Prospectus • Aug 19, 2018
Prospectus
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Offers for Subscription by Octopus AIM VCT plc and Octopus AIM VCT 2 plc for the tax years 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 to raise up tp £20 million by way of an issue of New Shares, with an overallotment facility of a further £10 million.
3 August 2018
If you are in any doubt about the action to be taken, you should immediately consult your bank manager, stockbroker, solicitor, accountant or other independent financial adviser authorised pursuant to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA).
This document, which comprises a prospectus relating to Octopus AIM VCT plc ("Octopus AIM") and Octopus AIM VCT 2 plc ("Octopus AIM 2") (together the "Companies") dated 3 August 2018, has been prepared in accordance with the prospectus rules made under Part VI of FSMA, and has been approved for publication by the Financial Conduct Authority as a prospectus under the Prospectus Rules on 3 August 2018.
The Companies and the Directors, whose names appear on pages 33 to 34 of this document, accept responsibility for the information contained herein. To the best of the knowledge of the Companies and the Directors (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case), the information contained in this document is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information.
Persons receiving this document should note that Howard Kennedy Corporate Services LLP, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting as sponsor for the Companies and no-one else and will not, subject to the responsibilities and liabilities imposed by FSMA or the regulatory regime established thereunder, be responsible to any other person for providing the protections afforded to customers of Howard Kennedy Corporate Services LLP or providing advice in connection with any matters referred to herein.
Prospectus relating to: offers for subscription to raise up to £20 million, in aggregate, with an over-allotment facility of a further £10 million, in aggregate, by way of an issue of New Shares, payable in full in cash on application
The ordinary shares of the Companies in issue at the date of this document are listed on the premium segment of the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and traded on the London Stock Exchange's main market for listed securities. Application has been made to the UK Listing Authority for all of the New Shares to be listed on the premium segment of the Official List and application will be made to the London Stock Exchange for the New Shares to be admitted to trading on its main market for listed securities. It is expected that such admission will become effective, and that trading will commence, in respect of the New Shares within 10 business days of their allotment. The New Shares will be issued in registered form and will be freely transferable in both certificated and uncertificated form and will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing Shares.
The Offers are not being made, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan or the Republic of South Africa or their respective territories or possessions, and documents should not be distributed, forwarded or transmitted in or into such territories. The New Shares have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (as amended) and may not be offered, sold or delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan or the Republic of South Africa.
| SUMMARY | 5 |
|---|---|
| RISK FACTORS | 22 |
| EXPECTED TIMETABLE, OFFER STATISTICS AND COSTS RELATING TO THE OFFERS |
25 |
| LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMEN OF THE COMPANIES | 26 |
| KEY FEATURES | 29 |
| PART ONE Introduction to the Offers Terms of the Offers Use of funds |
29 |
| Intermediary charges Investment Policy Conflicts of Interest Performance History Dividend Policy and Dividend Reinvestment Scheme Buyback Policy The Boards The Investment Team Management Remuneration Example Investments |
|
| PART TWO Tax benefits and considerations for investors |
40 |
| PART THREE Financial information on the Companies |
44 |
| PART FOUR Investment portfolio of the Companies |
47 |
| PART FIVE Additional information on the Companies |
54 |
| DEFINITIONS | 87 |
| TERMS AND CONDITIONS | 90 |
| DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT SCHEME Terms and Conditions of the Dividend Reinvestment Schemes for each of the Companies |
97 |
| LIST OF ADVISERS TO THE COMPANIES | 103 |
Summaries are made up of disclosure requirements known as 'Elements'. The Elements are numbered in Sections A—E (A.1—E.7).
This summary contains all the Elements required to be included in a summary for this type of securities and issuer. Because some Elements are not required to be addressed, there may be gaps in the numbering sequence of the Elements.
Even though an Element may be required to be inserted into the summary because of the type of securities and issuer, it is possible that no relevant information can be given regarding the Element. In this case a short description of the Element is included in the summary with the mention of 'not applicable'.
| Element | Disclosure | Disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| requirement | ||
| A. 1 | Warning | This summary should be read as an introduction to the Prospectus. Any decision to invest in the securities should be based on consideration of the Prospectus as a whole by the investor. Where a claim relating to the information contained in the Prospectus is brought before a court, the plaintiff investor might, under the national legislation of the EEA States, have to bear the costs of translating the Prospectus before the legal proceedings are initiated. Civil liability attaches to those persons who have tabled the summary, including any translation thereof, but only if the summary is misleading, inaccurate or inconsistent when read together with the other parts of the Prospectus or it does not provide, when read together with other parts of the Prospectus, key information in order to aid investors when considering whether to invest in the securities. |
| A.2 | Use of Prospectus by financial intermediaries |
The Companies and the Directors consent to the use of the Prospectus, and accept responsibility for the content of the Prospectus, with respect to subsequent resale or final placement of securities by financial intermediaries, from the date of the Prospectus until the close of the Offers. The Offers will close on or before 2 August 2019. There are no conditions attaching to this consent. Information on the terms and conditions of the offer by any financial intermediary is to be provided at the time of the offer by the financial intermediary. |
| Element | Disclosure | Disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| requirement |
| B.1 | Legal and commercial name |
Octopus AIM VCT plc and Octopus AIM VCT 2 plc | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B.2 | Domicile and legal form |
Octopus AIM VCT plc was incorporated and registered in England and Wales on 8 December 1997 as a public company limited by shares under the Companies Act 1985 with registered number 3477519. Octopus AIM VCT 2 plc was incorporated and registered in England and Wales on 4 August 2005 as a public company limited by shares under the Companies Act 1985 with registered number 5528235. The Companies operate under the CA 2006 and regulations made under the CA 2006. |
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| B.5 | Group description |
Not applicable. The Companies are not part of a group. | ||||
| B.6 | Major shareholders |
the Companies. There are no different voting rights for any Shareholder. | The Companies are not aware of any person or persons who has, or who following the Offers will or could have, directly or indirectly, voting rights representing 3% or more of the issued share capital of the Companies or who can, or could following the Offers, directly or indirectly, exercise control over |
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| B. 7 | Key financial information |
Octopus AIM tables, is set out below. |
Selected historical financial information relating to Octopus AIM has been extracted from the audited financial statements referenced in the following |
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| Audited Financial Results for the Year Ended 29 February 2016 |
Audited Financial Results for the Year Ended 28 February 2017 |
Audited Financial Results for the Year Ended 28 February 2018 |
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| Net assets (£'000) Net asset value |
77,224 101.6 |
99,915 114.4 |
127,070 116.1 |
|||
| per Share (p) |
| Revenue return | 20 | 78 | (189) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| after expenses | |||||
| and taxation | |||||
| (£'000) | |||||
| Dividend per | 9.3 | 5.0 | 5.5 | ||
| Share (p) | |||||
| Expenses | 1,817 | 1,839 | 2,328 | ||
| (£'000) | |||||
| As a percentage | 2.4% | 2.1% | 2.1% | ||
| of average | |||||
| Shareholders' | |||||
| funds | |||||
| Net asset value | 1.0 | 17.8 | 6.5 | ||
| return/ (loss) (p) | |||||
| Net proceeds of £17.5 million, £18.0 million, £4.3 million and £23.1 million | |||||
| were raised by Octopus AIM under offers for subscription which opened on | |||||
| 29 August 2014, 21 December 2015, 6 February 2017 and 16 June 2017 | |||||
| respectively. Save in respect of these matters, there has been no significant | |||||
| change in the financial condition or operating results of Octopus AIM during | |||||
| or subsequent to the period covered by the historical information set out | |||||
| above. | |||||
| Octopus AIM 2 | |||||
| Selected historical financial information relating to Octopus AIM 2 has been | |||||
| extracted from the audited and unaudited financial statements referenced in | |||||
| the following tables, is set out below. | |||||
| Audited | Audited | Audited | Unaudited | Unaudited | |
| Financial | Financial | Financial | Financial | Financial | |
| Results for | Results for | Results for | Results for | Results for | |
| the Year |
the Year |
the Year |
the 6 |
the 6 |
|
| Ended 30 |
Ended 30 |
Ended 30 |
months | months | |
| November | November | November | ended 31 |
ended 31 |
|
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | May 2017 | May 2018 | |
| Net assets (£'000) |
52,317 | 63,005 | 86,911 | 75,653 | 90,480 |
| Net asset |
80.6 | 80.6 | 87.1 | 91.8 | 91.0 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| value per |
|||||||
| Share (p) | |||||||
| Revenue | 9 | (3) | (207) | (136) | (155) | ||
| return after | |||||||
| expenses | |||||||
| and taxation | |||||||
| (£'000) | |||||||
| Dividend per | 6.0 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 2.0 | 2.1 | ||
| Share (p) | |||||||
| Expenses | 1,227 | 1,276 | 1.615 | 736 | 925 | ||
| (£'000) | |||||||
| As a | 2.5% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 1.0% | ||
| percentage | |||||||
| of average | |||||||
| shareholders | |||||||
| ' funds | |||||||
| Net asset | 6.6 | 4.5 | 9.7 | 13.1 | 6.0 | ||
| value return/ | |||||||
| (loss) (p) | |||||||
| Net proceeds of £11.3 million, £11.5 million, £4.3 million and £16.0 million were raised by Octopus AIM 2 under offers for subscription which opened on |
|||||||
| 29 August 2014, 21 December 2015, 6 February 2017 and 16 June 2017 | |||||||
| respectively. Save in respect of these matters, there has been no significant | |||||||
| change in the financial condition or operating results of Octopus AIM 2 during or subsequent to the period covered by the historical information set out |
|||||||
| above. | |||||||
| B.8 | Key pro | Not applicable. There is no pro forma financial information in the Prospectus. | |||||
| forma | |||||||
| financial | |||||||
| B.9 | Profit | Not applicable. No profit forecast or estimate made. | |||||
| forecast | |||||||
| B.10 | Description | Not applicable. The audit reports on the historical financial information | |||||
| of the nature | contained within the document are not qualified. | ||||||
| of any | |||||||
| qualifications | |||||||
| in the audit | |||||||
| report on | |||||||
| the historical | |||||||
| financial | |||||||
| information | ||
|---|---|---|
| B.11 | Insufficient Working Capital |
Not applicable. Each Company is of the opinion that the working capital available to that Company is sufficient for its present requirements (that is, for at least the next twelve months from the date of this document). |
| B.34 | Investment policy |
The investment policy of Octopus AIM is as follows: The Company's investment policy has been designed and updated to ensure continued compliance with the VCT qualifying conditions. The Board intends that the long-term disposition of the Company's assets will be not less than 85% in a portfolio of qualifying AIM, NEX Exchange traded investments or unquoted companies where the management views an initial public offering (IPO) on AIM or NEX Exchange is a short to medium-term objective. The non qualifying balance (approximately 15% of its funds) will be invested in permitted investments held for short term liquidity, generally comprising short-term cash or money market deposits with a minimum Moody's long term debt rating of 'A'. Moody's is an independent rating agency and is not registered in the EU. A proportion of the balance could be invested in funds managed by Octopus or other direct equity investments. This provides a reserve of liquidity which should maximise the Company's flexibility as to the timing of investment acquisitions and disposals, dividend payments and share |
| buybacks. Risk is spread by investing in a number of different businesses across a range of industry sectors. In order to qualify as an investment in a qualifying VCT holding, the Company's holdings in any one company (other than another VCT) must not exceed 15% by value of its investments at the time of investment. The value of an individual investment is expected to increase over time as a result of trading progress and a continuous assessment is made of its suitability for sale. |
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| However, Shareholders should be aware that the Company's qualifying investments are held with a view to long-term capital growth as well as income and will often have limited marketability; as a result, it is possible that individual holdings may grow in value to the point where they represent a significantly higher proportion of total assets prior to a realisation opportunity being available. |
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| The Company's Articles permit borrowings of amounts up to 10% of the sum equal to the aggregate of the amount paid up on the allotted or issued share capital of the Company and the amount standing to the credit of the capital and revenue reserves of the Company (whether or not distributable) after adding thereto or deducting therefrom any balance to the credit or debit of the profit and loss account. However, investments will normally be made using the Company's equity shareholders' funds and it is not intended that the Company will take on borrowings. |
||
| The investment policy of Octopus AIM 2 is as follows: | ||
| The Company's investment policy has been designed and updated to ensure |
| continuing compliance with the VCT qualifying conditions. The Board intends that the long term disposition of the Company's assets will be not less than 85% in a portfolio of qualifying AIM, NEX Exchange traded or unquoted companies where the management views an initial public offering (IPO) on AIM or NEX Exchange is a short to medium-term objective. The non-qualifying balance (approximately 15% of its funds) will be invested in permitted investments held for short term liquidity, generally comprising short-term cash or money market deposits with a minimum Moody's long-term debt rating of 'A'. Moody is an independent rating agency and is not registered in the EU. A proportion of the balance could be invested in funds managed by Octopus or other direct equity investments. This provides a reserve of liquidity which should maximise the Company's flexibility as to the timing of investment acquisitions and disposals, dividend payments and share buybacks. Risk is spread by investing in a number of different businesses across a range of industry sectors. In order to qualify as an investment in a qualifying VCT holding, the Company's holding in any one company (other than another VCT) must not exceed 15% by value of its investments at the time of investment. |
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|---|---|---|
| The value of an individual investment is expected to increase over time as a result of trading progress and a continuous assessment is made of its suitability for sale. However, Shareholders should be aware that the Company's qualifying investments are held with a view to long-term capital growth as well as income and will often have limited marketability; as a result, it is possible that individual holdings may grow in value to the point where they represent a significantly higher proportion of total assets prior to a realisation opportunity being available. Investments will normally be made using the Company's equity shareholders' funds and it is not intended that the Company will take on any long term borrowings. |
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| The Company's Articles permit borrowings of amounts up to 10% of the sum equal to the aggregate of the amount paid up on the allotted or issued share capital of the Company and the amount standing to the credit of the capital and revenue reserves of the Company (whether or not distributable) after adding thereto or deducting therefrom any balance to the credit or debit of the profit and loss account. |
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| B.35 | Borrowing limits |
The Companies' articles permit borrowings of amounts up to 10% of the sum equal to the aggregate of the amount paid up on the allotted or issued share capital of the Companies and the amount standing to the credit of the capital and revenue reserves of the Companies (whether or not distributable) after adding thereto or deducting therefrom any balance to the credit or debit of the profit and loss account. |
| B.36 | Regulatory status |
The Companies are authorised and regulated by the FCA as small registered UK alternative investment fund managers. |
| B.37 | Typical investor |
A typical investor for whom the Offers are designed is a UK income taxpayer over 18 years of age with an investment range of between £5,000 and £200,000 who, having regard to the risk factors set out in the Prospectus, considers the investment policy of each of the Companies to be attractive. |
| This may include retail and sophisticated investors, as well as high net worth individuals who already have a portfolio of investments. |
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|---|---|---|
| B.38 | Investment of 20% or more in a single underlying asset or investment company |
Not applicable. The Companies will not invest more than 20% in a single underlying asset or investment company. |
| B.39 | Investment of 40% or more in a single underlying asset or investment company |
Not applicable. The Companies will not invest more than 40% in a single underlying asset or investment company. |
| B.40 | Applicant's service providers |
Octopus AIM An investment management agreement dated 3 February 1998 between Octopus AIM (1) and Close Investment Limited (2), which was supplemented by a supplemental investment management agreement dated 19 September 2000, which was novated to the Manager pursuant to a novation agreement dated 29 July 2008 and varied by deeds of variation dated 1 July 2010, 1 February 2013, 29 August 2014, 21 December 2015, 16 June 2017 and 3 August 2018 pursuant to which the Manager provides certain investment management services and administration and secretarial services to Octopus AIM for a fee payable quarterly in arrears of an amount equivalent to 2% per annum (exclusive of VAT, if any) of the NAV of Octopus AIM (the "Octopus AIM Fee") calculated in accordance with Octopus AIM's normal accounting policies. The Octopus AIM Fee shall be reduced by such amount so that the sum of the Octopus AIM Fee, the ongoing financial intermediary charges and the additional ongoing charges payable to Octopus by Octopus AIM under the offer for subscription of Octopus AIM that were launched in February 2013, the 2014 Offers, the 2015 Offers, the 2017 Top Up Offers, the 2017 Offers and under the Offers will not exceed 2% of the NAV of Octopus AIM per annum. The agreement is terminable on 12 months' notice by either party subject to earlier termination by either party in the event of, inter alia, a party having a receiver, administrator or liquidator appointed or committing a material breach of the agreement or by Octopus AIM if it fails to become, or ceases to be, a VCT for tax purposes or where the Manager ceases to be authorised by the FCA, ceases to be resident in the UK or if there is a change of control of the Manager. The agreement contains provisions indemnifying the Manager against any liability not due to its default, gross negligence, fraud or breach of FSMA. |
An investment management agreement dated 6 October 2005 between Octopus AIM 2 (1) and Close Investment Limited (2), which was novated to the Manager pursuant to a novation agreement dated 29 July 2008 and varied by deeds of variation dated 8 July 2010, 1 February 2013, 29 August 2014, 21 December 2015, 16 June 2017 and 3 August 2018, pursuant to which the Manager provides certain investment management services and administration and secretarial services to Octopus AIM 2 for a fee payable quarterly in arrears of an amount equivalent to 2% per annum (exclusive of VAT, if any) of the NAV of Octopus AIM 2 (the "Octopus AIM 2 Fee") calculated in accordance with Octopus AIM 2's normal accounting policies. The Octopus AIM 2 Fee shall be reduced by such amount so that the sum of the Octopus AIM 2 Fee, the ongoing financial intermediary charges payable and the additional ongoing charges payable to Octopus by Octopus AIM 2 under the offer for subscription of Octopus AIM 2 that was launched in February 2013, the 2014 Offers, the 2015 Offers, the 2017 Top Up Offers, the 2017 Offers and under the Offers will not exceed 2% of the NAV of Octopus AIM 2 per annum. The agreement is terminable on 12 months' notice by either party subject to earlier termination by either party in the event of, inter alia, a party having a receiver, administrator or liquidator appointed or committing a material breach of the agreement or by Octopus AIM 2 if it fails to become, or ceases to be, a VCT for tax purposes or where the Manager ceases to be authorised by the FCA. The agreement contains provisions indemnifying the Manager against any liability not due to its default, gross negligence, fraud or breach of FSMA.
Agreements dated 3 August 2018 between each of the Companies (1), their Directors (2), the Manager (3) and Howard Kennedy (4) pursuant to which Howard Kennedy agreed to act as sponsor to the Companies in respect of the Offers and the Manager agreed to use reasonable endeavours to procure subscribers for New Shares. Under the agreements the Manager is paid an initial fee of up to 5.5% of the funds received under the Offers (such a fee to be reduced in relation to applications from investors who are existing, or who were previously, shareholders of any Octopus VCT) and an ongoing fee of 0.5% per annum of the most recently announced NAV multiplied by the number of New Shares allotted to investors who have invested directly into the Companies and not through a financial intermediary, and which ongoing charges shall be deducted from the Octopus AIM Fee and the Octopus AIM 2 Fee, and the Manager has agreed to discharge all the external costs of advice and their own costs in respect of the Offers. Under these agreements certain warranties have been given by the Companies, the Directors and the Manager to Howard Kennedy. The Companies have also agreed to indemnify Howard Kennedy in respect of its role as sponsor to the Offers. The warranties and indemnity are in usual form for a contract of this type. The agreements can be terminated if any material statement in the prospectus relating to the Offers is untrue, any material omission from the Prospectus arises or any material breach of warranty occurs.
| B.41 | Regulatory status of the Manager |
The Manager is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. |
|---|---|---|
| B.42 | Calculation of Net Asset Value |
The Net Asset Value of a Share is calculated in accordance with each Company's accounting policy and published weekly through a Regulatory Information Service. |
| The calculation of the Net Asset Value per Share would only be suspended in circumstances where the underlying data necessary to value the investments of either Company could not readily, or without undue expenditure, be obtained. Details of any suspension in making such calculations will be announced through a Regulatory Information Service. |
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| B.43 | Cross liability | Not applicable. The Companies are not umbrella collective investment undertakings and as such there is no cross liability between classes of Shares or investment in another collective investment undertaking. |
| B.44 | No financial statements have been made up |
Not applicable. The Companies have commenced operations and historical financial information is included within the document. |
| B.45 | Portfolio | Octopus AIM's investment portfolio is in a variety of sectors and comprises 68 UK AIM-quoted companies, 6 non-AIM companies, 2 fully listed companies on the premium segment of the Official List, none listed on NASDAQ and none traded on the NEX Exchange. As at 30 June 2018, Octopus AIM's portfolio of investments including current liquidity investments comprised, by value, £127.4 million. |
| Octopus AIM 2's investment portfolio is in a variety of sectors and comprises 67 UK AIM-quoted companies, 6 non-AIM companies, 2 fully listed companies on the premium segment of the Official List, none listed on NASDAQ and none traded on the NEX Exchange. As at 30 June 2018, Octopus AIM 2's portfolio of investments including current liquidity investments comprised, by value, £84.7 million. |
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| B.46 | Net Asset Value |
The unaudited Net Asset Value per Share as at 30 July 2018 was 121.0p and 91.3p for Octopus AIM and Octopus AIM 2 respectively. |
| Element | Disclosure requirement |
Disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| C.1 | Types and | The Companies will issue New Shares under the Offers. The ISIN and SEDOL |
| class of | of Octopus AIM New Shares are GB0034202076 and 3420207 respectively. | |
| securities | The ISIN and SEDOL of Octopus AIM 2 New Shares are GB00B0JQZZ80 and |
| B0JQZZ8 respectively. | ||
|---|---|---|
| C.2 | Currency | Sterling. |
| C.3 | Number of securities to be issued |
The Companies will issue New Shares under the Offers of up to £20 million in aggregate of funds raised, with an over-allotment facility of up to a further £10 million in aggregate. |
| C.4 | Description of the rights attaching to the securities |
As Regards Income: The holders of the Shares as a class shall be entitled to receive such dividends as the Directors resolve to pay. |
| As Regards Capital: On a return of capital on a winding up or on a return of capital (other than on a purchase by the Companies of their own shares) the surplus capital and assets shall be divided amongst the holders of Shares pro rata according to the nominal capital paid up on their respective holdings of Shares. |
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| As Regards Voting and General Meetings: Subject to disenfranchisement in the event of non-compliance with a statutory notice requiring disclosure as to beneficial ownership, each holder of Shares present in person or by proxy shall on a poll have one vote for each Share of which he is the holder. |
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| As Regards Redemption: | ||
| The Shares are not redeemable. | ||
| C.5 | Restrictions on the free transferability of the securities |
Not applicable. There are no restrictions on the free transferability of the Shares. |
| C.6 | Admission | Application has been made to the UK Listing Authority for the New Shares to be admitted to the premium segment of the Official List and an application will be made to the London Stock Exchange for the New Shares to be admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange's main market for listed securities. It is expected that such admissions will become effective, and that dealings in the New Shares will commence, within 10 Business Days of their allotment. |
| C.7 | Dividend policy |
Generally, a VCT must distribute by way of dividends, such amount as to ensure that it retains not more than 15% of its income from shares and securities. |
| Octopus AIM VCT intends to pay dividends to Shareholders and currently has a policy of paying a minimum dividend of 5p per year or a 5% yield based on share price, whichever is greater at the time. |
| Octopus AIM VCT 2 intends to pay dividends to Shareholders and currently has a policy of paying a minimum dividend of 3.6p per year or a 5% yield based on share price, whichever is greater at the time. |
|---|
| The payment of dividends will result in a reduction in the NAVs of the Companies. |
| Element | Disclosure requirement |
Disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| D.2 | Key information on the key risks specific to the issuer |
• Shareholders may be adversely affected by the performance of the investments, which may restrict the ability of the Company to distribute any capital gains and revenue received on the investments. |
| • The Companies' investments may be difficult, and take time, to realise. There may also be constraints imposed on the realisation of investments in order to maintain the tax status of the Companies. These factors may affect the performance of the Companies. |
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| • Investment in AIM-traded, NEX Exchange traded and unquoted companies, by its nature, involves a higher degree of risk than investment in companies listed on the Official List. |
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| • Whilst it is the intention of the Boards that the Companies will continue to be managed so as to qualify as VCTs, there can be no guarantee that such status will be maintained. If the Companies cease to qualify as venture capital trusts, venture capital trust tax benefits will not be available to Shareholders. |
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| • If a Shareholder disposes of his or her Shares within five years of issue, he or she will be subject to clawback by HMRC of any income tax reliefs originally claimed. Tax relief on subscriptions for Shares is also restricted if, within 6 months of subscription, whether before or after the subscription, the investor also disposes of Shares in the same Company. |
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| • The Companies will only pay dividends on their Shares to the extent that they have distributable reserves and cash available for that purpose. The Finance Act 2014 amended the VCT rules in respect of VCT shares issued on or after 6 April 2014, such that VCT status will be withdrawn if, in respect of shares issued on or after 6 April 2014, a dividend is paid (or other forms of distribution or payments are made to investors) from capital within three years of the end of the accounting period in which shares were issued to investors. This may reduce the amount of distributable reserves available to the Company to fund dividends and share buybacks. |
| • The VCT rules include a maximum age limit for investments (generally 7 years from first commercial sale, or 10 years for Knowledge Intensive Companies), and a maximum amount of Risk Finance State Aid which a company can receive over its lifetime (£12 million, or £20 million for Knowledge Intensive Companies). Companies receiving VCT funds are not permitted to use those funds to acquire shares, businesses or certain intangible assets. The Finance Act 2018 introduced a new "risk-to-capital" condition for Qualifying Investments, designed to focus investments towards earlier stage, growing businesses, and away from investments which could be regarded as lower risk. The Companies may not make any prohibited non-qualifying investments, including those which breach the "risk-to-capital" condition, and the potential penalty for contravention of these rules can include loss of VCT status with a resultant clawback of VCT tax reliefs from investors. These changes may mean that there are fewer opportunities for investment and that the Companies may not be able to provide further investment funds for companies already in their portfolios. Violation of any of these conditions could result in the loss of VCT status by the Companies. |
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| D.3 | Key information on the key risks specific to the securities |
• The value of Shares can fluctuate and investors may not get back the amount they invested. Shareholders could lose part or all of their investment. • There is no certainty that the market price of Shares will fully reflect their underlying NAV or that any dividends will be paid, nor should Shareholders rely upon any share buyback policy to offer any certainty of selling their Shares at prices that reflect their underlying NAV. • Although the existing Shares have been (and it is anticipated that the New Shares will be) admitted to the premium segment of the Official List and are (or will be) traded on the London Stock Exchange's market for listed securities, the secondary market for VCT shares is generally illiquid and Shareholders may find it difficult to realise their investment. |
| Element | Disclosure | Disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| requirement | ||
| E.1 | Net proceeds and expenses of the Issue |
The expenses (excluding VAT, if any) relating to the Offers (including intermediary commission), and the expenses charged to an investor, directly or indirectly, will be up to 5.5% of the gross funds raised by the Companies. The net proceeds of the Offers, assuming full subscription and the maximum initial adviser charge will, therefore, be £28.35 million. |
| E.2a | Reason for the Offers and use |
The raising of further funds by way of the Offers is intended to produce the following benefits: |
|---|---|---|
| of proceeds | • to provide existing and new investors with the opportunity to invest into smaller companies in a tax efficient manner, through an experienced investment management team; |
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| • to provide existing investments with additional capital in pursuit of their growth objectives; |
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| • to provide additional funds for new investments into qualifying companies so that the portfolios can potentially be diversified; and |
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| • to provide the Companies with additional funds for their working capital purposes, not least in support of their buyback policies, which sustain the secondary market in the shares, and to provide a larger capital base over which to spread the fixed costs of the Companies. |
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| E.3 | Terms and conditions of |
The Offer Price will be determined by the following formula: |
| the Offers | • the most recently announced NAV per Share of each Company at the time of allotment, divided by 0.945 |
|
| The Companies announce their NAV on a weekly basis. Where the share prices for the Companies have been declared ex-dividend on the London Stock Exchange, the NAV used for determining the Offer Price will be ex dividend. In respect of the Offers, the NAV per New Share will be rounded up to one decimal place and the number of New Shares to be issued will be rounded down to the nearest whole number (fractions of New Shares will not be allotted). Where there is a surplus of application funds, these will be returned to applicants without interest, except where the amount is less than the Offer Price of one New Share, in which case it will be donated to a charity approved by the Boards. |
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| The Offers in respect of Octopus AIM and Octopus AIM 2 are conditional upon Resolutions 1 and 3 being passed at the Octopus AIM GM and the Octopus AIM 2 GM respectively. Subject to the Offers becoming unconditional and remaining open for both Companies, Applicants may elect that their Applications are allocated 100% to either Company or split 60% to Octopus AIM and 40% to Octopus AIM 2 and, in default of any election, the subscription monies will be split 60% to Octopus AIM and the remaining 40% to Octopus AIM 2. The maximum to be raised by Octopus AIM is £18 million. The maximum to be raised by Octopus AIM 2 is £12 million. As the Companies near capacity one may be fully subscribed earlier than the other. In the event of an Applicant's preferred allocation, or the default allocation, not being possible, that part of an Applicant's subscription that cannot be allocated to either Company will, unless an Applicant directs otherwise, be allocated to the other Company. If the Offers do not become unconditional for either Company, an Applicant's subscription will, unless an Applicant directs otherwise, be allocated to the |
| other Company. | ||
|---|---|---|
| The Offers will close on or before 2 August 2019. The Boards reserve the right to close the Offer earlier and to accept applications and issue New Shares at any time prior to the close of the Offers. New Shares issued will rank pari passu with the existing Shares from the date of issue, except any issued on an ex-dividend basis, which will therefore not qualify for the next dividend. |
||
| E.4 | Material interests |
Not applicable. No interest is material to the Offers. |
| E.5 | Name of person selling securities |
Not applicable. No person or entity is offering to sell the security as part of the Offers and there are no lock-up agreements. |
| E.6 | Dilution | The existing issued Octopus AIM Shares will represent 88.6% of the enlarged ordinary share capital immediately following the Offers, assuming the Offers are fully subscribed in both Companies, including the over allotment facility, with subscriptions split as to 60%/40% as between Octopus AIM and Octopus AIM 2 respectively at an Offer Price for Octopus AIM of 128.1p, and on that basis Octopus AIM Shareholders who do not subscribe under the Offers will, therefore, be diluted by 11.4%. The existing issued Octopus AIM 2 Shares will represent 88.9% of the enlarged ordinary share capital immediately following the Offers, assuming the Offers are fully subscribed in both Companies, including the over allotment facility, with subscriptions split as to 60%/40% as between Octopus AIM and Octopus AIM 2 respectively at an Offer Price for Octopus AIM 2 of 96.7p, and on that basis Octopus AIM 2 Shareholders who do not subscribe under the Offers will, therefore, be diluted by 11.1%. |
| E.7 | Expenses charged to the investor |
For all investors, the Offer Price per Share will be determined by a formula reflecting the Net Asset Value per Share ("NAV") adjusted for an allowance for the majority of the costs of the Offers. The formula is: |
| the most recently announced NAV per Share of each Company at the time of allotment, divided by 0.945. |
||
| In consideration for promoting the Offers, the Companies will pay an initial charge of 3% of the gross sum invested in the Offers to Octopus. This is payable in the same way on all subscriptions to the Offers. From this sum Octopus will discharge all external costs of advice and their own costs in respect of the Offers. In addition, there are then four categories of options, which are determined by the circumstances of each investor and their explicit instructions, in respect of which payments can be made to advisers and other intermediaries. These are as follows: |
||
| 1) A direct investment Investors who have not invested their money through a financial |
| intermediary/adviser and have invested directly into the Companies. |
|---|
| In consideration for promoting the Offers, if an application is made directly (not through an intermediary/adviser) then the Companies will pay Octopus an additional initial charge of 2.5% of the investment amount and an additional ongoing charge of 0.5% per annum of the most recently announced NAV multiplied by the number of New Shares allotted to that investor for up to nine years, provided the investor continues to hold the New Shares. The cost of this ongoing charge will not result in a higher fee to investors since Octopus will reduce its annual management fee accordingly. |
| 2) An advised investment where advice is received for an upfront fee with |
| an ongoing adviser charge Investors who have invested in the Offers through a financial intermediary/adviser and have received upfront advice and will receive ongoing advice. |
| The Companies can facilitate a payment on behalf of an investor to an intermediary/adviser (an 'initial adviser charge') of up to 2.5% of the investment amount. If the investor has agreed with his/her intermediary/adviser to pay a lower initial adviser charge, the balance (up to a maximum of 2.5%) will be used for the issue and allotment of New Shares for the investor, issued at the most recently announced NAV per Share, divided by 0.945 as described above. |
| The Companies can also facilitate payments to an intermediary/adviser ('ongoing adviser charges') in respect of ongoing advisory services provided by the intermediary/adviser to the investor of up to 0.5% per annum of the most recently announced NAV multiplied by the number of New Shares allotted to that investor for up to nine years, provided that the investor continues to be the beneficial owner of the New Shares. If the investor chooses to pay their adviser less than 0.5% annually, the remaining amount will be used for the issue and allotment of additional New Shares for the investor, at the then most recently announced NAV per Share rounded down to the nearest whole share. Any residual amount less than the cost of a New Share will be donated to a charity approved by the relevant Board. The cost of ongoing adviser charges will not result in a higher fee to investors since Octopus will reduce its annual management fee accordingly. |
| If the investor terminates their relationship with the intermediary/adviser then the Companies will not make any further payments of ongoing adviser charges to that intermediary/adviser. The Companies will facilitate ongoing adviser charges if an investor changes their adviser and consents to the ongoing adviser charge. |
| 3) An advised investment where advice is received for an upfront fee with no ongoing adviser charge Investors who have invested in the Offers through a financial intermediary/adviser and have received upfront advice with no ongoing adviser charge, including investors who are investing through |
| intermediaries/advisers using financial platforms. |
Where an investor agreed to an upfront fee only, the Companies can facilitate a payment of an initial adviser charge of up to 4.5% of the investment amount. If the investor chooses to pay their intermediary/adviser less than the maximum initial adviser charge, the remaining amount will be used for the issue and allotment of additional New Shares for the investor, issued at the most recently announced NAV per Share, divided by 0.945 as described above. In these circumstances the Companies will not facilitate ongoing annual payments. To ensure that the Companies are not financially disadvantaged by such payment, a notional ongoing advisor charge equivalent to 0.5% per annum of the most recently announced NAV multiplied by the number of New Shares allotted to that investor will be deemed to have been paid by the Companies for a period of nine years. Octopus will subsequently reduce its annual management charge by the amount of this notional ongoing adviser charge to ensure that the Companies are not financially disadvantaged. In both cases (2) or (3), should the investor choose to pay the adviser more than 2.5% or 4.5% respectively, the excess amount will have to be settled by the investor directly with the adviser. 4) A non-advised investment using an intermediary Investors who have invested their money through a financial intermediary and have not received advice. An initial charge of 2.5% of the investment will be paid by the Companies to such an intermediary. An ongoing charge of 0.5% per annum of the most recently announced NAV multiplied by the number of New Shares allotted to that investor will be paid by Octopus to the intermediary for up to nine years provided that the investor continues to be the beneficial owner of the New Shares (and in the case of an intermediary the intermediary continues to act for the investor). Since Octopus pays the cost of this ongoing charge, this will not result in a higher fee to investors. These charges may, according to the proportion of advised investors where advice is received for an upfront fee only, create some limited reduction of the NAV per Share immediately subsequent to subscriptions in the Offers being made. This effect will be mitigated and is ultimately expected to be more than compensated, for continuing investors, by the expected benefits derived from a larger pool of investable funds and the financial benefit in subsequent periods of the absence of ongoing adviser charges in respect of such investments and the subsequent reduction in the Octopus annual management fee to reflect this. The reinvestment arrangements relating to ongoing adviser charges which are described in section 2 above will only operate for as long as an investor remains the holder of the New Shares. Any subsequent purchaser of those New Shares will not benefit from the reinvestment arrangements set out above irrespective of the adviser charges which they have agreed with their adviser nor will Octopus facilitate any adviser charges. This, therefore, means that any subsequent purchaser of New Shares will not benefit from the issue or allotment of any additional New Shares under the
| arrangements set out above. | |
|---|---|
| Any additional New Shares which are issued under the arrangements described above will be issued in full and final satisfaction of any cash sums which would otherwise be due to the investor. The Companies do not hereby accept or assume or undertake any liability or obligation of any nature whatsoever to any adviser as regards the payment of any adviser charges (whether such charges are initial adviser charges or ongoing adviser charges). The role of the Companies is simply to facilitate such payments to the extent permitted by applicable rules and regulations. |
|
| Loyalty Discount | |
| Investors who are existing, or who were previously, shareholders of any Octopus VCT will benefit from the costs of the Offers being reduced by 1.0%. Applicants will receive these reductions in the form of additional New Shares, which will be paid for by Octopus and issued at the most recently announced NAV per Share, divided by 0.945 as described above. |
Prospective investors should consider carefully the following risk factors in addition to the other information presented in this document. If any of the risks described below were to occur, it could have a material effect on either of the Companies' business, financial condition or results of operations. The risks and uncertainties described below are the only known material risks which the Companies or their Shareholders will face. Further risks, unknown by the Companies, may exist. Any decision to invest under the Offers should be based on consideration of this document as a whole.
The Offers are conditional on the approval by Shareholders of Resolutions 1 and 3 to be proposed at the General Meetings. If these Resolutions are not approved, the Offers will be withdrawn and the expected benefits of the Offers will not be realised and the Companies will be responsible for the costs of the Offers.
The past performance of the Companies and/or Octopus and/or any other Octopus managed funds is no indication of future performance. The return received by Shareholders will be dependent on the performance of the underlying investments of the Companies. The value of such investments, and the interest income and dividends they generate, may fall and there is no certainty as to any level of returns which may be received by Shareholders.
The Companies' investments may be difficult, and take time, to realise. There may also be constraints imposed on the realisation of investments in order to maintain the VCT tax status of the Companies, which may adversely affect the performance of the Companies.
The value of a venture capital trust depends on the performance of the underlying assets. It can take a number of years for the underlying value or quality of the businesses of smaller companies, such as those in which the Companies invest, to be fully reflected in their market values and their market values are often also materially affected by general market sentiment, which can be negative for prolonged periods. Venture capital trusts invest in companies which may not produce the expected returns and investors could get back less than they invested. The value of the investment can rise and fall.
Investment in AIM traded, NEX Exchange traded and unquoted companies, by their nature, involves a higher degree of risk than investment in companies listed on the premium segment of the Official List. In particular, small companies often have limited product lines, markets or financial resources and may be dependent for their management on a small number of key individuals and may be more susceptible to political, exchange rate, taxation and other regulatory changes. In addition, the market for securities in smaller companies is usually less liquid than that for securities in larger companies, bringing with it potential difficulties in acquiring, valuing and disposing of such securities. Investment returns will, therefore, be uncertain and involve a higher degree of risk than investment in a company listed on the Official List.
Whilst it is the intention of the Boards that the Companies will continue to be managed so as to qualify as VCTs, there can be no guarantee that such status will be maintained. Failure to continue to meet the qualifying requirements could result in the Shareholders losing the tax reliefs available for VCT shares, resulting in adverse tax consequences including, if the holding has not been held for the relevant holding period, a requirement to repay the tax reliefs obtained. Furthermore, should the Companies lose their VCT status, dividends and gains arising on the disposal of New Shares in the Companies would become subject to tax and the Companies would also lose their exemption from corporation tax on capital gains.
If a Shareholder disposes of his or her Shares within five years of issue, he or she will be subject to clawback by HMRC of any income tax reliefs originally claimed.
The tax rules, or their interpretation, in relation to an investment in the Companies and/or the rates of tax may change during the life of the Companies and may apply retrospectively, which may adversely affect the performance of the Companies. The tax reliefs referred to in this document are those currently available and their value depends on the individual circumstances of Shareholders.
Any purchaser of existing Shares in the secondary market will not qualify for the then (if any) available tax reliefs afforded only to subscribers of New Shares on the amount invested.
The Companies will only pay dividends on Shares to the extent that they have distributable reserves and cash available for that purpose. A reduction in income received, or in capital gains realised, from the Companies' investments may adversely affect the dividends payable to Shareholders. Accordingly, there is no certainty as to the level of dividends (if any) that may be paid to investors.
VCT status will be withdrawn if, in respect of VCT shares issued on or after 6 April 2014, a dividend is paid (or other forms of distribution or payments are made to investors) from share capital or reserves arising from the issue of shares within three years of the end of the accounting period in which shares were issued to investors. This may reduce the amount of distributable reserves available to the Company to fund dividends and share buybacks.
The VCT rules include a maximum age limit for investments (generally 7 years from first commercial sale, or 10 years for Knowledge Intensive Companies), and a maximum amount of Risk Finance State Aid which a company can receive over its lifetime (£12 million, or £20 million for Knowledge Intensive Companies). Companies receiving VCT funds are not permitted to use those funds to acquire shares, businesses or certain intangible assets. The Finance Act 2018 introduced a new "risk-to-capital" condition for Qualifying Investments, designed to focus investments towards earlier stage, growing businesses, and away from investments which could be regarded as lower risk. The Companies may not make any prohibited non-qualifying investments, including those which breach the "risk-to-capital" condition, and the potential penalty for contravention of these rules can include loss of VCT status with a resultant clawback of VCT tax reliefs from investors. These changes may mean that there are fewer opportunities for investment and that the Companies may not be able to provide further investment funds for companies already in their portfolios.
HMRC have stated that VCT status will not be withdrawn where an investment is ultimately found to be non-qualifying if the breach was outside the control of the VCT and if reasonable steps have been taken to ensure an investment is qualifying. However, HMRC may require rectification of the breach, which may mean the VCT is forced to dispose of the investment at a loss.
Economic and geopolitical uncertainty may increase during the forthcoming Brexit negotiations.
The value of Shares can go down as well as up. Shareholders' capital is at risk and they may not get back the full amount invested. The value of the Shares could decline due to any of the risk factors described above and Shareholders could lose part or all of their investment.
There is no certainty that the market price of Shares will fully reflect their underlying NAV or that any dividends will be paid, nor should Shareholders rely upon any Share buyback policy to offer any certainty of selling their Shares at prices that reflect the underlying NAV.
Although the existing Shares have been (and it is anticipated that the New Shares will be) admitted to the premium segment of the Official List and are (or will be) traded on the London Stock Exchange's market for listed securities, the secondary market for VCT shares is generally illiquid. Therefore, there may not be a liquid market (which may be partly attributable to the fact that initial tax reliefs are not available for VCT shares generally bought in the secondary market and because VCT shares usually trade at a discount to their NAV) and Shareholders may find it difficult to realise their investment. An investment in the Companies should, therefore, be considered as a long term investment.
Tax relief on subscriptions for shares in a VCT is restricted where an investor has disposed of shares in that VCT (or in a VCT which at any time merges with that VCT) within six months (before or after) that subscription and where, in the case of a merger taking place after the subscription, it was known at the time of the subscription and sale that the VCTs were intending to merge. Existing Shareholders should be aware that the sale of existing Shares within these periods could, therefore, put their income tax relief relating to the Offers at risk.
| Launch date of the Offers | 3 August 2018 |
|---|---|
| First allotments under the Offers | 20 September 2018 |
| Subsequent allotments under the Offers | At regular intervals thereafter |
| Closing date of Offers | 12 noon on 2 August 2019 |
| Costs of Offers* | Up to 5.5% of gross proceeds of Offers |
|---|---|
| Initial adviser charge or intermediary commission** |
Up to 4.5% of gross sum invested in the Offers |
| Ongoing adviser charge or annual ongoing charge*** |
Up to 0.5% per annum of the most recently announced NAV multiplied by the number of New Shares allotted to the investor for up to 9 years |
Octopus AIM VCT plc Octopus AIM VCT 2 plc 33 Holborn London EC1N 2HT
3 August 2018
Following the completion of the offer for subscriptions which the Companies launched in June last year, we are delighted to inform you that the Boards have decided to offer both Shareholders and new investors a chance to invest further by acquiring new shares in the Companies. The combined Offers intend to raise initially up to £20 million in aggregate for both Companies in the tax years 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 with an over-allotment facility, in order to cater for demand, of up to a further £10 million. With the rate of companies seeking finance from investors on AIM rising after a slow start this year, the Manager believes that there will be attractive new investment opportunities in the future.
Octopus AIM and Octopus AIM 2 invest predominantly in AIM companies in order to provide growth capital for companies and income and long-term capital growth on a tax-free basis for investors and were set up in December 1997 and August 2005 respectively. The Companies have retained their separate identities, although they have both been managed by the Octopus Smaller Companies Team since 1 August 2008. New Qualifying Investments are usually made by the Companies in proportion to the relative sizes of the two Companies, depending on the availability of funding and the application of VCT rules and of other relevant considerations. This has been the case since 2010 and, as a result, the two portfolios have become increasingly similar over time.
Reflecting their different starting dates, the Companies have different year ends. The advantage for an investor who has shares in both Companies should be the receipt of tax-free dividends from the Companies at approximately quarterly intervals.
AIM is one of the world's most successful markets for fast-growing, innovative and ambitious companies that require capital to reach their full potential. When the London Stock Exchange launched AIM in 1995 for the smaller companies market, it contained just 10 companies with a combined market value of £82.2 million. Over 940 companies are now listed on AIM with a combined market value exceeding £110 billion and its companies trade in more than 80 countries and operate across 40 different sectors (Source: London Stock Exchange, AIM Statistics, June 2018). As well as being a good place for smaller companies to gain access to funding to help them grow, AIM remains one of the best places for growing businesses to take their first steps to becoming listed public companies. It's also worth noting that over the years, AIM companies have made a significant contribution to the UK economy in terms of job creation, tax revenue and gross domestic product growth. However, what is often overlooked within AIM is the diversity of companies and sectors that exist on the market, particularly its higher exposure to software, technology and healthcare. This means that having the ability to spot growth potential at an early stage can create the opportunity for significant returns.
For those comfortable with the risks of investing in smaller companies, getting exposure to these companies through a VCT can prove attractive. As well as the long-term potential growth of smaller companies, the tax benefits associated with a VCT can enhance the position for investors further. In addition, a larger and more diversified portfolio of companies can provide a higher level of confidence that if one company fails, the performance of the other holdings will compensate.
Both Companies have a proven track record as investment vehicles in the AIM VCT sector. The portfolios are already established and comfortably meet VCT qualifying requirements. Each currently has a spread of around 75 holdings, ranging from established investments in profitable and dividend-paying companies, many of which have matured during the period of each Company's investment, to more recent, earlier stage investments, which are expected by Octopus to start to contribute to performance in the future. But, most importantly, we continue to hold these investments for as long as we believe they have the potential to continue growing.
As at 30 June 2018 each Company had approximately 45% of its assets invested in its top 20 equity holdings, all but one of which are expected, by Octopus, to make a profit in their current financial year. In relation to each Company, of all the total equity holdings, approximately 75% by value is invested in companies which are forecast to be profitable in the current year and approximately 55% by value is invested in companies forecast to pay a dividend. Both Companies have performed well, producing positive growth in their respective unaudited NAV total return over the last three and five year periods. If dividends paid out in the period are added back, Octopus AIM has seen its unaudited NAV rise by 8.2% on a total return basis in the 12 months to 30 June 2018 and Octopus AIM 2 has seen its unaudited NAV rise by 8.1% on a total return basis during the same period. Please remember that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results and the value of shares can fall as well as rise.
Octopus believes that over the long term smaller companies tend to outperform their larger counterparts. This is reflected in a significant outperformance of active small cap managers over active large cap managers over the last 20 years. Smaller companies can grow their earnings quicker by taking market share, innovating and growing from a smaller base. Octopus believes that earnings growth is a key driver of shareholder return in the long term. Despite the current market backdrop of low economic growth and political uncertainty there is no shortage of companies coming to capital markets looking for the funds to scale their business to the next level. Having raised over £7.5 billion of additional new capital for growth companies in the twelve months to 30 June 2018, AIM remains firmly open to supporting companies with further capital for growth and development. Octopus believes that the smaller companies market remains an extremely dynamic growth market and one that is relatively under-researched and inefficient, making it possible for active managers, less concerned about short term swings in sentiment, to discover good value for the benefit of longer term investors.
VCTs are Government-led investment vehicles designed to incentivise investors for supporting smaller, higher-risk companies. Qualifying investors are entitled to claim a number of tax incentives on investments up to £200,000 each year (as more fully set out in Part Two of this document). These include:
Income tax relief – investors can claim 30% upfront income tax relief on the amount invested,
provided Shares are held for at least five years. For example, with an investment of £10,000, £3,000 can be taken off your income tax bill although the amount of income tax you claim cannot exceed the amount of income tax due.
Tax-free dividends and capital gains - meaning that any growth in the portfolio value is not subject to tax.
Investors should note that tax treatment depends on their individual circumstances and may be subject to change.
Investors who are existing, or who were previously, shareholders of any Octopus VCT will benefit from the costs of the Offers being reduced by 1.0%. Applicants will receive these reductions in the form of additional New Shares, which will be paid for by Octopus.
The Terms and Conditions of subscription for New Shares are set out on pages 90 to 96 and an application form can be found on the Companies' website: octopusinvestments.com/aimvct.
Finally, we would like to thank all of our existing Shareholders for their continued support of the UK's small businesses, and welcome new investors to the Companies.
Yours sincerely
Roger Smith Keith Mullins Chairman Chairman
Octopus AIM VCT plc Octopus AIM VCT 2 plc
Introduction to the Offers Terms of the Offers Use of funds Intermediary charges Investment policy Conflicts of Interest Performance History Dividend Policy and Dividend Reinvestment Scheme Buyback Policy The Boards The Investment Team Management Remuneration Example Investments
VCTs were introduced by the UK Government in 1995 to encourage individuals to invest in UK smaller companies. According to the Association of Investment Companies (AIC), almost £728 million was invested in VCTs in the 2017/2018 tax year.
An investment under the Offers will provide individuals with exposure to a diversified portfolio of AIM-listed smaller companies with the aim of generating returns over the medium to long-term. Each of the Companies will invest in accordance with its investment policy, as set out below. The Companies are seeking to raise, in aggregate, up to £20 million under the Offers with an overallotment facility of up to a further £10 million, in aggregate. New investors have the option of buying Shares in one or both of the Companies and can split their investment 60%/40% between Octopus AIM and Octopus AIM 2, or place 100% of their investment into either Company.
As the Companies pay dividends at different times of the year, investing in both Companies offers the potential for investors to receive four dividend payments per year. The minimum investment is £5,000. There is no maximum investment but potential investors should be aware that VCT tax relief is only available on a maximum investment of £200,000 in each tax year. Multiple Applications are permitted.
The Offers are conditional upon Resolutions 1 and 3 being passed at the General Meetings. The Offers will remain open until 12 noon on 2 August 2019, unless fully subscribed at an earlier date or closed earlier at the discretion of the Boards.
The full terms and conditions applicable to the Offers are set out on pages 90 to 96.
The funds raised under the Offers will be used by each of the Companies to make investments in accordance with their respective published investment policies and for the payment of normal running costs. Some of the funds raised will be used to invest into new portfolio companies and some may be used to support the Companies' existing investments.
Details are set out in the Terms and Conditions of the Offers on pages 90 to 96.
The investment policy of Octopus AIM is as follows:
The Company's investment policy has been designed and updated to ensure continued compliance with the VCT qualifying conditions. The Board intends that the long-term disposition of the Company's assets will be not less than 85% in a portfolio of qualifying AIM, NEX Exchange traded investments or unquoted companies where the management views an initial public offering (IPO) on AIM or NEX Exchange is a short to medium-term objective. The non-qualifying balance (approximately 15% of its funds) will be invested in permitted investments held for short term liquidity, generally comprising short-term cash or money market deposits with a minimum Moody's long-term debt rating of 'A'. Moody's is an independent rating agency and is not registered in the EU. A proportion of the balance could be invested in funds managed by Octopus or other direct equity investments. This provides a reserve of liquidity which should maximise the Company's flexibility as to the timing of investment acquisitions and disposals, dividend payments and share buybacks.
Risk is spread by investing in a number of different businesses across a range of industry sectors. In order to qualify as an investment in a qualifying VCT holding, the Company's holdings in any one company (other than another VCT) must not exceed 15% by value of its investments at the time of investment. The value of an individual investment is expected to increase over time as a result of trading progress and a continuous assessment is made of its suitability for sale.
However, Shareholders should be aware that the Company's qualifying investments are held with a view to long-term capital growth as well as income and will often have limited marketability; as a result, it is possible that individual holdings may grow in value to the point where they represent a significantly higher proportion of total assets prior to a realisation opportunity being available.
The Company's Articles permit borrowings of amounts up to 10% of the sum equal to the aggregate of the amount paid up on the allotted or issued share capital of the Company and the amount standing to the credit of the capital and revenue reserves of the Company (whether or not distributable) after adding thereto or deducting therefrom any balance to the credit or debit of the profit and loss account. However, investments will normally be made using the Company's equity shareholders' funds and it is not intended that the Company will take on borrowings.
The investment policy of Octopus AIM 2 is as follows:
The Company's investment policy has been designed and updated to ensure continuing compliance with the VCT qualifying conditions. The Board intends that the long term disposition of the Company's assets will be not less than 85% in a portfolio of qualifying AIM, NEX Exchange traded or unquoted companies where the management views an initial public offering (IPO) on AIM or NEX Exchange is a short to medium-term objective. The non-qualifying balance (approximately 15% of its funds) will be invested in permitted investments held for short term liquidity, generally comprising short-term cash or money market deposits with a minimum Moody's long-term debt rating of 'A'. Moody is an independent rating agency and is not registered in the EU. A proportion of the balance could be invested in funds managed by Octopus or other direct equity investments. This provides a reserve of liquidity which should maximise the Company's flexibility as to the timing of investment acquisitions and disposals, dividend payments and share buybacks.
Risk is spread by investing in a number of different businesses across a range of industry sectors. In order to qualify as an investment in a qualifying VCT holding, the Company's holding in any one company (other than another VCT) must not exceed 15% by value of its investments at the time of investment. The value of an individual investment is expected to increase over time as a result of trading progress and a continuous assessment is made of its suitability for sale. However, Shareholders should be aware that the Company's qualifying investments are held with a view to long-term capital growth as well as income and will often have limited marketability; as a result, it is possible that individual holdings may grow in value to the point where they represent a significantly higher proportion of total assets prior to a realisation opportunity being available. Investments will normally be made using the Company's equity shareholders' funds and it is not intended that the Company will take on any long term borrowings.
The Company's Articles permit borrowings of amounts up to 10% of the sum equal to the aggregate of the amount paid up on the allotted or issued share capital of the Company and the amount standing to the credit of the capital and revenue reserves of the Company (whether or not distributable) after adding thereto or deducting therefrom any balance to the credit or debit of the profit and loss account.
Octopus has built strong relationships with many of the companies in which the VCTs it manages invest, and sometimes different sources of funding is used to invest in the same companies. This can present 'conflicts of interest', as explained below.
With these relationships, there's a chance that the interests of one group of investors will be at odds, or present a conflict, with the interests of another group, or with the interests of Octopus. Conflicts of interest are not necessarily a problem in themselves, but they need to be managed carefully to make sure investors are treated fairly at all times. For example:
The Octopus Smaller Companies team will often invest funds from the Companies along with funds from other Octopus-managed products and sometimes even Octopus itself. Through this co-investment, investors in the Companies can have access to deals that may not have been possible without being part of the larger deal with other Octopus investors. In addition, funds from Octopus AIM and Octopus AIM 2 may be invested in other Octopus products.
Sometimes the Companies have what they believe to be a good investment opportunity, but are unable to invest as much money as they would like due to restraints such as the size of a company or the number of shares available. In these instances, the amounts being invested from different Octopus vehicles must be managed carefully. Similarly, when investments held by a number of different investors come to be sold, the interests of all parties may not be fully aligned. Octopus has agreed policies and processes in place to make sure this is done fairly, but sometimes, investors may still be limited in the amounts they can invest or restricted in the timing of an exit.
The goal of Octopus is to make sure the interests of its customers are always looked after. So they have a number of controls in place to manage conflicts of interest. Octopus' investment committee makes sure investment decisions are in the best interests of investors, including how potential conflicts of interest are managed. In cases where there are a large number of conflicts of interest or they are particularly significant, proposals are reviewed by the Octopus' conflicts committee, responsible for ensuring conflicts are handled appropriately. As publicly listed companies, the Boards are required to act independently of the Manager and represent Shareholders' best interests at all times.
Both Companies have a strong performance track record and a history of paying a steady stream of tax-free dividends to investors. The table below shows the annual total returns and dividend yields of the Companies over the last five years.
The AIM All-Share and FTSE All-Share total return indices are provided for comparison purposes although it should be remembered that venture capital trusts need to invest in newly issued shares, so comparisons with indices are of limited value, even historically.
| Year to 30 June | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Octopus AIM VCT NAV Total Return 1 | 22.8% | 0.3% | $-3.5%$ | 25.1% | 8.2% |
| Octopus AIM VCT 2 NAV Total Return1 | 23.1% | $-0.7%$ | $-2.6%$ | 24.0% | 8.1% |
| FTSE AIM All-Share Total Return 2 | 14.6% | $-2.5%$ | $-5.0%$ | 38.5% | 13.5% |
| FTSE All-Share Total Return 2 | 13.1% | 2.6% | 2.2% | 18.1% | 9.0% |
| Octopus AIM VCT Dividend Yield 3 | 5.9% | 2.2% | 10.9%* | 2.8% | 7.5% |
| Octopus AIM VCT 2 Dividend Yield 3 | 5.4% | $7.2\%$ 4 | 5.2% | 5.9% | 5.0% |
Performance shown is net of all ongoing fees and costs. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results and may not be repeated. Please note that the NAV per Share may be higher than the Share price, which is the price you may get for the Shares in the secondary market.
Octopus AIM intends to pay a minimum annual dividend of 5p per share or a 5% yield based on Octopus AIM's share price at the previous financial year end, whichever is greater at the time. Dividends will be paid semi-annually. It remains the intention of the Directors of Octopus AIM to continue this policy, subject to available cash and distributable reserves.
Octopus AIM 2 intends to pay a minimum annual dividend of 3.6p per share or a 5% yield based on Octopus AIM 2's share price at the previous financial year end, whichever is greater at the time. Dividends will be paid semi-annually. It remains the intention of the Directors of Octopus AIM 2 to continue this policy, subject to available cash and distributable reserves.
The Companies have each adopted a dividend reinvestment scheme (the "Dividend Reinvestment Schemes") under which Shareholders are given the opportunity to reinvest future dividend payments by way of subscription for new Shares. Subject to a Shareholder's personal circumstances, Shares subscribed for under the Dividend Reinvestment Schemes should obtain the usual VCT tax advantages as set out above.
Investors under the Offer may elect to participate in the Dividend Reinvestment Schemes by completing the dividend reinvestment section of the Application Form, and should be aware that it will apply to their entire holding of New Shares and any existing Shares. Participation in the Dividend Reinvestment Schemes by a Shareholder can be cancelled at any time with written authority from the Shareholder or by calling Octopus on 0800 316 2295.
The Boards intend to buy back Shares at up to a 5% discount to the prevailing NAV. The Boards believe this makes an investment in the Companies attractive to both current and future Shareholders. All buybacks are subject to the Companies having sufficient funds available and are at the discretion of the Boards.
Each of the Boards comprises four Directors all of whom are independent of the Manager. The Directors operate in a non-executive capacity and are responsible for overseeing the investment strategy of the Companies. The Boards have wide experience of investment in both smaller growing companies and larger quoted companies.
Roger Smith is chairman of a family owned investment company with a wide range of interests and investments. He was deputy chairman of Tricentrol plc and chairman of European Motor Holdings PLC from 1992 to 2007. He was previously the chairman of the Central Finance Board of the Methodist Church. Roger Smith became a director of Octopus AIM in 1998 and later became Chairman in 2016.
Stephen Hazell-Smith was the Managing Director of Close Investment Limited until September 2001, having previously founded Rutherford Asset Management in 1993. Prior to this he gained experience of investment in smaller companies at GT Investment Management where he was responsible for launching its first UK equity fund. He also worked at Mercury Asset Management from 1989 to 1992 and was the chairman of PLUS Markets Group PLC from 2005 to 2010. He is a director of PfP Capital plc and Puma VCT 13 plc and chairman of Business Agent Limited. Prior to the merger in 2010 he was chairman of Octopus Phoenix VCT PLC. Stephen Hazell-Smith became a director of Octopus AIM in 1998.
Joanne Parfrey has a degree in Chemistry from Oxford University and is an accountant by training. She has over ten years experience in private equity with LGV Capital, where she was a member of the investment committee and held a number of non-executive positions. She is a non-executive director of Guy's and St Thomas' Enterprises, non-executive director and chair of the Audit Committee for Babraham Bioscience Technologies Ltd and is a mentor on the Accelerate Programme at the Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. Joanne Parfrey became a director of Octopus AIM in 2016.
Neal Ransome is a chartered accountant and was a partner at PwC from 1996 to 2013. He was Chief Operating Officer of PwC's Advisory business and led its Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Corporate Finance practice. Neal was formerly a director of Quercus (General Partner) Limited, a unit trust invested in healthcare properties, and Parity Group Plc, an AIM listed professional services company. He is currently non-executive Chairman of Proven VCT Plc, which invests in unquoted companies, and a non-executive director of Polar Capital Global Healthcare Trust Plc. He is also a Trustee and Council Member of the RSPB, the UK's largest nature conservation charity. Neal Ransome became a director of Octopus AIM in 2016 and is Chairman of the Audit Committee.
Keith Mullins joined SG Warburg's investment management division in 1978. The division later developed into Mercury Asset Management and subsequently became Merrill Lynch Investment Managers upon its acquisition by Merrill Lynch in 1998. He therefore has many years' experience as a specialist UK equity fund manager. During this time he was responsible for establishing and managing the team specialising in small and medium-sized pension fund portfolios, and from 2000 he was head of pension fund asset allocation. He left as a managing director of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers in 2001. Keith became a Director of Octopus AIM 2 in 2005.
Elizabeth Kennedy worked for 30 years in corporate finance, principally with Brewin Dolphin Limited, specialising in IPO, secondary issue, takeover code, UKLA sponsor and AIM nominated adviser work. She has been a member of the London Stock Exchange's AIM Advisory Group since 1995. She is currently a Non-Executive director of F&C Private Equity Trust plc, Sofant Technologies Limited and a consultant with Kergan Stewart LLP, Solicitors. Elizabeth became a director of Octopus AIM 2 in 2010 when Octopus AIM 2 merged with Octopus Second AIM VCT plc.
Andy is the Chief Executive of Shakespeare Martineau LLP, an expanding Midlands and London law firm. Previously, he has held a number of non-executive positions, predominantly in the professional services sector. He joined RSM Tenon Group PLC ("RSM Tenon") in 2001 after its acquisition of the independent partnership formerly known as BDO Stoy Hayward – East Midlands. Following the acquisition of this business by RSM Tenon, he became finance director and, in a subsequent board reorganisation, chief executive in 2003, leading the company to win National Firm of the Year 2011 in the British Accountancy Awards. Andy then resigned in January 2012. Prior to joining RSM Tenon, he spent almost 20 years with BDO Stoy Hayward – East Midlands, where he established the corporate finance department and held overall responsibility for business development, before becoming managing partner. Andy became a director of the Company in 2005. Further details relating to Andy's directorship of RSM Tenon are set out on page 69.
Alastair Ritchie has considerable experience in smaller businesses, both private and public, and has served as chairman of several companies, quoted on the London Stock Exchange's main market and AIM. Alastair became a director of Octopus AIM 2 in 2010 when Octopus AIM 2 merged with Octopus Second AIM VCT plc.
Octopus Investments Limited was launched in 2000 by three founders who wanted to create an investment company that put its customers first. Today, it has more than 650 employees and over £7.8 billion in assets under management (Source: Octopus Investments Limited, 31 March 2018). Octopus has tens of thousands of clients and has built market-leading positions in tax-efficient investment, smaller company financing, renewable energy and healthcare. Octopus sees a strong business case for each of these sectors, whether that's providing for an ageing population in need of lifelong care, or the long-term trend towards renewable energy as a viable alternative to fossil fuels, or investing in dynamic, entrepreneurial companies that have a positive effect on the economy, and the people, around them.
Octopus has helped several start-ups grow to become household names, including Zoopla Property Group, graze.com and Secret Escapes. Octopus Healthcare's managed GP surgery investment fund currently invests in facilities which care for more than one million people.
Octopus launched its first VCT in 2002 and is now the UK's largest VCT provider, managing over £975 million of VCT money on behalf of over 28,000 investors (Source: Octopus Investments Limited, 31 March 2018).
The Octopus Smaller Companies team includes some of the most experienced AIM-focused fund managers in the market, totalling over 100 years of investment experience. Together, they look after more than £1.6 billion on behalf of over 19,000 Octopus investors. (Source: Octopus Investments Limited, 31 March 2018). The team makes investment decisions based on their considerable knowledge of the market and analysis of the companies themselves, including the company management track record, financial position, growth potential and long-term prospects.
Maintaining a portfolio of companies operating in diverse industries is fundamental to the team's approach to managing risk. They work extensively on AIM investments and have a strong track record of uncovering value in smaller companies. Every year, the team conducts on average over 500 face-to-face meetings with AIM companies to help identify the best investment opportunities.
The Octopus Smaller Companies team looks to invest in small businesses with significant growth
potential. In order to achieve this, the team applies the following investment process:
Research - Compared to larger companies, smaller companies are lesser known and underresearched. Undertaking extensive research helps the team to uncover hidden gems with the opportunity for significant long-term returns.
Eligibility - When selecting potential portfolio companies to back the team must consider which companies will be VCT qualifying. There is an extensive range of criteria to bear in mind which HMRC regularly reviews to ensure that funds are being directed into the right kind of companies.
Portfolio diversity - Investments are spread across a wide range of industries as diverse as building materials, pharmaceuticals and software development. New investors will be invested in existing portfolios of around 75 AIM-listed companies.
Due diligence - Not all smaller companies will be successful. So, before making a decision to invest, the team investigates a broad range of factors including the company's business plan, its management, its growth rate, its profitability (and how quickly this is changing), its valuation relative to its peers and its overall financial strength.
Knowing when to sell - After investment, the team continues to monitor the progress of the companies it has chosen to invest in. Selling profitable investments can help the Companies achieve their aim of paying out regular tax-free dividends to investors.
The Smaller Companies investment team at Octopus comprises:
Kate started her City career in 1986 as an investment analyst with Sheppards and Chase and then Panmure Gordon. From 1993 she was an Investment Manager responsible for managing ethical and smaller companies funds with the Co-operative Bank and Colonial First State Investments. She joined the AIM team at Close Brothers in 2000, since when she has been involved in the management of the Companies as well as other AIM portfolios. She joined Octopus Investments Limited in 2008.
Richard started his career at Duncan Lawrie, where he managed a successful small companies fund. He subsequently joined Close Brothers to manage a smaller companies investment trust before moving to Octopus Investments Limited to head up the AIM team in 2004. He is involved in the management of AIM portfolios, AIM VCTs and the FP Octopus UK MicroCap Growth Fund.
Edward is an experienced portfolio manager at Octopus Investments, involved primarily in the management of the AIM Inheritance Tax Service portfolios for private individuals. He joined Octopus in 2004 to help launch the AIM Inheritance Tax Service, having previously worked at Schroder's and State Street.
Chris joined the team in December 2016. He has been a specialist within the quoted UK Smaller Company market for over 17 years. He joined Octopus from Citigroup where he was most recently a UK Small and Mid-Cap Equity research analyst focussing across a variety of sectors. Prior to this he spent almost seven years on the Smaller Companies team at Gartmore as an investment manager and analyst. Chris is a fund manager on the team, working across all the Quoted Smaller
Company portfolios.
Stephen joined Octopus in 2008. He has particular responsibility for portfolio management across the Octopus AIM Inheritance Tax Service portfolios and Octopus AIM Inheritance Tax ISA portfolios. Stephen conducts analysis across AIM and has dealing responsibilities.
Mark graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2010 with a Bcom in Economics and Finance. He joined Octopus in 2012 after two years at Warwick Wealth in Cape Town, South Africa. Mark is a portfolio manager focussing predominantly on the Octopus AIM VCTs and the Eureka EIS portfolio service, and provides analytical support to the team.
Having joined Octopus Investments in 2015, Dominic is a co-manager Octopus AIM VCT plc, Octopus AIM VCT 2 plc and of the FP Octopus UK Micro Cap Growth Fund. He is responsible for qualitative and quantitative analysis. His professional background is in strategy consulting with Roland Berger and Clevis Research. Furthermore, he worked for Rocket Internet in international venture development. He holds a degree in International Management and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
Charles joined Octopus in 2011 from LV= Asset Management, having previously worked in the Personal Pensions and SIPP space for GE Life & LV=. Charles initially joined Octopus as a member of the operations team, later working as a Project Manager for MiFID II. He has joined the Smaller Companies team as a Product Development Analyst to enhance trading capabilities & performance analytics.
Jessica graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2014, where she studied International Business. Starting her career at Octopus shortly after, she has worked in multiple operations functions before moving to the AIM team to assist with the management of AIM portfolios.
Full details of the Manager's remuneration are set out in Part Five.
Octopus AIM was launched in 1997 and Octopus AIM 2 in 2005. Both Companies have been making investments alongside each other, in proportion to the size of each Company, since 2010. Each benefits from holding a broad spectrum of VCT-qualifying UK smaller companies.
Although new investments remain small enough to qualify for VCT funding, the Companies feature a large number of established, maturing AIM-listed businesses. This means investors benefit straight away from owning established portfolios of around 75 AIM-listed companies, many of which the Companies believe will continue to deliver sales growth and generate profits.
Listed below are the ten largest investments of Octopus AIM VCT as at 30 June 2018. The data for Market Capitalisation, Revenue and Profit have been sourced from Factset as at 30 June 2018.
| Date of First | Market Cap | Annual | Annual Profit | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | % of Portfolio | Investment | (fem) | Revenue (£m) | Before Tax (£m) |
| GB Group plc | 5.30% | 03/11/2011 | 913.0 | 132.5 | 27 |
| Learning Technologies Group plc | 4.50% | 13/06/2011 | 744.0 | 100.6 | 18 |
| Breedon Group plc | 4.50% | 26/08/2010 | 1380.1 | 671.6 | 81 |
| Quixant plc | 4.00% | 15/05/2013 | 280.3 | 91.7 | 15 |
| Staffline Recruitment Group plc | 2.60% | 08/12/2004 | 261.7 | 1073.8 | 37 |
| Yu Group plc | 2.40% | 14/03/2016 | 138.2 | 81.9 | 5 |
| Mattioli Woods plc | 2.40% | 15/11/2005 | 208.0 | 54.4 | 11 |
| Brooks Macdonald Group plc | 2.30% | 31/03/2005 | 275.3 | 103.2 | 19 |
| Gear4music Holdings plc | 2.20% | 28/05/2015 | 151.4 | 103.8 | 3 |
| Craneware plc | 2.20% | 11/09/2007 | 565.2 | 50.8 | 15 |
Listed below are the ten largest investments of Octopus AIM VCT 2 as at 30 June 2018. The data for Market Capitalisation, Revenue and Profit have been sourced from Factset as at 30 June 2018.
| Date of First | Market Cap | Annual | Annual Profit | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | % of Portfolio | Investment | (£m) | Revenue (£m) | Before Tax (£m) |
| GB Group plc | 5.10% | 03/11/2011 | 913.0 | 132.5 | 27 |
| Breedon Group plc | 4.30% | 26/08/2010 | 1380.1 | 671.6 | 81 |
| Learning Technologies Group plc | 4.30% | 13/06/2011 | 744.0 | 100.6 | 18 |
| Quixant plc | 3.90% | 15/05/2013 | 280.3 | 91.7 | 15 |
| Craneware plc | 3.60% | 11/09/2007 | 565.2 | 50.8 | 15 |
| Yu Group plc | 2.30% | 14/03/2016 | 138.5 | 81.9 | 5 |
| Gear4music Holdings plc | 2.10% | 28/05/2015 | 151.4 | 103.8 | 3 |
| RWS Holdings plc | 2.00% | 18/12/2009 | 1174.9 | 299.2 | 60 |
| Netcall plc | 1.70% | 27/07/2010 | 105.1 | 23.3 | 4 |
| LoopUp Group plc | 1.60% | 19/08/2016 | 255.9 | 30.3 | 3 |
The Companies have invested in a diverse range of sectors, from building materials and pharmaceuticals to software development and restaurants. Here are examples of just some of the companies included in their portfolios:
Breedon is the UK's largest independent construction materials group, operating around 60 quarries, 26 asphalt plants and 200 ready-mix concreate and mortar plants. The company benefitted form an acquisition in 2016 and now employs 2,300 people nationwide. Breedon's strategy is to continue growing through consolidation of the UK's building materials sector.
Craneware earns most of its revenue in the US, where it is a major software supplier to hospital networks. The company's software tracks the cost of operations for patients and insurance companies, enables payments to doctors and other suppliers, and provides a complete audit trail. Software is usually sold via five-year contracts, which gives Craneware predictable earnings.
Recognised as a global leader, GB Group helps check the identity of customers and employees for regulatory and commercial reasons. Its services have been increasingly in demand from organisations trying to prevent ID theft and fraud, particularly through the internet. GB Group has made acquisitions to gain an international presence and client list, and we expect this strategy to continue.
York-based Gear4music sells own-brand musical instruments and music equipment, alongside well-known premium brands including Fender, Yamaha and Roland, to customers ranging from beginners to professional musicians. Since floating on AIM in 2015, the company has expanded rapidly into Europe and operates 19 websites in 15 languages and eight currencies, with distribution centres in Sweden and Germany.
LTG's businesses are at the forefront of innovation and best-practice in the learning technology sector, and have received numerous awards for their exceptional performance. Their portfolio of brands represents the best of breed and they are acknowledged throughout the industry as market leaders
MaxCyte provide a patented, high-performance cell-engineering platform to bio-pharmaceutical partners engaged in drug discovery, development and biomanufacturing. With their robust delivery platform, their team of scientific experts help partners get the most out of their own products and solve development and commercialisation challenges.
LoopUp's software aims to make the conference call experience smooth and pain-free. Users can view presentations simultaneously, see who else is on the call and who is speaking in 'real time'. The company counts more than 2,000 businesses among its customers. LoopUp is a recent investment, having listed on AIM in August 2016.
MYCELX is a revolutionary oil-free water technology company solving the world's toughest oil removal problems in the oil and gas industry. They created the patented MYCELX polymer which allows oil to be removed from water far beyond what conventional systems have ever achieved, with a smaller physical footprint than conventional systems and in a virtually fail-safe process.
Any company examples are for illustrative purposes only. They should not be considered as an investment recommendation.
The following paragraphs apply to the Companies and to individuals holding Shares as an investment who are the absolute beneficial owners of such Shares, and who are resident in the UK. They may not apply to certain classes of individuals, such as dealers in securities. The following information is based on current UK law and practice, is subject to changes therein, is given by way of general summary, and does not constitute legal or tax advice.
If you are in any doubt about your position, or if you may be subject to a tax in a jurisdiction other than the UK, you should consult your financial adviser.
The tax reliefs set out below are available to individuals aged 18 or over who receive New Shares under the Offers and where the New Shares acquired are within the investor's annual £200,000 limit. The reliefs are not available for investments in excess of £200,000 per tax year.
The Companies have obtained approval as VCTs under Chapter 3 of Part 6 ITA 2007.
The Boards consider that the Companies have conducted their affairs and will continue to do so to enable them to qualify as VCTs.
The tax reliefs set out below are those currently available to individuals aged 18 or over who subscribe for New Shares and will be dependent on personal circumstance. Whilst there is no specific limit on the amount of an individual's acquisition of shares in a VCT, tax reliefs will only be given to the extent that the total of an individual's subscriptions or other acquisitions of shares in VCTs in any tax year do not exceed £200,000. Qualifying investors who intend to invest more than £200,000 in VCTs in any one tax year should consult their professional advisers.
An investor can acquire New Shares of up to a maximum of £200,000 under the Offers in each of the 2018/19 and 2019/20 tax years. Each application creates an entitlement to income tax relief of 30% of the amount invested. The relief is subject to an amount which reduces the investor's income tax liability for the tax year to nil. To retain that relief the New Shares would have to be held for 5 years. Tax relief on subscriptions for shares in a VCT is restricted where an investor has disposed of shares in that VCT (or in a VCT which at any time of subscription is intending to merge with the VCT) within 6 months (before or after) that subscription. Existing Shareholders should be aware that the sale of existing Shares within these periods could, therefore, put their income tax relief relating to the Offer at risk.
The table below has been prepared for illustrative purposes only and does not form part of the summary of the tax reliefs contained in this section. The table shows how the initial income tax relief available can reduce the effective cost of an investment of £10,000 in a VCT to only £7,000, by a qualifying investor subscribing for VCT shares:
| Effective cost | Tax relief | |
|---|---|---|
| Investor unable to claim any tax reliefs | £10,000 | Nil |
| VCT investor able to claim full 30% income tax relief | £7,000 | £3,000 |
Dividends paid by a VCT on its ordinary shares are free of income tax where investors acquired their shares within the annual £200,000 limit. VCT status will be withdrawn if, in respect of shares issued on or after 6 April 2014, a dividend is paid (or other forms of distribution or payments are made to investors) from the capital received by the VCT from that issue within three years of the end of the accounting period in which shares were issued to investors. Dividends paid from realised profits may be made without loss of VCT status.
Relief from income tax on a subscription for VCT shares will be withdrawn if the VCT shares are disposed of (other than between spouses) within five years of issue or if the venture capital trust loses its approval within this period. Dividend relief is not available for dividends paid in an accounting period during which the VCT loses its approval.
Disposing of a VCT share at a profit does not create a chargeable gain for the purposes of UK Capital Gains Tax. Similarly, disposing at a loss does not create an allowable loss for UK Capital Gains Tax.
If a company which has been granted approval as a VCT subsequently fails to comply with the conditions for approval as a VCT, approval may be withdrawn or treated as never having been given. In these circumstances, reliefs from income tax on the initial investment are repayable unless loss of approval occurs more than five years after the issue of the relevant VCT shares.
In addition, relief ceases to be available on any dividend paid in an accounting period ending during or after which VCT status has been lost. Any gains on the VCT shares up to the date from which loss of VCT status is treated as taking effect will be exempt but gains thereafter will be taxable.
The Companies will provide each investor with a tax certificate which the investor may use to claim income tax relief. To do this, an investor must either obtain a tax coding adjustment from HMRC under the PAYE system, or wait until the end of the tax year and use their self-assessment tax return to claim relief.
Shareholders not resident in the UK should seek their own professional advice as to the consequences of making and holding an investment in the Companies, as they may be subject to tax in other jurisdictions as well as in the UK.
A VCT has to satisfy a number of tests to qualify as a venture capital trust. A summary of these tests is set out below.
"Qualifying Investments" comprise shares or securities (including loans with a five year or greater maturity period but excluding guaranteed loans and securities) issued by unquoted trading companies which exist wholly or mainly for the purpose of carrying on one or more qualifying trades. The trade must be carried on by, or be intended to be carried on by, the investee company or a qualifying subsidiary at the time of the issue of the shares or securities to the VCT (and by such company or by any other subsidiary in which the investee company has not less than a 90% interest at all times thereafter). A company intending to carry on a qualifying trade must begin to trade within two years of the issue of shares or securities to the VCT and continue it thereafter. The definition of a qualifying trade excludes dealing in property, shares, securities, commodities or futures. It also excludes banking, insurance, receiving royalties or licence fees in certain circumstances, leasing, the provision of legal and accounting services, farming and market gardening, forestry and timber production, property development, shipbuilding, coal and steel production and operating or managing hotels, guest houses, nursing and residential care homes and the generation of electricity from renewable sources from which certain subsidies and incentives are derived. The funds raised by the investment must be used for the purposes of the qualifying trade within certain time limits.
A qualifying investment can also be made in a company which is a parent company of a trading group where the activities of the group, taken as a whole, consist of carrying on one or more qualifying trades. Investee companies must have a permanent establishment in the UK. The investee company cannot receive more than £5 million (£10 million for a Knowledge Intensive Company) from VCTs or other Risk Finance State Aid investment sources during the 12 month period which ends on the date of the VCT's investment. The investee company's gross assets must not exceed £15 million immediately prior to the investment and £16 million immediately thereafter. The investee company must have fewer than 250 employees or 500 employees in the case of a Knowledge Intensive Company. Neither the VCT nor any other company may control the investee company. At least 10% of the VCT's total investment in the investee company must be in eligible shares, as described above. The company cannot receive more than £12 million (£20 million if the company is deemed to be a Knowledge Intensive Company) of Risk Finance State Aid investment (including from VCTs) over the company's lifetime. The company's first commercial sale must be no more than 7 years before the VCT's investment (10 years for a Knowledge Intensive Company) prior to the date of investment, except where previous Risk Finance State Aid was received by the company within 7 years or where a turnover test is satisfied. Funds received from an investment by a VCT cannot be used to acquire another existing business or trade.
Companies whose shares are traded on AIM are treated as unquoted companies for the purposes of calculating qualifying investments. Shares in an unquoted company which subsequently becomes listed may still be regarded as a qualifying investment for a further five years following listing, provided all other conditions are met.
5.1.2 The risk-to-capital condition introduced in Finance Act 2018 requires that the Qualifying Company has long term growth plans and that the investment made by the VCT is at risk.
VCTs are exempt from corporation tax on chargeable gains. There is no restriction on the distribution of realised capital gains by a VCT, subject to the requirements of company law. VCTs will be subject to corporation tax on their income (excluding dividends received from UK companies) after deduction of attributable expenses.
Audited financial information on Octopus AIM is published in the annual reports for the years ended 29 February 2016, 28 February 2017 and 28 February 2018.
Audited financial information on Octopus AIM 2 is published in the annual reports for the years ended 30 November 2015, 30 November 2016 and 30 November 2017 and unaudited information in the interim reports for the six month periods ended 31 May 2014 and 31 May 2015.
The annual reports referred to above were audited by BDO LLP of 55 Baker Street, London W1U 7EU. All reports were without qualification and contained no statements under section 498(2) or (3) of the CA 2006.
The annual reports and interim reports referred to above were prepared in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102. The annual reports contain a description of the Companies' financial condition, changes in financial condition and results of operation for each relevant financial year and the pages of the annual reports and interim reports referred to below are being incorporated by reference and can be accessed at the following website: www.octopusinvestments.com.
The Companies and the Directors confirm that the Companies' most recent two years' financial information (which have been prepared under Financial Reporting Standard 102) have been presented and prepared in a form which is consistent with that which will be adopted in the Companies' next published annual financial statements having regard to accounting standards, policies and legislation applicable to such annual financial statements.
Where these documents make reference to other documents, such other documents, together with those pages of the annual reports and interim reports that are not referred to below, are not relevant to investors and are not incorporated into and do not form part of this document.
Such information includes the following:
| Description | 29 February 2016 Annual Report |
28 February 2017 Annual Report |
28 February 2018 Annual Report |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balance Sheet |
Page 48 | Page 40 | Page 42 |
| Income Statement (or equivalent) |
Page 47 | Page 39 | Page 41 |
| Statement showing all changes in equity (or equivalent note) |
Page 49 | Page 41 | Page 43 |
| Cash Flow Statement |
Page 50 | Page 42 | Page 44 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting Policies and Notes |
Page 51 | Page 43 | Page 45 |
| Auditor's Report |
Page 43 | Page 36 | Page 37 |
| 30 November 2015 |
30 November 2016 |
30 November 2017 |
31 May 2017 Half Year Report |
31 May 2018 Half Year Report |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Annual Report | Annual Report | Annual Report | ||
| Balance Sheet |
Page 44 | Page 40 | Page 41 | Page 15 | Page 15 |
| Income Statement (or equivalent) |
Page 43 | Page 39 | Page 40 | Page 14 | Page 14 |
| Statement showing all changes in equity (or equivalent note) |
Page 45 | Page 41 | Page 42 | Page 16 | Page 16 |
| Cash Flow Statement |
Page 46 | Page 42 | Page 43 | Page 18 | Page 18 |
| Accounting Policies and Notes |
Page 47 | Page 43 | Page 44 | Page 19 | Page 19 |
| Auditor's Report |
Page 39 | Page 36 | Page 36 | n/a | n/a |
Such information also includes operating/financial reviews as follows:
| Description | 29 February 2016 Annual Report |
28 February 2017 Annual Report |
28 February 2018 Annual Report |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance Summary |
Page 1 | Page 1 | Page 1 |
| Results and | Page 20 | Page 16 | Page 18 |
| Dividends Investment Policy |
Page 2 | Page 2 | Page 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outlook | Page 6 | Page 4 | Page 4 |
| Manager's Review |
Page 7 | Page 5 | Page 5 |
| Portfolio Summary |
Page 11 | Page 8 | Page 9 |
| Business Review |
Page 19 | Page 16 | Page 17 |
| Valuation Policy |
Page 51 | Page 43 | Page 45 |
| 30 November 2015 |
30 November 2016 |
30 November 2017 |
31 May 2017 Half Year Report |
31 May 2018 Half Year Report |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Annual Report | Annual Report | Annual Report | ||
| Performance Summary |
Page 1 | Page 1 | Page 1 | Page 4 | Page 4 |
| Results and Dividends |
Page 18 | Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 2 | Page 2 |
| Investment Policy |
Page 2 | Page 2 | Page 2 | Page 1 | Page 1 |
| Outlook | Page 6 | Page 4 | Page 4 | Page 7 | Page 7 |
| Manager's Review |
Page 7 | Page 5 | Page 5 | n/a | n/a |
| Portfolio Summary |
Page 11 | Page 8 | Page 9 | Page 8 | Page 8 |
| Business Review |
Page 17 | Page 16 | Page 17 | n/a | n/a |
| Valuation Policy |
Page 47 | Page 43 | Page 44 | n/a | n/a |
The unaudited NAV per Share as at 30 July 2018 was 121.0p and 91.3p for Octopus AIM and Octopus AIM 2 respectively.
The investment portfolio of Octopus AIM as at the date of this document is as follows (the valuations being the unaudited valuations, at bid price, as at 30 June 2018 and representing more than 77.3% of the NAV of Octopus AIM). Revenue and Pre Tax Profit figures are consensus forecast annual figures as published by Factset.
| Investee Company |
Sector | Book cost (£000) |
Moveme nt in valuation (£000) |
Fair Value (£000) |
% of net assets |
Unrealised Return over book cost % |
Market cap (£m) |
Revenue (£m) |
Pre Tax Profit (£m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB Group plc | Support Services |
715 | 6,245 | 6,960 | 5.3% | 873% | 913.0 | 132.5 | 27 |
| Learning | |||||||||
| Technologies Group plc |
Support Services |
1,185 | 4,655 | 5,840 | 4.5% | 393% | 744.0 | 100.6 | 18 |
| Breedon Group plc |
Construction & Building |
859 | 4,980 | 5,839 | 4.5% | 580% | 1,380.1 | 671.6 | 81 |
| Quixant plc | Technology Hardware |
587 | 4,699 | 5,286 | 4.0% | 801% | 280.3 | 91.7 | 15 |
| Staffline Recruitment Group plc |
Support Services |
334 | 3,097 | 3,431 | 2.6% | 927% | 261.7 | 1,073.8 | 37 |
| Yu Group plc | Utilities | 705 | 2,458 | 3,163 | 2.4% | 349% | 138.2 | 81.9 | 5 |
| Mattioli Woods plc |
Finance | 529 | 2,599 | 3,128 | 2.4% | 491% | 208.0 | 54.4 | 11 |
| Brooks Macdonald Group plc |
Finance | 746 | 2,264 | 3,010 | 2.3% | 303% | 275.3 | 103.2 | 19 |
| Gear4music Holdings plc |
Media | 557 | 2,314 | 2,871 | 2.2% | 415% | 151.4 | 103.8 | 3 |
| Craneware plc | Software | 183 | 2,674 | 2,857 | 2.2% | 1461% | 565.2 | 50.7 | 15 |
| RWS Holdings plc | Support Services |
367 | 2,314 | 2,681 | 2.0% | 631% | 1,174.9 | 299.2 | 60 |
| LoopUp Group plc |
Software | 480 | 1,728 | 2,208 | 1.7% | 360% | 255.9 | 30.3 | 3 |
| Telecommuni cation |
|||||||||
| Netcall plc | Services | 308 | 1,824 | 2,132 | 1.6% | 592% | 105.1 | 23.3 | 4 |
| FairFx Group plc | Software | 948 | 914 | 1,862 | 1.4% | 96% | 177.9 | 28.7 | 8 |
| VR Education Holdings plc |
Software | 1,080 | 756 | 1,836 | 1.4% | 70% | 34.8 | n/a | n/a |
| EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc |
Health | 931 | 786 | 1,717 | 1.3% | 84% | 143.0 | 43.6 | 6 |
| Gooch & Housego plc |
Electronic & Electrical |
472 | 1,242 | 1,714 | 1.3% | 263% | 370.5 | 122.1 | 19 |
| Next Fifteen Communications |
|||||||||
| Group plc | Media | 687 | 933 | 1,620 | 1.2% | 136% | 392.3 | 219.6 | 35 |
| IDOX plc | Software | 353 | 1,252 | 1,605 | 1.2% | 355% | 143.3 | n/a | n/a |
| Ergomed plc | Pharmaceutic als & Biotech |
1,440 | 120 | 1,560 | 1.2% | 8% | 80.7 | 54.4 | 1 |
| Advanced Medical Solutions Group plc |
Pharmaceutic als & Biotech |
757 | 776 | 1,533 | 1.2% | 103% | 699.6 | 103.2 | 27 |
| Cello Group plc | Media | 895 | 595 | 1,490 | 1.1% | 66% | 129.8 | 176.5 | 12 |
| Clinigen Group plc |
Pharmaceutic als & Biotech |
935 | 485 | 1,420 | 1.1% | 52% | 1,122.0 | 367.2 | 69 |
| Cambridge Cognition Holdings plc |
Health | 601 | 797 | 1,398 | 1.1% | 133% | 34.8 | 7.8 | 1 |
| DP Poland plc | Leisure & Hotels |
1,016 | 357 | 1,373 | 1.0% | 35% | 45.1 | 16.0 | (3) |
| Telecommuni | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adept Telecom plc |
cation Services |
601 | 771 | 1,372 | 1.0% | 128% | 77.5 | 44.4 | 7 |
| Telecommuni | |||||||||
| cation | |||||||||
| CityFibre plc* | Services | 1,025 | 307 | 1,332 | 1.0% | 30% | 537.1 | 54.2 | (15) |
| Ixico plc | Pharmaceutic als & Biotech |
1,127 | 201 | 1,328 | 1.0% | 18% | 15.9 | 4.5 | (1) |
| Support | |||||||||
| Restore plc | Services | 341 | 983 | 1,324 | 1.0% | 288% | 639.4 | 202.5 | 39 |
| Vertu Motors plc | General Retailers |
1,265 | 58 | 1,323 | 1.0% | 5% | 188.7 | 2,850.0 | 26 |
| Osirium | Electronic & | ||||||||
| Technologies plc Judges Scientific |
Electrical Electronic & |
1,350 | (31) | 1,319 | 1.0% | (2%) | 19.8 | 0.9 | (2) |
| plc | Electrical | 314 | 946 | 1,260 | 1.0% | 301% | 156.5 | 75.3 | 11 |
| Pharmaceutic | |||||||||
| Abcam plc | als & Biotech | 537 | 664 | 1,201 | 0.9% | 124% | 2,737.3 | 234.9 | 79 |
| Nasstar plc | Software | 481 | 605 | 1,086 | 0.8% | 126% | 66.9 | 26.5 | 4 |
| appScatter Group | |||||||||
| plc | Software | 1,257 | (232) | 1,025 | 0.8% | (18%) | 47.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Brady plc | Software Equity |
947 | 43 | 990 | 0.8% | 5% | 55.6 | 23.6 | 1 |
| KRM22 plc | Instrments | 681 | 306 | 987 | 0.8% | 45% | 18.0 | n/a | n/a |
| Gamma | Telecommuni | ||||||||
| Communications plc |
cation Services |
488 | 473 | 961 | 0.7% | 97% | 711.5 | 263.6 | 31 |
| Scientific Digital | Electronic & | ||||||||
| Imaging plc | Electrical | 179 | 736 | 915 | 0.7% | 411% | 37.2 | 14.1 | 2 |
| MyCelx Technologies |
Oil | ||||||||
| Corporation | Equipment | 1,470 | (574) | 896 | 0.7% | (39%) | 22.1 | \$19.0 | \$1.7 |
| WANdisco plc | Software | 145 | 750 | 895 | 0.7% | 517% | 466.1 | 19.0 | (3) |
| Animalcare | Pharmaceutic | ||||||||
| Group plc | als & Biotech | 306 | 585 | 891 | 0.7% | 191% | 98.7 | 98.5 | 8 |
| Fusion Antibodies | Health Care Equipment & |
||||||||
| plc | Services | 577 | 303 | 880 | 0.7% | 53% | 28.7 | n/a | n/a |
| Access | |||||||||
| Intelligence plc TLA Worldwide |
Software | 715 | 135 | 850 | 0.6% | 19% | 23.3 | n/a | n/a |
| plc | Media | 807 | 40 | 847 | 0.6% | 5% | 32.3 | 23.7 | 3 |
| Escape Hunt plc | Leisure & Hotels |
988 | (161) | 827 | 0.6% | (16%) | 23.0 | 4.9 | (7) |
| Beeks Financial | |||||||||
| Cloud Group plc | Software | 570 | 251 | 821 | 0.6% | 0 | 36.5 | 6.2 | 1 |
| Popsa Holdings | Software & Computer |
||||||||
| Ltd* | Services | 720 | - | 720 | 0.5% | 0% | 0.0 | n/a | n/a |
| Nektan Limited | Software | 1,345 | (731) | 614 | 0.5% | (54%) | 9.7 | n/a | n/a |
| Velocity | |||||||||
| Composites plc | Industrial Software & |
799 | (188) | 611 | 0.5% | (24%) | 24.2 | 28.0 | (0) |
| Maestrano Group | Computer | ||||||||
| plc | Services | 636 | (51) | 585 | 0.4% | (8%) | 11.1 | 1.2 | (1) |
| Iomart Group plc | Software | 268 | 290 | 558 | 0.4% | 108% | 404.2 | 107.8 | 27 |
| Futura Medical | Pharmaceutic | ||||||||
| plc | als & Biotech | 968 | (425) | 543 | 0.4% | (44%) | 39.3 | 9.0 | (0) |
| PCI-Pal plc | Support Services |
720 | (224) | 496 | 0.4% | (31%) | 13.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Microsaic | Engineering & | ||||||||
| Systems plc | Machinery | 1,384 | (893) | 491 | 0.4% | (65%) | 9.1 | n/a | n/a |
| Vectura Group | Pharmaceutic | ||||||||
| plc | als & Biotech | 498 | (30) | 468 | 0.4% | (6%) | 520.1 | 157.7 | 26 |
| Plastics Capital plc |
Engineering & Machinery |
400 | 40 | 440 | 0.3% | 10% | 43.1 | 76.6 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omega | |||||||||
| Diagnostics | |||||||||
| Group plc | Health | 465 | (25) | 440 | 0.3% | (5%) | 14.9 | n/a | n/a |
| Maxcyte Inc | Pharmaceutic als & Biotech |
511 | (73) | 438 | 0.3% | (14%) | 38.2 | \$16.5 | -\$13.6* |
| Support | |||||||||
| Mears Group plc | Services | 139 | 287 | 426 | 0.3% | 206% | 350.2 | 902.0 | 43 |
| Engineering & | |||||||||
| TP Group plc | Machinery | 648 | (276) | 372 | 0.3% | (43%) | 53.9 | 35.9 | 2 |
| Pharmaceutic | |||||||||
| Diurnal Group plc | als & Biotech | 360 | (13) | 347 | 0.3% | (4%) | 115.3 | 0.1 | (17) |
| Enteq Upstream plc |
Oil Services | 1,032 | (692) | 340 | 0.3% | (67%) | 21.9 | 6.4 | 1 |
| Sinclair IS Pharma plc |
Pharmaceutic als & Biotech |
765 | (473) | 292 | 0.2% | (62%) | 91.9 | 52.0 | (3) |
| Leisure & | |||||||||
| Tasty plc | Hotels | 622 | (354) | 268 | 0.2% | (57%) | 11.1 | n/a | n/a |
| Haydale Graphene |
|||||||||
| Industries plc | Chemicals | 598 | (340) | 258 | 0.2% | (57%) | 19.1 | 3.5 | (5) |
| Hasgrove plc* | Media | 88 | 132 | 220 | 0.2% | 150% | 29.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Fusionex | |||||||||
| International plc* | Software | 282 | (164) | 118 | 0.1% | (58%) | 34.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Dods Group plc | Media | 203 | (99) | 104 | 0.1% | (49%) | 44.1 | 22.4 | 3 |
| Rated People | |||||||||
| Ltd* | Software | 354 | (267) | 87 | 0.1% | (75%) | 17.0 | n/a | n/a |
| Pharmaceutic | |||||||||
| Genedrive Plc | als & Biotech | 210 | (123) | 87 | 0.1% | (59%) | 6.8 | 4.8 | (5) |
| Midatech Pharma | Pharmaceutic | ||||||||
| plc | als & Biotech | 600 | (537) | 63 | 0.0% | (90%) | 17.4 | 9.2 | (16) |
| ReNeuron Group | Pharmaceutic | ||||||||
| plc | als & Biotech | 324 | (272) | 52 | 0.0% | (84%) | 25.6 | 0.2 | (21) |
| 1Spatial plc | Software | 300 | (264) | 36 | 0.0% | (88%) | 30.4 | 17.9 | (1) |
| Location Sciences Group plc |
Software | 763 | (754) | 9 | 0.0% | (99%) | 4.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Bond | |||||||||
| International | |||||||||
| Software plc* | Software | 2 | - | 2 | 0.0% | 0% | 0.0 | n/a | n/a |
Since 30 June 2018 there have been 3 new investments with a cost of £2,382,000
Since 30 June 2018 there have been no disposals
Unless otherwise stated, all the investments set out above:
Nektan – Gibraltar Mycelx – USA VR Education Holdings plc – Ireland Maxcyte Inc – USA Breedon Group plc – Jersey
*Denotes private company
| Investee Company | Sector | Book cost (£000) |
Movement in valuation (£000) |
Fair Value (£000) |
% of net assets |
Unrealised Return over book cost % |
Market cap (£m) |
Revenue (£m) |
Pre Tax Profit (£m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Octopus Portfolio | |||||||||
| Manager - | |||||||||
| Conservative | |||||||||
| Capital Growth | n/a | 10,450 | 512 | 10,962 | 8.4% | 5% | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Octopus Portfolio | n/a | ||||||||
| Manager - | |||||||||
| Defensive Capital | |||||||||
| Growth | 10,450 | 246 | 10,696 | 8.2% | 2% | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| Money Market | n/a | ||||||||
| Funds | 4,307 | 0 | 4,307 | 3.3% | 0% | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| FP Octopus UK | n/a | ||||||||
| Micro Cap Growth | |||||||||
| Fund | 3,300 | 1,121 | 4,421 | 3.4% | 34% | n/a | n/a | n/a |
The investment portfolio of Octopus AIM 2 as at the date of this document is as follows (the valuations being the unaudited valuations, at bid price, as at 30 June 2018 and representing more than 75% of the NAV of Octopus AIM 2). Revenue and Pre Tax Profit figures are consensus forecast annual figures as published by Factset.
| Investee Company | Sector | Book cost (£000) |
Movement in valuation (£000) |
Fair Value (£000) |
% of net assets |
Unrealised Return over book cost % |
Market cap (£m) |
Revenue (£m) |
Pre Tax Profit (£m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software & | |||||||||
| GB Group plc | Computer Services | 477 | 4,163 | 4,640 | 5.1% | 873% | 913.0 | 133 | 27 |
| Breedon Group plc | Construction & Materials |
573 | 3,322 | 3,895 | 4.3% | 580% | 1,380.1 | 672 | 81 |
| Learning | |||||||||
| Technologies Group plc |
Support Services | 790 | 3,104 | 3,894 | 4.3% | 393% | 744.0 | 101 | 18 |
| Technology Hardware & |
|||||||||
| Quixant plc | Equipment | 391 | 3,133 | 3,524 | 3.9% | 801% | 280.3 | 92 | 15 |
| Software & | |||||||||
| Craneware plc | Computer Services | 479 | 2,756 | 3,235 | 3.6% | 575% | 565.2 | 51 | 15 |
| Yu Group plc | Gas, Water & Multiutilities |
470 | 1,639 | 2,109 | 2.3% | 349% | 138.2 | 82 | 5 |
| Gear4music Holdings plc |
Leisure Goods | 372 | 1,542 | 1,914 | 2.1% | 415% | 151.4 | 104 | 3 |
| RWS Holdings plc | Support Services | 249 | 1,574 | 1,823 | 2.0% | 632% | 1,174.9 | 299 | 60 |
| Netcall plc | Software & Computer Services |
356 | 1,199 | 1,555 | 1.7% | 337% | 105.1 | 23 | 4 |
| Software & | |||||||||
| LoopUp Group plc | Computer Services | 320 | 1,152 | 1,472 | 1.6% | 360% | 255.9 | 30 | 3 |
| Brooks Macdonald Group plc |
General Financial | 610 | 812 | 1,422 | 1.6% | 133% | 275.3 | 103 | 19 |
| Animalcare Group plc |
Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology |
824 | 594 | 1,418 | 1.6% | 72% | 98.7 | 99 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Care | |||||||||
| EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc |
Equipment & Services |
864 | 509 | 1,373 | 1.5% | 59% | 143.0 | 44 | 6 |
| IDOX plc | Software & Computer Services |
356 | 925 | 1,281 | 1.4% | 260% | 143.3 | n/a | n/a |
| FairFx Group plc | General Financial | 632 | 610 | 1,242 | 1.4% | 97% | 177.9 | 28.7 | 8 |
| VR Education | Software & | ||||||||
| Holdings plc | Computer Services | 720 | 504 | 1,224 | 1.4% | 70% | 34.8 | ||
| Staffline | |||||||||
| Recruitment Group plc |
Support Services | 225 | 929 | 1,154 | 1.3% | 413% | 261.7 | 1,074 | 37 |
| Adept Telecom plc | Fixed Line Telecommunications |
502 | 644 | 1,146 | 1.3% | 128% | 77.5 | 44 | 7 |
| Gooch & Housego | Electronic & | ||||||||
| plc | Electrical Equipment | 315 | 828 | 1,143 | 1.3% | 263% | 370.5 | 122 | 19 |
| Next Fifteen | |||||||||
| Communications Group plc |
Media | 458 | 622 | 1,080 | 1.2% | 136% | 392.3 | 220 | 35 |
| Pharmaceuticals & | |||||||||
| Ergomed plc | Biotechnology | 960 | 80 | 1,040 | 1.2% | 8% | 80.7 | 54 | 1 |
| Advanced Medical | Health Care | ||||||||
| Solutions Group plc |
Equipment & Services |
505 | 517 | 1,022 | 1.1% | 102% | 699.6 | 103 | 27 |
| CityFibre plc* | Fixed Line Telecommunications |
739 | 217 | 956 | 1.1% | 29% | 537.1 | 54 | (15) |
| Pharmaceuticals & | |||||||||
| Clinigen Group plc | Biotechnology | 625 | 325 | 950 | 1.1% | 52% | 1,122.0 | 367 | 69 |
| Cambridge | Health Care | ||||||||
| Cognition Holdings plc |
Equipment & Services |
400 | 532 | 932 | 1.0% | 133% | 34.8 | 8 | 1 |
| Vertu Motors plc | General Retailers | 777 | 152 | 929 | 1.0% | 20% | 188.7 | 2,850 | 26 |
| DP Poland plc | Travel & Leisure | 678 | 237 | 915 | 1.0% | 35% | 45.1 | 16 | (3) |
| Pharmaceuticals & | |||||||||
| Ixico plc | Biotechnology | 751 | 135 | 886 | 1.0% | 18% | 15.9 | 4.5 | (1) |
| Restore plc | Support Services | 227 | 656 | 883 | 1.0% | 289% | 639.4 | 202 | 39 |
| Osirium Technologies plc |
Software & Computer Services |
900 | (21) | 879 | 1.0% | (2%) | 19.8 | 1 | (2) |
| Judges Scientific plc |
Electronic & Electrical Equipment |
209 | 631 | 840 | 0.9% | 302% | 156.5 | 75 | 11 |
| Pharmaceuticals & | |||||||||
| Abcam plc | Biotechnology | 358 | 442 | 800 | 0.9% | 123% | 2,737.3 | 235 | 79 |
| Plastics Capital plc | Chemicals | 485 | 310 | 795 | 0.9% | 64% | 43.1 | 77 | 4 |
| Software & | |||||||||
| Nasstar plc | Computer Services | 320 | 404 | 724 | 0.8% | 126% | 66.9 | 27 | 4 |
| appScatter Group | Software & | ||||||||
| plc | Computer Services | 838 | (155) | 683 | 0.8% | (18%) | 47.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Software & | |||||||||
| Brady plc | Computer Services | 647 | 30 | 677 | 0.8% | 5% | 55.6 | 24 | 1 |
| Equity Investment | |||||||||
| KRM22 plc | Instruments | 454 | 204 | 658 | 0.7% | 45% | 18.0 | n/a | n/a |
| Gamma Communications |
Mobile | ||||||||
| plc | Telecommunications | 326 | 315 | 641 | 0.7% | 97% | 711.5 | 264 | 31 |
| Scientific Digital | Health Care Equipment & |
||||||||
| Imaging plc | Services | 119 | 491 | 610 | 0.7% | 413% | 37.2 | 14 | 2 |
| Access Intelligence plc |
Software & Computer Services |
526 | 73 | 599 | 0.7% | 14% | 23.3 | n/a | n/a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MyCelx | |||||||||
| Technologies Corporation |
Oil Equipment & Services |
980 | (383) | 597 | 0.7% | (39%) | 22.1 | \$19.0 | \$1.7 |
| Software & | |||||||||
| WANdisco plc | Computer Services | 96 | 499 | 595 | 0.7% | 520% | 466.1 | 19 | (3) |
| Fusion Antibodies | Health Care Equipment & |
||||||||
| plc | Services | 385 | 202 | 587 | 0.7% | 52% | 28.7 | n/a | n/a |
| TLA Worldwide plc | Media | 538 | 27 | 565 | 0.6% | 5% | 32.3 | 24 | 3 |
| Escape Hunt plc | Travel & Leisure | 659 | (108) | 551 | 0.6% | (16%) | 23.0 | 5 | (7) |
| Software & | |||||||||
| Beeks Financials | Computer Services | 382 | 167 | 549 | 0.6% | 44% | 36.5 | 6.2 | 1 |
| Cello Group plc | Media | 205 | 342 | 547 | 0.6% | 167% | 129.8 | 176 | 12 |
| Popsa Holdings Ltd* |
Software & Computer Services |
480 | - | 480 | 0.5% | 0% | 0.0 | n/a | n/a |
| Velocity Composites plc |
Aerospace & Defense |
533 | (126) | 407 | 0.5% | (24%) | 24.2 | 28 | (0) |
| Maestrano Group | Software & | ||||||||
| plc Mattioli Woods |
Computer Services | 424 | (34) | 390 | 0.4% | (8%) | 11.1 | 1 | (1) |
| plc | General Financial | 101 | 278 | 379 | 0.4% | 275% | 208.0 | 54 | 11 |
| Iomart Group plc | Software & Computer Services |
178 | 194 | 372 | 0.4% | 109% | 404.2 | 108 | 27 |
| Pharmaceuticals & | |||||||||
| Futura Medical plc | Biotechnology | 645 | (283) | 362 | 0.4% | (44%) | 39.3 | 9 | (0) |
| Software & | |||||||||
| PCI-Pal plc Omega |
Computer Services Health Care |
480 | (149) | 331 | 0.4% | (31%) | 13.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Diagnostics Group | Equipment & | ||||||||
| plc | Services | 318 | 11 | 329 | 0.4% | 3% | 14.9 | n/a | n/a |
| Microsaic Systems plc |
Electronic & Electrical Equipment |
922 | (594) | 328 | 0.4% | (64%) | 9.1 | n/a | n/a |
| Pharmaceuticals & | |||||||||
| Vectura Group plc | Biotechnology | 332 | (20) | 312 | 0.3% | (6%) | 520.1 | 158 | 26 |
| Pharmaceuticals & | |||||||||
| Maxcyte Inc | Biotechnology Industrial |
340 | (48) | 292 | 0.3% | (14%) | 38.2 | \$16.5 | -\$13.6 |
| TP Group plc | Engineering | 452 | (194) | 258 | 0.3% | (43%) | 53.9 | 36 | 2 |
| Diurnal Group plc | Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology |
240 | (9) | 231 | 0.3% | (4%) | 115.3 | 0 | (17) |
| Enteq Upstream | Oil Equipment & | ||||||||
| plc | Services | 687 | (460) | 227 | 0.3% | (67%) | 21.9 | 6 | 1 |
| Hasgrove plc* | Media | 153 | 59 | 212 | 0.2% | 39% | 29.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Tasty plc | Travel & Leisure | 336 | (135) | 201 | 0.2% | (40%) | 11.1 | n/a | n/a |
| Sinclair IS Pharma plc |
Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology |
274 | (74) | 200 | 0.2% | (27%) | 91.9 | 52 | (3) |
| Haydale Graphene | |||||||||
| Industries plc Fusionex |
Chemicals | 399 | (227) | 172 | 0.2% | (57%) | 19.1 | 3 | (5) |
| International plc* | Software | 188 | (109) | 79 | 0.1% | (58%) | 34.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Nektan Limited | Travel & Leisure | 893 | (487) | 406 | 0.5% | (55%) | 9.7 | n/a | n/a |
| Mears Group plc | Support Services | 51 | 13 | 64 | 0.1% | 25% | 350.2 | 902 | 43 |
| Rated People Ltd* | Software & Computer Services |
236 | (178) | 58 | 0.1% | (75%) | 17.0 | n/a | n/a |
| Pharmaceuticals & | |||||||||
| Genedrive Plc | Biotechnology | 140 | (82) | 58 | 0.1% | (59%) | 6.8 | 5 | (5) |
| Midatech Pharma plc |
Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology |
400 | (358) | 42 | 0.0% | (90%) | 17.4 | 9 | (16) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ReNeuron Group plc |
Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology |
216 | (181) | 35 | 0.0% | (84%) | 25.6 | 0 | (21) |
| 1Spatial plc | Support Services | 200 | (176) | 24 | 0.0% | (88%) | 30.4 | 18 | (1) |
| Location Sciences Group plc |
Software & Computer Services |
509 | (503) | 6 | 0.0% | (99%) | 4.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Bond International Software plc* |
Software & Computer Services |
1 | - | 1 | 0.0% | 0% | 0.0 | n/a | n/a |
Since 30 June 2018 there have been 3 new investments with a cost of £1,588,000
Since 30 June 2018 there have been no disposals
Unless otherwise stated, all the investments set out above:
Nektan – Gibraltar Mycelx – USA VR Education Holdings plc – Ireland Maxcyte Inc – USA Breedon Group plc – Jersey Fusionex International plc - Jersey
*Denotes private company
| Investee Company | Sector | Book cost (£000) |
Movement in valuation (£000) |
Fair Value (£000) |
% of net assets |
Unrealised Return over book cost % |
Market cap (£m) |
Revenue (£m) |
Pre Tax Profit (£m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Money Market Funds | n/a | 4,440 | 0 | 4,440 | 4.9% | 0% | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Octopus Portfolio Manager - Conservative Capital Growth |
n/a | 7,000 | 343 | 7,343 | 8.1% | 5% | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Octopus Portfolio Manager - Defensive Capital Growth |
n/a | 7,000 | 165 | 7,165 | 7.9% | 2% | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| FP Octopus UK Micro Cap Growth Fund |
n/a | 2,200 | 747 | 2,947 | 3.3% | 34% | n/a | n/a | n/a |
this Resolution (unless renewed, varied or revoked by the Company in a general meeting) but so that this authority shall allow the Company to make, before the expiry of this authority, offers or agreements which would or might require shares to be allotted or rights to be granted after such expiry.
| Class of | Nominal | Issued (fully paid) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| shares | value | ||
| £ | No. of Shares | ||
| Ordinary Shares |
1p | 1,087,223 | 108,722,268 |
3.4 The issued fully paid share capital of Octopus AIM immediately after the Offers have closed (assuming (i) the Offers are fully subscribed, including the over-allotment facility, in both Companies with subscriptions split as to 60%/40% as between Octopus AIM and Octopus AIM 2 respectively and (ii) that the Offer Price is either 128.1p or 102.5p per Octopus AIM New Share) will be as follows:
| Offer Price 128.1p |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Class of shares |
Nominal value |
Issued (fully paid) | |
| £ | No. of Shares | ||
| Ordinary Shares |
1p | 1,227,738 | 122,773,790 |
| Offer Price 102.5p |
|||
| Class of | Nominal | Issued (fully paid) | |
| shares | value | ||
| £ | No. of Shares | ||
| Ordinary Shares |
1p | 1,262,832 | 126,283,243 |
3.5 The following allotments and repurchases of Shares have taken place since 1 March 2015:
6,360,138 Shares at a weighted average price of 106.0p were bought back; 49,472,622 Shares at a weighted average price of 118.4p were allotted.
3.11 Except for commissions paid to authorised introducers in respect of previous offers for subscription of Shares, no commissions, discounts, brokerages or other special terms have been granted by Octopus AIM in connection with the issue or sale of any share or loan capital of Octopus AIM in the three years immediately preceding the date of this document.
3.12 Other than pursuant to the Offers, none of the New Shares have been sold or is available in whole or in part to the public in conjunction with the application for the New Shares to be admitted to the Official List.
4.1 As at the date of this document the Directors of Octopus AIM and their immediate families have the following interests in the issued share capital of Octopus AIM:
| Director | No. of Shares | % of Issued Share Capital |
|---|---|---|
| Roger Smith | 20,000 | Less than 0.1 |
| Stephen Hazell-Smith | 139,003 | Less than 0.2 |
| Joanne Parfrey | 0 | 0 |
| Neal Ransome | 17,423 | Less than 0.1 |
4.2 Assuming that (i) the Offers are fully subscribed, including the over-allotment facility, in both Companies and (ii) an Offer Price of 128.1p per Octopus AIM New Share, the interests of the Directors of Octopus AIM and their immediate families in the issued share capital of Octopus AIM immediately following the Offers will be:
| Director | No. of Shares | % of Issued Share Capital |
|---|---|---|
| Roger Smith | 20,000 | Less than 0.1 |
| Stephen Hazell-Smith | 139,003 | Less than 0.2 |
| Joanne Parfrey | 19,516 | Less than 0.1 |
| Neal Ransome | 17,423 | Less than 0.1 |
operation of which may at a subsequent date result in a change of control of Octopus AIM.
| Name | Position | Name of company/partnership |
Position still held (Y/N) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Smith | Director | Epworth Investment Management Limited |
N |
| Director | Cotton Spring Farm Limited |
Y | |
| Director | Herts County Showground Limited |
N | |
| Director | The Hertfordshire Agricultural Society |
N | |
| Director | Methodist International Centre Limited |
N | |
| Director | Central Industrial Holdings Limited (dissolved)* |
N | |
| Director | BB Realisations Limited (dissolved)* |
N | |
| Director | The Lord's Taverners Limited |
N | |
| Stephen Hazell Smith |
Director | Puma VCT 10 PLC | N |
| Director | Peterhouse Capital Asset Management Limited |
N | |
| Director | MagellanAdvisors (UK) Limited |
N | |
| Director | Business Agent Limited | Y |
| Director | PFP Capital Limited | Y | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Puma VCT 13 PLC | Y | |
| Director | Puma VCT V PLC (dissolved)* |
N | |
| Joanne Parfrey | Director | Babraham Bioscience Technologies Limited |
Y |
| Director | Guy's and St Thomas' Enterprises Limited |
Y | |
| Neal Ransome | Director | Quercus (General Partner) Limited (in voluntary liquidation) |
N |
| Director | Parity Group PLC | N | |
| Chairman | |||
| Director | ProVen VCT plc | Y | |
| Polar Capital Global Healthcare Trust plc |
Y | ||
| Director | PCGH ZDP plc | Y |
* in voluntary liquidation prior to being dissolved
The business address of all the Directors is 33 Holborn, London EC1N 2HT.
suppliers or others, pursuant to which any Director of Octopus AIM was selected as a member of the administrative, management or supervisory bodies or member of senior management.
Roger Smith and Stephen Hazell-Smith were appointed as Directors of Octopus AIM on 2 February 1998 pursuant to appointment letters of the same date. Joanne Parfrey and Neal Ransome were appointed as a Directors of Octopus AIM on 6 October 2016 pursuant to appointment letters of the same date. These Directors' appointments are terminable on three months' notice and no arrangements have been entered into by Octopus AIM entitling the Directors of Octopus AIM to compensation for loss of office nor have amounts been set aside to provide pension, retirement or similar benefits. Roger Smith, as Chairman of Octopus AIM, is entitled to annual remuneration of £25,000, Neal Ransome, as Audit Committee Chairman, is entitled to annual remuneration of £22,500, while the annual remuneration receivable by Stephen Hazell-Smith and Joanne Parfrey is £20,000. None of the Directors of Octopus AIM has a service contract with Octopus AIM and no such contract is proposed. In respect of the year ended 28 February 2018, Roger Smith received £25,000, Stephen Hazell-Smith received £20,000, Joanne Parfrey received £20,000 and Neal Ransome received £22,500.
Octopus AIM does not have any subsidiaries.
An agreement dated 3 August 2018 between Octopus AIM (1), the Directors of Octopus AIM (2), the Manager (3) and Howard Kennedy (4) pursuant to which Howard Kennedy agreed to act as sponsor to Octopus AIM in respect of the Offers and the Manager agreed to use reasonable endeavours to procure subscribers for New Shares under the Offers. Under the agreement the Manager is paid an initial fee of up to 5.5% of the funds received by Octopus AIM under the Offers (such a fee to be reduced in relation to applications from investors who are existing, or who were previously, shareholders of any Octopus VCT) and an ongoing fee of 0.5% per annum of the most recently announced NAV multiplied by the number of New Shares allotted to investors who have invested directly into Octopus AIM and not through a financial intermediary, the cost of this ongoing charge being met through a reduction in the annual management fee of Octopus, and the Manager has agreed to discharge all the external costs of advice and its own costs in respect of the Offers. Under this agreement certain warranties have been given by Octopus AIM, the Directors of Octopus AIM and the Manager to Howard Kennedy. Octopus AIM has also agreed to indemnify Howard Kennedy in respect of its role as sponsor. The warranties and indemnity are in usual form for a contract of this type. The agreement can be terminated if any material statement in the prospectus relating to the Offers is untrue, any material omission from the Prospectus arises or any material breach of warranty occurs.
The following are the only contracts (not being contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business) which have been entered into by Octopus AIM in the two years immediately preceding the date of this document or which are expected to be entered into prior to Admission and which are, or may be, material or which have been entered into at any time by Octopus AIM and which contain any provision under which Octopus AIM has any obligation or entitlement which is, or may be, material to Octopus AIM as at the date of this document:
8.3 An agreement dated 21 December 2015 between Octopus AIM (1), the Directors of Octopus AIM (2), the Manager (3) and Howard Kennedy (4) (the "2015 Offer Agreement") pursuant to which Howard Kennedy agreed to act as sponsor to Octopus AIM in respect of the 2015 Offers and the Manager agreed to use reasonable endeavours to procure subscribers for Shares under the 2015 Offers. Under the 2015 Offer Agreement the Manager was paid an initial fee of up to 5.5% of the funds received by Octopus AIM under the 2015 Offers (such a fee to be reduced in relation to applications from investors who are existing, or who were previously, shareholders of any Octopus VCT) and an ongoing fee of 0.5% per annum of the most recently announced NAV multiplied by the number of Shares allotted to investors under the 2015 Offers who have invested directly into Octopus AIM and not through a financial intermediary, the cost of this ongoing charge being met through a reduction in the annual management fee of Octopus, and the Manager agreed to discharge all the external costs of advice and their own costs in respect of the Offers. Under the 2015 Offer Agreement certain warranties were given by Octopus AIM, the Directors of Octopus AIM and the Manager to Howard Kennedy. Octopus AIM agreed to indemnify Howard Kennedy in respect of its role as sponsor. The warranties and indemnity are in usual form for a contract of this type. The 2015 Offer Agreement can be terminated if any material statement in the prospectus relating to the 2015 Offers is untrue, any material omission from that prospectus arises or any material breach of warranty occurs.
8.3 The Directors' letters of appointment, details of which are set out in paragraph 5 above.
Save for the fees paid to the Directors of Octopus AIM as detailed in paragraph 5 above, the fees paid under the Investment Management and Administration Agreement detailed in paragraph 8.4 above, the promoters fees paid to Octopus of £263,000 (year ended 29 February 2016), £348,000 (year ended 28 February 2017), £651,000 (year ended 28 February 2018) and £3,000 (5 months to 31 July 2018), there were no other related party transactions or fees paid by Octopus AIM during the years ended 29 February 2016, 28 February 2017 and 28 February 2018 or since 28 February 2018 to the date of this document.
Octopus AIM is of the opinion that the working capital of Octopus AIM is sufficient for its present requirements, that is, for at least the period of twelve months from the date of this document.
11.1 The capitalisation of Octopus AIM as at 30 June 2018 was as follows:
| Capital and reserves | £'000's |
|---|---|
| Called up Equity Share Capital | 1,086 |
| Share Premium | 63,236 |
| Special Distributable Reserve | 42,192 |
| Capital Redemption Reserve | 70 |
| Own Shares held in Treasury | - |
|---|---|
| Capital Reserve Realised | (29,177) |
| Capital Reserve Unrealised | 53,382 |
| Revenue Reserve | 242 |
| Total Equity Shareholders' Funds | 131,031 |
11.2 Since inception, Octopus AIM has incurred no indebtedness. Octopus AIM has power to borrow under its Articles, details of which are set out in the paragraph entitled "Borrowing Powers" on page 78.
There have been no governmental, legal or arbitration proceedings (including any such proceedings which are pending or threatened of which Octopus AIM is aware) since Octopus AIM's incorporation which may have, or have had in the recent past, a significant effect on Octopus AIM's financial position or profitability.
dividend reinvestment scheme up to an aggregate nominal amount of £300, representing approximately 3.0% of the share capital in issue as at 2 August 2018.
3.3 At the date of this document the issued fully paid share capital of Octopus AIM 2 is:
| Class of shares |
Nominal value |
Issued (fully paid) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | No. of Shares | |||
| Ordinary Shares |
0.01p | 9,903 | 99,025,388 |
3.4 The issued fully paid share capital of Octopus AIM 2 immediately after the Offers have closed (assuming (i) the Offers are fully subscribed, including the over-allotment facility, in both Companies with subscriptions split as to 60%/40% as between Octopus AIM and Octopus AIM 2 respectively and (ii) that the Offer Price is either 96.7p or 77.4p per Octopus AIM 2 New Share) will be as follows:
| Offer Price 96.7p |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Class of shares |
Nominal value |
Issued (fully paid) | |
| £ | No. of Shares | ||
| Ordinary Shares |
0.01p | 11,143 | 111,434,901 |
| Offer Price 77.4p |
|||
| Class of | Nominal | Issued (fully paid) | |
| shares | value | ||
| £ | No. of Shares | ||
| Ordinary Shares |
0.01p | 11,453 | 114,529,263 |
3.5 The following allotments and repurchases of Shares have taken place since 1 December 2014:
6,187,293 Shares at a weighted average price of 79.7p were bought back; 49,127,345 Shares at a weighted average price of 88.9p were allotted.
respect of the allotment of equity securities (as defined in Section 560(1) of the CA 2006) which are, or are to be, paid up in cash and will apply to Octopus AIM 2, except to the extent disapplied by Octopus AIM 2 in general meeting. Subject to certain limited exceptions, unless the approval of Shareholders in a general meeting is obtained, Octopus AIM 2 must normally offer shares to be issued for cash to holders on a pro rata basis.
4.1 As at the date of this document the Directors of Octopus AIM 2 and their immediate families have the following interests in the issued share capital of Octopus AIM 2:
| Director | No. of Shares | % of Issued Share Capital |
|---|---|---|
| Keith Mullins | 204,195 | 0.2 |
| Andrew Raynor | 21,080 | Less than 0.1 |
| Elizabeth Kennedy | 37,380 | Less than 0.1 |
| Alastair Ritchie | 31,809 | Less than 0.1 |
4.2 Assuming that (i) the Offers are fully subscribed, including the over-allotment facility, in both Companies and (ii) an Offer Price of 96.7p per Octopus AIM 2 New Share, the interests of the Directors of Octopus AIM 2 and their immediate families in the issued share capital of Octopus AIM 2 immediately following the Offers will be:
| Director | No. of Shares | % of Issued Share Capital |
|---|---|---|
| Keith Mullins | 204,195 | Less than 0.2 |
| Andrew Raynor | 21,080 | Less than 0.1 |
| Elizabeth Kennedy | 37,380 | Less than 0.1 |
| Alastair Ritchie | 31,809 | Less than 0.1 |
| Name | Position | Name of company/partnership |
Position still held (Y/N) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Mullins | - | - | - |
| Andrew Raynor | Director | Miller's Court Tenants Limited |
N |
| Director | 21st Century Law Limited | Y | |
| Director | Bande A Part Limited | Y | |
| Director | Star Trust (East Midlands) Limited |
N |
| Elizabeth Kennedy |
Director | F & C Private Equity Trust PLC |
Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Friends of the Beatson | Y | |
| Director | F & C Private Equity Zeros PLC (dissolved)* |
N | |
| Director | Sofant Technologies Ltd | Y | |
| Director | Taragenyx Limited (in voluntary liquidation) |
Y | |
| Director | Beatson Cancer Charity | Y | |
| Director | Sunergos Innovations Limited |
N | |
| Partner | Kergan Stewart LLP | N | |
| Alastair Ritchie | Director | John Swan & Sons Limited |
N |
| Director | John Swan Trustee Limited |
N | |
| Director | Biobest Laboratories Limited |
N | |
| Director | Beauford PLC (dissolved)* |
N |
* in voluntary liquidation prior to being dissolved
The business address of all the Directors of Octopus AIM 2 is 33 Holborn, London EC1N 2HT.
which has been put into receivership, compulsory liquidation, administration, company voluntary arrangement or any composition or arrangement with its creditors generally or any class of its creditors; or
Keith Mullins and Andrew Raynor were appointed as Directors of Octopus AIM 2 on 14 September 2005 pursuant to appointment letters dated 7 September 2010. Elizabeth Kennedy and Alastair Ritchie were appointed as Directors of Octopus AIM 2 on 12 August 2010 pursuant to appointment letters of the same date. These Directors' appointments are terminable on three months' notice and no arrangements have been entered into by Octopus AIM 2 entitling the Directors of Octopus AIM 2 to compensation for loss of office nor have amounts been set aside to provide pension, retirement or similar benefits. Keith Mullins, as Chairman of Octopus AIM 2, is entitled to annual remuneration of £25,000, Andrew Raynor, as Audit Committee Chairman, is entitled to annual remuneration of £23,000, while the annual remuneration receivable by Elizabeth Kennedy and Alastair Ritchie is £20,000. None of the Directors of Octopus AIM 2 has a service contract with Octopus AIM 2 and no such contract is proposed. In respect of the year ended 30 November 2017, Keith Mullins received £25,000, Andrew Raynor received £23,000, Elizabeth Kennedy received £20,000 and Alastair Ritchie received £20,000.
Octopus AIM 2 does not have any subsidiaries.
An agreement dated 3 August 2018 between Octopus AIM 2 (1), the Directors of Octopus AIM 2 (2), the Manager (3) and Howard Kennedy (4) pursuant to which Howard Kennedy agreed to act as sponsor to Octopus AIM 2 in respect of the Offers and the Manager agreed to use reasonable endeavours to procure subscribers for New Shares under the Offers. Under the agreement the Manager is paid an initial fee of up to 5.5% of the funds received by Octopus AIM 2 under the Offers (such a fee to be reduced in relation to applications from investors who are existing, or who were previously, shareholders of any Octopus VCT) and an ongoing fee of 0.5% per annum of the most recently announced NAV multiplied by the number of New Shares allotted to investors who have invested directly into Octopus AIM 2 and not through a financial intermediary, the cost of this ongoing charge being met through a reduction in the annual management fee of Octopus, and the Manager has agreed to discharge all the external costs of advice and its own costs in respect of the Offers. Under this agreement certain warranties have been given by Octopus AIM 2, the Directors of Octopus AIM 2 and the Manager to Howard Kennedy. Octopus AIM 2 has also agreed to indemnify Howard Kennedy in respect of its role as sponsor. The warranties and indemnity are in usual form for a contract of this type. The agreement can be terminated if any material statement in the prospectus relating to the Offers is untrue, any material omission from the Prospectus arises or any material breach of warranty occurs.
The following are the only contracts (not being contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business) which have been entered into by Octopus AIM 2 in the two years immediately preceding the date of this document or which are expected to be entered into prior to Admission and which are, or may be, material or which have been entered into at any time by Octopus AIM 2 and which contain any provision under which Octopus AIM 2 has any obligation or entitlement which is, or may be, material to Octopus AIM 2 as at the date of this document:
any material statement in the prospectus relating to the 2017 Offers is untrue, any material omission from that prospectus arises or any material breach of warranty occurs.
Save for the fees paid to the Directors of Octopus AIM 2 as detailed in paragraph 5 above, the fees paid under the Investment Management and Administration Agreement detailed in paragraph 8.4 above, the promoters fees paid to Octopus of £237,000 (year ended 30 November 2015), £266,000 (year ended 30 November 2016), £478,000 (year ended 30 November 2017) and £3,000 (8 months to 31 July 2018), there were no other related party transactions or fees paid by Octopus AIM 2 during the years ended 30 November 2015, 30 November 2016 and 30 November 2017 or since 30 November 2017 to the date of this document.
Octopus AIM 2 is of the opinion that the working capital of Octopus AIM 2 is sufficient for its present requirements, that is, for at least the period of twelve months from the date of this document.
11.1 The capitalisation of Octopus AIM 2 as at 30 June 2018 was as follows:
| Capital and reserves | £000's |
|---|---|
| Called up Equity Share Capital | 10 |
| Share Premium | 44,597 |
| Special Distributable Reserve | 22,488 |
| Capital Redemption Reserve | - |
| Own Shares held in Treasury | - |
| Capital Reserve Realised | (10,655) |
| Capital Reserve Unrealised | 34,262 |
| Revenue Reserve | (494) |
| Total Equity Shareholders' Funds | 90,208 |
11.2 Since inception, Octopus AIM 2 has incurred no indebtedness. Octopus AIM 2 has power to borrow under its Articles, details of which are set out in the paragraph entitled "Borrowing Powers" on page 78.
There have been no governmental, legal or arbitration proceedings (including any such proceedings which are pending or threatened of which Octopus AIM 2 is aware) since Octopus AIM 2's incorporation which may have, or have had in the recent past, a significant effect on Octopus AIM 2's financial position or profitability.
The Articles of each of the Companies contain, inter alia, the following provisions.
1.1. Voting Rights
Subject to any disenfranchisement as provided in paragraph 1.4 below the Shares shall carry the right to receive notice of or to attend or vote at any general meeting of the Company and on a show of hands every holder of Shares present in person (or being a corporation, present by authorised representative) shall have one vote and, on a poll, every holder of ordinary shares who is present in person or by proxy shall have one vote for every Share of which he is the holder. The Shares shall rank pari passu as to rights to attend and vote at any general meeting of the Company.
The Shares are in registered form and will be freely transferable free of all liens. All transfers of Shares must be effected by a transfer in writing in any usual form or any other form approved by the Directors. The instrument of transfer of a Share shall be executed by or on behalf of the transferor and, in the case of a partly paid Share by or on behalf of the transferee. The Directors may refuse to register any transfer of a partly paid Share, provided that such refusal does not prevent dealings taking place on an open and proper basis and may also refuse to register any instrument of transfer unless:
The Company may in general meeting by ordinary resolution declare dividends to be paid to members in accordance with the Articles, provided that no dividend shall be payable in excess of the amount recommended by the Directors. The Directors may pay such interim dividends as appear to them to be justified. No dividend or other monies payable in respect of a share shall bear interest as against the Company. There are no fixed dates on which entitlement to a dividend arises. All dividends unclaimed for a period of twelve years after being declared or becoming due for payment shall be forfeited and shall revert to the Company.
The Shares shall entitle their holders to receive such dividends as the Directors may resolve to pay out of the net assets attributable to the Shares and from income received and accrued which is attributable to the Shares.
The Directors may, with the prior sanction of an ordinary resolution of the Company, offer Shareholders the right to elect to receive in respect of all or part of their holding of Shares, additional Shares credited as fully paid instead of cash in respect of all or part of such dividend or dividends and (subject as hereinafter provided) upon such terms and conditions and in such manner as may be specified in such ordinary resolution. The ordinary resolution shall confer the said power on the Directors in respect of all or part of a particular dividend or in respect of all or any dividends (or any part of such dividends) declared or paid within a specified period but such period may not end later than the date of the annual general meeting next following the date of the general meeting at which such ordinary resolution is passed.
If any Shareholder or other person appearing to be interested in Shares is in default in supplying within 14 days after the date of service of a notice requiring such member or other person to supply to the Company in writing all or any such information as is referred to in Section 793 of the CA 2006, the Directors may, for such period as the default shall continue, impose restrictions upon the relevant Shares.
The restrictions available are the suspension of voting or other rights conferred by membership in relation to meetings of the Company in respect of the relevant Shares and additionally in the case of a Shareholder representing at least 0.25% by nominal value of any class of Shares of the Company then in issue, the withholding of payment of any dividends on, and the restriction of transfer of, the relevant Shares.
On a winding-up any surplus assets will be divided amongst the holders of each class of shares in the Company according to the respective numbers of shares held by them and in accordance with the provisions of the Act, subject to the rights of any shares which may be issued with special rights or privileges.
The Articles provide that the liquidator may, with the sanction of a special resolution and any other sanction required by the Act, divide amongst the members in specie the whole or any part of the assets of the Company in such manner as he may determine.
(i) Without prejudice to any rights attaching to any existing shares, any share may be issued with such rights or restrictions as the Company may by ordinary resolution determine or in the absence of such determination, as the Directors may determine. Subject to the Act, the Company may issue shares, which are, or at the option of the Company or the holder are, liable to be redeemed.
(ii) The Company may by ordinary resolution increase its share capital, consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into shares of larger amount, sub-divide its shares or any of them into shares of smaller amounts, or cancel or reduce the nominal value of any shares which have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person and diminish the amount of its share capital by the amount so cancelled or the amount of the reduction.
Whenever the capital of the Company is divided into different classes of shares, the rights attached to any class may (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of that class) be varied or abrogated either with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than threefourths of the nominal amount of the issued shares of the class or with the sanction of a resolution passed at a separate meeting of such holders.
Unless and until otherwise determined by an ordinary resolution of the Company, the number of Directors shall not be fewer than two nor more than ten. The continuing Directors may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body, provided that if the number of the Directors be fewer than the prescribed minimum the remaining Director or Directors shall forthwith appoint an additional Director or additional Directors to make up such minimum or shall convene a general meeting of the Company for the purpose of making such appointment.
Any Director may in writing under his hand appoint (a) any other Director, or (b) any other person who is approved by the Board as hereinafter provided, to be his alternate. A Director may at any time revoke the appointment of an alternate appointed by him. Every person acting as an alternate Director of the Company shall be an officer of the Company, and shall alone be responsible to the Company for his own acts and defaults, and he shall not be deemed to be the agent of or for the Director appointing him.
Subject to the provisions of the Statutes (as defined in the Company's articles of association), the Directors may from time to time appoint one or more of their body to be managing director or joint managing directors of the Company or to hold such other executive office in relation to the management of the business of the Company as they may decide.
A Director may continue or become a Director or other officer, servant or member of any company promoted by the Company or in which they may be interested as a vendor, shareholder, or otherwise, and no such Director shall be accountable for any remuneration or other benefits derived as Director or other officer, servant or member of such company. The Directors may from time to time appoint a chairman of the Company (who need not be a Director of the Company) and may determine his duties and remuneration and the period for which he is to hold office.
The Directors may from time to time provide for the management and transaction of the affairs of the Company in any specified locality, whether at home or abroad, in such manner as they think fit.
(c) any proposal concerning the subscription by him of shares, debentures or other securities of the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings or by virtue of his participating in the underwriting or sub-underwriting of an offer of such shares, debentures or other securities;
(d) any proposal concerning any other company in which he is interested, directly or indirectly, whether as an officer or shareholder or otherwise, provided that he and any persons connected with him do not to his knowledge hold an interest in shares representing 1% or more of any class of the equity share capital of such company or of the voting rights available to members of the relevant company;
At the annual general meeting of the Company next following the appointment of a Director he shall retire from office. A Director shall also retire from office at of before the third annual general meeting following the annual general meeting at which he last retired and was re-elected. A retiring Director shall be eligible for re-election. A Director shall be capable of being appointed or re-appointed despite having attained any particular age and shall not be required to retire by reason of his having attained any particular age, subject to the provisions of the Act.
Subject as provided below, the Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and uncalled capital.
The Company's articles permit borrowings of amounts up to 10% of the sum equal to the aggregate of the amount paid up on the allotted or issued share capital of the Company and the amount standing to the credit of the capital and revenue reserves of the Company (whether or not distributable) after adding thereto or deducting there from any balance to the credit or debit of the profit and loss account.
At any time when the Company has given notice in the prescribed form (which has not been revoked) to the Registrar of Companies of its intention to carry on business as an investment company ("a Relevant Period") the distribution of the Company's capital profits shall be prohibited. The Board shall establish a reserve to be called the capital reserve. During a Relevant Period, all surpluses arising from the realisation or revaluation of investments and all other monies realised on or derived from the realisation, payment or other dealing with any capital asset in excess of the book value thereof and all other monies which are considered by the Board to be in the nature of accretion to capital shall be credited to the capital reserve. Subject to the Act, the Board may determine whether any amount received by the Company is to be dealt with as income or capital or partly one way and partly the other. During a Relevant Period, any loss realised on the realisation or payment or other dealing with investments, or other capital losses, and, subject to the Act, any expenses, loss or liability (or provision therefor) which the Board considers to relate to a capital item or which the Board otherwise considers appropriate to be debited to the capital reserve shall be carried to the debit of the capital reserve. During a Relevant Period, all sums carried and standing to the credit of the capital reserve may be applied for any of the purposes for which sums standing to any revenue reserve are applicable except and provided that during a Relevant Period no part of the capital reserve or any other money in the nature of accretion to capital shall be transferred to the revenue reserves of the Company or be regarded or treated as profits of the Company available for distribution or applied in paying dividends on any shares in the Company. In periods other than a Relevant Period, any amount standing to the credit of the capital reserve may be transferred to the revenue reserves of the Company or be regarded or treated as profits of the Company available for distribution or applied in paying dividends on any shares in the Company.
At the annual general meeting of the Company in 2020 in the case of Octopus AIM and 2021 in the case of Octopus AIM 2 and, if the Company has not then been wound up, at each fifth annual general meeting thereafter, the Directors shall procure that an ordinary resolution will be proposed to the effect that the Company shall, continue as a venture capital trust. If the resolution is not passed, the Board shall within 4 months of such meeting convene a general meeting of the Company at which a special resolution for the re-organisation or reconstruction of the Company and/or a special resolution requiring the Company to be wound up voluntarily shall be proposed. If neither of the resolutions is passed, the Company shall continue as a venture capital trust.
The Directors may, whenever they think fit, convene a general meeting of the Company. If within fifteen minutes (or such longer time not exceeding one hour as the chairman of the meeting may decide to wait) from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting, if convened on the requisition of members, shall be dissolved and, in any other case, shall stand adjourned to such day (being not less than ten clear days) and at such time and place as the Board may determine. If at any such adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within fifteen minutes from the time appointed for the meeting, a member present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote shall be a quorum.
The chairman may, with the consent of the meeting (and shall, if so directed by the meeting) adjourn any meeting from time to time and from place to place. No business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place.
CREST is a paperless settlement procedure enabling securities to be evidenced otherwise than by a certificate and transferred otherwise than by a written instrument. The Companies' Articles of Association are consistent with CREST membership and allow for the holding and transfer of shares in uncertificated form pursuant to the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001. The New Shares have been made eligible for settlement in CREST.
3.2 The Companies are authorised and regulated by the FCA as small registered UK alternative investment fund managers and also need, as VCTs, to meet a number of conditions set out in tax legislation in order for the VCT tax reliefs to apply and comply with the rules and regulations of the UK Listing Authority. The Companies have delegated their portfolio management to the Manager, which carries out the portfolio management within the remit of its MiFID permissions.
3.3 The Companies are governed by the VCT rules in respect of the investments they make as described in Part Two of this document. The Companies have appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP of 1 Embankment Place, London WC2N 6RH ("PwC") as their VCT status monitor. PwC will report to the Companies as a part of their annual reporting obligations. In respect of any breach of the VCT rules, the Companies, together with PwC, will report directly and immediately to HMRC to rectify the breach and announce the same immediately to the Companies' Shareholders through a Regulatory Information Service.
where the underlying data necessary to value the investments of either Company could not readily, or without undue expenditure, be obtained. Details of any suspension in making such calculations will be announced through a Regulatory Information Service.
4.1 The UK Corporate Governance Code published by the Financial Reporting Council in June 2016 (the "Code") presently applies to the Companies. The Directors acknowledge the section headed "Comply or Explain" in the preamble to the Code which acknowledges that some provisions may have less relevance for investment companies and, in particular, consider some areas inappropriate due to the size and nature of the business of the Companies. Accordingly, the provisions of the Code are complied with save that (i) the Companies do not have a chief executive officer or a senior independent director (the Boards do not consider this necessary for the size of the Companies), (ii) new directors have not received a full, formal and tailored induction on joining the Board, such matters being addressed on an individual basis as they arise, (iii) the Companies do not have a nomination committee, appointments being dealt with as they arise (iv) the Companies do not have a remuneration committee given the size of the Companies and as they do not have any executive directors, the Boards as a whole dealing with any matters of this nature and (v) as the Companies have no major Shareholders, the Shareholders are not given the opportunity to meet any non-executive directors at a specific meeting other than the annual general meetings.
The Code will be revised in respect of accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2019.
4.2 Audit Committee
The Audit Committees of the Companies comprises the Boards, chaired, in the case of Octopus AIM, by Neal Ransome and, in the case of Octopus AIM 2, by Andrew Raynor, and meet twice a year. The committees have direct access to BDO LLP, the Companies' external auditor. The duties of the Audit Committees are, inter alia:
To date no nomination or remuneration committees have been established by the Companies. Recommendations for the re-election of Directors are considered by the Boards. Matters relating to remuneration of Directors are considered by the Boards and any Director is excluded from meetings whose purpose is the setting of their own remuneration.
The City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the "City Code") applies to all takeover and merger transactions in relation to the Companies, and operates principally to ensure that shareholders are treated fairly and are not denied an opportunity to decide on the merits of a takeover, and that shareholders of the same class are afforded equivalent treatment. The City Code provides an orderly framework within which takeovers are conducted and the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers (the "Panel") has now been placed on a statutory footing. The Takeovers Directive was implemented in the UK in May 2006 and, since 6 April 2007, has effect through the CA 2006. The Directive applies to takeovers of companies registered in an EU member state and admitted to trading on a regulated market in the EU or EEA.
The City Code is based upon a number of General Principles which are essentially statements of standards of commercial behaviour. General Principle One states that all holders of securities of an offeree company of the same class must be afforded equivalent treatment and, if a person acquires control of a company, the other holders of securities must be protected. This is reinforced by Rule 9 of the City Code which requires a person, together with persons acting in concert with him, who acquires shares carrying voting rights which amount to 30% or more of the voting rights to make a general offer. "Voting rights" for these purposes means all the voting rights attributable to the share capital of a company which are currently exercisable at a general meeting. A general offer will also be required where a person who, together with persons acting in concert with him, holds not less than 30% but not more than 50% of the voting rights, acquires additional shares which increase his percentage of the voting rights. Unless the Panel consents, the offer must be made to all other shareholders, be in cash (or have a cash alternative) and cannot be conditional on anything other than the securing of acceptances which will result in the offeror and persons acting in concert with him holding shares carrying more than 50% of the voting rights.
There are no current mandatory takeover bids in relation to the Companies.
Section 979 of the CA 2006 provides that if, within certain time limits, an offer is made for the share capital of either Company, the offeror is entitled to acquire compulsorily any remaining shares if it has, by virtue of acceptances of the offer, acquired or unconditionally contracted to acquire not less than 90% in value of the shares to which the offer relates and, in a case where the shares to which the offer relates are voting shares, not less than 90% of the voting rights carried by those shares. The offeror would effect the compulsory acquisition by sending a notice to outstanding shareholders telling them that it will compulsorily acquire their shares and then, six weeks from the date of the notice, pay the consideration for the shares to the relevant company to hold on trust for the outstanding shareholders. The consideration offered to shareholders whose shares are compulsorily acquired under the CA 2006 must, in general, be the same as the consideration available under the takeover offer.
Section 983 of the CA 2006 permits a minority shareholder to require an offeror to acquire
its shares if the offeror has acquired or contracted to acquire shares in a company which amount to not less than 90% in value of all the voting shares in the company and carry not less than 90% of the voting rights. Certain time limits apply to this entitlement. If a shareholder exercises its rights under these provisions, the offeror is bound to acquire those shares on the terms of the offer or on such other terms as may be agreed.
The provisions of DTR 5 will apply to the Companies and their Shareholders. DTR 5 sets out the notification requirements for Shareholders and the Companies where the voting rights of a Shareholder exceed, reach or fall below the threshold of 3% and each 1% thereafter up to 100%. DTR 5 provides that disclosure by a Shareholder to the Companies must be made within two trading days of the event giving rise to the notification requirement and the Companies must release details through a Regulatory Information Service as soon as possible following receipt of a notification and by no later than the end of the trading day following such receipt.
which they appear.
There has been no significant change in the financial or trading position of Octopus AIM 2 since 31 May 2018, the date to which the latest unaudited financial information has been published, to the date of this document.
policy of each of the Companies to be attractive. This may include retail and sophisticated investors, as well as high net worth individuals who already have a portfolio of non-venture capital trust investments.
The existing issued Shares in Octopus AIM 2 will represent 88.9% of the enlarged ordinary share capital of Octopus AIM 2 immediately following the Offers, assuming the Offers are fully subscribed, including the over-allotment facility, in both Companies with subscriptions split as to 60%/40% as between Octopus AIM and Octopus AIM 2 respectively at an Offer Price for Octopus AIM 2 of 96.7p, and on that basis Octopus AIM 2 Shareholders who do not participate in the Offers will, therefore, be diluted by 11.1%.
website that it uses the Prospectus in accordance with the consent and the conditions attached thereto.
Copies of the following documents will be available for inspection during normal business hours on any weekday (Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays excepted) at the registered offices of the Companies and Howard Kennedy whilst the Offers remain open:
3 August 2018
The following definitions apply throughout this document, unless otherwise expressed or the context otherwise requires:
| "2014 Offers" | the offer for subscription by the Companies for Shares in respect of the tax years 2014/15 and 2015/16 that was launched on 29 August 2014 |
|---|---|
| "2015 Offers" | the offer for subscription by the Companies for Shares in respect of the tax years 2015/16 and 2016/17 that was launched on 21 December 2015 |
| "2017 Top Up Offers" | the offer for subscription by the Companies for Shares as set out in a top up offer document dated 6 February 2017 |
| "2017 Offers" | the offer for subscription by the Companies for Shares in respect of the tax years 2017/18 and 2018/19 that was launched on 16 June 2017 |
| "AIM" | AIM, the market of that name operated by the London Stock Exchange |
| "Acts" | CA 1985 and CA 2006 |
| "Advised Investors" | investors under the Offer who receive advice from their financial intermediaries |
| "Applicant" | the person applying for New Shares using the Application Form |
| "Application" | an application for New Shares in either or both Companies under the Offers |
| "Application Form" | the application form relating to the Offers which can be found on the Companies' website |
| "Articles" | the articles of association of the Companies |
| "Boards" | the boards of Directors of the Companies (and each a "Board") |
| "CA 1985" | Companies Act 1985 |
| "CA 2006" | Companies Act 2006 |
| "Circular" | the circular issued by the Companies to Shareholders dated 3 August 2018 |
| "Companies" | Octopus AIM and Octopus AIM 2 (and each a "Company") |
| "Directors" | the directors of the Companies (and each a "Director") |
| "FSMA" | the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended |
| "General Meetings" | the Octopus AIM GM and the Octopus AIM 2 GM |
| "HMRC" | HM Revenue and Customs |
| "Howard Kennedy" | Howard Kennedy Corporate Services LLP |
| "ITA 2007" | Income Tax Act 2007 (as amended) |
| "Knowledge Intensive Company" | a company satisfying the conditions in Section 331(A) of Part 6 |
| ITA 2007 | |
|---|---|
| "London Stock Exchange" | London Stock Exchange plc |
| "MiFID" | The Markets in Financial Instruments Directive 2004/39/EC |
| "Money Laundering Regulations" | The Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 |
| "NAV" | net asset value |
| "NEX Exchange" | Nex Exchange Limited, registered in England and Wales with company number 04309969 whose registered office is at 2 Broadgate, London EC2M 7UR |
| "New Shares" | Shares being offered by the Companies pursuant to the Offers (and each a "New Share") |
| "Octopus", the "Manager" or the "Receiving Agent" |
Octopus Investments Limited |
| "Octopus AIM" | Octopus AIM VCT plc |
| "Octopus AIM GM" | the general meeting of Octopus AIM to be held on 6 September 2018 (or any adjournment thereof) |
| "Octopus AIM 2" | Octopus AIM VCT 2 plc |
| "Octopus AIM 2 GM" | the general meeting of Octopus AIM 2 to be held on 5 September 2018 (or any adjournment thereof) |
| "Octopus VCT" | any venture capital trust (whether it still exists or not) which is, or was at any time, managed by Octopus |
| "Offer Price" | the price per New Share as set out on page 94 |
| "Offers" | the offer for subscription by the Companies for New Shares in respect of the tax years 2018/19 and 2019/20 contained in this document |
| "Official List" | the official list maintained by the UK Listing Authority |
| "Prospectus" | this document |
| "Prospectus Rules" | the prospectus rules made in accordance with the EU Prospectus Directive 2003/71/EC |
| "Qualifying Company" | a company satisfying the requirements of Chapter 4 of Part 6 of ITA 2007 |
| "Qualifying Investments" | shares in, or securities of, a Qualifying Company held by the Companies which meet the requirements described in chapter 4 of Part 6 ITA 2007 |
| "Regulatory Information Service" |
a regulatory information service that is on the list of regulatory information services maintained by the FCA |
| "Risk Finance State Aid" | State aid received by a company as defined in Section 280B (4) of ITA 2007 |
| "Shares" | ordinary shares of 1p each in the capital of Octopus AIM and ordinary shares of 0.01p each in the capital of Octopus AIM 2 |
| (and each a "Share") | |
|---|---|
| "Shareholders" | a holder of Shares (and each a "Shareholder") |
| "Terms and Conditions" | the terms and conditions of Application, contained in this document on pages 90 to 96 |
| "The Risk Finance Guidelines" | guidelines on State aid to promote risk finance investments 2014/C 19/04 |
| "Total Return" | the sum of (i) the NAV per Share and (ii) all distributions per Share paid since the first admission of the Shares to the Official List |
| "venture capital trust" or "VCT" | a company which is, for the time being, approved as a venture capital trust under Section 259 of the ITA 2007 |
| "VCT rules" | Part 6 ITA 2007 and every other statute (including any orders, regulations or other subordinate legislation made under them) for the time being in force concerning venture capital trusts |
The following terms and conditions apply to the Offers. The section headed "Application Procedure" as set out below also forms part of these terms and conditions of Application.
in the form of additional New Shares, which will be paid for by Octopus and issued at the most recently announced NAV per Share, divided by 0.945 as described at paragraph 10 below. Where the Share price for the Companies has been declared ex-dividend on the London Stock Exchange, the NAV used for pricing under the Offers will be ex-dividend. In respect of the Offers, the NAV per Share will be rounded up to one decimal place and the number of New Shares to be issued will be rounded down to the nearest whole number (fractions of New Shares will not be allotted).
VII. agree that all Applications, acceptances of Applications and contracts resulting therefrom shall be governed in accordance with English law, and that you submit to the jurisdiction of the English courts and agree that nothing shall limit the right of the Companies or Octopus to bring any action, suit or proceeding arising out of, or in connection with any such Applications, acceptances of Applications and contracts in any other manner permitted by law or any court of competent jurisdiction;
VIII. confirm that, in making such Application, you are not relying on any information or representation in relation to the Companies other than the information contained in this document and accordingly you agree that no person responsible solely or jointly for this document, the cover correspondence or any part thereof or involved in the preparation thereof shall have any liability for such information or representation (save for fraudulent misrepresentation or wilful deceit);
purpose of which is the avoidance of tax; and
Investors should be aware of the following requirements in respect of the above law.
Under the Money Laundering Regulations, Octopus is required to check the identity of clients who invest over £10,000 or who invest using third party cheques. Octopus may therefore undertake an electronic search for the purposes of verifying your identity. To do so Octopus may check the details you supply against your particulars on any database (public or other) to which Octopus has access. Octopus may also use your details in the future to assist other companies for verification purposes. A record of this search will be retained. If Octopus cannot verify your identity it may ask for a recent, original utility bill and an original HMRC Tax Notification or a copy of your passport certified by a bank, solicitor or accountant from you or a Client Verification Certificate from your IFA.
If within a reasonable period of time following a request for verification of identity, and in any case by no later than 3.00 pm. on the relevant date of allotment, Octopus has not received evidence satisfactory to it as aforesaid, Octopus, at its absolute discretion, may reject any such Application in which event the remittance submitted in respect of that Application will be returned to the Applicant (without prejudice to the rights of the Companies to undertake proceedings to recover any loss suffered by it as a result of the failure to produce satisfactory evidence of identity).
Your cheque or bankers' draft must be drawn in sterling on an account at a branch (which must be in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man) of a bank which is either a member of the Cheque and Credit Clearing Company Limited or the CHAPS Clearing Company Limited, a member of the Scottish Clearing Banks Committee or the Belfast Clearing Committee or which has arranged for its cheques or bankers' drafts to be cleared through facilities provided for by members of any of those companies or associations and must bear the appropriate sorting code in the top right hand corner. The right is reserved to reject any Application Form in respect of which the cheque or bankers' draft has not been cleared on first presentation.
For all investors, the Offer Price will be determined by the formula reflecting the net asset value per Share ("NAV") at the time of allotment adjusted for an allowance for the majority of the costs of the Offers. The formula is:
Investors who are existing, or who were previously, shareholders of any Octopus VCT will benefit from the costs of the Offers being reduced by 1.0%. Applicants will receive these reductions in the form of additional New Shares, which will be paid for by Octopus and issued at the most recently announced NAV per Share, divided by 0.945.
In consideration for promoting the Offers, the Companies will pay an initial charge of 3% of the gross sum invested in the Offers to Octopus. This is payable in the same way on all subscriptions to the Offers. From this sum Octopus will discharge all external costs of advice and their own costs in respect of the Offers. In addition, there are then four categories of options, which are determined by the circumstances of each investor and their explicit instructions, in respect of which payments can be made to advisers and other intermediaries. These are as follows:
Investors who have not invested their money through a financial intermediary/adviser and have invested directly into the Companies.
In consideration for promoting the Offers, if an application is made directly (not through an intermediary/adviser) then the Companies will pay Octopus an additional initial charge of 2.5% of the investment amount and an additional ongoing charge of 0.5% per annum of the most recently announced NAV multiplied by the number of New Shares allotted to that investor for up to nine years, provided the investor continues to hold the New Shares. The cost of this ongoing charge will not result in a higher fee to investors since Octopus will reduce its annual management fee accordingly.
Investors who have invested in the Offers through a financial intermediary/adviser and have received upfront advice and will receive ongoing advice.
The Companies can facilitate a payment on behalf of an investor to an intermediary/adviser (an 'initial adviser charge') of up to 2.5% of the investment amount. If the investor has agreed with his/her intermediary/adviser to pay a lower initial adviser charge, the balance (up to a maximum of 2.5%) will be used for the issue and allotment of New Shares for the investor, issued at the most recently announced NAV per Share, divided by 0.945.
The Companies can also facilitate payments to an intermediary/adviser ('ongoing adviser charges') in respect of ongoing advisory services provided by the intermediary/adviser to the investor of up to 0.5% per annum of the recently announced NAV multiplied by the number of New Shares allotted to that investor for up to nine years, provided that the investor continues to be the beneficial owner of the New Shares. If the investor chooses to pay their adviser less than 0.5% annually, the remaining amount will be used for the issue and allotment of additional New Shares for the investor, at the then most recently announced NAV per Share rounded down to the nearest whole share. Any residual amount less than the cost of a New Share will be donated to a charity approved by the relevant Board. The cost of ongoing adviser charges will not result in a higher fee to investors since Octopus will reduce its annual management fee accordingly.
If the investor terminates their relationship with the intermediary/adviser then the Companies will not make any further payments of ongoing adviser charges to that intermediary/adviser. The Companies will facilitate ongoing adviser charges if an investor changes their adviser and consents to the ongoing adviser charge.
Investors who have invested in the Offers through a financial intermediary/adviser and have received upfront advice with no ongoing adviser charge, including investors who are investing through intermediaries/advisers using financial platforms.
Where an investor agreed to an upfront fee only, the Companies can facilitate a payment of an initial adviser charge of up to 4.5% of the investment amount. If the investor chooses to pay their intermediary/adviser less than the maximum initial adviser charge, the remaining amount will be used for the issue and allotment of additional New Shares for the investor, issued at the most recently announced NAV per Share, divided by 0.945. In these circumstances the Companies will not facilitate ongoing annual payments. To ensure that the Companies are not financially disadvantaged by such payment, a notional ongoing advisor charge equivalent to 0.5% per annum of the most recently announced NAV multiplied by the number of New Shares allotted to that investor will be deemed to have been paid by the Companies for a period of nine years. Octopus will subsequently reduce its annual management charge by the amount of this notional ongoing adviser charge to ensure that the Companies are not financially disadvantaged.
In both cases (2) or (3), should the investor choose to pay the adviser more than 2.5% or 4.5% respectively, the excess amount will have to be settled by the investor directly with the adviser.
Investors who have invested their money through a financial intermediary and have not received advice.
An initial charge of 2.5% of the investment will be paid by the Companies to such an
intermediary. An ongoing charge of 0.5% per annum of the most recently announced NAV multiplied by the number of New Shares allotted to that investor will be paid by Octopus to the intermediary for up to nine years provided that the investor continues to be the beneficial owner of the New Shares (and in the case of an intermediary the intermediary continues to act for the investor). Since Octopus pay the cost of this ongoing charge, this will not result in a higher fee to investors.
These charges may, according to the proportion of advised investors where advice is received for an upfront fee only, create some limited reduction of the NAV per Share immediately subsequent to subscriptions in the Offers being made. This effect will be mitigated and is ultimately expected to be more than compensated, for continuing investors, by the expected benefits derived from a larger pool of investable funds and the financial benefit in subsequent periods of the absence of ongoing adviser charges in respect of such investments and the subsequent reduction in the Octopus annual management fee to reflect this.
The re-investment arrangements relating to ongoing adviser charges which are described above will only operate for so long as an investor remains the holder of the New Shares. Any subsequent purchaser of those New Shares will not benefit from the re-investment arrangements set out above irrespective of the adviser charges which they have agreed with their adviser nor will Octopus facilitate any adviser charges. This, therefore, means that any purchaser of New Shares will not benefit from the issue or allotment of any additional New Shares under the arrangements set out above.
Any additional New Shares which are issued under the arrangements which are described above will be issued in full and final satisfaction of any cash sums which would otherwise be due to the investor. The Companies do not hereby accept or assume or undertake any liability or obligation of any nature whatsoever to any adviser as regards the payment of any adviser charges (whether such charges are initial adviser charges or ongoing adviser charges). The role of the Companies is simply to facilitate such payments to the extent permitted by applicable rules and regulations.
The above payments are subject to any future changes in the applicable rules and regulations.
Shares and (iii) Ordinary Shares will not be allotted at less than their nominal value.
obtaining any governmental or other consents which may be required and observing any other formalities needing to be observed in any such jurisdiction(s).
Such notices shall not be effective in respect of the next forthcoming Payment Date unless it is received by the Scheme Administrator at least 15 days prior to such Payment Date. In respect of notices under (a) above, such notice will be deemed to have been served where (i) the Participant ceases to hold any Ordinary Shares or (ii) the Participant applies for further Ordinary Shares under a prospectus or top-up offer document issued by the Company, and indicates on the relevant application form applying that they do not want the shares to be issued to them to be subject to the Scheme (upon which their existing participation in the Scheme in relation to all their Ordinary Shares shall be deemed to terminate in accordance with (a) above). Upon receipt of notice of termination, all funds held by the Company on the Participant's behalf shall be returned to the Participant as soon as reasonably practical at the address set out in register of members, subject to any deductions which the Company may be entitled or bound to make hereunder.
Participants who wish to participate in the Scheme and who already have Ordinary Shares issued to them held in certificated form, i.e. not in CREST, should complete and sign a Mandate Form and return it no later than 15 days prior to the dividend payment date to Computershare Investor Services plc, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol BS99 6ZZ. Personalised Mandate Forms can be obtained from Computershare Investor Services plc at the address above or by telephoning +44 (0) 370 703 6325 in respect of Octopus AIM and +44 (0) 370 703 6326 in respect of Octopus AIM 2. Calls to these numbers cost the same as a normal local or national landline call and may be included in your service providers tariff. Calls outside the United Kingdom will be charged at the applicable international rate. Computershare Investor Services PLC are open between 8.30 am – 5.30 pm, Monday to Friday excluding public holidays in England and Wales. Please note that Computershare Investor Services PLC cannot provide any financial, legal or tax advice and calls may be monitored for security and training purposes.
Participants who wish to participate in the Scheme and who already have Ordinary Shares issued to them held in uncertificated form in CREST (and was in uncertificated form as at the relevant record date), the Participants can only elect to receive a dividend in the form of new Ordinary Shares by means of the CREST procedure to effect such an election for the Company. No other method of election will be permitted under the Scheme and will be rejected. By doing so, such Shareholders confirm their election to participate in the Scheme and their acceptance of the Scheme terms and conditions. If a Participant is a CREST sponsored member, they should consult their CREST sponsor, who will be able to take appropriate action on their behalf. All elections made via the CREST system should be submitted using the Dividend Election Input Message in accordance with the procedures as stated in the CREST Reference Manual. The Dividend Election Input Message submitted must contain the number of Ordinary Shares on which the election is being made. If the relevant field is left blank or completed with zero, the election will be rejected. If a Participant enters a number of Ordinary Shares greater than the holder in CREST on the relevant record date for dividend the system will automatically amend the number down to the record date holding. When inputting the election, a 'single drip' election should be selected (the Corporation Action Number for this can be found on the CREST GUI). Evergreen elections will not be permitted. Participants who wish to receive new Ordinary Shares instead of cash in respect of future dividends, must complete a Dividend Election Input Message on each occasion otherwise they will receive the dividend in cash. Elections via CREST should be received by CREST no later than 5.00 p.m. on such date that is at least 15 days before the dividend payment date for the relevant dividend in respect of which you wish to make an election. Once an election is made using the CREST Dividend Election Input Message it cannot be amended. Therefore, if a CREST Shareholder wishes to change their election, the previous election would have to be cancelled.
connection with such application and to comply with legislation relating to venture capital trusts or other relevant legislation (as the same may be amended from time to time); and
Administrator has not been notified (whatever jurisdiction may govern the court order); or
Shareholders who are in any doubt about their tax position should consult their independent financial adviser.
| Investment Manager, | Octopus Investments Limited | |
|---|---|---|
| Administrator and | 33 Holborn | |
| Receiving Agent | London EC1N 2HT | |
| Company Secretary | Suzanna Waterhouse, ACIS | |
| Auditor | BDO LLP | |
| 55 Baker Street | ||
| London | ||
| W1U 7EU | ||
| Solicitor | Howard Kennedy LLP | |
| No. 1 London Bridge | ||
| London SE1 9BG | ||
| Sponsor | Howard Kennedy Corporate Services LLP | |
| No. 1 London Bridge | ||
| London SE1 9BG | ||
| Tax adviser to the Offers | Philip Hare & Associates LLP | |
| Suite C | ||
| First Floor | ||
| 4-6 Staple Inn | ||
| London | ||
| WC1V 7QH | ||
| VCT Tax status adviser | PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP | |
| 1 Embankment Place | ||
| London WC2N 6RH | ||
| Registrars | Computershare Investor Services plc | |
| The Pavilions | ||
| Bridgwater Road | ||
| Bristol BS99 6ZZ |
0800 316 2295 [email protected] octopusinvestments.com
Octopus Investments 33 Holborn London EC1N 2HT
Octopus Investments Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered office: 33 Holborn, London EC1N 2HT. Registered in England and Wales No. 03942880.
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