Keywords Studios Plc Regulatory News (KWS)

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, ISRAEL OR ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH IT WOULD BE UNLAWFUL TO DO SO. FURTHER, THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, SUBSCRIBE FOR OR OTHERWISE ACQUIRE ANY SHARES OR OTHER SECURITIES OF KEYWORDS STUDIOS PLC IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH ANY SUCH OFFER OR SOLICITATION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE END OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

PEQ HOLDINGS LTD. AND ANDREW DAY

Proposed secondary placing of 4,478,000 Existing Ordinary Shares in Keywords Studios PLC

PEQ Holdings Ltd. ("PEQ"), the holding company of the founders of Keywords Studios PLC ("Keywords" or the "Company") led by Giorgio Guastalla, Non-Executive Director of Keywords, and Andrew Day, CEO of Keywords, (together with PEQ, "the Sellers") announce their intention to sell approximately 3,978,000 and 500,000 ordinary shares respectively in Keywords.

The disposal will be through a placing of 4,478,000 existing ordinary shares in the Company (the "Placing Shares") to institutional investors by means of an accelerated bookbuild offering (the "Placing"), which is to begin immediately. The Placing Shares represent approximately 8.05% of the Company's issued share capital. A further announcement will be made following completion of the bookbuild and pricing of the Placing.

The Sellers have entered into a block trade agreement with Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co. KG ("Berenberg") to act as sole bookrunner and placing agent in relation to the Placing. 

Following completion of the Placing, PEQ and Andrew Day will retain beneficial interests in approximately 7.2% and 5.9% corresponding to approximately 4.0 million and 3.3 million ordinary shares, respectively, of the entire issued share capital of Keywords. The Sellers have agreed to lock-in arrangements in relation to the balance of their Ordinary Shares for 180 days following the completion of the Placing.

The Company is not a party to the Placing and will not receive any proceeds from the Placing.

For further information, please contact:

Important Notice:

MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND ANY OFFER OF SECURITIES TO WHICH IT RELATES ARE ONLY ADDRESSED TO AND DIRECTED AT (1) IN ANY MEMBER STATE OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA, PERSONS WHO ARE QUALIFIED INVESTORS WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 2(1)(E) OF EU DIRECTIVE 2003/71/EC AND ANY RELEVANT IMPLEMENTING MEASURES (THE "PROSPECTUS DIRECTIVE"); AND (2) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, PERSONS WHO (I) HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS WHO FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005 (AS AMENDED) (THE "ORDER"); OR (II) FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) OF THE ORDER OR (III) ARE PERSONS TO WHOM AN OFFER OF THE PLACING SHARES MAY OTHERWISE LAWFULLY BE MADE (ALL SUCH PERSONS REFERRED TO IN (1) AND, (2) TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS"). THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE PLACING SET OUT IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST NOT BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS. ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO RELEVANT PERSONS AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT PERSONS.

This announcement and the information contained herein is for information purposes only and does not constitute or form part of any offer or an invitation to acquire or dispose of securities in the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Japan or Israel or in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or invitation is unlawful.

The Placing Shares have not been, and will not be, registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or under the securities laws of any State or other jurisdiction of the United States, and, absent registration, may not be offered or sold in the United States (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and the securities laws of any relevant State or other jurisdiction of the United States. There will be no public offering of the Placing Shares in the United States or elsewhere.

The Placing Shares have not been approved or disapproved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or other regulatory authority in the United States, nor have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the Placing or the accuracy or adequacy of this announcement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States.

No prospectus or offering document has been or will be prepared in connection with the Placing. Any investment decision to buy securities in the Placing must be made solely on the basis of publicly available information. Such information is not the responsibility of and has not been independently verified by the Sellers, Berenberg or any of their respective affiliates.

Neither this announcement nor any copy of it may be taken, transmitted or distributed, directly or indirectly, in or into or from the United States (including its territories and possessions, any State of the United States and the District of Columbia), Canada, Australia, South Africa, Japan or Israel. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of US, Canadian, Australian, South African or Japanese securities laws.

The distribution of this announcement and the offering or sale of the Placing Shares in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has been taken by the Sellers, Berenberg or any of their respective affiliates that would, or which is intended to, permit a public offer of the Placing Shares in any jurisdiction, or possession or distribution of this announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating to the Placing Shares, in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required by the Sellers and Berenberg to inform themselves about and to observe any applicable restrictions.

Berenberg's London Branch, which is regulated by the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority in Germany and subject to limited supervision by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting only for the Sellers in connection with the Placing and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Sellers for providing the protections offered to the clients of Berenberg, nor for providing advice in relation to the Placing or any matters referred to in this announcement.