Admission to AIM and First Day of Dealings

Rift Helium PLC

22 April 2026

 

Rift Helium plc

("Rift", "Rift Helium" or the "Company")

Admission to AIM and First Day of Dealings

Providing smart access to primary helium from a proven basin

22 April 2026, Rift Helium plc, which is providing investors with smart access to primary helium in a proven basin in southwest Tanzania, is pleased to announce the admission of its ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each in the capital of the Company ("Ordinary Shares") to trading on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange ("Admission"). The Company's Ordinary Shares will commence trading at 8.00 a.m. today under the ticker symbol "RIFT" and the ISIN GB00BVRY9595.

The Company has raised gross proceeds of approximately £8.1 million pursuant to a placing and subscription of 80,855,000 new Ordinary Shares at an issue price of 10 pence per share (the "Fundraising"). On Admission, the Company will have 134,142,041 Ordinary Shares in issue with a market capitalisation of approximately £13.4 million at the issue price.

The Company's Admission Document and information required pursuant to AIM Rule 26 is available on the Company's website at www.rifthelium.com

Commenting, Rift Helium Non-Executive Chairman, Patrick Muwowo, said:

"Helium is an increasingly important commodity for a range of high-value industries, yet global supply remains constrained and vulnerable to disruption. Against that backdrop, Rift is entering the public market at an important time. I would like to thank our new investors for their support, and the management team and advisers for their hard work in reaching this important milestone for the Company."

Rift Helium CEO, Charlie FitzRoy, said:

"Admission marks the start of Rift's next phase as we begin deploying the proceeds of the Company's successful IPO fundraise against a clear and focused strategy. With recent disruption in Qatar, which normally accounts for close to one-third of global helium supply, and new Russian export controls adding further uncertainty to the market, Rift is entering the public market against a highly favourable backdrop for new primary helium supply. In the Rukwa Basin, the key question is no longer whether helium exists, but where it accumulates in commercial volumes. Our third-mover strategy is designed to apply the lessons from adjacent discoveries to target those accumulations more efficiently and with greater technical discipline. With a clear route toward future export markets, including Asia, the world's largest and fastest-growing helium import region, we now look forward to deploying the IPO proceeds across our near-term catalysts, including EIA approval, 3D seismic-led prospect definition and drilling at the Upepo Project."

Investment Highlights

●	Smart access to primary helium in a proven basin: Rift offers investors direct exposure to primary helium exploration in the Rukwa Basin, where adjacent discoveries and drilling activity have helped validate a working helium system and materially reduce basin risk.
●	Third-mover advantage: Rift is applying the lessons from earlier basin entrants to pursue a more targeted, capital-efficient and technically disciplined exploration strategy focused on where helium is most likely to accumulate in commercial volumes.
●	Strategically located acreage: the Upepo Project comprises 283 km² of licence acreage in southwest Tanzania, adjacent to confirmed helium discoveries within an established and highly prospective helium basin.
●	Meaningful resource potential: the independent CPR prepared by NSAI indicates significant prospective helium resource potential, including a gross, unrisked P50 estimate of approximately 19 Bcf helium and a mean estimate of approximately 41 Bcf helium.
●	Clear near-term catalysts: Rift is targeting EIA approval, 3D seismic-led prospect definition in summer 2026, supporting well targeting and drill programme works planned to commence in H1 2027, providing a clear pathway to further technical de-risking.
●	Exposure to a critical commodity with favourable market fundamentals: helium is essential to a range of high-value applications, including semiconductors, medical imaging, scientific research, defence and aerospace, while global demand is projected to grow at 5-7% CAGR through to 2030 against constrained supply. Asia is the largest and fastest-growing helium import market, underlining the strategic importance of new primary helium supply.
●	Access to key future import markets: the Upepo Project benefits from access to existing transport infrastructure, including road and rail links to the port of Dar es Salaam, supporting future export routes to major international helium import markets, with approximately 90% of global helium imports concentrated in Asia (~60%) and the EU (~30%). Tanzania is located on the eastern side of Africa, offering a clear route to Asia, the largest and fastest growing market for helium imports.
●	Experienced team with relevant expertise: the Board, founding shareholders, senior management and technical team bring extensive experience across helium, critical minerals, natural resources, capital markets and in-country execution.
●	Supportive local positioning: development of the Upepo Project is supported by the local community, helping to underpin responsible long-term project advancement.

Video Interview

Following the successful IPO, an interview with Charlie FitzRoy, CEO, is available to view via the following link:

https://www.voxmarkets.com/articles/rift-helium-raises-8m-for-tanzanian-exploration-2d09ada 

For further information:

Charlie FitzRoy Russel Swarts	Rift Helium plc	[phone] [e-mail]
Ritchie Balmer Rob Patrick	Strand Hanson (Nominated & Financial Adviser)	[phone]
John Prior Nick Orgill	Greenwood Capital (Equity Capital Markets Adviser)	[e-mail]
Nick Emerson	SI Capital (Joint Broker)	[phone] [e-mail]
Simon Johnson James Bavister	Zeus (Joint Broker)	[phone]
Mark Antelme Philip Dennis	Celicourt (Financial PR)	[phone] [e-mail]

www.rifthelium.com

Background to the Company

Rift Helium plc is an England and Wales incorporated company which owns 99 per cent. of the Upepo Project located in southwestern Tanzania, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Kidunda (TZ) Limited. The Company's strategy is to advance a primary helium opportunity in a proven basin, targeting commercial helium accumulations within a non-hydrocarbon associated system in the Great Rift Valley.

The Company believes the Project is strategically positioned relative to future helium import demand, particularly in Asia, which represents the largest and fastest-growing regional market for helium.

The Upepo Project comprises three Prospecting Licences located near the southern shores of Lake Rukwa, Tanzania, and within the Rukwa Rift - forming part of the extensive East Africa Rift System extending for 5,000 km across the continent. The Company has identified five discrete exploration "leads", primarily on its eastern licence, PL 12093/2022, which is less than 6 km east of the Itumbula helium discovery.

The CPR by NSAI determined an unrisked, prospective P50 Best Estimate (arithmetic) aggregate of over 19 Bcf recoverable helium for the Upepo Project. The Competent Person's estimates of potential helium volume in the 10 individual reservoirs are based on the OGIP estimates and application (in the probability modelling) of the total gas recovery factor ranging from 50 per cent. to 90 per cent., as well as of a wide range of possible helium content in gas, ranging from 1.3 per cent. He (P90) to 11.0 per cent. He (P10), and a mean grade of 5.6 per cent. helium ("He").

Rift has assembled an experienced management and technical team with relevant helium, natural resources and capital markets expertise. The Company intends to leverage its third-mover advantage in the Rukwa Basin by applying the lessons from earlier basin activity to a focused exploration programme. Net proceeds from the Fundraising are expected to support technical de-risking at Upepo, including 3D seismic acquisition and drilling, as Rift advances its evaluation of the Project's prospective helium resource.

The Board

The Board comprises two Executive Directors and three Non-Executive Directors. The Non-Executive Chair, Patrick Muwowo, is based in Tanzania, while the other Directors are based in the United Kingdom and the United States.

The Board's Executive Director is Charlie FitzRoy (CEO), an experienced natural resource executive with previous CEO roles including Giyani Metals Corp (TSXV:EMM) and Bradda Head Lithium (AIM:BHL); and, on Admission, will include Russel Swarts (CFO), a Chartered Accountant and Finance Executive with over three decades' of international financial leadership, including at Helium One.

The Board's Non-Executive Directors comprise Patrick Muwowo (Non-Executive Chair and founding shareholder), a banking and finance professional with over 25 years' experience across international financial markets, investment banking and project finance, with a particular focus on Africa, including at Standard Chartered Bank Tanzania, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America; Vincent Hendrickx (Non-Executive Director), with two decades' of experience in mineral exploration and investment; and, on Admission, Jonathan Owen (Non-Executive Director), whose career has been focused on mining and natural resources with previous roles including CEO of AIM-quoted Metals One plc, senior partner at Proudfoot and COO at Helium One.

The Company has also secured the services of Basie Swanepoel as Chief Operational Officer, and Lucas McLean-Hodgson as Chief Technical Officer who will be based in Tanzania as and when required as the Project develops.

Thomas Abraham-James and Neil Herbert, who alongside Patrick Muwowo are founding shareholders of the Company, are being appointed in senior advisory capacities by the Board of Rift Helium. Mr. Abraham-James is also CEO and co-founder of Pulsar Helium and the co-founder of Helium One, while Mr Herbert is also the Executive Chair of Pulsar Helium.

As a whole, the Board and the Company's senior management have significant experience in establishing, growing, financing and subsequently monetising early-stage natural resources projects in Tanzania and more widely.

IMPORTANT NOTICES

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN, 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, CANADA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE SAME WOULD BE UNLAWFUL

This Announcement has been issued by and is the sole responsibility of the Company.

This information contained in this Announcement is restricted and is not for release, publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, in, into or from the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan or 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 the solicitation of an offer to buy, acquire or subscribe for shares in the capital of the Company in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan or the Republic of South Africa or any other jurisdiction where such offer or solicitation may be restricted, unlawful or unauthorised. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of such jurisdictions. Subject to certain exemptions, the securities referred to herein may not be offered or sold in Canada, Australia, Japan or the Republic of South Africa or to, or for the account or benefit of, any national resident or citizen of Canada, Australia, Japan or the Republic of South Africa. The ordinary shares in the capital of the Company ("Ordinary Shares") have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Securities Act") or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction of the United States, and may not be offered, sold, taken up, exercised, resold, renounced, delivered or transferred, directly or indirectly, in the United States absent registration under the Securities Act or an available exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and the securities laws of any other jurisdiction of the United States. There will be no public offer of the securities in the United States. Neither the US Securities and Exchange Commission nor any securities regulatory body of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States, nor any securities regulatory body of any other country or political subdivision thereof, has approved or disapproved of this document or the securities discussed herein or passed on or endorsed the merits of the Fundraising or the accuracy or adequacy of the contents of this Announcement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States.

No prospectus will be made available in connection with the matters contained in this Announcement and no such prospectus is required (in accordance with the POATR (as defined below)) to be published.

This Announcement is addressed to and directed only at persons who are (a) persons in member states of the European Economic Area who are "qualified investors" within the meaning of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 or (b) persons in the United Kingdom who are "qualified investors" within the meaning of paragraph 15 of Schedule 1 of the Public Offers and Admissions to Trading Regulations 2024 ("POATR") and who (i) have professional experience in matters relating to investments and fall within the definition of "investment professionals" in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order"); or (ii) are high net worth companies, unincorporated associations or partnerships or trustees of high value trusts as described in article 49(2) of the Order; or (c) persons to whom it may otherwise be lawful to communicate it (all such persons together being referenced to as "relevant persons"). Any investment in connection with the Fundraising will only be available to, and will only be engaged with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this Announcement or any of its contents.

Such persons should seek their own independent legal, investment and tax advice as they see fit. The distribution of this Announcement and the offering of Ordinary Shares pursuant to the Fundraising in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law.

This Announcement is not being distributed by, nor has it been approved for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended) ("FSMA") by a person authorised under FSMA.

Strand Hanson Limited ("Strand"), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA, has not authorised the contents of this Announcement and is acting exclusively for the Company as nominated & financial adviser in connection with the Admission for the purposes of the AIM Rules for Companies, and no one else, in connection with Admission and the other matters referred to in this Announcement, and is not advising or treating as a client any other person nor will it be responsible to any person other than the Company (whether or not a recipient of this Announcement) for providing the protections afforded to its customers or for providing advice in relation to Admission or any other matters referred to in this Announcement. Neither Strand nor any of its affiliates accepts any responsibility whatsoever for the contents of the information contained in this Announcement or for any other statement made or purported to be made by or on behalf of Strand or any of its affiliates in connection with the Company or Admission.

Greenwood Capital Partners Limited ("Greenwood Capital") which is authorised and regulated by the FCA in the United Kingdom is acting exclusively for the Company as equity capital markets adviser and no one else in connection with the matters described in this Announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to customers of Greenwood Capital or for advising any other person in respect of the contents contained herein.

SI Capital Ltd ("SI Capital") which is authorised and regulated by the FCA in the United Kingdom and is a member of the London Stock Exchange is acting exclusively for the Company as joint broker and no one else in connection with the matters described in this Announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to customers of SI Capital or for advising any other person in respect of the contents contained herein.

Zeus Capital Limited ("Zeus Capital") which is authorised and regulated by the FCA in the United Kingdom and is a member of the London Stock Exchange is acting exclusively for the Company as joint broker and no one else in connection with the matters described in this Announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to customers of Zeus Capital or for advising any other person in respect of the contents contained herein.

No action has been taken by the Company, Strand, Greenwood Capital, SI Capital or Zeus Capital that would permit an offering of such shares or possession or distribution of this Announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating to such shares in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required.

This Announcement contains (or may contain) certain forward-looking statements with respect to certain of the Company's current expectations and projections about future events. These statements, which sometimes use words such as "aim", "anticipate", "believe", "intend", "plan" "estimate", "expect" and words of similar meaning, reflect the directors' beliefs and expectations and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially from any expected future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking statement. Statements contained in this Announcement regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. The information contained in this Announcement is subject to change without notice and, except as required by applicable law or regulation, neither the Company, nor any of Strand, Greenwood Capital, SI Capital or Zeus Capital nor any of their respective affiliates assume any responsibility or obligation to update or review any of the forward-looking statements contained herein. No reliance should be placed on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Announcement.

No statement in this Announcement is or is intended to be a profit forecast or profit estimate or to imply that the earnings of the Company for the current or future financial years will necessarily match or exceed the historical or published earnings of the Company. The price of shares and the income from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the full amount invested on disposal of the shares.

Neither the content of the Company's website, nor any website accessible by hyperlinks on the Company's website, is incorporated in, or forms part of, this Announcement.

Neither this announcement, nor anything contained herein, nor anything contained in the admission document to be prepared and published by the Company in accordance with the AIM Rules for Companies published by the London Stock Exchange plc (the "Admission Document"), shall form the basis of, form part of or be relied upon in connection with, or act as any inducement to enter into an offer or commitment whatsoever in any jurisdiction. Prospective investors should not subscribe for or purchase any securities referred to in this announcement, except solely on the basis of the information contained in the Admission Document in its final form (together with any supplementary admission document if relevant), including the risk factors to be set out therein, that may be published by the Company in connection with the proposed admission of the issued and to be issued ordinary shares of the Company to trading on AIM, the market operated by London Stock Exchange plc. A copy of any admission document published by the Company will, if published, be available for inspection on the Company's website at www.rifthelium.com, subject to certain access restrictions.

 

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