Result of Placing

Summary by AI BETAClose X

Light Science Technologies Holdings plc has successfully completed a placing, raising £6 million through the issuance of 600,000,000 new ordinary shares at an issue price of 1 pence per share, representing a 65.5% discount to the previous day's closing price. The fundraising includes a firm placing, an EIS/VCT placing, and a general placing, with admissions expected on March 18th, April 13th, and April 14th, 2026, respectively, subject to shareholder approval for some tranches. Dowgate Group, a substantial shareholder, participated in the placing, and the Chairman subscribed for 12,500,000 shares. A retail offer to raise an additional £0.6 million is also underway.

Disclaimer*

Light Science Tech. Holdings PLC
11 March 2026
 

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN ARE RESTRICTED AND ARE NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE SAME WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

 

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR ISSUE OR A SOLICITATION TO BUY, SUBSCRIBE FOR OR OTHERWISE ACQUIRE ANY SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH ANY SUCH OFFER OR SOLICITATION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND OR THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA. NEITHER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT NOR ANYTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL FORM THE BASIS OF, OR BE RELIED UPON IN CONNECTION WITH, ANY SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR COMMITMENT WHATSOEVER IN ANY OF THOSE JURISDICTIONS.

 

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE UK VERSION OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU NO. 596/2014) AS IT FORMS PART OF UNITED KINGDOM DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 AS AMENDED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2020 ("UK MAR"). UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND SUCH PERSONS SHALL THEREFORE CEASE TO BE IN POSSESSION OF INSIDE INFORMATION.

 

Light Science Technologies Holdings plc

("LSTH", "Light Science", the "Company" or the "Group")

Result of Placing

Light Science Technologies Holdings plc (AIM: LST), the innovative technology and manufacturing business providing real-world solutions targeting issues including global food security and fire safety, is pleased to announce that, further to its announcement of a Fundraising at 7am on 11 March 2026, it has successfully completed and closed the Placing. The Placing raised a gross total of £6 million through the proposed issue of 600,000,000 new Ordinary Shares.

 

The Placing comprises: (i) a Firm Placing; (ii) an EIS/VCT Placing; and (iii) a General Placing. The 66,601,100 Firm Placing Shares will be allotted and issued pursuant to the Company's existing share authorities from the resolutions passed at the Company's previous annual general meeting and admitted to trading on as part of First Admission which is expected to be effective on 18 March 2026. The 129,500,000 EIS/VCT Placing Shares, will be allotted, issued and admitted to trading on AIM as part of Second Admission conditional on shareholder approval of the Resolutions at the General Meeting. Second Admission is expected to take place on 13 April 2026. The 403,898,900 General Placing Shares will be allotted, issued and admitted to trading on AIM as part of Third Admission, conditional on shareholder approval of the Resolutions at the General Meeting. Third Admission is expected to take place on 14 April 2026.

 

The Issue Price of 1 pence per Placing Share is a discount of 65.5 per cent. to the closing middle market price of 2.9 pence per Existing Ordinary Share on 10 March 2026, being the last Business Day prior to the announcement of the Proposals.   

 

As part of the Fundraising, the Company announced at 7.10 am on 11 March 2026 the launch of a retail offer via BookBuild to raise up to an additional £0.6m (before expenses) at the Issue Price (the "Retail Offer"). The result of the Retail Offer will be announced separately in due course and any Retail Offer Shares to be issued pursuant to the Retail Offer will be admitted to trading on AIM as part of Third Admission (subject to the Resolutions being passed at the General Meeting).

 

Dowgate Group Limited ("Dowgate") (including persons associated with Dowgate) has agreed to subscribe for 103,000,000  Placing Shares. As at the date of this announcement, so far as the Company is aware, Dowgate holds 44,690,000 existing Ordinary Shares representing 13.42 per cent. of the Company's current issued share capital. As such, Dowgate is a substantial shareholder of the Company and its participation in the Placing is a related party transaction pursuant to Rule 13 of the AIM Rules for Companies. The Independent Directors (being Simon Deacon, James Snooks and Richard Mills, who are not participating in the Fundraising) consider, having consulted with the Company's nominated adviser, Shore Capital and Corporate, that the terms of Dowgate's participation in the Placing are fair and reasonable insofar as the shareholders are concerned.

 

Director Participation in the Fundraising*

 

The Company's Chairman has subscribed for a total of 12,500,000 Fundraising Shares. The beneficial holdings of the Chairman before and after the Fundraising are set out below:

 

Director

Existing beneficial shareholding

Fundraising Shares

Beneficial shareholding following the Fundraising

Graham Cooley

29,000,000

12,500,000

41,500,000

 

* Andrew Hempsall, the Company's Chief Operating Officer, intends to subscribe for the Fundraising Shares through the Retail Offer. Further details will be included in the announcement on the Retail Offer results.

 

Admission and Total Voting Rights

 

Application has been made to the London Stock Exchange for admission of the 66,601,100 Firm Placing Shares to trading on AIM (the "Admission"). It is expected that Admission will become effective and dealings in the Firm Placing Shares will commence at 8.00 a.m. on 18 March 2026. The Firm Placing Shares will be issued fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the Company's Existing Ordinary Shares.

 

Admission is conditional, inter alia, upon the Placing Agreement not having been terminated and becoming unconditional in respect of the Firm Placing Shares. Admission does not require shareholder approval as the Firm Placing Shares will be issued pursuant to the Company's pre-existing allotment and dis-application of pre-emption rights authorities granted at its previous annual general meeting.

 

Following Admission, the total number of Ordinary Shares in the capital of the Company in issue will be 399,606,600 Ordinary Shares with voting rights. This figure may be used by shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company's share capital under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

 

Capitalised terms used but not defined in this announcement have the meanings given to them in the Company's announcement released at 7am on 11 March 2026 in respect of the Fundraising unless the context provides otherwise.

 

 

For additional information please contact:

 

Light Science Technologies Holdings plc

Simon Deacon, Chief Executive Officer

Jim Snooks, Chief Financial Officer

Andrew Hempsall, Chief Operating Officer

 

www.lightsciencetechnologiesholdings.com

via Walbrook PR

 

Shore Capital (Nominated Adviser and Broker)

Stephane Auton / Tom Griffiths / George Payne

 

  +44 (0)20 7408 4050

Walbrook PR Ltd (Media & Investor Relations)

Nick Rome / Marcus Ulker

Tel: +44 (0)20 7933 8780 or lst@walbrookpr.com

 

 

 

Notification and public disclosure of transactions by persons discharging managerial responsibilities and persons closely associated with them

 

1

Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated

a)

Name

Dr Graham Cooley

2

Reason for the notification

a)

Position/status

 

Non-Executive Chairman

b)

Initial notification /Amendment

Initial Notification

3

Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor

a)

Name

Light Science Technology Holdings Plc

b)

LEI

213800V9MWRRLVQ6EY56

4

Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted

a)

Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument

Ordinary Shares of 1 penny each

Identification code

GB00BNDQJN14

b)

Nature of the transaction

Purchase of Ordinary Shares

c)

 

Price(s) and volume(s)







Price(s)

Volume(s)




1p

12,500,000







d)

 

Aggregated information




- Aggregated volume

As above



- Aggregate Value




e)

Date of the transaction

11 March 2026

f)

Place of the transaction

AIM, London Stock Exchange

 

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