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 SUCH JURISDICTION
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
14
February 2025
RECOMMENDED CASH
ACQUISITION
of
Intelligent Ultrasound Group
plc ("Intelligent Ultrasound")
by
Surgical Science Sweden AB
("Surgical Science")
to be effected by means of a
Scheme of Arrangement under Part 26 of the Companies Act
2006
COURT SANCTION OF SCHEME OF
ARRANGEMENT
On 19 December 2024, the boards
of Intelligent
Ultrasound and Surgical Science announced that they had reached
agreement on the terms of a recommended cash offer to be made by
Surgical Science to acquire the entire issued and to be issued
ordinary share capital of Intelligent Ultrasound
(the "Acquisition").
The Acquisition is intended to be effected by means of a
court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the
Companies Act 2006 (the "Companies
Act").
Unless otherwise defined, all
capitalised terms in this announcement shall have the meanings
given to them in the scheme document published by Intelligent
Ultrasound on 15 January 2025 in connection with the Scheme (the
"Scheme
Document").
Court Sanction of the Scheme
The Board of Intelligent Ultrasound
is pleased to announce that the Court has today issued the Court
Order sanctioning the Scheme pursuant to which the Acquisition is
being implemented.
All of the Conditions to the
Acquisition have been satisfied or waived other than the delivery
of a copy of the Court Order to the Registrar of Companies. This is
expected to take place on 18 February 2025, at which point the
Scheme will become Effective.
Next Steps
Following the sanctioning of the
Scheme, the Board of Intelligent Ultrasound confirms that it has
allotted 16,862,942 new Ordinary Shares of 1 penny each in the
capital of Intelligent Ultrasound (the "New Ordinary Shares"). Admission of the
New Ordinary Shares to trading on AIM is expected to occur at 8.00
a.m. on 17 February 2025.
Following admission of the New
Ordinary Shares, in accordance with Rule 2.9 of the City Code
on Takeovers and Mergers (the "Code"), the Company will have
347,876,045 Ordinary Shares in issue. This figure of 347,876,045
may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations
by which they will determine if they are required to notify their
interest in, or a change of their interest in, the Company under
the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.
The last day and time for dealings
in, and for registrations of transfers, and disablement in CREST,
of Intelligent Ultrasound Shares is expected to be 17 February
2025. Trading in Intelligent Ultrasound Shares on AIM will be
suspended with effect from 7.30 a.m. on 18 February
2025.
It is expected that, subject to the
Scheme becoming Effective, the cancellation of admission to trading
of Intelligent Ultrasound Shares on AIM will take effect from 7.00
a.m. on 19 February 2025.
A further announcement will be made
when the Scheme becomes Effective.
If any of the expected times and/or
dates change, the revised time and/or dates will be notified to
Intelligent Ultrasound Shareholders by announcement through a
Regulatory Information Service.
Enquiries:
Intelligent Ultrasound
|
+44 (0)29 2075 6534
|
Stuart Gall, CEO
Helen Jones, CFO
|
|
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (Financial Adviser,
Nominated Adviser and Broker)
|
+44 (0) 20 7220 0500
|
Giles Balleny
Henrik Persson
Hamish Waller
|
|
Cardew Group (PR Adviser)
|
|
Allison Connolly
|
+44 (0) 7587 453955
|
Emma Pascoe-Watson
|
+44 (0) 7774 620415
|
Jessica Pilling
|
+44 (0) 7918 584573
|
|
|
About Intelligent Ultrasound
Group
Intelligent Ultrasound (AIM: IUG) is one of the world's
leading ultrasound simulation and education companies, specialising
in real-time hi-fidelity virtual reality simulation for the
ultrasound training market. The company's main products are the
ScanTrainer obstetrics and gynaecology training simulator, the
HeartWorks echocardiography training simulator, the BodyWorks Eve
Point of Care and Emergency Medicine training simulator, the new
BabyWorks Neonate and Paediatric training simulator and
NeedleTrainer, which teaches real-time ultrasound-guided needling.
To date over 1,800 simulators have been sold to over 800 medical
institutions around the world.
This announcement does not constitute an offer to purchase any
securities, or an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to
buy any securities, nor shall there be any offer to purchase or
sell securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer,
solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The release, distribution
or publication of this announcement in jurisdictions other than the
UK may be restricted by law and therefore any persons who are
subject to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the UK should
inform themselves about and observe any applicable
requirements.
Publication on a
website
In
accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Takeover Code, a copy of this
announcement will be available (subject to certain restrictions
relating to persons resident in restricted jurisdictions) on the
Company's website at https://www.intelligentultrasound.com and
Surgical Science's website at https://www.surgicalscience.com by no
later than 12 noon (London time) on the Business Day following this
announcement. The content of the websites referred to in this
announcement are not incorporated into and do not form part of this
announcement.
Notice to overseas
investors
This announcement does not constitute an offer to purchase any
securities, or an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to
buy any securities, nor shall there be any offer to purchase or
sell securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer,
solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The release, distribution
or publication of this announcement in jurisdictions other than the
UK may be restricted by law and therefore any persons who are
subject to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the UK should
inform themselves about and observe any applicable
requirements.
Disclosure requirements of
the Takeover Code
Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Takeover Code, any person who is
interested in 1% 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 (as defined in the
Takeover Code) 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) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 p.m. (London
time) on the 10th business day following the commencement of the
offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 p.m.
(London time) on the 10th business day following the announcement
in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified.
Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree
company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline
for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a
Dealing Disclosure (as defined in the Takeover
Code).
Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Takeover Code, any person who is, or
becomes, interested in 1% 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(s), save to the extent that these details have previously
been disclosed under Rule 8. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to
whom Rule 8.3(b) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 p.m.
(London time) on the business day following the date of the
relevant dealing.
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.
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).
Details of the offeree and Bidder 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 Takeover 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 Bidder 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.
Electronic
Communications
Please be aware that addresses, electronic addresses and
certain other information provided by Intelligent Ultrasound
Shareholders, persons with information rights and other relevant
persons for the receipt of communications from Intelligent
Ultrasound may be provided to Surgical Science during the offer
period as required under Section 4 of Appendix 4 of the Takeover
Code to comply with Rule 2.11(c).