NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF THAT JURISDICTION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
12 December 2023
RECOMMENDED CASH ACQUISITION
of
Velocys plc
by
Madison Bidco Limited
Update on the irrevocable undertaking given by Lansdowne Partners (
On 5 December 2023, the boards of Madison Bidco and Velocys made an announcement pursuant to Rule 2.7 of the Code (the "2.7 Announcement") that they had reached agreement on the terms and conditions of a recommended offer pursuant to which Madison Bidco will acquire the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of Velocys, intended to be implemented by way of a Court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the Companies Act 2006.
Unless otherwise defined in this announcement, capitalised words and phrases used in this announcement shall have the same meanings given to them in the 2.7 Announcement.
As set out in Appendix 3 of the 2.7 Announcement, Madison Bidco had received an irrevocable undertaking from Lansdowne Partners (
On 11 December 2023, Lansdowne announced that they had sold a total of 3,941,995 Velocys Shares subject to the Lansdowne Irrevocable Undertaking. Further to this, Lansdowne also announced earlier today it had sold a further 838,169 Velocys Shares subject the Lansdowne Undertaking. As a result of these sales of Velocys Shares, both of which were due to an inadvertent procedural error, the Lansdowne Irrevocable Undertaking now applies in respect of the 298,376,468 Velocys Shares held by Lansdowne, representing approximately 18.06 per cent. of the issued ordinary share capital of Velocys as at today, 12 December 2023.
Therefore, the total number of Velocys Shares which are subject to irrevocable undertakings in relation to Velocys Shares is 305,446,880, representing approximately 18.49 per cent. of the issued ordinary share capital of Velocys as at today, 12 December 2023.
Enquiries
Bidco Kevin Bone (non-executive director) Josh Dienstag (non-executive director) May Liew (non-executive director) |
C/O H/Advisors Maitland |
Cavendish (Financial Adviser to Bidco and the Consortium) Marc Milmo Henrik Persson Seamus Fricker |
020 7220 0500 |
H/Advisor Maitland |
|
Sam Cartwright / David Sturken |
020 737 95151 |
Further information
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited ("Cavendish"), which is authorised and regulated in the
This announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to, and does not, constitute, or form part of, an offer, invitation or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of, any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction pursuant to the Acquisition or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities of Velocys in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. The Acquisition will be implemented solely pursuant to the terms of the Scheme Document (or, if the Acquisition is implemented by way of a Takeover Offer, the offer document), which will contain the full terms and conditions of the Acquisition, including details of how to vote in respect of the Acquisition. Any vote in respect of the Scheme or other response in relation to the Acquisition should be made only on the basis of the information contained in the Scheme Document (or, if the Acquisition is implemented by way of a Takeover Offer, the offer document).
This announcement does not constitute a prospectus, prospectus equivalent document or exempted document.
If you are in any doubt about the contents of this announcement or the action you should take, you are recommended to seek your own independent financial advice immediately from your stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant or independent financial adviser duly authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended) if you are resident in the
Overseas Shareholders
The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in or into jurisdictions other than the
The availability of the Acquisition to Velocys Shareholders who are not resident in and citizens of the
Unless otherwise determined by Bidco or required by the Takeover Code, and permitted by applicable law and regulation, the Acquisition will not be made available, directly or indirectly, in, into or from a Restricted Jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction and no person may vote in favour of the Scheme by any such use, means, instrumentality or from within a Restricted Jurisdiction or any other jurisdiction if to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of that jurisdiction. Copies of this announcement and any formal documentation relating to the Acquisition are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in or into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction and persons receiving such documents (including agents, custodians, nominees and trustees) must not mail or otherwise forward, distribute or send it in or into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction. Doing so may render invalid any related purported vote in respect of the Acquisition. If the Acquisition is implemented by way of a Takeover Offer (unless otherwise permitted by applicable law and regulation), the Takeover Offer may not be made directly or indirectly, in or into, or by the use of mails or any means or instrumentality (including, but not limited to, facsimile, e-mail or other electronic transmission, telex or telephone) of interstate or foreign commerce of, or of any facility of a national, state or other securities exchange of any Restricted Jurisdiction and the Takeover Offer may not be capable of acceptance by any such use, means, instrumentality or facilities.
Further details in relation to Overseas Shareholders will be included in the Scheme Document (or, if the Acquisition is implemented by way of a Takeover Offer, the offer document).
Publication on a website
In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Takeover Code, a copy of this announcement and the documents required to be published under Rule 26 of the Takeover Code will be made available, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, on Bidco's website at www.madisonmomentum.com and Velocys' website at http://offer.velocys.com by no later than 12 noon (
Rounding
Certain figures included in this announcement have been subjected to rounding adjustments. Accordingly, figures shown for the same category presented in different tables may vary slightly and figures shown as totals in certain tables may not be an arithmetic aggregation of figures that precede them.
Dealing and Opening Position Disclosure requirements
Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in one (1) per cent. or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the Offer Period and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified.
An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) of the Code applies must be made by no later than 3.30 p.m. (
Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in one (1) per cent. or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror, save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8 of the Code. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) of the Code applies must be made by no later than 3.30 p.m. (
If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Code.
Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4 of the Code).
Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the Offer Period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. You should contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on +44 (0)20 7638 0129 if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.
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