DMTR.L Regulatory News (DMTR)

19 October 2020

DeepMatter Group plc

("DeepMatter", the "Company" or "the Group")

Directorate Changes

Appointment of Non-Executive Chair and Chief Financial Officer

DeepMatter (AIM: DMTR), the AIM-quoted company focusing on digitising chemistry, is pleased to announce two appointments to the Board, effective on 1 November 2020. Karen Bach will join as Non-Executive Chair and Fraser Benson will join as Chief Financial Officer.

Karen Bach brings significant public and private technology expertise, particularly focused on helping young technology businesses deliver on their growth potential, with an understanding of the life sciences through her Non-Executive Directorship at Datapharm Ltd. This is coupled with a strong financial background, having held the CFO role at growing technology businesses; IXEurope Plc, ACS Plc and Kewill Plc; and with blue chip multi-nationals including EDS France, MCI WorldCom, General Motors and Ernst & Young. Karen is currently Chair of Amino Technologies Plc and Consult Red Ltd and Non-Executive Director of Escape Hunt Plc. As well as advising businesses, Karen is a member of the 30% Club, which supports boards to appoint more female directors and increase the pipeline of upcoming female talent at board and senior management levels.

Karen has confirmed she intends to subscribe for 500,000 new ordinary shares in the Company at a price of 2.5p per share, prior to her starting date. A further announcement in relation to the subscription will be issued in due course.

Fraser Benson has 17 years of accounting experience and significant exposure to fast-growing software businesses having worked at Tradeweb Inc., a NASDAQ listed electronic fixed income and derivatives trading platform, for eight years, latterly as Finance Director, Europe and Asia, supporting the Group's international growth. Previous experience includes working with a range of organisations from FTSE 100 companies through to Venture Capital backed businesses across multiple sectors.

Fraser succeeds Lauren Lees, who stood down from the board of directors effective from today. Having seen the Company through to commercialisation, the Board thanks Lauren for her contribution to DeepMatter and wishes her all the very best for the future.

Mark Warne, Chief Executive Officer of DeepMatter commented: "I am delighted to welcome Karen and Fraser to the Board as Non-Executive Chair and Chief Financial Officer, respectively.

Karen's wealth of experience in working with growth companies, as well as her enthusiasm in the technology sector, resonates with our long-term strategic goal to digitise chemistry while Fraser's experience of working in fast growth businesses means that he has skills and knowledge to share with DeepMatter. We look forward to working with Karen and Fraser as we scale up the business and enter new territories."

The following information regarding the appointment of Karen Bach, aged 50, is disclosed under Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies:

Karen was a director of GalaxyLife Limited, which was a company that entered liquidation.

Fraser Benson, aged 41, holds no other current directorships, nor has he held a directorship during the five years prior to his appointment. He holds no interest in ordinary shares of the Company. There are no further disclosures to be made in accordance with Rule 17 and paragraph (g) of Schedule 2 of the AIM Rules for Companies.

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About DeepMatter Group plc 

DeepMatter's long term strategy is to integrate chemistry with technology, thereby enabling a greater use of artificial intelligence and reaching a point where chemicals can be autonomously synthesised through robotics. In the near term this involves the provision of an integrated software, hardware and artificial intelligence enabled platform, DigitalGlassware™, to scientists across research and process development sectors. 

The DigitalGlassware™ platform allows chemistry experiments to be accurately and systematically recorded, coded and entered into a shared data cloud. The platform is designed to enable chemists to work together effectively; sharing the details of their experiments from anywhere and in real-time, so that work is not needlessly duplicated, time and money wasted, and ultimately so new discoveries may be made faster. 

Visit: www.deepmatter.io and follow @deepmattergroup