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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:
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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:
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Light Science Technologies Holdings plc Simon Deacon, Chief Executive Officer Jim Snooks, Chief Financial Officer Andrew Hempsall, Chief Operating Officer
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www.lightsciencetechnologiesholdings.com via Walbrook PR
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Shore Capital (Nominated Adviser and Broker) Stephane Auton / Tom Griffiths / George Payne
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+44 (0)20 7408 4050 |
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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
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1 |
Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated |
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a) |
Name |
Dr Graham Cooley |
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2 |
Reason for the notification |
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a) |
Position/status
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Non-Executive Chairman |
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b) |
Initial notification /Amendment |
Initial Notification |
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3 |
Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor |
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a) |
Name |
Light Science Technology Holdings Plc |
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b) |
LEI |
213800V9MWRRLVQ6EY56 |
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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 |
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a) |
Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument |
Ordinary Shares of 1 penny each |
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Identification code |
GB00BNDQJN14 |
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b) |
Nature of the transaction |
Purchase of Ordinary Shares |
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c)
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Price(s) and volume(s) |
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Price(s) |
Volume(s) |
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1p |
12,500,000 |
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d)
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Aggregated information |
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- Aggregated volume |
As above |
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- Aggregate Value |
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e) |
Date of the transaction |
11 March 2026 |
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f) |
Place of the transaction |
AIM, London Stock Exchange |
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