capital which is authorised and regulated
by the FCA in the United Kingdom, is acting Nominated Adviser to
the Company in connection with the Placing. Shore Capital has not
authorised the contents of, or any part of, this announcement, and
no liability whatsoever is accepted by Shore Capital for the
accuracy of any information or opinions contained in this
announcement or for the omission of any material information. The
responsibilities of Shore Capital as the Company's Nominated
Adviser under the Market Rules for Companies and the Market Rules
for Nominated Advisers are owed solely to London Stock Exchange plc
and are not owed to the Company or to any director or shareholder
of the Company or any other person, in respect of its decision to
acquire shares in the capital of the Company in reliance on any
part of this announcement, or otherwise.
OAK Securities a trading name of Merlin
Partners LLP is authorised and regulated by the FCA in the United
Kingdom. OAK Securities is acting solely as broker and bookrunner
exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection with the
Bookbuild and the contents of this Announcement and will not regard
any other person (whether or not a recipient of this Announcement)
as its client in relation to the Bookbuild or the contents of this
Announcement nor will it be responsible to anyone other than the
Company for providing the protections afforded to its clients or
for providing advice in relation to the contents of this
Announcement. Apart from the responsibilities and liabilities, if
any, which may be imposed on Oak Securities by FSMA or the
regulatory regime established thereunder, Winterflood accepts no
responsibility whatsoever, and makes no representation or warranty,
express or implied, for the Bookbuild or the contents of this
Announcement including its accuracy, completeness or verification
or for any other statement made or purported to be made by it, or
on behalf of it, the Company or any other person, in connection
with the Company and the contents of this Announcement, whether as
to the past or the future. Oak Securities accordingly disclaims all
and any liability whatsoever, whether arising in tort, contract or
otherwise (save as referred to above), which it might otherwise
have in respect of the contents of this Announcement or any such
statement.