OTAQ plc
("OTAQ", or the
"Company")
Share Incentive Plan
Purchase
Director/PDMR
Shareholding
Total Voting Rights
OTAQ plc (OTAQ.AQ), the innovative technology company
targeting the aquaculture and offshore markets, received
notification on 18 April 2024 from Cytec Solutions Corporate
Trustees Limited (the "SIP Trustee") in relation to the issue and
allotment of 55,003 ordinary shares of 1 penny each in the Company
("Ordinary Shares") for the benefit of participants of the OTAQ
Share Incentive Plan (the "SIP"), including Persons Discharging
Managerial Responsibilities in the Company ("PDMR") outlined below
in accordance with the rules of the SIP (the "SIP
Award").
The SIP is an all-employee trust arrangement approved by HM
Revenue and Customs, under which each participating employee will
acquire Ordinary Shares at the prevailing market price per share
using contributions deducted from pre-tax salary in each calendar
month ("Partnership Shares"), with each participating employee
being awarded one Ordinary Share for each Partnership Share
("Matching Shares"), using newly issued shares.
Details of the number of Partnership Shares purchased by each
of the PDMRs at a price of 3.00 pence per Ordinary
Share, and the number of Matching Shares allocated by the SIP
Trustee to the PDMR for no consideration, is set out
against their names in the table below.
|
Name
|
Title
|
Number of Partnership
Shares
|
Number of Matching Shares
|
Total beneficial holding following
Admission
|
Percentage beneficial holding
following Admission
|
|
Philip Newby*
|
Chief Executive Officer
|
5,000
|
5,000
|
1,478,382
|
1.15%
|
|
Harald Rotsch
|
Chief Technology Officer
|
5,000
|
5,000
|
2,481,478
|
1.93%
|
*Philip Newby’s beneficial
holding includes 349,606 Ordinary Shares held by his wife, Diane
Newby
The SIP Award has been satisfied by the issue of 55,003 new
Ordinary Shares (the "SIP Shares") to the SIP Trustee. The SIP
Shares shall rank pari
passu in all respects with the Company’s existing
ordinary shares in issue. Application has been made to the Aquis
Stock Exchange for the SIP Shares to be admitted to trading on the
Access Segment of the AQSE Growth Market ("Admission"). It is
expected that Admission will become effective on or around 8.00 am
on 22 April 2024.
Total Voting Rights
Following Admission, the Company will have 128,307,280
Ordinary Shares in issue, with voting rights. The Company does not
hold any Ordinary Shares in treasury. Therefore, the total number
of Ordinary Shares in the Company with voting rights will be
128,307,280.
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 in their
interest in, the share capital of the Company under the Financial
Conduct Authority’s Disclosure Guidance and Transparency
Rules.
Enquiries:
|
OTAQ PLC
|
+44 (0) 1524 748028
|
|
Adam Reynolds, Non-Executive Chairman
|
|
|
Phil Newby, Chief Executive Officer
Justine Dowds, Interim Chief Financial Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dowgate Capital Limited - AQSE
Corporate Advisor & Broker
|
+44 (0)20 3903 7715
|
|
David Poutney / James Serjeant
Nicholas Chambers / Russell Cook
|
|
|
|
+44 (0)20 7933 8780
|
|
Walbrook PR Limited – PR
|
07971221972 or 07748325236
|
|
Tom Cooper / Nick Rome
|
OTAQ@walbrookpr.com
|
| |
|
|
|
About OTAQ
OTAQ is a highly
innovative technology company targeting the aquaculture and
offshore markets. It already has a number of established products
in its portfolio and is focused on further developing its presence,
customer base and cross selling opportunities within core markets
both organically and via acquisition.
OTAQ’s
aquaculture products, which include a sonar device (developed for
Minnowtech LLC) to scan shrimp in ponds and water quality
monitoring, are focused on maximising welfare and production
yields. Additionally, the Company is developing a potentially game
changing live plankton analysis product for finfish and shellfish
farmers. It also continues to target opportunities in the acoustic
deterrent devices market via its Sealfence product, which is used
by salmon farmers, with global opportunities in Chile, Australia,
Canada and Norway.
OTAQ’s offshore
product range includes OceanSense subsea leak detection, Eagle IP
camera systems, Lander seabed survey devices and Subsea electrical
connectors and penetrators. It is targeting a number of growth
opportunities in new territories and has a strong client base
including Expro, Amphenol and National Oilwell Varco. The Company
is also focused on the development of new products through this
division, with the aim of increased cross-deployment of skills and
technologies into the aquaculture arena.
The Company is
also developing high accuracy location trackers for specialist
applications. Having already added clients within safety and
multiple participant sport/racing applications, the Company is
investigating wider market potential - including opportunities in
the seafood industry.
The Company makes this announcement,
including the notification(s) below, in accordance with the
requirements of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.
|
1
|
Details of the person discharging
managerial responsibilities / person closely associated
|
|
a)
|
Name
|
Philip Newby
|
|
2
|
Reason for the
notification
|
|
a)
|
Position/status
|
Chief Executive Officer and PDMR
|
|
b)
|
Initial notification /Amendment
|
Initial Notification
|
|
3
|
Details of the issuer, emission
allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or
auction monitor
|
|
a)
|
Name
|
OTAQ plc
|
|
b)
|
LEI
|
213800CZGMYB5XTUXJ52
|
|
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
Identification code
|
Ordinary shares of 1 penny each
ISIN: GB00BK6JQ137
|
|
b)
|
Nature of the transaction
|
Purchase and allocation of Partnership and Matching Shares
(no consideration), respectively, under the OTAQ SIP.
|
|
c)
|
Price(s) and volume(s)
|
|
Price(s)
|
Volume(s)
|
|
3.0p
Nil
|
5,000
5,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
d)
|
Aggregated information
|
|
Price(s)
|
Aggregated volume (s)
|
|
1.50p
|
10,000
|
|
|
e)
|
Date of the transaction
|
18 April 2024
|
|
f)
|
Place of the transaction
|
Aquis Stock Exchange (AQSE)
|
|
1
|
Details of the person discharging
managerial responsibilities / person closely associated
|
|
a)
|
Name
|
Harald Rotsch
|
|
2
|
Reason for the
notification
|
|
a)
|
Position/status
|
Chief Technology Officer and PDMR
|
|
b)
|
Initial notification /Amendment
|
Initial Notification
|
|
3
|
Details of the issuer, emission
allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or
auction monitor
|
|
a)
|
Name
|
OTAQ plc
|
|
b)
|
LEI
|
213800CZGMYB5XTUXJ52
|
|
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
Identification code
|
Ordinary shares of 1 penny each
ISIN: GB00BK6JQ137
|
|
b)
|
Nature of the transaction
|
Purchase and allocation of Partnership and Matching Shares
(no consideration), respectively, under the OTAQ SIP.
|
|
c)
|
Price(s) and volume(s)
|
|
Price(s)
|
Volume(s)
|
|
3.0p
Nil
|
5,000
5,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
d)
|
Aggregated information
|
|
Price(s)
|
Aggregated volume (s)
|
|
1.50p
|
10,000
|
|
|
e)
|
Date of the transaction
|
18 April 2024
|
|
f)
|
Place of the transaction
|
Aquis Stock Exchange (AQSE)
|